A Few Sketches From This Week- Magnolia Blooms

 I made several photos of the magnolia blossom that hubby brought me a few days ago, so I've been trying to sketch them. Quite a challenge! 

A couple of days ago he brought me a couple of buds, which I made photos of as they opened up, but I haven't attempted sketching them yet. Not the best light...

The first attempt sketched with a mechanical pencil, and I shaded it, but I'm not very good at sketching values, and it took forever. I like it though! Winsor Newton 7x10 mixed media sketchbook

One of the pre-Sketchbook Revival videos showed how the teacher draws a whimsical face after doing a guided meditation. I jotted down  notes. There are also pre-videos on how to make several types of journals. The free two-week binge fest starts tomorrow! Various teachers and types of classes. See sidebar for link.

My second attempt at the bloom with my coffee cup, which I haven't decided whether I want to go over the lines with ink, and/or shade yet, or possibly some color. This book has thicker pages, which handles watercolor/acrylics well.  Also W/N sketchbook

Two more attempts on the blooms in my 12 x 12 " drawing sketchbook from Beales with my Zig Writer marker/pen. This paper is like a dream to sketch/draw on, but it's for dry media or light marker work and doesn't handle watercolor, etc. well. It buckles badly when dampened. But I do like it.

Back in my Winsor Newton book with my Zig Writer pen with a different pose. Again, just lines, so far. I just didn't want to take time to shade these yet, but I do intend to go back and practice my values on them. 

I've ordered five different sketchbooks and a small set of gouache paints, which should be here the next couple of days to start the Sketchbook revival with. I don't need that many, but I thought I would restock, because I tend to work in a few at a time. I ordered another Winsor Newton book like the one above, because I love it, a Grumbacher book that you can take the pages out and put them back, and three small books with blue, tan, and gray toned pages. I've been wanting to sketch on some toned papers.

So this evening I was prowling in my stash for papers to handmake a journal and discovered several large sheets of colored pastel papers, which means I wouldn't have had to order the toned sketchbooks. Oh, well, they will be used anyway at some point.

I also found a large envelope full of previous work/classes, some half done, which I'm going to go through like a treasure chest. Nothing lets you see how much your art has grown like looking through your old stuff! 

Hope you are all having a great holiday weekend! The next post will probably be something from the Sketchbook Revival classes. Let's see what I can get into in it!