koukla carolyn

I ended up doing quite a lot of sketching on Friday, like these drawings of my dirty laundry, for Everyday Matters Challenge #40: folds. This was actually very relaxing and I think I could do a lot more for this topic if I wanted to. Ordinarily I would tackle this challenge with graphite or charcoal or pastel—something I could make very soft and blended. It was interesting to do this with line though, and good practice because I want to improve my pen and ink technique. I would like to try this again only with patterned fabric.

The upcoming week is very busy for me because I’m going to be working a lot in addition to getting my teapot series done. I’m hoping to finish it this week and maybe use some dip pen and watercolor. I can’t wait.

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.

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!

There is a bookstore near where I work so I stopped in after work yesterday and got this carrot cake for the main purpose of drawing it. I was attracted to the layers and the nut encrusted icing. It was tasty too.

I have been really intrigued with drawing food items recently. I also had Everyday Matters Challenge #36 in mind (draw in public). I really don’t have an issue with drawing in public and I actually like the attention quite often. Most of the time, however, people just leave me alone, as in this case. Brown 01 Micron.

This is for Everday Matters Challenge #17: draw a musical insturment. I had a hard time coming up with ideas today so I decided to draw one of the challenges. This is a Peruvian ocarina, a type of flute like thing. I can’t play it or anything—it’s just a nice little trinket that someone gave me as a gift. I felt like a kid drawing this and then coloring it in. Mircron pen and marker.

Everyday Matters Challenge #37 is draw your keys or keychain. Yesterday I managed to make these sketches between classes. The keys themselves are very perfunctory—I concentrated on the keychain because it was more interesting to me. I got this monogrammed leather pouch keychain in Florence when I was 16—also the year I started drinving. This keychain has a lot of sentimental value and I would be very upset if I ever lost it.

I did this first sketch in the morning before my Spanish class:

Afterwards I went to the library and started sketching instead of studying. I didn’t do as well on this sketch as I would have liked:

Then I moved to a more comfortable chair and sketched my keychain again. I draped it over the arm of a chair so only the keychain shows:

As promised, I’ve revisited Everyday Matters Challenge #34. I have to admit that the leaves still aren’t that great and if I wait a week or two they will probably be a little better. But the leaves in general aren’t as colorful as they have been in past years. (Sadly, I’ve read that this is one of the effects of global warming.)

The first drawing I did entirely in Prismacolor colored pencil. I haven’t picked up a colored pencil in a long time and it felt really nice. I liked the way this leaf had a variety of yellow, orange and green in it—it was really fun to draw. I tried to really lay it on thick so as to cover all the white spots in the paper.

The second sketch was also done with colored pencils, but I used them more as drawing pencils. I used mulberry, olive green, dark brown and burnt ochre Prismacolors for this.

I did the last drawing with bic ballpoint before my Spanish class yesterday morning. I use ballpoints when I draw at school because I can’t lug around a lot of art supplies with me. The last two drawings were of the underside of leaves. I thought it would be more interesting this way because the veining was more prominent and there were more curves and shadows.

Everyday Matters Challenge #34 is to draw a leaf. I think the idea is to draw fall leaves but the leaves haven’t really turned yet, or at least not in Massachusetts. (I have a feeling that the leaves will not be too spectacular this year anyway.) Instead I have drawn the leaves of some houseplants: begonia, calla lily, cactus, and something else that I can’t recognize. These are quick sketches and I did not use my blending stump to make everything nice and smooth. I wish I had my colored pencils or watercolors with me right now because I know it would have come out really nice. I do not feel bad for only doing quick sketches though because it is far better than doing nothing. I am a very busy person right now.

I also changed the look of my blog. I wanted something that had less bright colors and was more simple. I like the white for now as it is more “gallery-like.” What do you think?

I didn’t study today even though I should have. I drew these trees for Everyday Matters Challenge #15 instead. I am not very happy with the foliage though. I got impatient and the leaves turned into one big mass of crosshatching. I am looking forward to drawing trees in the winter when I can concentrate on the branches.