hiker with book

This is a 4×6 inch painting that I did for my sister, following her specific description of what she wanted. 

It is still unfinished.  I still have to paint the title of the book he is carrying.  But I’d prefer to remember the painting this way.  I like imagining that it is a sketchbook that he is carrying.  I painted this on Strathmore’s 140lb cold-pressed watercolour paper with Winsor & Newton watercolours. 

My deep gratitude goes to Mrs. Noofy of SplitcoastStampers.com for suggesting that I try using watercolours on real watercolour paper!  It has made a world of difference.  The paper makes it seem as if I am a better painter.  Actually what it does is, it lets me lift watercolour pigment when I make a mistake.  If you look carefully, you’ll see a light blob at the bottom of his hairline.  I painted his hair too long, and so gave him a haircut by lifting out the unwanted hair with a paintbrush loaded with clean water.  Also, his thumb was originally way too short, so I lifted away some of the brown colour of the book – and so gave him a thumb of normal length.  This doesn’t work with all the pigments though.  Many of the blue pigments stain, so I still have to be careful. 

Why isn’t his arm with the book down at his side, the way a normal person would carry a book?  *sheepish grin*  It’s because originally I was going to paint his hand holding on to the backpack’s strap.  I forgot my sister had requested that he be holding a book and a walking stick.  Well, there I had already painted his hoodie, so I lifted out the green colour where I wanted to stick the book.  Oops. 

I will mail this to her after I paint in (lift out) the book’s title.  I hope she’ll like it!

Magazine and ice cream

I saw this guy at the bookstore…

…and then at the ice cream store!

I think he got some nasty flavour, like mango or pineapple, or some other tropical fruit. I myself got a much better flavour – cookies and cream!  Of course, he kept moving when he was eating the ice cream cone, but I’ve learned that if I wait, people will switch back to the same position numerous times before they notice my unwelcome stare and get up to leave.  No, just kidding…I always try to be discreet when I draw someone.  If I don’t, then I risk having them ask “may I see?” whereupon they are always disappointed that the sketch looks nothing like them whatsoever.  *grin*

Girl reading

Here is another drawing I did in my notebook while waiting at the airport.

Readers often oblige me by remaining still long enough for me to draw them.  *grin* But when they thoughtlessly shift positions without first consulting me, they often have the courtesy to eventually return to their former pose so that I may finish drawing them.

Scribbles and Playdoh

I just returned from visiting my sister and her family!  On the way there, I scribbled a few doodles to help pass the time at the airport…here is one of a girl who sat down in front of me, right in my line of vision.  How convenient for me!  I love it when people make it easy for me to draw them.

A week before, my husband and I had taken a stroll through the mall, and while there, visited a bookstore. While he browsed, I scribbled many of these types of doodles of the people who were in there reading. I sketched an older gentleman. On the airplane ride, I remembered my sketch of him and painted him with watercolours…

At the bookstore, I also sketched a woman. I watercoloured her on the airplane too…

One of the many delightful things we did while I was there was to play with Playdoh. My sister made an awesome birthday cake (out of Playdoh), which inspired me to make a similar one (below) when I returned home. We made many things for my three-year-old nephew to smash and smoosh. He would pretend that he was a front-loader or some other heavy constuction machinery, and then smash the Playdoh cars and other assorted items we made for him. I had so much fun that I bought my own Playdoh on the way home from the airport and played some more with it!

Toile

Happy New Year everyone!

I took this leftover piece of toile to work with me.

I had used this fabric several years ago to make curtains for the kitchen window, and ever since then, I just liked it more and more, and thought “wouldn’t it be neat if I could draw like that?”  So I tried:

I copied the tree from the piece of fabric.  The girl and the basic window shape are inspired by Flourishes’ Open to Love set.  The girl’s dress is inspired by James Christensen’s art style.  I drew this at work during breaks and lunch time.  I am sooooooo productive during those times at work – probably because I have no access to the internet then.  *grin*  I drew this on Neenah’s Paper (Linen, Baronial Ivory) because I had forgotten to take my Strathmore watercolour pad, otherwise I would have drawn it on that, and watercoloured it later.  Ah well.  Next time.

Drunkard

My sister asked for some more illustrations, one of which included a drunkard.  So I came up with this. 

I did the rough draft in a pale shade of burnt sienna, which is easy to lift ( or “erase”).  I loved painting his face, but I messed up on the shoulders – they should have been more broad.  I also made a mess of his nose, but oh well.  I think his eyebrows are also too dark.  He resembles my image of a drunkard (um, no offence to any drunks who might be reading this!!) more than a refrigerator anyway.  My sister did say that she would be happy if my drawings of any requested male humanoid images resembled men more than say, refrigerators.  She wanted this image for a Bible verse card warning against hanging out with drunkards.  She wants these to help her son memorize verses. 

I think I really like doing rough drafts in (easily lifted) watercolour instead of pencil.  It saves me the trouble of erasing later!