Beaver & Sea Scene

Above is a quick beaver sketch.

I did a similar doodle to the one below for the sketchbook project, but this one is the original. Click here to see the other version.

The Sketchbook Project [88,89, 90,91,cover, etc]

The last few pages from 'The sketchbook project'. I only tore out one page from the book after the picture went horribly wrong, but rather than chucking it I painted it with green gouache, cut out a sea weed shape and stuck it in the centre of the page above - the ends move about as if they are in water.

I covered the book with an old transfer print [paper painted with transfer paints then ironed/heat pressed onto some other paper, it is normally transferred onto fabric]. I then gave it a couple of coats of acrylic wax to help protect it.

This is the title page at the start of the book. It was also some transfer prints and a fish drawing which I scanned into the computer, combined and added text, the text has also got a reflection but it doesn't show up too well on the image below.

I also included a list of contents.

All the pages of the sketchbook can be seen on the other blog page, see top right

The Sketchbook Project [24,25,86,87]

More pages from my moleskine for 'The Sketchbook Project'

"Below the surface"  ..... of the sea

On the pages above I used paints - watercolours, metallic acrylics, an ink jet print [trawler], the net is a fruit net. The fish are collaged & I have used painted papers for them - I used a fish skeleton punch and stuck the skeleton shapes to other decorated papers and then cut fish shapes out.

 Below - the pages had a coating of acrylic wax and I used a sharpie, watercolours, brush pens and felt tips. I sent my sketchbook off today to America and I have mixed feelings about it as I had grown quite attached to it. Well at least I have scanned the pictures of it even though I can't actually turn the pages of the book.

The Sketchbook Project [80-85]

Below the surface.....of the banana skin, ......custard,

..............tongue,

.....................shoes

The Sketchbook Project [76,77]

Below the surface  ..... of the ocean.

Gesso base, metallic, gel, felt tip and brush pens.

The Sketchbook Project [72,73]

Below the surface   ....  of the lake.

Gesso base, sharpie, watercolours, brush pens

The Sketchbook Project [68,69 - Badger]

"Below the Surface"

Fine liner, brush pens, felt tips, gel pens, metallic pens.

The Sketchbook Project [66,67]

Below the Surface   ......  of the ground, worms.

Which reminds me of a song my elder sister taught me when I was a child.

Nobody loves me, everybody hates me

I think I'll eat some wor-r-rms

Big fat juicy ones

Long thin slimy ones

Itsy, bitzy teeny weeny wor-r-rms

First you bite their heads off

Then you suck the guts out

How they squiggle and sqi-r-rm

Big fat juicy ones

Long thin slimy ones

Itsy, bitzy teeny weeny wor-r-rms.

I believe there are more verses but that is all I learned

The Sketchbook Project [62,63]

"Below the Surface"  ----- swimming race

This page was done with a liner pen, brush pens, felt tips, watercolours and metallic paints [Pearlesce liquid acrylic]

The Sketchbook Project [64,65 & 78,79] & Illustration Friday

Below the surface ..... of the egg shell

and

below the surface ...... of the sea, which is also my picture for the Illustration Friday challenge - "Prehistoric"

The Sketchbook Project [70,71] & bigger icicles

More & thicker icicles on the shrub

and

ice all around the rose stem below

The Sketchbook Project - 'Below the surface' of the forest canopy

The Sketchbook Project [54,55]

The Sketchbook Project, Below the Surface- a kingfisher catching a fish. This one is a bit different to my usual style. Watercolours & gouache

The Sketchbook Project [52,53]

I've just done a load of scanning, I didn't realise I had so many of The sketchbook project pages not done, so here is the first of the batch. One page I painted with gesso [the paper is so thin] and the other was stuck to the next. The sticking of two pages doesn't seem any better than the gesso, so I have gone back to doing that. It could be my sticking that is the problem, it's not flat. I also wonder if people will try to unstick the pages. The gesso has ruined some of my best pens so I've started using some old felt tips, gel pens and cheap supermarket brush pens which is what I have used for the above.

We have had more snow, I've never seen so much here before. I thought these planters looked like giant snow cupcakes.

Firework Night & Sketchbook Project [32,33]

These are photos of fireworks from Nov 5th 2005, taken near the Millenium Bridge, London.

I've darkened them a little & cropped the top one, but that is all.

The Sketchbook Project - page 32,33

Below the surface  .... of the skin 

I've opened up a new blogger page for all the sketchbook project pages, link near top right

The Sketchbook Project [8,9]

"Below the surface"

This one is an underwater village where the sea people live [there are 6 of them in the picture]

Gesso base because of the thin paper, pen, brush pens, watercolours

The Sketchbook Project [22,23] & Illustration Friday

Another spread for my Sketchbook Project - Below the Surface

Pen, brush pens, watercolours

And for the Illustration Friday challege - Spent [the bird spent a great deal of time fishing before he got lucky]

This is made up from some old sketches and some new digital bits and then put together digitally with various alterations.

The Sketchbook Project [16/17]

I used some textured paper for these [I will stick them into the book].

I made some stamps with fun foam for the seaweed & urchins on the background, & stamped them on the paper with acrylics then painted over with brusho paints. I used some hand decorated papers for the seaweed in the forground and the fish and stitched them into place. I also stitched one of the urchins.

Sketchbook Project [p20, 18]

Two more double spread pages from my 'Sketchbook Project'   'Below the surface....'

Because the pages are so thin I have started painting them with white gesso first, although I did the volcano one below before I thought of doing that. The textures [on the volcano] picture were made using handmade stamps & i used both acrylic and watercolour paints and outlined in pen. I also applied tiny gold balls which was a mistake because of course it makes the surface uneven for the other pages. Having said that the balls keep dropping off so there may not be too many left on soon. On the pages above I used pen and brush pens. It looks like I have used different coloured brown pens for the soil but I used one of those Tombow multi tip pens which are supposed to be the same either end!

The Sketchbook Project

My first picture for The Sketchbook Project [see link on right], my theme is 'Below the Surface'.

The paper is a bit thin so I don't think I will be painting on the other sides, I will probably paint on something else and attach it some way. I didn't start at the very front of the book either, just in case I made a total mess of it!