love that indigo blue

The blue leather chair in Prismacolor pencil.

In the Fabriano Venezia journal. Great paper for all media!

in the car mechanic's waiting room

At least the chairs are really comfortable.

Pencil on 70# Strathmore drawing paper.

the model never knew I was there

Pencil in the PaperBlanks journal.

books on the bookprint chair

There are artists who make 3D drawings where the object rises off the page.

That would be a good thing to do here, where the books would emerge from the book-themed upholstery.

I just drew the moment.

Pencil in the Paperblanks journal.

Crayola colored twistup pencils

These pencils are actually very thin wax crayons (and *are* actually somewhat erasable with the special eraser).

I did a tiny closeup with the dark gray and really liked how the crayon handled. Most of the colors are relatively light, though, and you can't buy them individually.

On Strathmore drawing paper.

charcoal and pastel

On newsprint.

pencilled rattan

I've drawn this chair so many times; I think it was the first thing I ever posted on this blog, over 6 years ago. Getting the perspective right on the curves is always a challenge, but I'm seeing them so much better now!

Pencil in the journal.

speed with accuracy

This chair is complex enough to make repeated practice from multiple angles, in all media, interesting. This version is sliding down the boat deck, apparently.

Prismacolor water-soluble pencil, 8B, dry.

dry water-soluble pencil

A Prismacolor w/s graphite, 4B, is very dark when wet. So I avoided a mess and left it dry. Nice soft feel on the paper.

On 70# sketch paper.

charcoal, blended

I prefer the sharper lines of unblended charcoal, but it smears too badly. Blended and shaded with a stump.

On Strathmore drawing paper.

losing my edges

I went back to read the section on edges in Richard's Schmid's book Alla Prima. Finally the lightbulb clicked on--that losing edges is the way to make an item blend with its background, instead of being a cut-out on top.

So I'm practicing. It's difficult to not put down what I see (edges), or to go back and blur them, after working so long to be accurate.

3B pencil in the journal.

a humongous chair

This chair fully rises and tilts forward so the disabled can get over their feet to stand. It lowers the person into sitting too, and also reclines.

Amazing to watch and quite a relief for those who need it. Super expensive, of course.

Pen and w/c in the journal.

kitchen cat

This one took longer, penciling in the perspective, then inked with a .05 pen.

On Strathmore drawing paper (80#?), which takes water pretty well at the first stroke. Doesn't allow reworking though.

The red wall is a mess of trying to get the background on around the furniture. 

Strathmore drawing pad.

scribble it down and swish on color

An 8 minute got-to-draw piece where I'm going for the feeling of drawing fast--the scribble-swish sensation is the goal, not the result. I find that movement strangely satisfying.

In the 5 minutes of drawing, the cat stayed still. Once I starting painting, I didn't care if he moved.

Pencil and w/c in the journal.

filling pages

Random acrylic sweeps, then fast brush pen sketches.

I darkened the backgrounds around the drawn items at the end.

In the journal.

hospital lobby

Drawing while Jim was in surgery. This was the most interesting corner in a lobby of chairs.

Pen in the journal.

same bear, same chair

This drawing is so large it won't fit on the scanner. Photos of drawings never turn out as well.

Graphite on good w/c paper.

capturing wicker

This is what fit on the scanner.

Pencil on Arches w/c paper.

construction of a rattan chair

I don't know how the elements are warmed, bent, and wrapped, but the construction is fascinating. And the chairs have a simple elegance that last so well!

6B pencil, Derwent drawing pencil (the thick waxy one), and green NuPastel on Superaquabee Deluxe paper.

Prismacolor, it is

I'm liking drawing direct with the w/c pencils. Then I have the option of awakening the color with water.

This is dry only.

In the Holbein sketchbook.