Have you ever had a colored pencil that you just love but can no longer find that particular color (for one reason or another) and you are down to the stub and rationing out its useage? Desperately holding onto that little bit that is left, just wishing you could extend its life just a wee bit longer....

Well, I stumbled upon General's "Pencil Extender"! It is marvelous! You just insert your little stub into the metal holder & use the crimp ring to secure it and voila! You have a manageable pencil again!

Watercolour and ink on paper

Over a year ago when we were confined to avoid spreading a potentially deadly virus, I knew much of my photographic adventures would need to be curtailed. In similar time, something by Stephan Marjoram inspired me to fill a bit of time doing something creative. So I took up ink drawing. Just to see what I could do. I "borrowed" from many different styles as I attempt to explore the medium. And with zero photography projects in the queue I might as well fill this space with something. So here goes.

Tinta china sobre papel doble carta

Watercolour and ink on paper

#108 of 365 Daily Drawings

Inspiration: Discovering the style exists outside of the Metaverse

Result: Cyber goth

Materials: Pentel 0.3 HB, Sailor Desk Fountain pen Extra fine in a *Moleskine Folio journal ( 21 cm 30 cm / 8 1/4" x 11 1/4")

Location: Home

Note: Obviously I live under a rock because I was not aware that Cyber Goth was a style that existed outside of Second Life as in the real world. I think that is AWESOME! :D I had too much fun drawing this, except…

I am really annoyed with this paper. I took a moment to just erase a spot with no pencil lines and a yellowish coating comes off the paper in the eraser bits. It isn’t my imagination. This becomes a problem because this fine layer clogs up my pen nib and makes it skip while I am drawing. Bad form Moleskine :/

While Moleskines' plain cashier journals are a nice, light, flopping sketchbook for traveling their Folio series is a total bust for any real work. Who knew?

I'm not sure when it occurred to me. Maybe it was criticism that a working artist passed my way. I set the pens down for a month while we were in Nice and let things "sit."

The Muse visited and I started thinking of some really goofy ideas. I said to myself "stuff 'um! I'm doing something silly and I'm doing it for myself."

To explain what these were I did a title page to each drawing. As if it really explained anything, that is.

I first shared these with friends in England during our weekly Zoom calls. We had a "Show and Tell" kind of setup. It was a great way to get beyond the loneliness and to spend time with friends, even if it weren't in person.

Training myself to draw has been an interesting exercise. I studied the workds of Nicolas de Crecy, the Rat Rod artists, Stephan Marjoram, R.Crumb, S.Clay Wilson and many others. While I certainly will never develop the kind of talent they had, this has been a good way to "kill time" during the various periods of lockdown here in France during the Covid Pandemic.

Watercolour and ink on paper

Ink on paper

Watercolour and ink on paper

I started something and others participated.

Santa Fe Plaza scene

You can read more about this sketch on my blog.

A booth @ San Diego Comic-Con. It's held in the huge San Diego Convention Center, which looks like a gigantic spaceship anchored to earth.

A good overhead view of the Convention Center from monodistortion:

www.flickr.com/photos/nmarshall/2999778988/

Trying out new ways of drawing with different ink nibs.

Linear notes to self.

This week’s Sketchbook Project challenge is: "drawing a self-portrait, without using a mirror.”

www.sketchbookproject.com/projects/challenge

Materials: Noodler's ink (Apache sunset) on Stillman & Birn, Zeta paper

Notes: it's easy to confuse yourself when drawing your own image from memory. What we see in a looking-glass is the mirror image of how we actually appear....which I suppose doesn't matter unless you don't have a part in your hair, etc.....

#aquarelle #watercolor #paintingofinstagram #whiteoutline #stressrelief #creativehobby #colourfulhouses #colorful #inkdrawing #windsornewton #silhouette #ChristChurch #Oxford

WIP: Drawing in ink and colored pencils for a demo, ~ 14" square, based on cookbook photo. Poor quality scan.

#152 of 365 Daily Drawings

Inspiration: February 22nd is Edward Gorey's Birthday

Result: Edward Purry ~ The Cheeseycrumb Tinies

Materials: Pentel 0.3 HB, Platinum Carbon Fountain Pen in a Stillman & Birn Epsilon series sketchbook ( 21.6 cm 27.9 cm / 8 1/2" x 11")

Location: Home

Note: ...It's Fanart Friday and I nekofied The Gashlycrumb Tinies :D

Ink drawing, 5" x 4", comes framed, available.

Watercolour and ink on paper

Old76 Music-inspired Art 2013

Watercolour and ink on paper

#298 of 365 Daily Drawings

Inspiration: Canadian painter, Alex Colville died July 16th

Result: Squirrel Tribute to Mr. Colville

Materials: Pentel 0.3 HB, Platinum Carbon Fountain Pen in a Stillman & Birn Zeta series sketchbook

Location: Home

Note: Many people find the art of Alex Colville to be overly controlled and profoundly disturbing and they should ~ each painting has a lot to say about the human condition, they make you think... and think deeply.

www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/for-pai...

alexcolville.ca/gallery/

#58 of 365 Daily Drawings

Inspiration: Norma Shearer

Result: Norma Shearer kitty-style

Materials: Pentel 0.3 HB, Micron 005 & 02 pens, in a Moleskine plain journal

Location: At home

Note: Today is just an exercise in working on textures and teaching myself how to draw fabric. I expect I'll do more of this kind of thing, based on old Hollywood photographs, because they really are just tremendously inspiring to use as reference....all that draping fabric. I will conquer this stuff I swear! :3

#57 of 365 Daily Drawings

Inspiration: James Bond film:Skyfall

Result: The Partnership

Materials: Pentel 0.3 HB, Micron 005 & 02 pens, Faber-Castell PITT artist pen 199 B in a Moleskine plain journal

Location: At home

Note: Went to see the new James Bond film last night, packed house. It was a grand romp. If you have seen it you will understand the Royal Dalton Bulldog figurine reference.....if not I don't want to spoil it.

It's a good exercise in perspective, drawing weapons in general and thinking about how to draw liquid...all things I need to teach myself...and let me tell you....guns have a freaking bazillion maddening angles on them...but....I find them fascinating. The Walther PPK/S is a particularly sexy little piece.