I've not had much time for artistic endeavour over the last few days, but did do this study of bushes in pen and ink a couple of days ago. This is thanks to Dave Sullivan who is running a foliage tutorial in the Pen and Ink forum at WetCanvas.
Here is a drawing I've done of my daughter, Sarah. It's graphite (2B mechanical pencil to be exact) on cartridge paper. It was based on a photograph that was taken a year or so ago; she's now got her front teeth back! I'm going to send this to my mother (who is just about to go off on a month's cruise around the Caribbean, lucky thing!) for her birthday. Now my wife wants me to do another one with teeth!
This is our cat, Emma. The photograph was taken just a few days before she died. Sadly, she contracted the FIP virus, and became very weak. Fortunately, our other cat, Pan, is still very happy and healthy.
I've been trying to make myself do some regular sketching recently. Here are a couple of pencil sketches. OK, I admit it...I did them from photographs. I'm not quick enough to be able to sketch actual, moving people yet. But, maybe with enough practice, one day...
I've recently obtained some rapidograph pens, which I love. Here's what they are like: rotring international. My first attempt at a drawing with them was this lump of wood. Quite pleased with it, though I think they are going to take a bit of getting used to. You have to hold them pretty much vertical to the paper, and they don't seem to flow very smoothly if you do anything other than pull the pen toward you. But the lines are lovely and clear. I'm going to experiment a bit with stippling, too, though I'm not sure I've got the patience for that.
