Ink is Water Soluble

Ignore my spelling please.

I spend a lot of time waiting for things. In this case, as with every Tuesday and Thursday, I spend time waiting for the Lotus Health Clinic to open in the morning so I can go for my appointment.  I usually park across from the door and wait. While I wait, I have my coffee and get caught up on my reading on my iPod. I use the Instapaper app to capture web articles I want to read then read them offline when I have time.

This day I had my sketchbook and pen with me so I started by drawing one of the icons on my iPod. I quickly got bored with that so I drew the building and entrance to the Lotus Health Clinic.

When I got home I decided to colour in the image using my water soluble coloured pencils. Imagine my shock when I discovered the ink was too water soluble! (I checked the carton the ink comes in and it does not say "permanent" on it anywhere, but I had not noticed this before).  Well, now that I know it "runs" when water is added I will have to be careful never to drop my sketchbook in a puddle, bathtub, toilet, or sink.  Also, I can use the runny quality to my advantage.

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 36 - Draw out in public

Part of the morning drawing sessions at the McDonalds downtown. There was a young lady across the restaurant from me. She was having breakfast and daydreaming.