Sketchbook

Not a lot happening with my sketchbook these last couple of weeks, but I have been raiding my files of old sketches and doodles to see if there's anything I can usefully include.

The two drawings I've glued onto this spread are quite some years old, both based on fashion magazine images - with a little bit of collage added to tie in with the background colours. This is not finished, but I am not sure yet what is needed.

Collage, acrylic paint, printed papers, coloured pencil sketches

Christmas greetings

 I'm a bit late with my online greetings this year, but here's my effort for 2020.

Soft cut block (approx. 4.5" x 4"

Hahnemuhle bamboo paper background painted with fluid acrylics, plus
shimmering blue acrylic, overprinted using white gesso.
Additional details in gold, silver and blue gel pens.
Paper bow and fabric ribbon.

The printed baubles were cut out and glued to A6 cards.

I had thought I wouldn't be sending out as many cards this year, but I ran out of my handprinted version so used my design drawing to print extras on the computer, again adding metallic gel pens for a bit of sparkle.

Sketchbook collage and stitch

Again, I have raided my numerous scrap folders to complete these two pages which started with just the nasturtium test print on the righthand side.

From the left - testing out my sewing machine on a patchwork of heavily gesso'd and painted tissue paper; a lino printed book page; a paper cast flower; some practice Chinese brushwork flowers, cut out and collaged, with handsewn stems and leaves; lino print on painted tissue with ribbon threaded through holes punched through the page.

More doodling

 I decided to use a more restrained approach to the rest of this page spread.  Again, I used acrylic ink with a dip pen as well as adding areas of shading with dry Inktense pencils, then cross hatching with fine liner and gel pens.

Sketchbook catch-up

With various pre-Christmas tasks taking precedence, I have slipped behind with my sketchbook challenge.  However, I did start work on another spread last night.

This began with a scrap of painted and printed paper stitched onto the righthand page, Inktense pencils and gel pens emphasising the flower forms.  I decided to continue the spread with a floral-themed pattern using acrylic paint with lino, foam and cork stamps, followed up by some "demented doodling" using fine liner pens, acrylic ink and gel pens.  I am not sure I will have the patience to complete the left-hand page with quite the same level of detail!

Sketchbook experiments

Another spread almost complete.  Again, repurposed earlier work, with figures vaguely based on the type of traditional design used for playing cards. 

For the background I used a purchased stencil, the Queen and the four symbols are lino prints, the King and the Knave are mono printed using oil-based ink (with some added pencil details).  As my attempts at mono printing the Jester did not come out well, I used my Sharpie drawing instead, with colour pencil.