The Lap Model

Full blown "me" mode.  Slacking & procrastinating.  Playing catch up.  Sketches 17-20:

First up, a brush pen.  The uptight and grumpy inner critic growled.  "What up slacker?  Brush pen?!  You've barely used the thing - can't try something new.  It will take forEVER to be any good.  QUIT!"   It's obvious the artist was on edge here.  Too tight, too rushed, too eh.  I did warn that some of these could be kind of awful, so, yeah.  Since I am a novice with the brush pen, we shall call it a warm up page.

Continuing on with the brush pen, but with looser strokes and more focused on the task this time, even though I was simultaneously watching a Bronco game.  Fortunately they were doing quite well and not a close game, otherwise there would be no cat to sketch.

More Milo, now with my favorite Zebra F301.  I obviously put off sketching until feline paralysis kicked in.  (Also known as cat-on-lap syndrome.)  It's a nice treat to get more than the usual butt, back, & ears pose.

As I finished typing this, Milo returned to "his" lap.  I am trapped.  I'd take a photo to show you, but there are too many "Look at my goofy cat on my lap" pics on my phone.  See drawings above and right.  Since I can't get up, I guess it's nap time... or I could draw... the cat... again.

He's snoring now.  Supper may be late,

Tiny Farms & Cow Blobs

Same trip as the last post...

Driving across country means continually changing subject matter.  That's just about right for itty bitty sketches.

As noted, drawing with the pocket brush on bumpy roads was a challenge.  I finally got that last cow blob to look like a cow and then a bump added the goofy tail.  OH - sudden thought - should've extended the tail line & turned it into a fence line.

My husband is part comic.  Adding his commentary to the sketchbook is priceless indeed.

The Next Pages

My clever button is not working today, hence the title of this post.

Another road trip, this time to Mom's.

I took along Conte sketching pencils and discovered something I should've already known.  This is not a medium to use in sketchbooks unless the smearing is part of the goal  However, I am looking forward to pulling out my colored charcoal paper at some point.

Same day.  Switched to the Pentel pocket brush.  More feet (foot).  My sister read the right page and asked "Isn't that a movie?"  She's soooo funny.

Pentel Meets Pentalic

I'd only used Micron, Copic liner or FaberCastell Pitt pens in the little blue book up to this point.  I acquired a Pentel pocket brush pen during the road trip illustrated earlier by my feet on the dash.  The first test was in the pocket Moleskine with decent results, but the paper is on the thin side.  The pages in the little Pentalic are sturdier and definitely hold the ink and paint better (no show through on the opposite side).

This is the second page of experimentation with the pocket brush - plus a test of watercolors.

My misguided thought that the pocket brush pen would improve my handwriting was a bust.  Oh well, it's still a great sketching tool!

Side note:  I had a sudden bout of can't-move-give-me-drugs back pain this past weekend.  Not something I'm used to dealing with and there was no drawing going on - just couldn't do it.  It is much better.  However, I have new found appreciation for those dealing with back pain chronically and still contributing to society in any meaningful way.  You amaze me.

April Snow - May Flowers

Back to the flowers of week four.  April should be the perfect time to sketch flowers.  Not this April. What a roller coaster!  Constant fluctuating from summer temperatures to winter storms.  We just had 4 days of 80's, but today's blustery high maybe hit 40° with snow expected tonight.  Happy May Day!

Back to mid April.  The tulips were on the verge of blooming - just in time for this lesson.  THEN a cold front moved in the first day I had time to go outside and sketch.  I planted the bulbs last fall and didn't have the heart to cut the stems just for my lesson.  So, I did what any normal person would do.  I bundled up in multiple layers and plopped down on the front porch in finger-numbing weather with my sketchbook, pen & paints.  Cars rolled by and the occupants would glance over and do a double take.  Crazy lady.  Other than my fingertips, it really wasn't too bad, but then, I'm a winter lover, so you can take that with a grain of salt.

Part of the fun of this class is combining the watercolor with a bit of journaling.  Lovin' the mix!  I hope hope hope to get in the habit of doing this often.  It is more memorable than snapping photos and more interesting than just writing.

Later that week, I took advantage of a balmy day and a spare moment to sit on the porch and sketch and paint.  Bonus inspiration from the class.  These more stylized tulips were created with a Pentel pocket brush pen in the little Moleskine.  The pocket brush has a flowing, yet somewhat unpredictable line and I'm still learning to go with its flow.