Slowly, slowly
Monday - 03 January 2022
I had a bit of time this morning and was able to add to my giant tortoise. It’s kind of fun seeing it emerge off the paper.
Progress on the giant tortoise
Art like a Giant Tortoise - Step by Step
Sunday - 02 January 2022
I’ve gotten into the practice over the past couple of years that when I show up to work on one of my drawings, I’ll put everything else off to the side and put my attention to my project for at least 30 minutes. If I want to do more, that’s always good, but I tell myself to be there for at least the minimum time.
I continued with my ink drawing of a giant tortoise. I was thinking that I’d add some watercolor pencil in to add traces of color and to fill in some darker areas. I may still do that. I got caught up with how can I shade and shadow using a very fine point fountain pen. I played with how I held the pen and how much pressure I used on the paper. Today it was very easy to go past my 30 minutes. It also helped I was listening to Krista Tippett’s On Being podcast with Gordon Hempton, Silence and the Presence of Everything. I highly recommend it.
Progress on my pen & ink drawing of a giant tortoise.
Detail on the giant tortoise
New Year's Intentions
Over the past year, I have showed up regularly to share things I’ve been working on to Instagram and Facebook. I thought that this year, I would also share regularly here on my own website. I don’t need to do much, or finish. Rather it’s more important that I arrive and do something. I’ve found that one of the reasons I take on very detailed, complicated projects is for the meditative aspect in working on them.
Saturday - 01 January 2022
I keep a collection of images that I am inspired by and would love to do something with someday. For today’s drawing, I continued a drawing of a giant tortoise that I started a while ago. I love all the textures and am interested in the challenge of how to draw all that using only a fountain pen. I may in the end add some color or ink washes to flood some of the darker spots but for the moment will keep to my fountain pen only.
Start of a giant tortoise drawing