Don't Mind the Arrow

The Sketchbook Project 2012

I signed up recently for The Sketchbook Project. I've never participated before, but I figured I could use the push to try some new things or just improve what I normally do. Yesterday, my sketchbook arrived.

Now I have to figure out what I want to do with it. Should I re-bind it? I'm a total newbie at that. I could just start with new paper of the right size and go from there - binding it at the end. Or I could, of course, leave it as is aside from decorating the cover.

What to do depends on what media I intend to use inside. The sketchbook is similar to a Moleskine cahier but the paper is white and thicker. It would be fine with colored pencils, and probably fine with markers on only one side. How many pages am I going to end up doing between now and January, anyway?

It's a little overwhelming, and I feel like I need some sort of plan, but at the moment I don't have one. Have you participated in the Sketchbook Project in the past? What did you do with your sketchbook?

Everyday Matters #19

It's been an eternity since I managed to do one of these challenges. But it's good to get a few in if I can managed it before I start Every Day in May. When I pulled this one out of the box, it honestly took me a few minutes to make a decision because there are just so many things I've made in this house.  It's a rare day that I'm not working on making something.

This is a little knitted, woven ball that I made a year or so ago. It's made in simple strips and the magic happens when you weave them all together in the right order. I had to get Morgan to help me - hey, that almost-PhD in Finite Geometry should get put to some use, right?

 

On-Site Drawing

I like to draw while out and about, but I often feel pressured to hurry up and finish it already. I don't like to keep people waiting, and I can only listen to the dog whine for so long.

We visited Rocky Mountain National Park on Friday, and there was an additional reason I didn't draw more than one picture - it was freezing. Most of the places we parked weren't really looking directly at any scenic views, so I had to make do with the one spot I was able to draw from the car. It's where we stopped for a "picnic" lunch. In other words, we ate in the car because our hands went numb when we were outside and besides, the picnic benches were buried in snowdrifts.

Right over the ridge to the left of the picnic bench in the drawing is where I took this photo:

I'd like to end up with more finished-looking drawings when I do these quick sketches, instead of just line drawings, but for now this is it. I guess I'd have to get into the habit of carrying watercolors to color while I'm there, or put in marker/colored pencil touches once I get home.

I'm hoping to practice more as the weather gets warmer so I'll be ready for our trip in June.

Back in the Saddle

I've been away from posting for a while. I have a big journal project that I've been working to catch up on for Swap-Bot. I got behind on working on it in the run-up to the wedding and have been trying to get a handle on it again ever since. It's nearing completion now and I'll start posting parts of it here as soon as it's finished and on its way.

In the meantime, I have a few sketches I've done over the past month or so while I've been out and about.

In Northern California on our honeymoon:

    

Various people doing their business at the DMV:

And finally, a street scene in Boulder, drawn while enjoying some coffee and a lovely day:

I'll be working more drawing into my schedule now. I'm starting to feel the itch of not having made enough time for it recently.