My annotations on this sketch remind me of the surfaces I was trying to render. I captured the matte finish of the rim of the flower pot; I’m not so sure about the shiny white enamel of the base. Neither the matte nor the shiny surfaces show much tonal variation. I could have added white […]
I really like the look of sepia ink. I had some really interesting calligraphy pens. In this sketch I experimented with different nibs, speed of drawing and shading.
Back in 2010, I used to practice my pen technique every several pages. Here I tried different ink shading techniques to get uniform tonal values. I think the dark patch I scribbled in atop the face’s left eye was intended to hide it. I recall not being too thrilled with that eye as it was. […]
I was a bit more successful portraying depth in the sketch below, as compared to the one posted yesterday. I intended to silhouette the railing upon which the planters sat and I made the background lighter. These factors let one imagine distance between the planter railing and the back fence.
This sketch began with pencil and finished with ink. The result is more of a postcard than a creative piece. I enjoy taking pictures. In approximately one-sixtieth of a second, they capture a moment that I can identify later when I look at it. Perhaps I get a connect more deeply to a place that […]
One thing glares out at me as I revisit this sketch: the very black black of the stove and the hood over the stove. It is a solid black, when it should have been a cross-hatched tone darker than the sides of the cabinets. Otherwise, this would have been a really good nostalgic piece.
I like the contrast between the background and the white of the flowers. My straight-line practice came in handy for the screen. What is needed is a touch of color in the orchids.
I worked hard on this drawing. I had just retired, I had little else to do around the house (being settled after the move out west). I had been practicing shading with my micro-tip ink pen. This drawing looks pretty good altogether and, instead of being an art piece for me, it serves the purpose […]
I unearthed some more sketchbooks during the course of our latest move. The picture below came from a notebook I started shortly after moving to California. I was just starting to use watercolor (as you can probably tell). The colors are vivid and unmixed, as if I were just coloring in between the outlines.
