captive audience

Blind contour line drawings of a few students working. 

[pilot V5 pen, PRANG tempera cakes (orange), D+S watercolors in a S+B Zeta sketchbook]

sketch catch up

Since I was off from school for 9 days, you'd think there would be more sketches to post! But, sadly, there is not. I was doing a lot of design work over break and didn't have time for sketching or art-making. But what I did squeeze in were these three pages. 

The two guys were munching away at Wegmans and oblivious to the outside world. I tried some tricks I had been reading about with watercolors, but my impatience won and they all became mud and bled together. 

The sunflowers are a quick sketch of the same ones I painted last week. Obviously in a different state of "perkiness". 

[Pilot falcon w/noodler's eel black ink, D+S watercolors, Stillman and Birn Zeta sketchbook]

sketching catch-up

Here are some random sketches from the week. Some from my classroom, some from the breakfast joint across the street. 

[most likely a Pilot V5 pen, or a Lamy with J. Herbin ink in a Strathmore toned gray sketchbook]

wednesday night painting!

My better half brought home some lovely sunflowers and all day wednesday I was super excited to bring them to painting class and paint them! I've attempted flowers before and it didn't go as planned. So after a few false starts I pounded out a 12" x 16" painting! It was a ton of fun and yet another painting where I feel like I am "getting it"! 

[oil paint on 12"x16" canvas]

watercolors (art geek warning)

I've been coveting some high-end, what I think are, the Mercedes Benz of watercolors. Up to this point I have been using some good paints, but they seem to lack a punch. I've been reading up on Daniel Smith watercolors and dove in. I used some leftover christmas money (thanks mom and dad) and bought a new travel case and a handful of tubes. 

I used the ever knowledgeable Jane Blundell for some triad suggestions. I narrowed it down to 3 or 4 different groups plus a few "fun" colors like pyrrol orange. 

I've yet to dive into a painting with them, but with -4 degrees as a high this weekend, and a 9 day vacation, I think I can fit it in. Stay tuned. 

wed. night paintin'

It is (was) wednesday! That means painting night! I was digging for some reference when I remembered this cool picture a local photographer friend had taken. I saved it to my phone and thought "this would make a cool painting". I set up my phone, turned the auto-lock off and got to work! 

This is probably the first painting I have made where I am super-excited about the outcome, and during the whole process I had a clear direction, and an idea where I wanted the piece to go. It was awesome! 

After the hour it took to paint, I wasn't in the mood to paint another panel. So I grabbed my sketchbook and sketched one of the women who was working. She is very animated when she works and made a great subject. 

[painting: oil paints on 8x10 gessobord panel]
[sketch: pilot V5 pen with PITT cool gray markers, and white gel pen in a NEW Strathmore Toned Gray Sketchbook]

conservatory creepin'

The Lamberton Conservatory in Rochester, NY is such a great retreat from the 3 degree temperatures and 10 inches of snow. This past sunday about 9 sketchers from the sketching group got warmed up in the 80 degree 80% humidity greenhouse. I always tell myself "let's sketch something besides the turtles". And then when I get there--I sketch the turtles. 

My sketching buddy Genine and I decided to work on our black and white and only sketch with black, and a gray if needed. I opted for my J. Herbin per noire ink which is water-soluble. So when water hits it, these beautiful grays appear. I also tried out a new wooden dip pen that holds 2 nibs--one at each end. I loaded up a very small nib and a super-flexy nib that gave me some bold blacks and sometimes too bold blacks. 

This was also my first time taking a Stillmand & Birn Zeta sketchbook. I am a huge fan of S&B sketchbooks, but this thing makes me a super fan. I equate it to a tank! You can throw anything at it! No bleed through, no smearing--nothing! And the smoothness!! Ohhhhhhh. 

[dip pen with J. Herbin Pearl Noire ink, water brush filled with J. Herbin Perl Noire ink and water, all in a Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook]