I’m having one of those moments where it’s simply too difficult to do anything but enjoy the moment. Mother Nature is playing a nasty trick on us – making us think spring is here already. It’s a bright, warm day out… ohhhh… we are going to pay! I just know in my little heart that winter will have at least one last gasp left in it. When it hits, it will feel worst because of the lovely weather we’ve had the past few days. I found myself sitting on a bench sunning my face, not thinking about anything except how lovely it felt.
I was positively giddy with excitement when I heard all the birds singing their feathery hearts out earlier today. Speaking of birds:
I looked and didn’t see this little fellow posted, if he has been, well.. think of it as a spring repeat. I was testing out different types of pencils with him. Parts worked very well, other parts were a bit heavy handed. Initially I didn’t like him, but looking at him again, I rather like him. The head shape is just about correct.
I haven’t drawn much since I started feeling kind of ill. I’ll try again this week… I’m getting that itchy feeling when I get around pencils and paper. I’m going to take another stab at drawing cats again. Well… still a bit of daylight left to the day. I’m heading back out to enjoy it.
Oh baby it’s cold outside. Way too cold. I think when I went out earlier the weatherman said it was about -25c. Gawd I hate the winter. I know, I know… I’m Canadian and by default I’m supposed to love playing in the snow, skiing, hockey skating… everything snow and ice related. Somewhere in my genetic makeup those specific DNA markers went rogue and never took over. I loathe the snow. Sorry, I realise that is terribly disloyal, but I can’t even get excited about the Winter Olympics. Sigh… I want to go sit at an outside cafe sipping lattes and drawing little birds. I want to go out and not have to dress up like Nanook of the North. Know how to tell how old a Canadian is? Count the salt rings on their pants. Oh god now I’m whining and it’s only January!
To make up for my whining here’s one of my latest little birds for you. I did this Tufted Titmouse during the holidays. I’m using both the classic Staedtler Mars Lumograph B 2B and 6B for the darkest parts of the birds. For the lighter softer downy feathers I’m using Cretacolor Fine Art Graphite pencils 2H HB Fine. The Cretacolor leads are terrific for creating a soft fluffy look and the leads are very durable. I tried some other brands but found the lead tips kept snapping off. Staedtler and the Cretacolor hold a sharp point beautifully. I haven’t settled on either brand yet, but I’m enjoying a great deal of success in using them. The mechanical pencils were great but using a variety of pencils allows for more detailed and softer sketches. Well enjoy the bird, I’m off to the cafe for a latte and to draw a bit and dream of spring. Oh… spring… outdoor cafes, sunshine and warmth … sigh….
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It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s .. no .. no I’m pretty sure it’s a bird.
Well… yes I am. I hate the cold. I’m consoling myself with the knowledge that we really aren’t cold – at least not compared to the -50 degree weather Alberta stumbled through last week. One place in Alberta was even colder than Siberia – that’s how cold it was out there. Edmonton has now risen to a relatively balmy -17 today! So… I am just muttering a bit about how I hate winter.
To make amends for the endless snivelling about snow, cold and wind you are about to endure this winter, I present you with …. a bird:
A Scrub Jay I drew back in the fall. I’ve been drawing a bit here and there this past month, but have been so busy with my new computer I’ve not spent a lot of time drawing. Well except for the unfortunate looking sparrows … but we won’t go any further with that short lived experiment. They are best left unseen. Let’s just say Frankenstein’s monster meets the Birdman comes to mind. See, I’m still struggling with new pencils and techniques so some of my pictures are a wee bit embarassing. Although the other day I did manage a passable attempt at a song bird. I haven’t hooked my scanner up yet, so I can’t load up anything new. I’ll stop being lazy today and hook it up so I can show you some of my newer birds.. or maybe tomorrow…is it spring yet?
It was either birds or more moaning and complaining about the TTC today – I decided you needed a break from my mutterings and rantings and opted for a bird:
Periodically I’m nice.
Couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t attach the link so you can see the bird just now. Kept trying and nothing was happening. Took 4 or 5 minutes to figure out what the problem was. Damned cat keeps sitting on the wireless receiver for the mouse and keyboard and guess what? Wireless waves can’t make it through a big furry butt! You came within a whisker of not seeing anything today. Live long enough and you will be amazed at the odd bits of knowledge you pick up.
Anyway… the pretty little boy in the picture above is a Beswick wren doing his best to attract a female. Typical isn’t it – the display some men will put on just to catch a bird’s eye. After nearly 2 weeks of really awful birds, I finally was able to draw again. I’ve been struggling with mixing the mechanical pencils with more traditional sketching pencils to achieve a smoother look. I’ve also been trying to get more of the bird’s pattern down, less heavy with the lead. Interesting and frustrating struggle, but this drawing is pretty good. I think I may be onto a technique that will allow me to have the lacy feathers mixed with the firm markings that make each bird distinctive. The other woeful birds are heavy looking and I’m not fond of them. I may load them up just to show the progression of my confidence in using mixed pencils and techniques.
Well I’m chuffed now! Happy as a lark? Contented as a cat asleep on your arm? I’m off to have a latte and sit in a bright window seat for awhile.
…nor is there rest for the rest of us. I’ve been splitting my time between experimenting with new drawing techniques and writing some computer help mini-manuals for a couple customers. I often rewrite instructions for software or create small manuals because most of the instructions are basically… well .. crap. This week I’ve done a nice little manual on using Xmarks - a great little application that synchronizes bookmarks between computers. It’s pretty easy, but I like to tailor the info. I’m also working on a rather large manual on using Itunes to download podcasts, Utunes university lectures and more. I’m painfully slow in doing it. Basically I think I have a low attention span when it comes to drudge work. The manuals are worth it… makes the customer’s life a bit easier.
I’ll scan in my latest bird on the weekend. I have a really full schedule Thursday and Friday. Lots of fiddly work on computers – my favourite kind of house call (and no I’m not being sarcastic). Not sure I like my latest drawing. I’m trying different pencils. To date I’ve used a couple of mechanical pencils. This week I’ve moved to regular pencils with different leads – 2h, Fine, HB, 2B, 6B, 8B. One thing I’ve noticed is the shading is a lot more subtle. But it is very hard to get the delicate feathering right. S’alright, it will give me something to do during the long, cold winter months. Bugger….
Oh… and if I’m late in posting anything this weekend, it’s because I’m at the Stamp show. Oh… I’m incredibly excited. I love the Stamp Show! Yup… I really am a serious geek, aren’t I?
