The Sketchbook Project - Final Update

Here are the final pages. I had to clean these up quite a bit from the original scans. The wrinkled paper and the difficulty I had getting the book to lay flat on the scan bed was a real treat.... Especially at 2 am in the morning :)

click all images to enlarge

It was late on January 17th when I finished painting/writing. I then had to scan the last pages so that come daylight and a little sleep, I could bind the book into it's pink cover and send it on it's way.... deadline met.

My last words are from the heart after a very long journey.......

 

And, in it's entirety.......

More on Gouache for journal work

Botanical artists and workshop teacher Cynthia Padilla has kindly allowed me to link to her article on using gouache!  Cynthia's worked with the medium for many years, first as a professional textile designer and now as a botanical illustrator.  I think you'll enjoy her tips, HERE.

Cynthia has mastered Winsor & Newton brand gouache, which is what I used for many years.  As you've seen, our own correspondent Roz Stendahl likes Schmincke Horadam and M. Graham, both of which re-wet well.

Stay tuned, Roz plans a post for us on the subject!  Meanwhile, see her comments on THIS post.

Gouache is great for using on toned paper, but it works well on white, too.  Roz uses it for all kinds of journal entries!

This was one of my gouache sketches on Nideggan paper...quick and fun.  Loved how the sky turned out!

New Link to Ink Pens

Our Swedish correspondent Nina Johansson just shared a pair of links on the Everyday Matters list that I think you'll enjoy, InkNouveau.and their store, Goulet Pens.  These look like a great deal of fun to browse, and Nina says she has ordered two pens from them, with very satisfactory results.  You can read her blog post HERE.

Many of us artist-journal keepers keep a constant lookout for the fountain pen that does just what we want it to, WHEN we want it to.  I love the wonderful springiness and flexibility of old (early 20th C.) Waterman pens, but they ARE old, and temperamental.  I've had two of them reconditioned, and they're still a bit moody at times.  They need frequent use and an occasional good cleaning.  The newer Waterman Phileas pens are much less temperamental, but also less flexible.

Many people love Lamy pens; my husband does, and so does Australian correspondent Alissa Duke.  Mine didn't seem to want to work well, so I can't speak to that--maybe Alissa will chime in about her new pen with the Extra Fine nib!  (I gave mine to Joseph and he loves it, so go figure!)


Nina got the Noodlers Flex Nib pen, and I'm willing to bet they're going to get a flood of orders!

I forgot my sketchbook home

Feb. 04, 2011: Shoreline Park
Originally uploaded by apple-pine

I usually carry my sketchbook with me. But sometimes it's not where I thought I put it :)
Then I sketch on whatever I find - from napkins and paper towels to ruled notebook pages and margins of the magazine or newspaper. When I get home I scotch-tape them in my current journal. For example - today when I finished my run a little earlier I had a chance to observe birds of the wetlands for a few minutes - but no sketchbook. Hence - scrap paper drawings :)

Quick sketch, new journal

As I mentioned the other day, I really like the little journals from Moon Moth Press, and because I've been swamped lately, I decided to pop for another one instead of taking time for bookbinding right now.  It came, and it's delightful!

The little book with the wonderful cover, on top, is my first journal from them; haven't had a chance to shoot the new one yet, but it's from the same early 20th C. series of discarded books.

The journals are lightweight and small, like the outside dimensions of an old novel (because that's where they started, as you can see).  They're filled with 12 double-sided sheets of Arches 90 lb. HP paper and 6 pages of colored Bugra or Mulberry paper for notes (though I do art on them too, with gouache.)  This makes them ideal for travel, for special uses, projects, themes, or to fill in till you have time to do (or make) something else. (I've added their link to our sidebar of journal resources.)

We had a snow day this week (as did much of the nation!), so I stayed in and made bread, and got to use page one of the new journal to record it.

That first page in any new journal is always a big intimidating, unless you have a traditional starter, like Liz Steel does--she usually sketches the current watercolor set as her title page.  Prowl around her Flickr, you'll find some!  In my case I needed to sketch the bread before cutting it, so I was in a hurry!  Grabbed the new journal, no time for angst, and slapped it in with ink and watercolor.

The other reason for the hurry?  We have another blog online, Starving Artists in the Kitchen, and I'd promised to share the recipe, as SOON as I had it sketched!  So if you're a bread fan, head on over there for the recipe...

Watch for Interview #6--Fred Crowley!

I'm delighted that Fred's agreed to be our next interview; I've loved his work on Flickr for ages. 

His people are so wonderfully real, so human; you feel as if you're sitting right there at the next table, having a coffee at Panera's. 

Fred uses strong graphic elements, like the red lamp and gold wall, above, and the panda on the patch, below--you will be inspired, I guarantee!

There's nothing Fred can't draw...his animals are superb, his life drawings so real they almost pop off the page.

His paintings may surprise you, too--they've got a Japanese feeling that's abstract at the same time--gorgeous!  We'll be sharing a couple of those too, with Fred's permission. 

Can't wait, eh?  I want to check a few details with him, then we're off!  (I can't wait either...)

Wonderful lettering book...OOPS.

I LOVE this book, Modern Calligraphy and Hand Lettering: A Mark-Making Workbook for Crafters, Cardmakers, and Journal Artists, which someone here recommended!  Gorgeous and inspiring, and included some of my favorite calligraphers, as well as instruction on how to make some of your own lettering tools.  It's beautiful, and thank you!

It's also the SAME book as Modern Mark Making; from Classic Calligraphy to Hip Hand-lettering.  Different title, different binding, same book.  DRAT.

(Once you click the text link above you can use the "look inside" option--which I should have done, yes!)

So I put my brand-new copy up on Amazon at a reduced price; if you'd like it, check it out!  The link above should get you there.