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Sketching as Fast as I Can
Page spread from a journal I bound using the 90 lb. Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Paper. I was watching “As Yet Untitled with Alan Davies,” and trying to keep all the angles and values in my mind before they moved off one guest to another, but sometimes came back again when they were in a different […]
Another Dog Portrait…
As we leave July and my Patreon discussions about dog portraits I simply wanted to make a case, through one more portrait, about contrast. It’s vital, it draws the eye, it’s fun to build up. Here’s a sketch from 2018. I liked the textures (and suggested textures) so much that all I wanted was a […]
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 […]
Annals of Downsizing: Why Not Fold Some Paper?
I’ve got 10,000 things to do, but why not fold 800 sheets of paper? While clearing out my storage room I found a box of pre-cut 17 x 11 inch paper with the grain running with the 11 inch side. I had it cut years ago to use for printing some zines I was making. […]
Testing Langton-Prestige Watercolor Paper
I have just started testing Daler-Rowney’s Langton-Prestige Cold Press Watercolor paper. In the above video you can see my first experiments with it and my first thoughts. If the video doesn’t play you can view it on Vimeo at this link. Normally in my demonstration videos I include any photo reference or still life […]
On Deciding Which Version of a Sketch You Like Best…
Here’s the final version I did of this brush pen and watercolor sketch on toned (tan paper); with a little bit of white gouache for the highlights. (The cheek is actually the paper color.) Sometimes when I’m sketching I enjoy the plain sketch, or some early version of the sketch so much, that I stop […]
There’s Something Marvelous About Brush Pen on Bright White Paper
When you need a break I think you can always squeeze in one or two quick brush pen sketches. I think the crispness of a brush pen line, even when it drags to dry-brush lines, is cheering against the white of the paper. The lines say, “This is the boundary, this is the texture.” […]
More on Hair—Some Beards
Beards, I tend to draw them all the time. Towards the end of my live stream while drawing a portrait of Rick in a top hat I mention why beards are so essential a feature to draw. Some crisp white watercolor paper, a pen, some paint, a little bit of winding down at the end […]
Direct Brush—On Inexpensive Paper
Here’s a direct brush sketch I made on Fabriano Mixed Media paper. It’s an inexpensive paper. I’ve written about it before on the blog. I wasn’t expecting much when I started this experiment. I thought the paper would give out. It didn’t. My patience for rendering the fluffy curls gave out. I was working with […]
The April Demo—Thinking About Pattern and Texture in the Design of a Painting
This month on Patreon I do a graphite and watercolor portrait. I use this portrait to begin a discussion on thinking about how the texture of brush strokes and the use of pattern and other textures in a painting impact the readability of that painting. The discussion will continued in May when I look at […]