This morning I finished the posy to the right, and I thought it would be interesting to post both versions together.
The version on the right was actually drawn before the one on the left; it was the inspiration for yesterday’s drawing tutorial video on YouTube. I decided to add colour to it yesterday evening, and I added the subtle background pattern this morning.
I like both and would find it hard to pick one as a favourite. There are pros and cons to each for sure.
I love seed pods! They are often so architectural in nature. They lend themselves to whimsy and stylised drawings so well too.
I love giving them sturdy stems with tops that look like column capitals. The leaves on these are inspired by medieval illuminated manuscripts, something else I absolutely love!
For the panel behind them, I decided to keep the pattern fairly simple – Tripoli, a Zentangle tangle pattern.
I had a lovely time drawing this little garden this morning. It includes some of my favourite things – round Romanesque-inspired arches and some Romanesque patterns, zentangle tangle patterns, crystals, flowers, mushrooms and frondage.
TWISBI ECO fountain pens with medium, fine and extra-fine nibs were my drawing tools of choice. An approx. 11cm x 17cm (4.3″ x 7″) piece of Ohuhu marker paper was my drawing surface. To add some shading, I used a set of three grey-green Arteza Everblend alcohol markers. Finally, a white 08 Sakura GellyRoll pen was used to add dots of white as highlights.
I have to remember not to use Dokumentus Ink, which fills my TWISBI pens, with alcohol markers; they can pick up some of the ink and spread it around. I must remember that Copic Multiliners or fineliners such as Sakura Pigma Microns, Uni Unipins, or Emotts are perfect for alcohol markers.
I do like the monochrome nature of the shading so far. I’d be intrigued to digitally scan it and add a coloured layer. Maybe when I’ve finished it, I’ll try that.
This week’s colouring page is a typically ‘Angela’ entangled one; it’s just what wanted to flow out of my pen today. And that most probably has a lot to say about what’s going on in my subconscious today. I’m well out of sorts for sure. I think I know what is causing it, but, like the weather, it will pass along.
In today’s YouTube drawing tutorial video, I show how I draw this pattern/design which is very reminiscent of Op-Art. It was a bit of a tricky one to figure out, but I got there! And once figured out it’s not that difficult to draw, honest!
I also show how this pattern can fill any kind of space in the video. I do hope you’ll have a look and give this pattern a go yourself.
I love Halloween; it’s one of the few celebrations in the year that don’t fill me with deep sadness and cause emotional distraught. And, of course, when it comes to me, cute and whimsical, smiley and pretty is my preferred style of illustration.
I thoroughly enjoyed drawing this design earlier today. My whimsical heart was filled with joy as I just a few of my favourite things. I’m sure there’s a song there…
“Hats upon skull-ies and batwings on potions, mushrooms on bottles and bright orange pumpkins, Some stripy tentacles with round eyeballs, These are a few of my favourite things.”
Well, it doesn’t rhyme, but it’s a start!
So whatever you are doing today, however you are celebrating, or not, I wish you the very best!
Yes, that’s right! Yesterday and today I got the remaining four tangles for Inktober 2022 done! And yes, there are draw with me video tutorials to go with them.
At the top right are a few ‘Poppins’ variations. Poppins, by Lisetta Hofer CZT, is a lovely seed pod tangle pattern that reminds me of my much-beloved poppy seed heads. This one was so easy to create variations for; this is just a wee sample of what is possible!
Today’s tangle pattern for day 29 is AVRO, which is on the left-hand side of the lower drawing. ‘Avro‘ is by Yvonne Westover CZT. It is a totally new tangle to me, and I did just a couple of variations. However, you can see on Yvonne’s Avro webpage that there are many possibilities.
In the middle of the same drawing is ‘Saveu’ by Nadine Roller CZT. Again, this is another tangle pattern I’d not come across before; that means I had to have some fun with it! They’ve all ended up as if they’re fancy window frames looking out to the universe! And some of the stardust escaped at the bottom of the drawing too! Well, you just have to sprinkle stardust or glitter wherever you go, or so I think!
Finally, Pangea is on the bottom right for day 31 of Inktober. I had a bit of fun filling this in as a reticulum (grid), especially with patterns that give optical illusions of depth/volume. Of course, using colour/shadow/highlight really helps to bring these illusions out!
Talking of adding colour. For both designs, I used Arteza EverBlend markers and Ohuhu marker paper.
Reflecting on Inktober 2022
Inktober is always a bit of an intense challenge but an enjoyable one. I like to have something to focus my artistic energy. It can be difficult for me to find motivation or something to do that may interest other people. That will be something I feel once I make my next tutorial video. However, I am open to suggestions!
I am really starting to understand the purpose of a sketchbook in my artistic journey and development. Some things clicked into place during this challenge. 1. A sketchbook is a place to practice and work on iterations (variations) of patterns or motifs. 2. I can choose to finish a design, or not. 3. It’s a place ot make mistakes, experiment, record my journey through art. 4. It’s a perfect place to glue my little drawings in to keep them safe and a record of my work! 5. Used this way, a sketchbook becomes a source of inspiration and a wonderful resource to draw from in the future.
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to figure this out; all that matters is that I got there!
I absolutely love Halloween; it’s the only yearly celebration that isn’t filled with triggers for emotional upsets. If I could change the date of my birthday, it would be Halloween! It’s not the horror-filled aspects that grab me, it’s the fun and laughter I associate with this time of year.
I love creating whimsical art all year round, but changing the scary for cute is a lot of fun at Halloween. It makes me smile and fills my heart with joy. As far as I’m concerned, skulls and pumpkins, ravens and potions, ghosts and ghoulies and all the other wonderful things associated with Halloween are not just for Halloween!
Oh, I got my right royal knickers into a twist today over Narfello! I ended up doing two videos and still managed to muck up with Nafello.
The top design was my first attempt. There are lots of things I like about it. But after nearly an hour and a half video, I convinced myself I’d made a total mess of Narfello. So, I drew breath and started over and produced the design at the bottom, but without the colour; I added the colour while the video was uploading and processing.
Even with the second attempt, I still managed to not get Narfello ‘right’. But I think it’s probably close enough for today.
I’m so glad I did a second version, as I like my Feliz (to the left). I like the way the variations gradually change from left to right (or right to left!). It feels more coherent than the first version of Feliz, where I went to town exploring ways to fill the pattern!
I also like how the Narfello-ish appears from under the Feliz in the second version. I can see that I need to add some quite intense shade to the right of the Feliz to enhance this illusion. However, I’ve just about run out of energy for today, so that is a job for another time.
One thing that I am enjoying is the contrast between the geometrical Feliz and the organic, flowy Narfello.
I’m also pleased with how much volume I’ve created using monochrome Arteza Everblend markers, particularly on the bottom design.
Both of these designs will end up in my sketchbook. There are some variations in the upper one I’d like to try. The lower one is a reminder to look at how I can slowly change the filler patterns, if that’s the right term, to change the pattern subtly.
I really have enjoyed working with this pair of patterns. I hope you take a look at the accompanying drawing tutorial on Youtube and have a go at drawing your own version!
Art is the Adventure 