5 Minute Continuous Line Drawings

My favorite app right now for improving my artwork and sharing it with a supportive community is Sktchy. The app allows people to post photos for inspiration for artists, who upload their artwork for all to see, with a swipe right to see the underlying inspiration image. An endless source of inspiration!

Sktchy has recently been starting some weekly challenges with a Monday Muse, a Tuesday QuickDraw, and a WIP Wednesday, to name a few - as well as their Weekend Art Extravaganzas. I have been particularly enjoying the Tuesday QuickDraws since they force me to loosen up and just go with whatever comes up in the allotted quick draw time frame (usually 5 minutes or so).

This week, Sktchy asked us to attempt some 5 minute continuous line drawings - which I LOVED! I took the time to add some watercolor afterward - but I did use a timer to limit myself to just 5 minutes for the continuous line drawing (no lifting allowed!). Here's what I came up with:

Have you tried quick draws? Or continuous line drawings? What are your thoughts on either?

Completed Sketchbook No. 27

Here is a tour of my most recently completed sketchbook (no. 27) with artwork completed from 12/11/16 to 01/13/17. I hope you enjoy! I would appreciate any comments.

A quick tour of Sketchbook no. 27

A tour of my completed Sketchbook no. 27 with artwork done from 12/11/16 to 01/13/17.

My Dogs in a New Sketchbook

I took a trip to the art store today and bought a few full (22" x 30") sheets of Fabriano Artistico paper in 140 lb. weights and a variety of finishes - hot press, cold press, and rough. Inspired by Cathy Johnson's no see folded journal video on YouTube and Esther K. Smith's Making Books book- I folded and cut the full sheet into two new sketchbooks.

I've been enjoying using a square format for my sketchbooks lately, so I cut down the full sheet into a 22 x 22" square and then folded it in half several times until I had a 5.5" x 5.5" sketchbook.

With the remaining paper, I made a little 3.5" x 4.5" accordion sketchbook.

To inaugurate my new sketchbook, I painted my dogs from some photos I took a little while ago.

I can't wait to show you the completed sketchbook! Stay tuned.

Finished Sketchbook 13!

My homemade sketchbook no. 13 is complete! I created it with 140 lb. 6" x 9" watercolor paper and bound it by hand with Coptic stitching. I started it on July 8, 2016 and finished it today. 😊

Here is a quick view of the sketchbook tour.

Quick tour of Sketchbook #13

And a more leisurely tour.

Portraits 71 - 74 for the 100 Day Project

Here are my recent portraits for the 100 Day Project using inspiration photos from Sktchy.

Which do you like best?

Urban sketching in Point Richmond & San Francisco

After driving my daughter and her friend out to Point Richmond for their summer school program, I tried some "real" urban sketching - setting up my lawn chair and sketching The Plunge (Richmond Municipal Natatorium) and the tunnel leading to Ferry Point. But, the wind coming through the tunnel chilled me to the bone! And after an hour or so, I had to retreat into Starbucks to finish painting my drawing.

This building is commonly known as The Plunge. It was built in 1925 by John Nicholl, who unsuccessfully drilled for oil on this lot but donated the land to the city for a swimming pool after drilling to a depth of 1,232 feet and finding nothing but water. Today, it is powered by a solar heating system, with 200 operable Windows to dehumidify and circulate air and water cleaned by UV light rather than chemicals and uses salt water.

Here is the drawing with a photo.

After warming up, I found a sunny spot to sketch and tried using Marc Taro Holmes's single line sketching technique (not lifting my Platinum Preppy extra fine fountain pen), adding brush pen and then watercolors.

This little building housed a coal, wood, hay, and grain delivery business starting in 1903 and became the Richmond Supply Co. in 1911. It now houses the Point Richmond History Museum.

Next, I had 15 minutes before I needed to pick the kids. So, I tried a speedy drawing using my Pentel brush pen and watercolors.

This is the old Bank of Richmond building built in 1902. It now houses a realty office.

Yesterday, I tried an urban sketch sitting in Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley, San Francisco after getting my husband a new pair of glasses at Warby Parker. Even though I tried to sketch fast with my Kuretake sable brush pen, I decided to attempt a panorama view across my sketchbook (6" x 18").

I was able to add some, but not all of my watercolors on site.

I will be doing more urban sketches soon. Have you tried any?

Portraits 40 - 49 for The 100 Day Project

I managed to keep up my work on the 100 day project during our vacation. Here are the portraits I did on our trip and one when I got back.

Completed Sketchbook #19

Today, I completed another handmade sketchbook. Yay! This one was 11" x 7.5" and made with watercolor paper. Here is the quick tour:

And the full sketchbook tour at a more leisurely pace here:

Urban Sketching using Marc Taro Holmes's Techniques

I have been loving Marc Taro Holmes's Craftsy classes, Sketching People in Motion and Travel Sketching in Mixed Media. I love how he understands the constraints of urban sketching - especially when people are moving, you're on vacation and your family wants to keep moving, etc. To sketch people in motion, Marc teaches us how to capture gestures quickly with pencil and then move onto fountain pens, brush pens, and watercolors. In terms of travel sketching, Marc teaches us to do single line drawings, then 5-7 line drawings (cinq à sept), use shading and brush pens, watercolors, and eventually, watercolors alone.

I recently practiced these techniques in my hometown, Walnut Creek.

Liberty Bell Plaza -- Main St. & Mt. Diablo Blvd. — Liberty Bell Plaza -- Main St. & Mt. Diablo Blvd.

And practiced these urban sketching techniques using photographs from Sktchy.

I followed Marc's demonstration using watercolors only

I practiced sketching people in motion at Chloe's gymnastic show.

Sktchy's WAXHandy Challenge

Sktchy is a fun and inspiring app for artists and people who want to inspire artists. Each weekend, Sktchy has a themed Weekend Art Extravaganza (#WAX). This past weekend, it was #WAXhandy and the challenge was to make art featuring hands. Here are my contributions.

The funny thing is that I was recently explaining my 100 day portrait project to someone in my figure drawing group and how I undertook it to improve a weakness I felt I had with portraits. I was saying that I have such trouble with drawing hands that I was telling her that I should do a 100 day project with hands and feet! I don't know if I can do 100 of those, but drawing hands for this weekend was challenging and fun!

What is your experience with drawing hands and feet? Do you relish the challenge or find it easy?

Trip to Monterey

This weekend, I took a trip to Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove with my friends, Julie and Sharon. I had a lot of fun introducing them to the Sktchy app and drawing them!

I drew this at lunch at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had an awesome table with this lovely view.