A Scraggly Magnolia Transformed Unexpectedly

Years ago we cut the top off of a scraggly looking magnolia tree in our back yard with the intent to leave a good portion of the trunk to place a bird feeder on top.  Time got away from us doing other things and the next thing we knew, that truck started sprouting new life.  As it grew, what once was scraggly looking, took on a nice shape with leaves filling in from bottom to top due to the new branching lower on the trunk. 

The last couple of years we hoped to see flowers but never did.  However, last year, my husband found a seed pod indicating it had indeed produced a flower.  This year we didn't think to watch for flowers with everything going on with the virus and whatnot so we missed it flowering again.  This year four seed pods were discovered when mowing the lawn.  At this point they are white...still forming, and I look forward to when they have developed the seeds and the pods dry.  I like collecting things like that for sketching purposes.

Journal with Fabriano Hot Press paper / Metropolitan with DeAtramentis Dark Green and Noodler's #41 Brown.  DS watercolors.

How a Game Can be Educational

Back in March, a new game came out called Animal Crossing New Horizons.  It launched just as the pandemic was spreading across the globe.  The game has been an escape for many people..being able to relax and concentrate on something positive.....living on an island and building it up for other residents.  For me it has definitely played a major role in maintaining my sanity and keeping me from being glued to the TV and computer following the day to day depressing news.

Several of my family members have also been playing and it's a way for us to interact even 1000 miles away from one another.

Aside from the escape from reality, providing endless hours of fun and relaxation, it also has an educational side to it.  One is interacting with the villagers/residents.....teaching kindness and giving to others....being neighborly and watching out for one another.  Another is learning patience (at least for me...ha ha).   It teaches responsibility and working hard for those things you need or want.  And it teaches about responsible spending and saving of Island money for bigger purchases.

There is the creative aspect as you craft many different type or style of items to include tools and furniture; but, a major bonus comes with the ability to design the island itself........setting up and decorating your island.  It even goes so far as earning the ability to transform the island's cliffs and rivers/ponds.

Then there are the numerous type fossils, bugs, fish, and sea creatures you may never have heard of before.  I find myself as I catch various creatures wanting to look them up as they are in real life, learning their origins and facts about their existence.

One such sea creature is the barnacle.  I've had a cluster purchased several years ago on a visit to Rockport, TX.  I never thought much about it except that it was a neat looking shelf ornament for my sunroom.  After swimming and diving (in the game) and catching one, I was intrigued to find out all I could about it.  To me it was just a shell ornament but learning about it as a living organism has been very enlightening to me.  Same goes for several other life-forms like butterflies and fish.  The fossils you dig up and end up pieced together teaches about the dinosaurs.  Within the game these items are donated to a museum with fact sheets near the displays.

Anyways......today I decided to do this quick sketch of the barnacle considering I have a cluster here at home and wanted to journal about it after learning the facts.

A Fruit I Doubt I'll Ever Try

Terry brought inside a Guava fruit he found on a small tree along the property line between our neighbor and ourselves.  This particular one was probably beyond ripe as it was feeling rather soft.  When he brought it in, he made a comment it smelled like RAID Ant and Roach spray.  I didn't have to get close to it as I could smell it as soon as he came into the house.  To me it smelled like a strong onion and citrus combination.  We didn't keep it inside as the odor/fragrance was so strong, you could smell it from the back room of the house.  I took pictures of it quickly and decided to work from photos rather than it sitting on my table.

According to what I've read, it's very nutritious.....seeds and all.  It's suppose to be a very sweet fruit with a unique flavor between a strawberry and pear.  All I know is that the smell alone puts us off from even wanting to try one.

After taking the photos of the one, we walked outside and I took several photos of the fruit growing which are all still green ranging from small to medium in growth.  We couldn't find another ripe one hanging from the tree.

Worked in my 7 x 5.5 journal with Fabriano Hotpress paper / Metropolitan with #41 Brown ink (for wording) and Daniel Smith watercolors.

Handcrafted Dolls Sketch

Years ago I used to be big into fabric crafting ornaments and other small items like dolls and angels.   This morning I decided to work a sketch of two of my favorites. 

I am still using the Ipad and the app, Procreate to produce these sketches.  It takes me longer to work these using the Ipad than it would using traditional paper, pen, and color but providing a nice challenge as I continue learning what this app can do.  I find I enjoy the process more than the results versus feeling the need to fill a sketchbook and focused more on the results than the process.  This change is what is helping with inspiration and motivation to do any sketching.

When I started out with this one, I started with the line drawing like I would a pen and ink drawing.  The Studio Pen brush tool was used for the line work.  Then I chose to use a brush tool I'm not familiar with - Watercolor brush tool.  At first I didn't care for how it put down color but I stuck with it.  It lays down transparent layers you have to build up but after I got the hang of it plus blending, it wasn't so bad.

At first I was going after the ink and wash look but then once I reached a certain point (as seen in the center image), I decided I didn't want that.  Instead I removed the line drawing layer and using darker matching colors, I defined the edges and added more shading as if I were using just watercolor with no pen and ink.

This shows the process as I was working along with the change and notes I made to refer back to.

Total layers used in this one is 20 not including the signature and background layers.

Same Subject Different Brush Tools

Today I decided to sketch this anchor and then using Procreate, worked with different brush tools just to compare results.

The first example (top left) is using the category Inking - Studio Pen brush tool.  I never changed the brush size and the little bar tells me the size used.

The second (top right) is using the category Drawing - Little Pine brush tool.  I've never tried this one before.   I used the same size throughout.

Third example (bottom left) is using the category Sketching - HB brush tool for line drawing and Shading Graphite for the shading.  Size brushes shown in the little bars.

Final example I decided to use color.  This time using the category Painting - Acrylic brush tool.  Line drawing was using the same HB pencil sketch using the size the bar indicates.  With the color, I used different sizes depending on area I was working.

Each were worked in layers as I normally do but with the color, I decided to only work one layer with both orange and black for blending purposes.  In the past I would use a separate layer for each color.

This was a fun exercise and I may do others trying new brush tools I've not used before.

Pencil Case Sketch

This morning I was up early and rather than turning on the TV or playing games, I decided to try and sketch something.......anything.  Instead of looking around hoping something jumped out at me to sketch, I chose to sketch the first thing I saw sitting in front of me, which happened to be my pencil case.

I'm still lacking motivation and this slump I've been in is really starting to bring me down.  I so want to get past it!!

I think part of my problem is lacking purpose for what I do.  It used to be straight forward in my reasons but somewhere along the line, I started questioning those reasons.  Now I'm dealing with a great deal of confusion and just not sure what direction to take to regain a sense of purpose.

This is digital sketching using Procreate and Ipad using the HB brush tool and the Pastel brush tool.

Family Trip to Ripley's Aquarium - Myrtle Beach

My eldest son and his family were to come to Florida for a week the last part of June and then spend a week at Myrtle Beach.  Unfortunately with the explosion of COVID 19 cases over the last few weeks here in Florida, my son's employer told him if he came to Florida during his vacation, he would be forced to stay home for 14 days without pay upon his return.  So the family decided best to post-pone their trip here saving for a later time.

While they were at Myrtle Beach, they sent me pictures of their outings, which included going to Ripley's Aquarium.  One of the photos was of penguins (which I love), so I decided to add a sketch of one of the penguins in my journal.

Fabriano Hot Press / #B Wolf's Carbon Pencil

When I set out to do this, I intended on including two penguins........one laying down to the right of the one standing.  Unfortunately, I started with the one standing and realized I didn't leave enough room to include the other one without chopping off his head.  Needless to say, composition leaves a great deal to be desired. 

If I were to print this, I would crop out around the penguin like shown below.

New Pens - Metropolitans

Not that I need any more pens but I treated myself to three Metropolitans after learning they came in other than black or gold like back years ago when I first bought two.  I like the nibs on these pens compared to the Lamy nibs.  Fine nibs in the Metropolitans are like the Lamy Extra Fine nibs but not quite as scratchy.

Although the site says they no longer come with converters, the three I purchased did.  The type that came were the squeeze type converters I've never used before.  Will be interesting to see how well they work and how much ink they hold.  I also purchased the Con40 converters but quickly learning I don't care for them.  They do not hold very much ink.  I'd rather refill an old cartridge than to use those converters.

I have filled each pen with DeAtramentis Document inks of similar colors to the color of the pens for easy identification.

Illustration worked using watercolor pencils dry.  Worked in journal with Fabriano Hot Press watercolor paper.

UPDATE August 4, 2020:  The squeeze type converters seem to be doing OK.  The Con 40 converters are absolutely useless!!!  Other people stating they don't hold much ink is an understatement.  Plus, I find I have to physically turn the piston to push ink up towards the feed in order for it to continue feeding ink. 

July Challenge - Notan Concept

Fighting a major art slump, I started doing some surfing hoping to find some inspiration and came across a term I hadn't heard before......Notan Art.

What I found first was related to paper crafting where you use black and white paper cutting out shapes from one color paper and creating a mirror image by pasting the cut pieces on the other color paper.  Something like this illustration I did.

Notan is Japanese for Darks/Lights.

Not wanting to use actual paper, physically cutting out and pasting shapes, I decided to emulate that process using Procreate on my Ipad.  My first trial was using my miniature bear, Opal, and sketching out the contour shape working black and white.  Then I decided to go one step further by repeating using complementary colors.

As I continued to research Notan Art, I came across where people combine it with Zentangles.  Using Opal in black and white, I proceeded to add some doodling of repetitive marks for added interest.

Intrigued with the black/white results, I dug even deeper and learned that the Notan Concept is used in sketching and painting.  A lot like value sketches one might do before going into a formal painting and incorporating the negative painting concept as well.  At least this is my understanding or perception of this whole process.

Great article on the principle and usage of Notan when painting.

Another web page that includes a couple short videos.

Playing with the various ideas found in my research, I worked the following.  A couple taking it further adding other values.

The first example with the cranes I am not real crazy about.  Not so much the technique but the composition or layout of the dark areas versus the light.  It was worked from a photograph and I feel after seeing the placement of values that I chose a poor photo to work from.

Went back and chose a different photo...one I had used before as reference for a sketch I worked in one of my journals....re-worked the three-value by mapping out the darks and lights.  I definitely like it better.  I chose to leave out the pole in the front and add more foliage to frame the cranes.

This next is another that I worked from a photo which has turned out to be one of my favorites.  I like the balance of black/white areas.  I sketched the one black over white and then cut/pasted the one with the white over black (digitally speaking).

Next is a grouping which includes the above and a few others I worked for the July challenge.

As a twist to the above, I also worked this last one adding in color after the initial black and white.  After adding color, I change it back to black and white mode to see the value range I achieved by adding the color.

This shows the steps I used to create this before adding color.

After a long dry spell, I am really enjoying this exercise playing with only lights and darks.  To me it is intriguing and a nice break from worrying about color or being so detailed.  The bonus is learning something from this with values and placement within a composition.

An added bonus to working on the Ipad, I learned a few things with my Procreate App I didn't know it could do.  GREAT, provided I don't forget what I learned.......ha ha.