charcoal cat

Usual model, different medium. I started with simple contour lines for the cat in vine, then went to compressed for the intensity of the leather ottoman. He's rather a ghost cat on the shiny seat. In the Reflexions journal. Great paper for charcoal!

leaning model

J. leaned on one arm and it's amazingly challenging to draw a slanted face onto the square of the paper. The perspective is harder to place the features. But I managed a very good likeness. Charcoal on Mi-Tients paper.

adding color

For no particular reason, I drew the cat in pencil and then put colored pencil on the surroundings. Anything to vary the endless cat images.

2 charcoal cats

Using a variety of charcoals, on Strathmore drawing paper.

a clown on hold

I was on hold on the phone with a company, so grabbed a gel pen and drew the clown.

The pen was blobby, so I could turn that ink into washed shadows.

On Strathmore drawing paper.

charcoal hand

Hard vine charcoal in the Reflexions journal.

inspired by Zentangles

Zentangles are a inspired, enhanced form of doodling, created by a master calligrapher. The Zen part is the time-stopping calm you reach by creating these tangles.

I used that form of doodling to decorate the latest journal volume.

Sharpie on acrylic-painted linen cover. These Reflexions sketchbooks have excellent paper for all mediums.

man from newspaper ad

Drawn from a photo printed in a local newspaper ad. Pencil on Strathmore drawing paper.

Lizzie kicks up her toe

As I titled this, I wondered, why do people only ever kick up their heels in the cliche phrase?

But Lizzie is only doing a one-foot kick. I put her up on a shelf of slanted papers.

Pencil in the PaperBlanks journal.

human and feline, staring at you

Pencil in the PaperBlanks journal.

cats believe this

If you've ever seen a cat jump and miss, or run into a door, then suddenly stop to lick intently, you know they're pretending they had no plan to do anything else.

Billy Collins, fabulous American poet and former US Poet Laureate.

Pen and a version of Zentangle, in the PaperBlanks journal.

the brown bear in the blue chair

But in the drawing, I switched the colors.

W/c pencil on Strathmore drawing paper.

first step, and painting in

Pondering how to color this, I decided to do a Gimp flat-color fillin.

Pencil on a w/c block, then Gimp.

Tommy Lee Jones in ballpoint

From a magazine cover, on copy paper.

Lizzie in charcoal pencil

It scans so much darker than graphite! On 70# sketchpaper.

haven't drawn this in awhile

The proportions and angles of this chair came together quickly, so unlike when I used to draw it over and over.

I'm encouraged that I can see the effects of my drawing practice.

Pencil in the PaperBlanks journal.

blue cat

Drawn with blue w/c pencil, then sprayed with water to spread the color.

On Co-mo sketch paper (Bee Paper Co).

taking out the woodstove

Pardon the fuzzy picture from my phone; this is strictly for documentation. I've drawn this old stove many times; here the doors are gone.

The old stove was taken out--a super-difficult job moving a big weight through doors, over thresholds and steps.

A new stove is coming soon. I'm looking forward to a different model for drawing and for burning wood.

moving to colored pencil

I've been concentrating on graphite work. Now it's time to try all my pencil skills with colored pencil.

The feel compared to graphite is very different with the softer waxy w/c pencils.

On 70# paper.

weeding and pruning

A quick sketch of the weed and pruned-tree debris waiting to be bagged for compost pickup. It goes to the City Dump for a giant compost pile that is built throughout the summer and fall.

Residents can come back in the spring for compost to use on their gardens. The jungle that surrounds us is thinner and more orderly.

Graphite in a HandBook artist journal.

continually smiling

The gray bear is always a congenial model, in any pose. Graphite, on 70# drawing paper.

gray bear

Gray is his real color, but this version is much more interesting.

Pen drawing and w/c on 140# paper.

excellent bold black ballpoint, retractable

Half of my drawing practice is just to experiment with the feel of various media.

This PaperMate Profile 1.4 bold ballpoint has a super smooth glide on the PaperBlanks paper. And I like the convenience of a cheap, retractable pen that scans well.