Different Medium

This is Sammie.

After seeing the pet portraits done with the markers in the Wetcanvas Project, and some drawings that Robert did for a scavenger hunt, I decided to try one with my Pitt and Prismacolor Brush Pens (plus a little colored pencil). It turned out a little rough looking but looser and I actually like the way it turned out. Hopefully the one who is to receive it won't visit my blog but I did post on the thread that it would be here in case anyone wanted peek. I may do a few more in this style. Especially as most of the ones I have left to do are cats. I have more trouble with cat hair than I do with dog hair. I will practice one a cat and see.

I did use the brush pens the last time I was out doing plein air with my group. I haven't finished it yet but I like the way it is turning out. I have no problem mixing mediums and enjoy finding new ways to do it.

For the next 9 days, I am hosting the Scavenger Hunt on the Wetcanvas Forum. If anyone wants to get some practice drawing from life, and they don't know what to draw, please come and join us. You can find us here.

Every 9 days someone hosts the scavenger hunt and posts a list of 26 items to find and sketch plus some extra challenges. Everything has to be sketched from life. We upload our "finds" and share with the others.

The most fun part is seeing how each person interprets each item on the list. All mediums are welcome. It is a place to try new techniques, mediums, and brush up our skills. We are a fun-loving bunch and most people who participate for awhile, notice that their skills get sharper and their eye hand coordination gets much better. And the list means you always have a list of things to sketch.

Some lists are specific, some vague, and some make you stop and think. But they are always interesting. Some of the challenges have been to draw with your non-dominant hand, draw the back of your head, dryer lint, balled up aluminum foil, and many others. We even had one that had 26 items you could find and set up on shelves to make a still life and do them all in one picture. Also one as easy as finding something for each letter of the alphabet.

I started with the hunts on the first one and have participated in just about every one. We are now on #194 and they seem to be going strong. We get enough newbies to balance out the ones we lose. And after participating in at least one hunt, you are eligible to host and provide your own list and challenges.

Don't worry if you don't feel you have time to participate. You can do one item or finish the whole list. And if you don't have the time to make comments, we want you to show up any way. Just come join the fun. This is the latest list that I posted to give you an idea.

Here is the list:

creamy
rough
spicy
rusty
shaggy
alcohol
stack of books
dryer lint
crushed aluminum foil
baggie or plastic wrap
items tossed in a drawer, box, or bowl
something inside out
snack
something you see outside
something you see inside
paper clips
key chain
inside of an envelope
toilet paper/tissue (Challenge: many different versions or poses)
something used when bathing
tree/tree part
still life of fruits and/or vegetables
leaf (Challenge: several different kinds)
tape
fast
slow

Final Challenge: Draw your hand touching your foot.

Buster and Maggie

These are two more dogs I have done for the Pet Portrait Trade. These two belong to Bigs/Sue in Australia. I will be putting them in the mail hopefully tomorrow. Depends if I get them out to the box on time. My mailman can surprise me sometimes and show up early.

Busert and Maggie are Dachshunds. Buster is older. They are the pampered babies that live with Sue. Not long ago Buster tangled with a snake and it was a close call. But he made it and is now able to keep the house in line while Sue works. Let's hope his snake patrol is over.

Pet Portrait Trade

I have been working today on another pet portrait. A Doxie this time. One of two that I am doing. They will be going to my good friend Sue in australia. I still have the second one to do.

Here is one more that has been received. Meet Sparky for kittierue.

I decided to do some "playing" like Teresa at Blueberries Art and Life Blog. She has been doing some experimentation with her watercolors. Well I just ordered some Cobra brand water soluble oil paints from Dick Blick. I didn't order any medium, but they sent a bottle free. I'm glad now as the water just doesn't do it.

The oils are too thick to use dry and the water doesn't last long with the paint. It seems to disappear on the brush. I was constantly putting the brush in water and couldn't get the consistency I wanted. I had either too much or too little water. Never in between.

In the 80s, I painted with the old type oil paints. I loved them. I just didn't love the smell, the turp, the cleaning up, the messiness, or the long drying time. Plus I went to work full time and just didn't have the time.

So to be able to do artwork and not spend so much time before and after, I started to draw with graphite. I loved it and still love it better than any other medium. I can do it anywhere, with a minimum of supplies, and no cleanup or wait time.

Then everyone kept asking why I didn't do color. Well I finally decided I would try some color and that led to colored pencils. I used Derwent Watercolor pencils but used them dry.

After awhile, I wanted to try the watercolor pencils wet. Then I tried watercolor paints. I can live with watercolor pencils and a waterbrush, but watercolor paints and regular brushes just aren't my thing.

And now I have been getting some wonderful art cards of my dogs in a trade and some of them were done in water soluble oils. They were gorgeous. I decided to give the oils another try. She used alkoyds but I didn't want to have to use a medium as I have two birds and didn't want to kill them with any unnecessary fumes. They have delicate vascular systems.

Now here I am full circle with oils and they aren't working with the water only. One thing is good. The oil paints don't have an odor. The other brand I had tried did have a slightly faint odor and even tho it was several years ago (and they were also water soluble) I believe they worked better with just the water.

Another thing I found out. The brushes didn't clean up with just water. I still had to use soap to get the green paint out.

Above is my try with the water soluble oils (Cobra) using water only.

Pet Portraits

Some of my pet portraits have arrived that I have done for the trade on Wetcanvas. I did a horse head tonight and it was a real challenge. And a black and white horse no less. I have a lot easier time with dogs. Cats are more of a challenge than dogs, but I have several more of them to do. I'm not sure how many more I have to get done but I think I have done around 10. The horse will go in the mail tomorrow.

Pet Portraits

I bought a card table with the intentions of putting together some puzzles. I did one puzzle and was so sore and blind from doing it, that I decided I should wait awhile before doing another. I am obsessive when doing a puzzle. Just can't stop and don't go to bed.

So I moved my colored pencil supplies from my bedroom to the living room to the card table. The table is full and I still don't have all my pencils out. I arranged them so that I can get to them easily. The daylight lamp is there as well as the electric pencil sharpener. And the table is next to a window so during the day, I have better light. So far I am enjoying my supplies in there as I finished 3 pet portraits today. That is the last 3 that I needed to mail along with my last Zentangle like cards.

For the Pet portrait trade, we need to do 24 and I now have 8 of them finished. The three I did today will be mailed tomorrow. And hopefully I will get a few more finished this weekend.

I do have some Bible studies to do. The new Bible study starts next Tuesday and there is homework that needs to be done before I go. We will be studying the Book of John. I think it will be a very good study.

Here is the latest Tangle to reach its destination.

More Fruit & Veggies

I did 6 more cards for the Drawspace trade. I think I have one more to go. Haven't decided what to do for the last one. I went shopping today with my eye on the produce as a model not as a food source. It was quite fun. I didn't want to present a bag with one piece of okra in it so bought 3 or 4 pieces. Have no idea what I will do with it as they aren't enough to make a mess of fried okra. Maybe I will make a soup and add them to it.

Oh I just remembered. I bought one small turnip. I will do that one. I'm glad I remembered or it would sit in the veggie crisper of the fridge and ruin. Those drawers in my fridge these days are known as the death trap. I still can't get the hang or the "want to" to cook for one. Just not worth the effort. So I buy the stuff then don't cook it. I need to get better and eat better.

Now I'm off to find that turnip in the death trap drawer.

3 More

I finished 3 more of the fruits and vegetables for the trade on Drawspace. I have 3 more vegetables sitting on a plate waiting for their turn. Hopefully before bed time I will get them. So far there are around 10 signed up.

Fruit and Vegetable Trade at Drawspace

The September trade at Drawspace has the theme of Fruit and Vegetables. I have already finished 3 of them. A few days before I knew the theme, I had purchased an onion sprout a the grocery store to sketch. I just loved the small size, the color, and the little green sprouts coming out the end. That is the first thing I drew for the trade.

Then I looked in the kitchen and found a small apple and pear from my fruit trees. The pear tree is probably on its last few years. And the apple won't be far behind.

When we moved here 17+ years ago, there were 4 fruit trees. Apple, peach, pear, and apricot. I don't think we ever did get any peaches as it died about the first year. The stump is still there as a reminder. Next to it was the apricot. We had wonderful fruit and a terrible mess every year till about two years ago. Then it didn't even leaf out.

At a lower section of the yard, is the pear. It has been wonderful and very producing. Sometimes it would bloom off and on for several months and produce pears. The last ones would be really tiny but still full of wonderful flavor.

A lot of the limbs in the pear tree for the last few years have been dead. It was still over abundant with blooms this year but only produced about 4 pears. One is still in the top of the tree where I can't reach it. I guess that one is for the birds to claim. I have been gradually cutting out the dead limbs and hope to top the tree back to the largest branches and see if I can give it a jump start and new life for next year.

The apple is a dwarf of about 4 feet. It has wonderful red delicious apples. One year the apples were so large, we had to prop up the limbs. People stopped on the street to look and point at them. They were the size of a large grapefruit or a small melon. Over the years it has had limbs to break off. Some with the help of my dog Friday. As a puppy, she liked to break the limbs off and carry them around for chewing.

It is pretty lopsided but still puts off some really sweet apples but they are smaller now. Since the dogs can reach them, a lot of them get eaten before they are ripe. I think I have got about 3 or 4 and there are still some on the tree. Dizzy is the latest to figure out that she can get them for herself.