I think I may start a new series….Zodiac Birds, haha. Since my daughter is a Gemini and I’ve got many Gemini friends and relatives I thought I’d start off with this giddy type.
Markers can be so limiting! Even though I prefer them….but the jeans needed some white-wash to them so out came the watercolor pencils.
Since Gemini’s are the sign of the twin, that lady in red up there is suppose to be Jen’s reflection in the mirror when she’s in split-personality mode. Haha
This was a fun one to draw. Haven’t drawn a cute little dog in a while and I love her purse. Apparently, boots are going to be really big this year, so I thought I’d make her all vogue. The hat was a risk, but I’ve seen a few of those out at some retail shops. Love the iphone case!! I don’t have a personalized case but then again, my parents have stopped buying me things a….long….time…ago!
I thought I could find a wooden paneled background for the wall in photoshop. My version must not have one….so I had some fun with some other tools in there. Now, I like this wall!
Jen-the-Gemini…..this one is On-The-Go….All-The-Time. She has friends that she shops with, friends that she studies with, friends that she exercises with, friends that she walks her dog with and friends that she figures out the meaning of life with. She can’t sit still. Unfortunately, she sometimes forgets who she made plans with and when. But because she’s so fun to have around her friends forgive her this little flaw. Talk about adapting, no one can adapt better, cuz she..is..smart! She’s just a bunch of different people all rolled up into one energetic package.
First, grab your favorite Graphite Pencils (for me they are F, HB, 8B, 6H), Erasers, Ruler and Brush…..Take some pics of your family…Yes…make them smile!
Then start drawing…..
I removed the color from the pictures and printed them out…(just fast draft). By removing the color it helps to see the slight variations in the grays.
It was pretty tough to get the shading on the back teeth here….but I did my best!
Pulled in another toothy smile to sketch here.
This kid never needed braces, which made me happy!
Little overview here….The teeth could be toned down a bit. These remind me of those little Dental Pamphlets you see at the Dentist’s office, when they want you to try some new product. Which will make your teeth THIS WHITE!! …..Oh-evie!
I have two more smiles to do. I like breaking down the face in this way….not so darn overwhelming!
This is fun, you should try it sometime. I think all my doodling and birdie drawings have helped me to learn to draw better. It’s gotten me to use my tools. Which has helped me to get familiar with my hand mechanics and the limits of the pencils/pens…..Obviously, still have a long way to go. Have to work on what I'm seeing, all those little dimensions!
Sometimes I forget how easy it is to just put on a smile….I am more drawn to the smiley types, aren’t you?
Smile and the world smiles with you!
If I may:
- Make a prediction
- Cast my ballot
- Cheer on my team
Whistle while I work
Since the Chicago Bears aren’t going to the Super Bowl, I had to pick another team and it wasn’t going to be Pittsburgh (sorry, Steeler fans).
To honor the Big Day, I thought I’d draw another bird.
There was a lot of white space in this drawing. I thought it would be fun to put a bunch of people in there to watch the game…..after all it is the Super Bowl, you know.
Doing some “mixed media” here, by adding watercolor pencils to the marker drawing.
Rodgers the no-longer Relief Quarterback…….his DREAM is coming true, he’s playing in the Super Bowl AND he’s the starting quarterback. He’s finally able to show what he’s made of, and it’s been developing over years and years of hard work and unbelievable determination! He’s not just here on looks, or raw talent….this guy is smart. It’ll be one heck of a memorable day, no matter what the outcome!
Should be interesting to see how this plays out….but I really must confess, I think I’ll be more entertained by the commercials! LOL!
Out of the 32 birds I’ve drawn, I’ve only drawn about 6 males. First there was Andre, then Artist Bird, then Clarence, then Umbrella bird (not sure if this one is male or female though) , and last the 2 boys in the Carpool. To balance things out, it was time for another male. After all, they should have equal rights too, dontchathink?
Working on a denim shirt here as you can see.
I had to, just HAD to make his suspenders Red. Thought the stripes added a bit of character to the guy. Possibly his wife bought them, LOL!
Henry-the-Handyman…….Now this guy is a real catch! He can fix anything, ANYTHING! He will always give it his best shot. He’s got a real understanding of the whole mechanical picture and instinctively knows how things operate. He has been known to totally dis-assemble all kinds of equipment just to figure out why it’s making that funny noise. It’s a good thing he can reassemble it back, too. But as usual….there’s sometimes an extra screw or two unclaimed. Not the best at math….good thing he’s not a carpenter.
Oh…and I just have to add…..there are a few women that think this way too!! I, however, am not one of them!
That’s suppose to be a pick-up/ utility truck behind him, with a red ladder on it. Debated with myself about making a sky. Decided if I was going to put a sky in….it had to be photoshopped…..I have not been pleased at all with the effects of blue Faber Castell markers on the horizon. If anyone has any tips about using markers for the sky, I…am...all…ears.
Gotta love photoshop!!
Background Quilt made in 2005, click here for full view.
Well, he’s not in the SKETCHBOOK yet, but he’s on his way!! He’s been a little preoccupied with helping me decorate my house, do a little lot of shopping, some organizing and various other holiday activities. This is the month where blogging will be decided for me…….Do I blog or do I help my family? Do I blog or do I shop for loved ones? Do I blog or do I visit? So, if you don’t see me around here much, it’s because of those other duties. Plus, my well is a little dry….I have no new ideas….none… zilch….zippo!! Ugh! But Hey, don’t you just love those holiday colors???? All those reds and greens….. my all-time favorite colors!!
My Santa started out like this….really quite ordinary….and yes, a little boring!
Oops! Actually, here is the bare-bones Santa…..this is how he really started. If you’d like to color him in, you can download the drawing HERE. I’d love to see your finished version, please come back and leave your link below.
It was fun to add some patterns to his clothes!! A little ‘tangle here and a little tangle there!! I miss my markers when I’m sketching, what can I say?
Sam the Singing Santa…..He plays this role every single year…..Wouldn’t miss it, even if you paid him to stay away. He is the jolliest one in his family, that’s why he gets to wear the outfit. His younger cousins absolutely couldn’t believe their sleepy little eyes when they saw him that first Christmas morning. They were completely shocked when he’d pull out the very toy they had written on their list which was mailed to the North Pole….There was just one older cousin that thought he sounded awfully familiar.
My next big challenge is to get this house decorated in time for Christmas. Click HERE to see how I did it last year. May change things up a bit, which makes it more interesting!
I have a confession: I’m finding that I don’t enjoy decorating the tree like I used to…. I’m a little bored with it….but I love pulling out and decorating with all the other Holiday knick-knacks!! Now, those are FUN!! How about you?
I thought I’d be further along with this by now, but my “drawing time” was interrupted by some much needed psycho cleaning! After being gone for almost a week and spending time in some really clean houses, I felt a little bad for my pad. Hours later, chores done, I’m feeling much inspired. So, I thought I’d share my latest drawing with you. Plus, I’ve missed you guys!! Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving!
The good thing about stepping back and posting these here is…I can see I don’t have the face shape correct on the interior (left) side. Will try to fix that, ASAP!
Little FYI for you: Did you know that an artist (A really good artist) cannot display their painting/drawing if it was drawn from a Studio picture because of the copyright??? I did not know this…. it’s a good thing I’m not that good!!
I sharpened my graphite pencil a few times as I attempted the teeth here…..But will need to go in and tone some of those edges down…..Geez!! A little tombstone-y here, I think!
Don’t look too closely at the hair off the forehead, because it really doesn’t match the picture, but I must say it was fun to draw!!
Oh, I’ve got to show you this book I just picked up.
Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces by Carrie Stuart Parks
The book was written by this lady who has done Composite Drawings for the FBI since ‘81. She thought it best to teach a class on composite drawing to Police Officers so that more bad guys can be caught. The book is an extension of her class. A very well written book, with face “rules” which helped me to break down the dimensions of the photograph.
All for now!!
