How to do dragon scales

This is a collage. I drew a black outline of discs in a fish scale pattern. Then I added one line of round plastic discs (I’d got from inside a balloon), then left a gap for the drawn line of circles, another line of discs and then the drawn ones, over and over till the page was full. Once I’d glued the discs in place I thought about how to fill the gaps. I decided to spray green ink over the page, which I dabbed off the plastic metallic coloured discs to leave clean and dry. I added black around the discs for shading, but it was a bit wishy washy. What next? I used silver felt pen on the green areas but it was boring so I got out all my old nail varnishes and dabbed them on the paper areas too. I used sparkly glitter nail varnish to finish it off. This is one of several experiments. I’m quite pleased with it. It certainly shimmers.

Wanting the sea…

I need the seaside, it’s been a couple of months since we went and I really miss it. I want to see the big blue sky. The blue or grey waves. Stormy, misty or sunny. I don’t care.

I like being beside the sea like it says in the old song, I’m not really bothered about being on it. I don’t like the motion of the ocean.. Up and down, around and down. Waves, breaking over the boat.

Yes, I need to go on a trip along the coast, taking in the scenery. Looking at the boats, feeling the breeze.

Draw a shape…

I’m doing a series of drawings over a week based on prompts. The problem is the prompts are included in short videos and for some reason my phone is playing the audio at 3 or 4 times normal speed!

Anyway today’s prompt was to choose one verb from a long list of them. Then draw a pattern over and over again to represent that verb. I chose ‘to support’. With the problem I’ve been having with my drawing hand, I decided to draw hands over and over again. In a ‘supporting’ bridge sort of position. Then I decided it needed a thing to support. I thought of all my friends and how they support me. I decided to add tears, but not to wipe the tears away with a hand, I thought that would be too twee.

Holly in sunlight

I did this painting a few months ago in metallic watercolours which are lovely, but I can’t find them now. I wanted to use them a few times but I think I put them somewhere ‘safe’ but I have so much art stuff, old paints, pencils, pens, that sometimes I can’t find them. Yes buying to many art supplies is bad. It’s consuming too much perhaps, but I try and balance that with other purchases.

I want to try and paint on black paper and I thought these metallic paints would stand out better against it. I shall go on a hunt for them. My idea is to paint gleaming frosty leaves to celebrate the autumn chills.

Other handed

Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was using your other hand to draw. As I have injured my right hand I was happy to try and draw with my left hand

This is one of our cats. Drawn left handed. I could manage the outlinesbut the shading is a bit rough and ready. I used a dark blue ink brush to go over the black shading. I have some nice metallic pens which are useful to create related colours

More ‘scales’

More experiments for my dragon project. Converting one of the patterns to black and white gives me an idea of how it would look if I had not got full colour options. I can still create complexity and light and shade even in different greys. Duplicating and mirroring are used again to add intricate patterns. I shall save these for possible use.

Swirls

Swirls drawn digitally. Artrage oils and photodirector. Draw swirls then play with editing options. You can do all sorts of things with digital apps. I feel like this is a little like a coral surface or a Mandala.

Pattern again, my thing, I suppose I will never get enough of it. Something happens in my brain and I have to do this. I’m addicted to art and patterns. I love convolutions.

Sailing

I wanted to use the ‘knitting’ pattern that I had drawn as a background for another image. Flip it over, mirror it and crop it, draw over it and add a boat and its reflection. I think it actually works quite well. The sea looks calm as a mill pond despite the wind catching in the boats sails. I added white lines to dilineate the surf as it flows onto the beach.