Category: Drawing
Experiment with Bold Ink
My favorite waterproof black fineliners are Staedtler Pigment Liners and I have the four pack in the plastic case. I find that I go for the 0.01 size most often and use the 0.03 size on a limited basis. I very rarely use the larger 0.05 and 0.07. For this sketch, I decided to do the opposite and use primarily the larger sizes and the smaller sizes only for the details. I also broke out my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen which is great for laying on black areas very quickly with juicy ink.*
©2016 Carolyn A Pappas, View from the end of the path in springtime. Ink, watercolor and colored pencil in large moleskine.
*I found that the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen bleeds a bit on the new moleskine paper and saturated both sides of the paper, but it did not soak through to the page underneath.
Working Plein Air at the Moss Steps
I took my watercolors to Tower Hill Botanic Garden to try out working plein air. It was a sunny day and I was worried about getting burned, so I went into the wooded areas. I settled down at the Moss Steps and did this pen drawing and then painted it in watercolor. Although there was a chain blocking the steps off from people, I did see a chipmunk running around as well as a wood frog hopping down.
I usually add the watercolor at home, but it was a welcome change to paint in person (and more of a challenge). I brought water with me in a bottle and poured it into a plastic cup, but I had to bend down to use it as I put my water cup on the ground. The pine needles falling down on my head were annoying, but a small price to pay for such a nice time.
Next time I would like to try painting in watercolor without such a detailed pen and ink drawing first because it took a very long time.
Blue Feathers
We found a clump of goose feathers down by the water and I had fun sketching them in blue ink. I think I drew them more stylized because I was using the blue, which isn’t at all realistic.
Mini Pen and Ink Picture Book
Inktober is almost here
It’s that time of year again for Inktober, which is a pen and ink drawing challenge every October. I will post some pen and ink drawings of my own. I wish I had the kind of time on my hands to post daily, but once or twice a week will have to do. When strapped for time, pen and ink is actually my favorite way to work because it’s so simple and easy to pick up and put down.
Self Portrait with a Smile
I’ve been dealing with chronic tooth pain after an accidental blow to the face this past January and I ended up getting a root canal done on Friday. At least in the short term, it has seemed to make my problem worse. This drawing was an attempt to get my mind off my tooth pain, which has pretty much overtaken me.
I was overdue for a self portrait, as it has been about four years since my last one. I have also never drawn myself smiling. (I am so thankful that my smile is still intact, even though I can’t bite into anything.) I also drew my glasses, which is another element of difficulty. This drawing is not perfect by any means, but I think I captured my likeness and my spirit. My three year old daughter took the reference photo and I was feeling very joyful at the time. When I was working on this drawing, my daughter walked into the room and said, “Mama, why are you drawing YOU?” and I couldn’t help but start laughing.
I also took the opportunity to update my About & Contact page.
Back to the Drawing Board
After I posted my last wip which I was working on for the #twitterartexhibit, I sat down to paint the watercolor wash and had a horrible disappointment. Some kind of gel came out of the tape I used (frog tape) which gummed up my washes and ended up ruining the entire thing. I had to get rid of it entirely, which has happened to me before, but I was under a deadline and I felt under terrible pressure to redo it. Needless to say, I am going back to my trusty blue tape from now on!
I decided to do something completely different altogether in colored pencil. I had stopped working in colored pencil for some time because I was getting a tendinitis in my elbow area, but I worked on this slowly and with a gentle grip and didn’t run into that problem this time. I went back to a common theme: sunset (or in this case, dusk) on a lake.
Colored pencil never seems to scan or photograph well for me and I tried my best to adjust the colors in the image to match the original. The sky has a little more pink in it, but otherwise it is fairly close. I tried to keep a sketchy feel and I am happy with my efforts.
And now my little drawing is in the mail and on its way to Moss.
Merry Christmas
I would like to wish everyone a lovely and stress-free Christmas. I am having a wonderful time with my family this year, and my daughter, who is 3, is so much fun at her age. I did not buy her too many toys, but instead only a few nice ones.
This drawing is what I used for my Christmas card this year, based on this Creative Commons licensed photograph. Because I used this photo for a reference, I will release my drawing under the same license for other people to use as they would like. Feel free to download the high resolution version on flickr.
I used a dip pen and colored pencil and it has a whimsical feel that I enjoy. When I was working on this drawing, I was reminded of an assignment I had in a pen and ink class I took once, to draw a doorway. Breaking out the dip pens was also a rewarding experience, and I was reminded of all the advantages of the dip pen, mainly the variation that is possible in line width. Drawing with a dip pen is also a slower process for me, and I find it more relaxing.
Doodled Lamp Shade
Some time ago I bought a lamp at Target and started doodling on it with some Sharpie oil based paint pens. Last weekend I finished it up and I love how it came out. It was tricky to work with the pens because the lamp shade was made of a textured fabric and the paint flow was uneven. If I did a project like this again, I think I would just paint with a normal brush and I would have more control.
