September Challenge

To help Madison and I get back into our sketching, we set a challenge for this month using one of our favorite Switch games as incentive.

The challenge was to sketch one of our favorite babies; a mon that to us was unique in shape and detail; and a landscape scene that grabbed our attention while playing.

Madison's Results:

My Results:

 

Variation of Bees

My eldest granddaughter decided to go in with me working a challenge through the month and we agreed on sketching bees.  So far I have worked four different types in four different mediums.

This has not only been fun but very educational as well....even at my age :-)

 

UPDATE:  My granddaughter's bees (09/22/21)

First is using Procreate and the second is in her sketchbook.  She makes her "Mammaw" proud!!!

Monthly Theme - March 2021

For March, the number chosen ended up being, "what's in your bathroom."  What is in mine can be anything from your standard bathroom items to bookshelf, free standing wood cabinet, books, stuffed animals, plants, and even my pet bird.  Plenty of variety to sketch.

To start out with, I decided to sketch a few standard items and chose to work in pencil.  This also takes care of my "one graphite" sketch for the month.  Worked in the Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook using a Graphgear 1000 / .7 mechanical pencil.

This next represents where I moved plants from the sunroom to the bathroom when we thought my oldest son and his family were going to move to Florida and stay with us for awhile.  After family deciding not to move, I decided to leave the plants in the bathroom.  

There is a very large window over a garden tub I never use that has a ledge around it.  The sunlight is from the south and not as harsh as it is in the sunroom due to the thick hazy glass (can't think of the proper word for the type glass).  I find the plants are liking it better in the bathroom.  I lost almost all of my Lucky Bamboo plants but after cutting way back and placing in the bathroom, they are showing hope for revival.  My other plants appear to be happier to include the succulents I grow.

Sketchbook with old stock of Fabriano Artistico paper / TWSBI 580ALR with Lexington Grey ink / Daniel Smith watercolors.

Takes care of my pen and ink plus watercolor for the month of March.

This next is my digital for the month of one of several Beanie Baby Bears I have on hand.  The shelving unit (Secretary) is in the bathroom which holds bears, DVD cases, and books.

Procreate using BeeJayDel's pencil brush tools 2B, 4B, and 6B

Good thing my bathroom is large.  Another subject in my bathroom is Mango who's cage is quite large on a wrought iron rolling base.  I have it sitting near the Garden tub I never use with plants lined up all around the ledge of the tub.

Mango seems much happier although it took a few days for him to adjust to being moved.  Eventually, I'll return him to the sunroom but as long as I have wood burning projects going on, it's best I leave him where he is.

Procreate using Painting / Waterbrush brush tool and BJD's Standard Inker

Although I have a lot more I could sketch from my bathroom, this more than fulfills my monthly theme goal.  I may do more during March that fits the theme but for now I can relax knowing all my goals have been met.

October Daily Challenge with BeeJayDel - Days 25 - 31

This finalizes the 31 day challenge following along with BeeJayDel's tutorials on drawing Halloween cartoon characters.  Anyone who's interested in learning Procreate and/or drawing cartoon figures, he has a great YouTube channel with all sorts of videos you can follow along with....not just Halloween.

He also has a Facebook page and a website where anyone who's interested can purchase his special designed Procreate brushes.  I have purchased most of them and have to say they are my go-to brush tools to use for sketching in pencil and for inking.  Love his texture brush tools as well!

For my other two blogger posts related to this:

Days 1-12

Days 13-24

Normally I work the yearly Inktober challenge but for some reason I just wasn't motivated this year to mess with it.  I'm so thankful I stumbled across this man's YouTube channel that gave me an wonderful alternative that was a blast to do each day.  I have learned so much from this...not just additional things my app can do but also a totally different subject and style!!  What a refreshing change!!!

October Daily Challenge with BeeJayDel - Days 1-12

It's been days since I last posted as I have been engulfed in a unique challenge helping me learn the ins and outs of using Procreate.  

Although I've used the app for several years, I only touched the surface of what it offers people with digital artwork.  This challenge teaches techniques beyond the basics and I am grateful.  Such a fun way to learn too.

The challenge is presented by BeeJayDel on Facebook and his YouTube channel.  Instead of Inktober (which I normally work each year), he chose to produce a video each day of a Halloween cartoon character.  He invites people to draw along with him and then share their efforts.

Because I didn't come across his channel until well into the month, I have been playing catch-up working four (sometimes three depending on the complexity) each day.  I have finally caught up.

So far here are twelve of the days I have completed.  Tonight or tomorrow I should be able to share another twelve days.  Below image I share just what I have learned.

What I have learned:

1)  How to use Alpha Lock

2)  How to use Clipping Mask Layers

3)  Setting an ink drawing as a reference and adding color to fill within the lines on another layer.

4)  How to use a layer with drag and drop flat color and then a different layer with shadows and another for highlights.  Although I use multiple layers, I was not accustomed to using the drag and drop of colors into an area.  I just normally "painted" in with the apple pencil and chosen brush tool.

5)  How to use the selection tool to "draw" with.

6)  How Gaussian Blur can be used within a drawing/painting.

7)  How to group layers
8)  How to first use a loose sketch using basic shapes (something I don't normally do but instead jump right in with a preliminary pencil sketch almost as detailed as my inking) followed by detailed ink line work.

9)  Working with various texture brushes
10)  How to use the warp tool to reshape basic shapes like circles, rectangles, etc.

**I'm sure I could come up with other things but at the moment these are the top things I have picked up from working this challenge.

Although I'm not a cartoonist nor do I have much in the way of imagination with the work I do, this has been refreshing from my normal style and interest in capturing what I see in front of me....recording my day to day in journals.

This is a blast and I'm extremely thankful for stumbling on this gentleman and his tutorials.  And my eldest granddaughter has also been captivated by this challenge.  Her and I have been texting and sharing our efforts.  

October 2020 Challenge Between Friends

This month was my friend's turn to choose a subject for our monthly challenge.  The challenge involves drawing or painting a mirror up against a background (e.g. a wall) with a light over-head.  We also have to include reflections as our main focal point.

I chose to go with a corner in my bathroom with only some of what's being reflected on the right with more showing in the reflection.  I do not get into all the composition rules or elements of design but instead just try to record what I see without worrying about rules and guidelines.  Sometimes my results might fit the typical rules but it's not because I plan it that way.  

Honestly with this..........I doubt I achieved what my friend was hoping for with regards to the reflections being THE focal point.  Regardless, this was fun to do and quite a challenge with perspective with all the angles involved.  The fancy light fixture above the mirror was tricky so I basically just suggested it without getting too fussy for fear of feeling overwhelmed. 

 

September Challenge Between Friends - Design a Fishbowl or Aquarium

Inspired by the Switch game, Animal Crossing New Horizons, I came up with the idea to design a fishbowl or Aquarium.  

The challenge involves sketching individual components and then sketching everything together.

If working a standard fishbowl or other container like a jar, we are to sketch at least one fish and a minimum of three accents inside the container.

If working a larger aquarium, we are to sketch at least one fish and a minimum of four accents inside the container.

Not able to decide which medium I wanted to use, I chose to work my challenge in different mediums.

Digital:  Sketched using Procreate on the Ipad.  I chose to use minimum color leaving the rest black and white.

Graphite:  With this one, I just wanted to practice sketching fish and accents and not necessarily put them together in a fishbowl or aquarium.  This was using the Wolf's Carbon Pencil - B in the Stillman and Birn Beta sketchbook.

To finish the last page in my Beta journal, I worked this quick pencil sketch using a Pentel Graphgear 1000 mechanical pencil #7.

Pen and Ink plus Watercolor:  My primary contribution for the challenge I used the Kakuno fountain pen and #41 Noodler's Brown ink.  Worked in the Stillman and Birn Beta journal.  DS watercolors.

Illustrated Adjectives Project

 As mentioned in previous posts, I've been playing a game Animal Crossing New Horizons since it came out back in March.  What I'm finding while playing are ideas that come to mind for sketching.  

While the game is definitely fun and relaxing, it can also spur a few other feelings as well, which gave me the idea of coming up with adjectives and illustrating what I associate them with most.

At first I considered this a monthly project between friends but I already have an idea for September and my next month is November.  I couldn't wait so decided to make it a personal project instead.

What I did was choose a minimum of six adjectives that fit with characters and/or objects within the game.  My chosen adjectives are:  Annoying, Cool, Irritating (for me a step up from annoying), Sweet and Adorable, Disgusting, Rude and Arrogant, and Favorite Things.

First I worked the illustrations in my journal and then a write-up within a simple word document, inserting the page scans, explaining each (as numbered on the journal pages).  Taking it further, I wanted to see how it might look worked as a brochure using three columns and inserting the illustrations individually within the description.

What I enjoy about doing these pages from the game is a recording in my journal of what I enjoy, which in this case is playing the game.  This one is particularly is special because of the other family members also playing and the fact we can interact with one another in the game by visiting each other's island.

Worked in journal with Stonehenge Aqua watercolor paper and using the Pilot Kakuno fountain pen with Noodler's #41 Brown ink.

Journal Pages:

**One additional illustration not included above is a Butter Churn.  I worked that by itself on it's own page as an exercise which will be in the next post.  It is, however, included in the brochure shown below on the last page.

Brochure Style with comments/explanations:

On the last page, I have "Added Notes" which I still plan to illustrate and then add to the document.  I could fill several pages with favorite things.  I might also do a few illustrations with Favorite Tasks I enjoy most in the game which #1 is fishing.  UPDATE:  "Added Notes" has been replaced with actual illustrations and explanation.

August Challenge Between Friends

My friend and I took a break from the challenges for a couple of months but started back up last month.  July was mine to come up with a topic, which was the Notan Art concept.  This month my friend came up with the challenge to illustrate EACH letter of our FULL name.  Each letter had to be part of the illustration.  Her incentive came from a card she received where the front of the card was the full alphabet with each letter illustrated.

Me being one to jump on board with the challenges early in the month, I finished mine within two days.  The first day was working on each letter from the time I got up until I went to bed and then finished the last several letters the next day and made changes to others I wasn't crazy about.

I worked each letter individually using Procreate on the Ipad and with the Inking / Studio Pen brush tool.  By working digital, if I wanted to make changes, I could without a lot of hassle or having to redo a letter completely (especially considering how many I had to work to complete the challenge).  Once done, I uploaded all the individual letter illustrations and then grouped together in one file using Photoshop Elements.  I could arrange the letters in various ways but chose to keep it simple.

With the colors I used in the letters, I didn't want any repeat of a color, which was fun in itself as I made decisions in what color to use for each letter in relations to one another.

As for how I worked the illustrations with each letter,  I ended up with two illustrations sitting behind the letter.  I was still trying to work out how to do things in my mind with my first name.  Notice with the middle and last name that I found ways to weave the illustrations in and around each letter, which I really like.  Easier to do with some subjects than others.

This was involved but I have to say it was a lot of fun.  Even with that said, by the time I finished all the letters to my liking, I was ready to call this done.........ha ha.

February 2020 Challenge Between Friends - Take for Granted

This month was my turn to set the monthly challenge that Clare (from the UK) and I work together.  I chose the theme "Things We Often Take for Granted."  The challenge is to choose any medium and work three to six items we personally or people in general may take for granted.

At first I thought about using watercolors but chose color pencil since it's my least favorite medium to use.  I find it tedious taking too long to fill in color often leaving me feeling bored and wanting to rush to finish.  I love graphite and you'd think it would affect me the same way but it doesn't.  I don't think using graphite takes nearly as long to work compared to color pencil.  Anyways, being a challenge, I chose to use a medium I avoid using.

December Challenge Between Friends

I was struggling with a challenge idea for December.  I had several written down on post-it-notes but all entailed a lot of thinking before jumping in.  With my going through this sketching lull, I didn't feel I had the energy to put so much thought into or be creative. 

After working the one ornament yesterday, I came up with the idea to sketch 3 to 6 items related to Christmas.....either as individual doodles or put together in a setting or composition.  I chose putting several together that told a story using another of the plush ornaments I have on the tree as my model.

FIbook75x75 / Stonehenge Aqua / Lamys with Dark Green, Dark Red, and Doc Brown inks

November Challenge - Winter Season

This month the challenge between myself and my friend overseas has to do with the Winter season.  Changes in temperature, foods we might eat this time of year, clothing we might wear, activities we might be involved in, holiday preparations, etc.

Winter Season to me means (or should mean) cold fresh air, beautiful autumn colors before the trees turn bare, relief from summer bugs and mosquitoes, the threat/anticipation of snow, the smell of wood burning in wood stoves and fireplaces, fixing hot chocolate and eating foods (stews, soups, etc.) to warm your insides, ..... all of which go hand in hand with back to back Holidays starting in October.  Unfortunately, it's not that way for me now and hasn't been the last six years.

For us there's not much change and I have a real hard time with the season and holidays. 

We don't really dress very differently except maybe throwing on a long sleeve shirt or light weight jacket.  We don't fix different meals you might with cold weather moving in.  Flowers continue to bloom and trees remain green (at least where we are).  Mosquitoes and all sorts of flying and crawling critters are the daily norm.  I avoid going out as I don't care for the craziness of holiday shopping or seeing Christmas decorations that just seem out of place here.  I don't even look forward to putting up a tree, nor do I set out all the decorations I used to.  Too much trouble for decor that just doesn't fit.

With all that said, I decided to work a page about some of what I miss by living in a subtropical climate....illustrating a new ornament representing one aspect of Christmas in Florida and how it contrasts with everything I associate with this time of year...........it just doesn't feel right :-(

FIbook75x75 / Stonehenge Aqua / QoR and W&N watercolors / Pilot Vanishing Point with Lexy Grey ink.

Cathy Johnson's Sketch With Me - CHANGE

This month's event set by Cathy Johnson is about this time of year and CHANGE.  For many people change can be summer to autumn with changing colors.  For us here down south, there's not a GREAT deal of change due to seasons.........at least with foliage. 

We do have birds showing up now at the feeders that don't through the summer.  The mockingbird will return to the feeders  The black caps and titmice do as well.  We have migratory birds coming through and checking out the feeders like various finches.  There's a bit more activity with hummingbirds.   Another change we see is that the Sandhill Cranes don't come around as much through the neighborhood.

What inspired me or grabbed my attention representing change was/is the tree in our front yard.  What is our biggest show-stopping display with any type of color change is what we thought was a Golden Rain tree.  Doing more research, I've learned the tree may actually be its cousin......the Chinese Flame tree.

Both have the bright yellow flowers that develop late summer followed by paper thin tri-sided seed pods that range from an orange - pink - coral - red color......depending on their maturity and the way the light hits the pods.  Today was cloudy in the afternoon with a passing storm and they looked blood red.  Beautiful coloring!!!  There are only a few areas in our tree with the yellow flowers remaining.  What helps distinguish one tree from the other are the leaves.

FIbook75x75 / Stonehenge Aqua / QoR watercolors / Lamy pens with Dark Red and Dark Green ink

October's Challenge Between Friends

This month was my turn to choose the challenge.  I had a couple ideas in mind and last night I finally settled on one.

October's challenge is to choose a hand made / hand crafted item we may have created and sketch it.  Then we had to sketch each component that went into making it......it had to have a minimum of six components.

Years ago I was very active in crafts ...... from beading, to crochet, knitting, wood cutting, to paper crafts.  I chose this paper witch I made for Halloween that is about 25 to 30 years old.  I thought it was fitting for this month :-)

FIbook75x75 / Dip Pen w/G Nib for the paper doll / Lamy Vista for the rest of the sketching.  Document Brown ink used and DS watercolors.

I purposely left off the shadows (for now) as I have other ideas I'd like to use the illustrations for and prefer they not have shadows at this time.

Season for Acorns

Seems our oak only drops acorns every other year and this year they are starting to show up everywhere.  They are tiny compared to the acorns we had up North but the leaves of this oak here are also very different........smaller and of different shape.

This also goes along with Cathy Johnson's theme Seasons for this month's Sketch with Me event.

FIbook75x75 w/Stonehenge Aqua / Doc Brown ink / DS watercolor

Side Note to myself - Black for the beetle is Aliz Crimson plus Paynes Grey giving it a slight reddish-purple tone.  Used the same color for the shadow.

Sketch With Me - Seasons

This month's theme for the Sketch With Me challenge is seasons (Cathy Johnson's monthly challenge)....sketching anything that represents what the season is like where we live.

The last few days could fit into this as I walk around taking note and sketching what's going on right around our house but saved working these last two for the actual challenge.

While northern states may be seeing a drop in temperature and beginning to see Autumn colors, there's not much in the way of change here.  The weather is still hot and humid, although we did have a few nights where it actually dropped into the upper 60s and that was a Blessing!!  But days are averaging low 90s.

Instead of seeing signs of color change you see up north (before flowers, trees, and shrubs go dormant), we are  seeing new life, budding, flowering, and fruit production.  We still enjoy color but not in the same way.

We do have a Golden Rain tree that the green leaves will soon change to yellow but it will be another couple weeks before our tree does that.  Then we will see the seed pods dropping everywhere. 

All in all, our season is basically the same as it's been since April.  If we're lucky, it might start cooling off by December; however, Florida has basically two seasons........Early Spring and Summer.

Another Cuttlelola Dot Pen Sketch - Yellow Jacket

This is from a photo of a yellow jacket crawling on the window back in 2011.  My third sketch for the challenge set by Clare using the dot pen.

I'm glad she set this challenge as it made me dig it out and actually use it.

Zeta sketchbook / QoR watercolors

Monday and Still Waiting

Each day I've been trying to concentrate on sketching as we sit and follow the hurricane updates.  It's so heart wrenching thinking what the people in the Bahamas are going through.  I just can't wrap my head around a storm of this magnitude sitting stationery or barely moving over an area and what it's doing to that location and the emotional toll on those going through it.

This has been such a long drawn out state of the unknown and for so many people, I'm sure, very exhausting.

To keep busy and as a break from the news updates, I've managed the following:

August 31st - Going through photos, I first decided on this Fuchsia flower.  We miss having them here in Florida.  Looking up what information I could find, you can grow the flower here but can be quite a challenge due to the heat and humidity.

I worked this by painting first and then going back and adding the ink lines using a Micron 02 pen.

September 1st brought on a new challenge between my friend, Clare, and myself.  It was her turn to choose the challenge.  Her and I both have what's called the Cuttlelola Dot Pen, so she wanted us to work a sketch using that pen.

Before prepping the pen (charging it), I decided to first use Procreate and the Stipple Brush Tool to work a rather large thumbnail that I would follow when using dot pen in sketchbook.  The advantage of working this in Procreate is the ability to control values and size of dots.

Once the dot pen was charged, I started working this sketch.  I had to recharge several times to finish plus take breaks due to the vibration and hand fatigue.

If I were to choose which I personally liked better, it would be the Procreate sketch.  I particularly like the cloud formations in the digital sketch plus the atmospheric feel to it versus the one done using the actual pen.

Once the ink was totally dry, I decided to add some color using watercolors.  Worked in the Zeta sketchbook.

After the landscape, I decided to work another sketch using the dot pen.  This is some sort of plant from a photo I had taken back in 2010 when we lived in West Virginia.  The challenge here was definitely in the long thin tendrils or whatever they are called using the pen.  I had to keep stopping...lifting the pen and then setting it down hoping I picked up right where I left off as I turned or changed direction with the pen.  It was a bit taxing on the eyes, to say the least.

September 2 - White Breasted Nuthatch.  From another photo taken back in 2010 while living in West Virginia.  A bird I haven't seen here in Florida.

This one is worked in the Hand Sewn journal with old stock of Fabriano Artistico 140lb watercolor paper.  Decided to paint and then stop before taking ink to it.  I've decided to leave as it is.

And for a change I actually remembered to scan along the way.

Monthly Challenge and Daily Sketching

Can you believe it's August already??!!!  Where on earth does the time go?

So far I've started the new month sketching each day (or during the night as I often do to help keep from sitting up eating all night long)...

My friend and I had taken a break from the monthly challenges June and July but started back up as of the beginning of this month.  It was my turn to decide the challenge and I chose "Objects that hold other things together."

Stillman and Birn Beta journal / Pilot VP fountain pen / DeAtramentis Document Urban Grey ink / Holbein watercolors.

Terry was outside with Miya when our neighbor came out with cookie for Miya and clipped a small stem with two roses........one almost fully open and the other a closed bud.  This sketch is of bud as it was starting to open.

HSFab01 journal / Lamy Vista / DeAtramentis Document Brown ink / Holbein and QoR watercolors

This is of a Beanie Baby sock monkey I have sitting in a cup in my bedroom.  It is actually camo green but I chose to go with a different color scheme.  I chose the Florida Gators team colors of blue, orange, and green.  

HSFab01 sketchbook / Lamy Vista / Doc Brown ink / QoR watercolors

One of the Bubble Shooter games I play at night called Primitive Bubble.  

HSFab01 sketchbook / Lamy Vista and Lamy Safari pens / DeAtramentis Document Brown, Dark Red, Dark Green, and Fog Grey (Blue) / QoR watercolors.