Color-Sketch Towel

Time to revisit an older drawing.  I did this Doodled face from a picture of my son (taken 10+ yrs ago) for the Sketchbook Project almost 2 years ago.  I was experimenting with watercolor pencils and doodling shapes to contour the face [inspired by Rebecca Anthony].  It was fun and I liked the way this turned out.  But that picture is now long gone and since this is one of my favorite pictures…it gets to be color-sketched next.





Started out trying to duplicate the texture of the towel….as you can see, with the very tiny circles.





Then I gave up on the tiny-circle effect and just tried to get those folds right.  I know I’ll be working more on that left side, cuz that fold just isn’t that deep. Ugh!





I have to admit…that I really like sketching loved ones (or people I know).  Because as I go thru the motions, I start to think about them.  I remember things I may want to ask them next time I see them.  Or I sit back and feel blessed that they are doing well.  Figuring their path out.   Happy, Healthy, Productive!  What more can a proud mom ask for?

Two Years of Sketching

When my nest started to empty, it free’d up a lot of my time.  Wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself and I’ve always admired those who could sketch….so I gave it a shot with Friends (sketch #1).





Sketchbook Project, Self Portrait (sketch #2)





Bench Monday (sketch #3)





Looking Down (sketch #4), learned that watercolor paper is not the best type of paper for graphite sketches.





Tutu (sketch #5), brought in very fine markers to outline with at completion.





My daughter’s Senior Picture (sketch #6). 





Air Swimmer (sketch #7), almost my favorite sketch.





Prodigy (sketch #8), first attempt at drawing clothes.





Smiles (sketch #9), my favorite people smiling at me.





En pointe (sketch #10), almost gave up on those shoes.





Diver (sketch #11), one of my favorite sketches.





Yanina Wickmayer (sketch #12), another attempt at a face.





Paddleboard (sketch #13), lightened up my sketching because I thought “Diver” was too dark…..I did not like the way this turned out.





September 11 (sketch #14), talk about paying attention to detail!  I was exhausted! Haha





Mime (sketch #15), just an interesting sketch all the way around.  Liked it!





Dancer Pose (sketch #16),  a beautiful woman in a fake pose.  Check out that back foot…there’s no way she’s holding up her own body weight….someone likes photoshop.





Runner (sketch #17), interesting angle.





Ohio Swimmer (sketch #18), one of my favorites…but I have a lot to learn about sketching water.





Wave Swimmer (sketch #19), adorable child….learned a thing or two about drawing children.





Vitruvian Man (sketch #20), half sketch, half whimsey!





Colored Legs (sketch #21), first attempt at colored pencils.





Crabs (sketch #22), another favorite…probably due to the subject matter.





Diver-N-Color (sketch #23), learning to color not just what I see but what I want to see.





Beach Girls (sketch #24), love the colors in this!


What a wonderful past-time this is.  I seem to have an 18 month attention span when learning new things.  With drawing I’ve got a long way to go, not even close to being bored!


Thanks for all the encouragement you’ve given me along the way.  I still think “pictures of pictures” are the best way to learn to draw.

Stopping and Asking for Directions….

I’m so glad I’m not a man, because they will rarely stop and ask for directions!  Just kidding. 

But this is exactly what I did.  I finally signed up for a “real life” art class, with a real life teacher.  And she is amazing!  Most of the students there were into painting and they were doing some amazing work. The other two, first time students today, were poised to paint pears.  Well, I just don’t see myself as a pear-painting-patron. It was a good thing that they encouraged us to bring whatever we wanted and the instructor will help us with it.  So, I’ll give you three guesses as to what I needed help with….



Bingo! Yaht-see!  That’s right… FACES!  And what wonderful tips she gave me. She told me that children’s faces are soft and smooth, that I had made my wave-swimmer’s face too angular…too defined.  I just needed to go in and soften her face up.  Done by evening out the contrasts, the shading.



I am so excited!  I was amazed at how simple her explanation of my problem was.  I needed to hear her tell me how to fix it, cuz I couldn’t fix it on my own.  I had already applied some permanent lines (remember the out-ling pop I like)….luckily I was able to work around those marks.



Bye for now!!…she’s still not done.

Wave Swimmer….Complete

After 58 pictures of this “Wave Swimmer” sketch-in-progress, I’d have to say THIS is my favorite shot.  And it’s not because the picture composition is all that great.  It’s because I’m doing my favorite part.  Outlining with my Copic 0.05 gray multi-liner permanent pen.  It’s at this point that the image starts to round out.  Starts to show dimension…substance….3D-edness. 



Had to take the picture outdoors.  I was getting way too many shadows inside.



Ok, here’s what I learned:

1. Kids (under 11) tend to have a rounder belly….which I did not make.  She’s pretty lean.
2. Kids (under 11) have a bit larger heads.  Not so insanely out of proportion like an infant.  I  have made her all-in-proportion.
3. Her features are just a bit smaller than the original.  (Boy did I go back and forth with those eyes… big eyes…erase…small eyes…erase.)  And the more I erase and apply lead…the more I abuse that paper.  No matter what, the paper will not go back to it’s “ true white” after all these attempts.  So…the really good artists see things as they should be much earlier.
4. How in the world did anyone learn how to draw before digital camera’s and computer monitors?  What wonderful tools these are!

I’m still in need of much practice.  I’m just grateful I was given such a sweet subject to sketch.  It’ll be hard to part with this sketch….but I’m running out of room to display these sketches in my house.

Age Progression Sketch

This is going to sound a little sick….but I think I’d be a better sketcher for the milk carton kids.  You know, the ones that have been kidnapped (majority by the non-custodial parent).  I seem to have a way of adding on years to my kids.  Probably because by the time I start a sketch and then finish it…it’s been a few years!  Well….feels like it anyway.



I probably need to apologize to my friend now…because I think this is as good as it’s going to get.  The paper is not as forgiving now (weeks later) as it was when I first started.



Ahh….but just look at her smile!!  It makes me smile

She’s not complete yet.  I’ll be fussing around with her a bit still.   I haven’t gone in with my permanent marker to add that pop that I so love yet, either.  I’ll be grounding her as well with a semi circle or something.

A Sketch with a Thousand Faces

One face in a million!  That’s what I’m trying to accomplish.  Even though they say with the 6 billion people on the planet, that we have a twin out there somewhere!  I have yet to find mine. 



Here’s the scoop.  

1. The last picture in the previous post.
2. Changed up those eyes, they were a little too wide or open.  First the right eye.
3. Now the left eye.
4. The mouth was too big (I can sure relate to that)
5. All over the face here….the eyes AGAIN, the chin, the mouth, the nose.  A little spastic.
6. Coming together somewhat.

I can see another place I need to narrow…..the right side of her head…..just straighten that whole head a bit.

Such a pretty girl.  I really hope I can keep her that way!

Figuring out Flat Faces…

Yes, the whole trick to sketching is figuring out how to make the 3D figure flat (2D)…That’s the crux of the matter….  That’s it in a nutshell….That’s really all we have to do!!….haha



Yea…Yea….I know…you’re all tired of hearing me belly-ache about how hard faces are…but THEY are!! And if I’m to go forward with this sketching it’s time I took up the challenge…..(why must I always be challenging myself?)

1. Obviously a pretty poor rendition of this lovely young ladies face…but my faces always start out a little scarry!
2. Erased it all away…and redrew that mouth.
3. Turned the image upside down, and tried again in that contour way.
4. Still trying
5. Right eye too low, adjusted up.  Nose too long, shortened.
6. Mouth a little small, enlarged
7. Face narrowed a little and minor markings applied

WOW!…now I can see so much!  I can see the errors, the flaws, the work I have left to do!

If I didn’t frequent my blog too, I wouldn’t be showing this….but I need to get familiar with the two images side by side.  The eyes are too open…the nose still too long… the lips too full!  It’s like you guys are the teacher, and I’m the student! 

Thanks again

Over Here…three

Roughed in the hand.  My-oh-my there are lots of little itty bitty lines that go into those hands! 



Shaded more around the legs, arms and suit.  Outlined the emblem and added what lines I could see to the hand.  More tweaking needs to be done.  At least it’s taking shape now and that’s what I like.

Look at me Mom….two

So, I’m sketching along….ever so merrily….then I step back and see that I’ve made the arm too short.



Started erasing….and elongating!  Ahh…much better!



I avoided this as long as I could….I was getting a tad bit bored shading, even though that’s what I really wanted to do.  But the picture wasn’t progressing…so I had to contour draw some more.  Hands!  Ugh!  Contemplated putting her in mittens but… well…that just wouldn’t have been proper.



Passable enough!  Since I’ve got momentum….I might as well go on up there and start that wave.