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
  

Iris Bouquet 3

A friend asked me to color my iris drawing for her, but with "her colors." So we went through the color chart together, and she picked out her favorites. I was able to use all of them.

She double-matted it with soft purple and deeper green, which looked beautiful with it. I had intended for her to cover up the bottom part of the vase (it looks too tall to me), but she liked it tall.

Click on the "iris" label, below or in the label list to the right, to see the other coloring and also the original line drawing.

Sybil's Iris Drawing

After I sent my friend Sybil a scan of my iris drawing, she felt inspired to do one of her own. Her drawings, also done with pen and markers (usually Copic), are very different from mine. I love the colors, lines, and detailed patterns in this one. (Used with her permission.)

Iris Bouquet 2

I used one of my line drawings from 1983 for this. (Photocopied the line drawing, then colored it.) The bouquet was from my garden. In real life, the iris were the old-fashioned purple type, and I think the other flowers were spirea (red-violet with green leaves.)

For some of the iris flowers, I used "splotching through paper" for the mottled effect.

Edited Dec. 2009: Click on the "iris" label, below or in the label list to the right, to see a later version with softer coloring, and also the original line drawing.

Iris Bouquet 1

This was a line drawing - Pilot Razor Point pen. Flowers from my garden. 25 years later, I made a copy and colored it. But I still have the original (not colored).

Iris Flower Card

I drew this iris from my garden on 3.5 x 5 Crane ecru note paper, with blue Pilot Razor Point pen. I created several like this to give to friends.