642 THINGS TO DRAW - A Drawing Journal

642 Things to Draw 

Designed by Eloise Leigh © 2010 by Chronicle Books

I purchased this book last time I was at Chapters with My Sweetie!

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I enjoy drawing. A couple years ago I came across Danny Gregory's book An Illustrated Life and the Every Day Matters web group.

Recently I completed the Every Day in May Drawing Challenges.

So, when I came across this book in Chapters it was no surprise that I wanted it. I will admit, it took three visits to Chapters before I gave in and purchased it.

Each page has one to four sections to draw in, and each section has a word or phrase that you are to draw in that section.

Sample Blank Spread

Sample Spread After I Drew in the book

I jumped right it and started drawing like crazy. I'll be posting the actual drawings, here, on this blog. Pen and Ink are a bit of a challenge for me so I will try to do the majority of my drawings in pen and ink in this book.  I hope you enjoy viewing these as much as I enjoy drawing them.

Every Day in May Challenge # 3

Free Choice - draw anything you like.
My Last Nerve

Today we were to draw whatever we wished, and I drew the symbol I use to let my family know they are getting on my last nerve.  When I do this with my hand, they know it is time to take it back a notch. 

When my son was little, I would do this, and he would stick my pinky in his mouth. I would then tell him he should not have done that because I just scratched my bum with that pinky. He would go into fake convulsions. It was a game we played.

This image is in homage to the large, faceless corporations that have lousy customer service departments. I have spent hours, over the last few weeks, today included, on the phone with a particular "service provider" that has been giving me less than stellar service. There is an issue at play that is spiraling out of control because with large corporations the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. Each time you call in you get a different person, you have to start from the beginning, you have to hope the last person left good notes on your account, and you hope that nothing else is going to get messed up even worse.

Sigh.

Every Day in May Challenge # 2

New Year's Resolution

If you remember, one of my New Year's resolutions was to draw more. Actually, it was to be more creative this year, which also includes drawing more.

Here I drew myself drawing a picture. I used pen & ink, as well as watercolour paints. I am using the lovely hand made sketchbook that I won from Deborah Lowe.

I am thoroughly enjoying drawing in this sketchbook and using the pen & ink and watercolours. I had not picked up watercolours in 30 years, until yesterday. Fortunately I did have a set I purchased last year with the intent that I would try my hand at it soon.

EDM 6 - Draw a Childhood Toy

Dollinha (Doll-ee-nyah)

I brought this tiny doll with me from the Azores (Portugal). My grandmother gave it to me. When Anthony, my husband, saw her he immediately named her "Dollinha": the English word "Doll" and the Portuguese diminutive suffix "inha" (meaning cute and small). The name stuck.

There is a whole Dollinha mythology and back story that Anthony created for this little doll. He even created an anthem for her that he and I sing at the top of our lungs. It is a march.

When I was looking for a name for my online self, I had Dollinha (the doll) sitting on my monitor, and decided to use that name. I have been Dollinha online since the early 1990s!

Here are some photos of the actual doll, that I took today. As you can see by the photos she is tiny and she has been handled a lot. She was and is a favourite doll of mine from my youth.

My little Moleskine sketchbook is 5½" tall and each page is 3½" wide. That should help with sizing Dollinha.

Trek Nation

The above was done, in pen and ink in my small Moleskine sketchbook, while I watched a very interesting documentary about Star Trek's influence on the world as seen through the eyes of Gene Roddenberry's son, Eugene (Rod) Roddenberry Jr. It was also about father/son relationships, and his, in particular. I found it fascinating.

Here is the description from their FaceBook Group:

Trek Nation Documentary film directed by Scott Colthorp examining the positive impact that Star Trek and creator Gene Roddenberry may have had on people's lives as seen through the eyes of his son Eugene Roddenberry, Jr. ("Rod").  It includes interviews with cast members and crew from all five Star Trek shows, as well as various fans and celebrities who were markedly influenced by the show while growing up. Rod Roddenberry also visits Skywalker Ranch to interview George Lucas on the influence that Star Trek had on him. Lucas shares how he had gone to Star Trek conventions prior to creating  Star Wars. The film premiered on November 30, 2011, on Science.

Links:
IMDb Trek Nation
YouTube Trek Nation Channel
Vimeo Trek Nation
Trek Nation: Director’s Log Featuring Deleted Interview Clips

Doodle

My son had asked me to come up with an idea for an album cover for an upcoming music release. I was waiting somewhere and I doodled this. This is NOT the idea that I came up with, but it got me thinking and it helped me come up with the final idea (which I cannot share until the album is released).

Sometimes I use my sketchbook to sketch out ideas for final projects and sometimes to work out or on ideas for larger projects. This is an example of that.

This, particular, sketchbook is a catch-all sketchbook. There is no theme to it. I draw it in when I feel like it, when I am bored, when I am waiting, or just for the heck of it. It is a small book that fits easily into my pocket or purse. I originally got it with the intent of carrying it around with me.

The above, rather cartoonish, image is a bit of a nightmare scene. There is a snake eating itself, disembodied mouth and eye, floating in the sky, some bombs (mushroom clouds) going off, and a man, dressed like "the invisible man" in the foreground. It is all a bit cliché.

On the Road Again

October 14, 2011

My terrible scribble says "Driving home from Cambridge where we went to Phidon Pens again. (I picked up black ink and a new Lamy)".  This was quickly sketched along the miles and miles (or in our case, the kilometres and kilometres) of our drive home. As soon as I started to draw, I realized I was not in the mood to draw so I scribbled this quickly and then went to sleep.

You can see the next page bleed through this. Ugh. I added the colour digitally with picnik.com effects.

Anthony and I had gone to Phidon Pens in Cambridge, Ontario to pick up a new nib for Anthony's pen. While there I picked up some black ink because I was not thrilled with the blue-black I had been using. I also picked up an extra-fine point Lamy pen for myself.  We took advantage of being there and picked up a Sailor Music Pen for our son as a Christmas gift.

It is always a pleasure to go to Phidon Pens and seeing Mano. She is interesting and pleasant. The shop is small but well equipped and full of delightful treasures.  It is such a treat for us to go to Cambridge and to Phidon Pens shop.

Phidon Pens Limited
63 Dickson Street
Cambridge, Ontario N1R 7A5
Canada
Tel. : 519 624 8787
Fax : 519 624 2044
Email : phidonpens@bellnet.ca



After we got back to London (Ontario) we picked up our son and went to Smoke 'n Bones for lunch. I quickly sketched our son with my new Lamy. I also scribbled the Smoke 'n Bones logo.

We had a lovely, rare, lunch together.

All-in-all, it was a good day!

Quick Sketched Tree

While waiting for Anthony to get off work at the London Health Science Centre, Victoria Hospital Campus, I started to draw the tree next to my parking space. I did not get to finish it as Anthony came out.

It is basically just a quick scribble, but you get the idea.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas or whichever holiday you celebrate at this time of year. May you have a joyful and peaceful holiday season.

EDM 15 - Draw a tree or trees, leaves or branches

These are more doodles than realistic representations of a tree, leaves, and branches.  I had two pages left in my Sketchbook Project 2010 sketchbook and some time to kill so I started drawing the above doodle.  I liked it in the simple pen & ink lines but decided to add colour to it with coloured pencils. I had an idea in my head, but it did not translate into reality, as I saw it in my mind's eye. I immediately regretted adding colour and hated it. So, I redrew the image (more or less) on the last page of my sketchbook, as you see below.

Initially, I liked the black and white one better.  However, when I scanned these onto my computer a month had passed between the time I had created these and the time I scanned them in.  Now, I like them both. I like the coloured one just fine.

Neither of these are in my usual, realistic, style. They are more whimsical than I normally draw. As it is, most of the work in this sketchbook, although fairly accurate representations, are not in my usual "finished", "tight" style that I use for larger pieces and commissioned work. I purposely decided to keep things "loose" and casual in this sketchbook.

For the most part, most of my sketchbooks, are filled with loose lines and raw drawings. I use my sketchbooks to work out ideas, capture moments, and relax.  I leave my more detailed, finished, work for larger pieces that are either commissioned or are meant for display at an art show and for sale. My sketchbook work is not normally meant for public display or art shows (although I do use this site to show my recent sketchbook work)

This is the 3rd to last post about the Sketchbook Project 2012. I will have one post showing all the work together, and then one last post when my sketchbook is up on The Art House Coop site, with tour dates.

EDM 56 - Draw a Self Portrait

As much as I hate to admit it, this pretty well looks like what I look like right now.  I would have loved to draw me young, svelte, and beautiful, however, that would have been an illusion at best and a lie at worse.

One of the inevitable things in life is that we age, and our bodies change as we age. Some people age better than others. Me, I look younger than my age, but I certainly look matronly now. I joke that I look like a Portuguese mother now. Of course, I am a Portuguese mother!

The colour red goes beautifully with my olive skin tone. It is a colour I enjoy wearing.

The background is organized chaos. That is more or less what my mind and life is like: organized chaos, with little dangler bits to grab a hold of, now and again.

Generally speaking, life is good.

EDM 17 - Draw a Musical Instrument

Here is my son playing one of his bass guitars. My son has been compared to the wonderful Victor Wooten (whom he admires) in his playing.

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.

@ 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.

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.