Paper and Threads

Sketchbook Skool Ohn Mar Win Videochat: I already posted my homework from Ohn Mar Win's Class. but on my wet-in-wet "watercolor play" homework, I left out the mark making until I divide it into magnetic bookmarks (Oct 14 Blog Post).  When I subsequently watched an inspirational one hour+ Q and A session with Ohn Mar, I did a quick sketch of her with a pen and spent the rest of the time dreaming up types of pen marks I may make on my bookmarks.  I love my very low stakes "Pen Sketcher" book that I used for this page, I feel so free to doodle and make messes.

Sketchbook Skool IMAGINING Homework:  Stefan Bucher

Our Week 4 IMAGINING artist and "creative" is Stefan Bucher, and although he is a creative in many fields, he also is known for his website Daily Monster.  http://www.dailymonster.ink/

In class he demonstrated a technique based on fancy ink blots which he uses to start his monster drawings, and then assigned us the task as homework.  I made two ink blots and used both to make my version of a monster.

There is also a Ted talk by Stefan which I really enjoyed, and it is focused on his OCD mind that never stops wanting to create the next step in any project,  I think you need to "cut and paste" this link.  Don't stop watching the talk until you get to the Saks 5th Ave "Yeti" commission!  It is my favorite part!

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Helping My Imagination to Overcome Resistance:  Several summers ago I decided to spend 100 days drawing from my imagination,  I filled 100 pages - and had fun doing it.  I used pen for all drawings and smooth copy paper bound in a book - low tech, and low stakes.  My inner critic ignored me! 

In order to continue periodic drawing from my imagination I bought these inexpensive sketchbooks, and use them to play.  I really have a different mindset when I draw in pen on these pages - and that makes me happy.

Drawing a Collection From My Imagination:  Our first homework assignment from Ohn Mar was to either cover a page with a repeated design, or draw a collection.  I chose the latter, and just made up shapes for glasses and bottles.  When I decided to paint it, I transferred the drawing to watercolor paper using tracing paper and graphite, and then painted it.

Imagination and Play:  Our second homework assignment was to play with watercolor - wet in wet - without having anything special in mind.  Ohn Mar then added random white pen marks to her watercolor.  I want to use my watercolor painting to make more magnetic bookmarks, so I didn't add pen.  

These are recent magnetic bookmarks I'm using that I made from watercolor paintings. 

Here is a link to a previous blog post describing how to make them: 

http://www.paperandthreads.com/2012/06/more_watercolor_magnetic_bookm_1.php 

Posted by Shirley at 7:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I named my Inner Critic Mildred after my very critical Mother and Mother-in-law, Marge and Miriam.  In this Sketchbook Skool "Imagination" drawing she is saying:  You haven't done Marloes' homework yet.  Your problem is that you don't have enough imagination.  You watched the class on Monday and it is now Thursday.  You can copy, but are not original.  Don't you have any ideas?  You NEED to talk about your Inner Critic and I'm helping you.  I'm not going to give you an idea now - maybe you'll find an idea soon.  You waste so much time drawing and painting!

Draw An Experience:  I had to fill more than an hour last Wednesday and took a book to Starbucks.  I wrote "It's FREEZING in here," and people working on computers were here when I arrived and are still working more than an hour later.

I was part of a Bronx 3rd grade class "Lock Down Drill" last Thursday.  The Door was immediately locked and the small children all were huddled together in one tiny space in the corner of the room, out of a line with any windows or the door.  I was so sad looking at their tiny bodies and innocent faces - what is our country becoming?  Then I reflected on my elementary school drills during which we hid under our desks to protect us from Russian bombs.

I sketched my childhood home completely from my imagination, although I did sketch every place I've lived in my lifetime many years ago. 

I still didn't do a group sketch of all my friends - our 5th homework assignment from Marloes De Vries. 

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I am taking the Sketchbook Skool Class called Imagining.  Koosje Koene, co founder of Sketchbook Skool, demonstrated her approach to a 5 day imagination drawing.  She sat down each day without a specific plan and allowed ideas to appear.  She said there is a concept in the Netherlands called "The Red Thread" which means something that follows a subtle theme.  She sketched elements of sky, with a red thread as a link across the pages of an accordion book, and sketched clouds, electrical wires, birds, a face, a crocodile, even wrapping 1t around the moon.  

Instead of using a red thread to link my drawings, as in her demo, I decided to add some more illustrations to the storyline of my imaginary characters Axel and Alice. 

I created Axel during Fabio Consoli's imagination homework assignment in the Sketchbook School Class called Stretching .  The character on the far right was created by my grandson Zach (who was then in his final year of pre-school).  I had to take a child's drawing and expand upon it.  Zach said that he thought that Axel came from the moon, and his head was that shape because of the phase of the moon when he was born.

I draw Axel often and for the last two summers he was the subject of mail art on letter envelopes to my grandchildren in summer camp.   He even became a Christmas ornament for our grandchildren.

I expanded the imaginary friend group in a watercolor illustration for my final project in my Illustration Class last semester at FIT.  

All of my grandchildren relate to Axel, and I thought it would be fun to create a short storyline that would end with the above illustration.  So here are my 5 days of drawings for Sketchbook Skool homework. 

Day 1:  Hi!  I'm Axel.  She doesn't even know I'm here.  I'm looking for a place to live."

Day 2:  "This is my friend Alice and she found this doll house in the trash, and we can live there."

Day 3:  "Alice, I wonder who lives in the little houses here on the top of the hill?  Let's watch this one and see who comes out."

Day 4:  Axel asks "Do you live in that house?  Where do you come from?  Jupiter?  Where is that?  Can we be friends?  Who lives in the skinny house?" 

Day 5:  "Axel, this is my neighbor from the skinny house.  He says he comes from Mars.  Maybe we can all be friends since we can't go home."

To be continued. 

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I signed up for Sketchbook Skool 6 - Exploring - realizing that I was going to be in Venice after Week 2.  After our return I completed watching each session, but then left for the beach and my beloved beach shells.  The Homework from those weeks will be fun to do after I stop traveling.

Here are my quick homework assignments for Danny's Class on Hatching and Nina Johansson's Class on Drawing your neighborhood.

I don't usually add crosshatching to my drawings - I love watercolor too much.  This was the scene from my couch for the hatching homework.

The day before we left for Venice I went to Christie's Auction Preview and saw this Picasso etching - an amazing example of crosshatching that I thought I would share.

La Minotauromachie  (1935)

I remembered an old fashioned ice cream parlor/candy shop/luncheonette in my neighborhood and decided to sketch it as a treasure of our neighborhood.  Malted Milks, Fountain Sodas, and a counter to sit at - reminds me of other similar places from my childhood.  

Posted by Shirley at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)