Inktober 2019 - That darn camel

That darn camel stood perfectly still every time that I walked past him (three times at least). . that is until I decided to try and draw him.  And then that darn camel decided that he could not stand still. . .

                   Sacura Pigma Micron pen plus Stabilo Fineliner pen in an Etchr sketchbook


I tried twice to draw him when he appeared to be standing still. . .only to have that darn camel move once again.  Now it looks like his head is literally coming out of his @$$!  You cannot unsee it now, can you?

Le Sigh.

Rectumus Camelus in watercolor

The initial ink sketch using a Sakura Pigma Micron sepia waterproof marker

Hatch lines and shading using a Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner marker that produced the wonderful washes when exposed to a water brush.  I do kinda like the effect of the hatch work and almost stopped there.  Glad that I did not.

More Envelope Art with School House Rock

With the passing of Bob Dorough, the musical director of School House Rock, last week, several radio stations asked their listeners to describe their favorite song.  I did not remember "Unpack Your Adjectives" until I looked up video on youtube.  My favorite verse is:

We hiked along without care.

Then we ran into a bear.

He was a hairy bear,

He was a scary bear,

We beat a hasty retreat from his lair.

And described him with adjectives!

What is your favorite School House Rock song?

             Pen, brush & ink plus Tombow Dual Brush Markers on 80 lbs no 6 envelope

Ink only version

Envelopes and Letters

Even though I had not posted anything until late March, I was still doing stuff, just not blog stuff.  Mostly, I was working on my calligraphy by writing letters to friends, trying to stay in touch using a more tactile medium.  And then decorating the envelopes with an illustration or cartoon. The cartoons would be Calvin & Hobbes, Winnie the Pooh, or the Peanuts gang.  Depending on the illustration, I would use either be pen and ink, or some type of watwercolor-esque medium like below. 

Below is a Calvin and Hobbes before I write the name and address on the envelope (I scanned the envelope before I added a few more branches for detail).  These guys are a big, big favorite of mine.

                      Pen & ink and watercolor on 70lbs Sundance envelope

Just the pen and ink.

Denver Botanical Gardens

Perspective is yours alone, use it or lose it. . .or so the the saying goes.  My perspective, from a vanishing point of view, is a bit skewed.  But I think this one works.

                                 Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavy weight paper 270 gsm

It was a hot day in Denver and I found a shady little spot with a neat little water feature.  The bubbling vase was quite serene and relaxing.

Giraffe!

He is cute but chill. . .

                            Watercolor and Robert Oster Melon Tea Ink

Wagner Farm Arboretum

My father once told me, "you cannot show an Irishman a hill without him wanting to see the other side."  I have come to understand the truth of this saying.  Driving home from work I would often glimpse these grain silos, literally across the highway and through the woods.  Finding them (and then painting them) became a goal.  This is one of those spots that I might have to come back to in different seasons,especially in winter.

                         Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavy weight paper 270 gsm

Washington Valley Reservoir

I have no idea what this building is or what its purpose is, but I wonder about it every time I go hiking around the Washington Valley Reservoir.  It probably had something to do with controlling the dam of the west branch of the Middle Brook (the brown berm in the mid-ground) that created the reservoir. 

What ever its function was, I think it is pretty cool.  And having just finished  Mark Lawrence's second trilogy set in the Broken Empire (think violent post-apocalyptic Game of Thrones), I imagine the building holds a long metal rung ladder that goes deep below the reservoir leading to a bunker where Builder-ghosts seek to influence the events of the Red Queen's War.

                            Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavy weight paper 270 gsm

Playing at Comics -- Page Deux

Like the amplifier for a Spinal Tap guitar, I have cranked (the cheese on) this one to 11.  Truly, I blame Cone for the increased Cheese Factor, when he threw the gauntlet down with his "head 'sploding' review of page 1.  It was inevitable really.

Continuing the story of our unnamed heroine from Page 1, we learn a bit more about her past, but not much more about her (intrigued?  how could you not be with all that cheesy goodnes?).  Alas I think, this will be it for now

                                            Page 2 (click to embiggin')

                                 Unlettered art Page 2 (watercolor, pen and ink)

                                                   Pen and Ink

Madrid -- Palacio Di Cristal

Sketching buildings ain't my thing, but sometimes you gotta try and stretch, and do things that are not easy.  And sometimes buildings just catch your imagination.  The Palacio Di Cristal in Buen Retiro Park (literally, according to the wikipedia, "park of the pleasant retreat") in Madrid was one such building.  I did not have much time for sight seeing whilst in Spain, but I had to see this building.  There are many other interesting buildings and places within the park, but I thought this was the coolest.  

So under the barest of shade (it was another scorcher, around 100 degrees out), I sat and drew and painted for close to an hour.  Sometimes when I paint, people ask to take a picture, in Retiro park lots of people asked.  Despite the heat, it was a very lovely day.

                        Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavyweight paper 270 gsm

Below is an actual picture of the palace, and the pen & ink before the watercolors were applied.

Lugano, Switzerland

I just got back from a two week business trip in Europe and was able to do a few paintings in my new Stillman & Birn softcover (Beta Series).  I have been wanting to try it out for awhile and I must say it is pretty great.  It lies flat and handles watercolor washes amazingly as advertized.

Both of these paintings were done in Lugano, Switzerland (although the first one is technically Cademario).  The first is the view from the Kurhaus hotel, high up in the mountains. The second is down by Lake Lugano (sitting on a bench on Riva Vincenzo Vela).  It was so hot that the water was evaporating in the watercolor pans!

                                Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavyweight paper 270 gsm

                          Watercolor 11 x 8.5 on heavyweight paper 270 gsm

Playing at comics

Been inspired by Tyler Jenkins watercolor-based art in Grass Kings (and before that Snow Blind) and wanted to try something similar.  But do not have a story right now so I took two random images from Country Magazine and combined them into paneled art.  Then added some words to make a "story" via Microsoft Publications.  Let's see where this all goes. . .

                                            Page 1? (Will there be a Page 2?)

                 Unlettered art -- watercolor, pen and ink on paper (the paper was not made for watercolor, so it has buckled due to the water washes)

                                                      Pen and ink

How about dem apples

More doodles. . .pen and ink with simple watercolor washes

Lion around

I'd be lying if I said it was not hazy, hot, and humid at the National Zoo this past weekend.  But, still it was a a lovely day.    

A quick, almost gestural painting of the lion, just lying around.

                                 Watercolor 6.9 X 9.8  on 110 lbs paper (PS)

A feast for woodpeckers

Woodpeckers are starting to take a toll on my old friend.  Mostly we get Red-bellied and the occasional downy wood peckers feasting in the old growth woods.  Last week a rarely seen Pileated woodpecker went to town on my favorite tree.  It acted more like an axe beak, hacking wood chips on an upper branch.  Giant, gaping holes are testament to the damage.  

                           Watercolor, Pen & ink on paper

Done using Diamine Damson ink (a grayish purple ink) and a touch of watercolor for emphasis.

Sunset in San Diego

A quick and rough watercolor of my hotel room view in Mission Bay, San Diego.  The location was not as convenient as being in the Gas Lamp, it certainly offered more picturesque vistas than my stay at the Manchester Grand Hyatt (see below). The clouds over the Pacific Ocean were quite spectacular.

                                        Watercolor 5.5x8.5 on paper

                              View from Manchester Grand Hyatt (circa May 2015)

Vacation in 2 Parts - The Seattle Area

Greensboro, NC had Biscuitville but Seattle had the Biscuit Bitch!!  And anyone who knows me, knows I love me some biscuits (even as much as I love Triple D).  So when T over heard some of her fellow conference goers singing its praises (and they were down home southern to boot), well you know I had to go.  We get there at 10:30 am on a Friday and there is a 45 min wait for the food (but we had already ordered), so we waited.  Below is a quick sketch of the scene outside of the crowd.  It actually only took 30 minutes but man oh man was it worth it.  The biscuits were large and fluffy and delicious and smothered in country gravy and eggs.  Check out their Instagram to see pictures of the food.  If you are in Seattle and have an hour for breakfast. . .go there.

                             watercolor pen & ink 5.5x8.5 on paper

On Father's Day we took the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island looking for some adventure, shopping and a nature walk.  Well, the "nature" walk was not much to blog about, although it did end with the view below, but the rest of the day walking around was very cool.  There was a festival going on, and lots of local restaurants and shops had little tents selling wares and food.  It ended up being a really cool day.

                          watercolor pen & ink 5.5x17 on paper

Vancouver

Vancouver truly is a beautiful city.  Next time, I need to see more of it, like the Capilano Suspension Tree Park or spend more time in Stanley Park. But even walking down town by the convention center offers breath taking views of snow capped mountains.  I wish I had included the waters of the Vancouver Harbor in this picture of North Vancouver. Ah well. . .

                        Watercolor, pen & ink on paper 5.5 x 17 inches

Stuck at Newark Airport. . .Eat at Nonna's

I was delayed at Newark Airport (I know, that almost always never happens).  So I decided to sit at the bar and have lunch at Nonna's Italian restaurant. The meatball parm is pretty good.  Having finished my sandwich, and still having nearly 2 hours to go, I decided to paint the most interesting thing I saw. . .a bar full of booze.  

The bartender kept stopping by to watch my progress.  As I was finishing, he asked me for the original, so I gave it to him.  He hung it up over the bar.  So if you are ever stuck at Newark Airport, try Nonna's.

#wheresmyfreemeatballparm

                              Watercolor on paper 5.5x8.5

 

Lopsided Sunflower

Sitting at breakfast I noticed out of all the single sunflowers adorning the tables at Perry's, only mine was lopsided.  But I thought, hey, it is a little beat up and missing some petals on the left side, but it has the most character. . .which was apropos. It demanded to be painted.  And so I did.

                               watercolor pen & ink on paper 5.5X8.5 

Scotland Vacation - Edinburgh and the Highlands

After staying in Glasgow, we headed north to Edinburgh and the Highlands.

In Edinburgh, We had a fantastic view of Edinburgh Castle from our hotel room.  Drawing buildings is not my thing but I I could not pass up trying.  We toured the castle for day before taking a three day tour of the Highlands with Haggis Adventures.

                            Edinburgh Castle watercolor pen & ink 5.5X16

Our first stop at Dunkeld Cathedral was not as long as I thought (a theme that would repeat itself through our tour), which is a shame because this is probably the best drawing of a church I have ever done, even the perspective seems correct.  T took photos and I may one day complete the painting (though probably not; too many other photos references waiting to be painted).

                                     Dunkeld Cathedral watercolor pen & ink

Another quick stop and another quick sketch.  I cannot remember the name of the river but the meat pastries I ate there were awesome.

                                    River watercolor on paper 5.5X8.5


This is one of my favorites sketches from the trip.  I sat sketching the ruins of Old Inverlochy Castle with an elegant writer pen (while a swarm of midges made midge-meat out of my legs; sometimes we must suffer for our art).  I love the simplicity of this piece, from the washes the pen creates (the blue-gray and pinks) to the limit grass

                             The ruins of Old Inverlochy Castle elegant writer and watercolor


And finally, the Isle of Sky, looking across the Sound of Raasay toward Scotland.  I could have stayed here for hours.   I could have stayed at just about every stop on the Isle of Sky for hours.  There were gorgeous vistas, in every direction, as far as the eye could see.  And the sky changed rapidly, from a deep cerulean blue to somber clouds of grey.  But I knew we only had a short time so I could only manage a small painting.  The famous Kilt Rock was off to my left, but there were too many tour groups and photographers milling about to get a good view for a painting, so I chose the opposite vista instead.

                                   by Kilt Rock watercolor pen & ink on paper 3.5X11