Butterfly sketches completed

We've been having incredibly hot, muggy days here in Brissie. We had another violent electrical storm come through last night and more are forecast for the coming week. Two people have been struck by lightning so far from two separate storms.  I do not like our summers at all. See yesterday's post to read about our own ordeal when caught in a violent storm last Wednesday.

Just a quick post today 

I finished off the butterflies I started last weekend.

They went from this 

To this

I was pleased with how they turned out. 

They are done with a mix of watercolours, coloured pencils, 

coloured ballpoint pens and ink pens.

I'm linking up with Sunday Sketches again this week. 

To see the work of other participants, click HERE.

Happy Sunday to all!

INKtober: More daily sketches from week 3

Oooooops, running a little late....no excuses 

apart from the fact that I completely forgot to do my blog post yesterday.  

So a recap on the past week of INKtober sketches. 

I post these daily on my Instagram feed is you are interested in seeing them earlier. 

I recently purchased Season 11 of Supernatural so, before I watch it, 

I am doing a recap of all the previous seasons again as a refresher. 

You may guess that I'm a huge fan! 

So I thought it fitting to sketch some of the cast for INKtober.

Jared Palecki who plays Sam Winchester. 

Sketched entirely with ballpoint pen. 

Jensen Ackles who plays Dean Winchester

Sketched entirely with ballpoint pen

Jim Beaver who plays Bobby Singer
I didn't quite get his squint right but we live, we learn, right?

Done entirely with ballpoint pen

Felicia Day who plays Charlie Bradbury 

Charlie was one of my favourite characters on the show

I loved her quirkiness!

I was disappointed that I lost the likeness with this one 

but when sketching directly with pen, 

you have to learn to live with it. 

Then I decided to sketch a little robin with coloured ballpoint pens 

and a 005 ZIG Millennium ink pen (it's extra fine). 

A quick ink sketch of a fake succulent plant I have. 

Trying to loosen things up a bit here. 

Sketched with Platinum Carbon and Lamy Joy fountain pens. 

I LOVE my fountain pens!

Another loose sketch of my left hand this time. 

This was sketched with a Platinum Carbon pen 

followed up with Sumi black ink applied with a brush.

Speaking of my left hand, 

I will be making a doctor's appointment today 

as it's been over three weeks and I'm still dealing 

with a lot of pain issues. 

It's strange because I can use it normally 

apart from certain positions.

Linking up with Sunday Sketches (a little late). 

To see the work of other participants for this week, click HERE.

INKtober: More daily sketches

It's been quite a challenge but I have been managing to keep up 

with the INKtober daily sketching this past week. 

All inked up

Thanks to Marcelo Cunha over at Sktchy for the reference image.

Splashes of colour with Dr Ph Martins inks

Sketched with Platinum Carbon and Pentel pocket brush pens, 

then a light wash here and there with Sumi ink.

Thanks to Gustavo Romano over at Sktchy for the reference image.

Sketched with Platinum Carbon and Pentel pocket brush pens, 

plus a light wash of Sumi ink.

Thanks to Jordan Shelton over at Sktchy for the reference image.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw the reference image so just had to sketch him.
Sketched with ballpoint, Platinum Carbon, and Pentel pocket brush pens. 

Thanks to Vincent Cuevas over at Sktchy for the reference image.

Sketched with ballpoint, Platinum Carbon, and Pentel pocket brush pens. 

Also some Sumi ink. 

Thanks to Hannah Chaffee over at Sktchy for the reference image.

Sketched with ballpoint pens in various colours plus a little white ink.
Oh, and some SUMI ink for the black.

The green base is watercolours. 

My own reference image.

Sketched entirely with a Staedtler brown ballpoint pen. 

I like the softer look of this one. 

Thanks to Marcelle C over at Sktchy for the reference image.

I'm linking up a little late with Sunday Sketches this week.
It's actually 6:30 on Monday morning here.
To see the work of the other participants, click HERE,

Aaron, my son, graciously passed his Spring flu over to me
 so I woke up feeling miserable with a clogged head and
a sore throat that is very painful when I swallow.
I'm still dealing with hand pain from my fall.
It could be worse but maybe
I should see about trading myself in
for a newer model?

Life goes on.....

More Inktober sketches

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the well wishes regarding my fall last week. My foot is pretty much better now and, in hindsight, my daughter and I believe it was actually a pinched nerve causing the severe foot pain that night. A couple of days rest and it was fine...so it could have been back/hip related after all.  My hand is still in a fair bit of pain when I try to carry out heavy tasks but that is to be expected with nerve and soft tissue damage.

Over the past week, I have been busy with daily sketching for Inktober.  I have been posting my sketches over on my Instagram feed if you want to see them daily as I don't get time to post here every day.

A meerkat sketched with water-soluble ink and then a water wash was applied.

This emu was sketched with permanent ink, then washed with water-soluble ink.
The eyes are done with ballpoint pens.
Getting the beak to look right was quite challenging.

This little cutie is called Teenie.
She is my Mum's pomeranian.
I sketched her with a Platinum Carbon pen and
ballpoint pens in suitable colours.
Then some white ink and a light wash of watercolour to finish.

A mirror selfie, sans-wrinkles.
Sketched with a Lamy Safari fountain pen
containing water-soluble ink.

Then a water wash applied with a brush.

I adore all animals but I admit to having a soft spot for pigs. This mother and baby sketch was prompted by my utter disgust at how the pigs were treated in Burlington, Ontario, recently when the truck taking them to slaughter rolled over.  The treatment of the injured pigs was nothing short of cruel and apathetic on the company's part.  Pleas from a local animal sanctuary's owner to take the injured pigs into sanctuary care went ignored and was even laughed at.  The poor, injured pigs were left to suffer for hours before being callously killed where they lay and then were unceremoniously dumped in a dumpster at the site. I hate how apathetic the human race has become. Did you know that pigs have the intelligence of a four year old child?  They are smarter than dogs and yet we get away with committing such atrocities against them.  It is so very wrong!

This is the initial pen sketch of a reference image on Sktchy.

I finished her with ballpoint pens in various colours
and a touch of white ink and watercolour to finish.

Yesterday, I was visiting with my Mum so didn't have a lot of time to sketch. 

I managed a quick, loose pen sketch of some new inks I bought recently. 

I used the ink colours to paint and spatter them with a brush.

Fun, fun, fun! 

I'm linking up with Sunday Sketches again. 

To see the sketches of other participants, click HERE.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

366 Daily Sketch challenge - more portraits

What a week! 

It's been unbearably hot and humid 

which makes me feel like a badly wilted flower. 

We don't have air-con so we make do with ceiling fans. 

Weather aside, I have continued to sketch daily.

To pick up where I left off, 

here is the lovely daughter of a Facebook art friend. 

Reference photo used with permission.  

24/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

Graphite and watercolours 

Highlights are done with Art Spectrum gouache

A couple of process images 

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Next up is Sktchy artist/user, Katya Khodyacheva. 

In the original image, Katya had a scarf wrapped around her head and face 

but I instantly saw long hair billowing in the wind. 

25/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

Graphite, watercolours, and Lamy water-soluble ink. 

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For the following portrait, 

I used another of Ashley Goeltz's images.
I have done a few of sketches of Ashley via Sktchy.
She has a unique style which makes for an interesting model.

To start with, a simple graphite sketch
and a splash of watercolour.

More watercolour

a couple more layers and the final result

26/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Graphite, watercolours, acrylic gouache, and Lamy water-soluble ink. 

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Day 27 and another Sktchy subject - iam ALVA. 

The image speaks of love and trust to me.

It was adorable so I just had to sketch it.
It makes me think of the relationship
I have with my own fur-kid, Cody.

Early stage 

and finished 

27/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

Graphite, watercolours, acrylic gouache, and Lamy water-soluble ink. 

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I only had time for a very quick pen sketch on Thursday. 

You guessed it...another Sktchy artist/user. 

This one is Jonathan Kalema. 

28/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

BIC ballpoint pen in black

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And last one for today's post anyways... 

Sktchy artist/user - Jessica Aguirre 

29/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

graphite and watercolours

I'm linking up with Sunday Sketches again this week. 

You can check out the other participants HERE.

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Apparently, there will be no relief from the heat
over the next few days.
Instead, it's going to get even hotter....NICE!
As if I'm not melting enough already.
Winter can't come soon enough for me.
I'm definitely a cold weather gal.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

366 Daily Sketch challenge - more portraits

It's nearly 5am on Monday morning 

which is my usual time for waking up  

and I realised I'd forgotten to do my Sunday post. YIKES!!!

Better late than never, I guess.

My sketches so far....

For the record, I normally sketch directly with pen/ink 

unless I want soft edges in a particular piece. 

I will then use a graphite pencil. 

Week 3 - male portraits

I'd like to thank all the Skchy artist/users 

who put up images via the app for us to sketch.

First for this post is Sktchy artist/user - Thyago PLAY 

18/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

Sketched with Platinum Carbon pen and watercolours. 

White highlights are done with Art Spectrum gouache.

The following one was a little embarrassing/confusing for me. 

The Sktchy user is Esther Michelle and 

I thought this was a case of her putting a pic 

of a boyfriend or male relative up on Sktchy. 

I did the sketch but,
after reading a comment by another artist, 

who also sketched the same image,

I am now thinking that this 

could possibly be a female subject 

...sporting a very short hairstyle.
The suit threw me off a little too.

If that is the case, my sincerest apologies to Esther Michelle 

for her ending up in my 'male' portrait week.

19/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

Sketched with Platinum Carbon pen and Lamy water-soluble ink. 

I then used white acrylic gouache to tone down the ink which I had gone 

a little heavy with on the face.

Next up is Sktchy artist/user, Martin Rodriguez. 

20/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

Sketched with graphite, Prismacolours, 
and BIC Cristal Pocket Scents ballpoints pens. 
Highlights are done with Art Spectrum white gouache.

Next up is Sktchy artist/user, Eden Suoth. 

21/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

Sketched with a ZIG Millennium 005 ink pen 
and Faber-Castell PITT pens for the solid blacks.

And so ends the seven days of male portraits.
The next seven days will be a mix.

The following sketch is Sktchy artist/user, Fancy DRAW.
Sorry for the poor lighting in this one. 

I love dreadlocks so just had to try my hand at sketching them. 

Boy, were they tricky! 

22/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

Sketched with a ZIG Millennium 005 ink pen and LAMY water-soluble ink.

Last up is a dear artist friend from Facebook, Chelle Mayer

who gave me permission to sketch one of her photos. 

First layer of watercolour

Final layer

23/366 daily sketch

Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 

Graphite and watercolours 

Highlights are done with Art Spectrum gouache

I'm a little late with Sunday Sketches but thanks to time-zones 

I can sneak in the back door before anyone notices. hehe 

You can check out this week's participants HERE.

I'll be back with more soon....

I hope you all had a beautiful Sunday!

366 Daily Sketch Challenge - male portraits and a special event

The portraits continue...

This week, I thought I'd sketch 'males'. 

I don't know this guy's name as 

I'm assuming his girlfriend, Megan George,
put up his photo on Sktchy.
My apologies for the poor photo quality.
I took this under artificial lighting at night.

15/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Sketched with Platinum Carbon pen, then painted with Lamy water-soluble ink. 
White highlights are done with Art Spectrum gouache.


I liked the following guy's hair and beard.
He is Jül Züs from Sktchy.

16/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Sketched with brown Faber-castell PITT pen, 
then painted with Schmincke sepia watercolour. 
White highlights are done with Art Sprectrum gouache.


Another Sktchy user, Ashkan shyrzady. 

17/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Graphite and watercolours; 
White highlights are done with Art Sprectrum gouache.

I'm participating in Sunday Sketches again.
You can check out this week's participants HERE.

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Today, was a special worldwide event.
Vegans united in a global day of activism.
We committed to a 24 hour vow of silence
to raise awareness for animals
and to promote peace over violence.

I wore my printed T-shirt
and Bradley and I headed to the local shopping centre for the morning,
hopefully, a few a people took note.
One lady came up to me and said she loved the T-shirt
so I'm guessing she knows of James Aspey, the event creator.

Bradley and Aaron got a kick out of my charades all day
because I couldn't speak to them.
I discovered that Aaron is darned good at lip-reading.
For Bradley, we communicated mainly by text messages.

I did so well at not speaking in the morning
but I did slip up a few times
in the late afternoon, early evening.
All in all, I felt honoured to be a part of such an important event.

I'll be back with more sketches in a couple of days.