Colors, Colors, more Colors

Well, I have been playing with my new watercolors. My wife gave me a set of Dr. Ph Martin's liquid watercolors so I have been experimenting.
Here is a colorization of two of my previous posts. I colorized my books sketch and the one of our rockingchair.
While these were fun I can tell I really need a lot of practice. Hmmm...guess I had better get busy and draw more sketches.

Cracking the books EMC #27

Well, taking a break from work I decided to skecth the pile of books on my other desk.Pen and ink over a pencil reference. I haven't had much oportunity to sketch much the last couple of weeks. I guess I'll have to learn some fast skecting techniques to take advantage of the 2 or 3 minute oportunities that pop up from time to time.

EMC #30

Well, Danny said draw a chair. EMC challenge #30 is to draw a chair. So, I did. It started out as a BC but my dog (yeah, I know) got in the way so I peeked to finish it off. I used my fountain pen with black Noodlers ink. This one I will color. I have printed a couple of scanned sketches on watercolor paper to experiment with.

Stop and Shoot the Cadillacs

I just received my copy of Danny’s new book and, of course, immediately began reading it. As I read I recalled an experience from my youth that seemed quite relevant .

Years ago while I was a young lad in the Navy, I used to travel home to visit my parents from time to time. I would usually drive even though it was quite a distance – about 1400 miles across the southern states on interstate highways 10 and 40. I would head west from my duty station in whatever car I owned at the time and drive straight through to my parents’ home in Albuquerque. This trip usually took about 23 – 24 hours (I was young, what can I say?). I was quite interested in photography at the time and had picked up a copy of Zoom magazine before one particular trip. I was perusing this issue during my visit and came across an article with photos of the infamous Cadillacs, forged between 1949 and 1963, half buried in a pasture in Texas (check out Cadillac Ranch for the rest of the story). I showed the photos to my Dad and mentioned that I would like to see them one day. He chuckled and told me that I drive right past them every time I come out for a visit. It seems that they are in a pasture right beside I-40 just outside of Amarillo. I was, needless to say, astounded that I had not noticed them before. I kept a sharp eye out for them on my way back and drove a bit slower as well. Sure enough there they were – 10 Cadillacs buried nose down in a row in the pasture on the south side of I-40. Since there wasn’t a fence or a ditch between I-40 and the frontage road I pulled right off without waiting for the next exit. I took my own pictures of these icons and vowed to pay more attention to the world as I passed through. I do pretty well now and then but as often as not I find myself concentrating on the destination and not really noticing the passing scenery.

One of the photos I took of the Cadillacs of Cadillac Ranch.

Finally some challenges to post!

EMC #13

I found a few moments at my desk to make a sketch and spied my cell phone. So I sketched away. As I sketched I thought the phone looked lonely so I added my Ipod, Rotring Art Pen, an eraser, and the cap to my fountain pen. I added some watercolor crayon to the pen and ink sketch and background added in Paint Shop Pro.

EMC #44

As I relaxed in our family room I was inspired by one of our dogs, Gabby, lounging on her bed. Gabby is a black standard poodle and she is laying on a dark blue pillow-bed. I really wanted this to be a very loose sketch just to catch her relaxed pose.
EMC #1

A shoe! It's a shoe! Really it is!

Marginal Art

I have been neglectful of late and haven’t posted in quite a while. I have managed to get in some sketches and will try to get them posted soon.

It seems that life has a way of getting in the way – and before you realize what is happening it has taken control. I do a lot of traveling by car – can’t sketch then - and spend a lot of time in meetings or pounding away at the keyboard of my computer trying to meet some last minute requirement or fix some glitch – can’t sketch then either. I have managed to do some doodling during some of the meetings. My doodles started as a couple of scratches in the margins of my notes, and then became recognizable objects. Since this seems to be a potentially rich opportunity for drawing time I think I will try to take advantage of it every chance I get. Here is my first installment of ‘Marginal Art’ and I will periodically post new stuff.

A Waterfront Sketch

An early morning skecth of a local charter boat down at the beach. Pen and ink on water color paper...thinking about adding some color to this but am a bit hesitant. Need more practice with colors so I guess I'll give it a try later this week.

Land of Enchantment

I have just returned from a week in New Mexico. I was out visiting my Dad for his birthday getting a little time away from work at the same time.

I hoped to get some time to sketch and was rewarded. I did manage a few sketches, including on the plane on the way out. I was doodling in my moleskine using a .03mm mechanical pencil. I used it much like a technical pen, trying not to erase anything.


I was doodling eyes – animal eyes (EDM #33), cartoon eyes and human eyes then started doodling hands and then sort of launched into a drawing of my hand (EDM #10) holding the pencil.

This hand I drew when I was in high school – many years ago.

While I was in Albuquerque I drew a couple of sketches at my Dad’s place – on of his fireplace. . .
And one of the exterior. These were done with pen and ink and I played with some watercolor crayons on the exterior sketch.



Then I went back to doodling some pencil and pen and ink of motorcycle parts. . .
In a younger lifetime I had several motorcycles and I still enjoy the mechanical details of all that power crammed into such a small package (relatively speaking). Some of the new “Choppers” are quite creative. I will have to see if I can capture some of the ones parked out side “Paynes Biker Bar” down town.

Practice! More Practice!

Try as I may I cannot seem to get enough practice but I have managed a few sketches this last week. But first I will put up one from last month that I didn't get scanned until last week.


While I was in florida I walked past a building that cought my eye. The thought of a 24 hour dentist was intreaging enough but the sign below made it laughable.

As I sit in my office in the morning I am watched by a small wooden sculpture that my son gave me upon his return from vacation in Mexico. I quickly drew this sketch of it in my Moleskine.

the sketch on the other side is one of those portable backgrounds used for taking ID photos. As I waited to get yet another ID card I decided to sketch it. I experimented with using Prismacolor Art Markers. I was surprised to see how much it blead through the page...won't us them in my Moleskine again. I originally got the Prismacolor markers for coloring some of my wood turnings because they do penetrate..guess I should have expected the penetration of the Molskine page.

This weekend I went down town to try my hand at sketching some of the old buildings in town. I'm not really satisfied with my results. The sketch might have been better left uncolored. I put to much detail in for a wash - I need to work on that alot. I also need to work on my color mixing - cannot seem to get the colors I want.

I still seem to be trying to put lots of details into a drawing - I need to try to simplify the sketching. I guess the need for detail is a carry over from past times, for example:

EDM #32. This is a sketch of a race car engine - made from a photograph as reference. Does this count as something metal?

Catching up a little

I have finally scanned some of the sketches I did last month on a trip to Orlando, FL. These were my first sketches in many years...so I will also include a couple flash backs as well. The first is a quick ink sketch I drew while waiting for a colleague to join me for breakfast. I was sitting in the atrium of the hotel and I looked up to see 14 floors of balconies that facinated me...


I drew this in my Moleskine sketch book and added some watercolor afterwards. I was trying to capture a wash like affect sort of like this sketch I did in highschool...


Another sketch here of the stopwatch on the table in the restaurant where we had lunch...


Again this was done in my Moleskine adding watercolor afterwards...


Right now I have just returned from a few days down at the Folly (what we affectionately call our weekend/retirement place). It is located in a small town on the Potomac River. It has been pretty well forgotten for the last 50 years. I had a little time to sketch and decided to try one of the EDM(#3) chalenges to draw a wallet, purse, or bag.


Later this weekend I will try to get some of the other sketches posted as well.

In the beginning. . .

It all began in highschool...being a student with more potential than motivation I became bored with many of my classes and began doodling to pass the time. Doodling became drawing. I can't say my subject matter was especially significant, it had adolecent leanings. It was the 60's and many young boys were enamored with the creations of Big Daddy Ross and others, and I guess I was no different. I liked to draw car caracatures and strange looking characters. After some time I decided to take some art classes and learn to draw for real.

Here are a few examples of my earliest works:

Hot rods were a favorite of mine...

















Then there were some strange creatures and hot rods...

























Then came art class and I left those adolecent sketches behind...


















Many of the earlier drawings were pencil and ball point pen... and later I discovered Rapidograph pens.

By the end of highschool I had aspirations of becoming a commercial artist. But these are images from my distant past and I have not drawn much since. Alas, I followed a different path and did not continue to draw, instead I turned to photography (as a hobby).

In future posts I will be posting new attempts to return to drawing and sketching. With ocassional flash backs to the distant past.