Abstract Quilt with Gray and Colors

Ribbons of colored multiliner. Squares of gray. Squares pieced with blue, purple, and white stripes and checkerboards. Squares appliqued with green, pink, and light gray patches. I thought the large gray squares might look too bland, but I like the way it came out.

I enjoyed making the patterns similar but different. I enjoyed working with the not-square squares, which were drawn with two sets of lines, each radiating from a point just off the top of the page. (I started with lightly drawn pencil lines, using a ruler, but then when I inked them with the colored multiliners, I intentionally made them a bit wavy, to look less mechanical.)

Copic colors used: Ribbons between squares: cool gray, wine, purple, sky blue, and turquoise Copic multiliner with BV000 and BG000. Gray squares: C1 with BV000 and BG000 along the edges. Colored squares: B01 and V12; BG32, RV91, and C0. (7/26 EDITED color list to include C0)
Paper: Neenah, 8.5x11"

Blog News 1

Updates to Mostly Markers, other than new drawings posted, since the blog began:

• About My Paper: Added some info on Neenah classic cream and baronial ivory paper colors
  
• Blog Help: Added a link describing "image resizing" for Explorer browsers
• Labels (See list of labels on right side of page): Added a label "commented on" to help readers find the posts with comments Edited Jan. 2012 - I deleted this label; not so useful after all.
  

Landscape with Sketchy Coloring

Although I love to experiment with my drawings, I don't always love the results. But I'll try this technique again sometime.

Along with my sketchy lines, I used some very sketchy coloring - not my usual solid or layered colors. After coloring, I spritzed it all with colorless blender fluid in a small spray bottle, for more of a watercolor look.

Copic colors used: sepia multiliner, V12, G21, YR15,20, B21,41,45, BG000,10, E000,11,41,43,95
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest 80 lb. cover weight, smooth, Classic Cream color

Landscape with Storm

August 21, 2010: The week's theme for Illustration Friday is "atmosphere." I was struggling with how to draw that, when I remembered this drawing from last summer. Storms and lightning make the atmosphere into something we can see, hear, feel, and smell.

Though I currently live in an area where thunderstorms are rare, I grew up in the midwest, with the summer drama of lightning and thunder. The storms can be destructive, but they also have a wild beauty that I appreciate. My husband and I just returned from visiting family in our home state. One of our days there was dark and stormy. Today I drew a stormy landscape.

Copic colors used: Clouds W0,1; Sky BV20, Y000; Trees G17,28, YG23,63,97,99 with streaks of BG93,96; Buildings BV23, B45, C3,5, E04,43,44
Paper used: ecru Crane's card approx. 4x6"

Welcome to My New Blog

Welcome! I created this blog, Mostly Markers, in July 2009. There are more than 100 drawings posted. I hope you will enjoy viewing it.

Black and White Doodle Page

Michelle Houghton's "Oodles of Doodles" warm-up lesson encouraged me to try this page of doodles, which I drew with Copic multiliners (0.3 and Brush Small). A few of the doodles are from her lesson, but most are from my imagination.

It was tedious to fill up a whole page like this, but interesting to see the patterns emerge. Some of them will probably make their way into future drawings.

I'm tempted to color it, of course.

Edited February 8, 2010: The link to the warm-up lesson is no longer active, but there was an on-line class ($25 fee) offered in January 2010 (also no longer active.) I haven't taken the class, but assuming it's like the warm-up lesson, it would be worthwhile. If you're interested, check back some time on Michelle's blog or the Get it Scrapped (Debbie Hodge) web site.

Cove Landscape with Herons

This is a cove drawn from life. It might be my first ever "real life landscape," because my landscapes are usually just lines and gestures. There's a lot I could do better, but I like it anyway. Especially the rocks, and the shading in the far hills.

Copic colors used: Cool Gray multiliner; Rocks W1,3,5, YG91; Hills BV20,23, C0; Grass G21+YG91, BG93; Sky B32wide, B21, C0; Mud & reeds E41,43,44, G07, YG21; Poles E00,09; Outer water BG72,75, BV20, B000, BG10; Inner water BG000,010,72,45, B000,26, W0,1, B21; Dark birds B41, C3; White birds C0.
Paper: Neenah, 8.5x11"

River Landscape 2

I wanted to try a colored version of a 9x12 pencil landscape drawing from 1981. I used my light box to trace it onto 8.5x11 paper, moving the upper left "over and down" a little to fit the smaller page. Then I colored it sparsely. I'm happy with the result, in the spirit of the original.

Copic colors used: W0,3,5; C0,1,3,5; E41,44,49,71; Y000,11; YR00,21; BV04,20,23,31; G07,24,28; YG23,63,91; BG10,49,72,93,96
Paper: Neenah, 8.5x11"

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"

Striped Geode

I completed the brightly-colored inside of this geode first. The paper size is 14 x 17" with a lot of white space. The drawing, as you see it posted above, is approx. 8.5 x 11".

Copic colors used: Inside B26, YR09, Y06, RV19, V09, B05, G14, C5,7, brush small black multiliner; Outside C7, BV04, B00, G12,21,24,40, W0,5
Paper: Strathmore Bristol Board, vellum finish (a lightly textured surface - not "vellum paper")

Tomatoes in Colander, with Basil and Napkin

In real life, the small colander is red enamel, but I didn't want that much red in the drawing. The napkin is brown, with faded edges. I made it blue instead, and I like the way the edges look. The table top is imaginary, drawn with streaks of marker to look like light-colored wood.

Copic colors used: When I plan on a lot of layering of my colors, I like to start by coloring everything with a pale base color. Base colors - Stems E000,Y000, Tomatoes R02, Colander C0, Cloth B000, Basil G40, Table E21 (streaks); Colors added on top of base colors - Stems G21,24,E41, Table E41, E44 on E21, Colander C1,3,5, Sanford Uniball silver Gel Impact pen, Basil YG03,63,G07,14,17, Tomatoes R08,24,29,W3, Cloth B1,14,26, Shadow W3,5
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):

Landscape in Ribbon Frame

This scan (11x14) includes most of the drawing, on 14x17 paper. I used the Copic airbrush to do the sky and the lower part of the fields.

Paper: Strathmore Bristol Board, 14x17, vellum finish (a lightly textured surface - not "vellum paper")

Landscape in Pieces

Ribbons of landscape. Nice shapes and colors. The irregular lines were fun to draw.

Copic colors used: Horizontal C1,3,BV000,00,20,23,31; Diagonal YR21,26,E21,25,B41,45; Upper arc C1,B41,45,E25,G21,YG63; Lower arc G40,YG03,63,BG32,72,75

Small Landscape Drawing

This is a small drawing on sketch paper, glued onto a 4x6 card. I drew it with pencil and colored it with my markers. No multiliner this time. I like the watercolor effect.

Copic colors used: B000,01, E000,71, G21,24, R02,08, BV04,20, W5. Note: in an effort to keep the pencil from smearing onto my marker tips (which looks bad but doesn't hurt the markers), I tried not to drag the tips across the pencil lines.

Geraniums

We planted geraniums today in the big ceramic planters in front of our house. Vivid reds, pinks, and greens. Then, of course, I had to draw them. A couple weeks later, my friend Sybil colored a copy of my drawing in a different way.

Edited August 10, 2009: Click here for another geranium drawing, several months later.

Copic colors used: Base colors G000, RV000, R000; W0,5, RV14,19,95, Y38, R02,08,24,29, G14,21,24,28, Y000, YG03, E04
Paper: white Crane's card approx. 4x6"

Doodle Toy 2

A doodle that looks like a stuffed toy. Maybe a cat's toy.

Copic colors used: RV10,13, Y13, B41, 45, with lines and dots of RV11,14, B24, Y19.

Airbrushed Landscape

I decided to try a full-page set of masks, trying to learn my new Copic airbrush. I cut curvy lines, then drew around the outside of each piece with my Zig 2-Way Glue Pen. I like the chisel point for this, but the fine point would work too. After the glue dries clear, it is temporary glue.

Then I airbrushed in sections, removing & replacing each mask. I had some blank paper along the edges that I colored with markers. Then it still looked boring, and the upper left sky was too dark, so I tried some lines and doodles with my colorless blender. I really like that effect - little stripes with colored edges.

Copic colors used (airbrushed) Sky B06, BG45; Purple hills BV08, C7, E49; Orangey brown hills E09,37; Green hill G28, YG99, E25; Green-purpley hill G07, R59, Y19, V09; Brown hill (lower right) E29, W7. Lines added with E33, BG45, E25, YG63, and brush tip of "sketch" 0.

Doodling on a Tan Card

Doodling - one shape leads to another. Simple, flat coloring on a tan Crane's card 4x6.

Copic colors used: Sepia multiliner, G24, YG03, R24, B01, E33, YR21, Y38

To try this, click here.

Sea Animal

This was my first airbrushed background. It takes a little practice, and this one came out uneven, but with nice colors.

I used a torn paper mask (fastened down with dry Zig 2-Way Glue), a little bigger than the center image. I used a pale gray (C1) marker to color the blank edge. That made a nice little colored edge that I really like.

Then I dabbed the center image with Colorless Blender fluid on terry cloth to get the mottled texture.