pen drawing

Pattern Exploration No. 2 | Day 3

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I woke up this morning thinking that I really need to capitalise on my early morning energy and creativity and focus on the coloring templates for ‘Adorable Dogs’. When I’ve achieved my quota of sketches for the day (at least the quota), I can then turn my attention to my personal projects, such as my pattern explorations, and all my social media posting.

That’s why my posts may be later than is usual.

The explorations for pattern No.2 are just about done. I will spend the rest of this afternoon working on the page to complete it, well as much as I want to complete it at this time. Leaving some space for future additions is something that I think will be beneficial. It will encourage me to revisit and add to each pattern, something I’ve not done in the past.

Today, I wanted to try adding Zentangle patterns to the bands in the flowers. Rather than try just one pattern on each flower, I added different patterns to the bands, just to see what would happen! That’s exactly what the pages are for in this sketchbook (and any future pattern explorations ones too) – trying things out to see what happens!

Talking of trying things out. To the left and middle bottom, I’ve added some background patterns and colours. I wanted this to be something rather subtle. I think I’ve achieved that in the top left. In all cases, I used Derwent SoftColour pencils to draw the pattern. As they’d be resistant to water, I added a wash of colour over them achieve shadows, some areas more successfully than others.

I did, of course, film and talk through my thoughts and observations as I added to this page. And here it is:

Pattern Exploration No.2, Day 2 | Stylised flower

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More variations of stems as well as the view of the flower itself today. In today’s video, I talk through how to draw the flower and to add colour to enhance the sense of volume to the bloom.

It’s been so heart-warming to receive such kind, supportive and encouraging messages about my YouTube videos. It’s a really nice feeling, a warmth in my heart and soul, to hear that people are enjoying creating along with me, or being inspired to draw and create.

Here’s today’s video, in case you’d like to join me in drawing some pretty flowers too.

Pattern Exploration No. 2 | Day 1

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Today marks the start of explorations around pattern 2, which is a lovely, stylised floral design.

In the video, I walk you through drawing a couple of the variations and my style of stems too.

Sketchbook Saturday

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A quick look at the art I’ve created in the past week in a vlog.

Pattern Explorations #1, Day 5.

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Some serendipitous ‘accidents’ with fineliners.

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:

Pattern Explorations #1, Day 4 and Template Thursday.

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Pattern Explorations

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.

Template Thursday

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.

Template Thursday…On a Wednesday? A sneak peek at this week’s coloring template!

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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.

Pattern Explorations #1 | Day 3

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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:

Pattern Exploration #1 – Day 2

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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.

Inktober Tangles 2021 | Day 31 “Eke”

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Eke, by Zentangle Inc, is the last tangle pattern in the Inktober Tangles 2021 challenge.

It was a bit of a challenge as it seems so simple and not much you can do with it. But I managed to get creative!

So, that’s Inktober 2021 done for another year. I feel rather weird about it. I feel I’ve got that sense of satisfaction when something is completed successfully. But there’s also a sadness and an emptiness that comes with the ending too.

I’m in a liminal place at the moment – a point in time where I’m between an ending and a beginning. Quite fitting given that it is Hallowe’en, which is a very liminal time. A time where the veil betwixt the living and the afterlife is thinnest. A time where in older, pagan times, the time of harvest was over and winter was beginning to take hold.

And that quite happily fits how I feel today really. I do have a project to focus on from tomorrow – the Adorable Dogs colouring book. However, I’d like a focus for a daily practice that helps me keep my hand and eye coordination tip-top and encourages creativity too.

So, I already have some new A5 sketchbooks in my stash, and I’d like to continue this practice of filling a page a day. Or maybe one page over two or three days so I don’t take my focus away from the Adorable Dogs. I also think videoing this practice and sharing may be useful for some people.

It won’t just be tangle patterns, but other patterns and motifs that I use a lot in my artwork, whether coloring books or the more abstract art or mandalas I create.

It’s also making me re-evaluate whether to take part in CZT training, but that will only take place if there are online sessions.

Later today, I’ll be posting a video where I look back over all the Inktober Tangles 2021 sketchbook pages I’ve completed. I’ll post the link in a separate post.