Tag: Blind Contour

Categories
Berkeley Ink and watercolor wash Landscape Outdoors/Landscape Watercolor

Teddy Bear Fountain, Berkeley

Teddy Bear Fountain, Berkeley, ink & watercolor, 8x11"
Teddy Bear Fountain, Berkeley, ink & watercolor, 8×11″

I was excited to sketch Berkeley’s 100-year-old Teddy Bear Fountain again. We found the perfect viewpoint, I sat down on the carved stone bench, pulled out my pen, opened my bag and discovered I’d forgotten my sketchbook! DUH! Fortunately Cristina had a 9×12 watercolor block with her and she let me use it.

When I sketched the fountain before I wasn’t happy with the results so I decided to start with pencil on the complicated scene this time. There was an odd optical illusion; it appeared that the water was only falling behind the fountain so that’s how I painted it. I also intentionally shrunk the width of the base of the fountain.

The sun was setting when I finished drawing so I added paint at home. Please check out Cristina’s comprehensive sketch of the scene and Cathy’s previous sketch that is now featured on Berkeley Library cards. Below is the photo I took before I started drawing.

Teddy Bear Fountain Photo
Teddy Bear Fountain Photo
Categories
Life in general Sketchbook Pages

Maybe it’s time to kick the coffee habit (again)

Peet's Coffee

Ink, 3.5″x4.75″ (Larger)

I sketched this at Peets when I stopped to pick up some coffee beans, now that my grinder is working again. It’s in my new combo wallet/sketchbook. I visited my local stationary store looking for a small binder to use as a sketchbook and the owner offered me this little Filofax for only $5.00 since someone had returned it. It’s a perfect wallet (even a zipper section for change) and has rings to hold nice paper. See the bottom of this post for photos of it.

The problem with being addicted to a morning cup of coffee is that I wake up stupid and dysfunctional until I’ve had my cup. This is dangerous since making the coffee involves handling scalding liquids, equipment with motors and sharp blades (to grind the coffee), drip filter holders that can be easily knocked over, and carrying cups of milky coffee across the room with shaky hands. I’ve encountered disasters with all of the above.

To read the rest of this post and see the wallet/sketchbook photos, click “Continue Reading” below:

Continue reading “Maybe it’s time to kick the coffee habit (again)”
Categories
Animals Drawing Sketchbook Pages Watercolor

Blind Contour Friday: Spooky (Cat)

SPOOKY (Cat)

Blind Contour Friday has issued the cue for October: “Spooky.” I thought my spooky cats would be suitable subjects, though they barely sat still long enough to draw them. In case you think I’ve forgotten how to draw, a “Blind Contour Drawing” means that you draw without looking at your paper and you do not lift your pen from the paper. You follow the contour of the subject with your eyes and your pen at the same time, and if you have to backtrack or cross over to get back to the beginning you do it, all without lifting the pen. Then when you’re done drawing, you can look at your paper while you splash a little paint on it, just for more fun.

SPOOKY (Cat 2)

The cat in the top drawing is Busby and the bottom is Fiona, also known as “that spooky little kittie,” since she’s quite odd.

They’re both drawn with ink in a Raffine sketchbook and then painted with Kremer Pigments watercolors.