It’s crazy that we’re already approaching the middle of May. This year is zipping by! Of course, we’re on the verge of summer, and I think that’s the longest-seeming season for me, because it’s just so darn hot—so maybe things will feel like they’re slowing down a little, soon. But there’s plenty to do to stay busy, so I’m sure it, too, will disappear before we know it.
Speaking of that, work life is currently in a very busy phase. It seems to come in waves, with everyone signing contracts at the same time (and of course wanting things done quickly, once they make that decision). Donald’s had lots of extra web design and development to do, lately, and there are three more SEO clients I’ll be starting to work for in the next month or two, in addition to the three other new ones added my list in just the past few months. That list keeps me busier than it did a couple of years ago, but that’s good! It’s an uncertain world, so let’s make hay while the sun shines! Still, I’ll be glad when things settle down a bit.
One More Page of Faces
Since last time, I made one more of the pages where you paint the shapes of hair or faces, then doodle in the features with pen. I think this will be the last one of these I do for a while, because while I enjoy this kind of doodling, this last one wasn’t quite as much fun. Too much of the same thing in a limited space of time! It needs a break to become entertaining again.
A Different Kind of Doodle
Like the face/hair doodles, this type of project is perfect for cleaning the dregs of paint from a palette and just doing some carefree doodling—but it was a change from the faces (and felt more suited to the blues).
I started without knowing what I’d be doodling, just painting rough circles and ovals down the page. You can see how the paint got thinner, the further down you go. I was thinning what was left with water to fill up the page without resorting to adding more paint to the palette (since part of the point was using it up, not adding more). I went too far in my editing, so some of them look like they’re on a white background, but in reality, it’s a very pale blue.
Next up was doodling seashells. I did look at some reference images, but I still need some practice—especially with the more elongated types of shells. I think it’s obvious what they’re meant to be, though, and it was fun to try something a little different.
Returning to an Old Sketchbook Page
This was one of my more boring sketchbook pages, recently. If you recall, it started with a circular mini gel plate experiment—my first time trying to gel print directly into a sketchbook. Afterwards, I decided they’d be balls of yarn with a snoozing cat in the background. It was “meh”, but at least it was a page. The empty space on the bottom left of the page bothered me, though, so I went back and added a simple mouse to fill in the gap and add a little more interest. I like it better, now!
Now I’m noticing that the mouse doesn’t have a shadow, but neither does the cat, and the shadows under the yarn balls are kind of odd-looking, anyway. Eh, still better than it was.
Tempera Paint Sticks
I wanted to try the relatively new-to-me tempera paint sticks I have, but I didn’t have any specific idea in mind… I decided to just play around on a page, to try to learn a little more about what media work best on top of them. They dry completely, but from what I gather, many pens and markers, as well as anything like watercolor, can be relatively easily removed, if water is applied. Sufficient pressure/rubbing away might also be enough to shift things from them. If you’re just leaving things alone in a sketchbook, though, I imagine they’ll stay put.
So, I started by making a bunch of rough circles in a limited palette. I layered green over yellow for some of them, but the rest are just a single color of tempera paint stick. I didn’t worry about leaving some white bits showing through. This is a textured watercolor paper, so it might be tricky to get full coverage—and besides, I like the texture. That’s part of the appeal of this medium, in my opinion.
After they were dry, I decided to cover the background with a light wash of watercolor. I also added some of the watercolor to parts of the white still showing through the paint stick splotches. This how it stood:
Next, I just tried a bunch of different materials. The main one I had a problem with and want to avoid in future was a Uniball needle pen and another cheaper version of that type of pen. I suspect some of the paint must be lodging in the pen nib (or whatever it’s called) and clogging it up. I think I’ve seen people online saying that fineliners work on top of dry tempera paint. I haven’t tried them, but since they’re a type of felt-tip pen (right?) they do seem more likely to glide over the surface.
The other types of materials I used include:
- felt-tipped water-based marker (brush-tip and fine-tip)
- watercolor paint
- watercolor pencil (dry, then activated with water)
- white acrylic paint pen
I didn’t use them in this page, but I’ve previously had success using a dip pen with India ink and acrylic ink. I do think that if you use a sharp nib it can scratch into the tempera paint, but with the right technique that’s probably not a big problem.
I didn’t try color pencil, but my guess would be that they could work, but might not be the easiest to use on top of tempera stick. If I remember, that would be something good to try, another time.
Again, I don’t know how permanent things like watercolor paint are on top of these, but just for playing around, I think it’ll be okay. I wouldn’t want to put too much time and effort into making something with these paint sticks, anyway. They seem to be more for playing than for using in something you want to be sure will last.
They are good for playing, though. I like the fact that you can’t get too fussy with them, because it’s essentially like painting with a lipstick. I need to spend some more time experimenting with them.
Coloring in the Fairy Mushroom Houses
Last time, I shared a link to a YouTube video demonstrating how to sketch whimsical fairy mushroom houses, along with my first attempts. Since then, I’ve painted them with watercolor.
The first one, I wasn’t thrilled with my color choices. It’s too cool-toned for my tastes.
…So for the next pair of mushroom houses, I went with a warmer palette. This is more my style.
…And for the last group, I used something kind of similar, but with a little turquoise to keep things interesting.
Lots of fun! I need to do more of this, sometime.
Lots of Listening, Lately
For a while, I put a section at the end of some blog posts to share what I’d been listening to recently. I got out of the habit of doing that, probably because I didn’t always have anything in mind to mention, but I might start again—at least from time to time, when the mood strikes me.
Audio Book:
I re-listened to an old recording of Mary Stewart’s The Moonspinners in the past couple of weeks. It happened to be on my phone, so I started it on a whim. It was a nice break from the books I usually read or listen to, these days—not to mention talk radio, which can sometimes be a bit much when you’re trying to relax. It’s an older book—a mystery with touches of romance and suspense—published in 1963, and it has a vintage feel that makes for a pleasant change of pace from modern novels.
Apocalyptic 'Radio Broadcasts':
How’s that for contrast? In between listening to an old-fashioned and rather gentle tale of adventure in 1960s Crete, I’ve also been listening to peoples’ imaginings of what it would sound like if you happened to be listening to the radio while an apocalyptic event unfolded.
This is something Donald told me about after someone in his local miniature figure-painting group mentioned it. Apparently there’s a whole genre based on this, now, but I’d never heard of it. The YouTube channel I’ve been listening to so far is Ambient Escapade. They have some videos that are longer, are very repetitive, and seem to be intended more for background noise rather than attentive listening (and the one of that type that I tried really irritated me after a while)—but the ones I’ve enjoyed are under or around an hour long and have more of a radio drama feel. I think there’s some comic relief, too, in just about every one I’ve listened to. I have a few quibbles, but on the whole I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve listened to so far.
I imagine this goes without saying, but these aren’t really intended for younger kids, and there’s often a little cursing from one or two characters, so just be aware before you go blasting it out at full volume.
Music:
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Echoes” by Pink Floyd.
I guess I haven’t really listened to much Pink Floyd beyond Dark Side of the Moon and a few other favorites, but these two came up in a mix I was listening to, and I’ve found myself returning to them repeatedly.
The “spooky” part in the middle of “Echoes” reminds me a little of an eerier, grown-up version of the old “Monster Mansion” ride at Six Flags Over Georgia. On the ride, which takes place in a dark, damp, cool space populated by artistically lit animatronics, your boat wanders off the beaten track and takes you through a slightly creepy “forbidden” marsh, but at the end you find your way back to rejoin the party, and all is well. (Spoiler alert!) The music and sound effects also change, depending on which part of the ride you’re on, and that memory and sensation returns when the creepy part of the song slowly takes over, and again when the somewhat lighter, more hopeful melody gradually fades back in. (Except in the case of the song, the creepiness doesn’t go away completely.)
Anyway, these two are what I’ve been listening to on repeat lately!
“Albatross” by Fleetwood Mac
This was just a random suggestion from the app I was listening on, but I hadn’t heard it before, and I like the beachy vibe. Perfect for summer (if we must).
“Northern Lights” by Stellardrone
(Especially the first part.) Reminds me favorably of M83 and their soundtrack for Oblivion. Then it starts to sound like something from Miami Vice/80s synth, which I still love. The song eventually turns a little more 90’s synth, but it’s still good. I just wish it would’ve stayed with the original deeper, more cosmic sound all the way through. The higher pitched synth part isn’t my favorite. It feels a little too “hot-pink bubblegum” for me.
Playing Music:
Not quite the same thing as listening, but close enough. I do still spend time playing around on the hammered dulcimer, usually the same group of songs I’ve already learned or picked out on my own, but sometimes I try something new. Lately, I followed this tutorial to learn a simple version of “The Swallowtail Jig”.
