# My Weekly Themed Sketch and Other Art Works



## snowbear

I have become active on The Fountain Pen Network over the past 8 months or so.  One of the threads I participate in is a weekly sketch challenge where a theme is posted.  These are (for me., at least) generally very quick sketches - five to ten minutes.  Here is one mine from week #3 - "A condiment."  Of course, I had some help. 




fpn-weekly-sketch-4_22595926114_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## jcdeboever

Very nice work. Love the confident loose line, and color wash. You can tell you really love the feel of that pen and enjoy working it.


----------



## snowbear

Thank you.  I actually used a couple of fountain pens, a Speedball dip pen and a watercolor brush.  Sometimes I'll block in with pencil first, other times I'll just lay down the ink.


----------



## Didereaux

snowbear said:


> I have become active on The Fountain Pen Network over the past 8 months or so.  One of the threads I participate in is a weekly sketch challenge where a theme is posted.  These are (for me., at least) generally very quick sketches - five to ten minutes.  Here is one mine from week #3 - "A condiment."  Of course, I had some help.




Reminds me a great deal of a James Thurber sketch.  That's  a compliment btw.


----------



## snowbear

Thank you.  I'll post another in a while.


----------



## snowbear

From a few weeks ago - "My Hand"




fpn-weekly-sketch-9_23653352044_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr
23654109963_6683fef8d8_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

This weeks entry, "Telephone" is different.  The inspiration for a cartoon came from another member participating in the sketches.




fpn-weekly-sketch-14_25023417105_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr
cmw3_d40_104007 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

Stepping back, a bit.  This was one of the "step-by-step" shots I made for the "Favorite Pen" sketch.  I chose my new (at the time) Sheaffer 300 "Ferarri" pen and a bottle of Iroshizuku "Momiji" ("Autumn Leaves") ink.

At this point, I had inked in the sketch and was erasing the pencil lines.  The are here - pencil. pens, erasers, and three of the inks.  My helper has left, but you can see a part of her in the sketch, right above the pen.




fpn-weekly-sketch-5_23204475719_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr
20151206_181703.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

"Festive Holiday Food" from December.  I used three different fountain pens and two brush washes.




fpn-weekly-sketch-7_23696399160_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

Time for a bump
This one was a little different, in that I used colored pencils instead of ink.  "A Jumble of Five Kitchen Utensils"




fpn-weekly-sketch-17_24981835989_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr
FPN Weekly Sketch #17 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## Watchful

You've done a number of sketches.


----------



## snowbear

Sketches, paintings; charcoal, graphite, oil, acrylic, watercolour.  More than I've posted here or anywhere.


----------



## Watchful

snowbear said:


> Sketches, paintings; charcoal, graphite, oil, acrylic, watercolour.  More than I've posted here or anywhere.


We have more in common than we have as differences, friend.
Do you do any digital media art? 3D renderings animations or scenes? Any abstract digital art?


----------



## snowbear

Yes*, no, yes (abstract photography)

* - If you consider cartography to be, at least partially, an art.


----------



## Watchful

I started with digital and expanded into traditional media, and my wife started in traditional media and expanded into digital.
She is an Art Instructor and I am a Graphic Artist as a vocation, and we are both into anything creative as an avocation.
And video games. I design characters and models and levels for games, she is working on a game of her own design and we both play them.


----------



## pjaye

Love your talent. It's one I always wish I had.


----------



## snowbear

symplybarb said:


> Love your talent. It's one I always wish I had.


Thank you.


----------



## snowbear

Time for another one.




fpn-weekly-sketch-2_25066932990_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

An egg carton.  This was done with a couple of brush pens.




fpn-weekly-sketch-11_24329407392_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

The pens:




brush_pens by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

This is the first of the series and took two or three minutes to do. This was actually the second try at this.  I did the first with a 3H pencil, then inked in over that.  Unfortunately I tried to erase the pencil marks too early and smudged the ink.  This one was just ink, and no pencil layout.

I consider it rather dreadful, but I did have a helper, at least.

The theme was "Your Morning Beverage"

[url=https://flic.kr/p/FcHA4z]
	
[/URL]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/FcHA4z]fpn-weekly-sketch-1_25362532835_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr[/URL]


----------



## snowbear

The theme for this one was "Keys."  I drew three sets of them - house keys, computer keys, and ???




fpn-weekly-sketch-6_23653591441_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

This one is "An Open Book or Magazine."  I used a catalog from a local (DC) pen shop.  As you can see, I had a helper for this one.




fpn-weekly-sketch-13_24818528306_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

I haven't posted one in a while, so - "Umbrella"




Weekly Sketch #22 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

_A Spilled Liquid_




Weekly Sketch #16 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

_Ink Samples_



scan0028.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## tirediron

Isn't that sort like taking a photo of film?


----------



## snowbear

Yep - like shots of Kodachrome canisters.


----------



## jcdeboever

Love it. I am subscribed to this thread, it always brightens up my day.


----------



## snowbear

A bit out of seaon for where I am; but "Socks"




fpn-weekly-sketch-12_24225959109_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

Well, the weekly theme at the fountain pen site has been inactive for a while so I'm not making the drawings at the moment.  Still, I have a few to share, and I'll get back to drawing again, probably after the holidays (I actually have two to do, before then, for a couple folks here.)

This was "A Pair of Eyeglasses or Sunglasses"




scan0035.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

And the equivalent of EXIF:
HB pencil for rough-in;
Cross Black ink in the Sheaffer Imperial II Deluxe (touchdown) pen for the line work;
Washes of Noodler's Blue Eel and Cross Black inks;
Canson 98# (160gsm) Mix Media paper, 7"x10" (17,7cm x 25,4cm).


----------



## ZombiesniperJr

Very nice drawings


----------



## snowbear

Thank you.


----------



## Didereaux

snowbear said:


> Well, the weekly theme at the fountain pen site has been inactive for a while so I'm not making the drawings at the moment.  Still, I have a few to share, and I'll get back to drawing again, probably after the holidays (I actually have two to do, before then, for a couple folks here.)
> 
> This was "A Pair of Eyeglasses or Sunglasses"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> scan0035.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr
> 
> And the equivalent of EXIF:
> HB pencil for rough-in;
> Cross Black ink in the Sheaffer Imperial II Deluxe (touchdown) pen for the line work;
> Washes of Noodler's Blue Eel and Cross Black inks;
> Canson 98# (160gsm) Mix Media paper, 7"x10" (17,7cm x 25,4cm).




I like your sketches.   I take pictures because I cannot draw.   ;(


----------



## snowbear

Didereaux said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, the weekly theme at the fountain pen site has been inactive for a while so I'm not making the drawings at the moment.  Still, I have a few to share, and I'll get back to drawing again, probably after the holidays (I actually have two to do, before then, for a couple folks here.)
> 
> This was "A Pair of Eyeglasses or Sunglasses"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> scan0035.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr
> 
> And the equivalent of EXIF:
> HB pencil for rough-in;
> Cross Black ink in the Sheaffer Imperial II Deluxe (touchdown) pen for the line work;
> Washes of Noodler's Blue Eel and Cross Black inks;
> Canson 98# (160gsm) Mix Media paper, 7"x10" (17,7cm x 25,4cm).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I like your sketches.   I take pictures because I cannot draw.   ;(
Click to expand...


Sure you can. It's like anything else - it takes practice.


----------



## Didereaux

snowbear said:


> Didereaux said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, the weekly theme at the fountain pen site has been inactive for a while so I'm not making the drawings at the moment.  Still, I have a few to share, and I'll get back to drawing again, probably after the holidays (I actually have two to do, before then, for a couple folks here.)
> 
> This was "A Pair of Eyeglasses or Sunglasses"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> scan0035.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr
> 
> And the equivalent of EXIF:
> HB pencil for rough-in;
> Cross Black ink in the Sheaffer Imperial II Deluxe (touchdown) pen for the line work;
> Washes of Noodler's Blue Eel and Cross Black inks;
> Canson 98# (160gsm) Mix Media paper, 7"x10" (17,7cm x 25,4cm).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I like your sketches.   I take pictures because I cannot draw.   ;(
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Sure you can. It's like anything else - it takes practice.
Click to expand...


In this case the total lack of talent requires far more practice than the arthritis will allow!


----------



## jcdeboever

snowbear said:


> Well, the weekly theme at the fountain pen site has been inactive for a while so I'm not making the drawings at the moment.  Still, I have a few to share, and I'll get back to drawing again, probably after the holidays (I actually have two to do, before then, for a couple folks here.)
> 
> This was "A Pair of Eyeglasses or Sunglasses"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> scan0035.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr
> 
> And the equivalent of EXIF:
> HB pencil for rough-in;
> Cross Black ink in the Sheaffer Imperial II Deluxe (touchdown) pen for the line work;
> Washes of Noodler's Blue Eel and Cross Black inks;
> Canson 98# (160gsm) Mix Media paper, 7"x10" (17,7cm x 25,4cm).


Excellent. I love this thread. It's like opening a present every time I see a notice. Thank-you sir, you're a peach.


----------



## snowbear

jcdeboever said:


> Excellent. I love this thread. It's like opening a present every time I see a notice. Thank-you sir, you're a peach.


Thank you. Actually I'm a bear, but I get what you mean.


----------



## snowbear

I'm not sure if I'll be about on Sunday, so I'll toss this one out a couple of days early.
Just red and black ink, pointilism.




Weekly Sketch #21 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

Not part of the (now defunct) weekly sketch challenge but a pen & ink sketch, nonetheless.
Leonore (@limr) wanted one of my drawings with a _Coffee House_ or related theme.  She has it now, so I can share.




CoffeeHouse by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

edit: I changed the thread title to be a bit flexible.


----------



## Gary A.

I echo JC.


----------



## snowbear

Gracias.


----------



## limr

I love my new piece of art!


----------



## snowbear

Yay! It was worth the map.


----------



## limr

snowbear said:


> Yay! It was worth the map.



So the map is good? It's the kind you were asking for?


----------



## snowbear

It's exactly what I was looking for.  Now I have to decide which side will (eventually) be displayed "up" in the frame.


----------



## snowbear

Bell, at her best:



Weekly Sketch #24 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

The original:



cmw3_d40_DSC_0069 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

Another early one: _Three Pieces of Citrus.  Bell helped on this one._




Weekly Sketch #4 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

I actually tried to do this one earlier, but I ate the grapefruit before I got the pen and ink together.


----------



## snowbear

I don't love this one, but I'm satisfied with it since it's a five-minute sketch.  A crumpled piece of paper is actually a hard thing to draw with any accuracy.  The pen was free and I _love_ this color.



fpn-weekly-sketch-8_23759531979_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## droaingsong

Nice selection of that color.


----------



## snowbear

droaingsong said:


> Nice selection of that color.


Thank you.  The ink was a gift.


----------



## Didereaux

enjoy your sketches.  Very Thurber-esque.


----------



## snowbear

Thanks, but I think I'm more of a scribbler.
I'm going to try an put one up every week.  I'm hoping it will give me an incentive to draw more of them.


----------



## Didereaux

snowbear said:


> Thanks, but I think I'm more of a scribbler.



...as was Thurber.    ....but a really really good scribbler!


----------



## snowbear

Someone asked if I could draw a dragon.




2016-02-27 22.51.24 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## tirediron

snowbear said:


> Someone asked if I could draw a dragon.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2016-02-27 22.51.24 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


I guess the answer then, is "Yes"?


----------



## snowbear

_I_ think so.  Llewellyn (the dragon) came out pink, instead of red, but that's OK, I guess.


----------



## Gary A.

That's a big yes to me. So you take requests?


----------



## snowbear

Gary A. said:


> That's a big yes in my book. So you take requests?


Yes.  Leonore has one.


----------



## snowbear

A twine bobbin with scissors.  I picked it up at The Barn Show - antique + top tier flea market run by some family friends.



Weekly Sketch #23 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

The theme was _A Green Vegetable_ though these are actually fruits.



Weekly Sketch #2 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

MLW at the Fire/EMS Operations Center (the Watch Office).  Quick sketch with Rollerball pen.


----------



## Gary A.

Have your tried sketching with a tablet?


----------



## snowbear

Gary A. said:


> Have your tried sketching with a tablet?


Not in a while.


----------



## Gary A.

I just thought it would open up a whole lot of options in a small package for your sketching.


----------



## snowbear

When I retired (first attempt), one of the ladies in HR gave me a Bamboo tablet.  I've used it for post processing (dust and spot removal) and some GIS editing but not a lot of drawing.  I'll start using it more, but paper and pen/pencil is so much more portable: I don't need electricity or the desk space required for a laptop (for the smaller pads).


----------



## jcdeboever

snowbear said:


> When I retired (first attempt), one of the ladies in HR gave me a Bamboo tablet.  I've used it for post processing (dust and spot removal) and some GIS editing but not a lot of drawing.  I'll start using it more, but paper and pen/pencil is so much more portable: I don't need electricity or the desk space required for a laptop (for the smaller pads).


I used to do a lot of pen and ink on brown paper grocery bags. I would cut the bag up in 8 x 10 sheets and then dry iron them. Then draw on them, fixatiff them, then apply washes of white gouache to virtually block out the image. I would then gently remove the gouache using water and sea sponge and wet or dry sandpaper.


----------



## snowbear

jcdeboever said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> When I retired (first attempt), one of the ladies in HR gave me a Bamboo tablet.  I've used it for post processing (dust and spot removal) and some GIS editing but not a lot of drawing.  I'll start using it more, but paper and pen/pencil is so much more portable: I don't need electricity or the desk space required for a laptop (for the smaller pads).
> 
> 
> 
> I used to do a lot of pen and ink on brown paper grocery bags. I would cut the bag up in 8 x 10 sheets and then dry iron them. Then draw on them, fixatiff them, then apply washes of white gouache to virtually block out the image. I would then gently remove the gouache using water and sea sponge and wet or dry sandpaper.
Click to expand...

That sounds very interesting.  I've never tried gouache - it's a bit expensive.

Dad was a computer operator, then a programmer, and would bring home blank sheets of 14-7/8" x 11" greenbar which is what I "learned" to draw on (with crayons).


----------



## Gary A.

jcdeboever said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> When I retired (first attempt), one of the ladies in HR gave me a Bamboo tablet.  I've used it for post processing (dust and spot removal) and some GIS editing but not a lot of drawing.  I'll start using it more, but paper and pen/pencil is so much more portable: I don't need electricity or the desk space required for a laptop (for the smaller pads).
> 
> 
> 
> I used to do a lot of pen and ink on brown paper grocery bags. I would cut the bag up in 8 x 10 sheets and then dry iron them. Then draw on them, fixatiff them, then apply washes of white gouache to virtually block out the image. I would then gently remove the gouache using water and sea sponge and wet or dry sandpaper.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a lot of work. Learn that in the Corps?


----------



## jcdeboever

Gary A. said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> When I retired (first attempt), one of the ladies in HR gave me a Bamboo tablet.  I've used it for post processing (dust and spot removal) and some GIS editing but not a lot of drawing.  I'll start using it more, but paper and pen/pencil is so much more portable: I don't need electricity or the desk space required for a laptop (for the smaller pads).
> 
> 
> 
> I used to do a lot of pen and ink on brown paper grocery bags. I would cut the bag up in 8 x 10 sheets and then dry iron them. Then draw on them, fixatiff them, then apply washes of white gouache to virtually block out the image. I would then gently remove the gouache using water and sea sponge and wet or dry sandpaper.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> That sounds like a lot of work. Learn that in the Corps?
Click to expand...


Sounds like it but the results were very pleasing and didn't take long once you got the technique down. The drawing took the majority of the time. I learned it from Jasper Johns in 1981. He used a similar technique in his encaustic paintings. I forgot to mention that some of the ink was lifted off prior to white wash. It was all about creating a unique image. Sorry snowbear, didn't mean to hijack your thread, I was just thought it might give you some creative ideas.


----------



## snowbear

Not a hijack - this isn't supposed to be a broadcast, but a discussion.  I've been considering dipping into encaustic but it's so expensive.  Maybe I'll try some crayons and a cheap heat gun.

This week's: I think the theme was "something round" so I picked cherry tomatoes (see what I did there?)
As seems to be my norm, I sketched with ink, applied a wash, then inked in some suggestion of shadow or texture.




scan0037.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

This is an idea for cataloging ink samples.  Clyde (the bear) is drawn with waterproof India Ink, while his scarf is done in whatever ink I wanted to catalogue, in this case, Iroshizuku _yama-budo_ (Crimson Glory Vine).  I'm considering putting Clyde on a stamp or linoleum block.




Iroshizuku yama-budo by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

Since we lost a coworker last week, I'm posting two.  RIP, Bridgette



 



The Maltese cross is straight pen and ink; the cap is washing.


----------



## smoke665

snowbear said:


> but paper and pen/pencil is so much more portable: I don't need electricity or the desk space required for a laptop (for the smaller pads).



So true, there's a different feel. To me the digital tablet seems disconnected. I have the same problem reading a digital book versus a printed copy. Each artist has their own preference of medium did a lot of pen & ink line drawings architectural  way back when, tried painting for awhile, but just didn't find it interesting. Finally found Prismacolor colored pencils. I liked the ability to build up color, lay it down and pick it back up at any time, and like you said no electricity, no space required.


----------



## snowbear

The feel - so true.  For me, there is also a flexibility with traditional media.  I can vary the pressure and orientation of a brush, pencil, or piece of charcoal and get the line just-so.  I can't seem to do that with software.  I find the same thing, at times, when I'm working with GIS data; writing a Python script provides me a little more flexibility than the pre-built tools in the software, even though I call those same tools in my script.

For painting, I started with oils as a kid, and did a little watercolor, but not enough to really do well at it.  I took an oil class during my first semester at community college, and hated it.  It was more work than any other class I had, so painting became more of a chore than fun.  I didn't pick up a brush for many years after that, though I did continue to draw a bit.  It wasn't until 6 or 7 years ago that I started to play with painting again, but I went with acrylic and watercolor instead of oils.

Prismacolor are also my favorites, though I haven't tried their watercolor pencils, yet.  I'll need to finish up the Derwent's I have, then I'll pick up some.

I am not quite the same with books - I love real books and magazines, but I also quickly adapted to e-readers - odd, I know, but it's partly because it's a physical space saver.  I love my Kindle even though it's not what I would call a full blown tablet, just a reader with extra stuff.


----------



## snowbear

A bit late, this week, but I'm getting over being sick.  It's starting to feel like summer with the humidity and temps near 80.  Here, in the Land of Pleasant Living, summer means _beautiful swimmers_, or the Blue Crab (Maryland's official crustacean), though they are better when they are reddish-orange.




Weekly Sketch #19 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## Gary A.

So how long did it take to sketch this?


----------



## snowbear

Gary A. said:


> So how long did it take to sketch this?


Maybe 20 minutes.  I had to wait for yellow to dry on the old bay can before I could go in with red and blue.  If you look in the box corner, you can see a little smudge.


----------



## snowbear

A Jumble of String.  Bluish-green and and black ink; maybe a trace of brown.  Water washes over cross-hatching in the blue, the black line work done after the wash.  I did most of this one in the minor emergency exam room with MLW.




fpn-weekly-sketch-10_24295618445_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

The back of a chair.




Weekly Sketch #20 by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## smoke665

snowbear said:


> A Jumble of String



IMO this is harder to draw then it looks. You need good spatial awareness to make it look right.


----------



## snowbear

Yes, it is.  Crumple-up paper is also a challenge with the many shapes and tones.


----------



## Gary A.

Was/is the green there, or is the green your own invention.  

(Everytime I see your sketches I am envious. But just no time and most likely no talent. I want to do what you do.)


----------



## snowbear

The real background is not green; the walls are off-white.  I wanted some color and the green ink bottle was the closest one.


----------



## snowbear

Something round.  Well, a few somethings; a meatball sandwich.




#1B Something That Is Round.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## ZombiesniperJr

Great drawing


----------



## snowbear

Thank you.  The sandwich was better.


----------



## jcdeboever

I like meatballs


----------



## snowbear

A purple ink, Iroshizuku _murasaki-shikibu; _the Japanese beautyberry.




scan0029.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

I missed last weekend due to being in Portland, ME, so here's something appropriate (no, not a Lobstah).  The theme was "something with a zipper" so I picked a gym bag.  Washes with line details - Cross Black and one of the brighter reds I have - I don't recall which.




scan0030.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

I'm getting close to the end of the pile so I'll spend this weekend drawing some things.


----------



## snowbear

Going to be busy tomorrow.




#1 Something that is round by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

Happy Independence Day!  There is something odd about this flag, though . . .




20160702_204918.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## smoke665

You drew the official Flag of July 2, 1960? LOL


----------



## snowbear

smoke665 said:


> You drew the official Flag of July 2, 1960? LOL




It is one is the least known.


----------



## smoke665

snowbear said:


> smoke665 said:
> 
> 
> 
> You drew the official Flag of July 2, 1960? LOL
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Did that once on a large relief carving of an eagle holding a furling flag. I was so  . I distressed the carving to make it look older, told everyone it was chronologically correct for the time period.
Click to expand...


----------



## snowbear

Two for one: a Pen & Ink sketch, and the same scene with watercolor pencils.



Sketches by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

Tools of the trade: Dark grey ink and a glass dip pen



Sketch tools by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr

The pencils.



Watercolor pencils by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## terri

Charlie!!   You're so talented!    I just went through the whole thread and I'm very impressed.   I'm playing with oil pastels these days, since my darkroom's in pieces and I'm trying to get some tactile creative fix.   I could never just draw something in ink - INK! - off the cuff like you do.    I sketch everything I do out in pencil (with a fat eraser nearby) before I pick up an op.   

      Huzzah!


----------



## jcdeboever

Just wonderful


----------



## snowbear

terri said:


> Charlie!!   You're so talented!    I just went through the whole thread and I'm very impressed.   I'm playing with oil pastels these days, since my darkroom's in pieces and I'm trying to get some tactile creative fix.   I could never just draw something in ink - INK! - off the cuff like you do.    I sketch everything I do out in pencil (with a fat eraser nearby) before I pick up an op.
> 
> Huzzah!



Some of these (the better ones) are roughed in with pencil first, then I go in with ink.  I can really do much better if I slow down, but the ink sketches are usually 5 to 10 minutes each, a bit longer if I use washes.  It's been a couple of years since I played with pastels.  On my Flickr page is a shot of an oil painting of firefighters in action that I did for class, 40 years ago.

I picked up an unofficial minor (18 credits) in Studio Art at Maryland. It's unofficial because UMD doesn't give minors in Art.  That's two things Jim Henson and I have in common: birthdays and UMD Art classes.



jcdeboever said:


> Just wonderful


Thank you.


----------



## snowbear

OK, something a little different.

I have a polar bear tattoo on my arm which was based on a rubber stamp I made.





I made a drawing, glued it to pink rubber stamp stock (like the pink rubber erasers, only flat), then epoxied that to a piece of maple.  I carved out the stuff I didn't want to print with an X-Acto knife and gouge.


----------



## jcdeboever

I want one on my tookus


----------



## snowbear

Maybe red lipstick?  Mistletoe?


----------



## snowbear

With apologies to the First Nations/Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest.




pnw sun.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

I guess it's time to continue on.  This one is dedicated to Mom-in-Law, whom succumbed to cancer a couple weeks ago.  Love you, Mary - you were our sunshine.

Simple enough - the yellow is yellow acrylic ink a la paintbrush and the outline is black acrylic ink (Speedball #B6 nib).  Penciled in first.




IMG_0106.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## vintagesnaps

I like the Pacific Northwest native style artwork and design. 

I started an online course on print making but never got beyond the video (yet) but you download it so I can get to it sometime. I remember doing that in art classes somewhere along the way, carving a design out of that linoleum for artwork (not the flooring!) to do block prints.


----------



## jcdeboever

vintagesnaps said:


> I like the Pacific Northwest native style artwork and design.
> 
> I started an online course on print making but never got beyond the video (yet) but you download it so I can get to it sometime. I remember doing that in art classes somewhere along the way, carving a design out of that linoleum for artwork (not the flooring!) to do block prints.


I've Done, it's fun.


----------



## terri

snowbear said:


> With apologies to the First Nations/Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pnw sun.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr





Nice!    Inks?      

I admire your free-form circle and triangles, too, on your yellow sun for your late MIL.


----------



## snowbear

Why thank you.

Yes, inks for all.  I found an ink sample ("Noodler's Rattler Red") in a drawer and used it, along with a solid black for the PNW.  The acrylics used for the stylized contemporary are actually labeled Calligraphy Ink.  I got them for Christmas one year.

Sharon - I adore the PNW styles; I picked up two books on it but I haven't been able to practice a whole lot.  There are some regional (aka "Tribal") differences in the way the features are made.  For example, the eyes can be rendered three or four different ways and the overall style changes as you go from the north to the south.

I re-started the themed challenge on one of the pen forums but we are now going monthly (sound like something here?)  and picked "Sun" for August because of the eclipse.  I had planned to do a Mayan-esque sun but the model I was looking at is very complex and I didn't feel I had the time to devote to it.  I've been to Maine twice this month and will very probably be doing another round trip next weekend (10 hours, minimum, each way).


----------



## snowbear

This time, a battery. Definitely not one of my favorites: I still like the concept but the execution is lacking.  Maybe if I had used a t-square and triangle.




fpn-weekly-sketch-18_25088067853_o by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

The theme was "Your Pet".  I sketched three of them.
Inks, pen a bit of wash.  I think the blue is from the scanner bed.




scan0036.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## davidharmier60

If you take requests how about WWII nose art?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


----------



## snowbear

Never tried, but I will consider it.


----------



## snowbear

Another two-for-one.  These were attempts at Ink-Sample trees, an idea I borrowed from a fantastic artist and photographer, Pira Urosevic.  The idea is to draw the tree trunk with a waterproof India or acrylic ink, then add the ink sample for the leaves.  I prefer the wash I got with the second one, though the trunk is too funky.  Ultimately I've decided on a polar bear (of course) wearing an inked scarf for samples.



 



scan0033.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr
scan0031.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## terri

I really like that you work with inks - love the look of that wash.   Me, I remain fearful of any medium I can't erase or remove with marlene.   

Over the last couple of months, I took some basic drawing lessons online - 5, to be exact.   I still suck.


----------



## snowbear

terri said:


> I really like that you work with inks - love the look of that wash.   Me, I remain fearful of any medium I can't erase or remove with marlene.
> 
> Over the last couple of months, I took some basic drawing lessons online - 5, to be exact.   I still suck.


I want to see some of your work.  When I started doing this again, after so many years, I really sucked, too.  I am still far away from where I want to be.

I usually do a light sketch in pencil first, then add the inks.  Here's a series (the final was posted on page 1) that shows my usual process.

"What's that?"




"Oh, it's my little helper!"




Setting up the subject




The general sketch in pencil




Start filling in with ink




Finish inking the drawing, then erase the pencil




Finished.


----------



## snowbear

Here's one with washes, though it's not as detailed.

Pencil layout




Inked outline and some shading with black (or dark grey)




Red and yellow washes added; just watercolor, but I'm using ink instead of paint.  Unfortunaely, I didn't let the black dry, first.


----------



## terri

Very cool.   I admire your quick sketches that still show good detail. 

Ugh...When I am off my phone, I can show you a page from my class sketchbook, if you want.   I don't want to hijack your thread with my cave woman scratches!


----------



## Gary A.

Looks like a lot of work to me.  God bless you.


----------



## snowbear

terri said:


> Very cool.   I admire your quick sketches that still show good detail.
> 
> Ugh...When I am off my phone, I can show you a page from my class sketchbook, if you want.   I don't want to hijack your thread with my cave woman scratches!


It's fine.  This was intended to be a conversation (visual, as well as verbal), not a monologue.


----------



## terri

Okay, darlin', you asked for it so you got it.    Just a few.    This was the class on cubes/boxes/rectangles.    The point here was to follow through with the leading lines to an imaginary vanishing point (the VP along the top).    Ugh. 







...and then, find a cubic object of any type from around the house.    This is my cellarette.   It's actually a beautiful antique piece.    (The shading is all poor because I only used a cheap #2 pencil throughout all the classes.)     I drew the leading lines to show that they were parallel and thus straight.  



 


My circa 1968 Singer sewing machine:


----------



## terri

And here are a few from later classes.     This chair is to demonstrate that foreground will look larger or longer than background.







These are from the class on ellipses and cylinders.    I should be able to draw a better wine glass, since it's such a familiar object.    







Another class, on spherical objects.    These three were compulsory to draw, per the instructor.







Then, any kind of spherical object from around the house - in this case, a little silver pitcher.






There are lots more, but most of it is to show practice on the above concepts - circles, lines, cubes, blah blah.    The instructor dinged me for my constant outlining of objects, but that's my comfort zone.


----------



## terri

And, what have I learned from my classes?    Most importantly, that I need a better eraser.


----------



## snowbear

I think they are quite good; I especially like the furniture pieces.  Keep at it.

Outlining is one of my things, too.  I try not to, if I'm working in pencil, but it's difficult to not fall back into it.  I guess if you draw all the time, you get over it.  Another thing that can "get" you are shadows - the value varies a little going away from the object.  I'll have to dig up some of my pencil & charcoal things I did in class.  I threw a bunch out - mainly fast 1-minute sketches of human form, but there are one or two I'm fond of.


----------



## jcdeboever

terri said:


> I really like that you work with inks - love the look of that wash.   Me, I remain fearful of any medium I can't erase or remove with marlene.   [emoji38]
> 
> Over the last couple of months, I took some basic drawing lessons online - 5, to be exact.   I still suck.



Practise drawing an object without looking at the paper. Try it maybe 10 times. Then draw it while looking at it and the paper. If you continue this over a period of time, your drawing skills will improve dramatically. Another method is to tape some paper down to a table. Grab a magazine image or photo, tape it to the table upside down. Draw it. You can also buy some transparent film, use a sharpie and ruler, make a grid on it and place it over image your copying. Draw in smaller chunnks until image is completed. All these exercises will train the right side of the brain to coordinate with your drawing hand. People with serious drawing skills have a solid connection in the right side of brain and the hand.


----------



## snowbear

Or, like the smaller chunks that JC mentioned - cut a rectangle in a stiff card stock - about 3x5, or so.  Then look at the wall or larger object through the window, held at arm's length.  Draw what you see through he window, then move the card (try to get the side to line up with what you just drew) and draw what's in the window.  Keep going until the paper is filled.


----------



## terri

jcdeboever said:


> terri said:
> 
> 
> 
> I really like that you work with inks - love the look of that wash.   Me, I remain fearful of any medium I can't erase or remove with marlene.   [emoji38]
> 
> Over the last couple of months, I took some basic drawing lessons online - 5, to be exact.   I still suck.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Practise drawing an object without looking at the paper. Try it maybe 10 times. Then draw it while looking at it and the paper. If you continue this over a period of time, your drawing skills will improve dramatically. Another method is to tape some paper down to a table. Grab a magazine image or photo, tape it to the table upside down. Draw it. You can also buy some transparent film, use a sharpie and ruler, make a grid on it and place it over image your copying. Draw in smaller chunnks until image is completed. All these exercises will train the right side of the brain to coordinate with your drawing hand. People with serious drawing skills have a solid connection in the right side of brain and the hand.
Click to expand...

I've actually heard of this - drawing objects upside down, so you are forced to pay attention to line and shape, rather than what your *think* the object should look like.   Excellent suggestion.

Well, you've been very kind, Charlie.       I appreciate it, as this is wayyyy outside my comfort zone.    Even when hand coloring, it's on a B&W photograph: no drawing skills necessary.   But it's nice - and I really have come to believe, beneficial - to force your mind to wrap around other objectives, creatively.    I really have little interest in drawing with pencils, but the classes _did_ force me to spend time on the effort needed to draw what you see in front of you.  

The basic premise from these classes is that there are 4 shapes in all of nature: the cone, the sphere, the cube, and the cylinder - and that once you train your eye/mind to recognize them in everything, in their various presentations, it becomes easier to draw more realistically.    

I've actually been doing some work with oil pastels - it started as another medium to work with hand coloring B&W photos, but I started doing some free-form work.   That's when I realized how crappy I am at drawing.


----------



## jcdeboever

terri said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> terri said:
> 
> 
> 
> I really like that you work with inks - love the look of that wash.   Me, I remain fearful of any medium I can't erase or remove with marlene.   [emoji38]
> 
> Over the last couple of months, I took some basic drawing lessons online - 5, to be exact.   I still suck.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Practise drawing an object without looking at the paper. Try it maybe 10 times. Then draw it while looking at it and the paper. If you continue this over a period of time, your drawing skills will improve dramatically. Another method is to tape some paper down to a table. Grab a magazine image or photo, tape it to the table upside down. Draw it. You can also buy some transparent film, use a sharpie and ruler, make a grid on it and place it over image your copying. Draw in smaller chunnks until image is completed. All these exercises will train the right side of the brain to coordinate with your drawing hand. People with serious drawing skills have a solid connection in the right side of brain and the hand.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I've actually heard of this - drawing objects upside down, so you are forced to pay attention to line and shape, rather than what your *think* the object should look like.   Excellent suggestion.
> 
> Well, you've been very kind, Charlie.       I appreciate it, as this is wayyyy outside my comfort zone.    Even when hand coloring, it's on a B&W photograph: no drawing skills necessary.   But it's nice - and I really have come to believe, beneficial - to force your mind to wrap around other objectives, creatively.    I really have little interest in drawing with pencils, but the classes _did_ force me to spend time on the effort needed to draw what you see in front of you.
> 
> The basic premise from these classes is that there are 4 shapes in all of nature: the cone, the sphere, the cube, and the cylinder - and that once you train your eye/mind to recognize them in everything, in their various presentations, it becomes easier to draw more realistically.
> 
> I've actually been doing some work with oil pastels - it started as another medium to work with hand coloring B&W photos, but I started doing some free-form work.   That's when I realized how crappy I am at drawing.     [emoji38]
Click to expand...

I always loved charcoal and graphite. For pen and ink, just your standard bic pen, you know, the one with the cap. I used a large amount of rapadio graphic pens back in the day for large pointalism works. I used to melt down a certain type of oil pastel into liquid (hot) beeswax for encaustic work, brand name escapes me at the moment.

Drawing without looking at paper will advance your render skill fast but it takes insane discipline and concentration. Lots of practice at it helps too. The guy that taught me that used to wack me with a stick when I peaked. I was like 9 or 10 years old.


----------



## vintagesnaps

You're better than you think Terri. But I don't get what this class is! lol I always took art in school, although by college only two art electives - drawing and art history. Then got more into my major. Maybe I have a faulty memory but I don't get what they're having you do! it doesn't ring a bell at all.


----------



## vintagesnaps

And I don't get the not looking at the paper either... if the teacher whacked you for peeking that was unacceptable and shouldn't have happened. That's hardly a teaching technique any decent teacher would do with a kid so I have to wonder what the heck kind of a teacher that was with anything you were being taught by that loser. Sheesh.


----------



## vintagesnaps

Nice Charlie, I didn't realize you started with pencil sketches. I haven't done ink drawing; closest thing was using those Sakura ink pens on fabric to do a design and lettering. 

I should do some drawing, haven't done that in ages!


----------



## snowbear

vintagesnaps said:


> And I don't get the not looking at the paper either... if the teacher whacked you for peeking that was unacceptable and shouldn't have happened. That's hardly a teaching technique any decent teacher would do with a kid so I have to wonder what the heck kind of a teacher that was with anything you were being taught by that loser. Sheesh.


I think it's to get you used to making the motions with your hands, if that makes sense.  When I was in Scouts, a thousand years ago, we practiced making knot with our eyes closed.  It's a lot like knowing all the controls on your camera.



vintagesnaps said:


> Nice Charlie, I didn't realize you started with pencil sketches. I haven't done ink drawing; closest thing was using those Sakura ink pens on fabric to do a design and lettering.
> 
> I should do some drawing, haven't done that in ages!


One or two of these were done without pencil.  Admittedly, when I do that, I make multiple attempts before I get one I'm satisfied with.

Yes! Please draw something, and post it.


----------



## jcdeboever

vintagesnaps said:


> And I don't get the not looking at the paper either... if the teacher whacked you for peeking that was unacceptable and shouldn't have happened. That's hardly a teaching technique any decent teacher would do with a kid so I have to wonder what the heck kind of a teacher that was with anything you were being taught by that loser. Sheesh.


Snowbear hit on it. Something to do with the brain naturally using the left side of the brain, which uses ties in emotional response to the hand. Kind of like drawing your mother and it doesn't look like her but more like how you see her emotionally but you could nail a complete stranger because there is no emotional connection. 

As far as the teacher, he wasn't a real teacher but someone in my life that could draw. I remember laughing about it some years later, he said the nuns at his school did that to him and it worked. Worked for me too, different times I suppose. It wasn't a big deal at the time, things were kinda like that. Our little neighborhood village was pretty violent on all levels. Lots of physical discipline in them days.


----------



## snowbear

Sharon - I missed the part about "getting whacked" as physical - sorry.  I was referring to it figuratively.

Our nephew is a professional artist & designer.  He specializes in playing card and magician's card designs, but does other art drawings, as well.  At one time, he was hosting an "artist hangout" on Google+, and still may (they were on Monday afternoons, when I'm at work). If you or anyone else is interested, send him a note and see if he's still doing it.  He's always willing to help others improve their art.


----------



## snowbear

The series wasn't intended to be the normal post, so here's the week's entry.

This is an idea I've been playing with to use as an ink sample catalog.  My current method is to write the name, a flourish or two, and a wash swipe on a small card (about 2" x 3").  I need to scale it down to 2x3, and I might try to make a linoleum block cut for the outline , so I don't have to draw it every time.

1.  What I do now:




2. What I want to do:



Ink sample catalog idea by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## terri

I vote for the bears!      That's a more fun sample to look at.    

Once I started playing with the oil pastels, I had so many different shades of color to keep track of it was difficult to make any decisions.    That was a new problem for me, as I never had an issue with deciding what photo oils to use - it just came easily to me, I guess.   Oil pastels leave me baffled half the time.

Anyway, I eventually made a sample page, too - trying to keep all the reds, blues, etc., on one 9x12 sheet.   A line, a block of color from light to heavy, with the name underneath it.    I put each sheet in a loose photo album with a cellophane sheet cover and tied the album pages together with yarn for a little book.    It's been extremely helpful to look at before just grabbing a random shade.


----------



## Gary A.

vintagesnaps said:


> And I don't get the not looking at the paper either... if the teacher whacked you for peeking that was unacceptable and shouldn't have happened. That's hardly a teaching technique any decent teacher would do with a kid so I have to wonder what the heck kind of a teacher that was with anything you were being taught by that loser. Sheesh.


JC is the exception to the rule. I would have clipped electrodes to his earlobes ... every time he peaked I'd ramp up the voltage.


----------



## snowbear

terri said:


> I vote for the bears!      That's a more fun sample to look at.
> 
> Once I started playing with the oil pastels, I had so many different shades of color to keep track of it was difficult to make any decisions.    That was a new problem for me, as I never had an issue with deciding what photo oils to use - it just came easily to me, I guess.   Oil pastels leave me baffled half the time.
> 
> Anyway, I eventually made a sample page, too - trying to keep all the reds, blues, etc., on one 9x12 sheet.   A line, a block of color from light to heavy, with the name underneath it.    I put each sheet in a loose photo album with a cellophane sheet cover and tied the album pages together with yarn for a little book.    It's been extremely helpful to look at before just grabbing a random shade.



The bear it will be.  This is the third or fourth iteration of Clyde.

I make a small sample sheet for the acrylics, watercolors and pencils.  I'm not as detailed with the value range - I just make 1" x 1" squares with the color name.


----------



## vintagesnaps

So Gary has Frankenstein's la-bor-a-tory handy, huh?


----------



## vintagesnaps

Thanks Charlie I'll take a look. 

I've heard nuns used to be rather strict...


----------



## snowbear

Wow! It's been a while.
Salt and Pepper shaker set from the snow bear collection. FP ink, dip pen.




scan0034.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## benhasajeep

vintagesnaps said:


> Thanks Charlie I'll take a look.
> 
> I've heard nuns used to be rather strict...


 Great, now I have to find a movie.


----------



## snowbear

_Poison:_  Lamy Safari fountain pen (it looks like a medium point), Lamy blue ink.




Poison by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## snowbear

Going back over some of the older posts and I remember another exercise from the early classroom days: paint (or draw) a photograph that has been projected against the wall (film days), _unfocused_.  You get no details, only blobs of color and value (light/dark).  Draw what you see.  In the digital world, unless you have a projector, I guess you can just shoot a photo that's out-of-focus to the point you can't tell what the subject is.


----------



## Dean_Gretsch

snowbear said:


> Going back over some of the older posts and I remember another exercise from the early classroom days: paint (or draw) a photograph that has been projected against the wall (film days), _unfocused_.  You get no details, only blobs of color and value (light/dark).  Draw what you see.  In the digital world, unless you have a projector, I guess you can just shoot a photo that's out-of-focus to the point you can't tell what the subject is.



Hmmm...I have no problem doing that


----------



## snowbear

Me neither


----------



## snowbear

A Fan . . . the alluvial type (a geologic formation, similar to a delta).




20160503_171523.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## terri

Nice!   Is this ink plus watercolor?


----------



## snowbear

terri said:


> Nice!   Is this ink plus watercolor?


Thank you.  Ink _as_ watercolor - I tend to do a lot of washing.


----------



## terri

Interesting!   I think I've said before that ink scares me because it's such a permanent type of medium, and I'm the type of chicken-sh!t artist that likes to be able to clean up mistakes.       You make it look easy.

I have gotten better with the oil pastels, though - they scared me to death when I first started because, like ink, they are not easy to change once the mark is made.


----------



## snowbear

Get a cheap set of markers - not Sharpies, as they bleed through everything.  Lightly outline a scene in pencil (I like 2H or 4H), then retrace the pencil lines with marker.  Now make diagonal hatchings and cross-hatchings for the shadows.  Hit the pencil (if you can see any) with a gum eraser once the marker dries, and you have an ink sketch.  Only want to use one marker, pick a color you like - it doesn't matter.

After a couple of those, try some basic shapes with just the marker - circles, squares, cubes, triangles, pyramids.  Again, use cross hatching or lots of points/dots (see my measuring cup a few pages back) for the shading. 

Eventually, you might want to expand and try washes.  Get a bottle of India ink and one of the Speedball dip-pen kits - a holder and a couple nibs (there's one geared toward cartooning that's decent).  Add a general purpose watercolor brush, like a #4 round, and you're good to go.  India ink will be pretty waterproof when it's dry so you can layer washes without screwing up previous work.


----------



## terri

Wow.   Such knowledge!    I'm likely to remain your admirer than to take up working with this medium anytime soon, though.   I've only recently turned a corner with the oil pastels, and still have a looong way to go before feeling I have a strong handle on them.   It hasn't been a year yet!


----------



## snowbear

You're making me blush.  And, from what you've posted, you are good.  Maybe I should start a drawing challenge thread.

I've thrown away a lot more than I've kept.  I have a few that were started, and likely won't be finished.


----------



## snowbear

For next weekend, I'm going to do another "my steps" series.  This is probably what I'm going to draw, or rather, a variation of it.



red wing blackbird.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


----------



## terri

snowbear said:


> Maybe I should start a drawing challenge thread.


If you start such a thread, I'll play!   I might use oil pastels instead of pencil, if I can. 



snowbear said:


> And, from what you've posted, you are good.


Well, that is generous of you - I'm trying.   I'm used to playing with my _photographs,_ using alternative _photo_ techniques, so the very idea of making my own drawings is pretty foreign.   Frankly, I only picked up oil pastels as another medium to use for hand coloring my photos.   A few times lately, I've used my own photos more as references, just like you are suggesting here with the red-winged blackbird.   I do find it helpful to have something to pull from, which is certainly different than painting over an image. 



snowbear said:


> I've thrown away a lot more than I've kept.


Haven't we all?    The trash can is called "the learning bin."    

Here is one I did last month, oil pastels on cheap gray construction paper.    I used gray paper so I wouldn't have to color the sky.        Kind of a cop-out, but it was more of an attempt to draw snow in trees, which I'd never done.    Also trying to show depth in a drawing, trying to fade out the right side tree as opposed to the little one in the foreground.


----------



## terri

snowbear said:


> For next weekend, I'm going to do another "my steps" series.  This is probably what I'm going to draw, or rather, a variation of it.
> 
> 
> 
> red wing blackbird.jpg by Charlie Wrenn, on Flickr


I love these guys.   As an aside, during the last week or so, a huge flock of them has shown up in my back yard and attacked the feeders like a swarm of locusts.   I had 2 feeders stuffed to the brim - and within 48 hours, they were both empty.   Eating me out of house and home!    But they are a sight to see when they take off in a flock, those wings flashing.   Gorgeous birds.


----------



## snowbear

That's a wonderful drawing, Terri. I've seen a couple RWBBs around here, but not many.

The narrower DoF is something I started trying when I was at Maryland.  We got fussed at for not putting in the background when we were drawing models, so I started experimenting.  I found I liked it best when I included some facial features of the first row of students beyond the model, then just barely added the rest (ovals and squared for heads and easels).


----------



## terri

Thank you.  I never had a classic art class like that, with models and such.  My brain is wired now to look at my drawings as if through a viewfinder.     If it's not quite there, I know I didn't do a good job.


----------



## snowbear

A bit late, but this is the first in the Red Winged Blackbird series.  I have no idea how I am going to finish it - ink, watercolor. acrylic, or maybe pastel.

1.  The reference photo.  I'm not going to include every detail, but rather, get what I feel are the important parts of the scene - the bird and some of the grass.





2.  Lay out the general shape of things and where I want them.  Ovals, lines, and squiggles help define the bird and the surrounding stalks of grass.




3.  Define the lines.  I find I quickly fall back into the "bad" habit of outlining the elements in my drawings, giving them a "coloring book" appearance.  Well, adult coloring books are popular!

I've gone back over the rough-in and I've added darker lines for the bird's outline and minimal details - the eye and feet.  The grass and background are still squiggles, but I think you get a better feeling for what they represent.




Now I have to decide what medium (materials) I am going to use to finish.


----------



## jcdeboever

snowbear said:


> A bit late, but this is the first in the Red Winged Blackbird series.  I have no idea how I am going to finish it - ink, watercolor. acrylic, or maybe pastel.
> 
> 1.  The reference photo.  I'm not going to include every detail, but rather, get what I feel are the important parts of the scene - the bird and some of the grass.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2.  Lay out the general shape of things and where I want them.  Ovals, lines, and squiggles help define the bird and the surrounding stalks of grass.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 3.  Define the lines.  I find I quickly fall back into the "bad" habit of outlining the elements in my drawings, giving them a "coloring book" appearance.  Well, adult coloring books are popular!
> 
> I've gone back over the rough-in and I've added darker lines for the bird's outline and minimal details - the eye and feet.  The grass and background are still squiggles, but I think you get a better feeling for what they represent.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now I have to decide what medium (materials) I am going to use to finish.[/QUOTE



Colored pencils?


----------



## snowbear

jcdeboever said:


> snowbear said:
> 
> 
> 
> A bit late, but this is the first in the Red Winged Blackbird series.  I have no idea how I am going to finish it - ink, watercolor. acrylic, or maybe pastel.
> 
> 1.  The reference photo.  I'm not going to include every detail, but rather, get what I feel are the important parts of the scene - the bird and some of the grass.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2.  Lay out the general shape of things and where I want them.  Ovals, lines, and squiggles help define the bird and the surrounding stalks of grass.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 3.  Define the lines.  I find I quickly fall back into the "bad" habit of outlining the elements in my drawings, giving them a "coloring book" appearance.  Well, adult coloring books are popular!
> 
> I've gone back over the rough-in and I've added darker lines for the bird's outline and minimal details - the eye and feet.  The grass and background are still squiggles, but I think you get a better feeling for what they represent.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now I have to decide what medium (materials) I am going to use to finish.[/QUOTE
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Colored pencils?
Click to expand...

A possibility.  I also have a big box of Crayola crayons with the discontinued "Cornflower".


----------



## Gary A.

I'd just print it.


----------



## snowbear

Gary A. said:


> I'd just print it.


Well, it's a little like you and your back yard . . . "I'd just go to the grocery store."


----------



## vintagesnaps

Very nice. I'd probably go more bold than pastel with the bird being black and red, maybe acrylic. I usually test on a small piece of paper and see, maybe you do that too.


----------



## snowbear

vintagesnaps said:


> Very nice. I'd probably go more bold than pastel with the bird being black and red, maybe acrylic. I usually test on a small piece of paper and see, maybe you do that too.


I'm leaning towards color pencils or pen & ink for this one.


----------



## vintagesnaps

I like B&W but I vote for color! lol or maybe not... it actually looks good even as a pencil sketch.


----------



## jcdeboever

snowbear said:


> vintagesnaps said:
> 
> 
> 
> Very nice. I'd probably go more bold than pastel with the bird being black and red, maybe acrylic. I usually test on a small piece of paper and see, maybe you do that too.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm leaning towards color pencils or pen & ink for this one.
Click to expand...

Pen and ink would be cool but very difficult unless you chose pointalism. Color pencils or pencil watercolor would be a wise choice as it could expedite the render and offer a fair upgrade in separation of the subject and melting of background.


----------



## vintagesnaps

I like the contrast of the black and red against the lighter colors of the background. I haven't used color pencils in a long time and probably have spent too much time using school supplies for young kids (that are designed to not stain or be more of a mess than necessary!) so I guess I think of color pencil being light in shade. Or the kind of thing kids scribble with til the paper's ripping so doing a black bird would probably mean a nice big black crayon!


----------



## snowbear

jcdeboever said:


> Pen and ink would be cool but very difficult unless you chose pointalism. Color pencils or pencil watercolor would be a wise choice as it could expedite the render and offer a fair upgrade in separation of the subject and melting of background.


Don't forget that I do a lot of washes with ink.  It ends up being more like watercolor.  I could probably get away with crosshatching the black.



vintagesnaps said:


> I like the contrast of the black and red against the lighter colors of the background. I haven't used color pencils in a long time and probably have spent too much time using school supplies for young kids (that are designed to not stain or be more of a mess than necessary!) so I guess I think of color pencil being light in shade. Or the kind of thing kids scribble with til the paper's ripping so doing a black bird would probably mean a nice big black crayon!


I like them with a blender (see the 5 kitchen items somewhere).  I use a fairly light touch but I can get some bold color if I lay down the layers.


----------



## terri

snowbear said:


> A bit late, but this is the first in the Red Winged Blackbird series.  I have no idea how I am going to finish it - ink, watercolor. acrylic, or maybe pastel.
> 
> 1.  The reference photo.  I'm not going to include every detail, but rather, get what I feel are the important parts of the scene - the bird and some of the grass.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2.  Lay out the general shape of things and where I want them.  Ovals, lines, and squiggles help define the bird and the surrounding stalks of grass.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 3.  Define the lines.  I find I quickly fall back into the "bad" habit of outlining the elements in my drawings, giving them a "coloring book" appearance.  Well, adult coloring books are popular!
> 
> I've gone back over the rough-in and I've added darker lines for the bird's outline and minimal details - the eye and feet.  The grass and background are still squiggles, but I think you get a better feeling for what they represent.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now I have to decide what medium (materials) I am going to use to finish.


Nice sketch, Charlie!   I happen to like outlines - maybe not all the time, but in a sketch like this it would likely help with separation of the bird from the background.   I don't know why that technique seems to draw the ire of some a artists and art teachers.    Geez, van Gogh put it in your face!  Fortunately, he went his own way and did his own thing.

You mentioned crayons, so I have to suggest oil pastels, since they're so similar.  With colored pencils for details.   Though I'm sure you'll make it look great with one of your famous ink washes. 

Off to a good start !


----------



## snowbear

Thanks, everyone.


----------



## paigew

These are fantastic!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## snowbear

paigew said:


> These are fantastic!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Thank you.  I'm sure I could do much better if I spent more time on them.  New Year's resolution - more art.


----------



## terri

snowbear said:


> paigew said:
> 
> 
> 
> These are fantastic!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you.  I'm sure I could do much better if I spent more time on them.  New Year's resolution - more art.
Click to expand...

I completely agree and encourage this resolution!


----------

