Organic shapes inspired by Ernst Haeckel

Finally did a few sketches after a couple weeks of busy-ness elsewhere.  I’m into organic shapes and following the Ernst Haeckel’s designs. I used the Strathmore Black Field Drawing 6×6 inch sketchbook and the Stillman & Birn Zeta hardbound sketchbook 5.5 x 8.5 inch, Platinum Carbon ink fountain pen, Pilot 78G fine fountain pen, General’s Kimberly watercolor pencil, pencil.

A couple of organic doodles

Bought a Strathmore 400 series Mixed Media 15 sheet sketchpad with vellum surface 6×8 inch. I was impressed with the 3×5 inch sketchbook I used before in which I could do watercolor and pen and ink on both sides and it still held up beautifully. This is the first time I used this for colored pencil and Speedball India ink.

One good cat and some lesser animal sketches

I’m really happy with the first piece.  The rest are just doodles.

Pencil and Caran D’Ache Luminance colored pencils

Chinese brush and sumi ink, pencil and fountain pen

Chinese brush and sumi ink

mix of pencil, ink, pen, colored pencil

fountain pen and watercolor

Winter Trip 2013 sketches

We just came back from Southern California and along the way, I sketched. I brought a Stillman & Birn Alpha 5.5 x 8.5 inch hardbound sketchbook and a Strathmore same size spiral 70 lb but never used it once. When you have to keep up with kids in Legoland, San Diego Safari Park, eateries, Chinatown, you just don’t haul anything larger than palm size. Plus I had to be discreet when I sketch people around me. So a very small 32 page blank book and a Moleskin watercolor journal 3.5 x 5.5 inch. The watercolor one, I used mostly in the car rides or it would be too cumbersome with even a small travel palette and a waterbrush. These were done with Daler Rowney travel palette.

I have learnt from my last trip not to bring my bottled ink because every time I have to drive over 4000 feet elevation, there are spills somehow. Plus who wants to deal with inky fingers along the trip. A pencil and a Pilot 78G with a cartridge were perfect. But for characters with personality, the best is the Pentel Pocket Calligraphy Brushpen. A few strokes and I could describe the scene.

A couple of Southwestern theme pieces

Finally managed to do some art today.  Oil pastel for the first piece and pen and colored pencil on the next two.

 

 

 

Testing Chinese Hero Fountain Pens

I bought a bunch of Chinese made fountain pens because I need the variety and I plan to do a LOT of pen sketches.  My old Parker has a damaged nib and my Lamy is too fine.  My Platinum Carbon Fountain pen is ultra fine and my Montblanc is too broad and I don’t dare put India ink in the Montblanc.  I need to have waterproof lines in case I want to put watercolor over the sketch.  So, here is the  haul.

 

 

Below are writing and drawing samples.