 |
|
Thursday, July 2, 2009 - A Gift From Woodpecker
- Feather Sketch
I was wondering what to draw
tonight when Jerry came in with a gift left by the birdbath.
I believe it is a woodpecker feather; probably a Harry or a Downy.
|
|
 |
|
Friday, July 3, 2009 - American Flag Drawing
- Happy Birthday U S A !
Here's this week's sketching
challenge drawing of an American flag. I'll be traveling to Colorado
tomorrow, so I'm not sure if I'll be posting, but you can bet
I'll be sketching! HAVE A G R E A T 4th OF JULY!!
|
|
 |
|
Saturday, July 4, 2009 - July 4th Drawing
- Colorado Rockies Drawing
Here's today's mountain landscape
drawing which I did on the plane from Philadelphia to Denver.
|
|
 |
|
Sunday, July 5, 2009 - Colorado Mountain
Drawing
The reference for today's mountain
and meadow sketch is a photo I took last year at Gothic Mountain,
Colorado.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm also posting our new challenge
photo taken a while back in the Smoky Mountains. I hope some
of you will try this sketching challenge. I think it's an easy
one! :-D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm here with my folks at Estes
Park, Colorado. My mom showed me several of my drawing challenge
sketches, but never send them in, so here is my favorite from
our 2nd challenge.
|
|
|
|
Monday, July 6, 2009 - Columbine Sketch
- Pencil and Wash Drawing
I'm sitting here in town at the
Notchtop Cafe with my dad. They've got free internet access and
everything from coffee and danish to beer and sandwiches. We
had an eventful day yesterday. See more about our car trouble
and photos from our day on my
web log.
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 - Moose Sketch
Here's today's sketch from Gunnison,
Colorado. I drew it from a photo I took in Rocky Mountain National
Park on Sunday.
Also here's a photo of my little
traveling sketch box and sketch book with everything I need except
water to do my 6 Step Sketching Technique.
|
|
~~ |
|
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 ~ Rufous Hummingbird
Drawing
It's a beautiful morning here
in Gunnison. The birds are very active. I've seen several Rufous
hummers. Jerry says our birds at home are doing well and he's
filling our seven feeders 3 times a day.
|
|
 |
|
Thursday, July 9, 2009 ~ Poppies Sketch
This sketch was inspired by a
shot I took in Crested Butte yesterday. See pictures from Colorado
on my web log.
Just published - Read My Interview by Ralph Serpe On
CREATIVE
SPOTLIGHT's Art Instruction Blog.
|
|
  |
|
Friday, July 10, 2009 ~ Colorado Rockies
Sketch and Creative Spotlight Interview
Here's another sketch done from
photos of the Bleeding Heart flowers in Crested Butte.
Also Laura DiFrancesco just sent
in this lovely challenge sketch of the Smoky Mountains. Thanks
Laura, great job!
|
|
 |
|
Saturday, July 11, 2009 - Pencil Sketch
Of Gothic Mountain, Colorado
I'm posting today's sketch (steps
1 + 2 of my 6 Steps) from the Denver airport.
|
|
 |
|
Sunday, July 12, 2009 - Completed Rocky
Mountains Sketch
It's good to be home, but I'm
missing the mountains again already.
Look for the new challenge drawing tomorrow with my sketch of
last week's photo.
|
|
 |
|
Monday, July 13, 2009 - Smoky Mountains
Sketch - Challenge Drawings
Keeping it simple, here's my
interpretation of our last challenge photo from the Smoky Mountains.
Today I'm also posting one
of my photos from last week's trip to Colorado for our challenge.
Raven was with me everywhere I went on this trip. You can see
here that this handsome fellow eagerly posed for me.
Just a note: If anyone wants
to leave a comment or see these archives as they are posted on
a daily basis, please go to www.sketchingeveryday.com.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 - A Quick Flower
Vignette Thumbnail
Today's sketch is a flower vignette.
A vignette is a drawing or painting that involves a group of
overlapping shapes placed somewhere on the paper, that is also
surrounded by blank space. The image area should be a good shape.
You must also take into consideration the sizes and shapes
of the blank spaces, which should be varied.
|
|
 |
|
Thursday, July 16, 2009 - Another Quick
Vignette - Flower Drawing
Here today is another floral
sketch, utilizing the "Rule Of Thirds". Where the lines
intersect are the best spots for a focal point.
|
|
 |
|
Friday, July 17, 2009 - Blind Contour -
A Sunflower Drawing Exercise
This is a "Blind Contour
Drawing" of a sunflower that the birds planted by one of
our bird feeders. "Blind contour" is an excellent
exercise which improves hand - eye coordination and really helps
you to SEE. The idea is to refrain from looking down at your
paper while you slowly draw your subject, caressing the object
with your eyes. If you loose your way, you can look down and
reposition your pencil if need be, but while drawing, you
must not look at your paper, concentrating only on following
the contours of the shape. The results will not be completely
accurate, but often makes for some interesting studies.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Saturday, July 18, 2009 - Garden Ornament
- Bird Sketch
This Blind Contour was done from
another old (crude by today's standards) garden ornament that
I inherited from my Aunt Milly. See the definition of Blind Contour
in yesterday's post.
|
|
 |
|
Sunday, July 19, 2009 - Candy Drawing -
Everything's Sketchable
Today's quick sketch is of a
couple of Blow Pops that just happened to be on my drawing table.
|
|
|
|
Monday, July 20, 2009 - Raven Drawing -
Challenge Sketches
I got this wonderful challenge
drawing in with a nice note from Judy Scott last night. "Attached
is my sketch of the Raven. It scanned a little more colorful
than it actually is sketched. I am enjoying your weekly
challenges, I have not posted some of my attempts because I tend
to forget KISS. I know I am about to overwork the sketch
but there I go with one more brush stroke! Thanks again
for all the wonderful sharing you do. Your websites and
blogs are such a wealth of knowledge that I refer to all the
time." ~ Judy Scott
Thanks Judy for your much appreciated
words of encouragement and your beautifully creative rendition!
Raven has long been associated
with magic and ancestor spirits. On my trip out to Colorado this
month, crows and ravens seemed to follow me everywhere. According
to indigenous traditions, all species of crow, including
raven, help us to realign our consciousness so we may better
connect to the Great Mystery.I have tried to portray this aspect
in today's drawing.
If you wish to leave comments
about this post or any other, go to: www.sketchingeveryday.com
Check out my sister's great photos of our trip
to CO here.
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - Horse Sketch -
2 Minute Gesture Drawings
Today I was looking around the
house for something to sketch when my old Sandstone Stallion
caught my eye. Here's a photo of him on top of a large coffee
container I use to bring him up to eye level. Today's sketch
is four 2 minute gesture sketches I did of him. I turned him
a quarter of a turn after each 2 minutes were up.
New - Summer Special Offer! I'm offering
a customized PRIVATE 4 hour watercolor and or drawing session
at my studio for only $99.99. This offer expires 9/6/09. My normal
fee is 3 hrs. for $99.99, so sign up this summer and get an hour
free. E-mail me to schedule or for more details.
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - A Dog Drawing
Challenge
Today I'm posting the next challenge
photos of a pretty pup I met at the Burlington
County Animal Shelter . When I went there I took many reference
photos of the animals for our Art
For The Animals project. Right now I've got a call in to
Lisa, the shelter manager. I haven't talked with her in over
a month. It's time to touch base and see what our next move with
the program will be.
I did one sketch of this little
cutie this morning. I hope some of you will use these photos
to come up with your own composition. Use your artistic license
with one, two or all of the shots in combination. See
more posts about the project on my web log here.
|
|
 |
|
Thursday, July 23, 2009 - Sandpiper Sketch
Here's my sketch for today. This
sandpiper drawing was done from one of my handy bird carvings.
|
|
 |
|
Frday, July 24, 2009 - Whitetail Deer Sketch
Today's sketch is of a whittail
deer mount I have in my studio. (FYI - I don't approve of trophy
hunting and we did not kill this poor dear.) I do think it is
a beautiful specimen however.
|
|
  |
|
Saturday, July 25, 2009 - Dog Sketch -
Elkhound Challenge
I got a wonderful drawing in
last night from Kay. She writes;" I have recently found
your blog, and love this idea. I am sorry to be late with my
drawing, but here it is. I enjoy very much trying to draw dogs!"
Well Kay, actually, you are early!
I usually don't post the current challenge drawing until Sunday
or Monday. Feel free to send in any of the challenge drawings
at any time. I always appreciate artist's efforts. Nice to meet
you and thank you so much for your lovely colored pencil drawing,
Kay!
Also, here's my sketch (steps
1 & 2) today. I'll post the finish tomorrow. I plan on combining
this pose with the first one I did earlier this week
|
|
 |
|
Sunday, July 26, 2009 - Dog Drawing And
New Challenge Sketch Photos
My final sketch of a dog from
the Burlington
County Shelter is a composite put together in Photoshop from
the two finished drawings I did for our current sketching challenge.
Here's this week's new challenge
photos. I'm posting 2 this week, trying to get you involved!
The first photo is of my hubby, Jerry, during a snowstorm on
his beloved old tractor. It looks complicated, but it is not.
Remember - K
I S S, squint and break the subject down into shapes
(positive and negative). I find it easier to draw something when
I think of it as a shape, instead of a thing. Right Brain
vs. Left Brain
The second photo is one of the poor
kitties I took photos of that were in jail at the shelter. I'm
going to draw this guy without the bars, however. I'll probably
lightly sketch in the bars though, as they do break the subject
up into smaller and simpler shapes which will be an aid in the
drawing process. Drawing a precise grid on your photo and the
same dimensions on your paper is a classic and useful drawing
technique. Check out Art
For The Animals here.
|
|
 |
|
Monday, July 27, 2009 - Butterfly Bush
Sketch
This weekend I trimmed the bottom
blooms off of our Butterfly Bushes. This will help prevent the
resident cats from harming my hummingbirds. Sometimes the birds
can be quite oblivious to danger as they furiously dart in and
out of the maze of fragrant branches. Here's a bunch that I drew
today. The drawing got a little out of control on the page. Next
time I'll try to remember to start out smaller and leave more
white space around what I'm depicting. I'll admit, sketching
everyday is sometimes hard to fit in and occasionally it feels
like a chore. Once I get on with it however, I am glad I did.
The discipline teaches me so much.
"It is essential... that
discipline should not be practiced like a rule imposed on oneself
from the outside, but that it becomes an expression of one's
own will; that it is felt as pleasant, and that one slowly accustoms
oneself to a kind of behavior which one would eventually miss,
if one stopped practicing it." ~ Erich Fromm
|
|
 |
|
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - Cut Butterfly
Bush Flowers Sketch
Here's today's sketch of the
Butterfly Bush flowers that I posted yesterday. I decided to
break out my watercolors and really try to bring these babies
to life.
|
|
 |
|
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - Hibiscus Flower
Drawing
Jerry got me a beautiful little
tangerine and rose colored Hibiscus plant this spring that has
been doing quite well on my studio porch. I noticed yesterday
that it was not doing great in the heat, so I brought it inside
and offered it plenty of water. It looks all perky now and is
happily dominating my workspace. I have another giant pink one
that I've had for years. I take it inside my studio in the winter.
Looks like it'll have a new buddy this year. These flowers were
drawn from life. I will finish it up with color tomorrow.
|
|
 |
|
Thursday, July 30, 2009 - Hummingbird Drawing
I just finished a bleach soak
on all twelve of my hummingbird feeders and I've got dinner in
the oven. I just didn't have the energy to get out my watercolors
and finish up yesterday's sketch, so here tonight is a two minute
gesture drawing of a Lenox hummingbird figurine I own.
|
|
 |
|
Friday, July 31, 2009 - Hibiscus Flower
Sketch - Finish
Here's watercolor pigment added
to my Hibiscus Flower Drawing from Wednesday. Remember these
are all done on regular sketchbook paper.
|
|
|
|
