Still Sketching....

I think I have been bitten by the sketching bug, because lately that's all I seem to want to do. I love to draw, and maybe I haven't been doing enough of it. I've tried a couple of small paintings, but half heartedly, and it shows. I put them aside for another day.
The weather has been so pleasant this last week or so, that when I do have spare time, I just want to be outside, and not cooped up in the house with the a/c. So, I gather all my favorite sketch books, and pencils and pens and stuff, and go outside and draw whatever is around. It's so relaxing, and calming, especially on a nice summer day.
I have found this brown sketching paper, which is so cool!! so much fun to sketch with dark pencil, or black fine marker, and highlight with white charcoal pencil, or white colored or pastel pencil. The other sketches of my hands are in my moleskine sketchbook, using an ebony drawing pencil. I find using a tissue to smudge the pencil works very nicely, and a kneaded eraser to make highlights.
Now, I think I'll go back outside and draw somemore....

Drawing and Painting

I've always wanted one of those little moleskine sketch books, and I finally bought one the other day! I've been passing the time sketching in it, and I thought this sketch of a daisy and leafy stem in a vase would make a nice little painting, but...
(oil on 5x7 canvas panel)
... I kinda like the sketch better than the painting. I think maybe the subject is too centered on the panel, in the drawing it is more off set. And, I'm just not satisfied with the green colors.. but, thought I'd post it anyway. Tomorrow's another day...

Drawings

Scattered images on 11x14 Drawing paper
I spent some time drawing this afternoon. I really love to draw, and I haven't been taking the time to do it lately, and I miss it. So, I stood in the kitchen and drew some of the things I have sitting on the counter. Some fruit, and some nuts: almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, and I think there's one hazel nut in there. I always notice how nice things look on the counter, in the light of the window that is over the sink. I had an impulse to color in the apple, so I used some watercolor, but on the drawing paper, it didn't work out so well. It gave me a desire to spend some time using my watercolors again though. Maybe I'll do that. I haven't had time lately to sit down and oil paint. Maybe it's time for a change.
My favorite way to draw is to start with a lighter pencil, like an H, or HB. Then, once I've got most of the picture drawn, I use a kleenex to smear over the picture, spreading the graphite around, and making it cloudy looking. Then I use a nice sharp darker pencil to continue, and a kneaded eraser to make highlights.

First Post

It has taken me a while to learn how to work with a computer in order to create this blog, but I'm slowly but surely figuring it out. This is a drawing I've done with Nupastels on buff colored charcoal paper. It is of a peice of paper I folded into a pinwheel shape. I thought it would make a good subject for practicing shadows and forms.