As I was looking out the window, taking in the beautiful weather we are experiencing, I took notice to this guy sitting at the top of our bird feeder out front. He just sat there scoping out the area. I thought I might have seen another....maybe a mate....but wasn't sure. It's that time of year, I suppose, when they are out searching for a place to nest.
This is a little memory keepsake bear Travis gifted Paige along with a beautiful arrangement of roses for Valentine's Day. Due to my love of stuffed bears, I decided to draw the bear holding one of those roses representing this beautiful gesture on my son's part.
Procreate / Gouache Brush Tool
I cannot believe how long it's been since I touched a fountain pen. They have been sitting with ink in them for many months (shame on me) and was in bad need of some maintenance.
First I completely took each pen apart soaking and cleaning each component. I have a little hummingbird feeder brush I used on the ribs of the nib unit to work loose any dried ink. My brown inked pen was the worst, which had #41 Brown ink from Noodler's. I didn't have quite the cleaning job with those loaded with Lexington Grey or Document Gray. After the components were dry, I (for the first time) used the grease that comes with TWSBI pens for the plunger that pulls/pushes ink in the barrel. One of my TWSBI 580 pens was a bit finicky in putting back together but I finally worked through that issue. Now I have four clean pens with only two I have loaded with fresh ink.
After I loaded the pens with ink, I took the one with Document Brown ink (instead of the #41 Brown) and worked a couple loose sketches in my journal with Fabriano Artistico Cold Press (old stock). The second illustration shows using the Urban Gray on Fabriano Hot Press in another journal.
Months ago, Morgan sent me a photo of a hydrangea as an idea to draw/paint. I have been dragging my feet even attempting it as it intimidates me with all those little petals that make up the flower head. Finally I decided to tackle the job to help take my mind off the dental work I am having done.
Not something I would care to attempt on paper but instead using layers on the Ipad. There was a lot of trial and error and the last thing I ever want to do is to have to start over. This way anything that was working right, I could save and what didn't, I could delete and continue on.
I am not ashamed to admit I traced to get my line drawing for this due to the complexity of all those petals or florets or whatever they are called. I didn't have the energy or desire to attempt this otherwise. I considered using the grid method but that would have taken a lot of time I didn't feel like investing. I also considered using the Ipad Camera Lucida app developed similar to the Camera Obscura and Lucida concepts the masters used decades ago; but thought why when I can just trace the shapes on the spot in the app I was using.
Once I had the line drawing, I had to figure out how I wanted to add color and shading. I chose to add a base color to the over all shape of the flower head and then work each individual petal building values as I went along. Because the layers are transparent, I was able to view the lines beneath for initial placement of color along edges and then blending out.
One image shows where I wrote soft and hard edges. Having a flat base shape like this, it would look like a cut-out sitting on a piece of paper so I went along and softened edges.
As usual, I chose to use the Gouache brush tool which lays down color softly (not at full opacity or strength). To get it darker, you have to go over the areas as if glazing. This is one reason I really like using that brush tool and why it can take several layers and hours to work on a drawing due to gradually building the values.
And I just noticed I misspelled Hydrangea........ooops..........lol.
Terry surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers a couple days ago. I chose this one type of flower to draw.
At first I tried using a textured watercolor brush but then as I went along, I found I didn't much care for the texture and switched back over to my Gouache brush tool.
Not including the line drawing, this is made up of 14 layers building colors and values.
This is the final stage my waxed amaryllis reached before it started to wilt. I used the gouache brush this time for the flower instead of the 2B pencil I used for the first two. Because I blend with the gouache brush tool, you can't even really tell the difference.
During the last few months of 2022, I worked several people and pet portraits. We got busy doing other things and now trying to pick back up where I left off with my goal in drawing my family.
It was time for me to draw Neal and Travis. I could spend hours fine tuning shading, etc. but decided to call these done.
Here is one more sketch I worked watching the first round of amaryllis plants I have growing. I was getting a little burnt out sketching the flowers so I haven't worked the final stage showing it in full bloom. Maybe later but it was time for me to select another subject.
Yesterday I decided to go back to a previous drawing I did of our oldest dog, Miya. She's 15 this year and when I drew her back in 2020, I chose to capture showing how her eyes are clouding over due to age. I also chose not to blend much to show how course her fur has become as she's aged.
Pulling her drawing back up, I wanted to make changes especially around the eyes and make her fur softer looking and with just a touch of tan color she still has in her coat. I also darkened the body fur as it is darker than her face, head, and chest.
And although I could continue fine-tuning, I am MUCH happier with these results compared to before.
Her initial drawing was using a 4B pencil with very little blending and with the changes made to make her fur look softer (less grainy), I used the Gouache Blending Tool.
Present Changes Made:
It has been interesting trying out the waxed amaryllis where you do nothing but set the bulb in a sunny warm location. Had it been planted in soil, I suspect it would have produced three flower stalks but with the wax confining the growth, only one stalk made it at a time. The second stalk was stunted and I didn't think would do anything but it did flower. The BIGGEST surprise turns out with two buds close to the neck of the opening deciding to flower after I cut off the dead flowers of the second stunted stalk. The leaves of the amaryllis really never grew but I figure it was due to being crowded. My only disappointment with these are the fact the flowers fade so quickly compared to those planted in the ground. Maybe they are a different variety that wouldn't last even in soil? No idea.
I decided to sketch how the one bud was opening early morning and then by afternoon, it had opened more that I wanted to capture. It's fascinating to me as I watch day by day the changes flowering plants go through in such a short time.
Procreate: 2B pencil for coloring (no black and white this time) and gouache brush tool for blending. Worked each component on separate layers which paid off with the growth change within hours. I was able to make the changes/additions and still keep the rest of the plant as already sketched. I was able to just focus on the one flower and the subtle change to the other bud next to it.
As I watch my amaryllis plants grow and flower, I'm sketching various stages I can refer back to. It just amazes me watching these go from root ball to flower on a daily basis.
I used the 2B pencil for coloring and the Gouache brush tool for blending.
I have several amaryllis plants growing in my bathroom and decided to work a sketch of one of the growing stages.
6B pencil for both drawing and erasing (for lightening values). This one I chose not to use blending (smudge tool).
It's been several weeks since I've picked up a pencil or even my iPad and now trying to get back to some drawing. From November until present day, we have been involved in various activities from crafting to putting together Lego sets to playing the new Pokemon that came out Nov 18th. Then you add the holidays.
For my first drawing in 2023, I chose this Struggling Amaryllis. I was really surprised it made it, let alone bloom. I tried a waxed Amaryllis for the first time and the first stalk that grew was tall producing four flowers. That stalk crowded the leaves and a second bud that barely rose from the waxed bulb. The flowers were beautiful but didn't last long. Faded much sooner than ones I've grown in the soil.
After the first flowers faded, I cut the stalk back to the top of the waxed bulb to see what might happen with the leaves and the second bud. That bud struggled for the longest time but as the cut stalk started to shrivel inside the encased wax, it seemed to allow more room and the second bud started moving upwards. Not by much but at least enough to where it started to open. So second flowering is somewhat stunted but is still going strong.
This is our 8 month old Maltipoo pup. Terry wanted a portrait of her so I did this for him. I've been putting it off because of white on white but after viewing some helpful videos and working Morgan's white Cockatiel, I decided to give it a go.
I actually worked this before Olaf giving me the confidence to draw him for Madison.
As a means of reference I can fall back on and maybe as an example to viewers using Procreate, I wanted to document how I work eyes. I do basically the same thing with human eyes.
With line sketches, I use the BeeJayDel's Standard Inker Streamline brush tool. This one is from a purchased brush pack he sells. As for thickness of line, it's a personal preference and for me it just depends on how much ink I might need to blend filling in areas.
My go-to brush tool for adding color and blending is one of the app's default brushes - Painting / Gouache brush tool. I've tried various brushes and always find myself going back to this one.
When Madison came to visit, she brought her dog, Olaf, with her. What was surprising with her dog, he didn't much care for Terry. Terry has a way with animals and has never faced one that didn't like him until Olaf came. Olaf would growl at him every time he saw him, which we all found to be funny. He was also territorial claiming the living room as his space. We think it's because his "momma" was there and he was just protecting her.
Because it seems that I am on a roll drawing dog portraits, she asked if I would draw him and this is what I did for her tonight.
This drawing is for my youngest granddaughter, Morgan, who recently lost her beloved cockatiel by the name of Sunny. She picked him up during her trip here to Florida two years ago. I wanted to do something for her as a memory keepsake.
Working white on white is most definitely one of my biggest challenges. I prefer not to use a background if I can get away with it. Another thing about white is choosing the right color for shadows/shading and it still look white.
Procreate using Gouache brush and TH Wash Stamp brush for the background.
With background and without the background.
November 3rd made one year ago my Mom passed. That day our neighbor sent another rose over for me and I decided to draw it for my Mom to share on her birthday.
After working Lilly for my eldest nephew, I worked on this for my youngest nephew. He's a Pitbull mix of some sort and is super sweet in nature.
He was one dog my mother actually allowed in her room. Mom wasn't exactly into pets of any kind but she liked, Bo!!
Worked the same way as I did Lilly only I worked the eyes first.
