Toned Paper Drawing

It has been quite awhile since I have drawn anything.  Life is passing by very fast.  I decided to try the Strathmore free on-line workshops again this year and finely made the time to start the second workshop Drawing on Toned Paper.  The first lesson worked on light and shadow.
This is on Strathmore Gray Toned Paper. 
The next assignment is on portraits.

Dall Sheep

This is taken from a picture in a hunting magazine.  I wanted to do a quick sketch of his horns. I note that the left side of  the drawing has a sheen on the horn and eye making it look lighter than it is.  Done in my moleskin journal in graphite 4B.

Hiking Shoe

Looking for something to sketch, while the wind blows, it snows and is totally wicked weather outside, I noticed my hiking shoe by the door.  I had thought while I was up north on vacation I would be able to take a few walks in the woods.  On this day with high winds and snow, there were times when I couldn't see very far outside the window.  Drawing done in graphite in my moleskin journal.  I worked on getting the very dark areas down and I think it helped to give the shoe more 3 dimensional look. Need to work on textures.

Grass Seeds

While on vacation over the Thanksgiving holiday I did a few quick sketches.  The cottage we rented was nice but the weather was cold and windy.  I only got to draw outside one day.  I picked the seed head of this grass plant as it was a day of 25+mph wind gust and around freezing.  The left side is drawn with a Pigma Micron pen 01 in black and the right side is drawn with Derewert Drawing Pencils in my moleskin journal.  I have given up using watercolors in this journal as the paper is too thin. I like how the pencils worked on this paper.

Fall Fruit

Pomegranates always make me think of fall.  They are so cheap this time of year.  I remember my girlfriend introducing me to them when I was in college.  I do eat some of the seeds, but after a while I end up spitting them out. I am not sure if this is a berry or something else with its' tough skin and paper like divisions. 
I lightly sketched this out in graphite and painted in with my current watercolor pallet in my Stillman and Birn Delta 7x7 Sketchbook.

Rose Completed

I liked sketching this rose.  I was hesitant in doing the background as I liked how the rose was looking without it.  I believe that both ways looked nice. This is for my visit to autumn class.  It is the last lesson, but I plan on doing about 3 more sketches.  I will then bind them together to make a nice book.  This is done on Arches Aquarelle 140 pound cold press watercolor paper with my current pallet. The rose was sketched in graphite prior to application of color and journaling. This took about an additional 40 minutes.

Faded Rose

Started this for my fall sketches.  I hope to finish it tomorrow.  A fading rose signals end of summer and the changing of the season.  I like how it looks so far. I hope the background and leaves turn out well.  Started with a pencil sketch on Arches Aquarelle nautural 140 pound watercolor paper and my current pallet. The rose is painted with Perylene Red, Carbazole Violet, Burnt Umber, Quinacridone Rose, Raw Sienna, and Scarlet Pyrrol.