Amanda in the car!

We went to Orlando ... so again I had a captive model.

Sketchbook in the car

Car trips are  nice ... if I sit in the back, I have a captive model!

Sketchbook at Christmas

Mike, sitting under the Christmas tree

David watching tv

Amanda making a t shirt quilt

My sketchbook became a visual diary this year ... here you see the holidays through my pencil.

Movie night

Teapot Santa

This fellow was fun to draw.    Not sure what I will do with the drawing now that I have it!

Raindrops on roses ...

Top .. leaves with drops
Bottom, close up of dew drop

...and whiskers on kittens ... will have to wait for another day.

Today we practiced dew drops on orchid leaves at my Chinese Brush Painting class.


I found this wonderful tutorial online ... link ... but actually I am quite pleased with my own beginning efforts.

My Chinese Brush Painting is coming to an end, and in our final painting class, we did dew drops. 

I am going to post the instructions step by step, mostly because then the next time I want to do a dew drop, I will be able to find my notes!

For a Round Dew Drop

1.  Create 3 puddles - one is pure color, one is color plus complement to tone it down, and one is color plus dark blue and sepia for shadows.

2. Squeeze out a bit of pure white watercolor.

3.  Create the top of your dew drop with pure color, then soften the edges with a second brush dipped in water and nearly dry.

4.  Create the bottom of your dew drop with a curve of white, then soften those edges upward with the nearly dry water brush to blend.  Your white edge going up should nearly touch the pure color coming down.

5.  Use color plus complement to create a shadow under the dewdrop with a curved line.  Soften the edges with your nearly dry water brush.

6.  LET DRY

7.  Use the dark color to create an eyelash shaped line under the base of the dewdrop. It should be a yin/yang line, clearly wider in the center and tapering at the ends.

8.  Create at least 2 highlights with pure white paint at the top of the dewdrop.  If your drop is round, use 2 round dots of different sizes.  If your drop drips, create one slightly longer highlight.

* For a Dripping Drop

1.  Create 3 puddles - one is pure color, one is color plus complement to tone it down, and one is color plus dark blue and sepia for shadows.

2. Squeeze out a bit of pure white watercolor.

* 3.  Draw 2 parallel lines, one shorter than the other, the length of your drop, with pure color.

* 4.  Soften the edges by brushing toward each other with nearly dry water brush.

5.  Create the bottom of your dew drop with a curve of white, then soften those edges upward with the nearly dry water brush to blend.  Your white edge going up should nearly touch the pure color coming down.  Create shadows the same as  from step 5 above.

Manga calls

I still love drawing manga.

I watched a Mark Crilley utube and drew this girl of his.

I think my figure drawing class has really helped.  Now I still need to conquer folds and clothing.  And eyes!

She still needs some shading but my fine point mechanical pencil wasn't going to do it for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPny618zN1c

Pamela ... an Optimara Violet

I started drawing my violet today, Mike was watching some dumb movie on tv, and I finished the sketch in a bit better than an hour.



The coloring took quite a bit longer.

3 Way Orchid

Brush painted yin/yang lines

Amy got her Cattleya orchid to bloom and sent me a picture. I drew the orchid for my Chinese Brush Painting class and inked it as we were instructed.

Then I did the watercolor wash, and I am all set for the next class when we learn how to do the botanical linework.

This class is doing the gong bi style, which is very detailed and precise.

Water color wash added.  This is still a work in progress till the next class.

Colored pencil orchid

But my pencils called out and I drew a 2nd orchid, this time with my colored pencils. It will be fun to see which I like the best in the end. 

Sketching at the Senior Center

We spent a day doing eyes.

Our brush painting instructor was going to have her class cancelled at the Senior center, so she asked if anyone would like to join.

 Of course I couldn't say no ... so I have been going to the Senior Center for the last few Wednesdays drawing animals.

She taught the basics of shading

We started with the basics of drawing, spent a day on eyes,  then all drew a rabbit from a photo she provided. 

Next we brought in sketches of our own animals and then learned to translate that into a watercolor.

We sketched an animal of our choice - I did Snicks

She had us all do a rabbit together

Snicks is NOT this fat .... yet ....

It was quite different doing watercolor with a Chinese Brush Painting brush -- but I am delighted with the results. 

Get the Popcorn

My animation instructor says she will help me "fix" and "finetune" this video. I was absolutely thrilled with it just the way it is!  Guess I am easily amused.