Coloring Test – AsparaGAS!

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I drew this one on cold press paper that has some texture to it. Rowdy’s pajamas and Mr. Mutt are colored with traditional watercolors. What a steep learning curve those have.

The bedspread, the door and trim are done in watercolor markers then blended with a wet brush. Same with Rowdy’s hair. I was running out of steam because of my frustration with the watercolor paints, but the pens seem like the most manageable approach so far.

This drawing is based on a sketch that goes in my story, so my drawing attitude was much more concerned about the outcome than when I did the doodles, which burns through my creative dopamine much faster and isn’t much fun.

I’ll go back to drawing the pencil drafts of the remaining 15-24 drawings for my story while I absorb this new information and come up with a plan.

I can see the appeal of drawing in Clip Studio Paint on a digital drawing board, but having used that in the past, I know it also comes with a steep learning curve or else it looks flat and lifeless. But having done these doodles and drawings, I now have something to compare the ones I do in Clip Studio Pain to. And I like the idea of adding speech bubbles.

PS. My dissatisfaction with this drawing my have to do with the black ink lines in it. I switched to a Kuretake Bimoji felt tip brush pen. In the doodles I was using a fountain pen.

Platinum Carbon Black Doodle

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My adventure in learning to draw continues.

I used Platinum Carbon Black for the ink lines with this one and it worked fine. No bleeding or pigment lifting from the water.

Finding the right skin tone for Rowdy is proving to be elusive. And what color would drool be?

On the next doodle, I think I’ll try using actual watercolors. I tried them once before and had no clue what I was doing, a bit like now, but I was aiming for a specific result instead of just experimenting, and found the experience frustrating. So I’ll try them again with a looser attitude.

I also notice my scanner doesn’t portray browns very well. It adds a purple tint that is challenging to filter out. I’m only using the Shotwell app on Linux so maybe Lightroom on Windows 10 will do better. The current colors are as close to the original as I can get them.

Watercolor Inks Doodle

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I cracked open the watercolor inks and gave them a try. They look very promising to me. From this doodle, I learned: go easy on the water, don’t use them on a tilted drafting table, and be patient. Don’t use layering to fix a mistake unless I’m okay with darkening the whole area. This happened with Rowdy’s face a couple of time due to working on a slanted surface. Duh, right? The ink will spread anywhere it is wet. I was aware it would do this, but not to the extent that it did.

Noodler’s Ink on watercolor paper is probably not the way to go. Even though the initial black line sketch was drawn over 24 hours ago, some of the black ink lifted up with the water and spread around.

I like how the blue on Rowdy’s sweater is uneven and not flat looking, though I need to work on my edges. Also, a slightly broader black ink line would work better. Overall, I would say this was a very successful doodle in terms of what I learned.

Floor Polish

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I have a list of 24 drawings for my children’s story that I’ll place throughout the story. This is a #2 pencil draft of #14, Floor Polish. I’ll pin this one up on the wall next to #1-13 and see if it can hold its own. The previous version of it didn’t. If it does, I’ll use a light board to draw a black ink line drawing of it and then test out some watercolor inks on it.

I also just realized that the image needs to be reversed. Since we read left to right, it should go drool, sister frowning at Rowdy doing the cleanup, then Rowdy focusing on the job.

l’ll probably reorientate where they’re each looking too. Mr. Mutt at the sister, the sister smirking at Rowdy, and Rowdy at the drool rag.

More Doodles

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I drew this one with a Pentel Pocket Brush pen and Ohuhu alcohol markers on marker paper. I loved markers as a kid because I could mimic the colors in the Tintin books I read, but now I prefer something less predictable.

I’m searching for that sweet spot between predictable and surprising. I ordered some watercolor inks that look promising.

Apparently, when I doodle an adult male, I have a default nerd-man that I draw. I drew this one with a fountain pen with Noodler’s Ink and colored it with water soluble fountain pen ink. I like the Kon-Peki blue, but the J. Herbin Corail I used on his face makes him look like his blood pressure is going to pop any moment.

Mr. Mutt Ink Doodle

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Whenever I doodle without worrying about the end result, the drawing seems to have more personality than when I draw for something specific. It’s like the inner critic looks the other way while I go have some fun.

I used a Pentel Pocket brush pen for the outline, which is permanent ink, then a brown water soluble fountain pen ink for the wash. Drawn on hot-pressed watercolor paper.