Still Plodding Along

An ink drawing of red quince bud

Hi there, how are you?

We’re still plodding along; we had one big walk down the road this week and kicked ourselves that we didn’t take our drawing stuff along. It was only a mile or so down a small lane to the river, it’s a dead end road with not too many houses so not many people or cars to avoid, crossing to the other side when we became close.

Next time if we’re still allowed out we’ll take a book and pencil case and sit on the riverbank with the cows.

I’ve been drawing in the garden again. I drew some quince flowers; the bush is a little scrappy but it has beautiful orange flowers, its only redeeming feature really since the fruit if we get any at all is the size of a ping pong ball and mostly filled with pips.

I used my fountain pen again. I’m finding it very restful listening to the birds and scratching away with my little pen.

had another go at the weeds/plant in the pot from last week. This time I drew it with a fine liner so when I painted over it with the watercolour the ink wouldn’t run into the colour.

They look a lot cleaner and fresher this time.

When I’m drawing plants like these and the quince I just pick out the bits I’m interested in,

Weeds/plants drawn with a fine liner

This week saw in the 1^st of April (can you believe it April!) I remembered pinchpunchpost, a twitter challenge I do if I remember. This month’s theme was walrus. I drew a very unappealing walrus, tried to cheer it up a bit in the computer, meh. I posted it anyway, why not.

walrus

With walrus’s on the brain I decided to make some sort of pattern. I drew a few walrus in illustrator and next thing I knew I had fish and a seagull too hehehe. Having lots of fun with the cuteness.

Walrus pattern

It’s not a colour scheme I would have chosen, I mean they are all colours I like but wouldn’t have consciously put them together myself, but I do like it. Illustrator colour changer for the win.

Thanks for taking precious time to stop by. Take care, till next time, have fun x

I Get To Draw flowers In The Garden

Garden wild flower

Hi there, how are you? Are you good?

Currently we all seem to be living in interesting times. Like most places we’re shut in at home, no zoo, no parks not even the library, although I have several books on loan that I can now take two months to read, good times.

We’ve had a few nice days here so I’ve been outside drawing in the garden.

I found some flowers that had planted themselves into a pot. (see above) I’m not sure if it’s a weed or a wild flower from last years shameful attempt at growing seeds but it’s pretty and was fun to draw so it’s staying for now. 

It’s a bit straggly, long thin stems tumbling down over the pot so I picked out a few sprigs and drew them individually with a fountain pen.

Since my little 14 day challenge last week I‘ve been quite enjoying drawing straight into my book without a pencil line for help.

I wanted to add a bit of colour but the ink isn’t waterproof so there was some bleeding even though I tried to keep away from the lines, not that I mind I like the way they turned out.

Later on I thought maybe I could turn them into a pattern. I cut them out of the background and had a play.

Wild flower pattern

I bought some frilly pansies from the plant graveyard at the supermarket, they looked almost dead (why do they never water the plants) but I thought one or two may live with a little care and put the poor things into a pot in the garden.

Well, they all came back to life and are now happily flowering away so I had to draw them. It was hard to see where one petal ends and the other begins but it was a good challenge

Frilly pansy drawn with an ink pen.

Last year we had a pot of viola flowers, they were pale blue and lilac, this year the pot is full of purple viola, probably seeds from last years flowers, interesting to see the colour change.

I didn’t colour them this time, I started filling the petals with lines to show the colour and shadows and got carried away. This was very meditative and took a while to do but I thoroughly enjoyed drawing it.

Pansy & viola drawn with ink pen.

Right in the middle of the tiny viola is one pansy plant (see above), same colour as the viola standing tall and proud. Is it another viola seed throwback? Either way it needed to be drawn, immortalised forever in my sketchbook hehehe. Since I had enjoyed drawing the viola so much I decided to draw this the same way.

The garden is slowly waking up, plants bloom, shed and fruit. Life goes on regardless and I am thankful.

Thanks for taking precious time to stop by. Till next time, have fun x

Happy Mothers Day Hummingbird Card

Hummingbird card

Hi there, how are you?

Happy Mothers Day people.

I decided to make a card, with a humming bird and sketched out a couple of ideas in my sketchbook; I liked the little bird on the grass but wanted something more flowery.

Hummingbird on grass

The flowers I’ve painted were based on quince flowers that are just starting to bloom in the garden. I’m not sure a hummingbird has ever seen a quince flower so call it artistic licence if not hehehe

Hummingbird practice sketch

They’re painted loosely and based on a Chinese brush painting style, I like the simplicity and the way they make every brush stroke count. It also stops me from overworking the painting.

2 hummingbird sketches on quince blossom

I painted quite a few sketches, they’re all very similar but I liked the image at the top best for the card, the little bird is a little rotund, obviously lots of nectar to eat around there hehehe.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Till next time, have fun x

Ohn Mar Win Daily Art Practice: 14 Day Mindset Challenge

Days 1-3

Hi there, how are you?

Just over two weeks ago I watched a skillshare class by Ohn Mar Win 14 Day Mindset Challenge. It sounded interesting so I thought I’d give it a try.

I chose my parameters (I know I won’t finish if I don’t) I like to set some sort of goal for challenges so that when the art sucks (and I know some of it will), I’m still working towards that goal and am less likely to give up.

I decided to use a fountain pen that I don’t much like using (which makes me sad as it was a gift) working straight to paper without pencil lines first.

So I’m drawing in ink with out the aid of a safety net eeep!

Mostly I drew the orchid on the kitchen window sill with occasional birds when my squirrel mind diverted itself.

Day 1 – top left. A basic orchid outline, didn’t put in the veins, I was more concerned with the shapes and having no pencil line to follow. It’s a start.

Day 2 – top right. Did a slightly better job, managed some veins this time. It’s a slightly better drawing.

Day 3 – Mrs Blackbird. I had some photos of a lady blackbird and couldn’t resist drawing her, lots. Six 3 minute sketches, not beautifully formed but loads of fun to do 11/10 fun value

Days 04-06

Day 4 – 2 stems top right. Back to orchids. Trying to work out shading and added thicker lines to see if it would work. Meh, not really but it was worth a try. It’s not a bad drawing though so progress.

Day 5 – top left, still trying to work out shading, it is a little better maybe.

Day 6 – parrot. This is from another photo I’d taken. The shadows on the feathers were quite strong and I thought it would help with shading in general.

It went over time but I had a huge amount of fun drawing it. another 11/10

Days 07-09

Day 7, 8 and 9 – one 3 min and one 6 min drawing for each of these three days, the shading was starting to work, I found it quite meditative drawing these, just standing making lots of little lines, very calming.

Day 10 and 11 I looked back at the class video’s and think I’m doing it all wrong. Obviously I wasn’t paying attention!

I didn’t go around picking random items to draw, wasn’t really analysing daily, I just wanted to draw my orchid as the flowers opened.  

My inner mean person took over, threw all my toys out of the pram and decided I don’t like analyzing stuff and there was no point carrying on.

Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy.

Days 12-14

Day 12 – top left corner. I stopped feeling sorry for myself. I realised I had lots of drawings that I wouldn’t have done without this callenge and got back on the horse.

The drawing isn’t brilliant because I still wasn’t feeling it but it was a drawing so I give myself a pass.

Day 13 – a 3 min and 6 min drawing. Back to enjoying myself and I think the shading is working

Day 14 – a 3 min and 6 min drawing.  Two little orchid drawings and I’m done whoot!

Analysis

My confidence is pretty level whenever I do any art at maybe a 5/10, if I like it cool, if not, it sucks and I move on, as long as it mostly resembles the thing I’m drawing I’m happy so no need to add it in the analysis.

I did it (mostly) there was a bit of a wobble but that happens. I have 12 days of drawings and if I look back at the first one I can see some improvement which makes me very happy indeed.

Also I got to document my little plant flowering as each day the flowers opened one by one.

I’m glad this was a 14 day challenge, that’s usually about the time I start to get burnt out on the monthly ones like inktober and world watercolour month (the only challenges I do normally)

I know it doesn’t read like I enjoyed this challenge but it was actually a lot of fun, sometimes I get in my own way but it doesn’t last long, I just need to take a break and rearrange my thoughts and off I go again.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Till next time, have fun x

Crested Guinea Fowl Experiments

 

Crested guinea fowl profiles

Hi there, how are you?

I am fascinated by guinea fowl. I’ve seen different types, some have little bony bits on their heads in different shapes and styles.

The guinea fowl I like best though are the birds at the zoo. They look like they are walking around in little smoking jackets with their cravats high around their necks and the most amazing hairstyles.

I drew a few scrappy doodles whilst there (not shown) and used these as reference for some drawings once home.

I drew a couple of profiles; it’s their little heads that interest me most after all, then a full bird.

Crested guinea fowl

When they are foraging for food they bend down like most birds, even when they run their bodies are pretty horizontal but when they walk around they stand upright and seem quite aristocratic, looking down their beaks at all the other birds. They really are quite comical.

I’ve been a bit experimental this week, I tried to paint them straight to paper, no pencil line first, they are fast gesture studies and fun to paint.

I used a white gellyroll pen for the spots.

The middle bird sitting on the right was very satisfying, as the brush skipped over the page and the spots almost painted themselves. Legs and feet need work though, next time I see them those are parts I need to spend more time observing.

Crested guinea fowl quick studies

I’d seen a lady on youtube (I forgot the name) she was making collages of little birds on a sketchbook page, it looked interesting so I thought I would have a go myself using the guinea fowl as models. It’s not something I’ve done before (not since school many many years ago) and it was a very interesting process. The hardest thing for me was to not make them too realistic.

Crested guinea fowl collage

I may try this again sometime and experiment more, one way to use up the scraps I’ve been hoarding hehehe.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Till next time, have fun x

Giraffe Sketches And A Birthday Card

Giraffe drawn with brown ink

Hi there, how are you?

It was the youngest younglings birthday this week, I decided to make him a card.

We all like to make birthday cards for each other; it’s a bit more personal and a whole lot better than the over priced cards in the shops.

I always struggle with guys cards so with much head scratching I thought he might like a giraffe.

I sketched out a few in my sketch book; I concentrated on the heads as drawing the whole giraffe was a little daunting.

Giraffe drawn with a brush pen

I drew them with a brush pen a fountain pen or painted them with watercolour. The paper of the sketch book was a little damaged by the excessive amounts of water and over working but it was enough to give a general idea of what I wanted.

Watercolour sketch of a giraffe

I picked the one I liked best and traced it onto watercolour paper, maybe you can tell which one I’d chosen. I made the neck a little longer; it is a giraffe after all. The background was a rather pretty blue for the sky but as usual it didn’t scan.

Giraffe birthday card

He liked his card and the cake I’d made in a rough shape of a giraffe (nailed it hehehe) he knew what it was without me having to tell him so I call that a win.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Till next time, have fun x

Spring Flowers

Watercolour purple crocus

Hi there, how are you?

It’s here, nature says so. It’s official. Spring is here whoot!

The crocuses are blooming, quinces are budding and the daffodil stalks are, well stalks but they’re trying.

Now as much as I love sitting outside in the garden drawing flowers, drawing them in high winds and pouring rain is not my idea of fun.

Enter this years Christmas gift. The younling bought some tiny bulb vases with three little crocus bulbs.

I read the instructions which said they need to be just touching the water in the vase and kept in a dark cool room till the shoots are 4 cm tall, I set them up in the garage and checked on them every week to see if they’d grown.

Early February the shoots of two bulbs were tall enough so I placed them on the window sill. First a few green leaves then pow flowers, hooray it worked!

I had to draw them quickly, it’s warm in the house and they don’t last long inside.

Purple and white flowers so far both are beautiful and a huge reminder that spring is finally here.

Purple crocus watercolour

I struggled with the white crocus, I know you’re supposed to paint the shadows but it is quite small so I did the best I could and then painted around the outside to show the edges which seemed to work.

White crocus watercolour

The shops at the moment are full of daffodils, I think they over ordered though, and they were reduced to 5p a bunch so I bought two hehehe.

Of course I had to try painting them. They’re a difficult flower to draw so every year I grab a bunch to practice on.

3 watercolour daffodils

They didn’t turn out too bad all things considered.

The last crocus bulb came out of the garage today, I wonder what colour it will be.

I’ll save the bulbs when they die back and plant them in the garden with the others, a gift to future me.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Till next time, have fun x

Home Grown Orchids

orchids on blue background sprinkled with salt.

Hi there, how are you?

Last week I drew some orchids we’d seen at the zoo. This week I’ve been drawing the orchids on our window sill. The white orchid is just coming into flower and I love to draw them when they do.

I’m working in my new sketchbook and testing out the paper so I thought I would see how it does with lots of water.

I know it’s not watercolour paper so some things will work and others not but it’s always fun to try.

I used Payne’s grey for the background then sprinkles a little salt for some texture. The paper curled up so I needed a couple of clips but other than that it wasn’t too bad, I kind of like it.

orchids on blue background .

It’s more interesting to draw them from different angles so I turn the plant around as I go.

I decided to try a different colour and used a burnt orange with the Payne’s grey, it got a little muddy but I think I would like to try again and use these colours on watercolour paper.

Orchids on an orange background

All in all some decent experiments this week I think.

Next up we have the valentine’s card I made for the other half. I had tested out some colours in my sketch book (you can see the tests here); this is the card I made with them. I didn’t post the picture earlier because I wanted to surprise him, I think he liked it.

Valentines card dancing cranes

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Till next time, have fun x