January 18th and 19th Sketches

After several sketches adding watercolor, I was in the mood for just plain sketching with either pen and ink or pencil.

This first one was stepping back into my comfort zone.  A subject that comes easier for me where I could just relax and make simple pen marks without worrying about perspective or everything being just right.

Terry picked me up another generic sketchbook (from Walmart) and this is the first page I've worked.  I used a Uniball 151 - .38 pen - Brown-Black ink.  It's getting easier for me with the various value strokes with pens like this by the way I hold the pen.  I can get real light fine pen lines by holding the pen almost parallel to the paper.  If it's too much so, it won't feed but just the right angle and I can get those very fine light lines.  Also how far from the point I hold the pen makes a difference for me as well.

This next page in the generic sketchbook is using a mechanical pencil for the initial sketch and lighter value on the fur and then went back in with a Staedler Mars Lumograph 8B pencil adding the darks.

Another sketch from my 2009 trip to Texas visiting my sister and her husband.  I love going back through holiday/vacation photos and sketching from them because it's like re-living the time again :-)

 

How I went about working the fur:  Mechanical pencil using light pressure and the darker 8B a little more pressure making sure I maintain a sharp point.