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Ink and Paper Drawings
In my controversial opinion, making digital art can make anyone seem at least competent, but drawing with ink is the real test of how well someone can draw. No editing, no undoing, no fancy filters. Just you, the pen, and the paper. It's riveting!
Untitled 4/4: Feb. 2023
And done! I had nib on paper for probably seven total hours over the course of a couple weeks. I hadn't worked this hard on a drawing in several years.
Micron Pens on Stillman & Birn paper.
Micron Pens on Stillman & Birn paper.
Untitled 3/4: Feb. 2023
A close up of the detail...
Untitled 2/4: Jan. 2023
Lots done...lots to do.....
Untitled 1/4: Jan. 2023
A few minutes into the drawing...
Life from the Orange | January 31, 2023
I've started going back to school for my BA in Communications and found the last little piece of free time that I had taken up by homework. As a result, I haven't been drawing quite so much. This orange and black experiment with ink features Noodler's Ink... Bernake Black and Apache Sunset.
Skull Sketch | July 11, 2022
This started out as a plant but it looked too much like a spine to resist putting an odd skull upon it. I mostly used the extremely thin Micron 003 pen on this Stillman & Birn Epsilon sketchbook.
Playing with Pens | June 27, 2022
Just doodling away with my pens today. It has been about a week since I drew.
Litter Sketch | June 9, 2022
Drawing a super old beer (?) can that has been lying in the desert for who knows how long. It has been thrown away now.
Desert Sketch | June 9, 2022
Thanks to a very supportive family, I was able to have a day to myself where I could do whatever I want. So, I woke up just after 4am and, of course, I chose to go get into the middle of the desert and draw. About noon it finally got over 100° on its way up to 108° so I had to tap out and go to the local Florence library to finish one of the drawings. But this one here is the first one I did at about six this morning. It’s the first time in my entire life that I remember being able to draw without any obligations or interruptions. It was absolutely fantastic. I could still hear cars and sometimes airplanes, but other than that there was no audible evidence of human existence. It was wonderful!
Desert Reference Photo
The Derrick Drawing the Desert
Got a rare chance to draw out in the desert. Until I sweated so much that I had to bail. The weather here is brutal.
My leg | June 8, 2022
Still trying to figure out how to draw my own leg. Shoes are maybe my weakest skill. But I am happy with that one shoe that is on the ground. This was during the kids’ piano lessons.
Trigonometry | June 7, 2022
My friend at work brought this for me to check out. The card on the inside slides to change what you’re looking at through the circles and squares. I had to draw it. I wasn’t able to focus on the drawing very much (I was at work) so it’s not amazing but I wanted to share the trigonometry card itself more than anything.
Purple Flower Sketch | June 6, 2022
I really had a lot of fun drawing this flower. I’m not positive I know what kind it is though. I’m going to continue to draw flowers and plants and see if I can get good at it. I’m getting some scientific illustration books from the library to help.
Nature Textures | June 5, 2022
I’ve enjoyed this journey of learning to draw with pen and ink. If I didn’t open my mind up and let it draw what it wants to (instead of drawing what I think people want to see on social media) I never would have realized how much I enjoy drawing trees and plant life. I have a project in mind that has to do with our lands being overrun by development, but I need to increase my skill level before it comes to fruition. Stay tuned.
Plant Life | May 2022
That weird little face on the left was the first thing to appear on these pages. S, once the tree unexpectedly made it up to his height, I didn't have the heart to draw over him.
Drawing plants that I make up was very fun. I do believe I’ll be doing it more often because I am having such a good time. I learn a lot about shading and crosshatching each time I do one of these. So I should continue to improve.
Drawing plants that I make up was very fun. I do believe I’ll be doing it more often because I am having such a good time. I learn a lot about shading and crosshatching each time I do one of these. So I should continue to improve.
My 90S CD Collection | May 22, 2022
I used to love going to CD stores and diving into the used section. Selecting purchases due to amazing album cover art, cool band names, or bands I saw on Beavis and Butthead was a great pastime for me. I amassed quite a lot of discs as a teen and into my 20s but sold them all on eBay about six years ago. Well, all but a few autographed ones by The Toadies and Down. Oh, what was my first CD you ask? Still Cruisin’ by The Beach Boys. I didn't even have a CD player yet... they just looked so cool that I had to have one.
My Leather Wallet Sketch | May 21, 2022
I was sitting around wondering what to draw today when I heard my new wallet pipe up from my pocket and volunteer. I got this wallet for my birthday from my wife. Until this, I had had the same wallet since about 1996.
My Wallet Reference Photo
Gerber Knife Sketch | May 17, 2022
Sketching out my Gerber pocketknife. This is my go-to knife and I always have it with me, ready for lots of tasks. I had a really fun time drawing it.
Gerber Knife Reference Photo
Stapler Sketch | May 16, 2022
Have you seen my stapler? Made this quick little five minute sketch at work.
Piano Recital Program
I was honored today with the kids’ piano teacher using one of my doodles for their recital program cover. It’s just something I was sketching out while they were at practice a month or so ago and the teacher liked it so much he wanted it for the cover. I of course said yes.
Discount Tire | May 13, 2022
Here I go again trying to learn how to draw a room with perspective. I think this one came out a lot better than my last attempt at the coffee shop. Still so much to learn. And I’m having a great time learning it! This is Discount Tires in San Tan Valley, AZ.
Maltipoo Maci | May 3, 2022
This is a quick 30 second sketch of my puppy dog before I go to sleep for the night. It's funny, because I wasn't even trying. So, that gave me the false sense that drawing like this is easy. I tried to duplicate it the next day and failed miserably. I don't know how this one came out so cute.
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