2022 Sketchbook Part 1

- October 23, 2022

Last March I joined The Sketchbook Challenge with Laura Kemshall. It has taken me 9 months to complete one of my journals (I started two) and now I'm going to post about it in several parts. The first journal was created using MX Dyes on the edges. I had a lot of fun creating the color on the edges, soaking the pages in an attempt to get a lot more dye to drip on the inside. I didn't use any soda ash for fear it would eventually disintegrate the paper.

The dye stained the pages and was very migrant when rewetted. This was often a problem when I went back in to a page after the pages were completely dry. sometimes I could use it to my advantage and sometimes not so much.

Some of the design created by the dye flowing from the edges on the page.

The second sketchbook's edges were colored with a lot of very wet watercolor.

Once the edges and insides dried, Laura guided us through making marks on some of the pages.

I often went all out. But some of the pages I left alone until I wanted to draw on them.

One of my first drawings was this face. I only had Copic markers with me when I started her. She was a new challenge for me. Later I added her doodled coat.

And months later I gave her a background using Posca markers and Pitt Pens.

I put the sketchbook, Copic markers and some black Pitt pens together as an art kit to keep in my car for those moments when I found myself waiting for someone to come out of a doctor's appointment.

I challenged myself to draw my hand. I seem to always have a mental block when it comes to drawing hands.

Months later I added more hands to the other side of the spread.
I used online photos as models for these hands.

My attempt at drawing eyes with various emotions.

Not sure I like the addition of the lines but, it is is what it is.
Sketchbooks are for experiments.

Speaking of experiments, these lines were created when I couldn't think of anything else to draw.

A lot of the pages seemed to be a Rorschach inkblot test.
The brown blobs made me think of aliens flying over a city.
And the blue were either aliens or strange clouds. I don't know.
But somehow a city was called for.

The city grew. . .

. . .and grew. . .

. . .and grew, before finally going through a series of cloud and spaceship variations.
(no photos of the spaceships unfortunately)

I didn't like the spaceships so they got covered up with very dark clouds. Not sure what the blobs of blood are coming from the clouds, but there it is. It's done.