tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227283407873553082024-03-12T23:37:11.953-04:00Quiet TalesPens, Pencils, Paper and Pain...
I meant "paint", of course. Let's see where this takes us, eh?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-83186374523222762092013-01-19T22:23:00.002-05:002013-01-19T22:23:49.860-05:00Mildly Pissed OffWell, it's the equivalent of bitching because I no longer get free ice cream, but apparently Blogger no longer allows me to upload images directly from my computer. I have to go through Picasa Web, or they'll be happy to get access to my phone or webcam. Yeah, right.<br />
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Thanks Blogger. Looks like I go looking for an alternative.<br />
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<span id="goog_1158271582"></span><span id="goog_1158271583"></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-83431067949423903552012-11-30T20:56:00.000-05:002012-11-30T20:57:29.316-05:00AbstractsI have other new sketches and painting to post... maybe later, but one thing I've been playing with for the past month is 'masa', or rice paper. On one of the art forums I frequent, there are monthly project and idea kickers, and this one intrigued me enough to give it a go.<br />
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First step was to order the paper. Ten sheets of masa from <a href="http://www.dickblick.com/">Dick Blick</a> for a very reasonable price, and I was surprised to find that each sheet was 22"x30"! Woo hoo! I have enough to do some serious play.<br />
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The idea here is to use the natural fiberous nature of the paper to do some abstract work. For this first one I crumpled the paper (about 5"x7") and soaked it in water. Then I dropped in some ink (Noodler's Red-Black) which feathered nicely. While the paper was still wet I touched some watercolor pigments onto the paper. At the end, I decided that I liked it best standing up on end. <br />
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Next up, same basic idea, but I used a few different tools to make marks. Again, ink and watercolor, but this time I added some spatters of irridescent medium to the page.<br />
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For the third one, I pre-painted the paper with streaks of color, then dropped in a bunch of ink. You'll notice that the inks I've been using are not waterproof, so they react beautifully on the wet paper.<br />
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On the next three, I did the crumple and soak to the paper, but then added some origami-style folding (cone and fan folds) before dropping in - yep, more ink and watercolor.<br />
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I picked up some india ink, to see what would happen if I used permanent, waterproof ink to start with. We'll see what happens.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-78236483717402244332012-09-26T16:33:00.003-04:002012-09-26T16:33:36.727-04:00September - Roller CoasterWhat a month, and it's not over yet. We had the joys of helping to plan daughter Rachael's wedding, and the extreme sadness of the passing of my father-in-law.<br />
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These sketches were done in one afternoon/evening when going with Rachael to the first fitting of her wedding dress. They're all done with a Lamy Safari fountain pen with Levenger's Empyrean ink, washed with a waterbrush for shading.<br />
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This was an apartment building across from the parking lot where I waited for Rachael to arrive on the metro.<br />
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Inside the bridal shop, I was sitting in front of a wall-sized mirror, in a large room full of wall-sized mirrors and doors. This one was fun.</div>
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After the mirrors, I drew a few quickies, just to unwind a little bit.</div>
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The one on the right is the lower part of Rachael's dress, done quickly while she stood on a platform while the seamstress pinned up the hem to the correct length.<br />
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It was a very pleasance evening. Not too long after, life went to hell in a handbasket. We're through the worst of it now, with a new appreciation of what family means.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-73736891634117542392012-09-26T16:24:00.001-04:002012-09-26T16:24:52.971-04:00August Sketches - Part 3A diabetic friend told me about a new insulin replacement for diabetics. Odd stuff. I drew a cartoon. Those three statements actually relate.<br />
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Next up are a couple of sketches I did while visiting our local farmer's market.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-73020192761031674222012-08-18T15:35:00.004-04:002012-08-18T15:35:57.297-04:00August Sketches - part 2I've been squeaking in time for art whenever possible this month, but it's been tight. Mostly all I've been able to manage is quickie sketches here and there.<br />
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All of these were done in my 3"x5" Handbook journal, landscape format.<br />
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This first one was done with a Pilot Razor pen and a waterbrush, looking out the window of the doctor's exam room while waiting for him to show. The Razor is pretty sweet to draw with because it washes beautifully with a touch of water.<br />
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A bunny sculpture out in the front yard, done with a fountain pen with Levenger's Empyrean ink. Again, it's not waterproof, so it washes nicely with a waterbrush.</div>
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This one was from a photo on the internet. The hiker was taking some photos and when he panned sideways he found this bear playing peek-a-book with him from about 10 feet away.</div>
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A couple of quickies just to draw something. On the left is a bandana hanging in my room, and on the right is a tree from my imagination.</div>
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This next one has a bit of a story with it. It shows a view looking down the street from in front of the building where I work in downtown Washington DC. While enjoying the sun and sketching away, a plainclothes security agent came up and wanted to know what I was doing. Seems that someone had reported me to the guards inside and said I was drawing maps and taking notes! Everything was cool after I showed him what I was doing. This was another painting done with the limited palette I carry in my pocket sketch kit.</div>
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Another limited palette painting, just to unwind and zen out a little bit. I think I need to learn to photograph these sketchbook pages rather than scan them, because the colors just don't come out true, and I'm not good enough with the software to tweak them enough to look right.</div>
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So yeah, that's it for now. Please contain yourselves. LOL</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-72939174665348414952012-07-28T20:20:00.002-04:002012-07-28T20:23:18.101-04:00En Plein AirEn Plein Air means 'in the open air' and it refers to getting outdoors to draw or paint a subject. Monet, Renior, Sargent and many others were enthusiastic about creating art in this fashion.<br />
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It's been a beastly hot summer here in the mid-Atlantic states, but we had a couple of tolerable days this week where I was able to get out and sketch en plein air over lunch.<br />
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As always, you can click on these for bigger. They were all done in a 3"x5" Handbook sketchbook. <br />
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This first one was from memory of my daughter's backyard, as seen out her back door. I was watching her critters last weekend, and spent a fair amount of time looking at this. The light and shadow through the trees caught my eye. Done with a Pilot Razor pen and a waterbrush to wash the soluble ink. <br />
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Did this one over lunch from a picture of a Scottish castle that I googled up. This one, and the next two were done with the <a href="http://quiet-tales.blogspot.com/2012/07/more-july.html">limited watercolor palette</a> I've been playing with.<br />
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Tuesday and Wednesday were beautiful days, so I went walkabout over lunch. The first is the corner of a building on the George Washington University campus. Insane angles and perspective, so of course I ignored my pencil and dived right in with pen. The watercolor wash was done in about 3 minutes as it started to rain a little bit and lunch was nearly over.</div>
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And the other was this very interesting tree across the street. Again, the play of light and shadow caught my eye.<br />
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I'm ready for cooler weather to come back. I have a mental list of things I want to sketch in DC once I can be outside without my brains broiling.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-82390536041155492292012-07-22T20:26:00.001-04:002012-07-22T20:26:29.033-04:00More JulyStill sketching and painting. As always, click for bigger. These were all done in a 3"x5" Handbook sketchbook.<br />
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This first one is from a photo taken last year on one of our backpacking trips. Phoebe is gone now, but she loved every second of our hikes.<br />
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<br />These next four are experiments for me. I found a link to a Spanish architect who did amazing sketches and used a minimal palette. The idea intrigued me, so I put together 3 half-pans and a piece of sponge in a mini-Altoids tin. The colors are Burnt Sienna, Quinacridone Gold and Indigo (all Winsor & Newton). I've got a long way to go to really unlock the potential here, but so far I'm enjoying the ride.<br />
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More coming. I know you can't wait. Ha!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-41341203190230496332012-07-15T19:32:00.001-04:002012-07-15T19:32:34.125-04:00More July SketchesI've set myself the task to do 100 sketches in 100 days. This will, hopefully, get me into the habit of doing the work, and even more hopefully, help me to improve my sketching ability.<br />
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This first one was a quickie cartoon done on a 3x5 index card with my fountain pen. I've been thinking of this one since I heard the original fuss over the song "Friday".<br />
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This next is pure watercolor, titled "Calm".</div>
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Playing with my Pitt Big Brush pens, I got the greyscale set of four. The picture itself is McAfee Knob in Southern Virginia, probably the most photographed spot on the Appalachian Trail.</div>
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More Pitt Big Brush pens. I did a quickie of the package insert art.</div>
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State bird of Virginia.</div>
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These next several were done at the Dover Downs casino. Liz gambles, I grab a coffee and sketch.</div>
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The lady on the left is making chocolate-dipped strawberries at the Godiva shop. I was watching her through the window.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1eha9O_hyphenhyphenCjNdqvmXuV-UmQcSYnUiR4QMwGmx9eIuhHkcMxoiFq8jDJ-8q3I388IiYz48LW-LDTFlRAT-crsvWENjOmKO9dTf761v5rZ7wXG45ZgJWpcvxoJ-YETJaG5k4sNWcTxykU/s1600/Dover+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1eha9O_hyphenhyphenCjNdqvmXuV-UmQcSYnUiR4QMwGmx9eIuhHkcMxoiFq8jDJ-8q3I388IiYz48LW-LDTFlRAT-crsvWENjOmKO9dTf761v5rZ7wXG45ZgJWpcvxoJ-YETJaG5k4sNWcTxykU/s320/Dover+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBOnLyPNjr347eIIvZXgacwTHh5vw-EF0Wp-9DeOGTjWRpa8pwQcYYwpsIFgnDbAFxH4i7lQxgP5YG6jjQtogiDwXckUyrsuAFqzPSQsT_D_AtM91goMe9JBNAx5gXya_injst2bGr4w/s1600/Dover+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBOnLyPNjr347eIIvZXgacwTHh5vw-EF0Wp-9DeOGTjWRpa8pwQcYYwpsIFgnDbAFxH4i7lQxgP5YG6jjQtogiDwXckUyrsuAFqzPSQsT_D_AtM91goMe9JBNAx5gXya_injst2bGr4w/s320/Dover+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Below is the casino hotel lobby. We didn't stay there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYH3AKnE8Q66Jqv09fy10LxRtW1xHo3omdcy1Lf2B64qlh1RAfT8FBLaB5bmCiBdy2kX3RTOzsiVK0feWKwD9pwPxLYBI17_a3EyNpQZM5AlGtI9ndHRRhQCVt12RCA2gCalm2wpWxzk/s1600/Dover+casino+hotel+lobby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYH3AKnE8Q66Jqv09fy10LxRtW1xHo3omdcy1Lf2B64qlh1RAfT8FBLaB5bmCiBdy2kX3RTOzsiVK0feWKwD9pwPxLYBI17_a3EyNpQZM5AlGtI9ndHRRhQCVt12RCA2gCalm2wpWxzk/s320/Dover+casino+hotel+lobby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And the grandstands at the Dover Racetrack where the auto races, including NASCAR, are held.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsccI67GGVbcLagFQHvz2zqjcXCV6Y5k659aN9e6xUIna0EjkpLWbk890zdzPR5VBfSwkZ87rCP6PDX2Y4fRzVTLO1OhKK91E17jMwaPhVJpmQzDKqjuYHGV5ww2UWQY-Q4uEins9dG8/s1600/Dover+Racetrack+Grandstand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsccI67GGVbcLagFQHvz2zqjcXCV6Y5k659aN9e6xUIna0EjkpLWbk890zdzPR5VBfSwkZ87rCP6PDX2Y4fRzVTLO1OhKK91E17jMwaPhVJpmQzDKqjuYHGV5ww2UWQY-Q4uEins9dG8/s320/Dover+Racetrack+Grandstand.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the view from our much more modest hotel room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYJpo8FAm66UH7QleEnVpo9_KnwTg2izMV6KCZtbPuob9sfqUmNCJZAAJndpYqe2evYk3RK4uGsS72Oa1CGXVVyKuvQrpYCikUE6f1g4HtK4gNUbbX-X_l-omIgT-nOyY8u2gUueStTk/s1600/View+from+hotel+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYJpo8FAm66UH7QleEnVpo9_KnwTg2izMV6KCZtbPuob9sfqUmNCJZAAJndpYqe2evYk3RK4uGsS72Oa1CGXVVyKuvQrpYCikUE6f1g4HtK4gNUbbX-X_l-omIgT-nOyY8u2gUueStTk/s320/View+from+hotel+window.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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Lastly, I painted this one using a limited pallete of subdued colors. As an experiment, I used only Indigo, Burnt Sienna and Quinacridone Gold. The scene is a generic pretend city corner, just to play with color mixing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikl_q5xW5it3Dprg71wLhbf2D3OENXwipvqoDkWVqRThOXx4sjdN30AqgA67FwtYe6ivCLU61DzVBlmKAt-fekr-6RauInuRn8LOBfr3wRFxI1U3U49A01kFBEFm-fc1e5AdDKDUyicLk/s1600/Limited+pallet+experiment+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikl_q5xW5it3Dprg71wLhbf2D3OENXwipvqoDkWVqRThOXx4sjdN30AqgA67FwtYe6ivCLU61DzVBlmKAt-fekr-6RauInuRn8LOBfr3wRFxI1U3U49A01kFBEFm-fc1e5AdDKDUyicLk/s320/Limited+pallet+experiment+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hey, July is only half over!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-72246992231564163852012-07-04T13:52:00.001-04:002012-07-04T13:52:25.428-04:00July Sketching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here are three sketches I've done so far this month. The first is just playing around with the ubiquitous Pilot Razor Point felt pen. This pen is cheap, writes wonderfully, and when you hit it with a little water, it washes into this beautiful neutral gray.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCXdU7Z_zer-SjVkhw14FwD44B2r3Ajbr8APLMXiEJehJgqJppcJ2x_iSyuZN3qajCs1ZXqNCMJBwBikFFu2YI5EnXX8KbTYIQSi2_Z186KpqtgXgW-3W2K-3TXOU13cTEPBk4EPaPQE/s1600/Pilot+Razor+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCXdU7Z_zer-SjVkhw14FwD44B2r3Ajbr8APLMXiEJehJgqJppcJ2x_iSyuZN3qajCs1ZXqNCMJBwBikFFu2YI5EnXX8KbTYIQSi2_Z186KpqtgXgW-3W2K-3TXOU13cTEPBk4EPaPQE/s320/Pilot+Razor+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next up I was in the basement waiting for the laundry to dry, so I did a quick sketch of some of my rockets on their rack. This is pencil, followed by Pitt artist pen, with watercolor wash.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL_l69rlrxF8HsXqzmK_IZwrBAfVFsDPUYqSJv9qCugIgigkmZ5nOufWe5RTFvKVDWz4tyDd1whyphenhyphenaLBCp4vA29o9iYBQg9U5Sm2jFiFtZQcHVnZW6LGTAuKxTdRqyzMcJhLX0zWpyNvw/s1600/Rockets+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFL_l69rlrxF8HsXqzmK_IZwrBAfVFsDPUYqSJv9qCugIgigkmZ5nOufWe5RTFvKVDWz4tyDd1whyphenhyphenaLBCp4vA29o9iYBQg9U5Sm2jFiFtZQcHVnZW6LGTAuKxTdRqyzMcJhLX0zWpyNvw/s320/Rockets+1.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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And since that last one worked out so well, here's a couple of my high power rockets. These are the big boys I fly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2vYT3V8AIePsa4QhufiL03rP4wjJH33BgE991IPNw6iZ6u23W-b73cTqL9xGbDouf8PyusN7qBPG3UFxQNgnX_nm2JPjLH4tvCBKKKL8cYhivrhFm9sZZ4uLx8aJmY6GPhwztsHquro/s1600/Rockets+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2vYT3V8AIePsa4QhufiL03rP4wjJH33BgE991IPNw6iZ6u23W-b73cTqL9xGbDouf8PyusN7qBPG3UFxQNgnX_nm2JPjLH4tvCBKKKL8cYhivrhFm9sZZ4uLx8aJmY6GPhwztsHquro/s320/Rockets+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-31051956742242481432012-06-30T23:50:00.003-04:002012-06-30T23:50:48.706-04:00Something Old, Something New<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here are a few sketches I've done this year.</div>
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This first one - two, actually - are from photos. I'd just gotten a Pentel Pocket Brush and wanted to see what kind of marks it would make.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2Qsl23wnah46m-dF4U4BkBuHgmmoScaYIQ_RPKCbX1Nkxc8RHVgqDTlP7x9LZUgOtrGqXX2zniJi0bNNRtsALbarv4eZx4LCYDKXsIfG-0uz5jXimmbmEHgB6PHF0aOeoleXIHhlvWw/s1600/Pentel+Brush+Pen+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2Qsl23wnah46m-dF4U4BkBuHgmmoScaYIQ_RPKCbX1Nkxc8RHVgqDTlP7x9LZUgOtrGqXX2zniJi0bNNRtsALbarv4eZx4LCYDKXsIfG-0uz5jXimmbmEHgB6PHF0aOeoleXIHhlvWw/s320/Pentel+Brush+Pen+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In April we went hiking in Shenandoah National Park, and I took this amazing photo of my son-in-law standing on Crescent Rock. This is a sketch I did of that photo using a set of Pitt Big Brush markers, the Pentel brush pen and a little watercolor. I think the rocks suck, I've been working on that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-LazoKSbYMHN3nJasclRyllrrjr7AsVM85iA_G2wNM0vEoPwjUOgQSOQ6U3Yocx_oUqMGFmRLw_314qUcuhf9xZsuQwXCNyatzYZlDSrLXddbrvF8zp67kBtbId7yvlFhEFKyt8jUIE/s1600/SNP+-+Henry+Crescent+Rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-LazoKSbYMHN3nJasclRyllrrjr7AsVM85iA_G2wNM0vEoPwjUOgQSOQ6U3Yocx_oUqMGFmRLw_314qUcuhf9xZsuQwXCNyatzYZlDSrLXddbrvF8zp67kBtbId7yvlFhEFKyt8jUIE/s320/SNP+-+Henry+Crescent+Rock.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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This is from a photo, Alaska, I think.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZpbT4ZnJnhbZBcSDNAboTrsYPXdt0LkRjAgIBdhkn17jE0qYK-wrFXhnXw0fSbc8sJ85JdzGgpceMx5HrXFTsApGdfO5Jebz9AsXnmrRDZNJ55BpmOrhBkqRqqF3XEIJpEE5vEMPZKI/s1600/Spring+Sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZpbT4ZnJnhbZBcSDNAboTrsYPXdt0LkRjAgIBdhkn17jE0qYK-wrFXhnXw0fSbc8sJ85JdzGgpceMx5HrXFTsApGdfO5Jebz9AsXnmrRDZNJ55BpmOrhBkqRqqF3XEIJpEE5vEMPZKI/s320/Spring+Sketch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another sketch done with the Pitt Big Brush markers. I bought the 'warm gray' set of 4 and so far I like them alot, although I still need to learn how to use them (example: the squared-off blob in the lower part).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnN2xN64zZAwQxLfcdi4COCEq9DpoP-rZJebgmKtKURK46LV91z3S1grOipJT_RqpL-X42mCCs19PRtdQ55-0zgRsAPl61_FelGlLOo8lVG6MdFNjAafgzpkTmmAu0G4CLtVI6B6plfs/s1600/Sunset+Visit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnN2xN64zZAwQxLfcdi4COCEq9DpoP-rZJebgmKtKURK46LV91z3S1grOipJT_RqpL-X42mCCs19PRtdQ55-0zgRsAPl61_FelGlLOo8lVG6MdFNjAafgzpkTmmAu0G4CLtVI6B6plfs/s320/Sunset+Visit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-16522291292629801732012-06-24T07:52:00.000-04:002012-06-24T08:07:47.457-04:00Experimenting with Ink<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ink washes are something new for me, so I put together a page of the various fountain pen inks I have and tried to do a consistent set of tests on them to see how they'll react. In trying to keep the image size manageable, some detail was lost, so I'm going to describe what I see in each ink in case you can't make it out in the image. My apologies in advance for boring you! You can also click on the image below to see it in it's original size to pick up some of the nuances that I'll describe.</div>
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These were done on Canson cold-press, 140lb watercolor paper. Since each pen, ink and paper combination can react differently, your results will probably vary. I still think this can be a useful baseline.</div>
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For each ink, I scribbled down the left hand side, then used a waterbrush to wash the bottom half of the scribble to the right. I did a quick dab with a paper towel to clean any remaining ink out of the brush, then continued the wash upwards. Next I did a second wash along the very bottom of the ink, trying to scrub the original ink lines away as much as possible. Finally, I put some clean water down to the right and drew cross-hatching through the wet area of the paper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSfEQhtgYpGg1K3ZE6UPeOvLQZS_oMIeDIZsGHBHTHGEl6OIWL98qoWaeyDhXbmcR3Gg3HTBbNCEU6Fp3AK4xqKUm3-oLbCItC3MsdjbunTvj3mB0kMV5ZnhlmJTbKlWEB0V6UzOPv38/s1600/Ink+Washes+-+Original+size.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSfEQhtgYpGg1K3ZE6UPeOvLQZS_oMIeDIZsGHBHTHGEl6OIWL98qoWaeyDhXbmcR3Gg3HTBbNCEU6Fp3AK4xqKUm3-oLbCItC3MsdjbunTvj3mB0kMV5ZnhlmJTbKlWEB0V6UzOPv38/s320/Ink+Washes+-+Original+size.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Details, details...</div>
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Aurora Black - The original pen lines washed away almost completely, and the wash was strong. I can see why this ink is popular here on the forum. As for the wet-on-wet cross-hatching, I suspect that I waited too long to make my pen marks, which explains the lack of feathering. </div>
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J. Herbin Lie de The - The strongest and weakest ends of the wash here are undeniably brown, but the second wash and the fade to the right both show a definite green tint. There are faint green lines left under the wash where the original pen scribble was made.</div>
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Private Reserve Burgundy Mist - The early word on Private Reserve inks was that over time certain colors would darken in the bottle. This ink makes me believe it to be true. When I first got this, the ink was a rich, deep purple-red, but you can see that now it's turned into a dark navy blue. When the waterbrush hits it though, it turns into a blueish wash with tinges of pink. In fact, the second scrub wash leaves behind red lines as the blue washes away. Both washes left traces of the original pen lines.<br />
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Waterman Red - This bright red ink disolves completely into the wash.<br />
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Mont Blanc British Racing Green - This is my all-time favorite green, which is why Mont Blanc stopped making it. As soon as that was announced, existing supplies were gobbled up and the only place to find it anymore is on eBay, for a price. Oh well, I'll find a replacement. When you wash this dark green, the original pen lines are left, dark and clearly visible. The wash fades beautifully into a grayish green.<br />
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Noodler's Red-Black - When you wash this ink, the red releases first, leaving dark "black" lines behind. A second wash will lighten up the lines to gray, but they do not disappear. On the wet-on-wet cross-hatching, this ink showed the least amount of feathering.<br />
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Levenger Cardinal - This is a slightly darker shade than the Waterman Red, but it behaves much the same way in a wash. The original lines completely disappear. I don't use this ink anymore because the nib creep was so horrible that I was constantly cleaning the inside of the cap of whichever pen I'd loaded it in. Levenger's customer service sent me a replacement bottle (see Empyrean below), and I'm happy to say that I've had no problems with that ink.<br />
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Private Reserve Spearmint - This is a much brighter green than the Mont Blanc, but it leaves similar dark lines behind in a wash and fades nicely to a grayish green color. Ignore the little red splotch in the corner there, a tiny bit of Cardinal was hiding in my waterbrush and decided to make an appearance.<br />
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Levenger Empyrean - Halfway between navy and bright blue, this ink is much better behaved than the other Levenger ink. There are dark lines left after the wash, but you can see where they feathered quit a bit, even though they didn't disappear. The lightest wash tends towards gray.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-22452398544987026522012-06-21T18:30:00.000-04:002012-06-23T18:30:56.231-04:00Negative SpaceNegative painting means you paint around an object to show that it's there. I created the painting below as an exercise from Linda Kemp's excellent book, "Painting Outside the Lines". Notice that I don't actually paint the trees, I paint the background around it and the tree shape appears.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXuh1Fk_13T3rC6rqboaOqVk5tSArAKgDz48LLAVj89poAnnCXesJPxYBrxdFJaFeSpS-fohAizrRHKJ2W0BZduLuO_5PcpJCiXDobd9xoFPC3rhyfeZyzrB71qN67vGkAAxjyIM4rMg/s1600/Negative+-+Kemp+exercise.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXuh1Fk_13T3rC6rqboaOqVk5tSArAKgDz48LLAVj89poAnnCXesJPxYBrxdFJaFeSpS-fohAizrRHKJ2W0BZduLuO_5PcpJCiXDobd9xoFPC3rhyfeZyzrB71qN67vGkAAxjyIM4rMg/s320/Negative+-+Kemp+exercise.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a powerful technique and one I'm going to really have to work at to master.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-33806672071937319252012-06-09T13:23:00.000-04:002012-06-23T18:24:24.506-04:00Pen and InkI almost always carry a fountain pen with me, it's what I use. Recently, I ran across the idea of using a brush dipped in water to cause the ink to run in a (mostly) controlled way, creating shadows and tone.<br />
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I tried it, and I'm hooked. As often as not, I'll carry my small sketchbook and now a waterbrush with me, to go along with my trusty fountain pens. Below are some examples.<br />
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These first two I did at Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, WV. My wife is an occasional gambler, I'm not. I go, grab a cup of coffee and sit in the food court and people watch, read, and sketch.<br />
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Lamy Safari with Noodler's Red-Black ink.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VWETT_wBl_h6ZC00Ajjipt9PzDeFy2QMT1zccHNo7U03hwADMnyNFzNQR0fjpiHJK3cyI_lTOga7QC0NUmElq6EvPh3ihndABVaVG98kJzP4yFNLFodEiETDgKvovjoSH6eD9Qc7vEA/s1600/Hollywood+Casino++1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VWETT_wBl_h6ZC00Ajjipt9PzDeFy2QMT1zccHNo7U03hwADMnyNFzNQR0fjpiHJK3cyI_lTOga7QC0NUmElq6EvPh3ihndABVaVG98kJzP4yFNLFodEiETDgKvovjoSH6eD9Qc7vEA/s320/Hollywood+Casino++1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pentel brush pen.<br />
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One lovely Spring morning out back with the dog. Lamy Safari with Levenger's Empyrean ink.<br />
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This first set was done with my trusty Lamy Safari fountain pen filled with Levenger's Empyrean ink, then the washes were teased out with a waterbrush. On the bottom right, I know the shadows don't fit the light source. :)<br />
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<br />This next set is similar. The blue, green and red were all done with Lamy Safaris filled with Levenger's Empyrean (again), MontBlanc British Racing Green (discontinued, dammit), and Noodler's Red-Black. The lower left was done with a Pentel brush pen with their standard black ink. Once again, careful use of the waterbrush makes for value shading.<br />
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This last one is pure watercolor, and is about 1"x2" (I think). No particular scene in mind, I just had a bit of sketchbook page that was mocking me for leaving it blank.<br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-10265334211620302542012-05-24T18:55:00.000-04:002012-06-23T17:55:57.717-04:00Storm CloudsFrom a book on painting techniques.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84cw_mxwDVtTtO-_qF6sWhOwLTXkJ1H6MfMBMtDEu6WnnrANKkgq8R3nVOXCgxxhfh1t4KUqRJw8I15K-CxEuRqy4ulG6YmnabDLzouLfwOom8KSMVN0j_DH_RUjfwMczB_2fQMAVc-I/s1600/Storm+Clouds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84cw_mxwDVtTtO-_qF6sWhOwLTXkJ1H6MfMBMtDEu6WnnrANKkgq8R3nVOXCgxxhfh1t4KUqRJw8I15K-CxEuRqy4ulG6YmnabDLzouLfwOom8KSMVN0j_DH_RUjfwMczB_2fQMAVc-I/s320/Storm+Clouds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-3627992943217192892012-05-16T20:48:00.000-04:002012-06-23T17:52:08.280-04:00Two for TechniqueA coworker who sees many of my sketches and paintings remarked upon how, more often than not, I'll refer to creating my art as 'playing'. It's true, my default is "playing with paint" or "playing with composition", etc, rather than the more serious sounding "creating art" or even "drawing" or "painting". <br />
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I'm ok with that. To me, this is pure play. I'm certainly not going to make a living at it (although everything here is for sale, contact me for prices! LOL). I sketch and paint and write for fun, for escape, for my own satisfaction. In other words, I play.<br />
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You should try it. Too many people have forgotten how.<br />
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Ok, these two were strictly to pla... practice with techniques that I'm not completely familiar with. The first, "Tree and Rocks" (catchy, eh?) is where I practiced creating rock surfaces by scraping wet paint with the edge of a plastic card (in my case, an old library card). For the tree foilage, I used the ol' sponge dipped in paint trick that we all learned in school. It's not great art, but it was great practice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPS5_dM8JD25xHsR_HIHneRKFnqqiw276iZNb6Lh74LxHA_hgcJkgdUHc-2R3zyrkJH-q1tVWOIOcwXtmtSehq4nd9DDSJ5oPPcYMtjNJq4XTQyK0oyyDxXi_n4VVg76gsZRlNR-4ZBDE/s1600/Tree+and+Rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPS5_dM8JD25xHsR_HIHneRKFnqqiw276iZNb6Lh74LxHA_hgcJkgdUHc-2R3zyrkJH-q1tVWOIOcwXtmtSehq4nd9DDSJ5oPPcYMtjNJq4XTQyK0oyyDxXi_n4VVg76gsZRlNR-4ZBDE/s320/Tree+and+Rocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This next one is "Snow Shadows", which is also a perfect description. My wife gave me lots of good suggestions on how to make this work better, but I was concentrating on lifting the light spots out of the painted snow, to reveal the tree casting the shadows. The technique is rather time consuming and I definitely need more practice, but that's why I play.<br />
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This is similart to what I did in <a href="http://quiet-tales.blogspot.com/2010/08/dappled.html">Dappled</a>.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-64426550709869384422012-05-04T16:57:00.000-04:002012-06-23T16:59:24.721-04:00Artist Trading Cards - Round 2Did two more ATC's a while back and exchanged them. These are the ones I sent out, and if you'll recall the actual size is 2.5"x3.5".<br />
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First up, an attempt (rather poor one, in my opinion) of rolling farm fields. Titled "Heartland".<br />
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In "Shimmer", I tried to capture the Aurora Borealis, aka Northern Lights. I was lucky enough to see them for myself when I was stationed in North Dakota with the USAF. They can be spectacular.</div>
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Here's a pen and ink wash drawing of Range View Cabin. The perspective looks a little funky, but it's not as off as it looks, which was one reason why I chose this particular angle to sketch from.
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This was done using a brush pen and waterbrush. The view is the start of the trail that leads from the cabin back to the Appalachian Trail.
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Straight watercolor sketch of a pair of interesting trees that were on the path to the cabin privy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-8336916081728054182011-12-20T11:05:00.001-05:002012-06-23T16:25:19.234-04:00Restless NightDark. Stormy. Night. With a heavy sigh, the Duke turned away from the tall tower window. Every time the weather turned such, the peasants went berserk and somebody’s windmill burned to the ground. Last time it was Doctor Frankenstein’s, this time it could very well be his.<br />
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They were such superstitious fools, he thought, but not entirely without reason. After all, the unique ability of this area to generate frequent and powerful thunderstorms was legendary, and perfect for experiments requiring massive amounts of electrical energy. It was only natural that scientists of every stripe would be drawn to the region. The peasants called the scientists “mad” amongst themselves, but the Duke preferred the term “misunderstood”. As it applied to most of them, anyway. A few, were indeed, probably closer to madness than sanity. But that didn’t invalidate their scientific results, did it?<br />
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Crossing the room to his desk, the Duke sat down and lifted a snifter of fine brandy. Raising it to his nose, he looked over the rim of the crystal at his ygor, Bradley.<br />
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“So. Bradley, what’s the latest gossip?”<br />
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Bradley straightened as much as his hunched form would allow, and began, “Well, m’Lord, a new band of gypsy’s has moved into the area.”<br />
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The Duke’s eyebrow raised. “Another?” At Bradley’s nod, the Duke continued, “It seems that we have an abundance of Romani at the moment.”<br />
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Bradley nodded emphatically. “Yes m’Lord. A new travelling show visits each local village about every three days now. The villagers are sick of the gypsies, and the gypsies are irate at not being able to make a living. You can only use so much snake oil and vampire wards.”<br />
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“Quite so,” said the Duke. “I expect that supply and demand will eventually thin out the number of caravans criss-crossing the region.”<br />
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“Yes, m’Lord, but the villagers are already starting to take action. I’ve heard that some are directing the nomads to ‘more fertile opportunity,’ over closer to the Count’s castle.”<br />
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“Oh, well… I suppose Vlad will be happy for that, at least. What else for news?”<br />
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“Dr. Frankenstein has put out the word that he’s looking for a new ygor. Fritz is missing after the big fire and presumed dead.”<br />
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The Duke sipped, then smiled wryly, “I suppose you’ve applied for the opening?”<br />
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Bradley had the grace to look uncomfortable at the Duke’s insight. Looking down at the ground, he said, “no disrespect to you, m’Lord…”<br />
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“And none assumed, Bradley,” he smiled again, “I am fully aware that everyone wants to work for a winner, and barring that unfortunate ‘incident’, the Doctor is closer to success than the rest of us.”<br />
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And that, thought the Duke, was the downside of the situation. As much as he enjoyed the camaraderie and getting together to talk ‘shop’ with his neighbors, the concentration of scientific talent in the area made it difficult to obtain experimental materials. The Duke himself was stalled because of the shortage of viable cadavers from the local graveyards, and had recently turned down several candidates offered up by less-than-scrupulous villagers. ‘Abby Normal’ indeed!<br />
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But they all had their troubles. Last week the Baron was complaining that it was nigh impossible to obtain copper wire that was robust enough to withstand multiple lightning strikes, and without sufficient power your experiments were doomed from the start.<br />
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Even ygors were in short supply. Sure, you could always hire some half-witted village boy and spend years training him, but as soon as you had him to the point where he didn’t need constant supervision, he’d accept another job offer and you were right back where you started.<br />
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Standing again, the Duke shook off his darkening mood. One didn’t become a man of science by letting adversity dampen enthusiasm. In fact, challenges and setbacks added spice to the process, and made success all the sweeter.<br />
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Staring out into the storm again, the Duke could see a straggling mob of peasants bearing torches and pitchforks stumbling along a muddy road in the middle distance. From their direction, he could tell that he would be short one windmill by dawn.<br />
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Dammit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-50127712641994942892011-09-25T19:23:00.006-04:002011-09-25T19:37:01.878-04:00Vacation PaintingsDuring our cruise, I was able to sit down quite often with brushes. I completed two actual paintings, did several exercises to work on technique, and also did a few quick watercolor sketches.<br /><br />This is the best of the sketches, inspired by the first couple of nights on board under stormy skies. The remnants of hurricane Katia tossed us around pretty good.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3pvZD5Zy5Mf-b4bv84GTjtEdFl-J7OYieDmXYhYDjHaNs2JrO96klV6H4Lpz3AzKMExWKbTJHrU6ksrKpATQwe3ROG7aUbmhpJXzc7jdF_n3eE5iW59fQw00tcyg8vOMxz9eAbw_uVI/s1600/A+Dark+and+Stormy+Night.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3pvZD5Zy5Mf-b4bv84GTjtEdFl-J7OYieDmXYhYDjHaNs2JrO96klV6H4Lpz3AzKMExWKbTJHrU6ksrKpATQwe3ROG7aUbmhpJXzc7jdF_n3eE5iW59fQw00tcyg8vOMxz9eAbw_uVI/s400/A+Dark+and+Stormy+Night.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656442535935565714" /></a><br /><br />Bar Harbor, Maine had lots of these little forrested islands. They gave me a good opportunity to practice my negative painting (indicating a shape by painting around it). Here, it's the lighter colored trees.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadIxRtZZ8gsTS_CN4nFh7vtEt8j5EjsVsjjlV6Dq69rmJtMnqqlFgDqPoiO3T984FvKYYMGjXRYIsYNCj6mVOAbjhbG1SQfCOcAykcNMGJrhFZ7Ci4nAoolbYBEnLyK_gCvcp3zIGW-s/s1600/Bar+Harbor+Island.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadIxRtZZ8gsTS_CN4nFh7vtEt8j5EjsVsjjlV6Dq69rmJtMnqqlFgDqPoiO3T984FvKYYMGjXRYIsYNCj6mVOAbjhbG1SQfCOcAykcNMGJrhFZ7Ci4nAoolbYBEnLyK_gCvcp3zIGW-s/s400/Bar+Harbor+Island.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656443329376291506" /></a><br /><br />A buoy in Portland, Maine.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTgdEeiRbEYqZ8yMDyaBTJgGBX7vFsezJ_yYQYxUtXzbqGRrCTadNaAcnvNUDP6pYUSlDUzO_A-hlhjCjwkJ4WeBqPu0xTjuidKKDIGEZjQre5AqRJdbso08oGIFFVohyphenhyphenFQRDzQxy7zw/s1600/Portland+Bouy.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTgdEeiRbEYqZ8yMDyaBTJgGBX7vFsezJ_yYQYxUtXzbqGRrCTadNaAcnvNUDP6pYUSlDUzO_A-hlhjCjwkJ4WeBqPu0xTjuidKKDIGEZjQre5AqRJdbso08oGIFFVohyphenhyphenFQRDzQxy7zw/s400/Portland+Bouy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656444137308487746" /></a><br /><br />This painting was inspired by a lighthouse in Saint John, New Brunswick.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqwadt-3-fHD3-FxkXT6TMjiG_sjv4qx_V-TGiMLCdbgUecVOQtYb8FPIykXhrEKBnLL6uWlnXQELPfbz9GwFV_El8FhsoIvR1t1uQ1I3tcooRzHX9PeXYWGigndDKmDzBk42zZ6PTJ4/s1600/Saint+John.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqwadt-3-fHD3-FxkXT6TMjiG_sjv4qx_V-TGiMLCdbgUecVOQtYb8FPIykXhrEKBnLL6uWlnXQELPfbz9GwFV_El8FhsoIvR1t1uQ1I3tcooRzHX9PeXYWGigndDKmDzBk42zZ6PTJ4/s400/Saint+John.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656444854989654978" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-47824945410458142622011-01-29T22:27:00.007-05:002011-01-29T22:34:51.537-05:00January Challenge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4I7sGXHAzLDlX9JhDKl_NtJZVCT20g2M2dc4eRH1ArchmB38Z4AGbH5ZfbwYWE5FZSPsBimN9o7zfafIn-Yxc0lDO_Gb2CE0fvYpMKQ3LeNgRJ0aodIiPr6sDCLGAeyl11vIxQQUecOw/s1600/Holly.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4I7sGXHAzLDlX9JhDKl_NtJZVCT20g2M2dc4eRH1ArchmB38Z4AGbH5ZfbwYWE5FZSPsBimN9o7zfafIn-Yxc0lDO_Gb2CE0fvYpMKQ3LeNgRJ0aodIiPr6sDCLGAeyl11vIxQQUecOw/s400/Holly.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567816478784023138" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3PtufQ5c-xjRR5XHfT-1v1csk5XdYIu0ul-lBAyUawU2U51LwE_Yy2QlDjDTHEfwxPdOo67BhS9fGKvKbFaQfF2MkK5RtMGRVkJCIo2QLAqQ0vYQPHl1Twe4lkvPUbngB6aZNjOQ_t8/s1600/Walk+in+the+Rain.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 388px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3PtufQ5c-xjRR5XHfT-1v1csk5XdYIu0ul-lBAyUawU2U51LwE_Yy2QlDjDTHEfwxPdOo67BhS9fGKvKbFaQfF2MkK5RtMGRVkJCIo2QLAqQ0vYQPHl1Twe4lkvPUbngB6aZNjOQ_t8/s400/Walk+in+the+Rain.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567816353266445042" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjkfAQL-QS5wJDeTE2SYhGwyc8vV9NX4ql4dtqbpuHHcwEXfw54RyQMIh3JQi4eRIoiDiyKsyaCg70CR8b80_9EvnatoEBWTGDMnHmwzDRE7hYqaelQMBw9ECgsRfflMyYlHZoV85Amw/s1600/Fenceline.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjkfAQL-QS5wJDeTE2SYhGwyc8vV9NX4ql4dtqbpuHHcwEXfw54RyQMIh3JQi4eRIoiDiyKsyaCg70CR8b80_9EvnatoEBWTGDMnHmwzDRE7hYqaelQMBw9ECgsRfflMyYlHZoV85Amw/s400/Fenceline.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567816211463869794" /></a><br />This month's watercolor forum project was to paint something using watercolors and ink. These are in the order that I did them from top to bottom; Holly, Walk in the Rain, and Fenceline. I think that's the reverse order that I like them too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-24961608825380150002011-01-29T22:25:00.002-05:002011-01-29T22:27:00.088-05:00Ocala National Forest at Sunrise<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6m9aZJVEpjUhdNBOoGXPfWU0Xv7CgI_4lV15XOu9f55pX-43TPcy-AbHpxgPIkz3WrHDvQCb1YZoxbMOGX33ODjwXwI1LhDthmSVDh97bPURXyKbWnoeQzGj_dt0uFFyGOH77e1X-j8E/s1600/Ocala+Sunrise.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6m9aZJVEpjUhdNBOoGXPfWU0Xv7CgI_4lV15XOu9f55pX-43TPcy-AbHpxgPIkz3WrHDvQCb1YZoxbMOGX33ODjwXwI1LhDthmSVDh97bPURXyKbWnoeQzGj_dt0uFFyGOH77e1X-j8E/s400/Ocala+Sunrise.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567815240782078658" /></a><br />Painted during vacation. Watercolor on 6"x4" block.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-48873738827384939362011-01-23T14:28:00.004-05:002012-06-23T17:30:22.155-04:00CalmHere are two watercolors I did as a Christmas present for a co-worker. I was in a hurry so the scans are rather washed out. Trust me, these are much nicer in reality.<br />
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Both were inspired by photos or images I found on the web. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_eKJcv-MR8CQuA98vEQLuvIMA68f1ZVVZaVmrWFaPvk8LXZlQVeK6Vb7v75hnro35PiMMjbd7efUublXh2ClH1ZxRf4cq-DsLIEuP9tm80vnOop5l2kV0vosyqfXqUvr0CcvoMHeWDY/s1600/Peaceful+01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565469611603294594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_eKJcv-MR8CQuA98vEQLuvIMA68f1ZVVZaVmrWFaPvk8LXZlQVeK6Vb7v75hnro35PiMMjbd7efUublXh2ClH1ZxRf4cq-DsLIEuP9tm80vnOop5l2kV0vosyqfXqUvr0CcvoMHeWDY/s400/Peaceful+01.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 283px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajJEp31mKPnDdgvCEk1kaOFej0FSOC0B8qRu440PrAwbSwqRSF7kAX8-of7hIy2sUBXiUSjwLC433g5rlM13fSihKqZZhr6z6HTy4TORa4Deszcjs51Sob0KTebc0tPAiaXoIP0FSiIo/s1600/Peaceful+02.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565469484863114354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajJEp31mKPnDdgvCEk1kaOFej0FSOC0B8qRu440PrAwbSwqRSF7kAX8-of7hIy2sUBXiUSjwLC433g5rlM13fSihKqZZhr6z6HTy4TORa4Deszcjs51Sob0KTebc0tPAiaXoIP0FSiIo/s400/Peaceful+02.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 283px;" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-24996747773221604952010-10-28T20:12:00.004-04:002010-10-28T20:17:10.718-04:00Look Up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLY9mKbdBFhMklZT9n-DJuFKpPtuAq8QjqT6eA-wP1xSSDzfUyFyGYvG9FohWIvVf0dJTspTRyJUOAcJ33ikhhKt2ljtrOST-F3eeXw3Xx6ruHPyHifKoPPIcuJiYlKx8eKpOJP_rbJjk/s1600/Look+Up.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLY9mKbdBFhMklZT9n-DJuFKpPtuAq8QjqT6eA-wP1xSSDzfUyFyGYvG9FohWIvVf0dJTspTRyJUOAcJ33ikhhKt2ljtrOST-F3eeXw3Xx6ruHPyHifKoPPIcuJiYlKx8eKpOJP_rbJjk/s400/Look+Up.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533254352626468370" /></a><br /><br />On a hiking forum, someone told the story of how they were walking along the trail when they heard a *snort* from overhead. Looking up, they saw a Mama bear glaring down at him, with a cub visible a little farther up the tree.<br /><br />Now in this situation, what's the first thing you do? If you answered 'grab my camera', then you might be a hiker. "Look Up" is a quick study, loosely based on that photo. I like it enough that I'm probably going to do again in a larger format.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622728340787355308.post-88499329668078870132010-10-05T20:51:00.005-04:002010-10-28T20:11:48.933-04:00Overlook<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmvWiFmkGnBxLfWQQUf8r-Rul89MvDbTEyDNOp64HCH_Z2ogBLEVZn-vcRc-jEWc_Lt4_0jhnALeP2VN2UBWZFIZMuOrfCjfRAxVW76qIp_fvoUqb4qUT5M2933oGpl4nXSGtqjXM46k/s1600/Overlook.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmvWiFmkGnBxLfWQQUf8r-Rul89MvDbTEyDNOp64HCH_Z2ogBLEVZn-vcRc-jEWc_Lt4_0jhnALeP2VN2UBWZFIZMuOrfCjfRAxVW76qIp_fvoUqb4qUT5M2933oGpl4nXSGtqjXM46k/s400/Overlook.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524730999322113234" /></a><br /><br />Santa brought me a set of Artists Trading Cards last year. They're little - 2.5"x3.5" - and can be pretty much any medium (paint, pen, etc.) as long as it's permanent. You can trade the cards, or some artists are popular enough that they can sell their cards. I signed up for a card exchange this month. The theme is Autumn. Here's my first card, I can do up to three. It's the smallest thing I've ever tried to paint before, so it was quite challenging.<br /><br />Sometime in November all the entries will be put into a hat and then I'll mail my card(s) somewhere in the world to the new lucky owner of an original Ted. And I'll get someone else's card(s) in the mail to start my own collection.<br /><br /><strong>Update:</strong> Ok, I finished the other two.<br /><br />Whoosh.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFalsKZPFhZ52-V9DMfMxIl4lfjzCDmKii5QDVV9DCphrnQkGct334uv1lpVLuVXeqNNXeds30y1lT8lL4PKAESOPzqhKXxx3l2cmoZETTSHX7UUDvYNMAhDX6Fdl5Ak2vwZd2BtXd0HU/s1600/whoosh+-+color+corrected.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFalsKZPFhZ52-V9DMfMxIl4lfjzCDmKii5QDVV9DCphrnQkGct334uv1lpVLuVXeqNNXeds30y1lT8lL4PKAESOPzqhKXxx3l2cmoZETTSHX7UUDvYNMAhDX6Fdl5Ak2vwZd2BtXd0HU/s400/whoosh+-+color+corrected.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533253750458986674" /></a><br /><br />Perfect Tree (in my dreams).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagYk24asfH1rj2l-vwyJ09xjugUsWmiuonguL9-4P1gRPkIYJeLHkkEqo6t3LWO28OcNcw-Oni4jij8Dwo1vgRrrav-L0Ce9LFuSiGkyfCSsBBgmPN4g6AvlkNeUhR72jiOw9BIHyRuQ/s1600/ATC03+-+Perfect+Tree+(in+my+dreams).jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagYk24asfH1rj2l-vwyJ09xjugUsWmiuonguL9-4P1gRPkIYJeLHkkEqo6t3LWO28OcNcw-Oni4jij8Dwo1vgRrrav-L0Ce9LFuSiGkyfCSsBBgmPN4g6AvlkNeUhR72jiOw9BIHyRuQ/s400/ATC03+-+Perfect+Tree+(in+my+dreams).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526208164275246130" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1