Vacation Over . . . 10 minute Warm Up

Vacation is over and I have been trying for a week to get back to the 10-minute warm-up that
Diana Evans hosts on her blog.

Today, my granddaughter, Alessandra, came over with her mom to have me help design a pattern for a specific dress that she wanted made.  As her mom and I worked, and in-between her numerous fittings, Alessandra drew in her sketchbook.  Later at dinner, we talked about art and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  After she left for the evening, I decided that 'now' was the tie to do a warm-up sketch!

I grabbed the nearest tea cup.

Looks like I am a little out of practice . . . . so . . .tomorrow I will try again.  

Visit the 10 minute Warm-up on Diana's blog and see what others are up to! 

More practice!

I did this rose, some time ago, but I was not finished.  So for today's 10 Minute Warm-Up,  I finished it!
linking again with Diana's Illustration and Design blog.

See ya tomorrow!

Practicing . . .

Just practicing sketching and watercolor . . . taking the challenge to do a little sketching every day. Sketch is of a motif on a notepad on my desk!  Linking with the 10 Minute Warm Up over at Diana's blog.  Just splashing color on the page in preparation for painting my stairs sketch.  Marking down notes, to remember what I want to do and not do.  Come on over and take the challenge!

Sketch - Perspective

I have been inspired by Diana Evans over on her Illustration and Design blog to do 10 minutes of sketching each day. (She hosts a 10 Minute Warm-Up linky on her site.)

As I said in my last post, architecture inspires and I had planned to do a watercolor using the lines of architecture in an old lighthouse that I visited. So, today, I have drawn out the lines, in readiness for the watercolor. You can compare this sketch to the picture in the previous post. What do you think? Can you see a watercolor wash and bright colors eventually in this sketch? I can. I will share when it is finished. Stay tuned!

Header Sketch

Recently I have been  working on a new header for my art and creative writing  blog -- this one obviously!

 I did this sketch for my theme.  Turned out pretty good, except when I photographed it, it was an overcast day outside and the photograph turned out blue! I know the rule, "Let your white be WHITE and your blacks be BLACK!" I've tweaked it all I can to remove the color, but alas, it's still blue!  Maybe I should have run it through the scanner instead of trying to photo it!! 

Enjoy anyway . . . 

Linking today with:
Sunday Sketches

Next Illustration

It's time for Sunday Sketches over at BlueChairDiary and today I am submitting my next illustration sketch of my slippery stairs page for my Grandma Book.  I am working on an image of stairs with snow and may even do another sketch with ice, although I am not sure I want to try an icy one.  Not sure how to handle that! 

Anyway, here's my first sketch.  I think I want to work on the perspective a bit in my second attempt. Here's hoping it turns out well!

Thought scape???

I’m working on some particularly difficult illustration ideas today.   One is for the ‘Scary Stairs’ page. With today’s exercise, I remember, now, why I left this project for so long.  I was not confident that I could complete the required illustrations. As I remember, I had not been pleased with a couple of the prototypes and how they were turning out. I had finished most of the ideas on a story board and actually completed the art for five of them in their finished watercolor form. Where I ran into a creative snag was on the more imaginary pieces.  It’s one thing to recreate an actual scene, but another to artistically record an imagined thought or dream.    I had been stumped. 

Three ideas for the Scary Stairs page

So today’s images are of the process from my first ideas of this page and on to the finished idea for it.  The final watercolor is not done.  I will try to give you a preview later on.  For now, you’ll get the idea of the process . . . . 



Sketch, trial wash, and prototype sample



Final sketch with Frisket to preserve white spaces



This last picture was kinda fun, since the window light was shinning off the wash.  Just added it for fun! Not showing the final painting--wait for the book!

What are you up to lately?



Practice Pieces

(Ongoing series on the Grandma Books)

The box I pulled from the closet had some practice pieces for the first book in the series.

The book is called, Grandma Doesn't Like the Stairs!  My granddaughter, Taylor, had asked me one time when I was visiting her house, why I was slow on the stairs in her house.  I guess she was used to everyone in her family running up and down the stairs.  It gave me an idea for a book and then a series of "Grandma Books".  (I should be an expert on that subject, since I have so many grandchildren!!!! You can look at my profile--About Me tab--for a peek at my family life! )  This first book is obviously dedicated to Taylor! She is now 13 years old and in junior high school.

Thanks Taylor!