Finished Color Hummingbird Sketch

Here is yesterday's pencil sketch with  DR PH MARTIN'S "Radiant CONCENTRATED Water Color" Dyes applied.  Now days they call them "India Inks", but it's probably the same thing. It's just that mine are from college days and are rather ancient. These dyes are so concentrated, you only need a tiny drop and a little water to do a lot of painting. One set will last you a lifetime and beyond! They are so snappy that just a dab will jazz up any transparent watercolor hue. They are very staining though, so you have to be extremely careful with that. (ie: I wish I had done the wings with straight watercolor. Adding a tiny bit of the dye to the wash made it less soft with more hard edges.) I'm so glad I dug these dyes out of the basement this summer! They give me something interesting to study, experiment with and work on.

It was a really good summer for me. This daily discipline adds direction, training and self control to my life. This regimen would not have been possible for six summers now, without this blog. Believe it or not, I even had a blast this summer sketching things besides hummers! The season started off with how to draw a horse. Sandwiched in the middle there were more hummingbirds, cats, elephants, deer, twisters, flowers, Jon Gnagy, UWO people and landscapes. And of course it just had to end with more and more hummingbirds! Along the way, various drills, drawing aids and exercises were explored. Two minute gestures, blind contour drawing, rule of thirds, values and multiple techniques were covered. There is a wealth of information here and on my various other sites for those who are eager to learn. My hope is that people will make good use of it. I'm not selling anything here or making money on this blog in any way. It has been a project of love and growth and of sharing. Thanks to all who read this and follow along, especially the participants and those who sent work in to share. Your comments and insights on my humble offerings are always most appreciated!

Wishing You Abundance Always,

Sandy Sandy Spiritartist

"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study.  Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life."  ~ Henry L. Doherty

End Of Season Hummingbirds

 I just can't believe how fast this summer has gone!!

Tomorrow is the end of my Summer Sketching Series for 2011. 

In a way, it feels like I have just begun

In reality however, tomorrow I will have sketched and posted my drawings here everyday for 92 consecutive days. I hope some of you artists got inspired to try a little sketching or a least gleaned an itsy-bitsy tidbit of information here and there. Hopefully, some of you readers were more entertained than annoyed by this year's daily doodles and dissertations.

Happy Hungry Hummingbirds

Ever since the storm cleared, we've had hoards of hummers here. We put all the shepherd's hooks and hanging flowers back up this morning.

Lots of males have showed up here the last couple of days. I believe some of them are travelers because we weren't seeing that many males here the past week or so before.

They sure have caused a commotion here and a there's a down right, non-stop feeding frenzy going on outside my window right now as I write this.

Super Birds Weather The Storm

It looks like our little hummingbirds made it through Hurricane Irene with no casualties.

They really are such incredible little creatures. They never cease to amaze me!!

See more about how we all weathered the storm here.

Hummingbird Attitudes

My little buddies are mad at me.

We had to disrupt their environment temporarily

while Irene makes her appearance. 

See what I've done to prepare for Irene here.

Hummingbird Visiting Flowers

Hummingbird Sitting On Nest

Pencil Sketch

With Watercolor Wash Added

See more about this technique here.

Hurricanes and Hummingbirds

With Hurricane Irene scheduled to pass through here on Saturday, my thoughts and concerns turn to my little hummingbird buddies. If it does hit us, I hope my large hummer population will weather the storm well. Here's a sketch of one of my little jewels with and without the watercolor wash.

Rushing Stream Sketch

Although I didn't put all the tones in yet, my value pattern plan for this composition

will be a large light shape (stream) with a small dark (shadows) in an overall mid value.

Using the Rule Of Thirds as a guide, the focal point

will be in the lower right where the lines intersect.

Find out more about values here.  And here.

Large Light Value Pattern

Today's value pattern sketch is a large light with a small ldark, in an overall mid value.

If you squint can you see it too?

Find out more about values here.

And here.

Large Dark Value Pattern

Today's value pattern sketch is a large dark with a small light, in an overall mid value.

If you squint and use your imagination, can you see it too?

Find out more about values here.

And here.

Country landscape