Monday, August 31, 2009

Cathedral Shapes in Five Colors

My drawing (above) was inspired by the design of my friend Sybil's drawing (below) of a carving in England's Durham Cathedral. I used Sybil's basic shapes with decorative triangles, dots, and curves, and colored with only five colors (though not the same five as hers).
  • Copic colors used: YG23,63, R24, B24, YR24. The white dots were made with colorless blender.
  • Paper: Neenah, 8.5x11"
See below for her drawing, a 5x7" page from her travel journal. (Used with her permission.) For more of Sybil's drawings posted in my blog, click on the label below, or in the label list to the right.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Geode with Olive Frame

For this drawing, I used the sketch for last week's orange flower drawing. Today I picked up my original pencil sketch, added an outer border, inked the lines, and colored it.

To see the other geode drawings and an explanation of what I mean, click here, or click on "geode" in my label list on the right side of the screen.
  • Technique: To make the background texture, I colored evenly with YG91 and let it dry. Then, using the colorless blender (chisel tip), I went over it with small circles in vertical strips, then in horizontal strips. I finished that and let it dry completely, before adding the other colors.
  • Copic marker colors used: RV17,95, B01, all streaked with W0; YG91,95
  • Paper: Neenah, cut down to 4.25 x 5.5"

Monday, August 17, 2009

Bright Dots and Wavy Lines 1


A simple doodle. Ten wavy lines. Small imperfect circles, filled in with bright colors. Fun to do. And fun to look at, for me anyway. Added March 20, 2010: For a later version, click here.
  • Copic marker colors used: B14, BG45, Y15, RV17, G14. Note, in real life, the G14 is less yellow than in this scan.
  • Paper: a 4x6" scrap of Strathmore Bristol Board, vellum finish (a lightly textured surface - not "vellum paper")
To try this, click here.

Blog News 3

Updates to Mostly Markers, other than new drawings posted, since the last Blog News:
  • Added a "Custom Colors" post to supplement my "Color Chart." To see both posts, click here, or click on "color chart" in the label list on the right.
  • In response to a reader's comment, added info on UV sealer spray to the post on "How I Store and Protect My Drawings and Materials." For all of my posts on tools and materials, click on "about my tools and materials" in the label list on the right.
For more Blog News posts, click on the label (below, or in the label list on the right)

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Orange Flower with Blue and Orange Ribbons

An orange flower, framed by ribbons of blue and orange.

Copic colors used: Flower - sepia multiliner, Y000,11, YR09,15,20, E95, R00,02,24,32,59, W1; Frame - cobalt multiliner, W0, R00+W0, Ro2,24,32, B2000*, B41,45.
* B2000 is my name for a very pale blue that I made from 1 part B24 and 24 parts colorless blender. Click here for more about this custom color, and for a link to Marianne Walker's I Like Markers post on how to mix custom colors.
Paper: Neenah, 8.5x11"

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Geraniums in Blue Planter

The geraniums in their blue ceramic planter.

Click here to see them in another, close-up drawing from three months ago, drawn right after planting them.

Copic colors used: Leafy plant YG03,21, G12,24,40, RV91; Planter B01,41,45, BG32,72, BV20, Y11, E25, W7; Geranium flowers R02,08,24,29, RV14,19,95; Geranium leaves YG03,63, G07,14,21,24; Background W0,1, E41,43. Also W3 for all the shadows.
Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

Monday, August 3, 2009

Blog News 2

Updates to Mostly Markers, other than new drawings posted, since the last Blog News:
  • Labels (See list of labels on right side of page): Added two labels "coloring: complex" and "coloring: simple." If you have an interest in complex or simple styles of coloring, you can click on the label to see only those drawings. The post "About My Labels" describes the two types of coloring.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Yellow Abstract with Blues and Greens

Just an abstract drawing. I started with pale watercolor wash for the background. After it dried, I added lines and squiggles of olive Copic multiliner, then accented it with deeper-colored marker lines alongside some of the multiliner lines.

Watercolor wash background: Dr. Ph. Martin's radiant concentrated watercolors - grass green, ultra blue, orange, daffodil yellow - 1-2 drops of liquid watercolor in 1/2 tsp water. For more information about the watercolors, including my color chart, see this post.
Copic colors used: olive multiliner; B01,05, blurred with BG000; YR 15, Y15, YG21, blurred with Y000; G12
Paper: Canson Montval watercolor block, 140 lb. cold press, 4x6"