Drawn to the Kitchen

Draw your kitchen!  That was the final assignment for semester one of Sketchbook Skool.  Doesn't sound terribly exciting does it?  I mean, really, how exciting are appliances and cabinets and such?  Well, it turned out to be a kettle of fun.  (heh heh)

I've mentioned the sixth SBS teacher was Tommy Kane.  His method is to slow down, see the details and spends hours on a sketchbook page instead of minutes.  I gravitate towards the slow and detailed versus the mostly quicker methods of the earlier SBS instructors.  This particular lesson was calling my name so I skipped a couple assignments (for now).

After much procrastinating and the inner critic trying to talk me out of it, I sat down on a rainy afternoon when there was no harvest crew to cook for.  As usual, my persnickety brain was immediately annoyed that the lines weren't instantly perfecto.  I wanted the fridge along the right edge, so started there... without thinking about my hand being in the way as I moved from right to left.  Urgh.  Then, the stove went all wonky.  It doesn't really lean out like that.  "Tommy said to just keep going!"  That was on repeat in my brain.  So, I did - even though the back counter line was angling down & actually the whole drawing was leaning to the left.  I kept going.

I posted this first photo to the SBS Facebook group.  I reasoned, if I get this out there, I will actually finish it.

Over the next week more lines were added, then cross-hatching, then more lines, then more cross-hatching.  (Click on any photo to see it larger.)

Watercolor was next and it made me nervous.  Those wonky kitchen lines had grown on me.  Did I really want to risk messing it all up.  "Oh come on, it's just paper!  Get to it!"  So I did.  First some greens, then the cabinets, walls, and floor.

I started having fun.  Adding color here and there.  Going back into dry areas and enhancing the color or texture.  I thought I was done and posted the photo above.  Oops, missed the middle of the window and a few small white spaces and a few magnets.

Ask any artist - we always see something to change or correct or add to.  I see several areas I could enhance, but this one is done.  This final photo was posted about an hour before semester two started.  I'm so last minute it isn't even funny.  My daughter wants to frame this, but I won't be tearing it out.  Guess I'll have to properly scan and print it for her.

Semester two of Sketchbook Skool started Friday.  We've been celebrating July 4th and finishing up harvest, so I've only watched a few class videos.  Time to crack open the sketchbook!

Thursday Thoughts ~ Homework

Homework can be eh.

Self-assigned homework can be YEAH!

I sent this photo to my daughter after she sent me one of her homework-covered desk.

Watercolor mixing chart in process.

Flowering Frustrations

The idea people who designated November as National Novel Writing Month and then National Blog Posting Month should have their collective heads examined.  Ugh.

I dedicated an hour to art endeavors today.  First, painting the flowers sketched yesterday and, well, ew.  I'm already out of practice with watercolors and am so not happy with most of this.  I'm okay with the top two blooms and the top of the vase.  There - that's my attempt at optimism.  I'm sharing just because it's part of the process.  However, I can't make myself share a straight on photo.

The top yellow daisy was obviously first.  I was losing interest in completing this and regretted sketching all the flowers in the vase.  My mind was on cleaning and prep for Thanksgiving.

And a quick sketch before tackling supper.

Watercolor Doodling

The watercolor painting in the online class earlier this year was done with dry pans of a lesser quality than the tubes mentioned last night.  They work well enough for this beginner, but I've also wanted to check out Winsor Newton tube paints.  With the newest members added yesterday, it seemed the right time to try them all out.  I've been researching pigments and the true color wheel recently.  The most significant thing I've learned so far is to buy according to pigment codes instead of color names.  As an example: Though they appear very similar, quinacridone gold (purchased a few months ago) contains three pigments and gold ochre only one and it seems cleaner or something.  I need to use them more to understand the differences, but I'm learning.

 It's really quite intriguing - at least to me.

"Making the Most of an Emergency"

One of the artist blogs I follow is James Gurney.  He recently reviewed a new book of John Singer Sargent watercolors.  If you're at all interested in art/artists or more specifically watercolor painting, do check it out.  It's on my wish list.  Mr. Gurney includes this quote from the book:

Sargent used every trick in the book in his watercolors: glazing, wax resist, gouache, impasto, lifting off, scraping, drybrush, and ox gall. As he worked, he muttered "Demons, demons," and he famously described painting in watercolor as "making the most of an emergency."

Isn't that fabulous!?!  It's so completely and utterly fitting as I finish up the watercolor journaling class with Jane LaFazio.  Though I still struggle some with the looseness and imperfection of the genre, my comfort level with this medium has increased tremendously.  The watercolor sketchbook is half full - plenty of blank pages for bravery.  I plan to continue watercolor journal style.  However, maybe at some point, just sorta' maybe, I'll give a go at the detail of Sargent's beautiful emergencies.

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.

Painting Souls

Week five.  Yeah, we're out of order now, but I just finished the first part of lesson five in the watercolor journal class yesterday, so we'll get back to week four later on.  It was a good one - adventure in the cold, lessons learned, and a bit of inspiration.  You'll see.

This week's assignment was shoes.  I have  boring shoes - mostly browns and blacks.  Yawn.  Imelda Marcos I am not.  These three are the least boring.  When the last shoe was between ink and paint, I realized I never take any in-process photos.  *click* (with my camera phone)  Now I have one oddly-lit in-process photo.

A few close ups because I like to see other people's close ups and study their brush strokes.  Though now I'm paranoid about everybody scrutinizing my brush strokes...

The TOMS shoe took the longest and was frustrating at first - until I had to stop for a bit.  Stepping away and taking a fresh look, plus allowing areas to dry before adding more shadow - good things.  Patience is a virtue.  I used to drive my kids nuts with that saying.  I need to listen to myself.

Other than the tennis shoe (propped on a couch pillow) falling over each time I got up to let the dog out, feed the cat, answer the phone, feed me, answer the door.... other than all that making it nearly impossible to get the shoe strings right, this page was quite a bit of fun.  

Getting way more comfy with watercolor.  (woot woot)

Being Green

Report card, week 2...

Lesson two was slow to get going.  With family here, I squeezed in a late night study of greens - mixing yellows, blues, greens & browns.  That was the first step.  The next was to paint a few leaves journal style and I finally tackled that task last night.  That is, I tackled it after getting Milo to stop tackling my subject matter.

The love/hate relationship with watercolor is improving stroke by stroke. 

Lemonade

Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style virtual class report...

I like detail and I like realism.  Watercolor journaling is usually neither.  It is about recording a moment - a memory.   If you're out and about and want to sketch something and add some color - or just take a few moments to record a bit of your day - fast and simple is more realistic than slow and detailed.  This is not one of those engraved-in-stone rules, but it makes sense.  On my first try with apples & oranges (first lesson uses fruit), I struggled with not focusing on detail and realism.  Then came the second page.  A little bit easier.  A little less nagging from the perfectionist.  A little more fun.

Hearts and Flowers

A few posts ago, I mentioned the Valentine's card from my daughter and my attempt to recreate it.  This was more about fun than working on skills.  However, I have a long way to go with watercolor technique and every bit of practice is a good thing.

Left side - testing out the brand new waterbrush.

I've seen this close up, angled, shallow depth of field shot on other artistically-inclined blogs and it seems to add a certain amount of coolness...

Coolness here?  Hmmm.

And the traditional shot.  Thank you talented card-creating artist for your lovely design.  And thank you daughter for giving it to your mother!

I am not an Addict

I tagged along with hubby on a work-related trip today.  This meant a chance to peruse art supplies in person.  I went in searching for a waterbrush, but the aisle of paper and pads called my name.  In light of the recent sketchbook gathering, I had no intention of buying another one.  Then . . . I spied it.  A "hand made" watercolor journal with deliciously rough pages & deckled edges.  Tempting, so very tempting.  I picked it up and put it back multiple times.  It spoke to me like those doodads do in the Pier 1 commercials.  I went into another aisle then came back.  "Now listen here - you have plenty of blank pages waiting to be filled!"  (That was me, not my hubby.)  Alright already . . .  I relented - took a photo and added it to my wish list.  We headed home with the waterbrush, masking fluid and dreams of future projects on handmade paper.

I Challenge Thee

2013 and I'm on a roll again.  Wahoo!

Typing "drawing" in the Pinterest search box a few months ago would result in a "30 Day Drawing Challenge" - a list of objects and people to draw.  I didn't pin it - just didn't fit my journey, but I was eventually inspired by it.  I created my own drawing challenge in late November and officially started January 3.  It includes a variety of skill building exercises or new techniques to try.

Day 1: A pen & ink value scale - draw increasingly smaller patterns to create light to dark values.
Day 2: Finish documenting my watercolor pan set.  I'd drawn the page a month ago in a watercolor journal, but had neglected finishing.  Now it's done and the bright colors are inspiring.

Taken with my phone due to low camera battery & lack of patience.

Yesterday - Day 3: Drawing with my left (non-dominant) hand. When you start out knowing you have less control, it's actually quite freeing.  The perfectionist takes a break.  The inner critic shuts down.  The process is shaky and feels odd, but not as bad as I had imagined.   The imperfect lines have a certain charm to them I think.  I don't find myself saying - well, good grief - coulda' done better.  Aaah.

I've moved on to a bigger sketchbook -less bright, thinner, rougher pages - good for pencil sketches.  The different paper may not photograph as well.  We'll see when I actually use the camera.




PS - All you people who received some type of sketchbook and art supplies for Christmas.  (Yes, YOU!)  You could do these challenges.  Hmm.  Actually, anyone with any kind of paper could.  Really - give it a try.  Right now.  Get out those pads you tucked away (or a piece of paper out of your printer) and give it a whirl!

I can't draw THAT big!

The past couple of weeks have been a challenge to the finding-my-artist challenge.  We were preparing for vacation & then spent several days with family in the Southwest, including the Grand Canyon.  I did not make art every day, but I made a lot more art than I ever would have on vacation, since that would normally have been none.

Proof I need to practice, practice, practice.

One Grand Canyon day, my sister, husband and I got up at dawn so I could create, she could write and he could meander with the camera.  We ventured into the 28° morning (lots of layers).  I found a wide flat rock to perch on, laid out my supplies and brushed on the first bit of color.  I'd love to say it was lovely.  It wasn't.  It was colorful, but it was hilariously awful.  The sun was rising fast & my little bit of watercolor practice before the trip did not prepare me for the speed needed to mix the color & water just right.  Plus I like to play with the paint - remembering now why I prefer oil.  I finished up what I could, set it aside and picked up the pencils . . . much better.  Back in the comfort zone, I held my pad in the air & sketched for nearly an hour.  (Which later caused shaky arms - wow, art fatigue!)  My sister typed while I drew and we were both taken aback by how difficult it is to capture the enormity of the canyon.  It likely would've taken all day to record the detail my eye could see, especially for this slow poke artist.  However, breakfast was calling and we needed to meet up with the rest of the gang.  "You know they have artist retreats here..." she hinted.  Hmmm.

Into the canyon through the trees.  So MUCH to draw, so little time.