The Jersey Devil and the Flat Tire

Another summer of SketchingEveryday has come to an end.

It went by so fast! Posting every few days made it a lot easier.

I may keep posting here from time to time throughout the year.

In the meantime, you may want to follow my main blog here.

I just announced my first Fall Giveaway yesterday!

Be sure to check it out and add your comment to enter.

Ending the 2012 Summer Sketching Series,

here's another idea I had featuring the Jersey Devil

for the Cranberry Festival booklet cover.

Do you think it's spooky enough?

There's another Jersey Devil painting on the boards too!

Stay tuned, because I may need your input

to help me decide which one to use.

I hope you enjoyed this year's offerings.

I am grateful for your comments and friendship!

"Delicious autumn! 

My very soul is wedded to it,

and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth

seeking the successive autumns."  ~ George Eliot

♥

Wishing You Abundance Always, 

A Crow in Hand

A Crow in Hand
5.5 x 7.5" - transparent watercolor on 140lb Arches paper, matted to 8 x 10"

Today's watercolor was inspired by 

yesterday's sketch.

♥

Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet Again

Merry Magick
5.5 x 7.5" - transparent watercolor on 140lb Arches paper, matted to 8 x 10"

Have you gotten into the fun Halloween spirit yet?

- Free Coloring Pages for Your Personal Pleasure -

Please feel free to print out the following line drawings for yourself, a friend, your children's or grandchildren's coloring fun! Each line drawing fits nicely on a standard 8.5 x 11" sheet.

This drawing is a take off from last week's "Three Witches" sketch.

And here's the "Crazy Cat Lady Witch".

An idea for this year's Cranberry Festival booklet cover.

Or possibly this one? According to tradition,

there's a different Jersey Devil and theme every year.

On Thursday, Jerry and I celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary. As always, he showered me with love and gifts; including, flowers, candy, beer and a great Mexican meal. Here's the colorful sunflower painting done from this drawing.

Show Me The Money

This watercolor doodle looks like the kid is asking the grandpa to show her the  money.

Drawing Doodles With A Brush

Tony van Hasselt has inspired me to do some sketching with a brush this week. 

This is a fun exercise to just get your brushes wet.

Put a mark down and see what it suggests.

It's nothing to get nervous about. It doesn't even have to turn out.

Just stay loose and doodle!

You can use photos or real life for inspiration

Or just draw mindlessly, completely out of your head, like I do! :-D

Drawing Exercises for Improving Your Painting Skills

The second part of Tony van Hasselt's DVD, "Fun With Figures", deals with drawing U.W.O. people with a brush. Tony stresses that this is an exercise. By following along and seeing the process, you'll be better equipped to put incidental figures in your paintings. "Some of these are going to come out, and some of these are not", he says. I really like his playful approach and attitude.

U W O (You-Whoa) Folks - The Proper way to Spell It

Today Tony van Hasselt commented on my doodling post here on SketchingEveryday. Tony writes; "Interesting to see what you did with my UWO folks. You can remember the correct spelling since it is the same as the way they need to be drawn. First the upside down U, then the W and finally the head. OK? Got that?" Gosh, sorry Tony. I do see your point now. Drawing them in order of the letters does help with the concept. It's important to place the head after the legs because the bend and direction of the torso and the legs suggests or determines where the head could or should be placed. Thanks for clarifying that and correcting me. You are a great instructor, Tony and will always be among my favorites. Today's sketches are UWO doodles done with the brush while watching Tony's DVD, Fun With Figures.

Doodling People

Doodle - (noun) A rough drawing made absentmindedly. See, you don't even have to think while doodling. That's all today's U.O.W. (You-Oh) people are, just doodles. I bet you can't come up with a couple of your own! ( a little reverse psychology  ;-D )

Draw People with a Simple Formula by Tony van Hasselt

In August 2000, I attended a plein air workshop with Tony Van Hasselt in Maine.  I love his fresh and direct wet-in-wet approach to landscape painting in watercolor.

Tony has a playful uncomplicated method for drawing and painting the human form. These are not meant to be figure studies, but secondary or incidental to the scene. Once perfected, they add impact and a clear center of interest to any landscape. 

Five years ago, I featured his technique for drawing and painting figures back in 2006. Click on my worksheets.  I got a good response from people who tried this approach. Some even went on to buy the video.Tony calls them U.W.O.  (You-WOh) people because that's the order in which the letters are drawn. The head is put on last. Why not give Tony's (You-WOh's) a try?  I think you'll agree that they are enjoyable to create and may even add more pizazz and interest to your work!