Day 1: Still life with fine point pen
My still life consisted of a beloved old camera from my college darkroom photography days, a stuffed alien, a demented looking Barbie, a troll doll, a barometer, and more.
Day 2: Garden-like still life with dip pen and ink
Day 3: Study of a person (or perhaps hands) with bamboo pen and ink.
My sleepy-eyed husband modeled for me, and as a result he ended up with a larger-than-life chin. I just got a new bamboo pen, so I used it for a 2nd drawing, with white ink on black paper.
Day 4: Person or objects from around the house with charcoal to render value and fine point pen for added line. (I used a fountain pen.)
I didn't have a person available, so I used stuffed toys from around the house, including a sock monkey that I made, and Nelson the Adirondack black bear, who's cross-continental saga I detailed here on the blog, three years ago. And how could I forget the stuffed dragon?
By the way, I know some of you have made sock monkeys with kids. I thought it was absolutely one of the most challenging projects I ever did, with the sock unraveling as I tried to stitch it together. So Flossie, my sock monkey, is my first and will be my last.
Day 5: Person, with diluted ink and watercolor brush; I used a 'neutral tint' ink as well as some black.
Day 6: A garden with soft graphite pencils
It's the wrong time of the year for that around here, with snow everywhere, so I substituted one of my bay windows filled with plants as subject for this assignment. I used 2B, 4B, and 6B pencils, as well as a big chunky graphite stick. Along with the drawing you can see my actual window.
Day 7: An outdoor scene with plenty of texture, using a mix of pens, ink, brush, and water.
Again, I wasn't going to sit outside for this, so I decided to work from a photo on my PC, that I took in warmer weather. It was a very challenging assignment, since my photo was bursting with autumnal colors, and I was drawing in tints of black ink. The paper didn't like getting wet, and the pens didn't like drawing on the soggy paper. On to better things tomorrow!!
I SOOOO admire the discipline it takes to stick to the commitment to do anything each and every day. I still participate in The Sketchbook Challenge -- one topic for the whole month and no definite number of sketches. When the challenge started, several years ago, I probably averaged a painting or sketch each week, sometimes more. Now, I am usually hard-pressed to get one done each month!! Last month I never did get around to it!!! Back to your drawings -- I like your choice of subjects, especially the sock monkey drawing, and I love the loose quality of the last piece!! I hope you share more as you complete them!!
ReplyDeleteChristie, it certainly helps that I am retired. I never could have done this when I was working full time. And loose is definitely me when it comes to artwork. I have serious trouble ever pinning myself down!
DeleteOne thing that really helps here is that I made a financial commitment: I bought the book plus a few new art materials. Once I commit to something financially I usually am pretty good about following though, and the fact that it is daily makes the goals all really short term. I couple of years back I did the Sketchbook Project, which is designing and completing a whole sketchbook by a certain date, based on a broad theme you are assigned. I did it all in an few days time to meet the deadline, but prior to my completing it, I spent a LOT of time NOT working on it! This 'drawing a day' seems like a more attainable goal to me.
I did the Sketchbook Project that first year, too. I waited until the absolute deadline and then cranked it out. I liked the finished product, but, needless to say, I never signed up to do it again, eventhough now, I think, it travels to an area closer to me where I actually could go and see the projects. (The year I did it, the closest it got to me was San Francisco I think.)
DeleteChristie, I went to the exhibit the first year, at it's home in the Brooklyn Art Library (you probably read when I blogged about it). I was amazed at how they fit all those sketchbooks into this little hole-in-the-wall place in Brooklyn. I can't fathom how they manage the numbers of sketchbooks (and other projects) they have going on now. I mean, the place was TINY!
DeleteYou know I LOVE your drawings!! You have the most Phyl-esque still lives EVER! They are perfection :)
ReplyDeleteNew favorite word: Phyl-esque! Thank you for inventing it! And thank you!
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