# Sketch IT!!



## Firemajic

Sketches, trials and errors... all part of my journey into the unknown world of watercolors... the pictures are from my sketch book... I draw EVERYTHING! Inspiration is everywhere!


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## escorial

Your a natural....


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## Firemajic

escorial said:


> Your a natural....



Thank you, Escorial


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## H.Brown

wow some good use of colors and shadows Fire, I like these pictures.


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## sas

I found painting restful. I've no idea why I keep writing poems. hmmmm


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## Firemajic

H.Brown said:


> wow some good use of colors and shadows Fire, I like these pictures.




 Thank you ... I will be adding more pages from my sketchbook... I take it everywhere, lol... 





sas said:


> I found painting restful. I've no idea why I keep writing poems. hmmmm



Because, dear, fabulous sas.... all art is a way to express your emotions.... painting, writing... and even singing... I could always tell what mood my mom was in, by the song she was singing as she went about her chores....

Writing about your emotions is so intense... but painting something that inspires you, is relaxing, if I am having an anxiety attack, I blow glass, because it takes intense concentration, and focusing on the flame breaks the toxic loop my mind gets in... if I am feeling a certain way, I write, because it helps me understand what I am feeling, and usually helps me understand WHY I am feeling it....


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## H.Brown

Firemajic said:


> Thank you ... I will be adding more pages from my sketchbook... I take it everywhere, lol...



I used to be the same Fire, I would have my notebook and sketch pad in my bag, everywhere, but now I travel with my tablet and  camera of some sort within reach. I am going to post some of my old art. I still draw but now it's at home on the drawing tablet of the boyfriends.


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## Firemajic

H.Brown said:


> I used to be the same Fire, I would have my notebook and sketch pad in my bag, everywhere, but now I travel with my tablet and  camera of some sort within reach. I am going to post some of my old art. I still draw but now it's at home on the drawing tablet of the boyfriends.




I can't wait to see your work... post IT!  I am always intrigued by what inspires creativity... and inspiration is everywhere... I will be watchin for your thread...


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## H.Brown

Firemajic said:


> I can't wait to see your work... post IT!  I am always intrigued by what inspires creativity... and inspiration is everywhere... I will be watchin for your thread...


I am trying to but I'm having trouble uploading them to my files, I think I need to delete some items in my uploads folder but can not figure out how to do that.


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## Firemajic

hummm... I don't know, I have not had any problems....


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## H.Brown

I think it may have something to do with being on my tablet, I'm not sure whats going on tbh, tried uploading them into an album and that's not working either, I'm so confused. Will keep trying though.


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## Firemajic

awwwDamn... I always get my brother to fix my stuff...


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## H.Brown

Hahaha yeh I'm bad with computors and technology in general, but I some how figured it out.


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## TuesdayEve

Really cool, you picked up water coloring quickly 
and I agree, you are a natural! Love the red-orange
it goes with everything.


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## Firemajic

Thank you, Tuesday ... I love bold, vibrant colors... or very delicate colors... but nothing in between... lol....


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## Firemajic

More pics from my sketchbook....


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## BlondeAverageReader

Just love that fish!


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## Firemajic

BlondeAverageReader said:


> Just love that fish!





Thank you!  The fish started as a watercolor... I was unhappy with the results, so I started using my colored pencils on it, and I loved the depth of color I achieved ... so now I always add a layer of colored pencil to my watercolors....but I have to be make sure the paper is completely dry...


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## Firemajic

I spent about 2 hours on this drawing of a Greyhound... he is done in graphite, with a glaze of Lavender colored pencil to give depth to the dark ... the red collar was added after... just for a pop of color...


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## Gumby

Love the stylistic look of this one!


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## sas

Very Art Deco!


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## Firemajic

Gumby said:


> Love the stylistic look of this one!



Thank you 




sas said:


> Very Art Deco!



Thank you  I love to dramatize the angles and lines... and the colors... lol....


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## Firemajic

Another Greyhound, graphite and colored pencil, I used light blue and lavender to give depth of color...

The lobster is watercolor, 3 washes in different tones of orange, then colored pencil to shade in tones of red and umber...


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## Gumby

I love the clean lines of that greyhound and the lobster, well I would put that on my wall. It is beautiful!


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## Firemajic

Gumby said:


> I love the clean lines of that greyhound and the lobster, well I would put that on my wall. It is beautiful!




O! Thank you... I appreciate that... some may think I am weird for painting flies and lobsters... and scorpions ... but I love detail... and color... and I enjoy drawing the greyhound because of the elegant lines...


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## Firemajic

I am baby sitting my Sister's 2 canine babies, so I too the opportunity to try to capture them with my pencil...


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## Firemajic

After I read about the  Greyhounds, and the abuse they suffer, I am thinking about adopting one... most retired Greyhounds are murdered, when they can no longer race...

No one can save every Greyhound.... but everyone can save one...


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## Firemajic

This is a preliminary sketch of two old canine buddies... I am thinking I will do them in watercolor and colored pencil... the sitting dog will be black and grey and the laying dog will be gold and tan.... hopefully


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## Firemajic

First wash of color....


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## sas

I’d stop. Love the ghost effect. I’d find it more creative with a hint of the dogs. Realistic paintings of dogs are everywhere. My daughter-in-law is an incredible painter. Her dogs actually look like photos, not kidding. I’ve never seen better. Leaves me cold. I get the same thing with a camera. Probably why I prefer poetry over prose. It’s the saying without saying.


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## Firemajic

I cannot believe you said that, sas... because I just showed this to my brother, and I told him I thought about stopping... I love the faded ghostly look....   thank you!


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## sas

Yes!
 Remember all those realistic paintings by the Masters we’re done like that because there wasn’t a camera. We don’t need paintings like that, anymore. What’s the point? 

Paint in poetry. I knew you were a painter who would agree. I love your dogs.


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## Firemajic

Oh.... well I never thought of it like that... but sure! The portraits were painted to immortalize ... so they were exact and as real as possible.... hummmm.... love it... now I feel I have more freedom, to paint the dogs as I see them... thank you


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## sas

And thanks for Reputation award. You are inspiring me to go back to painting. I like to do people, not animals or scenery. Poetry took me away from it. I am so cheap I paint over my paintings, but give my grandgirls new canvas. But, hey, they are discovering paintings under the Masters’ paintings. Cheapskates, too. I paint like the geniuses.


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## Firemajic

My mom couldn't afford canvases... so she painted on the walls, when she needed more creative space... she painted the wall back to white, and started a new painting.... sometimes, she found a cheap painting at a yard sale and bought it so she could use it for her own paintings.... she could not afford oil paint, so she used house paint...


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## sas

Firemajic said:


> My mom couldn't afford canvases... so she painted on the walls, when she needed more creative space... she painted the wall back to white, and started a new painting.... sometimes, she found a cheap painting at a yard sale and bought it so she could use it for her own paintings.... she could not afford oil paint, so she used house paint...




What a fabulous story! Did she let you paint on the walls? I’m interested in what she painted. Perhaps landscape murals, as they were quite popular when I was a young adult, but we usually used wallpaper. Some attempted to paint their own, although I never saw a good one. Wish I had a mom who had painted something in my bedroom. I had the same dull, cracked white paint that I’m sure was applied decades before we moved in. An old house. Never did get painted, although my parents lived there 36 more years. I never thought a thing of it. Funny.


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## Firemajic

There wasn't any need for me to paint on walls... she provided me with art supplies, while she managed without....  Sas, my mom did paint mountain murals ... very dark paintings, because she did not have a variety of house paint...


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## sas

Those of my age remember the popularity of murals. My sister had one. I mirrored an entire wall instead. It was a new concept then. No, I did not gaze at myself all day. Smiles. But, I practiced belly dance routines, in full costume with veils and cymbals in front of it. Ho-Ho. Those were the days...and, nights.


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## Firemajic

Why am I not surprised that you could belly dance....


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## sas

Firemajic said:


> Why am I not surprised that you could belly dance....



Damn good too. I had all the moves, and make-up, but no belly. A problem I was happy to live with. 

Just between us gals, here is reason #14 that I divorced. I had cooked a crab dinner, set the formal dining room table with candles, sent the kids elsewhere, put my costume on, turned on the music, and when hubby arrived home he was nonchalant, looked over the mail and paper. I was a head turner wife who was fun and smart. He never remarried, only had one short date. I deserved better, and got it. I’m on family ski vacation with him now. He’s still a bore. But, he’s no longer snot on my finger.


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## Firemajic

:adoration:
..... lmao!


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## Firemajic

More Greyhounds, inspired by sas, I tried to capture the energy and endurance using color... Purple and gold... but, sadly, I cant quite paint what I see...


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## Firemajic

I was not happy with just the watercolors, so I went back and intensified the colors with a heavy layer of colored pencil... now it is looking more like what I see... the energy... the power...


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## SilverMoon

Amazzzzing work,Juls! Inspiring me to return to watercolors. You are no perspiring artist! L-


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## Firemajic

SilverMoon said:


> Amazzzzing work,Juls! Inspiring me to return to watercolors. You are no perspiring artist! L-




Thank you  It is so much fun! I am learning so much... I hope you do start painting, and sharing, I would love to see your work...

Here is the same painting, after I added some MORE color, it may not show up, but on the tall Greyhound, I added some Teal and on the other greyhound, I darkened the Purple and used a white color pencil to blend...


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## SilverMoon

The teal and purple in this piece is more outstanding. And see the blending with white. Like very much. A friend just bought some water colors and brushes for me so I just might be painting. Friend deserves a painting.


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## Firemajic

With your creativity, I know your friend's painting will be fabulous... I hope I get a peek


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## SilverMoon

Sure to post it.The long distant friend lives in New Mexico, who of course, loves the desert will be getting a watercolor of a very different kind of cactus. Not representational like my work from years back


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## Firemajic

Another Dog


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## Firemajic

Another pencil drawing of Baxter... My sister's Yorkie... he is AAAA-dorable....


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## LeeC

Firemajic said:


> Another pencil drawing of Baxter... My sister's Yorkie... he is AAAA-dorable....


And so is your depiction


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## sas

You are very talented with pencils. Very! Love them.


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## Firemajic

My Sister gave me some new paper to try... it is heavy weight... I think 130 lb, cold pressed... anyway, I am trying to mix graphite with watercolor, and I must say... I like it...


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## sas

Nice.  When you say "mix" you don't mean mix graphite shavings and watercolor, do you? At first, that's what I thought you meant.


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## Firemajic

sas said:


> Nice.  When you say "mix" you don't mean mix graphite shavings and watercolor, do you? At first, that's what I thought you meant.



Right, I do a finished pencil drawing, complete with shading and detail... sketch first, then go back over it adding darker and darker lines, then I lay in watercolor over the pencil drawing...


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## Firemajic

I had so much fun doing this Owl... and I learned that I have much to learn


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## TuesdayEve

Wow Fire, 
Those greyhounds have come a long way, from gray
sketches to fire hounds... they are beautiful.. as are all
your pieces. I really like seeing the process and steps 
the art goes through, thanks for that.


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## Firemajic

Thank you Tuesday, I appreciate your comments, and I am glad you enjoy seeing the process... I always found it intriguing, thanks to Escorial sharing his watercolor WIP... ... I loved seeing his work evolve...


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## Firemajic

Don't be a COWard!!!


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## Gumby

She's lovely!


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## Phil Istine

COWardice is a MOOt point.


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## sas

Fire, 
Love sweet face. Cows are very, very marketable as art today.


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## Firemajic

MOOve over Picasso ..... lol.... Phil ... MOOt point... loveit..

Thank you Gumby 

sas... I am a starving artist...  So.. to make money off of my art would be marvelous...


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## Firemajic

More experiments from the pages of my sketch book...


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