My Favorite Brushes

This is a page in the Stillman & Birn Beta journal I'm trying to keep dedicated to my materials and supplies, color charts, and maybe at some point various techniques. 

Although I have several different size and type brushes, these four are the main ones I tend to reach for with the #8 Kolinsky and the 3/8" Synthetic Angular being what I use most often.  The #14 Silver Ultra Mini (synthetic) I will grab if I need a real sharp point and the 3/4" DaVinci Flat (synthetic) for large areas.

I love my Kolinsky brushes but sometimes I prefer a synthetic for better control of the amount of water in the brush.

Again using MairmeriBlu watercolors, I'm trying to get used to the color mixing results compared to what I'm used to with Daniel Smith and Winsor & Newton pigments. 

The flesh tone was trial and error since I didn't have Perm Alizarin I'm used to using.   The closest to Perm Aliz I had to work with was either Crimson Lake or Primary Red Magenta mixing each with Raw Sienna, Golden Lake, or Burnt Umber.  I went back and forth so many times trying to get the flesh tone I wanted that I honestly can't say which I ended up using :-)

Microns 05 both in Sienna and Black were used. and in places I used a Sharpie extra fine white marker pen.

Plant Pot Picks

Plant Pot Picks..................try to say that fast three times.  I for one stumble by the third time saying Plot instead of Pot  :-)

Trying to decide what I wanted to sketch today, one of my plants with this plant pick captured my attention. 

Worked in the Handbook journal first sketching in pencil, adding watercolor, and then the pen and ink using a Micron 005.  Watercolors used were MairmeriBlu.

Here are the steps I took:

Used a mechanical pencil for the initial sketch....

 

Wasn't satisfied with the balance so added a couple more leaf segments to the right as you view it....

 

Next I painted everything starting with the bee.  I started to add the pen and ink before realizing I wanted to scan before doing so....

And finally, here is the results with pen and ink detailing everything.

Eastern Phoebe Young'n from First Brood

After watching a new video by Cathy Johnson on sketching/painting a Wren, I had this great desire to do the same with this Eastern Phoebe. 

Cathy's video showed how she handled the fluffiness of the body and wings often seen when a bird is trying to keep warm.  Using those same techniques for depicting a young bird, I worked this watercolor with pen and ink. 

This is a young Eastern Phoebe from the first brood of the year. We have a second right now with the babies soon to take off.

Handbook, 01 and 02 Microns (02 for notes), Mairmeriblu watercolors and #8 round. Used a 3/8" angular here and there too plus a touch of my white sharpie fine marker.

Goal was to try and capture that fluffiness and capture that greenish tone on the body.

Terry's Make-shift Hanger

As we get closer to our move date, we've taken down all the bird feeders, hangers, and baffles we had out front.  With the hummers here, Terry decided to make a temporary wood hanger for one of our hummingbird feeders right outside my window.  Thought I would capture that in my journal.

Worked in the Handbook using MaimeriBlu watercolors keeping things loose and simple.  Line work with Pilot Prera and Lexington Gray ink.

Stillman & Birn Beta Journal New Pages

So far I've kept this new journal dedicated to supplies and charts.  I've yet to do that with all the journals I've worked in.  We'll see if I can actually do one that is subject oriented rather than a mix of mediums and subjects.  :-)

First I worked the pages showing my pens and various pencils I use (found in an earlier post).  This next page in my journal shows one of my smaller palettes that is dedicated to greens plus Lunar Pigments from Daniel Smith.

I tend to stick with tube greens altering with yellows or blues due to simplicity sake but I would like to get back to mixing my own greens.  It's been awhile and had forgotten the variations I could achieve by mixing my own. 

After watching Cathy's Johnson video on Mixing Greens, she made it look so much fun that I worked these next three pages of greens. 

Next I'll probably work my Violets and Oranges for reference.  This is where having a dedicated journal will be nice...........I can easily locate these charts if I keep them all in one place.

Handbook Journal Entries

I've been a busy body with my sketching.............just slow in getting them posted.  Here are the last several pages in my square Handbook...

Sketchbook Skool

These next two pages are following a course I'm taking online called Sketchbook Skool.  It's a 6 week course with six different instructors like Danny Gregory, Cathy Johnson, Brenda Swenson, and I can't remember the other three names.  Danny Gregory started this semester and here are the results of my homework for the first week.

First exercise was to take a piece of toast and try to capture nooks and crannies you "see"........not what you think you see.

Next exercise blocking in a general shape working fast.........no detail.   Then going back and working slow, putting down details correcting angles, sizes, etc. the initial quick sketch didn't get right.  To fully understand this exercise, one would need to take the course.  I can't give away all the specifics ;-)

Getting Close to Finishing the Alpha Journal

The next journal close to being finished off is my 4 x 6 Alpha Journal.  There are 16 remaining single pages but some of those I might make into two-page spreads.  Not quite sure yet.  Being so close, I will probably concentrate on finishing this journal book over the next couple of weeks. 

Although over the next two to three weeks, we will be working hard on preparing for Trip #2 of our move to Florida.  It's been a long drawn out experience moving two different households.  We will have one more trip after this next load with what we can't fit in the truck this time around.  Makes it hard when you can't get a large moving van up this hill.  Hopefully this will soon be behind us..........at least until the next move......lol

This page was painted first in watercolor and then detailed with pen and ink.

Last Pages in the Moleskine Sketchbook

These finish off another journal that had only a few pages left.  Now I'm down to 12 unfinished (that I am aware of). 

Finishing My Moleskine Watercolor Sketchbook

Here are various sketches I worked finishing the last several pages in the Moleskine Watercolor journal.  Out of 14 known journals that still have pages left to finish off, I've managed to finish this one and my Moleskine Sketchbook.  I'm now down to 12 (that I'm aware of that's not already packed for our move).

Started My Stillman & Birn Delta Journal

I finally cracked open my new Stillman & Birn Delta journal  after having it over a year.  This journal has the same type paper as the Beta (heavy weight cold press paper) but in a cream color.  Wonderful paper to work on!

Here's the first page I worked in pen and ink with no color.

 

Then I used this journal for a challenge shared by Jean Mackay where you work a sketch every hour throughout your day trying to keep your sketches at 1 to 5 minutes each.   I used a Micron 005 and 01 for these little illustrations.

Pride and Joy

It's taken me awhile to gain the confidence or courage to work a serious sketch of my youngest fur-baby.  This is Miya we traveled six hours one way to get one year for my birthday. 

We had a choice between her and a sister.....Miya being the runt.  The sister was very stand offish not really wanting anything to do with us whereas Miya came right up to Terry first thing.  Terry and I were both sitting on the floor and after she spent a bit of time with Terry, she came over and climbed up nestling in my lap.

Both pups were adorable and we had seen them online before making an appointment to drive out and spend some time with the dogs.  Initially we were attracted to the sister due to her markings but was disappointed in her reaction to us.  We started leaning towards Miya because of how friendly she was but the breeder was concerned after learning we had a large lab/collie mix that Miya might easily get hurt.  After quite a long while, the breeder had convinced us that we'd be better off taking the larger pup. 

I remember picking up the sister and sitting at the table to finalize the sale.as the breeder took Miya and placed her in a room closing the door.  As the breeder was going over the paperwork, Miya started pitching a horrible sounding fit making noises he'd never heard or experienced from the pups before.  And I think he could tell I was very torn about the decision he had initially convinced us to make.  He asked me..........would you prefer the other pup and I immediately said yes.  No sooner did he get Miya and place her in my lap, she immediately settled down.  Miya chose us and the breeder even made a comment about that.

As for her being so small and Smudge being so much bigger..........not a problem!  Smudge for one thing being a very gentle, calm, and loving dog would let Miya do anything to include climbing all over him.  At age five, Miya rules keeping Smudge and our other small dog in line.  She also helps keep them young both being 14 and 15 years old.

My sketch is Miya back before we started keeping her fur trimmed.  Her long fur is super fine and baby soft easily getting matted so we keep it rather short to save from having to cut out large sections we can't work out with a brush or comb.

Sketched in the Handbook journal with a Pentel Twist Erase mechanical pencil 05 lead.

To tackle this, I started at the nose and worked up to the eyes, the top, down the sides and finally below the nose.  If I started to feel a bit confused or lost with all the multi-colored, wavy fur, I would concentrate on the light and the dark shapes working one section at a time.  Used a tortillion for blending and shading and a kneaded eraser to go back and lift areas as needed.

Eastern Towhee - Pen and Ink

Here is another of the birds we'd not seen before we moved out to the country.  Early morning and evening you can stand outside and hear all this rustling in the woods leaving you to think something bigger than a bird is scurrying around on the ground.  They hop around on the ground using both feet at the same time kicking up leaves looking for food.  And they hop backwards when doing so.

These guys are beautifully marked with the males with Black, Rust Brown and White bodies.  The females are more brown in the body areas that are black on the males.  And the neatest feature to me is the red eyes.

Their song is a beautiful sound which I've read put to words sounds like "drink some tea" with the tea kind of going like this....... t-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-a .  Definitely unique and one easily identified as made by the Towhee.

The photo is one of several I took of this guy after he flew into our sliding glass door that stunned him for awhile before finally taking off.   I had heard the thump and went to investigate finding him on the ground.  I went outside to see how badly injured he was making sure his wings were OK, etc.  Then went for my camera.  If he was frightened of me, he sure didn't act like it.  Of course he was probably knocked so silly that he was too out of it to really be concerned about me.  After taking several photos, I sat with him and even stroked his head and back for awhile..........gently talking to him.  I knew he was OK when he started to hop away and then took flight into the brush.

Here is a sketch I've worked from this photo in my Stillman & Birn Alpha journal using primarily pen and ink with just a touch of watercolor.  Pens used were the Pilot Prera with Lexington Gray ink and a Micron Black 03.

Bird Discovery on Property

The three and a half years we've been up here on the hill, we've seen several bird species we hadn't seen living in town.  So far we've seen and enjoyed watching the Pileated woodpeckers, Towhees, Eastern Phoebe, and now a new bird we needed to identify.

I had to study the momma bird sitting on her nest taking note of her coloring, marks on body, eye color and the shape of the beak.  Came inside and looked it up discovering we have a nesting Brown Thrasher. 

She is this beautiful reddish brown bird (cap, back and wings) with white chest and belly that has these beautiful black marks speckling up and down the front. And her eyes are a bright yellow you can't miss.  From what I understand looking her up, this species has multiple song sounds I believe they pick up from other song birds.  And this bird is a rather large bird compared to other song birds we are used to seeing.

The nest is about eye level (about 5 ft or so off the ground) in a thicket of brambles and a shrub we've yet to identify that has white flowers in the Spring that smell heavenly.  This shrub is leaning up against a fence in our back yard.  Momma will let us walk up but she gets a bit nervous us standing there and will leave the nest diving into the thickets I'm sure hoping we follow her away from her eggs.  From what we've been able to see, the eggs (unsure how many) are a light color......white maybe but a bit hard to tell without stepping on a ladder to see down inside.

Here is a quick sketch as a memory of our discovery.........pen and ink plus watercolor in the Handbook.  Using a Micron 005 and 03.

Poppies Loosely Rendered

I absolutely love poppies but find I struggle painting them for some reason.  Here are two pages in my Alpha journal using pen and ink plus watercolor.  Rather than get too involved, I decided to try and capture in a loose manner hoping I wouldn't over-work as I have in the past when applying color.

Glass Study

I've been sketching almost daily but a bit behind in posting to my blog (so what's new you ask?? lol). 
This first is practicing glass in graphite.  Worked in the Handbook using only a mechanical pencil 05 (Twist Erase) and tortillion to blend/shade.

Working in pencil helps me gain a little confidence figuring if I can do it in graphite, I can feel better about trying in color.

After working the pencil sketch, I decided to try my hand at a small glass vase using pen and ink plus watercolor.  Sketched in the S&B Alpha journal using a Micron for the black ink work and Stabilo pen for the dark pink.  Opera and Quin Rose were used to paint the carnations.

The Face of a Lion Carving

Last night I was in the mood for just sketching with pencil.  I find the blending/shading to be extremely relaxing.  Was in no rush but just leisurely worked on this as I watched TV.

It's from a photo I took while on holiday in the UK back in 2010.  The wood carving is a long piece that has this full bodied lion along with acorns and oak leaves carved.  The face is what captured my attention.

Mechanical pencil 0.5 (Twist Erase) in cartridge paper sketchbook.

Favorite Building in Fairmont

There's just something really intriguing to me about this particular building that sits on a bridge in Fairmont.  Inside is an elevator and it takes you down to what used to be a parking lot for those working in downtown above at bridge level.  Free parking that has been replaced by metered parking and lots you have to pay to park.

Alpha 4 x 6 journal; Micron #02 and #03; mechanical pencil for initial pencil sketch; Daniel Smith watercolors.

Clematis Last Remains

This is the remnants of my clematis I brought in watching one bud open and now withered and drooping ready to be pitched.

The leaves are still green and there remains a single bud that refuses to open. 

Worked in the Alpha 4 x 6 journal painted in watercolor first and then pen and ink using the Pilot Prera and Lexy Gray ink.

Bird, Artificial Flowers, and Lucky Bamboo

This is from a plant my sister decorated working at HEB in Texas.  She adds the little artificial flowers and little decorations like the bird when shipments come into the Florist Department.

I absolutely love this plant and have sketched it a time or two over the last two years.  This time I decided to sketch and paint using watercolor.

Worked in the Stillman & Birn Alpha 4 x 6 journal.  Pilot Prera with Lexington Gray ink and used a white sharpie here and there at the end.

I remembered to scan along the way.............

Initial pencil sketch and after adding a few more bits as filler

 

Pen and Ink and after applying watercolor and touching here and there with the white sharpie

 

Some of My Pencils and Related

After working two pages sharing most of my pens, I just had to include a page in my journal with some of my favorite or most used pencils.  This by no means comes close to the number I have on hand between graphite to color pencils to watercolor pencils.

This is the third page in my S&B Beta journal using pen and ink plus Daniel Smith watercolors.

The pen work is using a Micron 005.  Also used a Sharpie Extra Fine white marker pen (water based).  The Sharpie was used for lettering and I think I had as much fun putting the lettering in to look as it does as I did the entire page.

From left to right........

Staedtler Pencils - I have an entire set ranging from 6H to 8B.  Normally I use the B range but now and then I might use one of the H grades.

Derwent Water Soluble Graphite - On hand I have Light Wash (HB), Medium Wash (4B), and the Dark Wash (8B).  Most often used dry.

Derwent Watercolour Pencils (Blue Gray) - This one I use sometimes when putting in a light sketch before painting.  Being a watercolor pencil, it dissolves.  The idea comes from Cathy Johnson :-)

Derwent Graphic - I have a range of these pencils as well.

Gold Pencil Sharpener - this is a neat sharpener you can change out blades easily.

Silver Pencil Sharpener - This cuts beautifully and works well with the slimmer pencils.  A friend in the UK sent me several of these.

Putty/Rubber Eraser - My #1 favorite eraser and what I use most.

Plastic Eraser - I seldom use this type eraser as I fear it messing up the paper.

Staedtler 925 07 and 08 - I picked two pencils up like this when visiting a framing shop in North Carolina with my mother-in-law.  They are thin mechanical pencils and a joy to use.

Twist Erase - My #1 favorite mechanical pencil.  I have three - 05, 07, and 09.  For me the rubber barrels helps when I struggle with arthritis in my hand.