A Drawing a Day.

Starting this month, I am trying to do a drawing a day. There are many people who have started this sort of challenge. Some have lots of rules. All pen. No pencil. All from life. Only black or blue. For a year. For 75 days......Whatever.

I just plan to do a sketch/study/drawing/painting in a sketchbook every day. If I miss a day, I'll do two the next day. Some will be started in pencil, some in pen, some with a wash. No rules :-) In the meantime, I also plan to 'try on' a couple of different drawing styles by other artists. First up - ball point pen, in the style of Andrea Joseph, famous for very detailed drawings that fill a page with ball-point pen studies. There is a great video of her drawing in ball-point pens here

This double page spread was done over a few days during the first week of August. I added another item each day, or a bunch of buttons.  I am amazed at the sensitivity of drawing with a ball-point pen! Now I need to find a good brown one....apparently Fisher make a sepia...

Right side of the page in progress - Buttons, drawn with brown pens of various sorts and pencils - in a Moleskine Watercolour A4 sketchbook.

Left side of double spread in progress - Red things. Drawn with red and black ballpoint pens, with the centre section in blue pens.

This study of keys was started with a brown Pilot pen then black ball-point added over the top. I started to draw the pens in. It takes a very long time...like the one above, this is rather a work in progress. I love the Pilot for writing with but it is more like a felt tip pen for drawing. The ballpoint is wonderful for drawing but not comfortable to hold for a long time and I have never liked them for writing.

A tiny study of a piece of Pumpkin Crunch in ballpoint with some coloured pencil added. Drawn in Bic cristal black pen.

Cufflinks, made from bits of Swiss watches - really testing the limits of my medium Bic cristal pen. I had to add watercolour using a fine brush to get the finest details.

Cockatoo Island

I have been planning to spend a day at Cockatoo Island for some time and finally made it today. Many of my students went, along with the Sydney Sketch Club. Over 60 sketchers spread all over the place drawing or painting away. Great stuff!

I was interested in the way the water has leaked and created wonderful washes of minerals and colour on the walls, which were already an interesting mix of brick and stone and paint.

My first 'wall' study. Watercolour in a Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

The second wall with the ladder going up to no where in particular. Watercolour in a Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

One of the many defunct machines. Watercolour and sepia pen in a Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

 I could spend a year painting and drawing at that place. So many ideas for abstract compositions too....