Sketch - Cezanne Inspired

Getting warmed up for February's Cezanne inspired project, I did this rough pencil sketch with a Bible verse that echoed the feeling of abundance in the original painting.  I added a bit of coloring, then set it aside, thinking I might use it for another drawing. 

But the longer it sat on my table, the more it seemed complete in itself, and the words developed layers of meaning for me as time went on.  So three months later, I'm calling it done.  Sometimes my scratchiest sketches make me happy without needing a polished end point.

• Copic marker colors used: W1, 3; Y13; YR21, 30; YG05, 21; E81; V000, 22; BV31; B41
• Colored pencils, a very old set of Venus Spectracolor: ultramarine, orange, olive green, scarlet lake, terra cotta, and orange-yellow
• Paper: printer paper, cut down to 4-1/4 x 5-1/2"
• Words: From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace. - John 1:16

Lenten Calendar 2019

Since I didn't draw a calendar for this past Advent season, I was very ready to start one for Lent!  I've kept it simple, just a few words from the season's scriptures or prayers, as they connect to my daily events and experiences, with a bit of drawing and coloring.  Note: each drawing space is small, about an inch wide, so you may want to click on the drawing for a better view. 

Added Saturday, April 20, 2019:  This is my finished calendar update, with the drawings complete through today in Holy Week. Though my drawings end with the sorrow and darkness of Holy Saturday, there is joy in our faith of Easter's resurrection.

In the past, I've used a variety of templates (click here for more of my Lent and Easter posts, or here for my Advent calendar posts).  You can find this grid and other templates on my friend Sybil's Praying in Color blog, along with her current Lent calendar drawing. 

• Copic markers; colored pencil for April 1 bench
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 black
• Paper: Neenah
• Words:
• Week 1: Ash; Slow; Draw near; Wash
• Week 2: The time is now; Rough; Give me vision; Walk - put one foot in front of the other; Look for truth; Make in us new and contrite hearts; Spare your people, O Lord
• Week 3: Sustain; Gather; Trust; Seek Him; Wait patiently for the Lord; Show me your way, O Lord; Sounds of great gladness
• Week 4: Deeply; Keep me safe; Read and meditate; Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden -
• Week 5: And I will give you rest; Teach me; Mercy; Be reconciled to God; Who gives life to the world
• Week 6: For our sake; Lift up your hearts; He remembers that we are but dust; I will guide you with my eye; Now is the day of salvation; Hide not; Forgive
• Week 7: Hosanna; Oh... hush... ; Gifts of God; Darkness.

January Daily Drawings - Completed

I'm trying a "daily drawing" idea for January and maybe beyond, with a computer-printed grid like my annual Advent calendars.  Each rectangle is 1-7/16" x 1-5/8".  The drawings can look blurry in the blog post, so please click on the image for a better view. 

The small spaces work well for me to focus, relax, and draw what I see.  My subjects are things inside our house.
Week 1: Garlic, a poinsettia center, blackberries, a shell, a tomato, a knit hat, a silver pin.
Week 2: Flat leafed parsley, a rug motif, a cup, spool of thread, crocheted lace edge, candle snuffer on ruffle edged dish, can of colored pencils.
Week 3: Layer cake, turtle necklace, ginger root, a radish, basket with mail, small gold-tone scissors with ribbon, pottery candlestick.
Week 4: Green onions, a leaflet of grape ivy, staple remover, folded cloth, a satin bow, slice of pie (apple-cranberry-raisin), part of a tea strainer. 

• Copic markers and multiliners:  I don't plan to list them all, but if you'd like to know, please leave me a comment, and I'll be happy to add more details.  I used a Signo Uni-ball white gel pen to draw the lace for January 15 and to add some highlights on a few other days.  Also a Signo Uni-ball gold gel pen for January 19.
• Paper: Neenah

Advent Calendar 2014 - First Day and Notes

My calendar drawing for today, the first day of Advent.  Click here for my explanation of today's words, and why I draw candles for the Sunday dates.  I'll continue to post at least weekly during December, as I fill in the calendar spaces through Christmas. 

Today's drawing is about 1-3/8 x 1-5/8" in size.  You can click on it for a better view. For the template and more information about the calendar, as well as links to past years and to my friend Sybil's Advent calendar drawings, scroll down or click here for my template post.

Warm wishes to all of you for many blessings of the season!

Leafy Branch with Wine Red

There's a hint of fall in the air this week, so a touch of wine red in my leafy branch. 

• Copic marker colors used: YG95,97, R56
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.3 black
• Paper: Neenah, 3.75 x 5"
• Mat: Hero Arts grenadine layering paper,  4.25 x 5.5"

Advent Calendar 2012 - First Day and Notes

Here is the drawing for my Advent calendar's first day.  For the Sundays in Advent, I like to draw candles, lighting one more candle each Sunday like the traditional Advent wreath.  In my church, blue is the color for Advent, so my candles will be blue, except for a pink or rose colored candle for the third Sunday.

For 5 years now,  I've started my calendar with the words "We are leaving ordinary time..."  These words remind me that Advent is a special time of year, looking forward to Christmas and the birth of Jesus.  And it's a fact that "ordinary time"-  the long summer and fall church season after Pentecost - has now ended. 

This year on my calendar, I decided to try something different.  I'm planning to add some bits of paper to my Copic drawing and coloring.  I've had so much fun making cards (posted on my other blog, Mostly Markers - Cards) that I thought it would be interesting to experiment with colored card stock and die cuts as part of my Advent drawings.  

Today's drawing is about 2.5 x 1.75" in size.  Click on it for a better view.  It includes some Papertrey Ink card stock - blue stripes, green leaf print, and a solid yellow-orange.  The star inside the candle flame is a hand punch, and the green wreath shape and yellow candle base are oval die cuts.  I also added some dots and lines of Copic marker - YR27, YG63, and B45. The blue words and outlines are done with a cobalt Copic 0.3 multiliner.   The calendar is printed on Neenah solar white card stock.

For more information about the calendar and the template, as well as links to past years, scroll down or click here for my template post.  And I wish all of you a joyful holiday season! 

Sparse Landscape

A sparse landscape with trees.  Few leaves, muted colors, a late November feeling.   Just a little warm-up sketch, but I like how it turned out. 

• Copic marker colors used: YR24,27, Y28, YG91,95, E23,84,87.  The drawing has more variation of colors than is seen in my scan. 
• I dabbed on colorless blender solution ("0") with terry cloth to make the mottled effect.  
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

Doodle in Green and Brown

This fall, I've been making cards, as posted on my other blog "Mostly Markers - Cards," and today I mailed out a box of 120 for Operation Write Home. Then I had the urge to doodle. Just something to get my arm moving. Colors I haven't used lately. No intended audience.

Unlike some of my other drawings, it would not look good on a greeting card. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe vegetation. Seed pods and seeds sprouting. Or maybe not.

• Copic marker colors used: Custom color YG6000, YG05,21,23,95, Y28
  
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

Paisley Leaf Doodle

A leafy branch. My doodle was inspired by Illustration Friday's word for the week, "paisley."

• Copic marker colors used: G24, YG03,05,21,23,63
  
• Paper: Neenah
  

Mother and Child

I was wondering what to draw for "fearless," this week's Illustration Friday word. Then the church service this morning reminded me of this Bible verse, one of my favorites. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." Today is Mother's Day, so the words connected for me with the thought of a mother's love.

My drawing is very simple, a few curved lines on tan card stock, with a little color. I used a heart shape, cut from scrap paper, to guide the flow of the written words and to mask the shape for the airbrushed color (Copic airbrushing with my marker.)

• Copic marker color used: E4
• Paper: tan Crane's card approx. 4x6"
• Words: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)
  

Sketch of Statice Flowers in a Clear Vase

Warming up on scrap drawing paper, I did this sketch of purple statice flowers in a clear glass vase. I decided to finish it by adding some sketchy colors.

Because it was scrap paper, there were some stray marks and dots, so I added more. I let the marker drop, fine tip down, from a few inches above the paper, to make dots and marks in random sizes and shapes.

Then I ran a marker along the edges for a small, irregular border. A light wash of watercolor completed it for the table top and shadow.

To see my earlier, less sketchy drawing of statice, click here.

• Copic marker colors used: YG63,91, BG10, V04,09,12, BV04,08
• Paper: Strathmore drawing paper, cut down to 4x6"
  

Twisty Lines and Dots - Black and White

Black and white doodle, twisty lines (Copic Multiliner) with dots (marker).
Added May 4, 2010: Click here for a similar drawing, with colored dots, that I made two weeks later.

• Copic marker colors used: Black 100 for the dots
• Paper: Neenah 8.5 x 11"

Sloping Lines in Green, Blue, and Purple

Layers of lines and colors. A feeling of gentle motion.

Inspired by Illustration Friday's word for the week, "dip." Of all its different meanings, I thought of lines sloping down and curving into each other.

• Copic marker colors used: B21,24,26,41,45, G12,14,17,21,24, V000,04,12,15, C3
• Background was done with the Copic airbrush: marker colors B24, G14, V15.
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 4x6"

Lenten Prayer Calendar (2010) and Perspective

Tiny daily prayer drawings, each a little less than 1" wide. To put things into perspective for me.
It's my picture of Illustration Friday's word for the week, "perspective."

• If you'd like to do something like this, click here for a PDF calendar template to print or download with daily blank drawing spaces for Lent 2010 (February 17 - April 3). It prints on 8.5 x 11" paper, and then can be enlarged on a copy machine to 11 x 17" if you want more room to draw. (Created by my friend Sybil, and used with her permission.)
• Click here for Sybil's "Praying in Color" blog to see her prayer drawings.
• Click here for my 2009 Advent Calendar. Larger and more complex drawings than the ones in my Lenten calendar.
  

Rosette in Blue

After drawing the example rosette for last week's "try this" post, I colored it in shades of blue. I tried coloring a light blue background, but I didn't like it. So I cut out the rosette and placed it on a textured black paper background. The rosette is about 3" across.

• Copic marker colors used: Custom color B2000, B41,45, BG05, BV04,23,31, B41+BV31 (the + means one color is colored on top of the other)

To try this, click here.

Flowing Lines with Turquoise, Cream, and Pink

I started this drawing with flowing lines. I used deep pink and turquoise colors to trace along a few of the lines, then added some softer colors.

• Copic marker colors used: RV17, blurred with RV000; BG49, blurred with BG10; RV000, 91, BG10; YR20 with streaks of BG10 and RV91.
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

Doodle with Gray, Sepia, and Pink

For this doodle, I started with the corners and worked in toward the center. After drawing the black lines, I added more lines in gray, sepia, and pink, along with some coloring. I'm happy with the result.

• Copic marker colors used: Black, cool gray, sepia and pink multiliners; C0, C3, E11, E33, RV10, RV13+RV91. The + means one color on top of another.
• Paper: Tan Crane's card 4x6".

Spiky Plants

Spiky abstract plants with subdued streaks of color.

I airbrushed the background last (using the Copic airbrush) with a pale blue. Because it was so pale, and there was already some blue color in the leaves, I didn't mask anything when I airbrushed.

February 6, 2010: Today I posted a revised drawing (above). I wasn't happy with the hard horizontal lines at the base of my plants. So I cut it in two with my sharp craft scissors, just below the base of the plants, cutting unevenly to follow the lines of the mulch. Then I moved the bottom portion up about 1/16" to cover the horizontal lines. I added some irregular black lines along the cut edge. I taped it across the back with acid-free scrapbooking tape, and used my 2-way glue pen in a few spots on the front. It looks better to me now. See below for original version.

• Copic marker olors used: plants- streaks of BG93,96, E71, blended with custom color B2000; ground- W1,3, V000, YR09 on W0, W5 on W0; background- airbrushed with B41
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

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"

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"