Watercolor Wolf-dog Running, Blue & Green

Goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Materials

• Some cold-press watercolor paper, ~15x20".
• Some quality watercolor brushes my aunt gave me upon her trip from England.
• A 24 pan set of Yarka St. Petersburg Artists' Watercolors she also gave me.
• A set of 42+ Derwent watercolor pencils.
• A jar for water, and lots of rinses and refills.

 

Results

This was more difficult as I modeled this after a living pet.  I made two, one for each sister.  I made the blue one first, and then the green.  Sadly I don't have better images of these.  Also, this was before I had masking fluid.

Watercolor Fox Running

Goal

 

Materials

• Some cold-press watercolor paper, ~15x20".
• Some quality watercolor brushes my aunt gave me upon her trip from England.
• A 24 pan set of Yarka St. Petersburg Artists' Watercolors she also gave me.
• A set of 42+ Derwent watercolor pencils.
• A jar for water, and lots of rinses and refills.

 

Step 1:  Sketch & Wash

I didn't have masking fluid, so I did this without.  Remember to leave white space.  I was able to paint a solid enough white for the eyes over the red-orange.

 

 Step 2:  First Wash Layer

 

 

Step 3:  Second Wash Layer, more intense and varied colors

 

Step 4:  Details

 

Step 5:  Finish

Pencil Batman Gotham Heights

Goal

 

Materials

• Newsprint, ~24x36"
• Various drawing pencils
• Assorted shapes and sizes of erasers

 

Step 1:  Sketch

 

Step 2:  Add detail and shade Batman

Step 3:  Add detail and shade Gotham

Step 4:  Add detail and shade cape

Step 5, Final:  Add background shapes in the mist and erase for midground mist effect

Inktober Day 5: Long (Ridge)

The prompt was "Long."  So here's a long snowy ridge to walk along.

 

Materials

• Pigma Micron 005 and 02 pens
• H hardness drawing pencil
• White erasers of various shapes and sizes
• Cold-pressed watercolor paper cut to 3.5x5" 

 

 

Step 1:  Sketch with a pencil

Sketch the ridge lines and general areas with a pencil.  I should have sketched the shading in as well.

 

Step 2:  Draw with a pens

Using the 005, carefully choose the steepness and direction of the slop from each ridge point.  Some areas are shaded or especially rough and rocky, so hatching may be good here.  Some areas are sheer so I used lines.  I used the 02 to add the ridge and valley lines, after the shading, and varying the line weight to indicate distance.  This cleaned up the look.

 

Step 3:  Carefully erase the pencil marks

Results

I may repeat this.  It's not an interesting final product, but maybe I could make it more so.  I will still give it as a gift.  It was good practice.

Inktober, Day 6: Sword (Fern)

I skipped a few days ahead.  The prompt was "Sword."  In sticking with more of a nature theme, I thought of sword ferns, which I know to be fussy with details.  I thought to play with the Pigma Graphic 2 with this and did it on the back of my scratch paper, with only the barest framework sketch in under five minutes.

 

Materials

• Pigma Graphic 2 marker
• H hardness drawing pencil
• Cold-pressed watercolor paper cut to 3.5x5" 

 

 

Step 1:  Sketch with a pencil

Sketch the general framework

 

Step 2:  Draw with pen

I still don't like the 2.  I'm not sure it has a use in my artwork.  The tip is too stubby and not varied enough.

 

Results

I may repeat this.  It's fast.  I would not give this dirty one as a gift.  I would probably want a different pen, and I may place pieces of ferns in the corners at various angles to make it look like a section of stylized wallpaper rather than a single badly done biological drawing.

Inktober, Day 3: Poison

The prompt was "Poison."  I know mushrooms can be toxic and they're not 'poison', but I didn't feel like drawing a snake, which was my other initial idea that's also appropriate for the cards I'm giving as gifts.  I'm leaning towards natural over cartoonish, plus I wasn't sure the message it might send to mail someone a card with a bottle of poison or some other nasty poisonous thing.

 

Materials

• Pigma Graphic 1 and 2 markers
• Pigma Micron 005 and 02 pens
• H hardness drawing pencil
• White erasers of various shapes and sizes
• Cold-pressed watercolor paper cut to 3.5x5" 

 

 

Step 1:  Sketch with a pencil

Sketch the general shape, then outline the white spots, making note that some will appear to "cross" the boundary of the cap when viewed from a single perspective, and that the spots often grow in subtle rings.

 

Step 2:  Draw with pens

Using the 005, outline the spots first so you don't accidentally draw the mushroom "edge" through the spots.  I then used the 02 to outline the caps and stems of the mushrooms, and the 005 to draw the gills.  Next time, I should look at pictures of gills rather than guessing.

I used the 1 and 2 to fill in the one cap, realizing as I did this, that they are actually markers.  I don't like the way they 'flattened' the image, so I didn't fill in the other caps.  I also used them for the grasses and leaves, and while I don't like the minimal control I have with them on individual strokes, I do like the overall effect.  I also used the 02 for some of the stripes on the grasses.  I may go back and shade the stems; I may not.  The markers also smear more than I'm used to with my usual waterproof pens.

 

Step 3:  Carefully erase the pencil marks

Results

I would not repeat this.  There's too much detail and it takes too long.  I would need better "fill" pens if I were to draw it again.  I probably should revisit shading and texturing skills -- maybe if I can find exercises that overlap with some of the prompts.  I do like it well enough to give as a gift.

Inktober, Day 2: Divided

The prompt was "Divided."  I initially thought of a living tree with a lightning-split trunk, but again I wanted something quick, and I still didn't want 'cartoonish.'  Some puttering around the internet showed me a reflected cat lying down, but I wanted one reaching around a mirror playfully, and wanted to use my black cat, Pest.

 

Materials

• Pigma Graphic 2 pen
• Pigma Micron 005 pen
• H hardness drawing pencil
• White erasers of various shapes and sizes
• Cold-pressed watercolor paper cut to 3.5x5" 

 

 

Step 1:  Sketch with a pencil

Sketch the whole idea for this first.  I had a vertical line for the mirror and knew I'd need some floor, but didn't choose the mirror angle or draw in the floor until last, and did it in pen without sketching in pencil first!  If I'd done pencil, I'd have done a little more perspective on the flooring.  I admit I guessed at the angle of the mirror's bottom edge after I drew the reflection, and then I had to search some images to get the reflected floor angle hopefully correct -- I'm dyslexic in more than and directions!

 

Step 2:  Draw with a pen

I don't like the 2 for this -- I'd thought it was a softer tip or a finer tip with a broader base.  It has a chisel tip more like a calligraphy pen.  My cat was fairly sleep so I don't mind the lack of hairy details on the fur, and I left some fine white space between the strokes for texture.  At this point I'm looking for quick projects to keep me motivated. I now have an extra piece of paper on which to test a few strokes, as I found one with a blemish.

 

Step 3:  Carefully erase the pencil marks

 

Results

I would repeat this.  I'd do a better sketch and maybe some more background, plus figure out how to add more detail because no cat is quite solidly black and smooth.  I might do a tuxedo cat and give it to a friend who owns one.  I do like it well enough to give as a gift, and I'm glad to keep a digital copy!  

Inktober, Day 1: Swift

The prompt was "Swift."  That didn't easily bring an idea to mind, so I googled images for "swift" and saw some foxes.  I remembered I'd painted a watercolor fox some years ago, and I liked it, but I needed something a bit more stylized so I could finish it quickly.  However, I didn't want 'cartoonish.' 

Materials

• Pigma Graphic 1 pen
• H hardness drawing pencil
• White erasers of various shapes and sizes
• Cold-pressed watercolor paper cut to 3.5x5" 

 

 

Step 1:  Sketch with a pencil

 

Step 2:  Draw with a pen

I don't like the 1 for this -- I'd thought it was a softer tip or a finer tip with a broader base.  Maybe next time I'd draw with a finer pen and broaden the strokes with this one, where applicable.  However, it's done, and I made it work.  I need to use scratch paper to test out strokes, and maybe for a practice card.  I tend to do a single example of each piece and move on.  I know I would benefit from repetition but that seems like waste -- what do I do with the extra copies, and it also would bore me.

 

Step 3:  Carefully erase the pencil marks

 

Results

I wouldn't repeat this.  It's okay, but it's not my favorite style.  I do like it well enough to give as a gift.  Giving cards as gifts is especially liberating, because the recipient will likely choose the style or topic that best suits the correspondent. 

Inktober 2017

Inspiration

Inktober, a daily drawing challenge for the month of October. 

Also, I make cards as gifts for Christmas presents.  Last year I started making miniature watercolors on 3x5" to 4x6" watercolor paper with a triple purpose:

1. Something small I could easily paint in a few minutes a day, to do do art daily and not have to commit to large things I rarely finish.  (I live in a small space; I usually have to put everything away each time.)
2. A way to practice new skills and techniques.
3. A way to make packs of cards to give as gifts.

This year, I decided to try Inktober, though I'm quite late starting.  Rehabilitating some old injuries has kept me from sitting long -- and for a large portion of last year I had difficulty lifting my own arm, never mind painting, drawing, or even writing for long.

Materials

• I have a bunch of Pigma pens I picked up for free last year when an art student moved out of the dorms, and some waterproof micro Sharpies I've used for note-taking and drawing.
• I also have a mis-matched selection of drawing pencils from 7B to 6H I will use for sketching.
• White 'architect's' erasers in various shapes and sizes.
• Various rulers and other drawing guides I may or may not use.

Step 1:  Follow the Rules, or Don't -- this is to get you drawing for your own sake

Step 2:  Use the Prompts, or Don't

 

Step 3:  Have Fun!