January doodle

Found a few minutes to doodle on my desk calendar last week.  Oil pastels on approx. 17x11 inch.

The planet fitness sticker was from checking out their new gym around the corner.  It's cheap and even more convenient than the gym I have now but I would still have the same #problemchild issues that's keeping me from the gym now.

More?

Okay, it's not acrylic. Oil pastel very quickly, I think it shows. Maybe a future mola? I don't know, I've had a couple weeks off the side job and four days off the day job. I'm finally feeling

mentally relaxed which helps the art to flow. It is done in a sketchbook that has only a few pages left (2010 art goal) .

Lizard Lips

Same reference as last post. ATC size in my (home made) fanfold canson paper sketchbook. My gooseneck lamp finally died, I declared it dangerous after it blew up two lightbulbs: Here is my last drawing of it, I've done it many times for scavenger hunt. It has served me well. I had to pull out the electrical parts so that Mom (who can't throw anything away, I did try) won't blow up any lightbulbs or blow the house fuses.

ATC oil pastels

I was away from home last weekend and found myself wanting to sketch but I hadn't brought my sketch kit. (It's been misplaced.) I came home and had an idea to make really small sketchbooks, ATC sized pages, fanfold style. That idea has worked out great because I used Canson Mi-Tientes paper. Not all mediums work well on this paper but it's thin and folds well for fanfold. I found references on Wetcanvas.

Yea, I know I broke composition rules (especially touching the sides), but this is TINY and oil pastel sticks are FAT. I never participated in ATC trades because I'm just not that prolific. It really makes you think about composition. It didn't take long to do these, but now I'm stuck for ideas. I only need 6 more to fill this little book.

Sketching again

Been working night and day on a big (work) project. Finally finished it this week. These are a few things from scavenger hunt. I couldn't relax enough to sketch until today but meanwhile I've been cleaning my acrylic palette and making backgrounds. These are drawn in oil pastel, 6x8 inch sketchbook. I've actually painted 5 pages (different sketchbooks) today on these acrylic backgrounds. I have only 8 pages left in one sketchbook for my first 2011 goal, I must push.

Coffee Pot

From Wabbitt's Sketch Blog

Substitute for teapot on scavenger hunt #211, this is my coffee pot. Oil pastels over chinese ink background in the 6x8 sketchbook. The chinese ink background was a mistake. Only after I put it down, I realized I can't paint on top of it because the black would contaminate any wet media.

GGGGOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!

From wabbitt

Tangerines, oil pastels in the 9x12 inch sketchbook. This is it! Number 100 of 100 of the oil pastel sketch challenge. It's also one of the scavenger hunt items (fruit) that I sketched between Christmas meals. I just can't get on Wetcanvas to upload my few sketches.

Basket of Goodies

A weak attempt at the finish line. A basket drawn for scavenger hunt in oil pastel, about 7 x 4 inches, the background color added digitally. This would be OP sketch #99 of 100. If I do one more, I'll make one of my 2009 art goals! Got the basket of fudge brownies and golden brownies as a Christmas present from a neighbor.

OP #97 & 98 of 100

Trying Ryan Kelly again. Unfortunately, I lost his smile on the first (left) but I'm really happy with his proportions. I guess I forgot to tilt the drawing board again on the second (right) because I stretched the face and lost the resemblence. Couldn't detail the teeth on this surface because of the texture. Pentel oil pastels on 9x12 inch cheap canson pastel paper that I binded into a sketchbook. Crosspost to artsomofo for #19 & 20.

OP #96 of 100

This is supposed to be Paul Byrom. I've figured out why my portraits have been looking like stretched out caricatures--I'm working flat and my reference is vertical (the monitor). I've suspected this, but what to do? 4x6 inches is too small to prop up. Yea, yea, sketch bigger. When I'm sketching, I don't pre-sketch, else it wouldn't be a sketch, would it?

All that said, Paul's face really is long and so is his nose. It's long and thin. He has an amazing voice, classically trained, he's got fantastic range and he can project!

Crosspost to artsomofo & the wetcanvas's OP forum, I think.

OP #95 of 100

Reference is "Dee" from the WDE that EP is hosting this weekend. Also attempting the challenge at using primary colors only. 30 minutes, oil pastels in the 4x6 inch Aquabee. I'll post this to artsomofo with the sock monkeys and I'm still "minus two scans" but minus one art.

OP #94 of 100

This is Simon from the WDE hosted by mbeckett on Wetcanvas. 30 min in the large watercolor Moleskine, oil pastel over acrylic. This finishes off my 10th sketchbook.

OP #92 & #93 of 100

A cup from scavenger hunt I'm hosting this week.
From a travel catalog. No idea on the details, but this puts Sketchbook #9 to rest. There's actually many attempts at a drawing (artist block since getting laid off). Started with a watercolor, covered with 3 or 4 attempts at an acrylic sketch, finally covered with black acrylic and drawn with Neopastel oil pastel.

OP Challenge #86 thru #91 of 100

Items from Scavenger hunt #135 hosted by Ai, all done in (new Caran D'Ache NeoPastel) oil pastels in the 9x12 inch recycled paper sketchbook.