SOMETHING WORKING ON NOW

Just a little painting from a photo reference taken year’s ago when we visited our friend in Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.  Orchids growing and lots of photos taken.  

I need to take care to not make it too sweet with the pinks and blues.  

MOLESKINE SKETCHBOOK STUFF

Just some nature sketches done in my moleskine book (I have so many sketchbooks and this one was started and left behind as I purchased others).  I did not do this on site but brought the goodies inside and worked on the sketches in my little art room.  I admit it, I am never going to be a plein air sketcher or painter!

The moleskine paper is a bit warm and I prefer bright white paper, but this is find for doodles and sketches just to fill the pages.  

Pulled some of the leaves off the little branch that held the acorns.  We have a huge oak beside our house which we like but it does often sound like the squirrels are bowling on the roof when the nuts start falling and rolling :)

JOHN MUIR LAWS BOOKS

I can add to my instruction by going through 2 books of John’s that I’ve purchased.  I need to go slowly and try out the demos, etc.  

The pale blue pencils are great to use to start a sketch - then you can work towards the final with graphite.

I may just go out in the field - maybe - and try my new pencils and new Stillman & Birn sketchbook out.  Then again...I’m not much for sitting outside in the heat, humidity, and bugs.  We’ll see.  May just observe, take notes, and take photos to draw and paint inside later.  (We can’t all be plein air painters!

MORE BIRD SKETCHING

More birds from the John Muir Laws course.

The bird showing the inside bone structure is a cut-out offered to us.  The head and body are separate so you can move the head into various positions, getting the right shape when the head is at various angles.  Pretty cool.  

BIRD SKETCHING - JOHN MUIR LAWS INSTRUCTION

Back in May, I participated in an online course (free) through California Audubon, taught by John Muir Laws.  It was an interested 3 session (spread over 3 weeks) course teaching about sketching birds.  Learned quite a bit I hope I can remember when I get out in the field (or sunroom, in my case) to watch and document the birds coming to the feeders.  

So here are a few I did while watching the lessons (I missed the first one so had to catch up later on John’s blog/site).  

I did the sketching in blue col-erase pencil so it was light enough to go over again with darker graphite later.  John uses a pale blue pencil that draftspersons use which is really more invisible after going over with graphite or other colors.  

You may be able to read the comments and instructions in the blue.  I ordered the pale blue pencil John uses because, well, why not, it might inspire me to draw more if I know that first sketch can be as rough as anything and then I can adjust it with graphite as I go over it.  Being able to cover up mistakes or errors in shapes and sizes is a good thing, right?


I have returned to the old Blogger interface but know it will be taken away after the end of August so we’ll see what I do after that.  

HATE THE NEW BLOGGER INTERFACE

HATE THE NEW BLOGGER INTERFACE.  

TOO MANY GLITCHES TO WORK - OR CARE TO TAKE THE TIME TO POST.

MAY BE ENDING MY BLOG BECAUSE OF THIS.

GRAPE

Didn’t care for the way the previous popsicle painting was coming along so did another single ice pop - this one in grape.  Done entirely with only Mineral Violet, a delicious purple color that lifts well whether wet or dry.