Working Back In

A sketchbook is a complete piece for me.  Whenever I finish a drawing or part of a drawing the first thing I do is start from the first page of the book and flip through to see everything there.  

For the most part I am working straight through, but keeping myself familiar with each page and how the whole book flows together brings me in circles of seemingly endless starts and finishes.
You can see what I'm talking about in the drawings this text is sandwiched between.  The top photo shows how I originally thought the sketch would end and in the bottom photo you can see how I later decided to switch tools and wrap it up.

Thats usually what is going on in my sketchbooks when you see a shift from markers to pen or pen to pencil or pencil to charcoal and so on.

Can you find the switch in this one?  It is a little more subtle than the others.

Mark Making

I'm in love with these Faber-Castell PITT artist pens (markers).  I first ran into them at Artist &Craftsman Supply in Cambridge, a wonderful little store I'm glad to call my favorite.

The brush tip gives a greater control over the type of line you want and the Indian ink is not completely opaque so you can layer it up where you want darker tones.  

See:

This tonal layering technique works just as well with hue variation.  Leaving gaps between the colors in some places and overlapping in others allows for a satisfying blending of color.  

See:

Here are a couple portraits done with my beloved markers:

Self Portrait, Summer 2012

Cheryl, Summer 2012

Outdoor Sketching

The Materials

While I am less than thrilled about the weather beginning to cool, we have had some nice sunny days.  I made it outside over the past few to enjoy the Vitamin D and get a little artwork done.  However, the first time I suddenly awoke (in the seated position) with drool on my face, oops.  I enjoyed the sun a little too much that time.  I tried again yesterday and kept my mind moving by plopping myself down with some of my favorite drawing materials (in a less comfortable spot) in front of some indoor plants, who are soaking up their last days of outdoor freedom before the frost.

The View

The Result