Hollowed Pepper in watercolour

Hello and welcome to Dee Tries to Paint. Again.

What can I say? Still game to give it a go. It'll never improve otherwise.

This week's Illustration Friday prompt is hollow, and this is, of course, a radish.

Juuust seeing who was paying attention. Sorry for the darkish photo, by the way, but the office scanner was insisting that it was seeing this doodle (can it still be a doodle if it's painted? I hope so. I like doodles) as yellow, which it's not. So, since I have minimal editing software on this computer, back to iffy photography rather than a nice clean scan.

The odd thing about this particular effort is that I really don't like green peppers and I've never hollowed out one in my life. Ah well. Extra points for the challenge of an unpleasant subject?

Trembling Aspen in pen and ink

Look! It's a scan rather than my usual iffy photograph. That's because I'm at work, where scanners live. As opposed to my place, where there isn't even a computer.

Anyway.

This week's Illustration Friday prompt is Shaky, and Nerd Naturalist Extraordinaire here immediately thought of Trembling Aspen. The name of the tree comes from the flattened petioles (stalks) of the leaves, which cause the leaves to shake or tremble with any tiny little breeze.

I doodled this piece of aspen before I had to open the building this morning. Yes, I got to work early on a Saturday just so I could draw a tree.

Gotta wonder sometimes about priorities and this whole doodling thing...

Worn in pen and ink

This week's Illustration Friday prompt is Worn, and this... is my ankle brace. One of several, unfortunately. I change them out depending on what I'm doing and how much support I need at the time.

It's worn because my ankle is worn. Out, that is. An old injury means there's not much holding the joint together anymore. Or at least not as much as there should be.

Ah, ankle braces. How do I loathe thee? I won't bother counting the ways. We don't need to be here that long.

How strange is it that I've taken to doodling braces, anyway? Here's hoping that this is the first and last time. I definitely don't want this to become Compression Bandage Central.

That'd be weird even for me.

And speaking of weird...

I thought I'd see if the little modelling clay men could make an ankle brace seem like fun. Turns out that even they can't make a jungle gym out of a necessary evil.

Ah well.

Thanks for trying, guys.

Brief bookish mutter

I probably don't have to mention this since I know that Danny Gregory already had quite a following, but I recently finished his book An Illustrated Life and I have to say I'd recommend it to anyone who's thinking of starting (or already has) an art journal. Definitely illuminating to see the various ways that people journal. Some are so precise, and others are very free. If anything, you get a real message of just do it. Stop worrying, stop fussing, and just DO it. Maybe if I hit myself over the head repeatedly with the book I'll remember that.

Also, I was wondering if anyone out there has done or is doing Wreck This Journal? I just started mine a few days ago, and I have to say that it's altogether too much fun. Even if it does go against every single instinct of mine to buy a book specifically to destroy it... but then that's entirely the point, right?

Abstract something. Now with more cats...

This was me trying out some colour washes. Then I thought I may as well make some blotches on top of the washes. Then I thought I'd ought to trace the blotches. Then I thought I should probably cut the whole thing out. Then I thought I'd pin it to the fridge with some cat-shaped magnets.

Why?

I DON'T KNOW.








Have I mentioned my inner five-year-old lately?

Petal Drift in watercolour

Not a great photo, but I suppose it gives the gist.

This week's Illustration Friday prompt is Drifting. So... single petal drifting (more or less) away from its parent flower.

I hardly ever paint (is it glaringly obvious? Yeah, I know), but I decided recently that I'll never paint unless I actually practice. Funny how that works. Anyway, I took advantage of a sale to get myself a decent-but-not-frighteningly-expensive travel box of half-pans, and we'll see if having paints that are meant to be painted with (as opposed to those meant-to-make-a-mess-with sets we used all through elementary school) will make me a little more enthusiastic about trying my hand.

You never know, right?

Oh, and the flowers are based somewhat loosely on one of our apple trees, but I decided to make them a lot pinker because... because I felt like it, I guess.

More guest artwork

This time from Avery, who doesn't yet have an oddly food-related internet pseudonym.

This signed original is currently hanging on my wall, if anyone would like to make a bid. It's signed, remember. And an original.