Saturday, August 31, 2013

On a Roll

I've been in one of those moods where I'm sketching quite a bit.  I do go through spurts so it will be interesting how long this one lasts.

Here are several I've done the last couple of days.

We are dreading the onslaught of these bugs come end of September through October.  They have become quite a nuisance and hard to keep out of the house.



This is from my Texas trip last year.




The Chapel here is from the Miracle Whip commercial with my adding my own bit changing the overall landscape.



I just finished this one a little while ago.  Used a Uniball UM 151 Brown Black 0.38 gel pen.



Friday, August 30, 2013

Dried Mushrooms

These mushrooms I picked early last year.  I've held on to them for some reason and have since dried.  They are sitting in an empty glass.  Might be the funny tops that have intrigued me to keep them.....I'm not really sure.

Stillman & Birn Alpha 4 x 6 journal

Pilot Prera with Lexington Gray ink later adding some line work with Uniball UM 151 Brown Black 0.38

Daniel Smith Raw and Bt Sienna plus Cerulean Blue



Pricketts Fort, WV Ink and Wash

Here's an ink and wash done of one of the buildings inside Prickets Fort located only a few miles from us.  It sits off an inlet of the Mon River.  Now a park where they have reenactments of the life style inside the fort many years ago.

Stillman & Birn Alpha 4 x 6 journal and Pilot Prera with Namiki Black ink.

Finalized with a little wash of color using Daniel Smith watercolors.




This is an earlier pen and ink I did for the 75 day challenge two years ago.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Rock Climbing in West Virginia

This is a sketch of one of my favorite places to visit a couple hours away.  It's located on the eastern part of West Virginia off 33 and 28. 

I've been there camping in cabins a few times, fishing, and several years ago went on a horseback ride up part way of this peak.  You can only go so far on foot.....otherwise in order to reach the top one has to have rock climbing skills.

There is also a small cavern one can visit.  The thing I remember most about the cavern were the bats hanging.

Consists of Tuscarora Quartzite which is white gray in color.

Alpha 4 x 6 journal; Pilot Prera with Namiki black (water soluble), and Daniel Smith watercolors.  #8 Round and 3/8" Angular Flat.




Monday, August 26, 2013

Special Place

This is a sketch of Valley Falls, WV that is about 30 miles from us. 

It's known for "THE" ideal location for weddings.  You can visit and at times see people sitting and sketching or painting the area.  Family reunions are held at this park to include our own.

First I sketched using a Pilot Prera with Lexington Gray ink.  Worked the watercolor using Daniel Smith watercolors and then went back with the Uniball UM 151 0.5 Brown Black gel pen to re-emphasize some of the rocks.

Worked in the Alpha 4 x 6 journal





New Sighting - Tanager

After moving out in the country up on a hilltop surrounded by trees, we have seen so many new things.  Various type trees, fungi, wildlife from coyotes to turkeys plus a few new bird species never seen before.  The most recent being the Scarlet Tanager.

The male is red and black and the female greenish yellow and black.  Their sound is like a Robin only raspier.

Terry noticed first the male in the berry tree at the side of our house.  We're not sure what type of bush/tree it is but has a wonderful fragrance in the Spring and loaded with small orange to red berries during this time of year.

I worked this pen and ink/watercolor sketch in the Alpha journal using the new Uniball UM 151 pens.  Colors used:  green black 0.38, bordeaux black 0.38, and brown black 0.28 and 0.5.

Daniel Smith:  Perm Red, Cad Red, Paynes Gray, Fr Ultramarine, Green Ap, and New Gamboge.

#8 Round and #6 Mini round





Sunday, August 25, 2013

Playing with a Sheaffer Calligraphy Pen

When I was packing up the house for a possible move back into town, I came across this Sheaffer Calligraphy pen set I bought back in 1996.  I used to create miniature tags with fabric angels for Hospice patients while living in Texas.

Thought I would play a bit with one of the pens using it to sketch with.  As you can see the ink is definitely not waterproof.

The brown leans towards red.  Nice color for a change.

Ooops......I'm a day behind.  Just noticed I wrote yesterday's date.


Easter Cactus - Pen and Ink with Watercolor

Here's one more sketch using the Uniball UM-151 pens

Green Black and Bordeaux Black

Alpha 4 x 6 journal.

Daniel Smith watercolors and #8 Round

Color is primarily the pen and ink but then went back over with light washes of Green and Opera Pink.

At this point I'm not sure if I like using pen and ink to fill in subjects like this.  I love it with buildings and trees but for plant life and flowers I'm just not sure.  I might have to try this again with watercolor as my primary and pen and ink to add some detailing.  


Saturday, August 24, 2013

Lucky Bamboo - Pen and Ink plus Watercolor

Thought I would try mixing the color Uniball inks in a sketch and chose one of my favorite plants to do so.

I chose to use my No-name Sketchbook that I had dedicated to pen and ink only.  Unfortunately or fortunately (however you see it) I was lost in what I was doing and ended up taking watercolors to the sketch.  I honestly didn't think this paper would do well even with light washes but was pleasantly surprised.  No bleed through on page either.

Uniball UM-151 Colors used were:  Bordeaux Black, Green Black (both 0.38) and my 0.28 and 0.5 Brown Black.

Watercolors used:  Daniel Smith

#8 Round



Friday, August 23, 2013

Testing my new Pens in the Uniball UM 151 Series

I've already used the Brown Black 0.28 size point and decided to try the 0.38 in various colors plus one 0.5 in the Brown Black.

The UM 151 comes in all sorts of colors but I chose to stick with the various Color-Blacks offered through Jet Pens.

I just love how the gel pens glide across the paper!

This was done in my Alpha 4 x 6 journal. 

Thursday, August 22, 2013

One of my Favorite Movie Characters

Have you ever had a movie you could just sit and watch over and over again?  My movie or movie series I absolutely love is the Ice Age series.  Barbie is another after being introduced to them by my granddaughters.

I'm not one who can take watching gore, killing, and destruction.  In fact I stay away from anything that can trigger fear.  I enjoy an occasional Romantic Comedy but my favorite are those produced like Dream World and Disney animated...........those cute feel good type family movies that often make one laugh.

Last night I was in the mood for Ice Age and one of my favorite characters is Sid so I decided to sketch him.

This was done in the Alpha 4 x 6 journal using a Pilot Prera pen with Lexington Gray ink.


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Queen Anne's Lace - Pen and Ink

My youngest granddaughter picked some of these for me several days ago.  I've sat and studied them wanting to attempt to capture on paper.  Last night I finally did so.

Worked in the 4 x 6 Alpha journal using my Platinum Carbon fountain pen.


Monday, August 19, 2013

Haven't done a great deal since the last pen and ink house. 

These are just a couple of small sketches in my Alpha 4 x 6 journal.


Saturday, August 10, 2013

Nanny's House

 This sketch is a special one to me.  I have wanted to do this for some time but would feel a bit squeamish attempting it until now.

This huge house was split into three separate dwellings.  The owner of the house lived on the first level and rented out the middle and attic portions.  To access the apartments, one would go in through the left side going up a long staircase to the middle apartment with a outer hall way that wrapped around leading to yet another long staircase to the attic apartment.

The middle apartment consisted of five rooms plus huge bathroom.  Very easily used as a three bedroom apartment.  All rooms were huge.  The kitchen was a large eat in kitchen and the large bathroom had an old tub with the fancy legs and no shower. 

The attic apartment was also very large consisting of four rooms plus bath with shower.  The kitchen was a gallery type kitchen opening wider into the dining area.  Off the dining room was the large bathroom.  The other two rooms consisted of a large bedroom and huge living room.  One of the things I love about old houses are the sizes of the rooms.

My grandmother (Nanny) on my mother's side rented the middle apartment in 1963.  She had the place fixed up as a two bedroom apartment, a sitting room, and living room looking out towards the front of the house.  She was married three times (each spouse passing on) during this 28 years.  When her and Melvin (4th husband) married, they decided to rent the attic apartment as well to keep tenants from living over top.  Melvin also built a screened in porch at the entrance leading up to the two apartments.  I always enjoyed visiting my grandmother and loved staying up in the attic apartment.

Each time I pass through Mannington, this place calls out to me.  It will always be a special place to me!

Worked in the No Name sketchbook using the Uniball UM 151 Brown Black gel pen.  Talk about slow work shading the dark areas with the 0.28 pen but I enjoyed every minute of it.  Also used a white gel pen in areas.

Friday, August 9, 2013

My House is a Very Very Very Nice House....

Our house is a very, very, very fine house; with four dogs in the yard, life used to be so hard
Now everything is easier, 'cause of you...............................(little twist on the words by Crosby Stills Nash)


Sketch of the back of my house using the Uniball UM 151 brown-black gel pen.

No name sketch book.

Worked this during wee hours of the morning while watching TV.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

More Sketching Using Uniball UM 151 Gel Pen

Here's a page testing the pen in my No Name Generic sketchbook.  The pen worked just as beautifully as it did in the more expensive Alpha journal.  I can achieve super thin/light/fine lines as I can the darker marks. 

I have a thing for gates, doors, and windows as I do with old barns.

While in the UK, I took loads of photos of these subjects as well as chimney pots and the neat looking building structures like thatch cottages and castles. 


Sunday, August 4, 2013

Pen and Ink - Uniball UM151 Brown Black

I am finding I really enjoy using this pen.  The brown black is not as harsh looking as black and a nice change from the Lexington Gray.

The Uniball glides on the paper and does well over top of watercolor, where as some pens and inks balk a bit at doing so.  Less pressure and I am achieving very faint thin lines.  With a little more pressure and I get the darker lines.........at least on this paper surface (Stillman & Birn Alpha - vellum paper).

One of the things I tried to keep in mind as I was sketching these was NOT to completely outline but to leave a few broken line areas.  I have a tendency to forget that unless the pen skips and I just carry on.


Saturday, August 3, 2013

Myers Flat, California

Today my husband was going through his photos of years past trying to sort and divvy up between his children.  As he was going through them, he came across this mini photo album of a trip his dad and him made to take family ashes to California.  While on this trip, they checked out the Avenue of the Giants, stopping at several locations to include the drive-through tree at Myers Flat.  They also visited the tree houses .... one of which was captured on camera.

I wanted to do this 2-page spread from the photos hubby brought up to show me.

These are not exact but close enough to recognize what they represent.  Like the sign.....wording is actually a yellowish color in the wood where I just used pen to write it out.


Stillman & Birn 4 x 6" Alpha journal

#8 Round and 3/8" Angular Flat

Uni-ball Signo UM-151 pen with brown black ink

Daniel Smith watercolors.

A little sketch from no where

I really don't know what inspired me to do this quick sketch.  I just know I wanted to do something in my journal and this is what I ended up with.

It started out with the book, planter, and candle and grew from there adding the background wall and window.