Currently Browsing: Commercially Bound Journals 232 articles
Drawing in the Dark
Towards the end of last year Dick and I drove out one snowy night on an errand. We stopped at a gas station to fill up the tank. I took those few moments to quickly sketch the intersection before me. I did not have an interior car light. We were at a side pump that […]
A Line Is Enough
The caption says it all.
What Are You Waiting for? Go Ahead Paint on Note Paper
“What Are You Waiting for? Go Ahead Paint on Note Paper” pretty much says it all. Here’s a spread from one of my green lined journals. You can find non-art journals in any bookstore on earth—typically with botanical sketches or pink covers that will appeal to 16 year old girls. (Well actually to […]
When Do You Throw A Pen Away?
When do you throw a pen away? Evidently I don’t do it often enough! I love the way some disposable ink pens get a thin dry line as they run out of in, but lately it’s ridiculous. I need to put out some new pens!
Don’t Stop, Keep Going
I think one of the biggest mistakes an artist keeping a visual journal or sketchbook can make is to stop when he gets frustrated. That’s when you kick it up a notch, hunker down, repeat, repeat, repeat. Keep searching for that line, or that likeness, whatever it maybe. If you give up too quickly […]
Physical Therapy for Your Art Practice
I suggest to my Drawing Practice students that they do a six-week plan and goal setting session at the end of class; and that they repeat that every six weeks for the rest of their lives. Knowing what our goals are, and seeing how we executed our plans, helps us realign our strategy for going […]
In Context—Painting on Drawing Paper
Two page spreads today from one of my Hahnemühle Travel Journals. (These are hardcover books that look like Moleskines, but these have more pages and a toothy drawing paper.) I used a Sakura Pigma Professional Brush Pen FB, watercolor, and a 1/2 inch flat brush. Take a moment to look at all the pieces in […]
I Test the Ultra-fine Tipped Pentel Artists Brush Sign Pen
This ultra-fine brush tipped pen from Pentel—I don’t know what it’s called…The barrel reads: “Brush Sign Pen Artist.” It’s one of their Sign Pens in that it has dye-based, fugitive, water-soluble ink, but unlike their other “sign pen” it doesn’t have a solid fiber tip—it has an ultra thin, ultra fine, brush with individual […]
Post-Project Let Down: What To Do About It
“Post-project let down.” What is it? How do you deal with it? I’ve got a few things to say about this today as the year winds down because journal keepers often experience a form of post-project let down at the end of a year. If you feel you might be prone […]
Go Ahead—Overwork A Sketch Sometimes
I kept fussing and fussing with this sketch of a little dog. Why? because on the day, moving the paint around on an unsuitable (non-watercolor, non-art) paper was just too fun to resist. The process allowed me to play with different pens (including a white gel pen) and experiment with mark […]