Bright Tropical Blossoms

A pebbly pot with bright tropical blossoms.  Doubling the black lines made a big difference on the flowers and leaves. 

• Copic marker colors used: Custom color YYR2000, R02,29,35, Y08, B32+"0" colorless blender+ G12 on alternate horizontal stripes, E84 + "0" and E81 for some pebbles, E87, W5, YG05, G07
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.3 black; white gel pen for highlights
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 4.25 x 5.5"

Blue Vine Doodle

Just a few curving lines and rounded shapes. 

• Copic marker colors used: B01,05, BG57
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.3 black
• Paper: Neenah, drawing area about 3 x 4"

Two Drawings for Friends

Two three-panel drawings from January.  The drawing above was inspired by three beautiful poems written by a friend, who included them with my birthday card.  I gave her my illustration with my thanks.

The one below was drawn for another friend who requested "snow on trees." 

• Copic marker colors used: I didn't keep track of them
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 black
• White is the paper (top left, bottom right, large areas of bottom left) or Copic opaque white
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 4-1/4 x 5-12"
• Words (top drawing): Blackbird sky, Paths of tears, Gingko gold

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

Advent Calendar 2014

My Advent calendar is complete for 2014 with today's Nativity drawing.  As with the other five years, I'm very glad that I did this activity.  At each Advent's beginning, I wonder how I'll ever have enough words and images to fill the page.  It's such a joyful discovery as I enter into the process and wind my way through the days.

My daily drawing spaces are small (about 1-5/8" high), so you may want to click on the image for a better view, especially if it looks a bit fuzzy above.

For more information including template links and prior years' calendars, click here.
For a listing of words, sources of words, Copic colors, and other materials used,  see below (or click on "read more" to see it)

A Scrap of Lace - Pink and Cream

Just a doodle - imagining a scrap of pink and cream lace.  And this time of year, it makes me think of angel wings. 

• Copic marker colors used: YR30, RV13,32,34,91
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.2 black
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 3x5.5"

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!

Advent Calendar Template 2014

November 30 will be the first Sunday of Advent, and once again, time to start drawing my Advent Calendar.  After five years of drawing them, I took a break in 2013.  But I'm really looking forward to it again for this Advent season.

I'll be posting my calendar here throughout Advent, at least weekly, and maybe more often. After my first year's Advent calendar, I wrote a post on what I learned from it, and it does a good job of explaining why I've continued.

For my previous Advent calendar drawings, click as follows:

• Here for 2012
• Here for 2011
• Here for 2010
• Here for 2009
• Here for 2008
• Here for all of my Advent and Christmas-related drawings and posts

My friend Sybil also posts her yearly Advent calendars in her prayer-drawing blog, Praying in Color.  Click here for her 2013 calendar, here for 2012, here for 2011, or here for 2010.  I'll also link to her 2014 calendar as it appears.

If you'd like to try this activity for yourself, you're invited to click here for two different templates on Sybil's blog.  One is a variation of the calendar grid I'll be using this year.  The other is a tree with different shapes for the days.  She also shows a few examples, including my 2011 calendar.  You may also enjoy her latest book, The Season of the Nativity, which is filled with ideas and simple activities for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany.

Edited November 30, 2014, to add:  For an additional template on Sybil's blog, click here.  

Bright Circles and L's

Our friends Andy and Sybil visited for the weekend, and of course Sybil and I needed to draw and color something.  We sat on the sofa after dinner and picked "rosettes with circles and L's" as the starting point for our drawings.

My doodle used the rosette steps, sort of, but my end result doesn't have a rosette shape.  It looks more like a mobile to me.  Sybil called it a molecule.  Simple and bright and a nice reminder of all our drawing times together.

• Paper, pen, and Copic marker colors: all from Sybil's travel bag, and I didn't write them down.
• Paper size: 7 x 7"

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"

Lenten Prayer Calendar (2014) - Final

My completed prayer calendar for Lent.  Updated Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014.  As always, I'm so glad I did the calendar drawings this year.

Click here for more info, including a template link.  Also, each drawing space is small, about 1 inch wide, so you may want to click on the drawing for a better view. 

• Copic markers
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.3 black; 0.3 cool gray for March 24-28 and April 19; 0.3 cobalt for April 6; 0.3 purple for April 7; 0.3 purple and olive for April 16; 0.3 brown and wine for April 17.
• Paper: Neenah
• Words March 5-8: Ash; Broken; Center, enter in; Peace, be still; 
• Words March 9-15: Prepare with joy; Trust; Renew; In Your mercy; Journey; Fallen; Repent and return
• Words March 16-22: Seek where he is found; Rest; Grace; Healing; Faith; Steadfast; Be born of the spirit
• Words March 23-29: For our sake; Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Have mercy on us, grant us peace
• Words March 30-April 5: 40 days/nights; Fasting: Live as children of the Light. Ephesians 5; Hope; So shall all be made alive; Refresh us; Gratitude 
• Words April 6-12: Lord, hear our prayer; Wait for the Lord; (no words); Love-Break-Mend-Repeat; Cast your burdens upon the Lord; Out of the depths have I called to you O Lord; For there is forgiveness with you
• Words April 7-19: Hosanna - Palm Sunday; O Savior of the world; Guide us; Amen; Body blood; Goodness and mercy; (no words)

Lenten Calendar 2014 - Templates

We're in the church season of Lent, starting on Wednesday, March 5.  My friend Sybil created two templates for a Lenten prayer calendar on her Praying in Color blog.  I'm using her calendar box format this year. 

Adding some daily words, colors, and doodles will help me focus and reflect as we move through Lent to the celebration of Easter.  To see my past Lenten prayer calendar drawings, click here.

New Year's Drawing for 2014

A New Year's doodle with bright, simple colors.  Wishing a Happy 2014 to all!

For my husband and me, this will be a year of change - in a good way - and much in our life will be new.  I expect it will sometimes feel sketchy and improvised, sometimes mismatched and a bit too vibrant.  But with all the excitement of colors and a blank piece of paper!

• Copic marker colors used: R35, YR04,21, V17, B24, YG05
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.3 black
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to A2 size (4.25 x 5.5")
• Words: Behold, I make all things new - Revelation 21:5

Nativity with Angels

A Christmas drawing of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus with angels. 

I thought of this scene on Christmas Eve as we sang O Little Town of Bethlehem.  "For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love."  

Unfortunately, my scan lost some of the subtle pinks and lavenders in the angel wings and robes.  

• Copic marker colors used: Custom color YYR2000, Y19,26, C0, B000,01,21,24,26,32, E000,00,04,11,21,23,25,41,71, BV000,23, G000,YG61,63,91, BG90, YR24, R000,02, V000
• The outer circle is computer-printed.
• Pen: Copic 0.2 black multiliner
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to A2 size (4.25 x 5.5")

Wavy Lines and Circles

It's been awhile since I've drawn, so today is a simple doodle that was fun to play with.  A pair of wavy lines with circles in gray, green, blue, and yellow.  I colored over some with a lighter marker for the uneven effect.

• Copic marker colors used: Custom color B2000, B14,45, C0,1,2,3, G24,40,46, Y11,15,19
• Pen: black 0.3 Copic multiliner
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to A2 size (4.25 x 5.5")

Advent Calendar 2013 - Taking a Break This Year

I've been drawing annual Advent Calendars for the past five years.  Loved doing it.  This year though, I'm taking a break.   

• For Advent inspiration and two 2013 Advent calendar templates, please visit my friend Sybil's blog, Praying in Color.  
• To see my past Advent and Christmas drawings, click here.  
• My current card-making, mostly for Operation Write Home, is posted on my other blog, Mostly Markers - Cards.

Wishing everyone an Advent season filled with hope and joy!

Lenten Calendar 2013 - Templates

For Lent, which begins this year on Wednesday, February 13, my friend Sybil has posted several different Lenten prayer calendar templates on her Praying in Color blog. I'm planning to use her "path" calendar.

I may keep it very simple this year - just a daily word and some coloring.  Or maybe I'll also do some drawing and doodling.  Either way, it will help me reflect on the season and prepare for the joy of Easter.

To see my past Lenten prayer calendar drawings, click here.

Nativity with Three Kings - 2013

It's now the end of the twelve days of Christmas - today is Epiphany, when the Three Kings (also known as wise men, or magi) brought their gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense to the baby Jesus.  I enjoyed drawing with simple geometric shapes to start my scene.  The rich colors and stiff shapes of the Kings are a nice contrast with the softer, more natural shapes and colors of the Holy Family.

I have two more drawings that fit with the "Three Kings" story line - one taking place before and one after this.   Click here for the kings approaching Bethlehem.  And here for the angel's warning to Joseph, after the kings departed.

For all my Advent and Christmas related drawings, click on the "Advent-Christmas" label below, or in the label list to the right of the screen. 

• Copic marker colors used: 0.2 black multiliner, W1,3,5, YR14,15,27, Y15,26,27, R00,02,56,59, RV32, B63, V000,04,17, BV04,20, BG10,53,70, YG05,21,23, G14,21,43, E000,00,04,11,23,25,41,49,53,71,95
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 3-3/4 x 5"

Advent Calendar 2012

My 2012 calendar is now complete. Another year of words and pictures for the Advent season.  Along with drawing and coloring, this year I experimented with some bits of colored paper, as mentioned here.

The drawing spaces are small (about 1-5/8" high), so you may want to click on the image for a better view, especially if it looks a bit fuzzy above.

Click here for my friend Sybil's beautiful and prayerful 2012 Advent calendar, in a very different format from mine.  You can read her thoughts on her first week here and her second week here on her Praying in Color blog.

For my previous Advent calendar drawings, click as follows:

• Here for 2011
• Here for 2010
• Here for 2009
• Here for 2008
• Here for all of my Advent and Christmas-related drawings and posts

For more information about the calendar and the template, click here for my template post.

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