The Perfect Sketchbook

I headed to Michaels today to see if they had any of these Pitt Artist Pens in Sepia.  I was in luck because they had them and I had a 50% off coupon.  Perfect combination in my opinion.  I am going to try using these to draw on my drum.

When I got the mail at home to my delight I got this package from Singapore.  Pretty exciting I think.

I have been waiting to get this in the mail. I had no clue how long it would take mail to get here from Singapore but it was pretty quick. I backed this Kickstarter project for the Perfect Sketchbook,  so it was nice to get the product and see how nice it is.  Its small enough to fit in a purse or pocket.  Its like having a moleskine but the paper is better.  It has 72 sheets of 100% cotton rag watercolor paper 190 gsm. a side pocket, ribbon bookmark, a greyvalue chart on one of the pages and a coptic binding so it opens flat.  The cover is grey and is nice and soft.  A quality product.  I am pleased, now for some time to try out the paper.  I even got some scraps of the paper tp play with.  One of the best things I have backed.

Using A Sketchbook Again

Many of you know that google reader is going away.  I have used Net News Wire which is only for the Mac and Bloglovin which I think works for both systems.  I am sure there are others out there.  Lately I have just been putting all the blogs I read in my link list and just go to them from my own blog. It doesn't tell you about updates so that won't work for everyone.  If you've found an awesome reader please share.

My journal is full of backgrounds and often I don't know what to do with them. The backgrounds are so beautiful I think simple is best.

This page started with a spray ink background with the birch trees stencil.  I added decorate tissue around it and then some images. I am not sure if this is done yet.

This was painted newspaper. I saw this turtle and butterfly in my stash and loved it on this paper.



Another shot at the painting, I am sure you are getting tired of seeing this.   I promise the next pic will be the last.  I added the tree, made the square stones round and covered up the barn. I am not sure what I will add in that green area, more animals, flowers, my hammock nothing seems right yet so I will sit with it for awhile.

For awhile I have been toying with the idea of doing a sketchbook again.  Inspired by my friend Lynn's book, "One fish taco and a half an order of guacomole" I thought of drawing in public again and trying people this time. About all I did was think about it though. I am in a group on Facebook with April Cole and they are going to do a sketchbook challenge in April. So I thought I might take part. There is nothing like a challenge to get you moving to do something you keep thinking about. Then my friend Connie did this post on her sketchbook and I took the plunge. I had a book I got at Hobby Lobby last fall that is perfect.  Its like a moleskine with sketchbook paper, it opens flat has a pocket and all that jazz.  So I decided not to wait till April and begin now.  I am using pen like Connie suggests, these are rough drawings, just a part of my day.

What was on my messy desk was my first sketch.

The next day it was my mug at a coffeeshop and a quick sketch of my kitty sitting on my lap.

A kitty again and some scenes from my yard that I might eventually add to a painting. I am really enjoying doing these simple sketches.  Maybe its time you picked up a sketchbook again.  Why don't you join me and share bits of your sketchbook too!

A Few of My Own Birds

After posting Zorana's bird video (see previous post)I thought I would try some of my own.  I have done birds before but usually just one on a page. I sketched these in pencil on watercolor paper. I decided to paint them in watercolor paint, because I want to start using watercolors more.  I added feathers and such with a micron pigma 03 pen.  I then cut them out and glued them into my sketchbook and added some lettering.  I filled the letters in with faber-castell brush pens.  It was lots of fun to play with.

Have you painted birds before? Why not give it a try.  If you don't think you can draw a bird, here is little trick. Find a bird image either in a bird book or online.  Copy or print the image on computer paper.  Place some tracing paper on the copy and trace the bird and then cut it out. Put your tracing paper image on your paper or sketchbook and trace around it.  Now you have a bird shape you can paint.  The fun thing is you can paint your bird in any colors you want. Add a crown if you want, put clothes on it if you want, give it striped legs, there are plenty of fun things you can do, so go explore the idea and let me know if you do.

Dream a little dream

Dream a little dream I think that is how the song goes but everyone out there tells you to dream big. So dream big it will be. I have been working on an on-line class and there is so much to share that it looks like it may have to be several classes. So maybe my vision is too big. Trying to tone it down has been hard.  I have got one video done but there are so many more to do before I go public with it.

I made the background with first inktense pencils and then water, I added some stamping and then the #5, there's no significance that I can think of. I just like the way it looked. I found this image in my drawer of scraps. Its from a greeting card sent by a friend. I do like to reuse things in my art. I added more stamping and charcoal on the image and in outlining. Then I added the words and the stars and planets. To finish it off I adding portfolio oil pastels to the edges of the page.  I like the idea of dreams being right there for you to bring to life.

Something from my sketchbook. I had signed up for SuziBlu's self guided portrait class awhile ago. I was really interested in learning to do 3/4 poses. This is my first attempt. Now its back to the studio for me.  How about you, how are you going to spend your weekend?

A New Sketchbook Project

I  was asked by Mary of Joyful Ploys to be the next participant in another sketchbook project.  This was started by Jennifer Zoellner.   I really like participating in these.  It always seems to give me the opportunity to try something new, and I get to meet new artists and have a little fun. This sketchbook is pretty small and the unfortunately the tiny book keeps coming apart.  

For this page I first glued 2 pages together, the paper was really thin and then stamped the words with a Slate StazOn Ink. Then I painted the bird with Golden Heavy bodied acrylics.

There is not much to say about this, I had glued down some handmade paper and then these collage items. I like its simplicity,

















 The next two pages were going to be a one single page but then the book fell apart.  I had to use some tape to put it back together and then I lost the cohesion of the piece. So I decided to just make 2 separate pages.  I used golden fluids on the pages and some Stewart Gill paints for the accents.

















I had this greeting card of a sun with celtic patters all around it. I used the idea but made it  different. When I added the rays I had no idea what else I would do.  These pattern just seemed to want to be there. I love it when things flow like that.

Here is the latest paint and pass canvas I worked on.  I added the little fish.  It is really hard not filling the canvas. There are a total of 11 people painting on each of these little 5 x 7 canvases, so I try not to take up too much space.

Remember the Moleskine sketchbook project I did months ago.  Well here is a video of the almost finished book. It really is awesome to look at.