Watercolor Paper and Ball Point Pen

My last couple of sketchbooks were a little odd - craft paper or thin dry media paper (though I gave it quite a lot of watercolor and gouache coverings:) And I longed for a good old white sturdy watercolor surface to work with. When the time came quick review of the "reserve" box showed that I have this watercolor "Pen and Ink" horizontal book stored - COOL! I splashed some color right on the first spread!
However most of the pens in my "usual rotation" were bleeding, scratching, and overall misbehaving. While running some tests I picked up bic ball point and... what can I say - 1/3 of the book is filled now and most of it is black and white, done with the same bic ballpoint... see below :)

February 28, 2012

Badger Log, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

I want to do some cave painting!

February 2012: Hakone Gardens

February 2012: Hakone Gardens, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

It was a wonderful day: warm and welcoming in the sun, chilly and windy in the shade. We enjoyed laughing when our little companion accidentally stepped in the pond, made boats out of wisteria seeds (they sink immediately so we called them fish food post-factum), visited bamboo garden dead ends multiple times, and sniffed all flowering trees. Great times!

Sketching Together

February 2012: Sketching Together, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

Forest is a good place to share. Hike. Banana. Sketch. Hike some more :)

Last Pages from Sketchbook #61

February 2012: Poppies, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

Actually these are not the last pages - but definitely last pages with color. I scanned my first pages from Sketchbook #62 already :)

Hiking Coyote Hills Park Again

February 2012: Coyote Hills, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

We spent a very lazy sunny and a little windy two hours in the park.

Activities of the company included:
1. sleeping
2. rock hunting
3. bird watching
4. ground squirrel spooking
5. sketching
6. walking without trail
7. building houses for little imaginary friends
8. singing

Practice

February 2012: Practice, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

I rarely use pencils but got Palomino to play with and decided to try it during quick sketching of moving people.
It's fast and very receptive - I like it a lot. And what I liked even more way the fact that it was not smudging too much.

February 2011: Waiting at SFO

February 2011: Waiting at SFO, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

I was waiting and drawing people around me for some time when suddenly I saw another interesting face to draw - and it was my brother (whom I was meeting there). Apparently I missed him while looking at these characters and he was standing there for 10 minutes - looking for me :)

Weekend Feast

February 2012: Weekend Feast, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

I ate before I started drawing the cutlets :) And I munched on part of the salad while drawing :) Both were super-delicious!

February 14, 2012

Badger Log, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

Tam-da-da-da-ta-dam-ta-dam...

February 2012: Spring

February 2012: Spring, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

I planted some old bulbs last summer and here they are - tiny flowers in unexpected place!

February 9, 2012

Badger Log, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

One-Two-Three
One-Two-Three
One-Two-Three...

Two Early Mornings

I always start when it's too dark to see what I am drawing - blindly. I like mornings - how things get lighter and gain color and shape - it feels a little as if my hand - by drawing - is responsible for this, is making ALL that magic happen :)

February 2012: Early Morning, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

Other mornings are just plain dark and heavy, restless. Bird feeder swinging, brunches struck each other. It's hard not feel responsible for drawing those days - but then - may be I should - after all - it's magic too :)

Lunch

February 2012: Lunch, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

Another lunch. I tried diluted ink in my fountain pen and also recorded all ingredients. It was hard to draw this before eating so I started on the bread :)

February 8, 2012

Badger Log, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

Reading out loud.

February 6, 2012

Badger Log, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

Yummy!

February 2012: Spring is here.

February 2012: Spring is here., a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

I had fun watching cat play with kids during the weekend and noticed that fruit trees are in bloom already :)

My Neighbor

February 2012: My Neighbor, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

Another Lunch

Another Lunch, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

what can I say - it makes a big difference to eat food that you like (to draw :)

How January became February

This was last day of January: lots of kids playing on a spiderweb. Too cold to sit on the ground. Very bright day!

January 2012: Playground Kids, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

And this is  how February opened the door:  with dark morning

and very bright, loud and fast-moving Chinese New Year Parade :)

February 3, 2012

Badger Log, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

Who's that coming?

February 2, 2012

Badger Log, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

Come here, guys - I'll tell you a story.

Lunch

Lunch, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

Notes to self:
1) better paper please!
2) do not attempt drawing eggs!
After line work was done and first wash started drying I devoured most part of this (rather tasty) lunch - and so lost my subject matter. Finishing from memory was not so much fun. But eating cold eggs would be even worse!