Dirty Artist Secrets---or---Scribbles That Turn Into Art

Here is the lowdown; I will do a thumbnail sketch on anything. For a short period of time, when I had *safely put away* (read that, totally LOST!) the previously featured sketchbook, I just used the small lined notebook I was carrying with me. No pen for the most part (altho the first pages are the exception), just a pencil and cheap paper. I love those small notebooks with the gaudy-bright colors that I pick up at the dollar stores or Big Lots. Hey, the $$$ go further!

(c) AMHL 2010

I think this is college ruled paper, so that gives you an idea of the sizes......small, small, small........

(c) AMHL 2008

 Notes to self with a scribble. No idea where I was going! Script in Strata?? Clueless now! Was thinking about something......

(c) AMHL 2008

These are ROUGH, to the point of barely being recognizable. Yet, on the majority of the sketches/scribbles, they developed into finished pieces. Someday I should shoot the sketch, complete with size (tiny!) and then the remaining pieces of art I have. Images may repeat; the pages all looked alike as I was putting them into composite photos last evening after a LONG day....LOL!

(c) AMHL 2008

(c) AMHL 2008

Basically, these were the closest thing to sketchbooks I kept for a long time, interspersed with *to-do* notes, phone numbers, things I can't make head nor tail of....in fact I had several scribbles that I am assuming was a sketch at one time but it sure is not now.
Some morphed into pieces where the core idea remained but the finished product was incredibly different from the beginning scribble. (the two directly above, Frida and Jack Kerouac, took on lives of their own)
And now back to the sketching at hand:

I like this as a photo, just because. One of the things I am constantly reminded of is how sketching with colored pencils requires a different eye for reproducing colors. It is the matter of separating in the mind the color you are looking at and then rebuilding it with shades that just seem unlikely. It is fun.
A close up:

Another thing I discovered quickly is my eyesight is really going down the tubes and most of the work was done with glasses OFF as I could see better. (scary!) Which naturally produced an unhealthy amount of eyestrain which transformed into headache.
I continued working this tag last evening, and while I will add a bit more color, it is for the most part done. I worked in a little fine black mica gel for dirt on the background and will use artistic license to leave the inverted torch lighter than photographed.

 

The mica shows a little better in the close up.

I ended up with a fair amount of texture from the gesso, and while the background wash was darker than what I wanted, serendipity again walked in and put wash lines in the right places! Sometimes, things just WORK. It roughened the fine pencil lines more than I would have liked but you play the hand you're dealt.

Art is an adventure!

I am off for a non-artistic day of shopping, etc and will be thinking about the next tag and maybe photographing one of my collage sketchbooks.

Okay.

I guess I really *do* keep sketchbooks.

They just are not like what everyone else does. That's okay.

I tend to waddle along to my own little drumbeat.

It's a good road I walk on!  ;-)

Pax....