In my fight against cold, I use the following medicines. I really have no idea if they actually work or not. Because the last time I went to a doctor over here, he said that there is actually no cure against cold. Just take enough rest. What they sell in the market, is just an illusion. Yes, I still buy that illusion and I just wish that they find the real thing against the ‘simple’ rhino virus.
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Drip…drip… drip. I made the flower drip, just as my nose. I know it sounds disgusting. But that is how I feel with this irritating cold. Headache that doesn’t want to go away, leaky nose, itchy eyes, dry throat…I am not going to bore you with this. It is disgusting enough.
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I used Conte Pastel Pencils for the first time and it was a messy business. I am wondering how other people can get their pastel drawings look so neat (no smears)? I am guessing that they may work on large papers, or they sharpen their pencil very often.
Added 29/01: If you happen to know the technique on how to use pastels or pastel pencils, could you please share it with me? I really appreciate it! Thanks!
Another cat. It’s Wasabi’s turn.
Click to enlarge.
Materials: Van Gogh sketching pencils and Rotring XONOX 0.1 pen on coloured paper (Fabriano Artist’s journal).
Trying to fulfill my resolution: draw more plants & flowers. So now, more flowers. Our bouquet of the week.
Click to enlarge.
Everyday Matters Challenge #51 – Draw your TV and a show playing on it.
Here is our TV. And as usual, on weekdays during daytime there is nothing to watch on Dutch TV channels. All of them broadcast soap operas (as the world turns, the bold & beautiful), home shopping programs, cartoon series (unfortunately series that I don’t like). So when I get to stay home on a weekday, I usually watch Discovery, Animal Planet, and sometimes MTV or National Geographic. However, I watch Animal Planet more than the others. After the x-th show about Ramses II or Tutankhamon (spelling?) on the Discovery channel, I just got tired of them. However, watching Animal Planet is always entertaining. Animals are just so fascinating to watch.
While drawing this challenge, I was watching the ‘Miami Animal Police’ on Animal Planet. My sketch shows one officer Gary who was occupied with his case ‘a potbelly pig’. Whenever I have the time, I watch similar shows on Animal Planet: Animal Cops Houston, Pet Rescue, Wildlife SOS, Emergency Vet, etc. This fascination with animals that I have, makes me wonder at times: May be I should have become a Vet… uhm, may be not. I think I will faint during surgery 
Seeing (too much) blood gives me shaky knees.
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Black and white version. Pen and ink.
With colors, done in Photoshop.
My cat: Red. The only cat in the house that responds when we call her. Also the most persistent cat when it comes to wanting some attention.
This sketch is done with watercolor pencils. I have mixed feelings about the result. I’m not sure if I like it, but I can’t say that I don’t like it either.
I finally manage to take a day off today, after two crazy weeks at work. Last friday, in the afternoon, I thought for a moment that I was even going to pass out. All I could think of was ‘bed’ and ‘home’.
Today what I did was only grocery shopping, went to the pharmacy, and made a few sketches. Nothing too exciting, but it was certainly fulfilling. When you live far away from your work and at times when overtime is required, small activity such as grocery shopping at the neighborhood supermarkt can be totally relaxing. Imagine that!
Click to enlarge.
So I bought some fresh flowers to draw later. At the pharmacy I picked up a bottle of eyedrops and nose spray after requesting a prescription from my doctor. These two are essential at times like now when pollen start floating around. I could sense the pollen on Thursday already, even before I could see them. My eyes started to itch. I started to sneeze a lot. On Saturday, we saw that cars around where we live were covered in a layer of fine lime green dust. So to prevent that my eyes irritation and the sneezing from getting worse, I quickly got a new prescription. This happens to me every year, around winter/spring depending on when the trees decide to produce pollen. Now I am well prepared.
Some sketches from the last few days. Gotta work hard, no time to play/blog. I experimented with a brush pen, which gave me an excuse to draw fast and simple. It’s incredible how a sketch can take less than 5 minutes only because it is done with a brush pen. This pen forced me to leave details out and stick to the primary items. My hand & arm do react different and handle the pen different. I’ll experiment more with it.
I went home late and while waiting for the train, I decided to do this one above.
Sketches below are result of experiment in drawing people. Kinda like it. One has a caricature feel to it, although unintended. These are drawn based on photos. They are well known here.
This last one is obviously my cat.
Our new couch arrived this week. The couch is much bigger and fluffier than the old one. And guess what? The cats totally love it. As usual, they took it over from us, human, and formed a ‘Couch Club’. Cats who usually have ‘issues’, suddenly they can sleep peacefully on the couch side by side. What a miracle! We just have to rearrange the club sometimes, when we want to sit down.
On the sketch above: Gurami, Salami, and Bacardi sleeping on a blanket on the couch.
We went to our favorite Chinese restaurant in Utrecht for Dim Sum (lunch). While waiting for our order to arrive, I drew whatever was on the table. Really, circles are difficult to draw!
There has been a discussion or a request in the Everyday Matters Yahoo! group about sharing one’s weapons of choice for sketching and drawing. These two pics show mine. Actually, I have more art materials hidden in my cupboard beside these, since I am addicted to art goodies. However, the goodies shown on the pics are my ‘core’ drawing/sketching materials that I use 85% of the time.
The materials:
- Derwent ‘Drawing’ Pencils
- Derwent ‘Graphitint’ Pencils
- Caran d’Ache Pablo coloured pencils
- Winsor & Newton Coatman sketch palet 12 half-pans
- Bruynzeel coloured pencils
- Moleskine sketchbook
- Basic black sketchbook (no brand, from a local art store)
- Rotring XONOX 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5
- Rotring Rapidograph 0.25, 0.35, and 0.5
- Chinese brushes
- Lamy ‘Safari’ fountain pen with F/fine nib
Very much absorbed in watching ‘Road Rally’. An MTV program about 2 rock bands, one Dutch and one Belgian, do a cross country trip across the US without any money. They have to go from East Coast to West Coast and earn money for food and gas by performing at local pubs or events. I believe which ever reach New York City first will be the winner. A very entertaining and funny TV show.
I find sketching people can turn out very funny. If I am lucky, my sketches will look pretty close to the real persons. If not, a woman can turn out to look like a man (the long blond haired character, bottom right). It gives me a good feeling that I can laugh at the result.
Click to enlarge.
Clickto enlarge.
When I saw this 4WD, I thought: ‘I just have to sketch this. It is too unique to ignore’. What attracted my attention was its air intake system. (It’s located right beside the windshield). I had never seen such thing. It is an old Land Rover, though. Not really well maintained.
While sketching, an older man passed by and he wanted to see if I was sketching him. Then he wanted to see my other sketches. I let him. He thought I study at the Academy of Art. I told him:’No, it’s just my hobby’. At first he didn’t believe me, but then I insited. Well, that’s the truth anyway.
…or ducks to be exact.
And after I made these quick sketches, I felt guilty. Just before I drew these, I actually ate a sandwich filled with duck livers/foie gras for lunch. I got it from a local butcher near my office.
NOTE: Click to enlarge. Pen/ink + Derwent ‘Drawing’.
Something different: bird sketches. I was back at work today after taking a week off. During lunch break, I stood in a nearby park and made these two very quick (gesture) sketches. My first sketches of birds ever. I don’t know a lot about the world of birds, so I can’t tell you what kind of birds these are. That tall leggy bird on the 2nd sketch is a ‘Reiger’ in dutch. For the English equivalent, you can ask Google for help.
NOTE: Click to enlarge. Sketching pencil in Sanguine.
A sketch that I made last Friday before our order arrived. We had breakfast at Delphi’s on Neude (square) in Utrecht. My omelet with feta cheese and tomatoes was very delicious. I applied some colours today using Derwent Drawing pencils.
Additional note (22.01.2006): I’ve also submitted this drawing for this week’s Illustration Friday – Cats.
Happy New Year everyone!
Here is my first post and drawing in 2006. A baby Pirozjki.
It is drawn based on a photo we took when she first arrived at our house. It was mid-July in 2002 and she was about 6 weeks old. She was about as large as my palm (she weighs around 5.5 kg now). So cute and so small. We got her from the local animal shelter. Tomorrow we will take her to her new home in Hilversum. We’ve got one more day to spend with her.
I’ve been busy surfing and visiting other illustrated blogs since yesterday. After reading other people’s New Year resolutions, I feel like I have to add a few more ‘details’ on my own art resolution. I will draw more people, activities, plants/flowers, animals especially my cats. I will not be too picky about choosing a subject. I will also draw more from photos, if necessary and when I feel like it. Sketch more, think less. More patience, less worry. Practice more more more…
NOTE: Click to enlarge. Coloured pencils on Moleskine.
