Tag: Sketchbook Pages

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Drawing Faces Self Portrait Sketchbook Pages

End of Journal Self Portrait

End of Journal Self Portrait, graphite, 8x5"
End of Journal Self Portrait with New Glasses, graphite, 8×5″ 11/2014

I’ve been doing more oil painting than sketching lately so it’s taken longer than usual to fill my journal and get to the last page that I always save for a self-portrait (above). It’s interesting how each sketch in the collection below shows a progression upwards in age and (occasionally) in skill and how only bits of them resemble me at all. Also interesting how many of them were done on days I was feeling grumpy and/or tired (probably wisely choosing to sketch myself instead of working on something that “mattered” when I felt that way).

Below is a little gallery of self-portrait end-of-journal sketches since 2009. You can click on any image to see it larger, if you must.

End of Journal Self-Portrait, graphite, 5×7.5 in
End of Journal Self-Portrait, ink & watercolor
End of Journal Self-Portrait, February 2013, Pitt brown Brush Pen and watercolor, 8×5″
End of Journal Self Portrait, graphite and watercolor, 7.5×5″
End of Journal Self-Portrait #1, ink & watercolor, 7×5″
End of Journal Self Portrait, colored pencils, 7×5″
End of sketchbook self portraits, ink & watercolor
End of Journal Self-Portrait #1
End of Journal #2 (Ick!)
Self Portrait B-1, ink & watercolor
Tortured sketch (in mirror), Pretending sweetness (from photo)
Self portrait with birthday flowers
Grumpy Strained Self-Portrait, ink & watercolor, 10×8″
Self portrait with grey sweatshirt, ink & watercolor, 7×5″
Self portrait with ponytail
Line drawing for self portrait scanned from bad watercolor sketch
Birthday Flowers Self Portrait, ink & watercolor, 7×5″
End of Journal Self Portrait #3
Self Portrait with Skethbooks and Tea, ink & watercolor
Self Portrait B-2, ink & watercolor
Back to Real Me, ink and watercolor
Last page self portrait. Ink & watercolor
Thank You Roz! (Gouache & Ink)
Categories
Flower Art Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages Still Life

Shower Flowers Sketches: Dahlias, Pansies and Paper Bootie

More Shower Flowers: Pansies, ink and watercolor, 8x5"
More Shower Flowers: Pansies and Paper Bootie, ink and watercolor, 8×5″

My daughter-in-law’s mother (Why is there no name for this important family relationship: “Son’s Mother-in-law” and “Daughter-in-law’s mother” are so awkward!) decorated Brittney’s baby shower so brilliantly. She covered the tables with colorful vases filled with dahlias and a little pot of pansies at each place setting. She decorated the walls with banners hung with pages from all our favorite old Little Golden Books classics.

I took home my pansies to sketch (above) and a vase of dahlias to sketch (below) and paint (see previous post). Each place setting also included a little baby bootie (in sketch below) that she made from different decorative papers and filled with chocolate.

Shower Flowers Sketch: Dahlias, ink and watercolor 2-page spread in Moleskine 16x5"
Shower Flowers Sketch: Dahlias, ink and watercolor 2-page spread in Moleskine 16×5″
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Animals Bay Area Parks Landscape People Quick Sketch Sketchbook Pages

Random Little Moleskine Sketches

Wildcat Canyon trail trash can, ink in pocket Moleskine notebook
Dog on wheels at the dog park, ink in pocket Moleskine
Meeting Stuff, sketches in pocket Moleskine
Sketch during Father Keating movie, ink in pocket Moleskine
Wildcat Canyon Wildflowers, ink, colored pencil, gouache in pocket Moleskine

Here are some random sketches from hikes and walks with my dog, sitting in meetings, a movie shown in a library and at the dog park. These are all in my pocket Moleskine that I carry with me all the time. Hover over images to read captions or click on them to see them larger.

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Flower Art Ink and watercolor wash Plein Air Sketchbook Pages Walnut Creek

Lilly Pond at Ruth Bancroft Gardens

 

Water Lilies at Bancroft Gardens, sepia ink and watercolor, 5x8 in
Water Lilies at Bancroft Gardens, sepia ink and watercolor, 5×8 in

It was a gorgeous day at Ruth Bancroft Gardens in Walnut Creek when my plein air group visited. I walked around looking at all the beautiful plants, sculpture exhibit (and buildings in the private area we were given access to, where the 105 year-old Mrs. Bancroft still lives). With less than an hour before our session end I finally settled on sketching at the lily pond.

I painted the old barn the last time I was there and that barn sketch is one of my favorites ever.

Here is my sketch with the scene behind it and artist Catherine Fasciato painting a lily with oil paint. I sat right between her and the sculpture, choosing shade first and subject matter second on this very hot, sunny day.

Water Lillies and their sketch at Bancroft Gardens, ink and watercolor, 5×8 in
Catherine painting in Bancroft Gardens
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Sketchbook Pages

Oakland Aviation Museum Sketches

P-51 Mustang. Ink and watercolor, 5x15 inches
P-51 Mustang. Ink and watercolor, 5×15 inches

A visit to the Oakland Aviation Museum was a great opportunity to sketch. The museum was the site of the original Oakland Airport and is full of interesting history and planes. This one was a 3/4 scale replica of the P-51 Mustang, a World War II long-range, single-seat fighter plane. This is the plane used by the Tuskegee Airmen.

I recently read several books about World War II that had parts about fighter pilots including The Caine Mutiny and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (both brilliant and fascinating). Seeing these flying tin cans up close brought home how terrifying their flights must have been and how courageous those pilots were.

Hiller 1099 Helicopter and N45LE Plane. Ink and watercolor, 5x15.
Hiller 1099 Helicopter and Sea Plane. Ink and watercolor, 5×15 inches

The people who work/volunteer at the museum were really into old planes and their history. They were enthusiastic about sharing information with our group. I’d like to go back and sketch there again.

Categories
Flower Art Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages Still Life

Hydrangeas and the Last of EDiM 2014 (Fan and Remote)

Hydrangeas in Glass, ink and watercolor, 7x5 in
Hydrangeas in Glass, ink and watercolor, 7×5 in

My hydrangea bush is doing great this year, probably because it’s on the side of the house that is now a dog run and every day I empty the dog’s water bowl on the bush. Also it’s no longer competing with its two siblings that I removed because one never blossomed and the other had annoying teensy flowers that shed all over the table.

EDim 22 Remote Control, ink and watercolor, 5x7 in
EDiM 22 Remote Control, ink and watercolor, 5×7 in

These remotes live in the studio and operate a little combo TV/VCR, a DVD player and the stereo. There are another half-dozen that live in the house. I’m glad remotes were invented but they are ugly and annoying. I so wish I had this remote (a brilliant sketch and concept!)

EDim 23 Fan, ink and watercolor, 5x7 in
EDiM 23 Fan, ink and watercolor, 5×7 in

As I noted in my journal above, drawing a fan seemed like it would be even more boring than drawing the remotes but in fact it was really fun. I was really surprised as I sketch to discover all kinds of interesting design features I’d never noticed before when just turning it on or off (without the using the remote that came with it, which I’ve lost).

So I didn’t make it to every day in May, just 75% of them. I went away for a 3 day retreat and when I came back had lost the momentum. Oh well.

Categories
Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages

EDiM 19, 20, 21: Rope, Pickle Fork, Close-Ups

EDiM 19-20: Dog Rope and Grandma's Pickle Fork, ink and watercolor, 7x5 in
EDiM 19-20: Dog Rope and Grandma’s Pickle Fork, ink and watercolor, 7×5 in

My dog’s favorite pull toy: a knotted rope for EDiM 19. The packaging asserts it’s good for their teeth, acts like dental floss. I don’t think that makes much sense, but at least it is one toy she hasn’t been able to shred, turn inside out and/or unstuff.

I think this little plastic fork for EDiM 20 was one that my grandmother used when putting out her fabulous dill pickles. It probably was a copy of a more elegant model originally made of ivory. It’s about the length of a dill pickle.

EDiM 21: Closeups, ink and watercolor, 7x5 in
EDiM 21: Closeups, ink and watercolor, 7×5 in

These close-up views of things for EDiM 21 are probably pretty easy to figure out: clockwise, a petal and leaf from a hydrangea, a spray bottle, an old pencil sharpener from the days when office products were all IBM beige, and a pliers from my toolbox.

Categories
Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages Still Life

EDiM 17 and 18: Hand Soap and Needs Polish (Silver Teapot)

EDiM 18: Needs Polish (Silver Coffee Pot), ink and watercolor, 7x5 in
EDiM 18: Needs Polish (Silver Tea Pot), ink and watercolor, 7×5 in

I bought this old silver-plated teapot at my local thrift shop. I’ve drawn it before here but now that it’s really tarnished it was even more fun to paint because of the pinkish tarnish.

EDiM 17 Hand soap, ink and watercolor, 7x5 in
EDiM 17 Hand soap, ink and watercolor, 7×5 in

I love the lemony fresh scent of this soap and look forward to washing my hands. Normally I’m overly sensitive to scented products and stay away from them but this one makes me happy. I used a green Pitt Artists Brush pen to draw this and then went over it with watercolor and a little black fine point Pitt Artist pen.

 

 

Categories
Food sketch Glass Sketchbook Pages Still Life Watercolor

EDiM 14: Glass of Juice

EDiM 14 Glass of Juice. Ink and watercolor, 7x5 in
EDiM 14 Glass of Juice. Graphite, ink and watercolor, 7×5 in

I got confused and skipped over posting this glass of yummy Trader Joe’s Garden Patch juice yesterday, and numbered the two pics I did post with the wrong numbers, which I’ve now corrected. This is an odd glass, made by Bodum and meant to be used for tea as it’s double-walled for insulation.

This was more fun to draw than to use since I prefer my tea in cups with handles, even if the glass doesn’t get hot. I love painting glass!

Categories
Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages Still Life

EDiM 15 and 16: Stapler (ancient) and Cookie (monster)

EDiM 16 Stapler. Ink and watercolor, 5x7 in
EDiM 16 Stapler. Ink and watercolor, 5×7 in

I’ve had this wonderful old stapler for as long as I can remember. Maybe it was my grandfathers? It’s heavy and has rusty spots but still works great. I enjoy using it every time I staple something.

EDiM 15 Cookie (Monster), ink and watercolor, 7x5 in
EDiM 15 Cookie (Monster), ink and watercolor, 7×5 in

I don’t eat cookies because I’m overly sensitive to sugar; eating one usually leads to eating the whole bag so I just don’t eat that first one. Drawing a cookie would have been too tempting so I drew a fellow friendly cookie monster.