In between working on my weekly sketchbook pages of animal art illustrations, and trying to create something everyday, I’m also having fun practicing hand lettering combined with watercolor wreaths. I turned these watercolor postcard paintings into new notecards in my Etsy shop.
Drawing all the time makes me happy, so Practice Practice Practice has been my motto this year. It’s also great to be able to add new products to my etsy shop based on my drawings and watercolor paintings.
Terri
In order to continue my mission to draw all the time and fill up more sketchbooks in 2016, I’m working on a new weekly theme to do daily drawings, while experimenting with watercolor. At the end of each week, it’s nice to have lots of new drawings and a full page illustration.
The theme for my week 17 sketchbook page is Backyard Birds. I used watercolor for the base layers and all the outlining and details. I’m becoming more obsessed with illustration using my watercolor pans and tiny paintbrushes.
Can’t wait to turn this playful sketchbook page into fun new digital art! Happy drawing!
Terri
Click here to see my Weeks 1-16 illustrations, ranging from bears to owls to whales to fish
I’m so happy I started to make tiny art again in 2015. I managed to squeeze seven sets these past few months, with all different color palettes and imagery.
It’s fun to experiment on a small canvas (2.5″ x 3.5″) with a variety of art supplies – watercolors and gouache, Micron pens, a Tombow marker and white ink to add a few details.
I try to post these tiny pieces of art regularly on Instagram if you want to follow along. I love the challenges of coming up with a weekly theme and working on such a small canvas, so I’m hoping to continue this regular art practice in 2016.
Terri
I’ve managed to keep up with creating a new tiny piece of art every day for week 2.
I’ve been experimenting with watercolors and gouache, along with Micron pens to add a few details.
Here’s days 8-14:
It was fun to experiment with watercolor and gouache washes to get a few backgrounds ready for the next week of tiny art.
You can follow my progress on Instagram as I participate in Victoria Johnson’s project called A Little Art, where you create a tiny piece of art everyday. These tiny pieces of art measure 2.5″ x 3.5″ or scraps of watercolor paper leftover from other projects.
Happy tiny drawing and painting!
Terri
Click here to see Week 1.
I started painting art cards again! I noticed on Instagram that Victoria Johnson started a project called A Little Art, where you create a tiny piece of art everyday. These tiny pieces of art measure 2.5″ x 3.5″ or scraps of watercolor paper I have leftover from other projects. So far I’ve been using watercolors and gouache, along with the occasional Micron pens to add a few details.
Here’s Days 1 – 7:
I haven’t illustrated any art cards since my weekly project in 2011, so this has been a great warm up. I’m not sure I will be able to do a new piece of art every day, but it will be fun to try. Happy tiny drawing and painting!
Terri
I haven’t posted anything new from my sketchbook in quite awhile. The truth is I haven’t spent a lot of time experimenting in my sketchbook until just recently.
I had some catching up to do with a calendar for May,
and a calendar for June.
My vision for June was berries since they are usually in season this month, so I sketched and painted a page with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries in mind. When I was finished, I liked the page so much, I decided I couldn’t cover it up.
So I ended up doing another page, similar in style to cover up with my calendar pieces.
I’ve also been working on quite a few flower sketches lately too.
I really love working like this, starting out with a pencil sketch using a Verithin pencil, adding some color with acrylic or watercolor paints, and finishing off with some dimension by adding pen and colored pencil.
I have missed experimenting in my sketchbook, so I’m happy to have the time and energy and inspiration again. I have at least three more pages in progress, and lots of ideas to fill up many more pages. Feels great to be dreaming up and illustrating my own ideas again, outside of an assignment or a homework deadline.
Thanks for stopping by!
Spring break was the theme for my art cards this past week! I had more fun practicing my illustrating skills and watercolor painting techniques, so I think this is becoming my new favorite style.
I enjoyed a quiet week at home, getting caught up on sewing projects, working on some homework, and spending time working in the yard. The grass is greening, more bulbs are peaking up, and the wildlife has returned to play. Things are definitely looking up in our yard, so I used that inspiration to illustrate my first card.
I was also dreaming of spring break trips from years past, so I illustrated a beach scene. How fun it would be to escape to that beach!
My favorite cards are the extra set I made for Michelle, since we agreed to swap cards on the first day of each new season. But I can’t show you those until she receives them. I love how they turned out, so I hope she likes them too! In fact, I duplicated them to have a matching set in my journal.
Be sure to stop by our Flickr group to see what Michelle and Sandra have been doing on their fun art cards.
In looking through my writing notebooks and reference books, I found this writing prompt: How do you feel about Thursdays? Do you have a Thursday night routine?
There is something about Thursdays that fills me with excitement. It’s the eve of Friday, and almost the last day of the work week. I feel like I’ve made it through the busiest and toughest days of the week, especially since I have class on Monday and Wednesday nights, making them extra long days. I don’t have a routine on Thursdays, but it’s a relief to have a free night.
On Thursdays, I feel like celebrating! What better way to celebrate than talk about how much I love the art created by Marisa Maedike at Creative Thursday. She produces brightly colored art, illustrations and designs, usually painted on canvas or wood. She sells the originals and prints of her work in her etsy shop, along with a few other goodies, like her new night lights and these darling ceramic tiles.
For starters, I ordered her 2009 calendar. The creatures she creates are playful and charming, from birds to bears to penguins to bunnies to owls.
It took me about two months to decide what to buy next (I’m not a very decisive person), but I knew I really wanted a print. I love nature and animals, so I decided on this one titled “a happy gathering” because it combined those two elements. I would buy one of each of Marisa’s print, but this one made me smile the most. It makes me feel warm and happy.
I am so inspired by art and creativity these days. What artist is inspiring you today? Please share!
I am fond of this writing prompt, and since I love Thursdays, I’m going to use this inspiration to generate more ideas. Isn’t that how it works, one idea feeds off of another idea and unexpected things begin to bloom! Saturday is my favorite day of the week, but I’ll save that for another post.
Happy Thursday.
Terri's Notebook 
