Month / December 2014

by Leonie Andrews

Treading the fine line

Using my Copic Multiliner pen, is certainly influencing my drawing style. With such a fine line I’m inclined to spend more time putting in detail, which in this drawing meant that I took far too long capturing the people and spent too much time working on the background. *Message to self – people first and background later.

Friday lunchtime, friends picnicing at Green Square, Kingston ACT, Copic marker, 5 December 2014.

Friday lunchtime, friends picnicing at Green Square, Kingston ACT, Copic marker, 5 December 2014.

There is another issue that I’ll also have to work on, the almost overwhelming urge to use cross-hatching! Arghhh! In this second drawing my smooth plastic water tank ended up looking like a piece of 1970’s macrame. The hatching also upsets the balance of the drawing.

Old Chairs near the water tank, Copic Multiliner, 12 December 2014

Old Chairs near the water tank, Copic Multiliner, 12 December 2014

While I still like the composition this piece didn’t turn out like I expected. I was going to say didn’t turn out like I ‘planned’, but I didn’t ‘plan’ anything about this drawing except for where I was going to sit and what I going to make the drawing with.

So there are several things I need to work on here. Given that I’m not likely to get around taking the chairs to the re-cycling centre in the next little while I think I’ll try the drawing the same composition again. I will also vary the media I use and see how how that changes the work. Live and learn.

by Leonie Andrews

Inspiration is for amateurs

I seem to be collecting artistic aphorisms lately. The full quote, from the artist Chuck Close is:

“Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work.”

My old cat doesn’t seem to be paying much heed to Chuck. It was a coincidence that I still had my sketch book in my hand, looked up and decided to catch a quick pose from George (actually full name Georgina, but she rarely gets called that). Later the same day I spent rather more time drawing her asleep and butted up against my partner.

George asleep near a paper bag (left), pen and ink and George asleep against my partner (right), Copic marker

George asleep near a paper bag (left), pen and ink and George asleep against my partner (right), Copic marker

by Leonie Andrews

Cafe Wednesday and sundry others

At last we’ve made it back to our local cafe for Wednesday morning coffee.

What's on the menu? Chocolate chip cupcake and a flat white coffee. 3 December 2014, pen and ink and Copic marker.

What’s on the menu? Chocolate chip cupcake and a flat white coffee. 3 December 2014, pen and ink and Copic marker.

I also have a few other images which fit under the ‘cafe’ theme which I haven’t posted. Going backwards…

The Italian Bakery at Mawson, people and umbrellas, 2 December 2014, Copic marker.

The Italian Bakery at Mawson, people and umbrellas, 2 December 2014, Copic marker.

The strange third figure was actually the person, seated on the right, but they sat down too quickly to capture them in the standing position.

This dog wasn’t much more cooperative either. I thought it was asleep but it sat up and changed position several times, hence the multiple heads.

Dog at the Italian Bakery, Mawson, 29 November 2014, pen

Dog at the Italian Bakery, Mawson, 29 November 2014, pen

And ‘furthest from the front’, this view out the window of where I had lunch two weeks ago, the charmingly alliterative Long Wong Best BBQ Roast Duck cafe.

Not in China anymore, the view from the Long Wong Best BBQ Roast Duck restaurant, Dickson, 24 November 2014, Copic marker and acrylic marker.

Not in China anymore, the view from the Long Wong Best BBQ Roast Duck restaurant, Dickson, 24 November 2014, Copic marker and acrylic marker.