Flowers in Glass Vase (Pen and Ink plus Digital)

For the past few days, I have been making little pen-and-ink drawings of imaginary bouquets. I am using fine-line sharpie on small pieces of card stock, maybe 4 " square. This is a way to get a little drawing practice and have some fun. This is the first of two drawings I made today. The vase wasn't symmetrical, but I drew in additional lines to solve the problem and I actually kind of like the solution. But still, I thought that some of the flowers were too complicated and there are too many little mistakes. So I did a second drawing (to be posted tomorrow) and had every intention of abandoning this one. But I changed my mind. Instead, I opened the image in Painter tonight and added pixels to the top of the canvas to solve an issue with centering on the page. Then I fixed up a few of the mistakes with some digital pastel. I like this drawing better at this point, and am glad I didn't give up.

Flowers in Planter (Pen and Ink plus Digital)

I did another little pen-and-ink drawing today, using a fine-line sharpie on a 4" x 4" piece of paper.  I had a lot of fun drawing from my imagination.  The drawing wasn't centered on the paper, but I opened the jpeg of my drawing in Painter and added pixels to the top of the canvas.  This was a lot of fun and a good drawing exercise.  I usually add color to this type of drawing, but i like  the black and white.  I have been thinking about coloring books and have a little idea of how to use these drawings.

Vase of Flowers (Pen and Ink plus Digital)

I did another little sketch as a drawing exercise this afternoon, using a fine-line sharpie on a 4" square piece of paper. I was having so much fun creating these imaginary flowers that I didn't notice I had placed the vase and flowers too high on the paper. Years ago, that would have been the end of the drawing, but these days, the problem can be fixed. I took a picture of the drawing and opened the image in Painter, where I added pixels to the top of the "canvas" and then matched the color, creating a margin. I also added some pixels to the right side to make the image look more centered. At that point, I noticed some places where the vase was not symmetrical, so i also fixed that with some digital pastel.

Little Flower Pot (Pen and Ink Sketch)

Here's a little drawing that I did today with fine-line ink pen. The drawing is about 3 1/2 inches square. This was a good little exercise, and I had fun drawing from my imagination.

Snow in the Yard

We have had temperatures in the 40s for the past few days, so much of the snow is gone. But here's one more photo that I took after last weekend's storm. To see this, all I had to do was look out my back door. Tonight I edited this photo to get this composition.

Sun and Snow on the Trees

Here's another picture that I took on January 24. The snowstorm came the preceding day, but the next morning, the sky was blue and the sun was shining on the snow. Tonight I edited the original photo to get this composition.

Morning Snow on Branches

On Sunday morning, after the snow storm, I took some pictures. I like to take pictures first thing, while the snow is still undisturbed. Tonight I started editing the photos I took. I liked the patterns and textures in this one, so I cropped it to get this composition.

One Branch All Year (Tu B'schvat)

Today I made this quick little video by drawing in the Brushes App on my iPad. (The Brushes app captures a stroke-by-stroke animation as you draw.) This is a tree branch through the year. I created this by way of celebrating Tu B'schvat (Jewish New Year for Trees aka Jewish arbor day.) But no matter what calendar you follow, in the midst of winter it is always good to remember that spring is inevitable. PS: I am having trouble getting the video to work here in Blogger, so I am adding the link to the video on Flickr, where it seems to work fine: https://www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/24479731312

Reflections (Oil Bar Painting) in Its New Home

I received this photo a few weeks ago, and am finally getting around to posting it. This is one of my paintings, an oil bar landscape of a scene at Bradley Palmer State Park (in Topsfield, MA). As of last month, this painting has an new owner, and now I have this photo so I can see how it looks in its new setting.

Vanilla Wafer Ice-Box Cake (Illustration)

I finished this project today. This is an illustration for a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate (seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com.) We are going to publish a recipe for a no-bake dessert that my mom made when I was a kid. This drawing is mixed media, with colored pencil, crayon, colored conte, marker, and acrylic paint. I did a lot of finishing work to get this done this morning.I darkened the tabletop area with a combination of brown and purple conte pencils to get more contrast. I added saturation to the blue and pink areas in the background and to the plate in the foreground. I wanted even more contrast so I used translucent layers of pale acrylic paint to lighten the pink of the dessert and also added a bit more yellow to the top cookie-crumb layer of the dessert. I made a lot of other small changes to small details, too boring to mention, until I finally I decided it was ready to go. I hope to have the recipe and this illustration posted by Monday at the latest.

Vanilla Wafer Ice-Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 21, 2016)

Today I worked on finishing up this illustration for a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate (seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com.) The recipe is for a refrigerator dessert that my mom made when I was a kid. This is almost done. I am just working on some of the colors, make them smoother, more even, and more saturated. There's just a little bit more to go. Today I already added brown to the tabletop and I think one more layer will do it. I hope to finish tomorrow so I can post the recipe over the weekend.

Vanilla Wafer Ice-Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 20, 2016)

Today I worked on this illustration for a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate ( seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com ) The recipe for typical 1950s pink dessert that my mother made when I was a kid. Today my mission was to adjust some of the colors that were getting too dark and to make the blue outline less prominent in some places.   A few days ago, I tried out these changes on the computer in a kind of digital dress rehearsal. I used Painter software to modify the photo of my drawing with digital pastel. (My digital "dress rehearsal" is posted here, Jan. 17, 2016.) This morning I made the changes in real life, with acrylic paint. Up to today, I had been using colored pencil, crayon, conte, and marker on this mixed media drawing. This combination makes it easier to make colors darker, but making things lighter can be  challenging.  So today I mixed up some white, pink, and yellow, and with a very small brush, put some translucent paint over selected areas to lighten them: the bottom crust, the pink dessert, and  the blue outlining, just in areas where I wanted it soften it.  I also added a bit of yellow to help suggest the crumb topping. Even though I already knew I could make the changes "post-production" on the computer if necessary, I was very happy that this worked on the actual drawing itself.  Now I just need to finish up the background colors and this will be ready to go.

Vanilla Wafer Ice-Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 19, 2016)

I worked on this project again today, but wasn't able to get to it until after dinner. This drawing will soon be an illustration for a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate (seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com.) This is a dessert that my mom used to make. Today I added conte crayon in pencil and worked on the colors. I want the banner color to match the pink color of the dessert. And I added more purple to the table top. That's all I had time to do. Just a little more to do on this and it will be ready to go.

Vanilla Wafer Ice-Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 18, 2016)

Here is the project I have been working on. This is going to be an illustration for a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate (seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com.) My mom used to make a pink strawberry ice-box cake with vanilla wafers. I have been making a mixed media drawing (mostly colored pencil, conte, and marker. Yesterday I did a digital dress rehearsal to try out my idea for drawing in strawberries for garnish and cookie crumbs sprinkled on top before making changes to the drawing. I opened a copy of the image in Painter and added the strawberries and cookie crumb topping with digital pastel. And I also try modifying some of the other colors and outline color. You can see the result on yesterday's post. I liked the changes, so this morning, I made some of the changes on the drawing. I added the strawberries and the cookie crumbs. But as I suspected, it was pretty tough to adjust the darker color "in real life" because I am working in crayon and pastel over marker. (I may finish up on the computer to make final adjustments to the outline color and make some other corrections.) This morning I also continued to deepen the color, especially the tabletop. (I had not been able to find my favorite purple pencil, but it turned up yesterday!)

Vanilla Wafer Ice-Box Cake (Digital Trial Run Jan. 17, 2016)

I have been working on an illustration for a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate (seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com.) The recipe is for a dessert that my mom used to make, a pink strawberry ice-box cake made with vanilla wafers. Yesterday I decided that I wanted to add crushed vanilla wafers to the top surface, and maybe some strawberries. But I wasn't ready to change the drawing before I tried it out. So today I did a digital dress rehearsal. I opened a copy of the image in Painter (using the most recent version of the drawing), and added the strawberries and cookie crumb toping using digital pastel. This gave me a chance to try out placement and color. While I was at it, I tried changing the color of some of the outline. This is a little easier to do digitally than on the actual drawing, but I think I might try, even though I might have to switch to paint. (My ace-in-the hole: I can always do that digitally in Painter before I publish the image.) Anyway, I my digital dress rehearsal was helpful, and tomorrow I will get back to the actual drawing.

Vanilla Wafer Ice-Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 16, 2016)

I worked on this drawing again today. This is going to illustrate a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate ( seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com.) This is for a dessert that my mom used to make, a pink strawberry ice-box cake made with vanilla wafers. This morning I kept going deeming the color with crayola crayons, but I also broke out the conte crayon but in pencil form, so I can get better color but less dust and less coughing. I am still have more to go on deepening the color. But I am also trying to decide how to finish the top of the cake. The recipe calls for crushed cookie crumbs sprinkled on top. I did some experimenting on an earlier sketch to figure out what that will look like. Then I started thinking about adding strawberries too. But before I do that, I think I need to try it out by adding the strawberries digitally in Painter on a practice version to see how it will look. To be continued. . . .

Vanilla Wafer Ice Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 16, 2015)

Today I worked on this project, a drawing that will soon be an illustration for a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate ( seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com.) My mom liked to make desserts, and this was one of her favorites, a strawberry ice-box cake made with vanilla wafers. I have been adding color slowly, with colored pencil, but today I broke out my trusty crayons (Crayola, 64 colors). (Yes folks, I still use them!) Today I added a bit of color to the pink, but mostly worked on the table top. I added a layer of purple (aka plum). If I can get the color I want with my beloved Crayola crayons, I will be happy enough. But if not, I will add colored conte crayon (like a compressed pastel). The colors are fantastic but there's a lot of dust. I am still having coughing fits due to a recent cold, so am postponing the conte crayon for as long as possible.

Vanilla Wafer Ice Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 14, 2016)

This morning I worked on this drawing, which is going to be an illustration for a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate ( seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com.) The recipe is for something my mom used to make, a pink no-bake dessert. I have been adding color, but as I do so, the lines seem fainter and fainter. So today I decided it was time to add the outlining. I went over the lines of drawing and the lettering with dark blue sharper. (This part is nerve-wracking and I go slowly, trying not to make a mistake.) The outlining looks a bit intense at the moment, but that will change and the blue outline will "fit in" more as I continue to add value and saturation to the colors. Still coughing my head off, so no conte crayon yet. To be continued....

Vanilla Wafer Ice Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 13, 2016)

I worked on this project again this morning. This drawing will be an illustration for a recipe on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate (which you can find at seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com.) This is a no-bake dessert that my mom used to make. Today I continued to add layers of color, trying to add depth and saturation. It will probably take a couple more rounds to get the table-top as dark as I want it to be, but apart from that, the color scheme is pretty much set. I am still working in colored pencils, but will eventually finish up with crayon and/or colored conte crayon. (I am delaying using the conte crayon right now because I have a cold at the moment and conte makes me cough.) But I know the conte and crayola will produce the bright colors I want. As I add color, the lettering looks less prominent, but I plan to add dark blue outline to the drawing and the lettering. To be continued....

Vanilla Wafer Ice Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 12, 2016)

This is going to be an illustration for a recipe for a refrigerator cake that my mom used to make, a no-bake strawberry dessert. When this is finished, it will be posted on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate at seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com Today I continued working on establishing the basic color scheme. I use colored pencil with a light hand in case I change my mind about the colors.

Vanilla Wafer Ice Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 11, 2016)

Today I started to add some color to this drawing, using colored pencils. This is going to be an illustration for a recipe for a refrigerator dessert that my mom used to make. Although I haven't figured out the color scheme, I started with pink because this is a strawberry ice-box cake. I used the same color for the banner, above. There's a lot more to do. But when this is finished, it will be posted on our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate. (seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com)

Vanilla Wafer Ice Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 10, 2016)

This morning I did some more work on this drawing. This is going to be an illustration for a recipe for a refrigerator dessert that my mom used to make.  This will  be posted on  our food blog, Seasoning for Every Palate  https://seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com  where we post family recipes.  Today I continued work in pencil and changed the size and placement of both the plate and the pan.  I also made a lot of small changes to the lettering.  When I was satisfied with the composition, I began to go over the lines in dark blue colored pencil.  I hope to start added color tomorrow. . . .but I still haven't worked out the color scheme. 

Vanilla Wafer Ice Box Cake (Illustration as of Jan. 9, 2015)

I am working on an illustration for a recipe for a no-bake dessert that my mom used to make. This is for the upcoming post on our food blog. Yesterday's post was a very rough sketch of the idea. Today I started the drawing and worked out the composition in pencil. This is the basic layout, though I may shift things around a bit. If you want to see the food blog, go to https://seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com

Vanilla Wafer Ice Box Cake (Sketch for Illustration)

My next project is an illustration for a recipe, to be posted on our recipe blog, seasoningforeverypalate.wordpress.com. The recipe is for a vanilla wafer ice box cake that my mom used to make. Today I got started by making this quick pencil sketch.

Red Leaves (In Porter Mill Gallery)

Here's one more photo that I meant to post a few weeks ago. This is another small (8 x 10") painting done with oil bars. It was the first in an ongoing series of paintings of branches. I took this photo in the Porter Mill Gallery where this painting was hanging last month for the Small Works Show.

Grape Arbor (in Porter Mill Gallery)

Here is another photo that I am late in posting. This is another painting that was on display last month at the Small Works Show at Porter Mill. This is oil bar on a canvas that is 8 x 10 inches. I worked from a photo that I took at Long Hill Gardens, here in Beverly, MA.

Apples on the Tree (In Porter Mill Gallery)

I took this photo about a month ago, but didn't get around to posting it here. This is my painting of apples as it looked hanging in the small works show at Porter Mill Gallery. This is oil bar on an 8 x 10 inch canvas.

Mountains and Sky (In New Home)

This painting is called "Mountains and Sky", one of my mountain daydreams. I painted this after a trip back home to Colorado a few years back, working from memory and imagination. I posted this painting here some time ago, but here it is again in its new frame, new setting, and new home. The new owner was kind enough to send me a photo. The painting is hung opposite a window and I like the way it looks as the sunlight hits it. (This is acrylic paint used with water, but it does not fade like watercolor.)

Squirrel Sketch 3

Here's the third squirrel sketch in pen and ink. I am only posting three, but I must have drawn some 30 pen-and-ink squirrel sketches last week. I was practicing quick sketches of squirrels, getting ready to create a digital animation. Last week, I used the Brushes app on my iPad to create an animation of a squirrel dashing around the yard and writing a holiday greeting in the snow. Brushes captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw, but it also captures every mistake and false start, so I wanted to practice first. You can find the video posted here on Dec. 23, or just follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/23308239774

Squirrel Sketch 2

Here's another squirrel sketch in pen and ink. I drew this last week as part of a "dry run" for a holiday project. Last week, I used the Brushes app on my iPad to create a little animation of a squirrel writing a "Happy Holidays" message in the snow. (Brushes captures a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw.) But before I started the digital drawing, I practiced drawing squirrels in pen and ink so that I could draw a squirrel quickly (for the sake of the animation). I spent about an hour making quick sketches. I liked three of them enough to keep. This is the squirrel peaking out from behind the tree. You can find the video posted here on Dec. 23, or just follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/23308239774

Birds in New Formation for 2016

Sending this out to wish everyone the very best in 2016. I created this drawing using the Brushes app on my iPad, and the Brushes app creates a stroke-by-stroke video as you draw. I edited the drawing in Painter and here it is. It also appears at the end of the video. If you want to see the video, follow this link: www.flickr.com/photos/randiart/24003406701