"Sketch of the Thursday Model" - original mixed media sketch of the model in Geisha costume

 

The model arrived with a beautiful kimono and it was really great to draw her as if she were an actual geisha.  Not enough time, of course, but I did scribble a lot of loose sketches and loved it.  This is one of them - on Strathmore toned paper - the heavy kind which I love dearly, using General's Primo charcoal HB pencil, Derwent Chinese white pencil and some touches of oil pastel. Thanks for stopping by!

"Fooling Around with Radishes" - original acrylic, wax pastel, colored pencil, graphite and oil pastel panting

Some of my radishes from earlier in the summer made it as subjects for an 8 x 8" painting on Gessobord.  I thought they were pretty and just arranged them first this way and that.  I then drew them loosely with graphite, then painted with acrylic and topped the whole thing off with wax pastels, colored pencils, and oil pastels. The kitchen sink, you might say.  

This exercise in using mainly drawing tools convinced me that I'm basically a drawer - okay, draftsman, sketcher - not so much a painter - and am always trying to figure out ways to use oil paint in my drawings on board because they won't need to be framed under glass.  My latest idea is to cut oil sticks (not oil pastels, but actual oil sticks) into smaller pieces to make them easier to work with for drawings.  The main reason I seldom use oil sticks is their size.  Years ago, Winsor & Newton had 'slim' oil sticks, I think they were called, and they were great, but then they were discontinued, which was such a disappointment.  I find it really difficult to use these bigger sticks.  They're just too fat!  So now I'm going to try and draw with smaller pieces of this medium.  My oil stick 'collection' includes R&F, which is just wonderful,  Sennelier,  Winsor & Newton, and Shiva.  Surely I can find a way to make this plan of mine work!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Lissy on Red - acrylic and oil pastel portrait

Something so much fun to paint - started with acrylic and finished with oil pastel.  These two media work so well together.  It's done on acrylic paper by Strathmore, which has a great surface and is very easy to work with.  I could have made it more realistic but it was so enjoyable to just roll with it - and Lis thinks it looks like her, so who am I to fret?  

Hope you're all having a great Labor Day - thanks for stopping by!
 

Ivy - original watercolor with ink painting of ivy

I was looking out my window and decided to do this little jar of ivy in the window.  After doing the leaves, I decided they needed a few lines - I'm a line lover - so I took out my ballpoint and added lines here and there.  It was early morning when I did this one and it was fun to start my day with this little piece - about 8 1/2 x 5 1/2".  Thanks for stopping by!

How I Rescued a Failure - original figurative pencil and oil pastel drawing

I bought the neatest daVinci set of pan watercolors and splurged on a new watercolor brush and some new watercolor instruction books - and have produced nothing but failures.  Arghhh - (rending of garments) - drives me crazy having to be so busy with the medium that I can't accomplish what I want.  So, I covered the part I didn't like with oil pastel and am well pleased with the result!  The rest of the piece is drawn with graphite pencil.  The conclusion here, I guess, is that things that don't work out can often be rescued and oil pastel is great at saving artworks gone wrong - I love it!  But I will still continue my journey into watercolor and maybe, just maybe, I'll find success.  This one is 12 x 9" on cold press watercolor paper.  Thanks for stopping by!
PS -  I really think I like this better with oil pastel anyway.  Maybe I'm just not choosing the right subjects to paint in watercolor.  Actually I did a couple of dancers in watercolor that really pleased me.  So I guess all isn't lost - but still watercolor is kind of tough.  If y'all have any suggestions, I would love to hear!!!

Looking Around - mixed media figurative

I slathered acrylic paint on paper pretty thickly, then drew with a General's Peel & Sketch charcoal pencil, and worked over that with oil pastel.  Kind of a quick, frantic piece done from one of my old black and white drawings.  Oil pastel works so great over acrylic - really just glides over the surface.  On 9 x 12" Strathmore acrylic paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

On The Platform - original mixed media figurative drawing

This was a scene on the subway platform - don't know what it means - just something I saw.  I used oil paint, charcoal and oil pastel on 8 x 10" panel.  Thanks for looking!

A Little Experiment - original mixed media portrait

I was experimenting with this new - to me - thing.  Heavily gessoed a piece of canvas, then covered a rectangle with a thick layer of watercolor.  Drew her face with colored pencils.None of this is expertly done, you may have noticed, but it was such fun that I'll do it again.  I need to figure out how to make some things more solid looking, but then again, maybe not.  I'm also trying for a sort of imperfect, unfinished and worn look - sort of wabi sabi.  It's about 5 1/2 x 7 1/2" - thanks for stopping by!

Daily News Jive - original mixed media figurative drawing

Just fooling around here, using the stock pages from the newspaper as a drawing support.  I've tried many different ways of using newspapers as a drawing background - maybe it's the straight lines of the printed paper and the sober stock market news reporting vs. the squiggly ink lines of figurative drawings that attracts me.  Often, I will spray with 'make it acid free' or use various acrylic mediums over it to make it longer lasting.  For this one, it will be bonded to mat board with Studio Tac after spraying with the acid free stuff.  I used ink with some Crayola and oil pastel - it's about 4 x 9 1/2".  Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Sold

Jive Kids - orginal ink and oil pastel drawing

Just scribbling in front of the TV, added some color and here is an 11 x 14" drawing on Strathmore's Mixed Media paper.  I haven't been posting for awhile, because I'm working on lots of things, but not one of them is fit to be seen, yet.  Thanks for stopping by! Sold

Flamenco Practice - original mixed media figurative painting

I vacillate between 'this is interesting' and 'this is crazy'.  Right now, 'this is interesting' has the upper hand.    I was fooling around with a piece of Yupo and some watercolor crayons, watercolor, ink, graphite, and finally, some oil pastel.  It's about 10 x 7".  Thanks for stopping by!

Nude in Mixed Media - original mixed media drawing of a nude

This is a drawing that I did from life several months ago and just forgot about.  I came across it today while I was going through and (I hope) organizing some of my things.  (This project is endless, I tell you.)  The gestural lines were drawn on Yupo, using wax crayons (Caran d'Ache Neocolor I).  I added a little watercolor - which, of course, doesn't adhere to the wax lines, then applied touches of watercolor crayons (I LOVE those things!) and just generally had a great time.  It's about 12 x 9".  Thanks for visiting my blog!

Sketch for Dancers - original ink, charcoal and graphite figurative drawing

Just fooling around with line - first one thing (a Sharpie), then another (a little charcoal) and finally, a bit of graphite.   It's about 11 x 10" on white drawing paper.   Actually, I think I used the back side of some smooth paper, and even though it was unintentional, I was happy with the surface.  Quickly done, more fun!   Don't worry, you're safe - that's the extent of my poetry "talent".  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Ink Jive - original ink and crayon figurative drawing

Here's another version of my jivin' characters in a larger format than usual, 9 x 12", on Bristol board paper.  Roger, my able assistant, is sitting in the chair with me and it's really crowded, but he insisted - I just hope he doesn't press 'publish' before I'm ready!  I used an ink marker with a thin point, then scribbled the colors onto the figures.  There's a little bit of charcoal here and there, too.  Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Frenzy - original mixed media figurative drawing

Some jive music, paper, my drawing markers,  oil crayon and oil pastels, (and a tiny bit of charcoal) and I'm all set for a great evening.  My crazy little jivers are back with a vengeance - well, they never really leave me - and they're jumpin' to the music on this 5 x 17" Bristol board paper.  There are two of these - this is the first one to be posted.
I love the way people move - frantic, like in this drawing - or more controlled as in baseball, which is something I've been sketching lately.  I sit in front of the TV watching and attempting to catch the pitcher at the moment he releases the ball.  Very challenging, but I'll keep trying.  I love baseball, so it's a fun thing to do.  I saw the Orioles play fairly often when living in the D.C. area, but alas, no team nearby, so I make do with TV.
Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Crazy Jive - original mixed media figurative painting

In this drawing/painting on 12 x 9" Yupo paper, I used everything but the kitchen sink - as they say.  First, a very few graphite lines, then marker; next came Caran d'Ache  Neocolor I (a wonderful wax crayon), then NeoArt crayons, which are richly pigmented water-soluble oil pastels.  I'm just fooling around with different media and maybe I'll find a new love.  I'd love to hear of your experiments with new media - if you'd like to get in touch, just click the "Contact Me" in the right-hand column.
Thanks for stopping by!  Sold

Ellie with a Cigarette - original portrait drawing

This is a contour drawing that I did too quickly.  You know the drill - feel as if the pencil (in this case a marker and litho pencil) is actually touching the model and go very, very slowly.  But I get impatient and besides, I kind of enjoy the weird things that happen when I do.  Like Ellie with a Cigarette.  It's on 12 x 9" Yupo paper.  Thanks for visiting my blog!
PS. check out my oil pastel blog for my latest posting there.

Tiny Doodles - original mixed media Artists' Trading Cards

Here are a few of the little 3.5 x 2.5" things I do when I'm traveling or don't have time to do anything larger.  Some of these are mainly oil pastel, others are mostly colored pencil, but they are all mixed media. 
Right now, I'm trying to keep up with a wildfire that's burning about ten miles from us.  Many of the residents west of town were evacuated from their homes - much worry tonight, but hoping for the best for everybody!
Thanks for stopping by!

Jivers - original mixed media figurative drawing

More fun for this little couple.  This drawing began with ink, then Neocolor I, and finished with oil pastel.  It's on 12 x 12" Bristol board paper.  Thanks so much for looking!

Goin' Crazy - mixed media figurative drawing

Here they are again - just jivin' and jumpin' with not a care in the world!  They're appearing on 6 x 6" Bristol board paper, courtesy of mixed media - marker, wax crayon and oil pastel, with an underlying gesture of pencil.  Thanks so much for visiting Hackberry Street Studio - hope it's a lot cooler where you are!  Sold
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