Sunday Sketchbook - black and white sketchbook drawings

This page is one I worked on today - mostly plants, for some odd reason, but that's what I was mainly seeing, I guess.  This is just one of three sketchbook pages I did.  It's about 8 1/2 by 11", well, probably a bit more with the spiral.  The tree is water-soluble pencil, and everything else is vine charcoal.  Thanks so much for looking!  

Curlicues - original ink drawing

Since I haven't posted in awhile - busy with lots of happy things - here is an ink drawing of an ironwork balcony I did earlier in the summer.  It's about 9 x 5 1/2" - thanks for stopping by!

Nude on Aqua Paper - original nude drawing

Here's one I drew a few months ago on aqua paper, using colored pencils.  Great model to work with, too!  It's about 12 x 5 1/2".  Thanks for looking!

Gina At The Bar - original graphite portrait drawing

I got busy with a graphite pencil, which I seldom do - I guess because charcoal is more forgiving - and drew from an old sketch on tan toned paper.  It's about 8 x 5 1/2".  The white accents are General's Primo white charcoal pencil.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch of Shelley - original charcoal portrait drawing

I did this little sketch on 10 x 8" Strathmore 403 paper.  I'll consider it finished, especially since the model loved it and will probably buy it.  Although this was mostly vine charcoal, I had forgotten how nice it is to have nice sharp charcoal pencils - in this case General's Primo and the Ritmo brand pencil I used many years ago.  I wasn't able to find Ritmo for such a long time, but it's back and as good as ever.  But I think my favorite now is the Primo - really deep blacks and a smooth application - very nice charcoal pencil.  Thanks so much for visiting!

Red, White and Blue Jive - original mixed media figurative drawing

Just a fun drawing using a little of this, a little of that - specifically, ink, watercolor, colored pencil, oil pastel. Quick and a pleasure to do - no looking back. I loved her position, looking back at him, who seems to be in another world.  It's on 6 x 8" mixed media paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch for "Formal" - original charcoal figurative drawing

I came across a formal dress that might work in my figure drawings and decided to sketch the model in it.  Maybe this drawing is one that will end up as a painting - we'll see.  I'll post it if the painting works out.  My Able Assistant, Roger, is recovering from eyelid surgery and he isn't able to assist as much as usual, so I've been a little slow in getting new drawings/paintings done.  Amazing how one relies on one's helpers!  This drawing is about 16 x 14" - thanks for looking!

The Pitch - original charcoal figurative drawing

I've been obsessed with this left-handed pitcher thing - I suppose you can tell - and I'm getting closer to what I'm looking for - such joy when that happens!  This drawing is on 11 x 14" Strathmore paper. It is ridiculously late, but really couldn't sleep without getting this to a certain point.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Flamenco Evening - original charcoal figurative drawing

This drawing is on 11 x 14" Borden and Riley plate Bristol paper. It's late - not much to say tonight - off to bed.  Thanks for looking!

Tango Shorthand - original ink figurative drawing

I came across this 7 x 5" ink drawing today - I think it's on watercolor paper - and don't even remember making it.  I know I have used this pose - if you can tell there's a pose here (haha) - in paintings, but being such a fan of squiggly line drawings, this little piece just makes me smile.  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - Landscape Pencil Drawing in Progress

This sketchbook work in progress is one that I started while out in the country.  I ran out of time so took a photo in order to complete it when I got home, but just haven't gotten around to it.  Am working on some figure drawings that aren't even finished enough to post.  Thanks for visiting my blog!

Monday's Nude - original charcoal life drawing

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  Here's a nude I did a couple of months ago - it's on 12 x 9" Strathmore drawing paper.  Thanks for looking!

Line Jive - original ink and Crayola figurative drawing

Just fooling around with ink and Crayola  - these are regular Crayolas - the ones to die for are the construction paper ones.  Couldn't find mine, so I just used the usual in robin's egg blue.  This drawing is about 8 1/2 x 7 1/2" on Borden and Riley Paris paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Flamenco Sketch - original charcoal figurative drawing

Here's a sketch of a flamenco dancer done in charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper.  This drawing is about 8 x 14".  Have been watching "Great Artists of the Italian Renaissance" from The Great Courses.  It's just wonderful and the instructor makes what could just bore one to death, very interesting.  I've listened to and watched many of their offerings and recommend them highly.  Thank you for stopping by  (Originally, my drawing was cropped in the photo to 8 x 8", but I like it this size a lot more.  Always a fan of portraits and figures in a horizontal format.)

Blue Jivers Again - original ink and watercolor figurative drawing

I must have a new fave - black ink or marker with touches of blue watercolor.  Actually I love so many kinds of media - no end to the fun!  As much as I adore my tango dancers, I'm crazy about the energy of the jivers - they never tire.  For this 6 x 6" Bristol paper piece, I used a black Sharpie.  Other favorites are Prismacolor markers and Itoya.  Added a little watercolor just for fun.  Thanks for visiting my blog!

Polka Dot Bow - ACEO original oil pastel portrait painting

I could spend every minute doing ACEOs.  They're so much fun and it's easy to just let go and be expressive. This one makes me happy because of her expression.  It's painted on illustration board and for some reason, the oil pastel seems to dry - as dry as oil pastel ever gets - very quickly on this surface.  It's 3.5 x 2.5", of course (being sort of obsessive, I just had to go and say it!) - thanks so much for stopping by!

On My Easel - Original Soft Pastel Portrait Painting in Progress

I was fooling around with soft pastel and although this portrait does look like the model, I'm not totally thrilled at this point.   It's about 18 x 15" or so, on Canson paper.  Sometimes if I just set something aside for several days, I'll suddenly realize what I need to do - hope that happens with this piece!  Thanks for looking.

Ink Jivers - original mixed media ink figurative drawing

They're back and seem to be enjoying themselves, as they always do.  Drawn quickly - I know you can tell - using an Itoya pen and Crayola, this little piece is on cold press watercolor paper, 5 1/2 x 7 1/2".  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Flamenco Frenzy - original charcoal figurative drawing

After watching a flamenco performance, I scribbled from memory some of the "poses" - I guess you'd  say.  I got on a roll with these, so you'll be seeing more of them.  Using one of those boxes of vine charcoal in which there are varied thicknesses, I completed - a version of completed, anyway - many 11 x 14" drawings.  Do you ever get started on a project and just not want to stop?  Well, it was like that with me and was so satisfying.  Lots of squiggly lines add up to time well spent for me.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

The Model in a Dark Robe - original oil pastel figurative painting

This sketchy piece has made me so happy because I feel I got her skin tones correct.  Lately, I've been working on skin tones and trying to pay a lot of attention to getting just the right hue, value, etc., and - yippee - I have a good feeling about this one!  Am hoping to turn this into an oil painting, but whenever I attempt such things, something is lost - will keep trying, though.  Am I alone in having the problem of losing the feeling of the original when trying to move it to another medium?  On Strathmore 403 oil pastel paper, about 11 x 8".  Thanks so much for stopping by.