Advent Calendar 2022

I've finished my Advent calendar, the 12th since I began in 2008.  It's always a meaningful way for me to reflect, draw, and color using seasonal images and words, often taken from scripture, hymns, and prayers.  

Each drawing space is small, about 1-5/8" high, and it may look a bit fuzzy or faded above.  For a better view, click on the image.  If you'd like to see my calendar drawings from past years, click here.

• Copic markers
  
• Pen: Copic multiliner
• Words and sources:
• 11/27  We are leaving ordinary time  (My calendar each year starts with these words which point out the wonder of the Advent time, looking forward to Christmas and the birth of Jesus.  And in the church year, our long season of "ordinary time" - the summer and fall weeks after Pentecost - has now ended.)
• 11/28 Hope of all the earth Thou art (hymn - Come Thou Long-expected Jesus)
• 11/29 A light to the nations  (Luke 2:32)
  
• 11/30 Joy
  
• 12/1  Born a child, and yet a King (hymn - Come Thou Long-expected Jesus)
• 12/2  He shall reign forever and ever - Hallelujah!  (Handel's Messiah - Hallelujah chorus)
  
• 12/3  Peace
  
• 12/4  Grace
  
• 12/5  Let each heart prepare a home (hymn "On Jordan's Bank." There are various translations of the lyrics. My hymnal reads, "Let each heart prepare a home where such a mighty Guest may come.")
• 12/6-8 and 13-15  Unto us a child (Isaiah 9:6)
• 12/9 The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him. (Isaiah 11:2)
• 12/10  The wilderness shall be glad. (from Isaiah 35:1)
• 12/11  Happy are they whose hope is in the Lord. (from Psalm 146:4)
• 12/12  Holy and mighty  (Trisagion hymn - "Holy Lord, holy and mighty, holy immortal one, have mercy upon us.")
• 12/16  Love
• 12/17  Stars keep watch (hymn - People, Look East) 
• 12/18  O come, Emmanuel (hymn)
• 12/19  Pour light upon us (hymn - O Heavenly Word - "pour light upon us from above, and fire our hearts with ardent love") 
• 12/20  Mercy
• 12/21  Wait
• 12/22  Awake
• 12/23  The day is near (Romans 13:12)
• 12/24  Anticipate ...
  

Advent Calendar 2021

I'm happy that I've completed another Advent calendar, my 11th since I began in 2008.  As always, I  enjoyed the activity to reflect, draw, and color using seasonal images and words, often taken from scripture, hymns, and prayers.  

 

Each drawing space is small, about 1-5/8" high, and it may look a bit fuzzy or faded above.  For a better view, click on the image.  If you'd like to see my calendar drawings from past years, click here.

• Copic markers
• Pen: Copic multiliner
  
• Paper: Neenah
• Words and sources:
• 11/28  We are leaving ordinary time  (My calendar each year starts with these words which point out the wonder of the Advent time, looking forward to Christmas and the birth of Jesus.  And in the church year, our long season of "ordinary time" - the summer and fall weeks after Pentecost - has now ended.)
• 11/29-12/4  Savior of the nations, come! Virgin's Son, make here your home! Marvel now, both heaven and earth, that the Lord chose such a birth.  (hymn)  (My calendar drawings had a late start this year, and I used the 6-day blank space for a long vine and the first verse of a favorite Advent hymn.)
  
• 12/5  Wait ...
• 12/6  Emmanuel (meaning "God with us")
  
• 12/7  Hope 
• 12/8  From our fears and sins release us (hymn - Come thou long-expected Jesus)
• 12/9  Put on the armor of Light (Romans 13:12)
• 12/10  The Day is at hand (Romans 13:12) 
• 12/11  Rejoice
• 12/12  The Lord will renew you in his love (Zephaniah 3:17) 
• 12/13  At that time, I will bring you home (Zephaniah 3:20)
  
• 12/14  Grace and mercy (from the Book of Common Prayer collect (prayer) for the 3rd Sunday of Advent)
  
• 12/15  Patience
  
• 12/16  Come, thou long expected Jesus (hymn)
  
• 12/17  Sing aloud, O daughter Zion! (Zephaniah 3:14)
  
• 12/18  Therefore, keep awake (Mark 13:24)
  
• 12/19  Love, hope, joy, peace (from an Advent blessing "May the Word sent from God lead us in the way of love, hope, joy, and peace") 
• 12/20  Believe
  
• 12/21  The Lord will fulfill the promise (Jeremiah 33:14)
  
• 12/22  With joy, you will draw water from the springs of salvation (Isaiah 12:3)
  
• 12/23  Blessings
  
• 12/24  Unto us, a Savior (Luke 2:11)
  
• 12/25  Glory to God in the highest (Luke 2:14)
  

Lenten Calendar 2021

My finished calendar for Lent.  A variety of templates and ideas are posted here on Sybil MacBeth's Praying in Color blog.  Her finished calendar is posted here.

Once again, I'm so glad to have done this activity of daily prayer drawings, with words and meditations layered into the lines and colors. 

Note: each drawing space is small, about an inch wide, so you may want to click on the drawing for a better view.  

• Copic markers, Uniball gold gel impact pen, white gel pen, yellow colored pencil
  
• Pen: Copic multiliners, black, sky blue, cobalt, purple
• Paper: Neenah
• Words: 
• Week 1: Ashes, Renew, Hope, Enlighten
• Week 2: Mighty to save, Thaw, Grateful, Turn, Mend/ heal, Thirst, His mercy endures forever
• Week 3: Follow, Presence, Lift up, Pray, Remember, Be still and know, Redeem
• Week 4: Give life, Believe, Grace, Learn, Promise, Connect, Inspire
  
• Week 5: Journey, Faith, Sustain, Bless, Centering, Stir, Loving-kindness
• Week 6: Embrace, Dwell in safety, Lord, Rest, Kyrie eleison, Release, Forgiven
  
• Week 7 (Holy Week): Hosanna, Help us, There/Here, Lay aside every weight (Hebrews 12:1), Given for us, God so loves (adapted from John 3:16).  The last day doesn't have words.
  

Advent Calendar 2017

With the Nativity scene drawing for Christmas Day, I've completed my annual Advent calendar drawings.  As with past years, I've enjoyed taking the time to enjoy the hope, joy, and wonder of the season with my pens and markers. 

Each drawing space is small (about 1-5/8" high) and it may look a bit fuzzy or faded above.  For a better view, click on the image.

If you might like to try something similar, click here for more information, or here (my friend Sybil's blog) for 2017 template formats, including my calendar grid that I'm using.  Or click here for my eight completed calendars from past years.

For a listing of words, sources of words, Copic colors, and other materials used,  see below (or click on "read more" to see it.)

Advent Calendar 2016

My 2016 Advent calendar is finished. Always a good experience for me as I draw and color my way through Christmas.

Each drawing space is small (about 1-5/8" high) and it may look a bit fuzzy or faded above.  For a better view, click on the image.

With my daily drawings, I set aside a bit of space and time to reflect on the Advent season, and its message of hope and love.   If you might like to try something similar, click here for more information, including 2016 template links.  Or click here for my seven calendars from past years.

For a listing of words, sources of words, Copic colors, and other materials used,  see below (or click on "read more" to see it.)

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

Landscape with Sepia Lines

A small watercolor landscape to start the new year.  I added some lines with sepia multiliner and a bit of shadow with brown marker.

• Copic marker colors used: E44
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.3 sepia
• Watercolor wash background: Lyra Aquacolor crayon numbers 1,5,47,48,70,75,76,83. For more information about the watercolor crayons, including my color chart, see this post.
• Paper: Scrap of watercolor paper, approx. 2-1/2" square

Frond in Greens and Blues

Just a doodle. My hand wanted to draw these curvy lines today. It looked like a frond, or maybe a feather, so I colored it that way.

I airbrushed the background, and the splotchy effect was created by airbrushing with the brush end of the Sketch marker.

• Copic marker colors used: G17,28, YG23,95, BG49,53,75,93, E87
• Copic multiliners: Olive 0.3, black 0.1
  
• Paper: Neenah classic cream, cut down to 4.25 x 5.5"
  

Advent Calendar 2011

(Final drawing) My Advent calendar drawing for 2011. Each day's space is small, 1-3/8 x 1-1/2", so you may want to click on the drawing for a clearer view.

My friend Sybil has posted her 2011 Advent calendar here on her Praying in Color blog.

• Click here for a listing of my words, sources of words, and Copic marker colors (or other materials) used.
• Click here for my 2011 template - to print or save my blank Advent calendar template for your own use (PDF or JPG format).
• Click here for my 2010 Advent calendar drawing, or here for 2009 and here for 2008.
  
• For all related posts, click on my Advent-Christmas label, below or in the label list to the right.

Landscape with Scribbly Lines on Watercolor Paper

For this imaginary landscape, I scribbled lines in many colors of ink, then colored with my Copic markers. The markers look like watercolors on the soft, thick Arturo paper. Love the fuzzy torn edges.

• Copic 0.3 colored multiliners used: Sky blue, sepia, cool gray, cobalt, olive, wine, pink
• Other pens used: Micron 0.5 brown, Faber-Castell Pitt sepia F
  
• Copic marker colors used: Custom color B2000, B21,41,63, BG70,72, C0, W0, E21,41,81,87, YG61,63,91, BG93, BV20
  
• Paper: Arturo bright white watercolor card from Ellen Hutson (size 3-3/8 x 5-1/8")
  

Advent Calendar 2010

My Advent calendar drawing for 2010. Each day's space is small, 1-3/8 x 1-5/8", so you may want to click on the drawing for a clearer view.

• Click here for a listing of words, sources of words, and Copic colors (or other materials) used.
• Click here for my template - to print or save my blank 2010 Advent calendar template for your own use (PDF or Word format).
• Added November 26, 2011: Click here for my 2011 Advent calendar drawing, or here for 2009 and here for 2008.
  
• For all related posts, click on my Advent-Christmas label, below or in the label list to the right.

Work in progress note: This post was dated December 25 to keep it at the top of my blog through Christmas Day. From November 28 through December 24, as I completed my daily drawings, I replaced the image here with the new version, and also updated my separate listing (see link above) with the words, sources of words, and Copic marker colors used for each day.

Slithering Snake

A snake slithering through the grass. Drawn with olive and sepia Copic multiliners.
Inspired by Illustration Friday's word for the week, "slither."

Click here (or scroll down) for last week's drawing "early," done too late to submit.

• Copic marker colors used: First I colored the snake with W3+E00 (two colors on top of each other). When it was dry, I dabbed it with colorless blender (0) on a piece of terry cloth, to make the mottled effect. Then I colored the grass with streaks of YG21,23,63,91, G40, and BG93.
• Paper: Neenah

Red and Blue Swirls

A pencil doodle from my small sketchbook. Lines inked with red and blue pen. Colored (including the page edges) with red and blue markers.

• Pens: Cobalt Copic multiliner 0.3; red Uni-ball gel impact pen 1.0 (does not smear or bleed with Copic markers)
  
• Copic marker colors used: B21,26, R24,29
  
• Paper: Strathmore medium drawing paper, natural white, 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.
  

Basket with Apples and Pears

Bright colors for a winter's day. It is drawn from life, except the basket was a metal pan, and the napkin was beige.

Technique - added February 8, 2010: To create the textures in the napkin, the tabletop, and the wall, first I colored with a light color, a bit unevenly. After my first color was dry, I used another light color on top of it, also coloring a bit unevenly. See color list below for details.

• Copic marker colors used: Custom color B2000, BV20, C1, Y000,11,19, YR20, G14,21,40, YG21,63, R00,32, RV11,14,17,29, E09,11,37,41,43,44,49,53, dots of sepia multiliner.
• Color details: Napkin: Y11 on top of G40. Tabletop: Custom color B2000 on top of BV20. Wall: C1 on top of Custom color B2000.
• Paper: Neenah, 8.5x11"

Tangled Lines

After my watercolor background (shown below) was dry, I drew the sepia lines. Then, with markers, I traced along the lines and colored a few small areas. I used the Copic airbrush to add some brown speckles.

• Copic marker colors used: E11,33,95, YR21, Y15,38; Sepia multiliner; Copic airbrush E33
• Watercolor wash background: Dr. Ph. Martin's radiant concentrated watercolors - saddle brown, orange, and daffodil yellow. 1-2 drops of liquid watercolor in 1/4 teaspoon of water. For more info about these watercolors, including my color chart, see this post.
• Paper: Canson Montval watercolor block, 140 lb. cold press, 4x6"

Advent Calendar 2009

Originally posted November 29. Final edits December 24: My Advent calendar drawing for 2009 is now complete. Each day's space is small, 1-3/8 x 1-5/8", so you may want to double-click the drawing for a larger view.

• Click here for a listing of 2009 words, sources of words, and Copic colors used.
• Click here to print or save my blank 2009 Advent calendar template (PDF format).
• Added November 27, 2010: Click here for my 2010 Advent calendar drawing.
• Click here for 2008.
  
• For all related posts, click on my Advent-Christmas label, below or in the label list to the right.

For links to my friend Sybil's Advent calendar drawings (2008 and 2009), scroll down to my post below, also dated December 25. She has posted her drawings for Weeks 1, 2, and 3, and now her final large 2009 calendar. (Or click on "home" below, and then scroll down.)

Work in progress note: This post was dated December 25 to keep it at the top of my blog through Christmas Day. From November 29 through December 24, as I completed my daily drawings, I replaced the image here with the new version, and also updated my separate listing (see link above) with the words, sources of words, and Copic marker colors used for each day.

Storybook Landscape in Three Frames

After several rosette drawings, I wanted to loosen up. Draw freely on a larger page, doodle, go wherever the drawing might lead me.

I started with the outer frames and then the sun. I was surprised to find myself drawing the storybook scenes inside the frames. It was fun using colors and patterns to tie the spaces together. I don't know what the story is, but I think the characters know.

• Copic marker colors used: E00,04,33,53; V12,15; RV32; W1,5; G12,14,17,24,28; BV20; BG72; YR20; Y11; B01. Drawn mostly with sepia and olive Copic multiliners; also orange, yellow, purple, cool gray, sky blue, and red Copic multiliners.
• Paper: Neenah classic cream, cut down to 8.25 x 11"

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".

Ribbon Lattice

New printer/scanner set up yesterday, and it's not fully functional yet. When it is, I'll update "about my tools and materials." Meanwhile, here is yesterday's drawing, a lattice pattern with ribbons of color and a white ribbon woven through.

The main colors are bright, but softened and shaded with cool grays and other colors. For the background, I used my custom color B2000, and after it dried, I colored over it with colorless blender for a blurred, somewhat cloudy effect.

• For a brighter drawing with similar colors (Cathedral Shapes), click here.
• For a basket weave drawing and how to draw basket weave, click here.
• For more ribbon-theme drawings, click on the "ribbons" label, below or in the label list to the right.

• Copic colors used: Cool gray multiliner. Background B2000 (see above). Main ribbon colors B14, R24, YR 24, YG63. Shaded with C0, C1, B26, E71, BG96.
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"