New inks

Being happy with my test ink I right away jumped into some new ones. This time for real. On hot pressed watercolor paper. I was trying not to get tight and keep the loose feel from the test pictures. Total failure. I felt I went over board and got too tight. I took a deep breath and decided I would finish these and learn from my mistakes.

The next morning when I looked at what I had done, I thought, hey, these aren't too bad. Ahhh, the life of a fickle artist.

Testing Testing

Here are some new pieces I am experimenting with. I worked on bristol board so I couldn't work the watercolor as well as I would like.

Step 1: Drew the picture with the eye dropper from the ink bottle
Step 2: Worked with a rapidograph pen
Step 3: Added watercolor

Flower Bee

Here is another bug piece.

The Wicket

Watercolor & Pen & Ink. 1/4 sheet hot pressed watercolor paper. I used a rapidograph for the inking.

While I was working on it my 12 year old son looked at it and laughed. He said he liked this one. I told him it doesn't have a title yet if he would like to name it. He said to call it the Wicket.

Cherry Tomatoes

I used cold press watercolor paper for this. I had a difficult time with the rapidograph pen. Not liking the ink part I dragged my feet working on this. Well it's done now. I'm not that happy with it, but here it is. On to the next piece....

Tomatoes in color

Finished the inking. Not very easy with the cold pressed watercolor paper. I bought a few sheets of hot pressed today. Can't wait to get back to that. I put on the first layer of paint.

Cherry Tomatoes

This piece is from a picture I took of cherry tomatoes in my garden last year. It took me a couple of days to get a composition I was sort of happy with. I'm still not sold on this but I am plugging away regardless. Also I ran out of hot pressed watercolor paper. This piece is on cold pressed. It is difficult to ink on the cold pressed. Here is what I have so far.

Ice Cream Man

I kept laughing as I was working on this piece. It was something I drew in my sketchbook and took to the next level. I used Arches hot press watercolor paper, 1/4 sheet. I first did the ink drawing with a rapidograph pen then added the watercolor.

Diner Doodles

Had lunch at a diner today. Took my sketchbook. I like the large face next to the tree. I'm going to explore that technique.

Mean Mr. Chicken - Finished

Here it is all done and finished. Came out pretty good for my first watercolor in a long time. I'm trying to push myself into a more abstract feel. I think I captured that a little here. On to the next piece.

Mean Mr. Chicken

Here is the start of my latest watercolor. It is on a 1/4 sheet of 140lbs watercolor paper. I'm working with a limited palette. Viridian Green, Cadmium Red, Prussian Blue, Burnt Sienna and Sepia.

Work doodles

Here are some more doodles I did during work. I have my sketch book out again on my desk so I may upload more in the future.

I'm back

It has been a while. I took out my sketch book this morning and started sketching again. I am starting a watercolor tonight.

Daily Doodle

I have started keeping an open sketchbook on my desk at work. During the day when I need a mental break or an idea hits me can sketch right away. For some reason pulling my sketchbook out from the cabinet behind me was a big deal. Now I sketch something every day. Here are a couple.

Factory Man

Here is a quickie charcoal. I pulled out two images from my reference file cabinet and worked away. Around 18" x 14".

Godzilla

I am working on a Godzilla charcoal for my son. I even have some models to work from. You can see them in the upper right corner.

Mount Woman

I had a lot of fun with this one. I penciled the woman's head and breasts. After that I just started inking and let me pen take me where it wants. This is 11" x 14" on bristol board. Done with a 3 x 0 rapidograph pen.

Quirky

Here is another piece I had planned for an upcoming fashion based show. I tried to get a Klimt like pattern going. I guess the idea was better than the end result. I'm not that thrilled with this piece. Oh well, they can't all be winers.

This was done with a rapidograph pen and a water color wash. I have been using bristol board because it takes the pen & ink so well. But it is not the greatest for watercolor. I am working on a new piece on bristol board then I am going to try hot pressed watercolor paper.

Mr. Ballet

Here is a quick one I did, for fun. What I was trying to do is loosen up my line work. Successful in that I think.

Hick

Here is the finished piece.

Hick - WIP

It's been a long time since I did a pen & ink. It's like being home again. Think there is something meditative about hours of hatching. This is 10" x 14". I started with a bamboo dip pen then went over to a number 1 rapid-o-graph pen. When I am done I will give it a water color wash. My next piece I don't want to be so outliney. But I am happy with this one so far. I got the picture from an LL Bean catalogue. I just changed it a little.

Catch Anything?

I finished this a couple of weeks ago. Just got around to photographing it. It is a conte crayon on Canson Mi-tients paper.It's around 18" x 24"

Doodles

Here are a few doodles from my sketchbook. I did them straight out in ink.

I'm back

It has been a while. I have been in an art funk for a while. The other day I took out my sketch book and started doodling again. It was GREAT! I'm going to start working in this direction again. I did some test work with different pens then added a watercolor wash.

I have a fountain pen that I like a lot, but the ink wasn't waterproof. (upper right image). I tried dip pens with waterproof ink, but it slowed me down with all the dipping. I like to work loose and quick.

On to more testing...

Sea Gulls

Here are a couple of Sea Gulls. First is a combo of watercolor and charcoal. Second straight up watercolor. Stand by for some more in the sea gull series.

Acrylics

Here are a couple of acrylic paintings I have been experimenting with. I guess they came out okay. This is new ground for me so I am a little insecure about the results.

Stone Steps

This is charcoal and pastel on Mi-Tients canson paper. 22" x 18". I posted it over at wetcanvas and got some good advice. This image is the revised version. I added a little more depth with darker values and got rid of the outlines around the stones.

Sketch book

Just finished off a sketch book. I think this one was five years in the making. Due to my lack of consistency in sketching and also having 5 or 6 sketch books going at the same time. Here are the last two. Both in conte crayon. The first is a tree at Candlewood lake. The second is the Hershey Golf Club.

Barn and Wall

Here is a charcoal piece with pastel highlights. I started this outside and finished at home.

Done

It's finally done. I think it came out pretty good. Now for some charcoal work.