Figure Drawing with Model Ryan

For our second Osher Figure Drawing class, I brought in India ink, brushes and dip pens to play with sketching the figure in ink.  The challenge of ink, of course, is that you can't erase anything.  But this is also the beauty of ink.  It pushes you to commit to the strokes and marks you put down.  I find that facet freeing.

Our theme for the class was "Men at Work," so our model Ryan held gesture poses representing hoeing a garden...

...lifting blocks...

... and carrying them to build a wall.

In his last gesture pose, I imagined Ryan as a shepherd watching over his sheep from the shade of a tree. I added the background details after class.

In his long, seated pose, I found that being pushed to commit to marks made my process much faster, so I had extra time.

I took the opportunity to practice drawing Ryan's hand in light and shadow with a water-soluble pencil. I love the combination of being able to draw details and move the pigment with a brush.

Many thanks to model Ryan for his "Men at Work" poses!

Ink and Collage Postcards

I love the rich, dark marks I can make with India ink.  Ink flows and blooms on wet paper, and travels in its own lively way that I can never precisely predict.

I can add my own handmade stamps to the marks, and after the ink dries, the blackest areas provide a happy ground for chalk pastel marks to play in.

When creating with ink alone, I never have to worry about deciding on a color palette.  The interplay of watered-down ink and bold, black, straight-from-the-bottle ink create their own drama.

I created these pieces to be 6"x 9" post cards, cut from 160# watercolor paper. Before adding the ink, I pasted on paper torn out of old book pages from a Gregg shorthand manual and an old atlas.  I'm inspired by old, weathered materials that have a history and beauty of their own.

As I applied the ink, I tuned into my intuition, simply listening to that quiet little voice within for direction.  When she said "Make swoopy X's and wonky O's'" I did that.

When she said "This is a place for diagonal lines, for swirls, hearts and spatters!"  I took her advice.

I'm always happy when I listen to my Intuition.  She's never led me astray.  Ever.  Even when what she says seems weird or unlikely to work, I'm always happy with my decision to follow her.

And art making feels good -- not stressful as when I'm trying to make something "pretty" or "perfect."

What does your Intuition say to you today about your art making?  

Of course, I'm not talking about that loud, scolding voice of the harsh critic.  I'm referring to the tiny voice that offers unexpected and sometimes weird-sounding ideas.  

It takes some discernment and practice to hear your Intuition.  And it takes courage to try the ideas your Intuition suggests.  But what lovely experiences arise, and what beautiful art!

I hope you get some time this weekend to make art and listen to your Intuition!

Happy creating!

Copyright 2023 Betsy Bangley

Playing with India Ink

A new bottle of India ink and a stack of watercolor paper invited an afternoon of playing with shapes, brush strokes and drawing implements.

Each tool creates a different mark, and by experimenting with a variety of different strokes and expressions, I made discoveries.

After my first round of paintings dried, I looked them over and noticed that I liked:  

• Bold, thick lines next to fine, scratchy marks, 
• Graffiti-ish strokes combined with dots, slashes & fine marks, and 
• Repeated slash marks done quickly & with energy.

I noticed that I didn't like marks that looked too carefully thought out or representational (trying to look like something in reality).

My favorite pieces were wild, messy & free.

I took my top picks and reduced them in size on a copying machine, then combined them with other elements, like this handmade paper from yucca plants.

I've always been a fan of bold contrasts next to earthy midtones.

What type of marks do you like to make?

I encourage you to experiment with whatever you have on hand -- a ballpoint pen, pencil or a bottle of ink and a brush.

Then take notes on what you liked making, and which artworks you like the most afterwards.

The more you experiment, the more you discover.  The more you know about what you like, the more satisfied you will be in your artmaking.

Happy Mark Making!

Copyright 2023 Betsy Bangley, Betsy's Bliss Art Blog.

Post Card Art

My best friend, Robin, and I have been writing to each other for over 28 years.  In that time, we've made the weirdest, most creative and inventive stationery from cereal boxes, wallpaper samples, maps, and other everyday ephemera.  We've even made our own paper to write on.

Robin inspires me.  Above is a pair of post cards -- Robin's on the left, and mine on the right.  She sent me her flower card first, and I was so taken by the freshness of her lines, the playfulness of the colors that I tried my own.

We made our cards with watercolor on watercolor paper. Waterproof markers and white paint markers add the finishing touches.

My best friend is a master at writing post cards.  In one 4" x 6" card, she can speak of the rich details of her daily life, news of her family, and the power of mortality to focus her on the bright joy of living.

Robin's post card inspiration got me playing with more ideas.

I have always been thrilled by upcycling interesting looking papers into cards and letters.  When I recently read that the U.S. Postal Service had upped the maximum size of a post card to 6" x 9", I grabbed a political ad from the trash, cut it to size, and slapped two coats of white gesso on one side.

I glued a scrap of 140# watercolor paper to the back of the political ad with Yes! paste, and added some black and white washi tape around the edges to keep them from getting caught in the Postal Service machinery.

When the gesso had dried, I painted and stamped the surface with India ink and a blue water based ink. I wished I had prepared a bunch of cards to create a series with, because when I got started, I didn't want to stop!

Post cards are a wonderful art warm-up, because they're small and invite playfulness & experimentation, especially if you use upcycled materials.

I hope you'll try your hand at making and sending postcards!

A Zoom Art Date with The Unexpected Gypsy

As a Patreon supporter of The Unexpected Gypsy, I get regular inspiration and instructional videos from artist Wendy Robinson. One recent benefit of supporting her was a live Zoom session in which she & her Patreons created while we chatted.

It was lovely!

Each of us chose our own project to work on.

I created these faces on old book pages using an India ink brush pen.

The ink flowed readily from the brush, and sassy, peaceful, powerful faces appeared.

I find that doing this type of open-ended creative project while listening to a conversation or watching a video allows me to shift into a relaxed attitude and just play.

This character looks like a fairy superhero to me -- I added splashes of watercolor to the face after the India ink dried. 

I hope you find an opportunity to create in a loose, unplanned way.  To simply allow yourself to play with your art supplies.

A Celebration of Spring & Reused Materials

I found boxes of free music sheeting with a "Free" sign, and gratefully took a stack. I love using cast-off materials for art-making, and find that new-to-me supplies spark my creativity.

The paper's yellowing edges make it appealing & historic looking. The music notes add texture & movement beneath the drawing, and the staff lines create a structure to work upon.

I sat outside on a recent  spring day and made quick sketches of birds at my feeder with an India ink brush pen.  I added Neocolor II watercolor crayons to create a pop of color against the bold, dark ink lines.

Our beloved Grandmother Sugar Maple tree has begun blooming, and her spreading branches fit right onto the page.

Using just Neocolor II watercolor crayons, Prismacolor colored pencils and one Derwent Inktense pencil, I captured a blooming apple tree on our farm.  I touched in a wet brush to the background area to make a unified wash of the Neocolor II Aquarelle crayon marks.

The notes under the Neocolor II crayons express the music of spring.  Right now, American Toads are trilling, songbirds are singing, and the world is rich in color and music.  

Giving new life to some cast-off papers feels like a fitting tribute to spring!

Sketchbook Wanderings

 

I've been enjoying Koosje Koene's YouTube channel & book, and find that she's right in saying that even the most mundane thing becomes interesting when you draw it.  

Here are a few simple subjects I picked to draw, just for practice and the joy of drawing!

I hope you find a cozy moment to sketch your pet, your snacks, or anything in your life!

Flower Power!

I bought carnations for my drawing students at the Community College of Beaver County to practice on last week, and had some leftovers after class.  

The flowers have brightened up my studio, and inspired me to play with India ink in a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. I focus on making marks that feel freeing & expressive.

 After the ink dries, I add watercolor washes.

Because India ink is waterproof, you can add watercolor washes over the top as soon as the ink has dried, creating bold contrasts.  

I hope you can have a play with colorful art supplies and a bouquet of flowers.  

The flowers will lift your spirits twice - as you enjoy the blossoms decorating your home, and as you create artworks based on them.  Remember, you're not a camera.  You don't have to create a super-realistic artwork.  Just play with lines & colors inspired by the flowers! 

Color Journal Update

I've been painting in my color journal over the last few weeks. 

When I have a little time, a few colors or materials I want to explore, and I want to simply sketch rather than create a full painting, my color journal is an easy place to play.

Sometimes I explore mark making with India ink.

Inspired by the color and shapes of pumpkins, I started this one with a white crayon, added India ink, and finished with layers of wet-in-wet watercolors. 

Other times, I layer different media -- here watercolor forms the lower layer, and after the paint dried, I added lines with a permanent fine line ink pen.

Each page is different.  Each page is low-risk, because I'm just exploring and doodling.  So picking up this journal and trying something new is easy.  And relaxing.

Give yourself the gift of time to play with colors.  

You don't need to buy new materials, just gather what you already have. 

Follow the small voice of your intuition.  

You'll be surprised at how creative that part of you is.

Osher Figure Drawing Class with Model Amelia

We had a wonderful class with model Amelia last Friday morning.  We took a break from studying the construction of faces & feet, foreshortening and other structural challenges, and just played with ink and watercolor paint.  

A fresh perspective awoke in me, and I fell into the joy of figure painting.

We began with 3-minute gestures.  I used India ink, starting with a mass gesture in watered-down ink, and finishing with full-strength ink to find contours and shadows.  Because I was working at an easel, my wet brush occasionally dripped ink down the page.

Amelia brought us wonderfully fresh, challenging poses to work from.  She held her gestures rock solid still.  

After our gestural warm up, I demonstrated mixing flesh tones & shadows in watercolor for the class. We finished with a long pose of about an hour.  A lovely getaway into the Zen of painting.

Amelia arranged the pumpkins and gourds around herself to complete her scene.  

Many thanks to model Amelia for her lively gestures and inspiring long pose!