Out and about in Redfield with the Moleskine

Here are a few I've done over the last couple of days. The first was a man at the surgery while I was waiting for the midwife. I almost didn't draw him because the bald spot was putting me off. But he was the only person in the waiting room so I had to just get over it! The next are of people in Tesco Metro while I was waiting to pick up a camera I'd ordered online. It's a shame I don't have more excuses to sit by the checkouts there as you definitely see some interesting people passing through, and they stand relatively still! I then went to the park briefly. I'd intended to draw a couple more people there but no-one was nearby. Then this dog came and stood in front of me, expectantly. I'm sorry I've called him 'Stupid Dog' I'm sure he's not. He just had a funny look on his face and was kind of knock-kneed with big fluffy paws that was all making him look quite comical.

These were all done with a pitt pen 'S'. The colours are Promarker and Berol Markers 'fine'. I found a pack of Berol markers in my cupboard I've never really used. Think I acquired them from a school I was working in. It never occurred to me to use them in 'art' but due to the Creative Every Day 'Colour' theme I've put a couple into my carry around pencil case in order to have some new portable spot colours.

Watercolours, dip pen, Seawhites sketchbook

I've been getting back into using watercolours lately. The 'colour' theme for April at Creative Every Day has made me think about using new, stronger colours and, as much as I love Promarkers, I don't really like using the stronger colours in their range as I just find they swamp the illustration a bit. Plus, I really can't afford to buy any more of them! So I've had these watercolours out. But I haven't had a lot of success with them in the sketchbook I'm using at the moment. They go fluffy. They lose all their lovely translucent wateriness. Also, I want to use the dip pen at the moment and this sketchbook most definitely won't have any of that dip pen business. So I dug out a Seawhites sketchbook that is only about 2/3 full. I was using it for a project and for an illustration class I did so I never finished it.

So I was really just trying out how the watercolours would turn out on this Seawhites sketchbook (I already knew that it is very happy to have the pen and ink on it). I started drawing the nearest colourful thing to me, this Chapstick tin.

I've been thinking about converting this tin into a little tin for watercolours as I have a couple of pans with no home and some tubes of Sennelier colous which I would much prefer to have in a tin. Apparently you can just squeeze them into an empty pan and let them dry overnight. Now I just need to get some cheap empty pans.

The verdict is that the Seawhites sketchbook is really good for dip pen and watercolours. Also, it is really cheap compared to a lot of sketchbooks. I definitely recommend it. I think I paid £5.99 for it at Cass Arts -  I wish Cass would open a store in Bristol! The only minor thing is that it doesn't flatten down in the way that Moleskines and some other sketchbooks do. I mean, it does flatten but it isn't quite so flexible.  It says in it's blurb though that it is 'sized for extra wet-strength' and it really is because I like using a lot of water! I will try it with some ink washes next.

Adding Colour Where Colour Is Not!

I would never have drawn this as a subject matter but EDM #314 - 'Draw something that has a knob'  prompted me to.  I also never add colours where colours were not in the original scene but the CED theme for this month which is 'colour' has made me think about trying to use some new colours. I  love using spot colours and after sketching the girl in the library with the pink hat, I've got a thing for wanting to add pinky and purpley colours into B&W sketches.  I don't know how to fuse two pages together into one after scanning hence why this is split in two...

Equipment: I started off doing the lines with my dip pen but it does not get along with this sketchbook. It feathered crazily! I usually try to work around unexpected reactions of materials and see it as a happy accident that can be made something of but the paper was also getting all fluffed up in the nib and I didn't want to wreck the poor nib. So I scrapped it. I had a no.1 size brush that I bought for an art class and never used so decided I might be able to do the line work with that. I do have a brush pen but I wanted the sort of irregular lines that a dip pen produces and thought my shaky hand using the brush for the first time might create something similarly interesting. So the black and the grey are Winsor Newton Indian Ink, watered down for the grey. The colour I really love. It is Aliz Crimson and Ultramarine mixed. There is also a tiny bit of some blue or Payne's Grey in the shading but I can't remember. For the scratchy lines I used my 'S' Pitt Pen. It's been a while since I did scratchy lines - I used to do them quite a lot. I think they bring an illustration to life, if a cooker can be brought to life!

Pepper, Salt, Hot Sauce! (EDM #319)

Here is a biro sketch on a napkin for EDM #319 - 'Draw the condiments on a diner or casual restaurant table'.

I thought I was perhaps going to have to skip EDM 319 as, since I have been pregnant, I never go out to eat anywhere, I'm too broke for such frivolities!  I only ever eat out anywhere when my Mum comes to stay.  As such, I've also stopped carrying around my little A6 Moleskine.  So when I was out having lunch with my Mum yesterday I suddenly noticed what was on the table 'Oh condiments! EDM 319!'  I said I couldn't possibly draw them while I was having lunch with her as that would be totally antisocial of me. But she said she thought I should definitely do the sketch and actually I managed to do it while we were waiting for the food to arrive.

I drew them with a black biro from my Mum's handbag and a napkin from the table.  I like the fact that it happened that way. It's nice to draw with/on unexpected materials. I also can't colour this as the napkin won't hold the colour so it's nice as a B&W sketch.

Rainy Day Cat

Last weekend Loxie and I were rained in. Her more so than me really.  She loves going outside to play but she really isn't keen on the rain.  She also really dislikes having to use a litter tray when she needs the loo - oh the indignity!  So I felt really sorry for her last Saturday when it was tipping down and she was sitting at the window looking longingly at the world outside the window.  I was also thinking about the Creative Every Day B&W theme.  It was almost B&W but I really wanted to include the brown colour of the window blind.

I originally did this drawing with the cat just as an outline, and I think I preferred it like that. But I coloured her in with the black lines to try and disguise a bit the fact that I had drawn her in the scene after the window and so the window frame was running through her! It made her look at bit like a ghost! I'm also really sorry to Loxie that I have done her a bit of a disservice. She is not as plump as I have made her look here! 

I was going to wait until I get the scanner to post this but as I haven't done any drawing for the last 2 days due to being tired and busy (putting together IKEA furniture and sorting baby stuff), I thought I'd just post it anyway. I will definitely re-upload it though as the rain will show up better under the scanner.

Thank you to Hwee at http://hweesartjourney.blogspot.co.uk/ for recommending the White Uni-ball Signo pen. It shows up quite nicely.
My grey Promarker was running out here so the grey outside the window isn't quite as dark and moody as I was intending.