Link to today’s vlog on YouTube.
My vlog today is a flip through of all the art I’ve been doing in the past week, both in sketchbooks and on paper.
The image above shows my bedtime drawing last night. I’m not happy with it, but it is what it is. Finishing the drawing followed by the addition of colour and shadow/highlight may change my mind about it. As may the passage of time and a fresh view of it.
This is but one of quite a few drawings done this week. The rest can be seen in today’s vlog.
Link to today’s vlog on YouTube.
This week’s coloring template / coloring page for the members of the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans Facebook group is a bit different.
Instead of one large image, I created a sheet of eight, slightly smaller than ATC sized drawings.
ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) are 3½” x 2½” in size. The original idea was for artists, crafters, creatives to make small pieces of art and to swap them with other artists as a way to share and collect art. The idea was to swap and not sell, though people do sell them now, but many more do swap and collect work from other artists.
In today’s vlog, I colour and embellish one of the designs. Then, I turn it and another into first ATC cards and then into greeting cards.
This idea came about through a conversation with a group member who asked permission to create ATCs from my coloring templates for the group.
I do not have an Angel Policy for any of my templates in the group to allow them to be sold in any form. However, gifting or swapping them, or items made using them, is fine so long as the artist (me) is credited and the items are not sold.
For the individual coloring books, terms and conditions are mentioned in the books and should always be referred to.
This drawing was finished a couple of days ago. I like the graphic nature of black and white, so am not at all sure if I want to add colour to this. I think this is a case of scanning the drawing in and adding colour digitally before deciding. My fingers, however, would like to make use of the Ecoline watercolour inks.
Time will tell what I decide to do. After all, there is no rush.
Today’s vlog is a continuation of the drawing I started yesterday (link to yesterday’s blog).
Here is the link to the vlog on YouTube.
I have an introvert ‘hangover’ today. This has absolutely nothing to do with alcohol, just a bit too much socialising on Zoom yesterday! The headache will lift soon. The tiredness will gradually go, especially after some more sleep. It was lovely to spend time with like-minded people, particularly Brett from the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group.
So, doing some entangled, intuitive pen drawing was just the thing to start the day off. Gentle, familiar, enjoyable, calming and peaceful.
I have no idea what this drawing is going to turn into. Time will tell.
I have created a time-lapse vlog of this drawing. Not only do you get to see how this WIP drawing was done, I also show some of the other work I’ve been doing in my sketchbook as well.
Full length pen drawing and vlog | Time lapse pen drawing
This drawing is a work in progress. I started it yesterday and filmed it’s continuation this morning, and I’m enjoying the process very much.
It’s another blessedly cool day here. The skies are, again, grey. I find the coolness and freshness of the air invigorating.
I did get out for a walk yesterday and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a delight to listen to the sussuration of leaves in the strong breeze. The remaining dampness brought out colours that seemed so bright against the grey skies. The wind caused tree trunks and branches to creak and groan. It was an absolute pleasure to be moving my recently indolent body surrounded by all these wonders.
Smiles, both on my lips and in my heart and soul, accompanied this feeling of awe and wonder. With my first steps from my car, I felt my whole body exhaling and relaxing, continuing the process started with the breaking of the heatwave.
Even now, as I write about my walk, I find those smiles returning and a sense of relaxation returning.
Caution in walking was my focus, however. I wasn’t sure if my foot had recovered from my last tumble. I was aware that on certain paths I needed to watch where I was putting my feet. But soon, I was on more even paths and roads and could look around, and even take a few photos of interesting textures, patterns and colour combinations.
Haunting the local cemetery again was a pleasure. You’d think I’d be bored with the place after all the times I’ve walked there in the past year. I’m not. Each walk is different. The presence of place is determined by the weather, time of day, season, my mood, my wellness, and the route I choose to take around the necropolis.
Pleasure may seem a strange word to describe visiting a cemetery. Yet that is how I feel each time I visit. It’s a peaceful place, full of interest both from artistic and social commentary/history points of view. Each time there, I notice new and different things. It’s also one of the few places I feel safe when alone. There are no crowds of people. It’s quiet and calm, meditative and reflective, and familiar.
I’m eager to go for a walk again today. It will be later this afternoon, as long as the rain holds off.
Todays time-lapse drawing video
It is deliciously cool today. I woke up with strong winds blowing refreshing, cold air across my head and body. Loud thunder with the odd flash of lightning added a twist of excitement. The heavy rain showers have washed the dust from the world around me too.
I love sunshine, not the heat though. And for the heatwave to break is such a lovely, invigorating experience for me. I can cope with the grey skies and rain for a while.
To be able to spend time drawing in my usual studio space, with a fresh breeze blowing in through the open windows was so, so beautiful this morning. I know my heart and soul let out sighs of relief and contentment.
In celebration of a return to this comfortable creative space, I decided to draw with pens, a Tombow Fudenosuke (hard) pen in particular.
This drawing is by no means complete. Once it’s completed, I’ll scan it in and then think about adding colour. I may very well use the Ecoline watercolour inks on the original, but digital colouring could be interesting too. But first, the drawing needs to be finished!
Time for another coloring template/coloring page for the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group.
Today, I felt the need for some cuteness and whimsy in my arty pursuits. So, I’ve drawn a Doodleworlds style template, with some ice-creams and an ice lolly included. It’s still blisteringly hot here today.
There is a time lapse video showing the process of drawing this template.
Today, I’m aching after my fall yesterday. At least the headache has gone! I’ll be glad to retreat to the downstairs rooms in a little while. It’s 26ºC outside according to the ‘puter. That means it’s rather warm inside too. It’s forecast to be cooler tomorrow, with the high being 25ºC, which will be manageable. Just.
Time to finish my social media postings and then to get more tea!
This morning, I drew this week’s coloring template / coloring page. The template itself will be available in the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group tomorrow.
I did film the process, and two videos are available on Youtube. Both show the process of drawing, not adding colour. One is a vlog of the process, with about half in time lapse. The other is the time lapse version.
It was lovely to spend time drawing in a style that is very familiar to me. It’s lovely as a bit of a break from the more challenging explorations into abstract art I’ve been doing.
And of course, while the videos were uploading and processing, I decided to start to add some colour to the template.
Abstract, entangled, zentangle inspired coloring pages are not just fun to draw but to colour. They’re non-representational so any colours at all can be used.
I got carried away with the process of adding colour. The videos have long been uploaded and published.
I am so, so tired today. So tired that my head feels heavy and my thoughts are slow. All due to me waking around 5 am and not being able to get back to sleep. So I drew. In my sketchbook. With biros.
I thought I’d like to see how adding colour to these drawings changes them. If it’s an improvement or a mess up. Whether it’s best to put the biro down first, or the colour, or a little bit of the biro shading.
So, with that intention I set to making today’s vlog.
I’ve found that either way of adding colour works, though it seems the pen lines are a little darker over the Inktense. Colours bring the drawings to life. The uncoloured biro drawings (other than the colour from different biros) work really well and nicely, but that addition of colour.
I’ve said (typed?) it before; I’m enjoying this journey of exploration with abstract art, the humble biros in particular.
Art is the Adventure 