Rainbow Bisque

Preventing me from uploading today's drawing. I'll edit it in as soon as I am able.  EDIT: Opening my computer and touching the various components inside sounds like a bad idea, but apparently that's how you fix it. I don't think I have taken these daily projects to their logical conclusion yet - but I'm feeling like I need to make some changes to the operation soon.

I wanted to challenge myself with a complex form today - this ball made of wrapped wooden string was the perfect thing. It was very difficult to stay focused on an area and build outward, but I am feeling more confident with my observation skills. The plant I drew this morning contains elements I really like - things that will probably make their way into future projects. I like the way the elements appear to be sweeping upward. There is an energy to the overall composition that I hope I can carry forward into other drawings.

Oil pastel on construction paper. I like the way opaque media can appear to glow. It was nice to mix things up a little and pick up something unfamiliar. Not much else to say here.

The Saturday market was full of people and tents. This is the second time I've ever tried sketching in public (at least with people aware of it). Today I learned that as long as you aren't in anyone's way, you can sit, sketch and be practically invisible to crowds of people. The whole experience wasn't nearly as intimidating as I feared.

This is as close as I could get to the birds today. I set out to draw birds, but I was caught off guard by how intricate and interesting the power lines were. It was a shame I didn't have more time.

I took some extra time on today's drawing. The initial outlines were basically done yesterday - all of the shadows and textures took way more time. I struggled quite a bit in the beginning trying figure out how to create the textures and make the glass look...glass-y. This was a challenge. It feels good to walk away from this with a little more experience. I haven't done this much drawing in a long time. Tomorrow could use a little color, though.

Trying something different today. I used my second break of the day to do a full ten minute sketch using only an HB and 4B pencil (no eraser or tortillon). Using some new techniques I read about (using the side of the pencil, rather than the tip), I began sketching a plum I was given earlier. It's not perfect, but it definitely feels like I'm getting more confident with the pencil.