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.

Yellow-Orange Flowers with Long Leaves

Many months ago, getting to know my then-new drawing software and tablet, I doodled this shape of flowers with long leaves.  Just the line drawing; no coloring.  My lines are very jagged, because I didn't adjust the line-smoothing properly, and at the time, I didn't like the drawing.

I didn't save the computer file, but I printed it out.  Recently I came across the printout in a pile of papers, and I decided to photocopy it onto Neenah paper and color it.  It's really much nicer than I thought.  The lines and shapes have a graceful flow that I'm very happy with.

• Copic marker colors used: Custom color YYR2000, Y21, YR14,15, YG23,61, G43, BG90
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

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.)

Advent Calendar 2015

I've finished my 2015 Advent calendar drawings.  As in the other years, it felt like time well spent.

This daily activity helps me reflect on the hope and joy of the season.  If you might like to try something similar, click here for more information, including template links and prior years' calendars.

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

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

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"

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)

Tall Heart Stems

A black-and-white doodle, drawn with Copic 0.5 multiliner.  Tall stems of hearts.

For this week's Illustration Friday word, "tall."

With color added, this drawing also makes a nice greeting card, posted here on my cards blog, Mostly Markers - Cards.

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.

Flower Drawing with Color-Bleed Background

A very small drawing (2 x 3-1/4") with a bright, stained-glass background. I wanted simple, heavy lines to stand out against a busy background. So I used a Copic 1.0 multiliner, instead of my usual 0.2 or 0.3 weight.

Before I colored my drawing, I scanned it for future use on greeting cards. To see how I used it, click here for the post on my other blog, Mostly Markers- Cards. If the Copic marker color-bleed background appeals to you, you may also want to click here for a different card example that I did yesterday with the technique.

The background was very easy to make using Julia Stainton's color-bleed grid technique, posted on Ellen Hutson's educational CLASSroom blog. I separated my blue-green and red-orange sections with a stripe of yellow. My background colors are Copic Y15, YG05, YR04, R35, R24, and BG45.

After the paper was dry from my "0" colorless blender drips, I added some Copic markers on top of my background pattern. I used some strong reds on the flowers (YR09, RV29, R08, and R59), and muted greens and blue on the leaves and ground area (G24 on the leaves, BG93 on the lower ground stripe, and BG53 for the upper ground stripe). For the leaves and ground, I colored gently in long soft strokes, so as not to disturb the "drips" pattern underneath. I really like how the pattern still shows through.

Paper: Neenah solar white

Pattern of Vines and Flowers

An overall pattern of vines and flowers, drawn with Copic 0.3 black multiliner and colored with Copic markers. My inspiration was a very different painting, a wall border around the top of a large dining room (photo below).

Due to my underlying grid of 2" squares and 1-1/2" circles, my drawing has a formal, static appearance. Drawn for Illustration Friday's word for the week, "stay," which is a lot like "static" (remaining in place.)

• Copic marker colors used: YG21, G14, Y19, B01,24,26,41, BG49,53, R02,59, Custom colors YG6000 and R290
  
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 11x7"
  

Three Purple Flowers in Vase

Three flowers in a vase. Drawn with pencil, colored with Copic markers and a bit of colored pencil.

Added April 26, 2011: Click here to see my greeting card with another version of the flowers.

• Copic marker colors used: Y11,19, W0,1, RV000,91, V000,12,20, BG10,70,93, custom colors YYR2000, YG6000
  
• Colored pencils: Venus Spectracolor cream and lavender
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 4.25 x 5.5"

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
  

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"

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"
  

Garden Flowers

I started with a watercolor background, shown below. After it dried, I drew the flowers with multiliner and added some touches of color with markers.

• Copic marker colors used: YR15, V12, BG72,93, G21,40,YG03,21,95
• Watercolor wash background: Dr. Ph. Martin's radiant concentrated watercolors - crimson, grass green, ultra blue, 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"

Purple Statice Flowers in a Speckled Vase

A stoneware vase with statice flowers. The vase and trivet were airbrushed (using the Copic airbrush), with lines of colorless blender to decorate the trivet.

Click here to see my May 2010 statice drawing.

• Copic marker colors used: purple multiliner; flowers V000,04,09, B24 0n V000; leaves YG91,63; vase W0 base, airbrushed with Y95 and V09; rim of vase Y95; trivet airbrushed with BV04,23.
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

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"

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"

Green Vase with Flowers

After drawing the decorative vines on the vase with olive Copic multiliner, I added dots of marker for the leaves and blossoms. Then I airbrushed the vase and the table top with the Copic airbrush. Finally, I completed the bouquet of leaves and flowers.

I like the vase and the bouquet, but I'm not so sure their styles go together well. Someday I will probably cut the drawing apart, then draw a new vase for the bouquet and a new bouquet for the vase.

Copic colors used: Blossoms RV10,14,91,95, R02,59, YR04, orange & purple multiliner; Large leaves G14,21, BV20, YG23; Large leaves G14,21, YG23, BV20; Vase pattern drawn with olive multiliner, G28, RV19, R59, BG05,75; Shadow C0, BV20; Vase background airbrushed with G24, BV23; Table airbrushed with C5, BV23, BG75
Paper: Neenah, 8.5x11"

Geraniums Decorated - Sybil's Coloring

With help from one of her friends, my friend Sybil colored an enlarged copy of my geraniums drawing. Here is her version. I really like it. She named it "Geraniums Decorated" (used with her permission):