Acrobat Doodle

Acrobats spiraling through the air. A happy doodle, inspired by Illustration Friday's word for the week, "acrobat."

• Copic marker colors used: Ground and spirals B32, G12, V12; Acrobats YR07, B14, G14, V04
  

Blog Update

It might look like I've disappeared, but no, I've been making cards. See my other blog, Mostly Markers - Cards, for recent postings. The link is just below the green leaves (basil actually) in my blog heading.

Pot with Artificial Ivy

This brightly painted ceramic pot, about 3 inches tall, was a gift from a friend thirty years ago. It is filled with (not very convincing) artificial ivy.

Inspired by Illustration Friday's word for the week, "artificial."

• Copic marker colors used: C1,3,5, R08, E25,41,43, Y38, G12,17,40, YG03,63,95
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

Gilt-Edged Notebook

Once again, Illustration Friday prompted me to draw something I never would have thought to draw otherwise.

This week's word "diary" started me thinking about my mom and how she encouraged my creativity ... drawing, painting, collage, writing, singing, sewing, knitting, embroidery, and more. Especially all the journals, paper, and art supplies that she gave me over the years. This gilt-edged notebook, my current diary, is just one example.

I really enjoyed drawing it and thinking of her. Thanks, Mom. And thanks, I.F. See below for a scan of the actual diary.

• Copic marker colors used: W1,3, YR00,07,15,20, Y19,26, G17,21,24,28, YG97, E43,44, V000,12, BV04, RV13,91
• Background: Copic airbrushed with B45 marker, dotted with B41, 45
  
• Copic multiliner colors used: Pink, purple, sky blue, orange
• Gold Uni-ball gel pen
  
• Paper: Neenah
  

Blog News 12 - Greeting Cards, New Blog, and Sources

My blog "Mostly Markers" is one year old this month, and I've really enjoyed doing it. A big thank you to all my viewers and especially everyone who's left a comment or question for me.

My biggest news is that, while this is still my primary blog, I've just begun a new "companion blog" called Mostly Markers - Cards. All of my posts labeled as "cards (greeting cards)" have moved over there. I placed links on the headers of both blogs, so it will be easy to go back and forth.

Why a new blog? Lots of reasons. I think it will simplify my blogging. Some of my labels for drawings don't make sense for cards, and vice versa. Cards have their own aesthetic and charm, and I think it's interesting to keep them together. Etc.

I've really enjoyed creating cards again. As I wrote in the header for my new blog, they are small collages - mailable art. Along with the lines, shapes, and colors that I love about drawings, cards also feature textures and dimension, not to mention layout and construction challenges. They are just plain fun to do. So while I'm adding more drawings to this blog, I'll be adding more cards to the new blog. I still plan to keep my "reference posts" here, such as "try this" and "about my tools and materials." They have been linked to this blog from the new blog"s menu bar (below the header).

Finally, I added a new post to "about my tools and materials." It's about my sources, titled "Where I Buy My Tools and Materials." Hope it will be helpful to others.

Orange Card with Beads

Updated July 9, 2010: This post has been moved to my new "companion blog." Please click here for "Mostly Markers - Cards" to see it (dated the same as this original post.) For the future, I'll post all of my new greeting cards in Mostly Markers - Cards. This blog, Mostly Markers, will also still be active with all of my non-card drawings and reference posts.

Two Cards with Large Punched Dots

Updated July 9, 2010: This post has been moved to my new "companion blog." Please click here for "Mostly Markers - Cards" to see it (dated the same as this original post.) For the future, I'll post all of my new greeting cards in Mostly Markers - Cards. This blog, Mostly Markers, will also still be active with all of my non-card drawings and reference posts.

Sun and Flowers Card - Punched Dots

Updated July 9, 2010: This post has been moved to my new "companion blog." Please click here for "Mostly Markers - Cards" to see it (dated the same as this original post.) For the future, I'll post all of my new greeting cards in Mostly Markers - Cards. This blog, Mostly Markers, will also still be active with all of my non-card drawings and reference posts.

Sunshine Card - Embroidery Floss

Updated July 9, 2010: This post has been moved to my new "companion blog." Please click here for "Mostly Markers - Cards" to see it (dated the same as this original post.) For the future, I'll post all of my new greeting cards in Mostly Markers - Cards. This blog, Mostly Markers, will also still be active with all of my non-card drawings and reference posts.

Bright Dots and Wavy Lines 3 - Cards

Updated July 9, 2010: This post has been moved to my new "companion blog." Please click here for "Mostly Markers - Cards" to see it (dated the same as this original post.) For the future, I'll post all of my new greeting cards in Mostly Markers - Cards. This blog, Mostly Markers, will also still be active with all of my non-card drawings and reference posts.

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
  

Twelve Cards for Operation Write Home

Updated July 9, 2010: This post (including the rest of this group of cards) has been moved to my new "companion blog." Please click here for "Mostly Markers - Cards" to see it (dated the same as this original post.) For the future, I'll post all of my new greeting cards in Mostly Markers - Cards. This blog, Mostly Markers, will also still be active with all of my non-card drawings and reference posts.

Bright Flowers with Orange and Purple

After my orange and purple watercolor background (shown below) was dry, I added the line drawing of flowers and leaves, and colored them with my markers. I like the bright background combined with flowers that are even brighter.

• Copic marker colors used: G21, YG63, RV06, V04, YR09
• Watercolor background: Dr. Ph. Martin's radiant concentrated watercolors - orange 2A, cherry red 6A, and violet 10A. One or two drops of liquid watercolor in 1/4 teaspoon of water. For more information about the watercolors, including my color chart, see this post.
• Paper: Canson Montval watercolor block, 140 lb. cold press, 4x6"

Snail Trail

Garden snails. So cute. Except when they eat the flowers.

My doodle was inspired by Illustration Friday's word for the week, "trail."

• Copic marker colors used: R08,59, G14,17, B05, BG49
• Paper: Neenah
  

Sybil's Rosette and Ribbon Drawings

Below are four recent marker drawings from my friend Sybil (used with her permission.)

• Her ribbon drawing (first drawing below) is actually two drawings, done several weeks apart, which are connected by the gray ribbon across the middle.
  
• The next three drawings are her free-form interpretations of my "how to draw a rosette" post.
  

For more of Sybil's drawings posted in my blog, click on the label, below or in the label list to the right.

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

Teapot with Cup - and Sybil's Teapot

An early morning pot of tea is my favorite way to start the day. For this simple drawing (above), I used a heavy line - 0.8 Copic multiliner, instead of my usual 0.2 or 0.3. Inspired by last week's Illustration Friday word, "early." I drew it from life, but I changed the teapot color and added the green cloth.

• Copic marker colors used: Table E43,44; Background airbrush E43; Cloth G21 with BG93 lines and dots, shaded with airbrush BG96; Cloth edge G24,28; Cup, spoon, and tea C0,3, E00,33, B26, BG93, G24,28, Y15, R24; Teapot base color Custom color B2000, dotted with R02, E11,43, BG32,72,93, B21,45, shaded with airbrush C3
  
• Paper: Neenah
  

Added May 31,2010: See below (posted with her permission) for my friend Sybil's teapot drawing, which she e-mailed to me after she saw my drawing. She drew it a few years ago "in response to a wonderful exhibit at an art museum ... all kinds of artsy teapots." Wonderful patterns, colors, and shapes. For more of her drawings and a link to her blog, click on "Sybil's drawings" below or in the label list to the right.

Patches with Black Dots

This started out as a drawing on a watercolor wash background. I couldn't seem to make it work. But such lovely colors! So I cut it up into strips, rearranged it, taped it together, cut it into strips crosswise, rearranged and taped it again. Then I added black lines between the patches, and some black dots for accent. It works better now.

• Copic marker colors used: A few touches of orange and rose, but I didn't write down what they were. The black lines are Copic multiliner BS (brush small). The black dots are Copic marker black 100.
  
• Background: Dr. Ph. Martin's radiant concentrated watercolors - lemon yellow, true blue, persimmon. 1 - 2 drops of liquid watercolor in 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of water. For more information about the watercolors, including my color chart, see this post.
• Paper: Canson Montval watercolor block, 140 lb. cold press, 4x6"

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"
  

Turquoise Stripes - Drawing and Card

Straight lines, wavy lines, and long streaks of color.

Updated July 9, 2010: See below for the greeting card that I made from this drawing. Please click here for "Mostly Markers - Cards," my new "companion blog," for the card-related information (dated the same as this original post.) For the future, I'll post all of my new greeting cards in Mostly Markers - Cards. This blog, Mostly Markers, will also still be active with all of my non-card drawings and reference posts.