Outside the Lines - January 2013 Chat Thread

**TessDB** · #1 01-01-2013, 09:55 AM

Welcome to the New Year!!!

I hope everyone had a happy and safe celebration.
Sooo... gotta ask... Any goals for the new year?

Me? I'm aiming to spend a minimum of 15 minutes at my drawing table every day. I've got too many sketches and doodles and ideas that need to go further just *sitting*. And that absolutely must change.

And if I stretch those 15 minutes into hours? That's even better!

Rosemary

clydeine · #2 01-01-2013, 10:24 AM

I kinda liked the challenge of the month. I enjoyed looking at peoples work. I always have something on my list to do also. I have a space (astronomy type space), a turtle, a portrait and something for myself to do in addition to what I am working on right now a cat exercise. Though I am always looking through images on line to see if there is something interesting to do. I dont know if it would be to much work, but a small demonstration in the monthly challenge might be interesting but I know time consuming for the person doing it. Just my thoughts! Oh and Happy New Year!

**ocmd123** · #3 01-01-2013, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TessDB

Me? I'm aiming to spend a minimum of 15 minutes at my drawing table every day. I've got too many sketches and doodles and ideas that need to go further just *sitting*. And that absolutely must change.

And if I stretch those 15 minutes into hours? That's even better!

Rosemary

Me too! My picture-a-day project ended yesterday. I faithfully took a picture everyday in 2012. Now I have a slew of reference material, so, no excuses, right? Pay no attention to that mound of school work that comes home daily.

But, I have a new studio space set up, and I am dying to spend some time there. I am going to try to get 15 minutes (I like that goal, Rosemary!) in today! (Let's keep each other on track, R!)

CRYork · #4 01-01-2013, 10:12 PM

Nice studio space, Elaine.

I concentrated more on portraits in 2012, but only had 2 commissioned portraits, and the rest were for myself and my family. In 2013, I want to do some drawings that might have a slim possibility of selling. I want to learn how to do landscapes, water, and mountains. I have many pictures to use for reference material, and have been planning to do some of them for years. 2013 is the year!!!

I also want to do more animal portraits and put backgrounds in them. Still haven't done a drawing of our beloved Smokey, our cat who passed away a year ago....gotta do that.

Anyway, I am back to WC! for a while...been spending a lot of time on facebook. Glad to be back!

Char

Amyx231 · #5 01-12-2013, 01:41 PM

It in case anyone is interested, 3 Prismacolor Lightfast pencil colors are on sale for only 14 cents each at Artist&Craftsman in Cambridge, MA.

They are reds and browns, but hey, at that price....

I also got a Verithin green, making my Prismas collection number...5! Hey, I'm getting there. I'm afraid to sharpen them, tho, lead breakage worry.... The one red (normal prisma) I had before kept breaking, so now I'm afraid to sharpen my new pencils too much. Interestingly enough, the Verithin feels very soft and creamy to me, the Lightfast ones don't feel any softer...because of age maybe? (The red one I have is pre-move, the old factory, so I'm not sure how that compares to the new Prismas. Does anyone have both new and old factory or owning company stock? How do they compare? From these boards, people seem to like the old stuff a lot better...?)

I also got a few Blick pencils, they are on sale! Yay! I have silver *dance*

(On a separate note, I got the Ebony pencil 2-pack a month ago, and am sad

the leads aren't centered for neither of them!

Great darkness, barely any impurities (or as I like to say, streaking when used) so the lead is fine. Wow, I could not believe the people's comments bamming the new stuff over on Blick.)

Amyx231 · #6 01-12-2013, 04:43 PM

And yes, I am into everything.
I learned when I was pretty young from a classically trained artist, so sketching with graphite only. I guess shading is okay, but I've learned that I prefer color. Even just some brown really makes a sketch pop

(Fav outline/sketch brown is Prang Sepia - perfect color, holds a point, cheap enough I'm not sobbing at broken lead upon sharpening. Too bad it's not sold in the normal packs of CPs in stores *sigh*

This semester, I plan to use up...something. At least a sketch book. I mean, how hard can that be? It's...80 pages double sided....er, maybe single sided work since else it'd smear. 80 pages in less than 4 months, minus finals weeks...hmmm, that's 1 a day. Did anyone ever try the sketchbook-a-month challenge? How did that go?

**ocmd123** · #7 01-13-2013, 08:14 AM

Amy, my issues with Prisma breakage have been minimal, and that's almost all I use. Make sure you have an electric sharpener. Manual sharpening seems to break them much easier. Sketch book a month? I like the idea, but working full time and managing a family, I couldn't pull that off at this point. It was all I could do to manage a photo a day for a full year! Have you checked out our Art Journals Forum yet?

RWSewell · #8 01-13-2013, 01:14 PM

I've never heard of Artist&Craftsman, may have to make a little drive in the near future to check them out. Years ago the place to get art supplies in Cambridge (IMO) was Pearls on Mass. Ave. Even with them gone there's still Dick Blick and Utrechts (sp?)...at least I hope so. Been a while since my MassArt days LOL!

Rob

**DrDebby** · #9 01-13-2013, 01:38 PM

Amy, a long while ago we had a challenge to fill up a sketchbook in a month over in the Art Journal forum. We'd love to see you fill up your sketchbook, if you want to share over there.

Amyx231 · #10 01-13-2013, 01:50 PM

A&C is literally across the street from Blick. Great clearance section with some of everything. Now would be the time to go, because of the back to school sales.

I'm looking at the art journal forum now!
I probably won't finish a whole sketchbook in a month, with school and all. But it sure would be fun to try. I have a small one that's 60 pages, I used maybe 5 pages this past month. I think I'll go for it. Thanks for the encouragement!
(I might post my favs, but I dislike using the webcam of mine for photos, so only a maybe there. I'd love to get critique tho. I'm messing around with color right now

)

faula · #11 01-16-2013, 06:35 PM

it is freezing outside :/ and only some snow, not enough for a snowman

**ocmd123** · #12 01-16-2013, 10:05 PM

Icy wonderland here today.

RWSewell · #13 01-17-2013, 11:11 AM

Very beautiful!

Oooo, but I hope that isn't headed my way...but it probably is...

Be careful on the roads.

Rob

Sutra · #14 01-18-2013, 04:24 PM

Every year I splurge on something for myself for my birthday - something I really want, that I can afford, but that I don't think I really need, at least not for the price. Well this year that gift is 2 sets of colored pencils! I ordered the 120 pencil tin of Polychromos, and the 36 pencil tin of Albrecht Durer. I think the WC pencils were shipped, and the Polys are still out-of-stock, but whatever, I love opening gifts.

PatinKy · #15 01-18-2013, 04:49 PM

A person after my own heart (or art)!

I have the polychromos set also bought as a gift to myself. I really like these pencils and enjoy using them. They are different than Prismacolors (which is what I used for 2-3 years) but equally good. In fact, there's a lot about them that I like better.

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