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

Doodling with watercolor sticks

Doodling and playing around with some water soluble inks (Diamine Damson, J Herbin Vert Empire) and Daniel Smith watercolor sticks (Moonglow, Quin Gold, Quin Red, Undersea Green, Hansa Yellow Medium) to see which colors/inks work together.  Not sure if I found that match, but some of these ink/color combos work really well together.

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)

Throw Back Thursday -- Herk the Barbarian

Back in the '90's, my medium of choice was color pencil over pen & ink (sometimes using pastels for the background).  Line work was minimal, layered color pencils gave the drawings depth.  This was a departure from what I was doing previously, lots and lots of line work and cross-hatching (I am looking at you Frank Miller's Ronin), regardless of whether it was pencil or ink. 

Back in that day, the drawings were small, less than 8.5 x 11.  The two below were 11x17, a real stretch for me.  Covering that much paper with color pencil took time.  That is when I started experimenting with adding pastel (see the blue mountains).  Now I am mostly playing around with water color, pushing color around.  Very little in the way of drawing.  Sometimes it is fun to look back and see how my "style" has evolved. 

Unfortunately, this was long and before there were inexpensive scanners or digital cameras so I have few digital records of these drawings.  Most of those pictures are long gone, given away to anyone who asked.  But a few remain.  

I give you Herk the Barbarian and Silv. . .  
 

 

              Color pencil, pen & ink, and pastel on bristol 11 x 17 (board circa 1994)

                      Color pencil, pen & ink on bristol board 11x17 (circa 1993)

The Kearny Kardinal

In Kearny, we spell it with a "K" because alliteration is cool.  

Initially I had wanted to add a more elaborate background, but I liked how the bird looked against the white paper.

                                     Watercolor on 6.9 x 9.8 on 110 lbs (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.

. . .something blue

Trying something different.  After some light and sunny Spring trees, here are some dark and brooding trees.  Why?  No reason.  Just wanted to change it up a bit and use a different color palette. That, and try out one of the lessons in a  Stephanie Pui-Mun Law art book I received as a gift.  I am a big fan of her work, her work is amazing.  Where her landscapes look ethereal and Fae, this is bit more harsh and dystopian (if dystopian futures had trees).  Not a bad result but. . .watercolor continues to be a process for me.

                                    Watercolor on 140 lbs paper 9x12

Spring -- Let's Try This Again

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. . .

Still Life Before Salsa

Painted this one a while ago but never got around to posting it, mostly because I had wanted to add the salsa recipe in calligraphy (but that urge has come and gone).  

                                              Watercolor on paper

T and I were going to make salsa to take to a party.  As I began to assemble the ingredients on the plate, I thought it would make a great still life.  So, before I started chopping the veggies, I took 15 minutes to do capture them in watercolor.  I think it came out rather well.

Brun Ours

A cute little brown bear in Brun Ours (brown bear) ink on a cold snowy day. Brun Ours is a moderately shading ink and it has become my favorite ink for flex pen writing (it looks so old school).  Both the bear and the lettering done using a folded nib pen.

Spring blooms, Cherry Blossoms Soon

I have long wanted to visit DC when the Cherry Blossoms are blooming.  It appears like this year will not be the year (predicted peak bloom will be next week).  But in honor of the upcoming National Cherry Blossom Festival, and a longing for Spring, here is a simple watercolor of those wonderful, beautiful trees.

                                             Watercolor 6X8 of 90 lbs paper

Its been a while. . .

. . .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

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)

San Diego Zoo

Both San Diego and DC are my favorite zoos.   I love the opportunity to sketch the animals.  Having been in San Diego for work, I took some vacation days to go to the zoo.

This gorilla was so majestic and so. . .sad.   I was unable to sketch him live, but kept thinking about the photos of him that I took on my iPhone and envisioning this sketch.   Once, back at the hotel, I just had to get it out of my head and on to paper.

I had wished to put a little more detail in this sleeping Rhino, but his buddy had other ideas and rousted him in the butt.  Sometimes, it is the quick, gestural drawings that have the most character.

Bee Kind

A bit more abstract than usual, still trying to loosen up my style.  

This little guy was chilling on my butterfly bush and I took a picture on my iPhone.  It is one of those crazy wasp moths (Melittia sp.), so yes, the title is a misnomer.  

Serious Cat

Brian K Vaughn may have the awesome Lying Cat, but this is Serious Cat.  Why so serious?  I have no idea.

                                  Watercolor on 6.9 x 9.8 on 110 lbs paper (PS)

A walk in the woods

Been trying to get out more on the weekends to go hiking to see the resplendent Fall foliage in NJ.  Took some photos to use as reference pictures.  This was as very loose painting.  You can see how the paper buckled (the shadows at the bottom of the image) under they heavy washes.

                                           Watercolor on paper

Oriole

I am really proud of this one.  It may well be the best watercolor painting that I have ever done.  But that is just my opinion.  Would love to hear your thoughts.

                                  Watercolor on 140 lbs paper 9 x 12

Smoosh Faced Tiger

This tiger is cute in his own, odd way.  His face got a little smooshed and he is a bit cross-eyed but he has oodles of character.  

I knew the proportions of his face were off when I first sketched it.  Instead of redrawing, the plan was to correct it during the painting process.  Obviously, that did not happen.  That said, there are many technical aspects of this painting that I am really pleased about (mixing colors on the paper in the background, the use of negative space, dry and detailed brush strokes).  So show this smooshed face guy some love!

                                       Watercolors 6.9 x 9.8 on 110 lbs paper (PS)