Some People Practice

Next month is the yearly 100 people in five days challenge set by Marc Taro Holmes and Liz Steele.  I attempted that last year and after about 50 said forget it!!!  That was following day to day practice I had already started on my own with people and figure gestures and I was so sick of people, I didn't even want to think about them much less actually sketch them.

But it's been awhile so I decided to work a few timed exercises with ink only allowing 2 minutes to work each of these figures.

Handmade African Journal received as a gift back in 2008 / Pen and Ink as stated on pages.

People Practice

Here are a few more pages I've done playing with figures. 

The first was done in the Generic Sketchbook using pen and ink first and then a bit of color added.

 

This second page in the Generic Sketchbook is using a manikin/skeleton shape first and then adding the flesh without erasing anything.  

 

This page is in the Strathmore watercolor journal using brush and paint to sketch the people and then going over with ink for final detailing.

People Gesture Practice

Had an itch to practice people again.  First used pencil scribble lines to get the shapes down and then tidied up with pen and ink.

Think what I need to do is a page of hands and feet....especially hands.

S&B Epsilon journal
Mechanical pencil
Platinum Carbon pen with Black Ink

House Wren Quickie Sketch

I'm on a roll right now knowing I'll be tied up over the next few days.  As a break to practicing painting a poppy flower, I decided to do this quick sketch of a house wren.  What prompted me to do this was witnessing a mom and dad flying back and forth with nesting material in their beaks one minute and empty the next.

We kept seeing them fly from around the side of the house to the front......landing on the railing or deck flooring and then to the right of the window and back again to the left.  They had to be going a short distance and couldn't figure out where they might be building their nest.  Going outside to investigate, I found where they were going.  Right under our noses building a nest smack dab center of our hanging fuchsia plant.

Hubby was going to remove it saying they could build elsewhere and I asked him to let them be as I'd really like to see what transpires.  It would be great if they lay eggs and baby bobble heads appeared in the near future for watching and photographing.  So hopefully they will continue if watering the plant doesn't disturb them.  Time will tell.

This is in the Hand-book journal using a Med Wash (4B) pencil on it's side with a little more detailing final touches with the point before scanning.

Hummer Gesture and a Splash of Color - Water Soluble Pencils

Early morning play with water soluble pencils for my sketching.

First I did the quick gesture using Derwent Blue Gray watercolor pencil then went back and added a splash of color using Inktense pencils.  A little brush and water was used.

Yorshi - Quickie sketches - Supposed to Be

This was supposed to be continuing with the quick gesture sketches but I found myself struggling with the brain wanting to focus too much on detail.  And I kept wanting to go back in to fix things because nothing looked right......basically getting carried away beyond what I was supposed to be doing.  Chalk it up to a lesson learned ;-) 

I used my 8B on this one.  Smudges too easily and my hand is always resting on the paper.  I don't think to grab another piece of paper or something to rest my hand on until it's too late.

Miya and her Bottles

Miya has this fascination for plastic drinking bottles.  Doesn't matter what size.  Hubby being a soda drinker is often hassled with her staring (often jumping in my lap so she can make eye level contact), making these funny noises or partial woofs to alert him she's there, jumping and springing off the side of his leg........just to say "hey.........I want THAT bottle."  And she could have dozens laying around he'd already given her.

Her mission or passion is to work the bottle cap off and then she's ready waiting for another bottle.  She doesn't chew on the caps and I'm forever finding them laying around.  We'll put them back on several times and the whole thing repeats.  You will see her now and then on her back paws holding bottle in the air as if she's drinking from it.

This is from a photo I took when Terry gave her a 2 liter just to see what she would do with it being so big.

This was quickly sketched using side of 4B pencil trying to follow the same principle of the 2 minute gesture exercises.  Only I didn't time it and I know it went longer than two minutes.  After the initial pencil strokes to get form down, I went back defining a few areas.  I took care not to get too involved or labor over it.

More Gesture Sketches

As requested by my mentor, Sandy,.............here are more gesture sketches.

This first is using the deer quarter turn-photos on her site www.sketchingeveryday.com.  After completing and sharing with Sandy, she suggested I use a softer pencil so I switched from HB to 4B

 After completing the deer, I was sitting outside and did this quick gesture of a stem hanging from my fuchsia plant. 

And last but not least, I've just completed two hummingbirds.