Conti Drawing

Tried cross hatching with a conti crayon in sanguine color. It is hard to keep a sharp line with this medium.  I tried to erase but that just blurred the drawing.  I think I need to use sandpaper to work on keeping a sharper edge.  Not bad for my first time.Below is the workbook page with the original next to it.

Goose sketching

While at work I noticed a Canadian goose browsing around the grassy areas around the parking lot.  I didn't have my journal with me so I used the back side of my productivity sheet to try to capture his moving about.  People would walk right by him and he would look, but he figured they were not a risk to him and he kept eating.  One guy came to a sudden halt about 3 feet from him and wasn't sure if it was safe to walk by him.

 I feel I am getting  better at trying to sketch the basic shapes of my subject as quickly as I can.  When he came close to the window he stopped for a minute to eye me threw the window. He stood still enough for me to draw his eye and part of his beak. Drawn in ball point ink on copy paper.

Landscape painting in watercolor

I am learning to use watercolor paints.  Bonus lesson 3 from the Strathmore free Workshop 2 is doing a landscape in watercolor.  I have to watch out as I was trying to push the watercolor paint to behave differently than is its nature.  When I relax and let it do the work it turns out much better. This scene is from a picture we took on one of our hikes in Red Rock Canyon.  The Calico Hills are a strange wonder.  The mixture of huge boulders on the desert surface as if spit up from the earth against the Spring Mountains is dramatic.  This is painted on Strathmore 140lb. watercolor paper with Wilson and Newton watercolor paints.

Carwash

 I was looking for a look of water running down the windshield.  I had problems with the mask tearing the paper and the light and sign post fuzzing out too much, and with the remaining part not fuzzing out enough.  I took my moleskin journal with me hoping for a chance to do some quick sketching while we looked for dead fall.  Every spring we cut firewood to heat our home. I am planning on only using this journal for dry media from now on and starting another for a regular journal.  I feel I can't get a real feel for watercolors using the wrong paper. 

Quick Sketching

I am trying to improve my speed in sketching.  Especially with subjects that move around.  Today I looked out and saw a groundhog that has taken residence in my neighbors yard.  I quickly looked around and tried to find something to sketch with.  The yellow pad and ball point pen was the only things around.  Within less than 5 minutes he went out of sight.  I need to make sure I have drawing materials around next time.

The Right Paper for the Job

Well, this is an example of the wrong paper.  I bought a moleskin journal last summer and in the fall started to keep an artist journal.  I didn't think I would ever use watercolors.  The pages are very thin and when I have applied watercolors I have waited at least 8 hours before applying more color.
I wish now I hadn't applied any ink.  I thought at the time it would help define the flowers.  I felt that the paper wouldn't hold up to another application of watercolors, so the flowers are done in watercolor paints and the leaves and background are in watercolor pencils.
These trees are blooming about a month early.  Some of the leaves were reddish brown.  Part of me wants to stop using this journal and use my better quality ones, but I don't want to leave a partially used journal.

Learning to let go

I have been inspired by some of the artist I am meeting in the online workshops I am taking.  Being inspired byTerri Morse, who has some beautiful doodles drawing on her blog, I decided to start one.  I had an idea and started to work it out.  I am not done yet, but wanted to post my progress since my watercolor Easter journal entry is needing more time.  It is not as elaborate as Terri's, but I wanted to give her some credit as the connecting flowers in the heart idea I got from her but I changed them a little bit.  I need to loosen up and express my inner creative self.  I think this is a good start.

Various ways of painting with watercolors

I almost didn't want to post again as I really liked how my last drawing turned out.  This is a watercolor sketch of a pottery incense burner. On the right it is done free hand, the middle one has pencil outline and the one on the right is drawn in ink.  The pottery has a light brown background with a blue glaze and black specks. The burner has many curve surfaces, I think they came out well.  I like parts of each.  I was surprise I could draw the object freehand with paint.  This on line watercolor course has taught me so much and it has been fun.  I have 2 more paintings to finish level 3 and then only one more level.  I plan on taking another on line course from Strathmore when I finish this one called Doodles Unleashed.  I hope it frees me up to using color and stretching my imagination.

Working in Watercolors

I have been taking the free lessons online by Strathmore www.strathmoreartiststudio.com and learning how to use watercolor. I have been enjoying this course and plan on taking the other 2 course, doodles unleashed and force in drawing. This picture is a drawing using water soluble ink and a brush.  Our dog Rocket broke one of his toes.  We were told to keep him still, but that was impossible.  He acted as if the cast wasn't there. This is drawn on Stratmore 400 series 140 lb. watercolor paper, with Pentel fine point water-soluble pen in brown.  I wasn't sure if I would like the results while applying the water, but I think he turned out nice.  I miss him so much his birthday was this month.