Currently Browsing: Questions 21 articles
In Context: The Difference a Year Makes
The journal reminds us about our lives—what happened on a given day; what questions we’re asking ourselves; what answers we discovered… I thought this glimpse of an interchange between me and Dick, in a happier time, when I still skipped, would bring a smile. Despite the writos—”I careened into a wall.” And “a conversation I […]
What Makes an Artist an Artist?
Recently we had a power-outage in our area. (Dick later told me it involved 51 houses near us.) It’s never great when you have a power outage. The first thing that happens in our house is alarms go off. This is even more stressful now that I have permanent tinnitus. I have to run around […]
In Context: Big Hair and Doodles and Freeform Grids
What we save and what we get on the page of our journals varies a lot—here is one example of a freeform grid from my journal from around February. I don’t doodle much. I used to believe this. Now I’m not so sure. There is evidence everywhere in my journals lately of doodles and big […]
Thumbnail Themes Continued
Note: I was away from the computer last week and didn’t auto set my posts. Here’s the “Put a Bird On It” doodle I mentioned last Monday. I’ll be back later this week with more posts that got delayed, and also coming up another paper review. Stop by again soon. My mind is always going […]
Another Look at a Double Portrait
This post isn’t about a new portrait. I received a bunch of questions about the double portrait I posted when discussing why it was advantageous to sketch the same subject multiple times. This post clarifies the creati0n process for that gouache portrait. First I painted the watercolor and pen sketch of the woman on the […]
Thinking about Portraiture, Doodles, and Stylization
When I sketch I think about a lot of things. Not just the process of sketching. My mind turns over how I’m experiencing the sketching. Questions arise as to why am I sketching what I’m sketching. A thousand thoughts for every sketch. My brain is always going. Typically I write these thoughts on a separate […]
How I Use Gesso: Some Approaches and Thoughts
Recently a subscriber on my Patreon site asked me about a gesso comment I made during a webinar. It seemed easier to answer the question with a video response. And once the video was finished I realized a lot of readers here would probably like this information as well. It’s something I’ve discussed in past […]
In Context: Sketching to Work Something Out
The other day I sketched this white Chihuahua. I went in too dar with the ink to start, and at one point before much was down, I made a small circle at the top right to start again, but then I thought, “Just look at the hair.” And I went back to the main sketch […]
More Journaling Fun
Sometimes you read a bit of text in a magazine and it just happens that it goes with a sketch. I love it when that happens. What discoveries are you making today about your mind, your interests, your use of color, your language, your process…? The journal is a wonderful place to learn more about […]
Victorian Top Hats and the Evolution of the T-shirt
Late at night I sometimes curl up with my journal and sketch Victorian Fashion, specifically top hats. Since I started the week with a doodle of a man in a top hat, I thought I would continue along with more Victorian top hats. Watching dramatizations of the books of Charles Dickens will provide you with […]