I was so happy when I saw that the topic for Illustration Friday was “tea” because I absolutely love tea and I’ve been thinking of doing a tea themed series for a long time. This is a little teapot that my mother gave me a few years ago—it is a personal size teapot with a cup on the bottom part. It’s not really blue and I didn’t draw the shape exactly as it exists either, but I really do like this sketch because it seems very playful and childlike. I think I’m going to draw all the teapots in my house one of these days. We have about six or seven of them.
At school I drink tea from People’s Market when I get stressed out. My favorite choice lately: Raspberry Earl Grey by Gypsy Tea.
I recently got a new 5×7 size sketchbook which I love because it’s small enough to take to school with me but is big enough to draw something decent in. It is spiral bound and has a red linen cover. Ever since I got it I’ve been inspired to draw stupid little objects instead of the grand scenes that I always thought I should be working on before. I’ve started to do the challenges again, but I’ve actually been drawing things that I’ve wanted to do anyway. This is for Challenge #43 (China or ceramic). I got this mug a few years ago for my birthday. I think it came from the Christmas Tree Shops or some other made in China cheap junk store. It’s ironic how when the term “China” was first used to describe ceramics it was to convey the expensive and exotic. Now, made in China just means cheap.
Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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I was really tired when I came home from work last night and I really just felt like moping around the house, but on a whim I decided I should do some sketching. So I decided to draw these flowers that Jeet gave me. I used an 01 micron pen that was on its last leg and my Tombow markers. It was fun to just sit and draw and it kind of made me feel better about things. I have so much work to do right now that I can never do everything that I would like to do. I hate that feeling when you know you have to put something on the back burner and you can’t decide what to put there. I think I would go crazy if I didn’t take some time to draw a little bit.
Everyday Matters Challenge #52 is to draw a dog, so here is another drawing of Ruggles. I didn’t do this for the challenge or anything—I have just been sketching him a lot lately. I did this in blue ink and I actually really like the effect of it, but I just grabbed the first thing that I saw in front of me. I don’t normally draw Ruggles in this position because I like to focus on his face. But he was sleeping and I thought I would just seize the opportunity—I’m glad I did.
Ruggles really is an awesome dog, even though he is getting cranky in his old age (13 years). He’s been sleeping a lot more than usual and he can’t play as much as he used to be able to, but he still follows us around and begs for food. I’ve been trying to draw him more frequently because he is afraid of cameras and so I can never take a photo of him. Also, I don’t know how much longer he will be around so I want to make sure I preserve some memories of him now that I have the chance. I am lucky to have such an attractive and loyal dog.
Everyday Matters Challenge #42 is draw something (in my case, someone) you’re thankful for. This is a sketch I made of my boyfriend Jeet a few days ago. I am truly thankful to have Jeet in my life—he is arguably the perfect person for me. (And he’s smart too!) When I drew this he was solving a 5 star Sudoku and he was concentrating so intensely that it inspired me to draw him. The sketch doesn’t look exactly like him but I think I got some of the major features. And it’s not bad considering that I did it really quickly and without the benefit of an eraser. He was impressed by it anyway, which was nice. Happy Valentine’s Day Jeet!
This is my dog Ruggles, who I love like my own brother. I was getting ready for work this morning and I felt like taking a break to draw a quick picture. I used to draw pictures like this when I was a kid, but sometimes its fun to regress. I used my .25 rapidoliner and Tombow brush pens. Lately, I’ve been drawing without pencils at all. I’ve been under so much pressure lately that the last thing I need is to try to be perfect in my sketchbook as well.
“Hereby it is manifest, that during the time men live without a common Power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called Warre; and such a warre, as is of every man, against every man…and the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.” -Thomas Hobbes in Leviathan
This has been my opinion of the world lately.
