Currently Browsing: Japanese Lined Journal
Simple Approaches for Backgrounds—A Five-Part Series: Part 4 Fold Outs
This is Part Four of a five-part series on simple approaches to backgrounds in the visual journal and paintings. See Part One here. Last December I was buried beneath the latest of the blog transfer issues. I didn’t get to post a number of images and posts I’d worked up. Today’s image falls well into discussion […]
Simple Approaches for Backgrounds—A Five-Part Series: Part 1
I was organizing my images for blog posts and noticed that I had a lot of common themes, some not as obvious. What do the images in today’s post and those referenced (linked) all have in common? Well all but one have backgrounds painted AFTER the sketch is made (and typically even after the sketch […]
What’s on the Table?—The Curl of the Paper
I just love working in my favorite Japanese Lined Journals from APICA. The paper loves the Pentel Brush Pen. Sometimes I work in gouache on this paper, but sometimes I leave the sketch as is and turn the page. Other times I put in an acrylic marker background. I used an orange 15mm wide Montana […]
Same Pen—Different Papers
Throughout the spring this year I was testing watercolor papers. I made signatures of the watercolor papers I was testing and then used the same materials in each of the booklets. This is a quick and easy way to compare papers because you only have 16 pages until you can move on to the next […]
Why I Love Gouache
Above: Pentel Pocket Brush Pen sketch in a Japanese Lined Journal. This sketch was made on a spread first covered with Montana Acrylic Marker and washi tape. I then painted with gouache, just the areas of the portrait that I wanted to paint, using the paint opaquely when I wanted to obscure the lines and background color, […]
Project Friday on a Monday—Working in a Series: Meet the Finches
Above: Two entries from my current, ongoing Finch Series. Montana Acrylic Marker for background and underpainting, with Pentel pigment brush pen sketches and gouache all in a Japanese Lined Journal. You'll be able to read all about Nigel and Pete if you do. I love working in a series because it gives me an opportunity […]
My 2015 End-of-Year Evaluation and Wrap Up
Above: 11 x 15 inch sketch on cheap ("I'll fall apart if you put wet media on me like you're trying to do" Paper), with Pentel Pigment brush pen and Pentel Dye-based brush pen with water. Selfie, showing my painting shirt, sketched while standing before a mirror in the bathroom. I was sketching Dick on this […]
Which Dog Are You Feeding?
Above: Sketch made with the Pentel brush pen with pigmented ink and color added with various acrylic markers. (Japanese Lined Journal, slightly grey paper, approx. 8.75 x 11 inches.) I used this sketch from my journal to day because it shows my Editing Eye in action, not content to stop at a really bad drawing, […]
The Importance of Regular Self Evaluations in Our Creative Lives
Above: One of my goals this year has been to draw as many interesting noses, ears, and beards as I can. Even on days when I can't get out and draw people from life, I might stay up late and get some practice in, sketching from TV or from old photographs I've collected. (Sketch in […]
Murdock Mysteries and Thoughts on Showing Up
Above: Sketch in one of my Japanese lined paper journals—brush pen, acrylic marker. The text is all readable so I'll leave you to click on the image and view the enlargement and read it. I like to recommend television shows and movies every now and then on a Friday post. I have mixed feelings today […]