Material and Folds Study

This is another graphite study I worked using a mechanical pencil in the Zeta journal.  Just love graphite on this paper surface!!!  It blends well and for some reason my hand doesn't pick the graphite up as easily (smearing it all over the page) as happens with some paper surfaces I use.

My Go To Travel Palette

I have several different travel kits set up so far to grab and go but finding this one to be my first to grab (even while sitting at home).  Part of the reason is the fact it's so light and thin.  It has my favorite pigments of the three brands I use most often....Daniel Smith, W&N, and QoR artist watercolors.

This was set up before I left for WV to finish our move.  I forgot to write down what was what so I'm not exactly sure which pigment is what brand but I have a fairly good idea (if I can rely on my memory...ha..ha).  Most are W&N due to the transparency.  The orange, sap green, and purple are definitely QoR  I prefer QoR Sap Green because it appears to be closest to a natural green compared to other brands.

Cerulean Blue, Shadow, and Moonglow are definitely Daniel Smith.

Only a couple I'm not really sure (like the yellows) as I like yellows of all the brands I have.  If I were to take a wild guess, I'd say W&N but possibly Daniel Smith.....lol.  Oh well.......this teaches me to not forget to write it down at the time I fill the pans!  In any event, I like the choices I made and I guess that's what is most important.

Bottle Top

This is a little exercise I did today of a bottle top in three different positions. 

Mechanical pencil in the Zeta sketchbook. 

One thing I really like using the Zeta for pencil sketches is the fact it seems the graphite doesn't smear as easily as it can on other paper surfaces.  I worked bottom to top and with any other paper, the side of my hand and finger would have picked the graphite up and smeared it all over the page surface.

The bottle is a dark green color and what caught my attention was the bottle topper.  

Late Night Sketching

Last night through almost day break was one of those nights I just couldn't get sleepy enough to go to bed so I sketched as I watched TV.

Worked in the S&B Zeta sketchbook using Micron pens.

Trip to Disney

This past week my son and his family came to visit us here in Florida.  During their week here, we took them to Magic Kingdom............first time for my oldest son and our two granddaughters 9 and 12.  It was HOT and the lines were long but we had a wonderful day.

I managed two rides with everyone but sat out waiting while they rode other rides I knew I couldn't handle.  While doing so, I actually did a little sketching........even with all the people around me.  I'm doing better even though I did close my sketchbook a couple of times if too many were standing too close to me.

At one point I discovered a little girl standing behind me watching over my shoulder but that didn't bother me.  When I looked at her, she gave me this huge smile.  At another point there was another little girl and her grandmother watching with grandmother explaining to the little girl what I was doing.

These first two pages were sketched while at the park............S&B Zeta sketchbook.

This one is from a photo I took and worked this morning.......also in the Zeta sketchbook.

Bananas

Worked a couple days ago ............. Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook and Micron pen.

This pretty much explains it all in the notes :-)

Artificial Lily - Pen and Ink

This one was worked over two evenings while watching TV using a Micron 01 in the Strathmore Soft Cover sketchbook.

Practice with pen and ink only and hatching / cross-hatching.  It just kind of developed itself working the flower first and then just doing something to fill in the background.

Although the leaves are not this dark in reality, I chose to work them this way to help push the flower petals forward since I wasn't going to add color.

Meeting Place - The Villages

This page is also from yesterday's outing.  As soon as I parked, I took a picture with my cell phone just in case I wanted to do something with it later.  I arrived early thinking I might work a sketch but Kathy was already there sitting at an outside table.  So I took the photo instead.

Although I have worked all the front pages of the Strathmore Soft Cover sketchbook, I'm going back through and filling in a few of the back pages I had left untouched.

Used a Micron 01 pen except for the notes which I believe was an 03 point.

Watercolors from my grab and go palette made from a Neocolors II tin with mixed brands of my favorite colors.  Brush was my waterbrush.

The Villages with Kathy Kreidler

I'm on another high today following my second day meeting "live" someone I've come to know and interact with through Cathy Johnson's Artists Journal Workshop group on Facebook........Kathy Kreidler.

Moving to Florida is proving to be such a positive for me.  FINALLY meeting and getting to spend time with people who enjoy doing what I love to do and getting me out of the house!

This morning Kathy and I met at a place called The Villages.  It was like visiting another world.  I was in awe over the architecture of this particular part of The Villages as well as all the golf carts coming and going.  So much to see and experience ........... to sketch and paint.  A place I plan to revisit many times :-)

For our first time together, we sat where I think was like a central park area surrounded by shops.  Music was playing and Kathy and I chatted as we sketched one of the buildings.  We met early before it became too hot to enjoy being out.  We spent close to two hours together.

Pen and ink plus watercolor in the Strathmore Visual Journal.

First Day Out Fishing 2015

With all the trips back and forth between Florida and West Virginia with my Mom going into the hospital and our finishing our long drawn out move between states, we are just now getting out fishing and kayaking.  A bit hot this time of year but we still managed to have a good morning fishing and loved just being out on the water.

We finally registered our Jon Boat, which Travis took out using an electric motor.  Terry and I took out our sit-on-top fishing kayaks.

Travis first went out and then patiently sat there waiting for us to launch the kayaks.

Stillman & Birn Zeta with mechanical pencil and an 8B pencil.

Quick Sketching and Ink Doodling

A day of pen and ink only practice doodling various things around me.  All pages were done in the Strathmore Soft cover sketchbook using a Micron pen.  Either Micron 03 or 01.  The bunny was using the 01.

When I mention quick, that's subjective.  What I consider quick for me may be longer to someone else.

Often I go through a procedure where I sketch first in pencil (not necessarily erasing along the way) but more for getting a feel for the subject I'm journaling about.  Then I go back in with pen and ink....erasing everything after ink applied, and most often adding color after that.  It can take me awhile doing this.

Sometimes when I use pen and ink only, I'm very slow..........still hesitating to put that mark on paper.........crawling along the paper surface as I touch point or nib to paper.  With these pages, I was hoping for a more spontaneous feel so I made myself move quickly and go with whatever marks hit the paper.  In my mind I was just doodling............a mind game I play on myself so I don't get hung up in working slow.  And it's great practice should I work with pen and ink out on location when I don't have the time to work at my leisure.

I tend to work right to left (yes I'm strange) and these were the first two pages completed.

That night I worked this bunny.  Was fun with just scribbling the lines in which was perfect for this subject.  And it's not perfect........I made errors along the way but with the scribbling and hatch marks, those errors just kind of melded into the finished sketch.

Day of Indecision

This was one of those days where I struggled making decisions of any kind.  I couldn't decide what I wanted to sketch or paint..........too many ideas going through my head.  I get like that and I feel overwhelmed which can keep me from doing anything.

To help me through times like this, I will play this game where I close my eyes.........shift my position or turn my head..........open and my eyes and whatever I happen to see or focus on, I sketch.

This is what I saw this particular day and as I sketched, I left a box to write in.  Then procrastinated in finishing the page as I couldn't decide what to write in the box.  Finally just wrote about my day.

I couldn't decide whether to add a background or leave as you see it.  When in doubt, I do nothing and this is the way I left this page.

Strathmore Visual Journal (watercolor)