EDM 205 - Draw a soda can

The Intruder

"Intruder"

By Peter Gabriel

I know something about opening windows and doors

I know how to move quietly to creep across creaky wooden floors

I know where to find precious things in all your cupboards and drawers

Slipping the clippers

Slipping the clippers through the telephone wires

The sense of isolation inspires

Inspires me

I like to feel the suspense when I'm certain you know I am there

I like you lying awake, your baited breath charging the air

I like the touch and the smell of all the pretty dresses you wear

Intruders happy in the dark

Intruder come

Intruder come and leave his mark, leave his mark 

It drives me crazy that my husband and son leave the pop cans on the coffee table. This is called Intruder because of the one Diet Coke can in the midst of the Dr. Pepper cans. I tend to call the cans "Tin Soldiers". 

As the second image in the sketchbook I got a little carried away an added more detail to this drawing than I had originally intended. This image is created with coloured pencils.

EDM 23 - Draw Your Foot

First drawing in my sketchbook for The Sketcbook Project 2012 is of my feet. This allows me to start this project somewhat relaxed. This was created while I sat on my sofa with my feet up.

Sketchbook Cover

EDM 56 - Draw a self portrait

Original self portrait draw with pen and ink, then scanned and manipulated in picnik.com. Finally, it was printed on a clear label sheet, cut to size and pasted on the sketchbook cover. The white areas were painted on the underside of the clear sheet (the sticky side) with liquid paper before pasting it onto the front cover of the book.

For the most part, this sketchbook will incorporated the Everyday Matter challenges, while documenting a small cross-section of my life's timeline.  It will be a time-capsule, of sorts.

--Originally posted on Ana's Ramblings & Art Corner on August 28, 2011

The Sketchbook Project 2012

Thousands of sketchbooks have been sent all around the world to people who have signed up to participate in The Sketchbook Project 2012. The books that are returned by January 31st, 2012 will be part of a traveling world exhibit. Once the exhibit is over the books will enter into the permanent collection at The Brooklyn Art Library.

If you need to sign up by October 31st, 2011 if you want to participate.

I will be sharing my entry on this blog over the next few weeks. I will attempt to make most of my pages coincide with EDM Challenges.

Anthony's Leg

Anthony has cellulitis which caused his leg to swell in size and become lobster-red. It is very hot to the touch. This is excruciatingly painful too. That scar on his leg is from when a vein was removed when he had his quadruple bypass surgery for his heart 12 years ago. It did not heal well.

After I drew Anthony's leg, I was still bored, so I drew an electrical outlet, which was right beside me.

It took 4 weeks for Anthony to heal enough to go back to work. He is feeling much better.

Doodles

I coloured this while I waited at Victoria Hospital in London Ontario while Anthony was having his leg looked at. This is basically just pen and coloured pencils.

EDM 15 - Draw a tree

On errand day I found myself waiting for a shop to open so I drew the tree across the street. The above is the original sketch done in pen and ink with my Lamy pen. Below is the same drawing with digital colour added in Picnik.com.

Happy Birthday to my Mom

I threw this into my sketchbook on September 16, 2009, while sitting at a downtown McDonalds. This was during that time I was waiting before going to work in the morning.

Well, here it is September 16 again. Today is my lovely mother's 77th birthday. I want to wish her a very happy birthday!

@ GNG Summer Potluck

Cartoonist/Illustrator James Wood drew his dog, Rosie, in my Moleskine with my new Lamy.

This was at the GNG (Graphic Novel Group) summer potluck.

Herbunculous

Herbunculous is a string doll that hangs from our rear-view mirror. Anthony named this doll and he made up a whole back story to go with it. Of course, I cannot remember what that is, now that I am wanting to write about it.

It is really cute. We actually have 9 of these string dolls dangling from our rear-view mirror. They are all different and Anthony has named them all and given them all stories.

This was created drawing with my Lamy pen, then I used water colour and markers to add colour. I enhanced it a bit with the digital manipulation tools at Picnik.com.

My New Lamy Pen

Anthony purchased this gorgeous pen for me as a belated anniversary gift (our anniversary is June 6) . It is beautiful and works really well.

We drove to Cambridge, Ontario (about an hour and a half away) and went to a shop called Phidon Pens. We met a lovely woman named Mano who helped us out.

I drew this in the car on the way back to London.

The whole day was most pleasant.

Bad Sketch

I debated whether or not to post really bad sketches. In the end, it is more honest to post all sketches from my sketchbook, excellent, good, medium, poor, bad, and horrid.

This sketch was done while I waited in a doctor's waiting room. I was facing the man who was staring at a television behind and above my head.  It is not a great sketch, and does not really capture his likeness, except for the blank stare. I was listening to CBC's Laugh Out Loud podcast while I waited. I wrote down their URL so that I could go to the site and check something out.

The purpose of my sketchbooks are many.  I use them to kill time while waiting, to draw things I want to remember, to practice techniques, to play with layouts and ideas for larger pieces, to record life events, as a visual journal, and just for the heck of it.  Most of the images are just scribbles or quick studies. I rarely do any highly detailed finished-quality pieces in the sketchbooks. These books or more for my own edification and amusement and not necessarily for others to view.

So, why am I sharing these images publicly? 

I am often asked to share my sketchbooks. People seem to like to see how artists' minds work. Of course every artist is different.

It may be helpful for some people, especially beginner artists, to see the process of keeping a sketchbook and to see that not all work is slick, detailed, and finished. It is okay to just have a few scribbles and doodles. It is okay to draw things that are ugly and unbalanced, to try new techniques, to experiment with styles, media, subject matter.

The sketchbook can have themes or be random.  The beauty of the sketchbook is that it can be anything you want it to be. You can keep it completely private, for your eyes only, or you can share it on the internet for the whole world to see.  There are no right or wrong ways to keep sketchbooks.  There are as many ways to work in a sketchbook as there are artists.

I hope to encourage people to go out and draw, not be afraid to put marks on paper, whether or not they feel their images are good or beautiful.

EDM 10 - Draw your hand

I am showing off my nails.

Bill at Top Fashion Nails at Sherwood Forest Mall did my nails for me. He did a French tip with squared off nails. This image was illustrated after the first time I had my nails done.

I am not sure why I wanted to remember rosemary honey, but I must have written it down to remind myself of it for a reason.

Anthony now goes with me to Bill to get three nails done on his right hand so he can better play fingerstyle guitar. His natural nails curve too much and hook the strings. Bill makes Anthony's nails look very natural and Anthony is play better than he ever has (which is beyond amazing).

I have my nails done in a rounded style now, and I get them much shorter. It is better for typing on the computer keyboard.

Waiting Room

I had to take our Hyundai Santa Fe for a regular maintenance tune-up and decided to wait rather than get a ride home.  This is the waiting area. They always have fresh baked cookies on the table, and there is a coffee machine and hot water for tea.  The chairs are quite comfortable. They have satellite TV and a large screen for the customers, as well as all the requisite magazines and newspapers.

I moved across the room, to the chair in the first drawing, after I got up for more coffee and these two ladies sat down where I was originally sitting. It is okay that they sat there. There are plenty of seats for everyone, and all seats are close to the cookies, magazines, and television.

I did not finish this drawing (the chairs should be black) because I my vehicle was ready and I went home.

Mandala Moment

This doodle reminded me of a mandala so I called it Mandala Moment at MacDonald's.  Here is the definition of mandala:
Definition of MANDALA

1

: a Hindu or Buddhist graphic symbol of the universe;specifically : a circle enclosing a square with a deity on each side that is used chiefly as an aid to meditation

2

: a graphic and often symbolic pattern usually in the form of a circle divided into four separate sections or bearing a multiple projection of an image

(Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/)

As you can see, it is not a true mandala. Also, I spelled McDonalds incorrectly. However, I did entertain myself for a hour and a half while I waited for the doors to open at work.

EDM 56 - Draw a self portrait

Not one of my better efforts, but a self-portrait, nonetheless.  Again, this is at the downtown McDonalds as I await the opening of the work doors. Here I am doodling to kill time. My hair is much shorter here than it is now, and I have it pulled off my face in a most unflattering way.

You can see that instead of coffee, I am having a cold drink. If I remember correctly, it was orange juice.