Currently Browsing: bird sketches 8 articles
Warm Ups Matter when Sketching (And Thoughts on Modeling Behavior)
See the full post for details.
Red Bird Week: First
See the full post.
Sketching with an Attitude
The full post is a look at a quick sketch and a growing attitude.
Calling all Minnesota Artists: Minneapolis Institute of Arts Foot in the Door Show
Above: journal sketch using Stabilo Tones on page spread of Gutenberg Paper (13 x 8 inches approx.). This isn't related to today's post, it's just a continuation of my on-going discussion of Stabilo Tones. This started as a quick gesture sketch of a bird too small to see clearly, made with the Pentel Pocket Brush […]
Paper Choices: Strathmore Illustration Board for Wet Media
Left: Pigeon test sketch on the new wet media illustration board from Strathmore. Approx 5 x 7 inches. Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencils. This is a pigeon I met at last year's State Fair. I drew it using sketches made at that time for reference. Click on the image to view an enlargement.
The Minnesota State Fair starts today!
Go Sketch!
One of the fun side effects of getting yourself organized for the State Fair—and no I don't go on Opener (as I like to call it to the consternation of fisherman everywhere) because I like to let the food vendors get the kinks out before I show up—is that you have the perfect excuse for trying out new paper. (OK, I don't really need much of an excuse. It just has to be a paper that might prove useful to me.)
Strathmore creates some excellent papers that literally make my work possible. I love their 500 Series plate Bristol for pen and ink work (2-ply) and for painting (5-ply). Many of their drawing papers are suitable for binding into journals used by visual artists. Their 500 Series is their top of the line paper. Now they have an addition to this series: Illustration Board for Wet Media.
Fun with Finches Part 3
Above:
the third finch sketch in my three bird series. Initial sketch in dark blue Stabilo Tone left dry, on Lana Aquarelle 140 lb. Hot
Press watercolor paper. Then I decided to add some additional colors; read below. (This journal is 5.5 x 6 inches, so the spread is 11 x 6 inches.) Click on the image
to view an enlargement.
More fun with big fat
crayon pencils. See the July 26 post for a description of how I'm
working this series. No water added here either. Again I liked the line
quality of my initial sketch and then I decided that I would fill in some color, smoothing the strokes out with my fingers in some areas (beak, cheek).
Fun with Finches Part 2
Left: the second finch sketch in my three bird series. This guy wasn't angry, it's just once you get that fat pencil tip in there to make a line…well, remember that discussion we had about quitting while you're ahead? Dark blue Stabilo Tone left dry, on Lana Aquarelle 140 lb. Hot Press watercolor paper. (Journal […]
Fun with Finches Part 1
Above: Journal sketch of a finch using Stabilo Tone (a dark blue) dry, and then rubbing on Brilliance Moonlight White stamp reinker with my finger. Check out the paper watermark in the lower left corner. Fortune reads: The fortune you seek is in another cookie. My hands are demanding a rest from typing so I […]