koukla carolyn

Autumn Tree, pitt pens (10×8 cm)

Autumn Tree Sketch, pencil in 9×12 sketchbook

This is my interpretation for November’s Virtual Sketch Date. Originally I wanted to do this in Pen and Ink and it would have been really awesome too, but I was just too taken up by other projects this week that I didn’t have the time to do it justice. So I made the pencil sketch first but thought that maybe I got bogged down with the details too much for my own good. My second itereation was the one done in marker. I do like how that one came out better. I tried to edit things out and be more simple—I wanted it to feel like it was on a windy day and all the leaves had blown off the tree. I used my landscape and grayscale Pitt pens which I got a few months ago but haven’t used too many times. I can’t wait to see what everyone else has come up with for this one.

I was a bit hasty in my scanning and was intending on rescanning them, but I am away from home this weekend. Today I am taking a Saturday class at the Worcester Art Museum. It is an art advice workshop not an actual art class. One of my goals in 2008 was to take an art class but it didn’t materialize because of other circumstances and because I couldn’t find anything decent. I hope this inspires me to really amp up my art efforts, although I am pleased with myself so far this month.

Bonnie and the Bird; graphite, marker and colored pencil in 9×12 sketchbook; 2008

Bonnie, a childhood friend. Well traveled, gorgeous—easily the kind of person that could make someone feel inadequate. But Bonnie is so gracious, soft spoken and kind that I don’t think anyone ever felt that way. I drew this from a photo of her sister’s.

I’ve been practicing portraits lately to brush up on my skills. About 10 years ago or so I went through a phase where I drew nothing but portraits, copying from photos of models in magazines. It took me a long time but I learned the basics through a lot of practice and art instructional books. I still cringe when I look at stuff I have from back then. One thing that I’ve always avoided however, is drawing open mouthed portraits. I never drew anything with someone smiling because the teeth never came out right. I was so frustrated when everyone came out with buck teeth. That basically rules out drawings of friends and family from snapshots as most of the time people are smiling. Thanks to a lot of great suggestions from folks in the EDM group, I was able to finish this drawing. I definitely need more practice but the teeth do look better than what I could have done before.

Design Kneaded Rubber Eraser (my favorite art supply), marker in 5×7 sketchbook, Carolyn A Pappas, 2008

The note reads: “I was five years old when I got my first kneaded eraser. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car on the way to my first art lesson, squeezing and squishing it while it was still in its package. It’s been good luck for me ever since.”

I have always kept my kneaded eraser with me over the years. Nowadays I keep it in a ziplock bag so little bits of dust and lint don’t get stuck in it when I carry it in my purse. My first art teacher always told me that I was to draw with my right hand and play with the eraser with my left hand. I don’t know if anyone else out there does something similar but that has always been my habit. When I was recovering from my hand condition that left me largely unable to draw for a year, I tested myself by squeezing my eraser and imagining the day that I would be using as it was intended. In fact when I finally got back into drawing, I was so out of practice that I used it quite frequently!

The benefits of this type of eraser is that lasts for a long time. After dirtying part of the eraser, all you have to do is squish up a bit so as to reveal a clean surface. It is gentle with the tooth of the paper, allowing for repeated erasings in the same spot and there are not as many eraser bits as with other types of erasers. Also, you can mold the eraser into different shapes to allow you to erase in tight spaces. It can be used to lift out highlights from graphite or charcoal and it’s easy to get soft edges by going over the paper very lightly with the eraser. Some art instructors insist on not letting their students use erasers because it makes them want to erase every mark they put on the paper. That is probably a good practice at least once in awhile for training purposes but I do love my eraser and would keep it around even if I were only playing with it.

I’ve never participated in any of the SketchCrawls before even though I’ve wanted to since the first one back in 2004. I always either had something else going on or was depressed/stressed or just a procrastinator. Right now I’m in unfamiliar territory in terms of where I live and who I know so I thought doing it solo would be the best the first time around. Since the weather is bad today, I decided to go to the mall, which ended up working out just fine. My goal was to stay for four hours and I was successful in that regard, but I did not get as much drawing done as I would have liked. 

Dirty Cop and Naughty Nurse, graphite and PITT pen in 9×12 sketchbook, Carolyn Pappas, 2008

My first stop was to Starbucks to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte and the straight to Frederick’s of Hollywood. I have to say that I enjoy public sketching—I like the attention and the stares and the compliments from complete strangers. But the attention I got from doing this was a bit too much. This was the only time that someone has winked at me while I was drawing. I also had a variety of male onlookers, from around age 16 to age 60. I did want to color the whole thing but had to stop because it was just too creepy. It was fun to watch random people get embarrassed by just walking in front of the store though.

Hollister Mannequin, graphite in 9×12 sketchbook, Carolyn Pappas, 2008

After Frederick’s I sat in front of Hollister and drew this mannequin. I was attracted to the strong lightsource and the folds in the garments, but this was very difficult. First of all, the teenybopper clientele made me want to gag and they kept bumping into the mannequin, ruining the folds in the sweater. Also, the same clientele had a penchant for loitering in front of the subject, which was annoying. On a postive note, two teenage girls asked me if I was an artist and said they liked the drawing. Then an old lady and her middle aged daughter sat down next to me and looked on admiringly.

Starbucks Cup, graphite in 9×12 sketchbook, Carolyn Pappas, 2008

By the time I finished the second sketch, I was hungry and had to have something to eat. I was also tired out and feeling pretty cross in general. I drew my Starbucks cup in the food court and spent quite a bit of time on the logo, even though I still didn’t get it right. By that time I had a cramp in my arm and had to go home.

I have learned some lessons for my next sketchcrawl. First of all, I need to lighten my load. I brought way more supplies with me than I actually used. I think next time I’m just going to bring my pencils, eraser, sharpener and sketchbook. Also, if I have a chance to visit the location first I think it would be a good idea to scout out possible subjects beforehand. I wasted a lot of time wandering around from place to place wondering what I should draw next. I would also bring my own seating, like one of those little pop up stools. This would allow me to really get a good angle and enjoy the process more. Another thing I think I should focus more on is quantity rather than quality. I found myself too caught up in the details which just made me fatigued and sick of it too soon. All in all, I think this was great practice and really exhilarating. The biggest realization I made is that my skills at drawing the human figure are severly deficient. I must find a life drawing class and practice religiously!

Three Pears, Graphite in 9×12 sketchbook, Carolyn Pappas, 2008

Three Pears, Tombow Brush Pens in 9×12 sketchbook, Carolyn Pappas, 2008

I’m usually not the type to participate in online challenges, mostly because I procrastinate and never finish them on time. But I did decide to participate in the October Virtual Sketch Date. I did it first in graphite yesterday evening and then did the marker version tonight. They are different as you can see, and I was a lot more careful in the pencil version. I like the colored version for the looseness though. I don’t think I was particularly accurate to the reference image in either case however, as I didn’t spend the time necessary to really go after accuracy. I can’t wait to see what other people come up with. I already saw S G Chipman’s and was blown away, but then again, when does he not blow me away?

Kolhapuri Shoes, pitt pens and tombow markers in kraft paper sketchbook, 2008

I only did one after work sketch this week, which was this sketch of my kolhapuri shoes. I bought these shoes the day before we left India to come back home. I spent a lot of time trying to find a pair that fit me properly—I have wide feet to begin with and Indians have exceptionally small feet in general. Each pair was different and they were all handmade and embroidered with gold thread. Interestingly, there is no distinction between the right and the left shoe. I would often see this style of shoe painted on the backs of buses as decoration. Now I just have to find an outfit to wear them with!

Waterlilies, tombow brush pens (4×6), 2008

Happy Mother’s Day!

This is a marker sketch that I did on a blank greeting card for a friend’s baby shower. They passed it around the room and all the ladies gawked at it. I haven’t been that flattered in a long time.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the progress I’ve made this year so far. It really is extraordinary considering that I didn’t do any artwork for almost a year and I’m working 40 hours a week which I haven’t done in ages. I think the time constraints actually push me to get busy sometimes. There are only a few weeks before my big trip so I think I’ll use the time to be more productive with my artwork. I actually have a few pieces that I need to finish and I want them to be really high quality as they are gifts for some important people.

Imaginary Landscape (5×7), Tombow brush pens and pitt pens in landscape colors, 2008

I’ve been doing landscapes lately and I’m in the middle of another one at the moment. I go through phases but I find that when I’m doing a piece of art for another person, landscapes are universally appealing. This drawing was a birthday card for my father and the piece I’m working on now is a commission for a person I’ve never even met. I hope he likes landscapes.

Rose and Lily Sketch, tombow brush pens, 2008

Yesterday I went to the Wadsworth Atheneum to see Impressionists by the Sea. I took my time to read every single description and it was very interesting. I loved it how they paired up paintings of the same scene by the same artist at different times or from slightly different angles. They also displayed the paintings according to time period. The earlier paintings focused on shipwrecks and fishermen and then moved on to paintings of vacationers on picnics, etc. At the end, the paintings focused on just the sea and landscape. Those were my favorite paintings. I am not really a beach person, but this exhibition has inspired me to try to get to the beach this summer.

Rose Sketch, tombow brush marker, 2008

Inked Roses, black pitt pens and Prismacolor colored pencil, 2008

Here are some more rose drawings that I’ve done in the past few weeks. I really like the marker one and I’m thinking of doing more marker sketches in the near future. The ink drawing looks way too Victorian for me but by the time I realized this, I was too far gone in the drawing to justify quitting. I added some colored pencil to the roses in an effort to improve it but this just made it look like a hand colored black and white photo—even more Victorian! I did one more rose drawing (which I will write about soon) before I had to throw them away.