Category: Every Day Matters

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Every Day Matters Gardening Ink and watercolor wash Plants Sketchbook Pages

Something Creepy and A Lock: Every Day in May 9-10

EDiM 10: Something Creepy, ink & watercolor, 8x5"
EDiM 10: Something Creepy, ink & watercolor, 8×5″

The creepiest things around my house are snails and slugs. They creep along, leaving their silvery trails of slime. Yuck. My gardeners warned me that the big Agapanthus plants left behind by the former owner of my home were snail havens and wanted to remove them. But I like the crazy purple flowers and left them. To collect snails to sketch I knew where to go: I filled a plastic cup from two Agapanthus.

Most of the snails curled up in their shells and hid. One was very curious and climbed onto a leaf I stuck in the cup. I put the leaf and snail on the table to draw but he was a busy guy so I had to keep moving him when he reached the end of the leaf. Then I put him in the cup and he started climbing up and over the side, giving me a clear view of his face, which was just a little nub, with no apparent eyes or mouth. Extremely creepy.

EDiM 9-10, Draw a Lock & Something Creepy, ink & watercolor, 8x11"
EDiM 9-10, Draw a Lock & Something Creepy, ink & watercolor, 8×11″

The lock above is one I’ve had for many years. It lives in my gym bag and even though I sometimes go long stretches without using it, I seem to always remember the combination. I keep the combination in my iPhone’s contact list just in case I forget. I don’t want to be stranded in the locker room!  I struggled a bit drawing the lock so did it several times, starting with the one at the bottom.

More about snails:

Even though I didn’t see eyes or mouth it turns out they have them. Their weak eyes are on the end of their tentacles, the mouth is underneath the head. They don’t have ears and can’t hear but have a good sense of smell (though no nose). Lots more interesting snail facts on Snail World.com.

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Drawing Every Day Matters Sketchbook Pages

Something(s) For Free and a Coffee Pot: Every Day in May 7-8

EDiM 7-8: Something(s) You Got For Free and Draw a Coffee Pot, ink & watercolor, 8x11"
EDiM 7-8: Something(s) You Got For Free and Draw a Coffee Pot, ink & watercolor, 8×11″

“Draw Something You Got For Free” was May 7th’s cue and May 8 was “Draw A Coffee Pot.” Above is the black lacquer cabinet with carvings and gold decorations I found on the sidewalk in front of a brightly painted house in my neighborhood with a “Free” sign on it. On top of the cabinet is a microwave I got for free (my son left it behind along with the car parts featured here when I took back my garage to convert it to my studio.

And on top of the microwave are more freebies: a set of Russian stacking dolls a friend brought back from Sitka, a tiny bowl a friend made and inside the bowl is some lip balm from my dentist (he applies it before working in your mouth then hands it to you) and a packet of cut flower preservative free from Trader Joe’s floral department.

On the right above is the way I make my coffee, with a ceramic filter holder from Peet’s Coffee that drips the coffee directly into my cup.

Categories
Every Day Matters Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages

Every Day in May, Days 1-2: A Favorite Sound (Purrr) & Bubbles

Bubbles: Dirty Dishes, Every Day in May, ink & watercolor in 8x11Moleskine
Bubbles: Dirty Dishes, Every Day in May, ink & watercolor in 8×11″ Moleskine

What better way to improve drawing skills than to practice every day! I committed to the Every Day in May (Facebook, Flickr) challenge and have been really enjoying the practice, discipline and creativity the daily cues inspire. The first cue was: “Draw something bubbly.”

I had a sink full of dirty dishes awaiting me…a perfect excuse for bubbles. I got a little carried away and didn’t realize I’d drawn the cutting board on the counter floating in space instead. Oops. Under the pasted on list of sketching cues is a failed drawing of my cat that I wanted to hide and do over (below).

Draw A Favorite Sound: Purrrr. Every Day in May, ink & watercolor, 8 x11"
Draw A Favorite Sound: Purrrr. Every Day in May, ink & watercolor, 8 x 11″

Next up was “Draw a Favorite Sound.” I cheated a bit since my cats weren’t actually purring when I sketched this. Fiona was annoyed at having her nap disturbed and Busby wouldn’t even turn around, too busy looking out the window. I sketched this one in pencil first because after the failed drawing I pasted over above, I needed a bit of success to boost my confidence.

Warm up cat sketches to study them, ink, 8x11"
Warm up cat sketches to study them, ink, 8×11″

I did some warm-up sketches of the cats in ink first, trying to learn more about their basic shapes. It’s amazing how little I really see and know a subject until I draw it. I see my cats constantly but drawing them is almost like seeing them for the first time.

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Art supplies Art theory Drawing Every Day Matters Ink and watercolor wash Painting Plants Sketchbook Pages

Last Day of EDiM: “Fresh” Hydrangeas and L.L. Bean “Flashlight” Hat

Baby Hydrangea for "Something Fresh" EDM #112, ink & Watercolor, 6x4.5"
Baby Hydrangea for EDM #112: Fresh, ink & Watercolor, 6"x4.5"

I’d never been able to sketch this hydrangea plant before because once the teensy little buds open they shed piles of equally teensy little petals and make a big mess. But this one was so fresh I was able to cut and draw it without the mess. (Although it did end up making a mess anyway when my cat ate one of the leaves and then delivered it later to the rug.)

EDM #120 Flashlight (L.L. Bean Pathfinder Flashlight Hat), ink & watercolor
EDM #120 Flashlight (Hat), ink & watercolor

The cue was to draw a flashlight. My favorite flashlight is my wonderful L.L. Bean Pathfinder Cap. It has two LED lights in the brim. One points straight down and is perfect for lighting your sketchbook when painting when it’s dark, and the other points ahead to light your path. You just squeeze a spot on the brim and it toggles between down, ahead or both. When painting in a dark pub it perfectly lit my sketchbook page but nobody could tell where the light was coming from. Someone came over to try to figure it out because it just looked like my page was illuminated.

The hat is sitting on a plaster “Planes of the Head” cast, a tool for learning how to really see and draw heads (good article about this here).

Although I wasn’t a faithful follower of  “Sketch Every Day in May,” it reinforced how much I enjoy drawing. Some of the cues sounded boring but I discovered that no matter how dull a subject may seem, drawing it rarely is.

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Art supplies Drawing Every Day Matters Glass Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages

Lightbulb Moment and Mini-Review of Stonehenge Wirebound Journal

Lightbulb, ink & watercolor, in 7x7" Stonehenge Wirebound Journall
Lightbulb, ink & watercolor, in 7x7" Stonehenge Wirebound Journal

I was trying to find a way to make this old blue photography light bulb (purchased back in the days of film) stand up so I could sketch it. I tried using tape rolled into a double-sided ball and sticking it to the table but it fell over. Then I found this little glass yogurt container about the size of a baby food jar that I’d bought primarily for the jar. Perfect. (Sketched for Every Day in May, EDM #108).

Stonehenge Wirebound Journal Mini-Review

The short version: Nope.

I loved the idea of a 7″ square journal and the paper seemed like it would be nice for pen and watercolor. The description on JerrysArtarama included this bullet point:

  • Excellent surface for graphite, colored pencil, printmaking, pen and ink, pastel, silverpoint, watercolor and more! [italic/bold added]

But it’s a no-go for watercolor. I couldn’t get a rich smooth wash anywhere on the page. When I tried to add a darker glaze over the first wash for the shadow on the table, no matter how light a touch I had, my brush picked up the first layer of paint instead. On the underside of the bulb I had a similar problem. And then there’s the mystery line across the top of the bulb. Something embossed the page in the brand new book and the color sank into it. Perhaps the edge of the ruler I used to pencil in a border before drawing in ink left an imprint, but I’ve never had that happen before.

When I ordered the sketchbook I thought I remembered Roz writing a couple of positive reviews of the paper but when I checked again, I saw that her third and final review came to much the same conclusion for watercolor.

Categories
Drawing Every Day Matters Food sketch Ink and watercolor wash Painting Sketchbook Pages Still Life

Leave It! Lemon and Vinegar

Lemon and Apple Cider Vinegar
Lemon and Apple Cider Vinegar

You know how dog owners shout “Leave it!” when they are about to roll in something stinky or eat garbage off the ground? (the dog, not the owners rolling in it). I’m taking a similar approach with my ink drawings and watercolor sketches.

If the line is wrong, if there’s a typo or the wash comes out funny, I say to myself: “Leave it!” Let it be. Fresh is (almost always) better than Fixed. Mistake is just another word for Interesting.

Do you see what I got wrong in this picture and just left it? (hint–it’s a typo…er… “writeo.”) I showed it to my sketch group and nobody could find it (but maybe it’s because we were in a dark pub?)

This was done for Every Day in May #106: Something sour or tart. I’m loving the extra practice in drawing I’m getting from the EDiM project.

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Animals Art supplies Drawing Every Day Matters Illustration

Ostrich with Hole in the Sand (How I Get My News)

Ostrich with Hole in the Sand, ink on Stonehenge paper
Ostrich with Hole in the Sand, ink on Stonehenge paper

One of the Everyday in May drawing cues is “Draw How You Get Your News.” The image that immediately came to mind was an ostrich with its head in the sand. I am the opposite of a news junkie. I cancelled my newspaper subscription years ago when I realized it made me cry nearly every day. TV news is even worse, with “If it bleeds, it leads” as the guiding principle.

So I just stick my head in the sand instead of consuming all the fear-based media, and do what I can to create better news. Avoiding the news means I can continue to believe that most people are mostly good and that it’s great to be alive.

About the paper: Stonehenge just started making their wonderfully soft drawing paper in this color called “Kraft” except unlike regular Kraft paper it’s archival 100% cotton. It’s fun to draw on with black ink and white gel pen.

About ostriches: They don’t really bury their heads in the sand. When frightened they try to hide by lying low and pressing their long necks to the ground which could look like they have buried their heads in the sand.

Categories
Art theory Drawing Every Day Matters Ink and watercolor wash Painting Sketchbook Pages

Sweat, Salt and Scissors

My Lemon Pepper and Salt Shaker, ink & watercolor, 5.5"x7.5
My Lemon Pepper and Salt Shaker, EDM #104, ink & watercolor

Drawing is the foundation of most picture making and it’s a skill that requires regular practice and study. I’m determined to improve my drawing skills and the Every Day in May drawing challenge came at just the right time to inspire this daily practice.

All The Scissors I Own, ink & watercolor, 5.5x7.5"
All The Scissors I Own, EDM#105, ink & watercolor, 5.5x7.5"

I’ve long enjoyed just starting somewhere on the page and letting the details and story expose themselves in my sketch as my eyes explore the subject. I like the “just see what happens” approach. That is a lot of fun. But it doesn’t work well when I’m trying to fit a scene onto a page, or realistically capture a place or people or both.

My Exercise Corner, ink & watercolor
My Exercise Corner (drawn sleepy and without using the strategies described below so it's wonky and didn't fit on the page). EDM# 103

That requires some comparing, measuring, careful checking of angles, drawing imaginary (or penciled) “plumb lines” to see what lines up with what, noting where the top, bottom, sides and midlines are in the subject vertically and horizontally, and marking those same spots on the page so that it all fits. And of course there are lots more…perspective, line quality, etc.

I just wasn’t willing to do most of that before, but now I am. Even more surprising than my willingness is how enjoyable it is and how it’s starting to become second nature.

I don’t want my drawing to be pefect—I love imperfect wonky drawings—they’re so much more interesting and lively than perfectly realistic ones.  I just want the darn picture to fit on the page and the proportions to be at least almost right, and to be able to draw more quickly and accurately when I need to.

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Drawing Every Day Matters Ink and watercolor wash Painting

Soap: Every Day in May

My Favorite Soap from Trader Joes, Pentel Brush Pen & watercolor
Trader Joe's Lemongrass Soap, Pentel Brush Pen & watercolor, 5.5 x 7.5"

Well, yes, of course I’ll use soap every day in May…but that’s not what this post is about. I read that the Every Day in May group was doing a daily sketch from the Everyday Matters (EDM) list. I had so much fun with EDM in 2006 when I first started art-blogging so despite being in the middle of a dozen different things I decided to join in.

They started with #101 – Draw a bar of soap. I searched the house and had no bars of soap so I drew my favorite liquid hand soap from Trader Joes. It’s Lemongrass-Sage and it smells wonderful!

I hadn’t used my Pentel Brush Pen in a long time and I thought I remembered that it doesn’t bleed when you add watercolor. No such luck. Or maybe I didn’t wait long enough for it to dry?  Just for fun, here’s my original EDM #101 bar of soap, just for fun.

Categories
Drawing Every Day Matters Ink and watercolor wash Life in general Painting Plein Air Sketchbook Pages Still Life Watercolor

Sketchcrawl of a Day: Racing to Complete Sketchbooks by January 1

Bedside Table Morning
Bedside Table with Coffee & "An Illustrated Life" - Morning
morning walk
DeLuxe Parked - morning walk
Midday
Poodle Waiting at Trader Joes, El Cerrito - Midday
Busby Napping After Dinner
Busby Annoyed, Trying to Nap - After Dinner
Fiona "As Seen on TV" Evening
Fiona "As Seen on TV" (literally) - Evening
Messy Desk - Evening
Messy Desk - Late Evening

I challenged myself to do a sketchcrawl of my day, making a 10 minute drawing (almost) every hour, wherever I was at the moment.  I was surprised by how many times during the day I saw things I’d like to draw. But I waited for my timer to tell me,  “Now!” and then started drawing.  If I was out and about, I added the watercolor at home in the evening.

Reading Danny Gregory’s book, An Illustrated Life,  inspired me to get back to my sketchbooks which I’d been neglecting while I focused on oil painting this past year. As a result of that neglect, I had half a dozen unfinished sketchbooks that I’ve challenged myself to complete by the end of the year. Hence the sketchcrawl above (and more to come as the year draws to a close, or should I say, “as I draw the year (and my sketchbooks) to a close!

More sketching = more fun!