Well, that title makes things sound more dramatic than they actually are. (Knock on wood…) However, I am still in the process of trying to get things done, some of which is self-imposed (oops; I mistyped that as “elf-imposed”, which sounds like part of the plot for some Christmas-themed claymation TV special) and some of which is based on real-life deadlines. None of it is all that dramatic, but some of us will find something to (mildly) stress about, regardless of the actual need for stress.
Doodling is a good way to unwind and focus on something else, whether your stress is heavy-duty, mild and self-imposed, or possibly even elf-imposed. (It’s too early to think about Christmas, in my opinion, but I know some people are doing “Christmas in July” projects, so maybe someone out there is suffering from elf-related stress.)
I’m still playing around with my new Duke 600 fude nib fountain pen from the last blog post, so that’s what I have to share, this time.
Duke 600 Fude Nib Fountain Pen
Last time, I posted a doodly sketch of some potted plants, drawn with the new pen. Here it is again, to refresh your memory (and in case you prefer the black and white version):
I had some fun coloring it all in with watercolor—and it really is a lot of fun. It’s amazing how much enjoyment you can get from just a few simple art supplies.
What Month Is It, Again?
I don’t know what made me think about jack-o’-lanterns last week, but something did. I jotted the word down on a scrap of paper to remind me, because my mind is scattered, these days, and it’s so easy to forget! (Everything must be written down if there’s to be a hope of remembering it later.)
Friday night, while we listened to the latest 372 Pages We’ll Never Get Back podcast episode—we’re reading Night of the Crabs, by Guy N. Smith—I doodled a bunch of jack-o’-lanterns.
Yes, it’s only July. Yes, pumpkins with faces are more of an October thing. If people are allowed to sew Christmas-themed projects in July, I’m giving myself permission to doodle pumpkins, instead. (Nothing new there. I think you should listen to Christmas carols whenever you like, draw pumpkins and ghosts year-round—if you like—and even do Easter egg hunts in December, if you’re a real weirdo it makes you happy.)
Anyway, I know nobody really cares what I do, but sometimes it’s fun to pretend you’re a real rebel—a risk-taking rule-breaker!
I used the Duke 600 pen again, but I didn’t take a photo of the doodle before starting to color it in. Here it is partially painted:
And here it is finished:
I used a mix of regular watercolor left on my palette and some of the anilinky Koh-I-Noor “Brilliant Watercolors”.
Nothing super special, but I had a lot of fun both doodling and painting them, and I expect I’ll do more in the next month or so while fantasizing that it’s actually late October, with a slightly chilly night outside and a friendly owl hooting in the backyard…
Hang 'Em High
Look, I Don't Know... Just Go With It, Okay?
At some point in the past year or so I saw someone had painted or drawn a clothesline scene, and I thought to myself, “Hey, that looks like fun!” So I wrote it down and then never did it. But while doodling the jack-o’-lanterns, the idea came back to me, and I gave it a try today, still using the Duke 600:
I think the proportions of some of the clothes are pretty weird, but it was a start. Something to do. And kind of fun, though the pumpkins were more enjoyable.
I used more of the anilinky dye-based watercolors to color these in, and though I tried to water them down sufficiently, at times I underestimated just how intense they are. It really doesn’t take much to get a bright, bold, “in-your-face” color!
I might try this again, sometime, but maybe it would be more fun as a collage. (That’s what I had originally intended to do, when I made the note—but this weekend, I just wanted something quick and easy, using the fude pen.
It was still fun to do, and I think kids might enjoy this as a prompt. You could doodle clothes you actually own—or you could be extravagant and do really unusual clothes. Cartoon or movie characters’ clothes, clothing from other time periods, traditional outfits from the past or other parts of the world, clown-style clothing, etc. As someone who likes quilts, I think it could be fun to doodle a bunch of quilts on clotheslines, but that might be a bit more work!
Bye for Now
Well, that’s all I have to share this time. I’ll close with this funny photo of Luna. She sometimes likes to wriggle under our bed in search of dust bunnies or lost toys (or the secret entrance to another dimension, for all I know). If you don’t catch her in the act of slipping under the bed, you may not realize that’s where she is—until you hear mysterious noises of a dog squirming around in a tight spot.
(Frodo does this, too, but he’s a bit bigger than Luna, so it’s more of a struggle for him to get in and out.)
Last night, I happened to find Luna part-way under the bed, with just her hind legs and tail poking out. Of course I had to snap a photo:
Such silly dogs!
