I do not think the reference picture looks like me (plus I was +12 lbs at the time), but it is a funky cool photo. Just bing watched Season 2 of Jessica Jones and her landlord is a painter and had all kinds of portraits lying around his apartment kinda inspired me to do this one. May not look like me, but I like it.
Pen & Ink + watercolor on 180 lbs Stilman & Birn Beta
A very small copse of evergreen trees just outside my window, just playing around with color and water. More a doodle than a painting.
Watercolor on paper 5.5 x 3.5 inches
I have seen Leigh Reyes do this to great effect. This is my first pass at trying it. Not bad, but I will do better next time.
Vert de Rio ink (Robert Oster) on 140 lbs watercolor paper (4x6 inches)
So, let's try saying hello to Spring once again.* Here are some more Cherry Trees in full blossom. . .and a short ode to the season in case it keeps making us wait.
Watercolor 6x8 on 90 lbs paper
*If it snows again, it is not my fault. . .
. . .since I did any watercolor or posted anything. Did this for a colleague who just came back and is recovering from neck surgery. And it is the perfect way to start after an extended abscence.
Watercolor, pen & ink on 90 lbs watercolor paper
It is 5:40 in the morning and I should be sleeping. But I cannot. So I might as well be productive. I love the way the early morning sun lights up my favorite tree (you know the one) and have often contemplated drawing it with charcoal in the early morning hours. Since I could not find my charcoal sticks, I did the next best thing and grabbed the elegant writer. The bluish-pink washes captures the essence of the early morning light, giving the tree an ethereal, and almost haunting glow.
Elegant writer on 6.9 X 9.8 on 110 lbs paper (PS)
(click to em biggen')
T and I spent a full day at the National Zoo. And aside from watching young Bao Bao eat honey off of a milk crate (see below), I did manage to complete a quick sketch or three. Most of the animals moved around too much for me, but a few allowed for sketching. Again, the elegant writer calligraphy pen is such a simple and versatile tool for drawing and making dynamic washes.
pen & ink (elegant writer) and water brush
I hear it is great place to grab a beer and some wings and some sliders. . .
Watercolor on 140lbs watercolor block, 9x12
Some random sketches/doodles using Noodler's Kiowa Pecan ink. While it may not be water resistant and therefore not good for water color under drawings, I like taking advantage of its beautiful shading (shifting from dark brown to an almost yellowy raw sienna) and water solubility to create fun washes.
Blue Pumpkin nib with Noodler's Kiowa Pecan Ink (and a bit of water color)
Blue Pumpkin Nib with Noodler's Kiowa Pecan Ink
Calligra-Friday and my neighbor's tree collide in today's post. I wanted to try out my new Caran D'Ache watersoluble wax pastel crayons, and what better subject that my favorite tree? Exactly. And to complete the sketch, I found this quote from Hal Borland. The quote was a perfect compliment, especially using Pilot Isoshizuku chiku-rin ("Bamboo Forest" yellow green) ink.
Watersoluble crayons and chiku-rin (Isoshizuku) ink on 180lbs paper
The Brause No. 361 "Blue Pumpkin" nib is notoriously difficult to control for mere mortals like myself (the nib exhibits a great degree of flexing but holds limited amounts of ink when dipped and therefore runs out of ink quickly). People have created nib reservoirs for the Pumpkin (and the Rose) with masking tape. It works, but is only a temporary solution. However, I saw someone on the interwebs take a reservoir from Brause Bandzug italic nib and attach it to the Pumpkin. And wow, does that little reservoir make a huge difference. Glad I have my own personal McGuyver in Tina who kindly did the nib "surgery" for me.
One of my favorite quotes from my favorite book. The nib fought me on this. I tried a temporary nib reservoir (but the tape fell off) and without it the ink did not flow well. Not my best effort (I need to work on my flair). . .but not bad.
Murasaki-Shikibu (Isoshizuku) ink on rhodia dot paper
Just doodling. . .and some random practice lettering.
Those who have seen my handwriting are always surprised to hear I did calligraphy (in a time before computer fonts). It has been decades since I have put nib to paper in a meaningful way. To flex those muscles (and play with new toys), I have begun practicing. Every Friday I will try to post the results of my practice by writing out a passage, poem or quote from the many books I find inspiring. This one comes from "A Guide for the Advanced Soul: A Book of Insight" by Susan Hayward (the quote has no attribution).
Have not been painting or drawing much but I have been playing with my calligraphy nibs. Mostly, I have been writing nonsense words in a notebook but I have tried more elaborate, design type writing. All of these were done with the Brause EF66 nib. The left two words used Omas New Gray ink, while the top right used J Herbin Violette Pensee and the bottom right used Pilot Iroshizuku Murazaki-Shikibu (Japanese Beautyberry).
Try to forgive the "typo". :-P
Just trying to do more simple sketches, doodles and what nots in my new sketchbook. Doodling is just fun. . .and relaxing.
I am looking to rediscover my lettering and calligraphy skill. Believe it or not, in a time before computer fonts, I used to lots of hand lettering (and was quite good at it). Now, my skills have atrophied. The new pilot parallel pens I received for my birthday are the perfect tools and opportunity to just practice.
I am trying to draw and paint more, it is true. But I had been trying to make every picture I do a perfect finished product. I was not spending any time just doodling or screwing around or trying something outside my comfort zone (and possibly failing). Below are some examples of me just playing around in various medium.
Believe it or not, only two colors were used for this: pthalo blue and burnt umber. I do not mix colors well and it is something I am working on. I saw another artist do a wonderful snow scene using those two colors and I knew I had to try it. I think the colors on the mountain are quite stunning. I overworked the sky too much but that is okay.
Once upon I was quite the accomplished letterer and calligrapher. I created wedding invites and seat placement cards. Alas, my skills have atrophied considerably since high school (as can be seen above). With the advent of new, high quality yet inexpensive calligraphy pens, I am looking forward to sharpening my skills. Plus it is fun.
I filled the bottom of this practice sheet with a little line work using two different weight faber-castell markers (XS and S). Then I decided to play around with watercolor and grey marker. I like the figure and his stance (how he is shifting his weight on one leg) and I like the line work on the rocks he is standing on as well as the distant mountain. Not sure if the color adds anything, but that was not the point, the point was just to be creative.
This doodle was done with several different brown/sepia inks, everything from marker to Winsor & Newton peat brown ink with a speed ball nib and even a little conte crayon for good measure. As has been abundantly clear, I love brown/sepia inks. This was just me playing with a bunch of tools that I have acquired over the last decade.
Below is some details of the page. I like the variety of lines that can be achieved with a dip pen or brush.
