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Warm Up Sketches and a Watercolor Portrait Demo
I made the above sketch in June of this year when my bronchitis was just ramping up. After a couple warm up sketches I ended up making what is currently my favorite sketch of the year. (I framed it and hung it on the wall as a reminder to me of all the fun […]
Tips on Drawing with a Dried Out Brush Pen (or Marker for that Matter)
At the left is the sketch I’ll be demonstrating in my video below. A persistent cough for the past 3 months has kept me from being chatty on my sketching videos. Most of these sketch videos end up as pieces for my Patreon demonstration site. But if I’m working silently to avoid coughing when I […]
Adventures with Unknown Paper
A few years ago I stopped in at Wet Paint and there was a box of 22 x 30 inch paper on the paper counter. “What’s this?” I asked. To make a long story short it was a mystery paper sent by a mill by mistake. When they called the mill to fix the order […]
Demonstration Review of the Pilot Shunpitsu Pocket Brush Pen
Sometimes when I’m under the weather the best thing I can do is test new tools and materials. I find that it takes my focus aways from any aches, pains, or in the current case coughs and general systems failures. (I don’t have Covid, I just have a bad case of bronchitis which even with […]
In Context: Some Relationship Advice from Ronny Chieng
Great advice from Ronny Chieng, when something goes awry and you and your partner have to get on with things— and then some pears, because there are always pears around to sketch.
Series Television’s Response To The Pandemic
There have been numerous ways that series television has responded to the constraints and realities imposed on production by the Pandemic. This is one of my favorites: Comedians sitting on couches watching episodes of “House Hunters.”
The Case for Not Finishing a Sketch
I’m the first person to encourage people to finish what they start. In fact I encourage people to push past the point where they think they have finished, because until you “break” a few sketches you don’t really know where that point of finish resides. But I also wanted to put a word in today […]
Different Drawing Approaches for the Same Subject
Just this week I was asked by nine people how I start my drawings. I use different approaches to start my drawings depending on what pen I’m using, the paper size, and even just how I feel my eyes are doing on any given day. For a more detailed response I explain that I have […]
Now Use Even Fewer Strokes…
Did you spend your weekend working with your brush pen like I suggested on Friday? If so you’re ready to use even fewer strokes. Draw your subject with as as few strokes as possible. Think before you draw a contour line or make texture marks. Do you really need ink marks for that contour? For […]
As Few Strokes as Possible…
Pick up a brush pen. Get something down on the page in as few strokes as possible. Make each stroke count and enjoy the movement of the pen across the page. Repeat throughout the day as necessary. (Once an hour is great.) Have a fantastic weekend.