EDM #174 - Draw a Bridge

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.

EDM #173 - Draw Something from Memory

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.

EDM #172 - Something That Sparkles

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

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

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

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

EDM #168 - Draw Your Daily Newspaper

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.

EDM #167 - Draw Something That Needs Fixing

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

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

EDM #165 - Draw the Front of Your Home

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.

EDM #164 - Draw a Camera

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

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

EDM #162 - Draw Your Breakfast

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.

EDM #161 and Painting with Oils

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

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

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.

EDM #159 - Draw a Favorite Cooking Tool

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.

EDM #158 - Draw a Kernel of Popped Popcorn

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

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

Made with mystery meat!