Watercolor Elephant Sketch and Sketchbook Revival 2025 Class #35 and #36

 Hello! I'm behind on my posting, AGAIN. My days get by so fast, even though we've stopped sleeping so late. Not sure if time has speeded up, or I've slowed down a lot. Maybe a bit of both? 

Anyway, I'm still trying to sketch something every day and paint some most days, and I did these a few days ago.

I decided to see if I could paint an elephant when a photo of one appeared on the cover of the Cooperative farming magazine that we received a couple of months back. It turned out much better than I expected, and I surprised myself! I was inspired by  that photo and sketched it off in pencil, then used watercolor and mostly a water pen brush in my mixed media Canson sketchbook. Such fun bringing him to life! I love his character!

This one was inspired by a character on a TV movie. I think they might have been vampires? Not a likeness, but I paused the TV and sketched her face and cloak hood with a pencil in my Canson mixed media book, then, for some reason, I decided to give the hood some red watercolor. Maybe I will go back at some point and go over the pencil with ink, but I kind of like the watercolor /pencil mix. I am trying to do more faces in different poses than just straight on. Not the best, but I learned from her, and the experiments continue!

Same sketch as above, but with a warm black/white filter. Not sure which I like the best?

Just for fun, and a break, I used a micron pen and drew this one with one continuous line, making up the flowers as I went. I didn't worry about edges, composition, or anything. Just let things go where they wanted to. Fun stuff! Watercolor and ink in mixed media sketchbook.

This little sketch was inspired by an old family photo of my great-aunt. I didn't try for a likeness, and her face looks younger than she was, but I was just practicing the whole figure. Her brother was actually in the photo with her, but I didn't have the nerve that day to try drawing him. I left room on the page for him though! Pencil in mixed media sketchbook

Sketchbook Revival class, "Florals in Watercolor and Ink" with Neesha Merani was interesting and fun to try. It wasn't near as easy as she made it look, and I squeezed the bouquet into too small a space to fit my class sketchbook, which is mixed media hot pressed paper. I like the techniques though and will try again on larger watercolor paper! Practice makes better! I think?

Sketchbook Revival class, "Serendipity Stories" with Laly Mille was also very interesting and fun. We used mixed media to let a story reveal itself, and once again I squeezed a lot into a small space in my class book. I plan to do a larger one though! So much fun gathering up and using the different media to tell a story!

That's it for this post, but not all my art trials! I do have another post draft ready, but I will finish and post it later. I also have some sketches that I haven't scanned yet.

I had to get a new computer with Windows 11, and I have been getting it all set up and everything transferred from my old one to my new one, and also trying to learn the new stuff with the new Windows 11 that I use. Takes a lot of time and focus to switch over, and then hubby needs a new one, which I will have to set up for him. Fun stuff. NOT. But thankful we can get new ones and I can set them up, so far.

So much going on that I get overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything. Seems like everyone I know is in the same boat with me. So thankful I have art, and other crafts, to keep me sane!

Thank you for your visit and your support! Stay safe and well, and keep making stuff!