Currently Browsing: Roz Stendahl 2113 articles
Embrace the Wonkiness
Too many of my students fuss and fuss over a wonky line, or worse, stop a sketch altogether because a likeness is lost. But I think there is great fun in diving in with a bold pen and feeling about for the features, one wonky line after the other. Finishing something leads to something else […]
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. […]
Get Serious about Pen Health
OK you’ve read over and over on the blog that I love drawing with pens that are drying out. BUT… Someone has to get serious and march around the house and throw out all the really dried out pens. It’s time to start fresh. On the evening of this drawing if a fresh pen had […]
Disagree with Yourself Now and Then
This is a quick sketch I made while watching “Dead Still.” (I’ve already written about how much I enjoyed the first season of this historical crime show centered around post-mortem photography). I wanted to put in values quickly and I used vertical lines. My note at the bottom of the page says I should have […]
Since I Was on the Topic of Hair…
Hair, it’s one of the things that pulls me to draw a portrait. How does that person have his or her hair? I am particularly susceptible to Jane Austen dramatizations—so much wonderful 18th century or 19th century hair depending on how the film decides to go with fashion at the cusp of time. Or anything […]
Ink or Paint, Either Way Thank Goodness for Hipsters
I am so grateful to the younger generination, especially the hipsters who devote real energy to their facial hair. There is nothing more fun for me than sketching beards, and there are great beards out there now to sketch. This young man actually had Dundrearies! Named after a character in the 1858 British play […]
From Last Year, A Trip To Urgent Care
You may see the thumbnail for the art in this post and think either Dick or I are ill. We are fine! This journal spread is from last year in November 2019. Dick had a weird infection in his elbow and so I went with him to Urgent Care. The phlebotomist wasn’t really tracking. I […]
In Context: A Zoom Meeting
On Monday I was able to sit in on a Zoom meeting with members of the Minnesota Visual Journaling Collective. I had some trouble with my Zoom set up and I couldn’t access my camera at first, and then I couldn’t make the grid view visible. That meant I had to wait until someone spoke […]
Papers Buckling When Using Wet Media
Awhile back a student wrote to me about her problem with buckling papers in her journal. Buckling happens when wet media is used on papers. The moisture soaks into the fibers that make up the paper. The fibers swell, the buckling ensues. The artist may become grumpy. But that’s like being grumpy at clouds for […]
Accessories for Today’s Virtual Minnesota State Fair Sketch-In
Today at 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CDT I’ll be live streaming a sketching demo. It’s a Virtual State Fair Sketch-In because I won’t be at the Fairgrounds—the Minnesota State Fair was cancelled this year due to the Pandemic. I’m glad we are staying safe but I’m always at the Fair on this day in […]