Showing posts with label watercolor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label watercolor. Show all posts
Saturday, March 31, 2012
2012 Planner #1 - #5
Putting flowers in this year's Moleskine planner. It is the 2-1/2" x 4-1/4" model. Tiny.
The size is perfect for practicing one or two flowers on a page. After lightly sketching lines for the first two flowers with pencil, I could not see the lines. I could not see the watercolor edges. Had to grab a magnifier for a few brush strokes. Switched to ink outlines for the flowers done after these.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
I Tried the Chocolates
A photo of a full selection of chocolates was offered in the Art Journal section at WetCanvas Weekly Inspiration Pictures thread. Lazy me decided the easy way to handle them was to do only the paper cups with one nibbled chocolate. All those zig-zags were not so easy for my short attention span, but I did get a couple of laughs for my effort.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Dog Food Storage
An enamel-on-steel stockpot is a perfect container for dog food, and the rawhide chew sticks fit nicely in a mug. So handy for my best friend.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Stone Lantern
I thought it would be easy. Ha!
Based on a photo from the Art Journal section at WetCanvas Weekly Inspiration Pictures thread.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
A Very Wet Bird
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.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Grass! Nope. A Dog!
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.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
A Bird, a Rabbit, and a Meerkat
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.
Labels:
animals,
birds,
ink,
raffine sketchbook,
watercolor,
WetCanvas
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Chimney Pots
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.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Green Trees or Blue Trees?
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.
Labels:
buildings,
ink,
raffine sketchbook,
trees,
watercolor
Friday, December 2, 2011
Overdid It
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.
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.
Monday, November 28, 2011
I'm Back !
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.
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.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Money, Money, Money

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.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Gossip Monger and Cyber Bully

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".
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
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.
Labels:
bridges,
EDM,
large watercolor moleskine,
watercolor
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
People Practice 14

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.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
EDM #173 - Draw Something from Memory
It's odd how one's memory occasionally throws out bits of long-forgotten song or verse.

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.

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.
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.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Testing Hot Press Paper

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.
Friday, December 26, 2008
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.
Labels:
EDM,
ink,
landscape,
large watercolor moleskine,
watercolor
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
















