Senior Scribblin'

Stone Lantern

2012-01-07T19:00:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be easy. Ha!

Based on a photo from the Art Journal section at WetCanvas Weekly Inspiration Pictures thread.

A Very Wet Bird

2012-01-05T08:16:00.001-05:00

It was weird drawing all the blades of grass in the last drawing, but drawing all the feathers on this wet bird was going overboard. It's actually easier for me to see the ink lines than to paint the color.

It's supposed to be a male White-Rumped Shama.

Based on a photo from the Art Journal section at WetCanvas Weekly Inspiration Pictures thread.

Grass! Nope. A Dog!

2012-01-02T13:24:00.000-05:00

Another one based on a photo from The Art Journal section at WetCanvas Weekly Inspiration Pictures thread. All caught up.

See. You can draw each blade of grass.

A Bird, a Rabbit, and a Meerkat

2012-01-01T20:16:00.000-05:00

The Art Journal section at WetCanvas has a Weekly Inspiration Pictures thread each week with photos from which to choose. These drawings were based on photos from two of the threads.

Chimney Pots

2011-12-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

My scanner doesn't pick up light colors, so the sky color is missing as well as the lighter shading on the chimney pots.

No more lines for me! And, not a straight one in the bunch! And, a lot are hidden behind the watercolor. I lost interest in this one before the third chimney pot and all the bricks, but practice is practice, and it's another sketch finished.

Ink and watercolor based on a photo from WetCanvas.

Buildings 11

2011-12-09T14:29:00.000-05:00

I forgot how to draw trees! I was never very good with trees, but my brain truly failed me here. Check out the tree on the left. It went from bad to worse, and I wouldn't stop! With ink! No erasing possible!

The buildings were free-handed in ink, then I started with the tree on the left so the remaining buildings would be behind the trees. It was horrible, and my ink pen kept going! Sanity finally came to my rescue, and I walked away. Later I returned to throw in the right-hand tree, darken the windows, and salvage what I had done behind Inktense pencils with water. Forget the rest of the buildings.

This is in a sketchbook that is for practicing drawing buildings. Someone needs a lot more practice with foliage too.

Based on various photographs.

Doodles 09

2011-12-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

My little Moleskine sketchbook has not been used in three years, so it is time to add a sketch. Ha! I'm not sure where to land the pen point, but my aim was not too bad.

One of my piggy banks, and I will empty them all one day to find less than $100.

Green Trees or Blue Trees?

2011-12-06T05:43:00.001-05:00

This vision problem is interesting at times. I hope the trees in the background are green. I can't tell the difference between dark green and dark blue, and once I started mixing colors on the palette, I became confused about what was where. Blue was on my palette to mix the greens. Previously I had a problem mixing the greens I really wanted, but now it is ridiculous.

Image based on a photograph from the WetCanvas Image Library.

Overdid It

2011-12-02T18:45:00.002-05:00

One figure is hard enough to draw, but I went nuts and tried four at once. Three and a half if you are counting full figures. This is based on a photo at a news site, and I wanted to see if I could capture the movement of the figures. Close enough.

To make things more complicated, I decided to use my Niji waterbrush and burnt umber watercolor for a wash. I have only fiddled with the waterbrush before, and I have done only a few single-color washes. Close enough.

I'm Back !

2011-11-28T22:33:00.001-05:00

I wandered away, but now I'm back. I haven't done artwork since I left, but I tried some the other day.

My eyes are really bad now, but I'm getting medical help, and things have improved. Old age is delightful. If you notice anything out of whack, not to worry. If a scan is too light or too dark, I can't fix it. If the colors are wrong, too bad. Most look the same to me. I did not forget to erase any pencil guidelines -- I could not find most after they were drawn. If I keep this up, at least it should be interesting.

Images based on photographs from the WetCanvas Image Library.

Pastels #25 & #26

2009-10-11T17:07:00.006-05:00

Another one for the September Pastel Strokes at WetCanvas.

8"x10", Flannel Gray Canson Mi-Tientes.

This one was for the October Landscape Challenge at WetCanvas.

8"x10", Flannel Gray Canson Mi-Tientes.

Not happy with either one, so I will count them as more practice with pastels.

Pastel #24

2009-09-20T17:12:00.005-05:00

Done for the September Landscape Challenge at WetCanvas. I thought it would be good practice for clouds, but pastel soup ensued.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Tientes.

Pastel #23

2009-09-11T16:25:00.001-05:00

Done for the September Pastel Strokes at WetCanvas.

9"x12", Canson Blue Mi-Tientes.

Pastel #22

2009-08-28T15:34:00.003-05:00

Always a glutton for punishment, I have done another Pastel Strokes Challenge from Wetcanvas. We were given a selection of black-and-white photos from which to choose. The color choices are mine. Next time I will choose something with less detail.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Tientes.

Oil Painting #16

2009-08-11T13:06:00.002-05:00

This is for the August Landscape Challenge at WetCanvas.

My first instinct when there is a lot of green is to panic first then to mix up a green and use it everywhere there is green. Anything beyond that is progress for me. Guess I could work on branches too.

8"x10", oil on canvas.

Oil Painting #15

2009-08-02T10:39:00.004-05:00

Another Landscape Challenge from WetCanvas. This one was for July, but I did not get around to it until the first of August.

5"x7", oil on canvas.

Money, Money, Money

2009-07-12T18:23:00.007-05:00

With the death of Michael Jackson, I tried to avoid news media, especially broadcast and internet. The media make money through advertising dollars with their endless speculation. Previously unknown people are ready to make money by giving know-all interviews. Information that should be personal and private, factual or not, is discussed without regard to the family, though a few members are ready to take advantage of the hype.

One of the saddest interviews was with Joe Jackson who is more than ready to exploit his grandchildren. His history of beating his own children to get good performances from them is sickening. Surely he only sees dollar signs with his grandchildren, and I hope that somehow they are protected from him.

There is a lot of speculation about the final custody of the children, and with the little I know, most of it is only speculation with little basis in facts. The custody arrangements will eventually be settled, and my only hope is that Joe Jackson is not included to the point of not being allowed near the children.

Pastel #21

2009-07-06T15:30:00.002-05:00

This one is for the WetCanvas! July Pastel Strokes. I'm not pleased with it, but it's done.

Gossip Monger and Cyber Bully

2009-06-30T19:34:00.007-05:00

Perez Hilton has been known to hurl insults at celebrities and their families on his gossip website. Snarky comments about the children of celebrities is a favorite pasttime of his. He delights in drawing male sex organs and more over the photographs of celebrities. He is nothing more than a nasty cyber bully.

He is overly kind to celebrities who stoop to acknowledge his existence and shower him with complements.

He makes a sport of outing gay celebrities rather than respecting their personal choice of making their private information public. Recently he published photographs of gay private moments that included one celebrity. So, now he officially has a porn gossip site and is a porn cyber bully.

I was delighted to read that a few weekends ago he screamed a gay insult at someone and was punched in the face for his effort. He then went into Twitter hysterics when the police did not arrive in seconds and broadcast a plea on Twitter for people to contact the Toronto police on his behalf. Great way to flood the 911 center with nonsense calls about a low-priority situation. Hilton had a minor cut under his eye and gave the incorrect name of his alleged assailant.

To garner more sympathy after his Twitter tirade, Hilton did a 11-12-minute sobbing, drama video about the incident. He couldn't believe that his misbehavior would cause a punch in his face. Duh. Not condoned, but about time. Nothing, of course, was his fault. Someone quipped that the minor cut healed before the end of the drama-filled video.

Now he is suing the correct alleged assailant and has said will give the proceeds of the suit to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. That was news to the Foundation, and they declined his offer, pointing out that . " ... the Matthew Shepard Foundation has worked for more than 10 years to bring to people's attention the consequences of hateful or intolerant language."

The backlash to Hilton's actions took awhile to sink in for him. The only thing really bruised is his ego. He has tried a few half-hearted and obviously damage-control apologies, but few believe him.

Though the backlash was strong, Hilton topped everything by making snarky remarks in a recent post and on a photograph about Michael Jackson being rushed to the hospital. Once word was out that Jackson had died, Hilton edited the copy of his post to something kind, but forgot to delete the photograph on which he had written a heartless remark. Word finally go through to him, and he deleted the photograph. Too late. Screen shots of the original post with the photograph are all over the internet as well as written direct quotes of the full text of his post.

His most recent posts are kinder to celebrities, but it's nothing more than a try at improving his image. Many people have finally had enough of him. He is no longer amusing to some. He's just nasty. Those who have disliked him all along are having a well-deserved laugh.

Perez Hilton's real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. This might be a good time for him to start using it instead of "Perez Hilton".

Pastel #20

2009-06-25T14:44:00.003-05:00

This is a WetCanvas! Landscape Challenge from last year that I never got around to doing until now. I need to try this one again with more time and patience.

5"x7", Steel Gray Canson Mi-Teintes.

EDM #174 - Draw a Bridge

2009-06-17T23:47:00.006-05:00

I've neglected doing the EDM Challenges for six months! So long! Bad me!

Drawing has also been neglected. Rough drawings have been done in oils by using a brush and paint, and those for pastels are minimal sketches done with a pastel pencil. The good news is that I am no longer frustrated by being unable to do good drawings. If something is recognizable, it is close enough.

This is based on a WetCanvas! Image Library photograph by Yorky.

Pastel #19

2009-06-15T11:47:00.005-05:00

And another for the WetCanvas! June Pastel Strokes, though I did not post this one in their thread. It's not very good, and I cropped out most of the photo (again!) to simplify the image to suit my skill level.

For this one I tried all soft pastels instead of beginning with NuPastels and/or Rembrandt pastels. Hhmmpf! I need more skill before I try soft pastels alone again. Having a base of the harder pastels makes a difference.

5"x7", Steel Gray Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #18

2009-06-11T07:53:00.002-05:00

This pastel was done for the WetCanvas! June Landscape Challenge. I usually do the landscape challenges in oil, but the pastels were handy. I didn't think I could manage the scene in either medium, so it didn't matter.

It came out much better than I expected, and the water blues are much more subtle in real life.

8"x10", Steel Gray Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #17

2009-06-07T21:39:00.003-05:00

Yet another for the WetCanvas! June Pastel Strokes.

8"x10", Steel Gray Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #16

2009-06-05T05:34:00.006-05:00

Yet another challenge from WetCanvas! This one is for the June Pastel Strokes.

The original photograph includes the whole boat, but I simplified things for me and cropped for a less complicated area.

Though I prefer working on white paper, I am trying colored papers. I have already used a few cream-colored papers, but I was unhappy with them because I don't like to see the paper color around the edges of the painting. This time I taped off the work area with black drafting tape, and I was not distracted by the paper color.

8"x10", Icy Blue Canson Mi-Teintes.

People Practice 15

2009-05-30T10:38:00.004-05:00

This is for the WetCanvas! May 2009 Watercolor Challenge.

My watercolor has been neglected for awhile so I could learn a little about oils and pastels. Usually I rely on inked line with watercolor added for portraits, so this was a real challenge for me.

As far as doing a portrait goes, this doesn't look at all like photo, though it does resemble my Uncle George.

Oil Painting #14

2009-05-24T13:31:00.003-05:00

Another for the WetCanvas! May Landscape Challenge.

This baby is completely free-handed! Okay, I was too lazy to draw it out, and I got lucky and close. Usually I avoid buildings because of all the windows (me lazy? yup!). They are in the painting but lacking a bit of detail. Adding people was something new for me, and I blew it, but I tried.

5"x7", canvas pad.

Oil Painting #13

2009-05-12T18:08:00.002-05:00

This is for the WetCanvas! May Landscape Challenge. After uploading this image, I see a number of places that need adjustments, but I ain't gonna do 'em!

While playing with pastels, I have neglected other media, but I have learned so much with the pastels. It's wonderful how experience with one medium translates so well to another.

5"x7", oil on canvas pad.

Pastel #15

2009-05-08T13:17:00.002-05:00

Another WetCanvas! Pastel Strokes for May try. It is not what I really had in mind, but it is okay. My mechanics of using pastels must be improving because this one is on Canson Mi-Teintes, and the several layers of pastels behaved beautifully ... or I got lucky and don't know how.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #14

2009-05-04T12:42:00.005-05:00

A WetCanvas! Pastel Strokes for May. Mostly Rembrandts on Colorfix sanded paper. I used a couple of Schmincke pastels around the sky and water, but the paper chewed into them too much to suit me. A lighter touch for applying the pastels is needed, or the paper could be sanded down a little.

About 9"x12".

Pastel #13 - Cloud Practice

2009-05-02T18:23:00.002-05:00

A little cloud practice is needed. Looking at clouds is a pleasure, but rendering them scrambles my brain. Based on a photograph from the Image Library at WetCanvas!

8"x10", Canson Mi-Teintes.

Pastel #12

2009-04-21T19:57:00.002-05:00

A different paper! This is done on Colorfix sanded paper with Rembrandt pastels. I had tried the sanded paper once before with just marks on a half-sheet and made a horrible mess. So far I have used Canson Mi-Teintes or similar pastel papers, but I needed something that would hold more pastels.

As a beginner, a lot of my problems with pastels are simply lack of experience. I have seen many beautiful paintings done on the Canson paper, so I cannot blame the paper. Cannot blame the pastels either. It's me!

I pulled out the other half-sheet of the Colorfix sanded paper yesterday, made some pastel marks on it, and suddenly everything went well. I even tried some watercolor on the paper and added pastels over the watercolor after it dried. Nice. Time to try an actual painting.

This scene has been done before, but it was easy to choose for my sanded paper experiment. I went so far as to use watercolor for the first layer. It was very pretty and rich in color, but it made it difficult to determine where and how much pastel was used. I'm not ready for a watercolor background.

The pastels were so easy to apply this time around. Only Rembrandts were used because they were doing great on the sanded paper, and I did not plan to take this farther than getting used to the sanded paper. The Rembrandts work so much better than on regular paper. I'll add the softies on top next time.

This one is 9"x12". As usual, the colors are a little off. I fool around with the color adjustments, but I get bored with learning how to do them and give up. The best I can do is to pick a white point, usually with the aid of a value card to the side in the photo, and leave it at that.

Pastel #11

2009-04-19T20:00:00.004-05:00

Another for the WetCanvas! April Pastel Strokes. I keep trying. Colors are a little off but close enough. I'm still focused on the mechanics of using pastels, and the Pastel Strokes is giving me lots of practice material.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Teintes smooth side.

Pastel #10-1/2

2009-04-12T14:55:00.007-05:00

Revised painting.

Original painting.

Some changes were made to the painting in my previous post, mainly to emphasize lighter and darker areas. I was actually testing a new pastel fixative, SpectraFix, to see how I liked it, so the changes were done quickly and with more thought to the fixative than the painting. I prefer the revisions (thanks, Paula, for the suggestions), and I like the SpectraFix.

The photo adds brown to the orange area, but the other colors are close enough.

The SpectraFix is odor-free, and that alone is enough to be fond of the product. Other fixatives have a toxic, strong odor, but the SpectraFix is not toxic, and there is no odor. It's in a pump-spray container, and I need to become familiar with the distance to use for spraying and the least amount to spray at a time. Now I won't avoid fixing the base layers of pastels.

Pastel #10

2009-04-09T15:41:00.002-05:00

Another for the WetCanvas! April Pastel Strokes. I keep trying.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Teintes smooth side.

Pastel #9

2009-04-05T12:08:00.002-05:00

Done for the WetCanvas! April Pastel Strokes. The only thing I managed here was to get the pastels on the paper. I took an interesting photo and made an uninteresting painting. Maybe next time will be better.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Teintes smooth side.

Pastel #8 - Birds of a Feather

2009-04-03T08:16:00.003-05:00

More messing around with pastels.

Pastel #7

2009-03-16T10:04:00.003-05:00

More birds from the WetCanvas! March Pastel Strokes.

Some of the colors are off, but it's raining outside, and this is close enough, though the bills are much more yellow.

For my seventh pastel, I'm okay with it. I have a pad of Strathmore 400 pastel paper, so I thought I'd give it a try. With my inexperience with pastels, it didn't make much difference to me. My focus is learning to work with the pastel layers and colors. Ditto when I use oils and watercolors.

Pastel #6

2009-03-09T08:29:00.004-05:00

This one was for the WetCanvas! March Pastel Strokes. Among the choices this month were some wonderful bird photos, and I put two together.

8"x10", Canson Mi-Teintes smooth side.

Pastels #4 and #5

2009-02-27T11:12:00.003-05:00

I'm not good at practicing, but now that I have my pastel collection nicely organized, it's time to work on the mechanics of the little rascals. Some people have to practice in order to learn, and I'm a slow learner with little attention span for practicing.

NuPastels and Rembrandts are being used for practice. No reason to waste the good stuff.

When I use watercolors, I have to spend a lot of time doing a drawing before painting. I'm dyslexic (not bad, but enough to be inconvenient), and lines sometimes take off in wrong directions. With oils and pastels the base drawing is being skipped for now. There is time to spot errors and to correct them as I work without ruining everything, so I can focus on learning to use the media instead of a good base drawing.

The nice thing about pastels is that I can spend time with color relationships without having to mix the colors needed. Since I'm in the learning stage, I'm not concerned with wonky drawings but with using the colors and seeing what works for me and what does not.

When I take my glasses off, I cannot see the dust that is left.

Both 5"x7", Canson Mi-Teintes smooth side.

Pastel Box ... New Toy!

2009-02-25T12:50:00.006-05:00

This lovely pastel box arrived yesterday. Pastels can be stored in the bottom and the lid, and the box opens flat so the pastels in both areas are available. My collection of the softest pastels needs only one section for now.

These are my softest pastels: Great American (nice but lots of hard spots), Schmincke (love 'em!), Sennelier (darn things crumble easily), and Unison (very nice!). I broke all of my sticks in half, and the others halves, most with wrappers, are stored elsewhere. If you think they look unused, it's true. I've just started learning to use pastels.

There is a smaller box of Rembrandts and Grumbachers (both medium-soft). They could be added to this set, but I haven't used pastels enough to tell them apart by feel. Those, too, are 99.9% pristine.

There is a cigar box for the NuPastels (hard).

The colors in all of the boxes are arranged more or less by value and color.

Yeah, there's a tin of 48 pastel pencils too.

Simply arranging and rearranging the colors has taught me a lot about colors and values. The nice thing about pastels is one can see the colors and values without having to mix them as with oils and watercolors, though mixing and blending can also be done with the pastels.

It's time to stop playing and to start using my pastels, and I shouldn't buy more until I learn to use what I have. Hmmm ... it would be nice to have more purples ... maybe more blues ....

Pastel #3

2009-02-18T13:40:00.002-05:00

Another for the Pastel Strokes February 2009 at WetCanvas!

This time the pastels were much easier to handle! A long way to go, but the touch-and-feel part of pastels might be starting to register. Very little mess on my clothes and me this time.

Though I am horrible with foliage, I think I did a decent job with faking it on this one.

Oil Painting #12 - WetCanvas! February '09 Landscape Challenge

2009-02-13T11:48:00.005-05:00

Yup, tried another Wetcanvas! challenge.

I have noticed that I have the same sequence to my artwork.

1. I can do this.
2. This is not going the way I want.
3. Keep trying.
4. This is awful.
5. Keep trying.
6. Hmmm. There are one or two acceptable areas.
7. Keep trying.
8. It's not getting better.
9. Fiddling does not help.
10. Give it up.

5"x7", oil on canvas pad.

Pastels #1 and #2

2009-02-08T12:25:00.002-05:00

After years of collecting pastels, scribbling a few marks on paper, wrinkling my nose in disgust at the mess and results, and putting the pastels away for another time, I have decided to give them a serious try. As I suspected, I am faced with a big learning curve on the mechanics of pastels. Yikes!

Here are my first two attempts. My focus was on applying the pastels, not the drawings.

My first try on the right side of Canson Mi-Teintes. Too rough for me at this time, but it was fun to see what happened with the pastels. I had never tried actual objects before (seriously, only 2-second color scribbles before), and building the layers is interesting.

My second try is on the wrong side of Canson Mi-Teintes. It's rougher than it feels to finger-touch, but I am much happier with the surface.

These are not keepers, but there is enough in them for me to try more, and my pastel collection is no longer pristine!

These were for the Pastel Strokes February 2009 at WetCanvas!

People Practice 14

2009-01-21T18:07:00.004-05:00

This one is so small that I barely had room for facial features. Just as well since it is from a small photo. Getting the body proportions correct kept me busy.

The motorcycle was fully loaded with tons of goodies attached everywhere. It was almost a car. I was the assistant photographer at a motorcycle meet, and the loaded motorcycles were amazing, though they were stripped for the various challenges.

From my photo album.

Oil Painting #11 - WetCanvas! January '09 Landscape Challenge, Second Choice

2009-01-10T14:23:00.003-05:00

Several photos are usually offered in the WetCanvas! Landscape Challenges, and I decided to try another of the photos offered this month. If anyone is interested, the Landscape Challenges can be done in any medium.

I must be learning to chill out about painting with oils. If I'm not pleased with my color mixtures, the composition, or how I painted something, I look at it as practice and a learning experience and move on. I wish I could get the same attitude with drawing and watercolors with which I still freak out when the least little thing goes wrong.

5"x7", Artisan oils, canvas pad.

Oil Painting #10 - WetCanvas! January '09 Landscape Challenge

2009-01-07T15:05:00.003-05:00

Another WetCanvas! Landscape Challenge try. Done enough! After cleaning my palette, I spotted a few more things to do, but it was time to give it up. This is my tenth oil painting, and I am still amazed the oil sticks to the canvas.

There's so much to remember at the same time, but it's easier than my first oil painting. Some of the how-to's are beginning to sink in.

They offer a total of three landscapes to try, and I may try another.

5"x7", Artisan oils, canvas pad.

EDM #173 - Draw Something from Memory

2008-12-31T19:26:00.007-05:00

It's odd how one's memory occasionally throws out bits of long-forgotten song or verse.

And hand in hand on the edge of the sand
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

I've always enjoyed that bit of nonsense. For those who can't quite remember, it's the last verse of The Owl and the Pussy-cat ... about the charming couple who went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat.

Edit: I darkened the sky and fiddled with the image in Photoshop to get the colors closer to the original. Close enough.

Doodles 06, 07, & 08

2008-12-29T12:55:00.005-05:00

From three pages of my doodlin' book. These were sketched from items in a Christmas flyer. There was one more reindeer to sketch, but the flyer disappeared, and now I wondering if I finished the last one ... in the upper left of this grouping.

Testing Hot Press Paper

2008-12-28T20:51:00.005-05:00

Hot press paper is supposed to be more difficult than cold press paper for watercolor, though I have seen it used beautifully by many people. I bought some to make sketchbooks. After making a folded sketchbook per Nina's instructions and completed example, I thought it might be time to give the paper a try.

Nice paper! Any problems with the paper will be due to operator error, not the paper.

I have a couple of other sketchbooks that are almost completed, so I will finish them shortly before working more with this one. I am seriously considering ditching my Hand-Book sketchbook in which I am doing my People Practice sketches. I really don't like the paper, and the pages won't flatten enough at the spine for decent scans. I've only stuck with it so far because I need the practice more than a change of paper, but I am unhappy.

People Practice 13

2008-12-27T18:11:00.004-05:00

I have been delinquent in practicing drawing. Maybe I'll keep it up for awhile; then wander away again.

This one is very similar to the original photo.

From my photo album

EDM #172 - Something That Sparkles

2008-12-26T09:04:00.003-05:00

This one didn't work out as planned. It's supposed to be sparkly stars and snow. I won't bother you with everything that went wrong with the painting and the scan. Next time I will at least use real watercolor paper for something like this.

EDM #171 - Draw Some Ice Cream

2008-12-24T16:13:00.002-05:00

Ice cream cones are clever, but I always wound up with a dripping mess. It didn't take much to switch me to a bowl and spoon.

Now that I'm an adult, I use a very large bowl for my ice cream. It saves an extra trip to the kitchen.

EDM #170 - Draw a Zipper

2008-12-21T10:56:00.003-05:00

Here is the perfect zipper for children!

Guaranteed to stifle hours-on-end conversations!
Muffles the unending giggles!

One size fits all!
Available in assorted colors!
Get your supply today!

EDM #169 - Draw a Slice of Cake

2008-12-19T17:22:00.002-05:00

It's my cake and my knife. Any questions?

EDM #168 - Draw Your Daily Newspaper

2008-12-18T17:07:00.002-05:00

My newspaper subscription ended years ago. With my heavy work schedule, there was little time to keep up with a daily newspaper, though I did read the local and national newspapers at work and listen to the radio and television news. Now I keep up with the news through television and the internet.

Television news is hard to take at times. They will do anything to increase viewership. I dislike the footage where they chase down relatives, friends, and neighbors for interviews about tragedies, especially when everyone is upset and not thinking clearly. They forget they don't have to participate in an interview, though some actually want the attention.

WetCanvas! November Watercolor Challenge

2008-12-16T09:32:00.003-05:00

My attention span is down to nothing, but I did manage to work on the WetCanvas! November Challenge about two minutes a day until I gave up. Another learning piece.

5"x7", Fabriano Aristico Traditional, MaimeriBlu watercolors.

New Toys

2008-12-06T12:27:00.002-05:00

Three new toys!

1. New high-powered, massive-harddrive-space computer. This one runs XP Pro with the option to switch to Vista when I wish. I'm happy with XP on which all of my programs work.

2. DSL. It's time to give up on dial-up and switch to DSL.

3. A beautiful EasyL Lite pochade box and tripod from Artwork Essentials. I am very impressed with the quality and ease-of-use of the box, and the tripod is much nicer than expected. The box and tripod are around 3.5 pounds each, so it's a light setup compared to others. I added a pane of glass, painted grey on the back, to the palette and sealed it with silicone. I like the way a panel can be raised above the palette when painting, and only two, very thin, metal rods hold the panel at the top.

Since I am focusing on setting up my computer and clearing my workroom of old computer stuff (yeah, I still have floppies sitting around, though they were copied to CD's ages ago), drawing and painting have come to a halt. When I finish with my computer and housekeeping chores, I will be free to play with my pencils and colors again.

Oil Paintings #7, #8, & #9

2008-11-23T16:59:00.006-05:00

My computer died the end of October, though I did not receive the final bad news until this past Friday, so now I'm using my really old computer. Between my ADD and my slow, old computer, I may wander away before completing this post.

One would think that I would use the time without a computer to practice drawing and painting a lot, but I did very little. Reading how-to art books took up some time, and I hope I absorbed some of the information.

These paintings were done from photographs in The Big Book of Painting Nature in Oil. I did not try to do them like the paintings in the book.

All 5"x7" on canvas pad.

Since these have been drying for two or three weeks, I tried scanning them instead of photographing them. The oil colors are much closer to the originals than when I scan watercolors.

WetCanvas! October Watercolor Challenge

2008-10-12T15:21:00.004-05:00

Another watercolor challenge from WetCanvas! It went so wrong at first, but I kept going. There should be all mud because of all the "fixing" I did by adding more and more color, but my color choices probably saved me. I need to think and practice more.

5"x7".

Oil Painting #6 - Landscape Challenge Oct. 08

2008-10-06T11:22:00.003-05:00

The WetCanvas! October Landscape Challenge led me to try another oil painting. Most of this was discouraging and frustrating, but I need to keep trying in order to learn.

The image uploader at WetCanvas! is on the fritz. Since I could not upload my painting to the Challenge thread, I left a glowing, extremely favorable, totally untrue description of my artwork. *cough-cough* That was the most fun I had with this painting.

5"x7", canvas pad.

Oil Painting #5 - Another Landscape Challenge

2008-10-01T10:23:00.003-05:00

Another try with a WetCanvas! September Landscape Challenge. This one was not published in the WetCanvas! thread, but it's here because I toss everything on my blog. I gave up on this one, but it's okay for a learning experience.

5"x7", canvas pad.

EDM #167 - Draw Something That Needs Fixing

2008-09-29T11:57:00.003-05:00

These darning eggs are great for fixing holes in socks. Actually, I darned one hole in a sock when I was a kid, and that was only because of curiosity about how darning works.

EDM #166 - Draw a Fish

2008-09-24T13:08:00.003-05:00

Color may be added later, but I like the black-and-white design for now.

EDM #165 - Draw the Front of Your Home

2008-09-24T05:06:00.003-05:00

Not wanting to do this one, I have decided to recycle a previous EDM Challenge in which I sketched my home. I also own the Brooklyn Bridge.

Oil Painting #4 - Landscape Challenge Sept. 08

2008-09-23T10:39:00.005-05:00

Deciding to jump in over my head, I tried the WetCanvas! September Landscape Challenge. For a first attempt with a landscape in oils, I'm okay with this one.

5"x7", canvas pad.

EDM #164 - Draw a Camera

2008-09-22T10:06:00.005-05:00

This is a neat, medium-format camera. When not wanting to bother with the weight or care of a more expensive camera, this one is perfect.

EDM #163 - Draw a Deck of Cards

2008-09-21T21:13:00.002-05:00

When really bored, you can always hold a deck of cards and play 52 Pickup.

People Practice 12

2008-09-18T08:02:00.003-05:00

This one is difficult because of the angle, the flash, and my drawing skills. One day I will get it right.

From my photo album.

People Practice 11

2008-09-17T01:58:00.004-05:00

Gotta' practice drawing more! If I spend too much time on one drawing, I need to remember to break away and draw something faster so I can practice more.

From my photo album. (He's reading.)

EDM #162 - Draw Your Breakfast

2008-09-16T02:56:00.005-05:00

My favorite breakfast consists of a sausage and biscuit with a Coca-Cola. A bit of butter and preserves are added to the biscuit.

I know, I know ... it's not a healthy breakfast, but it tastes so good! I don't drink coffee or tea, so the cold, tingly Coke is perfect for me. I have no interest in knowing the number of calories hiding in the biscuit, sausage, butter, and preserves; but I am sure it's a scary, non-nutritious number.

Lousy drawing, but another challenge is completed.

WetCanvas! September Challenge

2008-09-14T23:28:00.003-05:00

The September Watercolor Challenge at WetCanvas! is an interesting old shed. The original photograph has a bunch of stuff leaning against the shed, but I had enough trouble drawing the shed and couldn't handle the extras.

The WetCanvas! challenges are fun to try, and the many interpretations are fun to see.

5"x7", five colors of various brands.

Oil Painting #3 - Garlic

2008-09-10T08:37:00.003-05:00

Finished another one, and it is time to start counting these little rascals.

This is also 5"x7" on canvas paper. Right now I am more interested in becoming familiar with the brushes and the paint, but I may switch to canvas panels soon.

Oil paints must be doggie-fluff magnets! My magnifying glass and pointed tweezers got a workout with this one.

EDM #161 and Painting with Oils

2008-09-05T08:55:00.004-05:00

EDM #161 - Draw Something That Smells Wonderful.

Have you ever walked into your kitchen and been surprised with the wonderful scent of ripening cantaloupe? It's more fun if you've forgotten the cantaloupe has been awaiting your attention. A nice quarter slice is sufficient, and I prefer mine at room temperature. The remainder is cut into chunks and placed in the refrigerator for future nibbling.

I tried oils again, though I'm only at the stage of becoming familiar with moving the paint around. Very simple compositions are all I can handle for now. Before I tried the cantaloupe, I pulled out the apple that I tried previously and made a few changes. I like the revised apple best (bottom image). 5"x7".

How am I supposed to store my practice oil paintings? Don't they need access to sunlight to prevent yellowing? Then there's the time it takes to dry. There's nothing worth framing, but I would like to keep them awhile as a reference against possible future improvement. I keep my watercolors in notebooks or in a box, but I cannot do that with these oils. So far I have finished two 5x7's, but I don't look forward to these things multiplying and drying throughout my home.

WetCanvas! August Challenge & EDM #184

2008-08-27T07:29:00.005-05:00

Ah-ha! The WetCanvas! August Challenge includes an outside bench, so this also covers EDM Challenge #184 with the bench.

The scan changed the dull purple bricks to screaming purples, but the other colors are close enough. I originally meant to only suggest bricks and use a multi-brick-color area, but I got carried away. I freehanded those babies! No guidelines! I'll never be able to do that again.

Not what I had in mind, but one day I will be able to do my mental vision.

5x7, Fabriano Aristico Traditional, MaimeriBlu watercolors.

Update: I fiddled around with the painting by darkening the greens a lot and a few other areas a little. The second try is on the right. Nothing special, but I do like the darker colors.

EDM #160 & EDM #185

2008-08-23T21:37:00.004-05:00

EDM #160 - Draw a Trophy
EDM #185 - Draw a Cat

#185 is out of sequence, but the cat seems to go well with a trophy.

I know it's okay to go out of sequence for the challenges, but it's easier for me to keep track with the sequence, plus I don't skip the ones I find difficult.

Poor scan, but close enough.

People Practice 10

2008-08-14T18:16:00.003-05:00

Time to get back to drawing. Since I pulled out my oils, I've been reading and reading about painting with oils. No practice. I had done this before, but I never got to the point of remembering the color names much less remembering how to mix colors, though the process made sense. Doing watercolors since then has made a huge difference in my color knowledge.

I've also been sidetracked by reading about and comparing pochade boxes. They are interesting, though I have no use for one. After years of lugging around two, heavy camera bags loaded with two Hasselblad cameras and various, hefty lenses, my days of lugging are over. A sketchbook, tiny watercolor paint box, and a Niji waterbrush seem perfect for me.

My Sad History with Learning Oil Painting

2008-08-03T15:55:00.006-05:00

Near the end of 2006 I learned about water-soluble oil paints and decided to give them a try. I quickly discovered how little I knew about paints and mixing the colors. Numerous times I had to find my notes on mixing browns and greys. How hard can that be?!!

Above is my first try with oils. It's unfinished because after all my work with the browns and greys, I realized I didn't have a clue about doing the kittens' fur properly and mixing good whites and creams. I gave up.

Near the end of my attempt with the kittens, I cleverly decided to try a portrait.

This is as far as I went. My first realization was that I had forgotten how to draw eyes and that painting them would be even worse.

So, off I went to work on drawing. Watercolors were also part of my education only because I had tried them once before and I had a stash of old watercolors, brushes, and paper.

With the watercolors I became familiar with the color names, attributes, and mixing. Huge learning curve! There's so much more to learn, and my watercolor skills need a lot of work.

Although I'm still working on drawing and watercolors, I decided to pull out the water-soluble oils again.

I know this is bad, but the paint is on the canvas (canvas paper! *lol* the others are on stretched canvases), and it has a bunch of mixed colors that I could not have done before. No pre-planning for this one -- I drew an apple and everything else just happened. Now I'm comfortable enough with colors to pull out the oils occasionally for a bit of practice.

The photo of the apple is not sharp, but after 15 shots I gave up. The auto-focus did not like the fresh oil, and my eyes are not good enough for manually focusing a digital camera.

EDM #159 - Draw a Favorite Cooking Tool

2008-07-30T15:25:00.005-05:00

My four sizes of ice cream scoops are used when baking cookies, muffins, and any batter needing equal measures. Since everyone knows I seldom cook, they are amazed when I show up with round cookies of equal size, and they look at me suspiciously. I figured this trick out years ago, and now it has become popular since others have figured it out too.

A different type of ice cream scoop is used for my ice cream.

Buildings 10

2008-07-29T13:56:00.002-05:00

The original isn't loaded with 90-degree angles, so my perspective isn't as bad as it seems.

Original image from the WetCanvas! Image Library.

EDM #158 - Draw a Kernel of Popped Popcorn

2008-07-27T15:43:00.002-05:00

Dogs are excellent for getting rid of any popcorn that falls to the floor. My dog is unhappy that I don't require popcorn fixes as often as I once did.

EDM #157 - Draw a Towel

2008-07-25T16:04:00.003-05:00

Finger towels are simply cute!

The grey towards the lower right is light falloff. This is a digital photo quickly taken under a lamp, though the towel and shadow colors are close to true.

EDM #156 - Draw a Sandwich

2008-07-24T09:53:00.003-05:00

Made with mystery meat!

EDM #155 - Draw Some Steps

2008-07-22T13:59:00.004-05:00

Ya' want steps? Try these!

Apologies to Escher.

EDM #154 - Draw a Lemon

2008-07-21T16:07:00.005-05:00

Since the yellow was ready, you have a bonus of two lemons instead of one!

Lemon is fantastic for so many things.

Lemonade! Two servings please. A spritz of lemon in my Coca-Cola is fun. Lemon in my iced-tea is a must.

Homemade lemon meringue pie is a favorite. If it's homemade, there's a good chance extra lemon juice and zest has been added.

I could go on, but I'm already beginning to feel the calories.

With so much time being spent on practicing drawing, I've been neglecting practicing with watercolors. That's what happens when trying to learn both at once, but sometimes I feel the progress. Nothing exceptional; just progress.

EDM #153 - Draw Something in a Plastic Wrapper

2008-07-19T00:12:00.004-05:00

Ever curious about how long you could breathe with a plastic bag over your head? This guy was. He sat back in his chair and enjoyed the view through his office window as he tested his bag.

To his dismay and later everyone's glee, the company chairman stopped by to discuss a client project. Wonderful timing!

People Practice 09

2008-07-18T00:27:00.004-05:00

The eyes are wrong. Maybe I'll get her right next time.

From my photo album.

Buildings 09

2008-07-17T00:08:00.003-05:00

Another building practice.

Original image from the WetCanvas! Image Library.

EDM #152 - Draw a Nut

2008-07-16T00:48:00.003-05:00

Pralines. Pecan pie with whipped cream. Toasted, salted pecans. Fudge with pecans. Just a few reasons I like pecans.

EDM #151 - Free Choice

2008-07-15T00:12:00.004-05:00

Choice: which balloon? I read a study years ago that stated most children are attracted to red over other colors.

My hand was unsteady while doing the faces. I need to do larger faces so the unsteady lines are not so obvious.

EDM #150 - Draw a Candle

2008-07-14T00:07:00.003-05:00

Hmmm ... poor lil' ol' candle holder is kinda' wonky. Perhaps there will be practice with circles and perspective in my future.

EDM #149 - Draw a Broom

2008-07-09T18:47:00.003-05:00

Ever suddenly feel the urge to dance? No partner? Use a broom!

Buildings 08

2008-07-08T16:18:00.002-05:00

So, I like arches.

Original image from the WetCanvas! Image Library.

EDM #148 - Draw Something Soothing

2008-07-07T16:54:00.003-05:00

My EDM Challenges have been neglected, mainly because I couldn't think of what to do for this one. Will a bubble-bath do?

I'll never catch up with the challenges at this rate! *sob-sob*

Buildings 07

2008-07-05T05:35:00.003-05:00

I wondered why I had stopped using a smooth, gel roller pen to do the building sketches. Ah. The pen skips on this paper, but I can't blame the sketch on the pen.

Original image from the WetCanvas! Image Library.

Flower in a Vase

2008-07-04T08:18:00.004-05:00

More watercolor practice.

Odd how scans show colors. The green is about right, but the blue should be softer and more neutral. I really should photograph all of the watercolors, but I'm lazy.

Doodles 05

2008-07-03T12:57:00.005-05:00

These were done over several days, and I'm surprised the flowers lasted so long. The property where I live has numerous large bushes filled with the tiny roses.

Derwent Inktense pencils were used for the color. Wouldn't you know I'd pick something with soft colors for pencils that can provide very rich, intense colors.

People Practice 08

2008-06-24T01:48:00.005-05:00

Looks very much like the original photograph. I knew when I started the inked shading for the cheek bone that it was a bad move, but it's part of learning. I am encouraged with getting such close similarities with some of the faces, and everything else will come with practice.

From my photo album.

Buildings 06

2008-06-23T08:28:00.002-05:00

Grandmother's home. There were rocking chairs on the porch, and there was once a swing on the far end. I always wanted to get in the swing, but then motion sickness would keep me from swinging. I didn't handle rocking in the rocking chairs well either. I loved the house, though it was too hot in the summer and freezing in the winter.

People Practice 07

2008-06-22T11:22:00.004-05:00

Since my attention span can be measured in seconds, mixing flesh colors is a problem. This is the first time to use cadmiums instead of transparent colors for flesh colors. The exercise was nonsense in a way since it's on cream-colored paper that I do not like. At least it's practice.

The sketch is similar but not close enough to the original photograph that is a low-key, black-and-white photo of a young woman with strong, beautiful features. From my photo album.