Each week during the pandemic, I’ve created a colouring template or (colouring page if you prefer ;-)) for the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans Facebook group members.
This week’s template is an entangled Zentangle meets Doodleworlds mash-up! I had a lot of fun drawing this one. Doodleworlds characters always have me smiling. Mind you, drawing intricate designs always makes me smile too!
03 and 01 Unipin pens on Canson Imagine mixed media paper. Colour added digitally using Clip Studio Paint.
I started work on this week’s colouring page last night. So, this morning I drew a bit more and filmed it. You can see the video by clicking on this link.
I’d started off in an organic Entangled, Zentangle fashion but decided I’d really like to include some cuteness and whimsy in the design. So, enter Doodleworlds through a crack in the space-time continuum. Or maybe just in one corner of the page, for now.
Of course, the template in the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans Facebook group won’t be available until tomorrow, but there’s no harm in having a sneak peek, is there?
It’s a very ‘Entangled’ kind of drawing, rich with pattern and detail. There’s even a touch or two of whimsy. There’s some influence from the realms of Romanesque and Early Celtic art, Medieval illuminated manuscripts and Zentangle patterns and fragments.
I’ve chosen a limited colour palette that is rather muted in it’s tones.
This was drawn on some mixed media paper using a TWSBI Eco fountain pen with waterproof document ink that is fountain pen friendly.
Colour has been added digitally using Clip Studio Paint, along with a creamy linen background paper.
I’m almost done with this first page of pattern explorations. I think I have some fussing around and embellishing left to do. However, I will take a fresh look at this page later today.
I thought I’d use Chameleon Fineliners to add some details. And I discovered some interesting effects when applying a waterbrush!
A gold Sakura Pentouch pen was used to add some small areas of dots and metallic accents. Sadly, they either don’t show up in the photo or show up as dark areas. That’s the problem with photographing metallics, especially by someone (me!) who isn’t a very good photographer.
Of course, there’s a video where you can see how I add to this page today. And here it is:
The sketchbook page for pattern 1 is filling up nicely! Some more variations added today. The pinky-purple and greens look nice together, adding a kind of playful feel to the drawing added today. Joining the motifs in a Morrisseau tangle pattern way also adds interest and plenty of spaces that may be begging for colour and/or patterns! Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
Here’s the video/vlog that shows the addition of the next bits and pieces of this page.
Here’s the partly coloured sample of this week’s coloring template for the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group.
Sample is quite an apt word as this drawing does remind me a bit of an embroidery sampler. It’s been a while since I last designed one of these, and it’s always fun to do.
This kind of sampler template is perfect if you get overwhelmed by the thought of completing a full sized, intricate template. As this one is split up into small sections for you, you can spend as much, or as little, time as you wish adding colour.
I’ve had a busy morning/day! First, it was working on the Pattern Explorations #1 page in my sketchbook.
Then, I turned my attention to drawing this week’s template for the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group. I did video the process, but realised close to the end of the drawing I’d mostly worked out of view of the camera. Duh! I got so engrossed I forgot to check the part of the page I was working on was in frame.
Members of the facebook group suggested things to include in the template. I’ve included a fair number of them, but others will have to be included in future templates.
This was a really fun drawing to do. I pushed past the various points where I wasn’t sure about what I was drawing. The end result is something I’m quite happy with.
I’ve been awake since before 5am, UK time. It’s now nearly half past midday (UK time again!) and I’m so tired! I think a nap is in order very soon.
Day 3 and the first page of my Pattern Exploration sketchbook is about half full.
I’ve used Carbothello pastel pencils with both a water-brush and tortillon to add colour to some of the elements on this page.
Thoughts, ideas about how to embellish the individual motifs on the page are starting to wander through my head.
Of course, I filmed this mornings half-hour of art and here’s the video on YouTube:
Some more work has been done on this pattern, named #1 (maybe just for now, maybe forever).
Yesterday afternoon, I added colour and shadow to the first drawings. Another drawing also crept in – the top middle one.
This morning, I drew two more variations and added colour to them. And filmed the process too.
I’m really enjoying this. So much so that it’s difficult for me not to add more drawings to the page between filming sessions in the morning.
A new camera angle was tried out in today’s vlog. I’d like to know if people prefer it or not.
This was a new tangle to me, but not any more!
It took a while for me to understand it’s basic structure. Then, it was experimenting with it to fill (mostly) a page of my A5 sketchbook with just a few possibilities.
I did start adding shadow and highlight, but went on to focus on patterns in both black and colour. I may return to add those shadows and highlights to increase the illusion of volume.
It took nearly an hour for me to look back on my week in art. I didn’t think I’d done this much as I’d been unwell for a few days and needed to sleep a lot.
In the video, I share with you my observations, reflections and lessons from all of this work.
Art is the Adventure 