The Scribbler - Having a Bit of Fun

I came across a post about a "Scribbler" on Ann Mortimer's Blog.  Following the link provided, it took me to this online program page that lets you scribble and save the results.  You can use your mouse - not having to have a special digital tablet and pen.

First attempt was me just diving in without taking notice there are controls you can change (primarily brush size).

Next I thought I would try a quick landscape.  Again not checking into controls.

With this third sketch, I played with the brush size controls.  I found I had better control with elements looking a little more realistic.  The leaves and this landscape I like the best.  Although the middle one has a unique look to it.

This was indeed fun and only taking a few minutes for each.   The Scribbler can be found at:  http://www.zefrank.com/scribbler/scribblertoo/

 

UPDATE:  I went back to mess around a little more and learned you can change colors too.  I prefer the black on white rather than messing with the colors.

Like having a new toy...........I find myself venturing back to the Scribbler when I sit back down at my desk.  Here's another one......

Can you tell I'm enjoying this new discovery???  Just random ideas coming to my head and doodling away in between reading the news, catching up on Facebook, the forum, and texting with my brother about my nephew graduating this evening.

Play at Color Mixing

Just a little play last night in color mixing.

I'm not crazy about mixing my own greens with blues and yellows......instead, I prefer to use Sap Green (or other favorite tube greens) as a starter base adding other colors to it. Even with that said, I do enjoy making the color charts.  If nothing else they remind me of why I prefer tube greens.

For example Cobalt Blue in the Daniel Smith line (to me) has this muted/milky feel.  I don't care to use it for mixing at all.  It's value range is limited so for a dark, one has to add yet another pigment.  That for me is a quick recipe for mixing mud.

Out of the combinations I chose to play with mixing green, I prefer the Cobalt and New Gamboge mix over the other yellows used.  As for violets..........Cobalt Blue and Quin Rose.  In fact the only violet/purple I like is with Quin Rose mixed with any of the blues.  Results are cleaner to my eyes.  (Of course the other results, I'm sure,  have their place as well at times within a painting.)

Aureolin to my eyes is a 'happy' ............. 'sing to me baby' yellow :-)


3x5" Handbook

 

Getting Trashed

There was an article in "Artist Daily" (email subscription I receive) called "Getting Trashed."  The article was written by Courtney Jordan.  I found it to be quite intriguing and timely considering I've been struggling a bit again with the desire to paint.  Going into painting with the mind-set it would be trashed truly helped in allowing me to just play without any cares.

Fabriano Artistico 140lb Hot Press
1" Flat and #10 Round
Daniel Smith:  Indigo, French Ultramarine, and Cad Yellow Medium

I sprayed the paper with my water mister and then started dropping in and swishing color around.  At first it sat at an angle but then I tilted it this way and that way allowing the pigment to travel.  Now and then as it was trying to dry, I sprayed a few drops of water from up high.  Tilted the paper back and forth and then finally let it rest till it dried.

Here is the results:

I sat and stared at this for some time turning the paper this way and that to see if I could find anything that might jump out at me.  I started seeing shapes and took my round adding a little negative painting with Indigo.

The shapes I could see were butterflies and/or flower petals.  I decided to go with flowers and continued defining petals using negative painting.  The bright yellow was distracting me so I decided to re-wet the brightest areas and layer with my blues.  As the flowers took shape I also did some lifting of pigment.  Not sure you can see but the final touch was swishing two petals with Quin Rose.

The final results:

Although meant for the trash, I've decided to keep it.

Quick Fuchsias Sketch

It's been a busy time for us as we continue moving between houses and working outside in this beautiful weather we've been having.  We've even managed a little kayaking/fishing.  Went last Saturday with youngest son fishing from our kayaks and then yesterday with my eldest son took the two granddaughters fishing.  Had a great time both times!!! 

Although with all the busy activity, I did manage this little pencil sketch of one of our new fuchsias.  We buy two every year to hang with our hummingbird feeders.  The hummers have checked them out but definitely prefer the prepared sugar water.  These flowers remind me of little ballerinas dancing about. 

Branch and Fungi Sketch

We've been busy working outside and still trying to move between the houses.  Moving is coming along but at a slow pace.  We ARE getting closer to being done (thank goodness!!).

Was sitting out on the front porch enjoying this absolute gorgeous day.  I had picked up a branch with fungi that grabbed my attention days ago with the intention of sketching/painting it.  While sitting outside I decided to do the pencil sketch.  It's done in a Moleskine sketch book with a mechanical 0.7 pencil.

(The left page I may have already shared.  That was done weeks ago - playing with rocks).

Chickadee in Watercolor

One of my favorite birds happens to be the Black Capped Chickadee!!  I love their acrobatics and to me they are just plain cute!!

We had one that flew into our glass door a few weeks ago and it knocked the wind out of him!  He was laying on his side and I thought for sure it was a fatal blow.  I went to get a paper towel and when I returned, he was sitting upright.  When I went outside, he still just sat there.  I actually stroked the top of his head and he stood still until I stood back up and shifted position.  Then off he flew.  I was so relieved to see he was OK.

Playing with Hotpress paper (Fabriano Artistico 140lb)

Daniel Smith:  RS, BU, Ind, PGry, FrU, Cer Bl, Sap and Peryl Green

#8 Round

005 Micron pen - black

Dogwood Macro

Not much to say about this one except that on less than ideal paper, the shadow didn't turn out so bad.  I was actually pleased with it.....especially the variation in it.

I'm getting better at painting and going over that center fold of the book.

Pen and Ink
Watercolor
#8 Round
Mini Handbook

Professional Attire

Back in December on a Sunday.......the previous owners (and our neighbor) who'd been here in the house my husband just purchased, left for where they reside in Maryland (the house here being their retirement home).  It was morning and the first thing we took notice to was a For Sale sign that was posted at the end of their driveway.

We texted my daughter-in-law who is a real estate agent as soon as we saw the sign asking if they had taken notice.  Those neighbors were not exactly the friendliest of people so my son and his wife were quite ecstatic to see they were selling.  So was my husband!!!!

There are only two pieces of property up here.......my son's property with his house and a mobile home we were staying in (3 1/2 acres) and the house that was now on the market (almost 19 acres).  The rest is all woodland owned by a gas company.

I asked if we could see the house and within the hour, we were all marching down the driveway and across the field to see the property and house (4 adults and two little girls).

It's cold with some snow still on the ground in places and we are all in our pajamas and housecoats. 

This watercolor sketch is for my daughter-in-law..............as a real estate agent..............probably the only time in her career she will ever have experienced such an informal and easy showing as she did this day. 
Get a load of her "professional" attire........her everyday robe with Christmas PJs. (Those are little snowmen on her pj bottoms)

Rock Exercises

These are two different exercises I did using different brushes for comparison.  One is primarily watercolor with a touch of pen and ink and the other is pen and ink with watercolor.  I went back over a few areas with ink after the watercolor dried.

Notice with the one with the flat brush how much more vivid or strong in tone value with pigment?  Although there may be other reasons for it, I think part might have to do with the fact a flat doesn't hold the same amount of water as a round does. 

Both are done on Fabriano Artistico 140lb Hot Press paper for a change of pace.

Clementines and Grapes Watercolor

My previous post is a simple still life of three clementines.  I love how they turned out with more shine....to me they just sing out.  The shadow was OK but the strongest area happens to be in the clementines themselves.  I used more Aureolin whereas with this one, I leaned more towards the Orange mix.

The strong plus for me with this one is in the shadows.  I'm super pleased with how the shadows turned out.  Normally mine are flat - often streaked giving my lack of confidence away in applying shadows.

I've been studying Richard - Artist on the Road's work and love his shadows.  They sing out......every bit as interesting as the subject casting the shadows.  He works on hot press and watercolor behaves and moves differently on that surface..........often in a very majestic way.  I'm using cold press so to get the paint to move, I pre-wet the area first and then dropped my pigments in allowing the colors to run, merge, and mix on their own without disturbing (except carefully nudging along edges and into crevices with the point of the brush.)  Then I quickly took a damp brush and carefully softened a few of the edges.

The other thing I did differently with this one was not being too concerned with exact positioning of the shadows.  They are more suggestive in placement and for me I like that better.  Allows the brain to ponder and do the rest.

Daniel Smith:  Aureolin (just a little this time), New Gamboge, Perm Red, touch of Cad Red Light, Fr Ultra, Perm Aliz, Raw and Burnt Sienna.

#6 Round and 3/8" Angular Flat

Fabriano Artistico 140lb Cold


NOW............had I been able to achieve that zing in the clementines I did with the previous post along with this shadow, I'd be one happy camper!  :-D

Clementines Watercolor Sketch

This was a quick sketch I did yesterday between outdoor chores.  Not a great deal more to be said from what I already wrote on the page.

Except.......I don't use orange too often so I found with this that it might be to my benefit to do some mixing exercises with the yellow and red pigments I use most often.

Daniel Smith:  New Gamboge with a touch of Perm Red, Aureolin, Sap Green, Cobalt Blue with Quin Rose for violet, and later I applied a light glaze of Cad Red Light added to the orange I mixed with NG + PR.

Primarily wet in wet finishing off with glazing.

#6 Round and 3/8" Angular Flat

Fabriano Artistico 140lb Cold

Garden Gloves - Pen and Ink

Today's achievement is a pen and ink sketch of a pair of my garden gloves.  I used a Rotring Pen (F) but chose not to use the waterbrush.  This time I just wanted the ink sketch.  This was done in my mini Handbook.

An exercise I try to repeat often to help myself with observational skills and gaining confidence.  Although I don't freeze (for what seems like a lifetime), sitting there staring at the paper fearing to put pen to paper, I do still find myself a little hesitant in starting.  It gets better each time I do these.

I managed to get one glove done and as I sat there feeling great about the results (so far), my fears kicked in and I panicked..............feeling I'll probably botch this up.   I decided to scan what I had done ...... just in case I messed the works up drawing in the second glove.  That said, I knew if it all went amiss, I had my scan to remind me that if I could do it once, I could do it again if need be.  (Dealing with my insecurities and gaining confidence is a works in progress :-)

The finished ink sketch.  I DID IT adding the second glove without botching the works up.  Talk about a real feeling of accomplishment!

It's sad when our minds and feelings play against us.

 

UPDATE:  OK........NOW I want to take the water brush to the ink and finish as an ink and wash.  Do I or don't I?  Think I'll sleep on it.  Actually if this were non water soluble ink, I would have enjoyed applying watercolor to it.  Guess I'll just have to do another sketch but in watercolor ;-)   

UPDATE2:  Well..............it kept calling to me to take a wet brush to it so I gave in.  I tried something a little different this time and that was using my 3/8" angular flat.  With the flat I knew I could maintain a little better control with flow of water.  I really like how this turned out and I may take to using the flat more often.

Hmmm.......should I take it a step further????

UPDATE 3:  I just couldn't rest till I took it one step further.  Here is the finished sketch applying color to the top glove.  My garden gloves are a goldish color with green thumbs.  The ink and wash set the stage for them to look as they truly do..................used and dirty from working in the garden.

Vacancy

Here's a little something I did this afternoon.

The shell upside down didn't go as I had hoped.  Couldn't get the curve and angles right so my box turtle shell took on more of a true open box shape (as I roll my eyes).

The upright shell went a little better for me.

Neither shadow would I brag about (I hate adding shadows) but I did try.  It's not so difficult if on a small scale but the shadow area was large and my lack of confidence or hesitancy in application really shows (at least to my eyes).

The shell is one my son found checking out the property on our 4-wheeler the first time he came out to see the place.  My family is always bringing me things or taking photos of subjects they think I might be interested in.  :-)

Although sad what the empty shell represents, it does remind me of one of my favorite animated movies - Ice Age 2 or 3 - that I can sit and watch over and over.  There's a scene where a dinosaur type tortoise has an untimely death leaving his shell vacant for another.  That's where I came up with "Vacancy" for the subject.

Mini Ink and Wash Sketches

I have this little "Handbook" about 3 1/2 x 5 1/2" closed.  I keep this in a little home-made fabric pouch a special friend in the UK made and gave to me when I visited her two years ago.  (Thank you Clare) 

The little Handbook is the Maroon one you see.  The black is a small sketchbook.  I carry a couple Tombow marker pens, pencil, eraser, Rotring iInk pen, cartridges, waterbrush, and folded up paper towel.  Sometimes I'll switch those out and carry a small set of watercolor pans, travel brush, waterbrush, pencil, eraser, and watercolor block.

The other day when I knew I'd be sitting at Toyota service center for awhile, I braved it out and took this "kit" and actually worked a little sketch in ink and wash.  I don't normally do anything like this in public. Too squeamish; however, now and then I will try hoping to break free of this fear.  (I still prefer working in the comfort and privacy of my home.)

The sketch leaves a great deal to be desired but it is special to me simply because it meant I broke out of my comfort zone.  And believe me.....I was nervous!!!!  I made sure I didn't look around to see if the other people in the waiting area were watching me because if I made eye contact, I would have folded the lot back up and done something else (like read).

Although not intended, the lady in the pay window looks like she's talking on the telephone.  One of those happy accidents I suppose.  The hanging sign to the far right of the window was actually on another wall.  I just placed it there to fill the empty wall area.  It's an actual welcome sign but placing it where I did brings to mind that it should say... "Thank you, I'll take your money now."  :-)

It's been awhile since I've used the Rotring pen and I was having problems with it.  It would skip.  But I managed through that.  As I was applying the waterbrush, I made the mistake of hitting the outlet with a little too much water.  I forget just how strong this ink is and one has to be cautious when using waterbrush.  Oh well...........live and learn.

Going back to earlier in the day and before I went to the dealership, I had a few minutes as I waited before leaving the house.  When I decided I was going to take my sketching gear, I pulled out the Handbook and did a quick sketch of outside my window.  This for me was a good start to want to do more.

Once I get started with something like this, that itch continues and I ended up working another sketch while watching TV later in the evening.

This is of our fireplace.  I think I did more listening to the TV than watching because I was so focused on what I was doing.  No pencil work at all forcing myself to take care practicing observation skills while I worked.  The more I worked with the Rotring pen, the more sparing I became with the water.  The brush needs to be damp rather then wet in areas with heavy ink application.

One final mini sketch I'll share with this post was done yesterday.  We were experiencing scattered storms off and on throughout the day and evening.  If the weather is not too bad or blowing in under the porch, I will sit outside.  During one of the storms, I grabbed this little kit along with my watercolor palette and did yet another ink and wash sketch (with a splash of color).

It's of a resin based rock water fountain we purchased years ago from Lowes.  When the pump went out on the fountain, we just never replaced it.  It sat empty for the longest time and an idea hit to have holes drilled in the bottom and use it as a planter.   This sits down below the front porch just on the edge of a "point" where the woods meet the lawn.  I have a planter to one side of it.

Although yellow and purple flowers (pansies) are actually in the fountain, taking yellow to the ink turned green and purple would not have shown..........so I touched it with a bit of red.  The color is very subtle so not sure you will be able to view on screen.

These little journal books make it easy to do a 2-page spread and working small comes natural for me :-)

Feeding the Squirrels

It is amazing to watch squirrels as they jump from tree to tree and scurry up and down the side of tree trunks.  We have many and it's a site we've not seen too much of until we moved into this house.

With the bird feeders, we've had a few problems with squirrel raiding the seed and damaging the bird feeders.  So next step was to purchase baffles which so far has helped.....well not at first with one of the feeding stations.  That one sits out a couple feet from two trees and I watched with amazement as one squirrel went out on a branch making it lower and then jumping onto the flat feeder.  Needless to say we removed those branches that could be used as a bridge for easy access.  So far no further issues.

But loving to watch the squirrels, we decided to put out special squirrel feeders.  We found one out back loosely attached to a tree stump so Terry did a little repair and moved it to the front yard where we could sit and watch from our windows (rooms we live in most) and from the front porch.

Not satisfied with one feeder, Terry took scrap 1x4 pieces of wood and built two of his own as shown on the right page.  He'd seen a single seat and table variation and decided to make them with two seats.  Basically for looks and our enjoyment because squirrel are territorial and don't share.  I can't imagine ever seeing two sitting across from one another :-)  He has one sitting in the back yard on top of a cut down tree that stands about six feet high.  No signs of squirrel eating the corn........probably because our dogs frequently go out back.

Family of Mushrooms

This is one subject I so enjoy painting.  Mushrooms are everywhere and in various shapes and sizes.  This is a little watercolor sketch I did last night before going to bed.

Within the "family" can you tell which is the "father" of the group?  To me one stands out as being rather proud or "macho"..........lol  (Not something I planned......just looks that way to me seeing on screen)

I've been having fun "dancing" the brush tip around for making foliage.  Each time I come back from a painting slump, something changes with my painting abilities and results.  Not sure if that's a normal process?   Growth maybe?  Something like growing stages children go through?  Maybe it's forgetting bad habits and picking up better ones?  :-)

First Greens of the Season

As Spring approaches, the first deciduous greens to appear are the briars or brambles.  They are everywhere.....from ground to hanging over branches.

As I took a piece from one of the shrubs growing, I came across these two lonely berries.  I didn't know briars produced berries.  Bet the birds love them and why I couldn't find others around.  

With my moving out to the country, I'm coming across and learning so many new things.  And it's so peaceful!

New Beginnings

This is what Spring means to me.............New Beginnings; New Life

Thought I would do a 2-page spread of various buds I've come across as I walk around the house.

The lily was a mother's day gift from last year given to me by my son and his wife.  It was in a standard plastic pot and after my son built two planters for outside, I decided to put the lily in one of the planters.  I had no idea if it would survive the winter or not.  Lucky for me, it did (maybe because we had such a mild winter?).  Several of those burgundy stalks are popping through the soil.  I can't wait to see it bloom.  It was gorgeous last year and I can only imagine with the added stalks what it might look like this year.

Our small leaf rhododendrons were gorgeous when they first bloomed.  Unfortunately they were short lived due to the freeze we had the other night.

In the front yard is a single white cherry blossom tree.  What a nice surprise when it bloomed.

From what we have seen so far, there are three small dogwoods scattered around the front.  One we almost cut down sitting at the edge of our driveway we were afraid we would hit.  We had no idea what kind of tree it was until it started to bud.   Glad we delayed ......... it stays :-)

In the back are six young fruit trees.  Two peach, two apple, and two pear.  Only the peach trees bloomed.

Handmade journal of Fabriano Artistico 140 lb Cold

Daniel Smith:  Quin Rose, Sap Green, Raw Sienna, Perm Aliz, Cerulean Blue, Peryl Green, Bt Umber, Fr Ultramarine, Bt Sienna, and Cobalt Blue.

#6 and #2 Rounds

Crab Apple Cuttings

This is a little sketch as a memory to the freeze we just experienced after two weeks of summer like weather encouraging trees to blossom.  With the 24 hour warning, I took some cuttings hoping they would continue in a vase of water and go into full bloom inside (like forsythia do).  Not sure they will as the indoor air is so dry but thought I'd give it a try just the same.  I figure the freeze probably did a number on the buds on the trees....although I'm still not sure as I can't tell yet.  The buds are still there but whether or not they will open up into full bloom is unknown.   I know the freeze zapped our rhododendron bushes.  All the flowers turned brown.  Also did a number on our fruit tree flowers.

When working the vase, I tried the exercise from the Right Side of the Brain getting both sides mirrored.  I think as I moved towards the bottom, my brain shifted because the vase looks a bit wonky.  There's always next time :-)

Scarlet Elf Cup - Page 2

I've been so intrigued by this fungus that I wanted to paint some more - showing the various shapes I stumbled across when I was clearing the path of wood and rock.

These fungi and branches were buried under leaves keeping them moist and hidden from the sunlight.  They were a brilliant red color.  Some had bits and pieces of leaves and bark sticking to them or resting inside the cups.


This is a continuation on the right page of my journal book.  Everything is the same as the last one except that I didn't mix the New Gamboge with the red pigment but instead glazed at the end to give the red some added life.

Now.........had I planned, I could have made the two pages work together as a 2-page spread.  Unfortunately and my norm........I didn't think about that but instead just dived in painting.

Here is the two pages together.  Had I actually planned the two pages together, I should have had the branch on left pointed in towards the right page.  That to me would have made the two pages flow better together.  Oh well......live and learn!  

As I look at this, I could have added a little splattering just to make it look more interesting.  Of course I can still add that at any point if I choose.