Mike's Sketch Blog

Rock n Roller...

2009-09-06T00:53:00.002-06:00

Done for the WDE challenge on WetCanvas.

conte and charcoal on 9 X 12 Strathmore black Artagain paper.

Charcoal (Black) Knight...

2009-08-13T20:17:00.002-06:00

Pardon the bad pun in the title... :oD

done for the Weekly Drawing Challenge on Wet Canvas. 18 X 14 cartridge paper.

Floppy Hat....

2009-08-03T12:28:00.002-06:00

from a photo from Fort Edmonton Park. one of the employees in period costume at the 1920's midway. pastel and vine charcoal on 18 X 24 craft paper.

figure drawing classes...

2009-08-03T12:22:00.002-06:00

took yet another figure drawing class. the ones i have taken before, had a specific goal in mind as to what i wanted to work on. this time i just went into it to see what would happen. i'm thinking that is the best approach!

Conch Player...

2009-08-03T12:21:00.002-06:00

conte on 18 X 24" craft paper.

Sascha...

2009-08-03T12:19:00.003-06:00

white charcoal pencil on 9 X 12 Strathmore Artagain paper.

The Magic Bus...

2009-07-11T20:14:00.001-06:00

this one was a lot of fun! conte on 9 X 12 strathmore artagain paper.

Mom's back! ...

2009-07-11T20:12:00.001-06:00

another attempt at acrylics on water color paper this time.

Guardian Angel...

2009-06-24T21:07:00.001-06:00

trying something new this weekend... went digital using Xara Xtreme (a vector package). the initial sketch plus the final digital rendering...

Sock Monkey...

2009-06-07T00:31:00.001-06:00

i used a corrugated sleeve from a Starbucks coffee as texture.

conte on 9 X 12 Canson sketch paper

Old Plymouth...

2009-06-07T00:30:00.001-06:00

about 1958, but correct me if i'm wrong.

ink on 9 X 12 Bristol vellum.

Jack Big Plume...

2009-06-07T00:29:00.002-06:00

drawn from a reference from the Glenbow Museum archives.

charcoal on 18 X 24 craft paper.

Tea Pot Still Life...

2009-05-29T10:34:00.003-06:00

This is one i originally did a few months ago as a quickie in watercolor. i decided i could do better and took to art class and redid in acrylics. finally finished it this week. the original watercolor is in this blog somewhere too. happy hunting...lol! on 11 X 14 hardboard.

Mother and Child..

2009-05-28T23:44:00.002-06:00

did this quick sketch a few days ago as part of the weekly drawing challenge on Wet Canvas. HB pencil on 9 X 12 Drawing paper. scan is darker than the original... my scanner doesn't like light pencil drawings.

Alcazar Garden...

2009-05-25T16:37:00.002-06:00

another acrylic on 4 X 6 watercolor paper. i'm really starting to enjoy painting in this format. maybe acrylics and i will get along yet. :)

Footballer...

2009-05-19T22:18:00.003-06:00

i did this quickie yesterday for the Weekend Drawing theme on Wet Canvas. charcoal on 18 X 24 craft paper. it was the closest thing to a figure drawing. i miss those figure drawing classes. Can't wait til July rolls around and they start again.

beach baby...

2009-05-10T01:13:00.001-06:00

oh yeah... i did this one a few months ago. i did think this was ok

ink and watercolor on 2.5 X 3.5 (ACEO size) hot press 140 lb watercolor paper

two quickies...

2009-05-10T01:08:00.003-06:00

i did a couple of small acrylics for the art challenge WDE on Wet Canvas. These felt much better. i think i treated them more like sketches and completed them in an hour each.

Koi - acrylic on 4 X 6 watercolor paper

Girl in Sunhat - acrylic on 4 X 6 watercolor paper. i used the acrylics like watercolor on this one.

buck a loaf...

2009-05-10T01:04:00.003-06:00

this is the last acrylic i completed in art class. i thought it would be a good idea at the time, but now i'm not so sure. it was based on a bad watercolor i did a few months ago and wanted to do a better job.

it took far too long to do. still think i get more bang for the buck by drawing.

16 X 20 acrylic

the original watercolor...

grand sport...

2009-05-10T01:01:00.002-06:00

i started this one in art class. the instructor wasn't too happy because she wanted to teach me how to paint. but i really needed to draw something substantial. i ended up finishing most of it at home and continued to paint in art class. this is probably my favorite piece while i was on 'hiatus'.

11 x 14 charcoal pencil

i'm back - art class

2009-05-10T00:54:00.004-06:00

all along i was going to wednesday night art class. i've been trying to learn acrylic painting. i've done a few in class, but i'm still not comfortable with it. they just don't feel like 'my' paintings... i don't know why.

Pear on Lace

Bowl of Cherries

Three's Company - this one feels more like mine than any of them. maybe because i took the picture it's based on.

i'm back - part 5

2009-05-10T00:45:00.004-06:00

there was a point where i was pretty much fed up with painting, and other than art class where i pretty much had to paint (another story), i just stuck with drawing at home.. and didn't like my drawings anymore. the more i drew though, the more i felt like drawing. that's why i started, drawing is like therapy... or meditating.

Mulligan - cretacolor on 9 X 12 Canson drawing paper (cretacolor is somewhere between charcoal and conte)

Iggy - tinted charcoal on 9 X 12 Bristol Vellum

Maggie - charcoal on 18 X 24 craft paper

Togo Gas Station - conte and charcoal on 9 X 12 pastel paper

i'm back - part 4

2009-05-10T00:33:00.006-06:00

i think more than anything, i lost my way after i tried to learn to paint and got very frustrated. part of the issue is that i'm partially color blind and resolving color is difficult for me. it kinda felt that i'd never be able to produce art the way i wanted to.

A Flock of Seagulls - watercolor and gouache on 7 1/2 X 11 water color paper

Koi Pond - acrylic on 9 X 12 watercolor paper

Flamingoes - Chinese watercolor on 9 X 12 xian paper

i'm back - part 3

2009-05-10T00:26:00.004-06:00

one thing i discovered in figure drawing was that i enjoy working big and i love using black and white on craft paper. i started playing around with that combination at home.

Queen of the Cornfield

Off To The Races

Crystal

Horse and Young Rider

i'm back - figure drawing

2009-05-10T00:17:00.005-06:00

the one thing that kept me drawing was some figure drawing classes. i took 4 different sessions... some date to before i stopped blogging, but i've never posted any of them. that's going to change right now...

i'm back - part 2

2009-05-10T00:10:00.003-06:00

this was meant to be a study for a painting. i did start the painting but never finished... it did not go well. i do want to retry this one though... when the time is right.

Calf Roper - conte on 9 X 12 craft paper.

don't like this one much either...

Can Can dancers conte on 9 X 12 Artagain paper...

i'm back...

2009-05-09T23:52:00.005-06:00

it's been a long time since i've updated this blog. a lot of reasons for that, none of them good ones. a lot of self doubts as to whether anything i do was worth showing. just down on my work in general. once i stopped posting, i found it hard to start again.

it wasn't that i quit drawing or painting, it was just that i didn't like anything i did. a lot of what i'm going to post was done quickly and without a lot of thought as i 'knew' it wasn't going to be good anyway. however, i've decided that i want to see this progression as to where my head during this time through my art.

i'm going to play catch up. i've scanned or photographed everything i've done in the last few months. this blog was originally meant to show everything, good or bad, so i'm going to do just that. then i am going to give it my best effort to keep it up to date.

it's not about how good or bad my work is, it's about letting it out... i need to do that... so here's the first few...

Beach Buddies - Ink on 6 X 7 1/2 140 lb hot press w/c paper

Solitude - Conte on 9 X 12 black Artagain paper.

Owl Close Up - conte on 9 X 12 black Artagain paper.

Long Ride Home...

2008-11-29T23:34:00.001-07:00

a quick graphite sketch on 9 X 12 Loew Cornell drawing paper.

Red Square...

2008-11-29T23:32:00.001-07:00

i love working on black paper. this was an experiment with gouache on 9 X 12 black illustration board.

Baby Gorilla...

2008-11-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

Charcoal sketch done on 18 X 24 sketch paper.

Night Reflections...

2008-11-01T18:35:00.002-06:00

a little experiment with gouache on black paper...

Waterfall...

2008-10-27T16:52:00.002-06:00

gone big again... charcoal and 'white' charcoal on 18 X 24 kraft paper.

Guitar Pickin'...

2008-10-19T22:39:00.002-06:00

i bought myself an easel so i can try working bigger. this was the first attempt. 18 X 24 charcoal.

Teapot and Yellow Flowers...

2008-10-19T22:36:00.002-06:00

i did this one in art class. the yellow is done with conte crayon first and used as a resist for watercolor. i kinda liked the way it came out for an experiment.

Dominican Girl...

2008-10-19T22:34:00.001-06:00

experimenting with a new paper... Aquabee Hemp sketch paper... done with conte.

Buddha Monkey...

2008-10-19T22:32:00.002-06:00

i loved the fornlorn look on this little fellow... had to sketch him...

In the Mirror...

2008-10-19T22:30:00.001-06:00

getting way behind posting again... more sketchy stuff lately...

Three Roses...

2008-09-29T17:11:00.003-06:00

Did this one in art class the last couple of weeks.

watercolor, charcoal and pastel on 11 X 15 Arches hot press 140lb watercolor paper.

if you are interested in purchasing a print, go here.

Tea Kettle Still Life...

2008-09-29T17:08:00.002-06:00

first time i used hot press watercolor paper. i think i like it! :o)

watercolor on 8 X 10 Arches hot press 140lb w/c paper.

Reflections...

2008-09-29T17:05:00.002-06:00

i'm slipping behind on posting here again... my bad.

this is conte on 9 X 12 Strathmore pastel paper.

Crowned Crane...

2008-09-14T01:57:00.003-06:00

Something new... this is scratch art. a board is coated in white clay and sprayed with india ink. then the design is scratched into the ink. think i'll be doing more of these... i really enjoyed it... :o)

Scratch art on 5 X 7 Ampersand clayboard.

Figure Drawing Practice...

2008-09-14T01:53:00.002-06:00

thanks to cknude-stock on Deviantart for the wonderful reference.

Drawn in one hour... gotta learn to draw fast for live figure drawing. Practicing with a reference doesn't hurt.

Charcoal pencil on 9 X 12 Aquabee Bristol Vellum.

Flying Dove...

2008-09-05T22:18:00.002-06:00

a quick drawing for some R & R after work today...

white charcoal on 9 X 12 Mi Tientes (pastel) paper.

if you are interested in purchasing a print, go here.

A Little Squirrelly...

2008-08-31T15:46:00.002-06:00

ok... this felt better after that horrible watercolor...

conte and charcoal pencil on 9 X 12 Strathmore (green) Art Paper.

if you are interested in purchasing a print, go here.

Ugly Seaweed...

2008-08-31T15:43:00.003-06:00

i promised you'd get the bad with the good in this blog... so here ya go... :oD

after this, i'm about ready to give up on watercolor... 6 X 6 W & N 300lb w/c paper.

Memories...

2008-08-29T17:44:00.003-06:00

another Illustration Friday 'toon ... :o) The theme is 'Memories'.

The ironic thing about this cartoon is that i had it all penciled in and ready to ink, but do you think i could remember where my glasses were? jeez... i amaze myself sometimes... ***rolls eyes :oD

under an hour to do. wasn't sure about the Streisand caricature... thought i better put a sign up...lol!

Times Square at Night...

2008-08-24T01:35:00.002-06:00

my choice of media and subject matter is all over the map lately...lol! something else i've been meaning to try for a long time.

conte on 9 X 12 Strathmore black Artagain paper.

Chinese Style Panda...

2008-08-24T01:32:00.002-06:00

although this looks simple, it took several tries to get the look i wanted. chinese brush painting is definitely a challenge and very satisfying when it works.

chinese watercolor on 5 X 5 practice Xian paper.

Jilda...

2008-08-19T19:30:00.002-06:00

This portrait appeared on Wet Canvas in the Drawing and Sketching forum weekly challenge. i used it to take the opportunity to experiment with new paper and practice drawing a looser type of portrait.

Conte and charcoal pencil on 9 X 12 Strathmore Watercolor paper.

Detach...

2008-08-18T19:21:00.006-06:00

more Illustration Friday nonsense... :o)

Had trouble thinking something up this week... until the ride home from work tonight... it's good thinking time...lol.

about an hour to throw this together.

Snug as a Bug in a Rug...

2008-08-17T19:24:00.004-06:00

i thought the furry coat and the warm skin tones would look neat on blue paper. Conte and charcoal on 8 1/2 X 11 Canson colored Sketch paper.

i seem to have a fire and ice thing happening this weekend... :o)

Campfire...

2008-08-16T12:24:00.003-06:00

this was a bit of an experiment using conte pencils on 9 X 12 Strathmore Artagain paper. The reference is from the Wet Canvas Weekly Drawing Event for this week. took about 1 hour.

Sailing...

2008-08-12T23:34:00.005-06:00

just scratching the itch to draw tonight :o)

just happens to match the Illustration Fridays theme too... hee hee...

vine charcoal, white conte and charcoal pencil on 9 X 12 Strathmore Artagain paper.

if you are interested in purchasing a print... go here...

Harley...

2008-08-11T22:02:00.000-06:00

i'm not a motorcycle guy... but that wasn't the point here. just trying to do something that normally is a detailed piece and do it in a loose style... just to see what happens. i love a good contradiction... hee hee.

Faber Castell Pitt pens on 9 X 12 Pentalic Paper for pens.

if you are interested in purchasing a print... go here...

Damon...

2008-08-10T18:50:00.003-06:00

I really enjoy drawing children, and this little guy posted in the Weekly Drawing Theme on Wet Canvas was too much to pass up. not trying to do too much here, just keep it simple.

Charcoal pencil on 9 X 12 Canson Charcoal paper.

Vase with Pink Flowers ACEO

2008-08-04T01:52:00.003-06:00

got the ACEO bug now... wonder how long that'll last...lol.

ACEO size is 2.5 X 3.5 inches, done with watercolor on Saunders 300lb watercolor paper.

can be purchased at mbeckett.etsy.com

Poof! ...

2008-08-02T00:19:00.002-06:00

There is an art challenge called Illustration Fridays that i've been meaning to try for a long time and have never gotten around to it. This Friday's theme was 'Poof!' and this bit of silliness occurred to me. This was a lot of fun and something different from my usual stuff. i may just do this more often... :o)

ink on sketch paper... done in about 20 minutes.

Polar Bear ACEO

2008-07-31T07:50:00.003-06:00

this was my first attempt using watercolor pencils, and i think i like them! ACEO size is 2.5 X 3.5 inches, done on Saunders 300lb watercolor paper.

can be purchased at mbeckett.etsy.com

Girlfriends...

2008-07-25T22:10:00.003-06:00

i did the sketch and was going to leave it at that, but changed my mind the next day and added the color.

conte and charcoal on 9 X 12 Strathmore tinted Artagain.

the original sketch...

Belly Dancer...

2008-07-09T22:35:00.002-06:00

i've been in a figure drawing class, so i haven't created much finished work. i'll get some cleaned up and posted later.

here's one i did not long ago... conte on Strathmore 9 X 12 Artagain paper.

Art by Kitty...

2008-06-16T15:47:00.001-06:00

been in a major drawing funk lately. i finally got off my ass and did something...

conte on 9 X 12 Strathmore tinted Artagain paper...

Tiny Dancer...

2008-05-14T22:40:00.002-06:00

colored conte on 12 X 18 Strathmore charcoal paper.

gettin' brave and working big... lol!

Cherub Secrets ACEO

2008-05-14T22:37:00.002-06:00

water color on 2.5 X 3.5 Arches 300lb water color paper.

for sale at mbeckett.etsy.com

actual size...

enlarged...

White Tiger ACEO...

2008-04-20T11:54:00.003-06:00

water color on 2.5 X 3.5 Arches 300lb water color paper.

for sale at mbeckett.etsy.com

actual size...

enlarged...

Couple of sketches...

2008-04-20T11:49:00.004-06:00

black and sanguine ink on Canson 9 x 12 sketch paper ... reference was a re-enactment of Custer's last stand.

conte and charcoal on Canson 9 X 12 colored sketch paper... i combined 3 low res references into one.

Racing Stripes...

2008-03-26T23:40:00.002-06:00

charcoal and conte on 12 X 18 Strathmore Gray Scale (white) paper.

Tea Vendor...

2008-03-16T13:33:00.003-06:00

6 X 9 watercolor on Winsor & Newson 140lb watercolor paper.

Fishing Camp...

2008-03-16T13:27:00.001-06:00

6 X 8 watercolor on Winsor & Newson 140lb watercolor paper.

Peaches...

2008-03-16T13:24:00.005-06:00

ATC size (2.5 X 3.5 inches) watercolor on Arches 300lb watercolor paper.

Actual size...

Enlarged...

Rainy Day...

2008-02-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

ink and watercolor on 7 X 11 Arches 140lb w/c paper.

Cowgirl...

2008-02-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

watercolor on 9 X 12 Arches 140lb w/c pad.

Winter Road...

2008-02-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

watercolor on 7 X 11 Arches 140lb w/c paper.

Deer in the Forest...

2008-01-16T22:22:00.001-07:00

took 2 attempts to get this far. enough already! lol.

watercolor on 9 X 12 Arches 140lb w/c paper.

Misty Mountain...

2008-01-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

this was a watercolor quickie on 5 X 7 Canson w/c block.

Japanese Magnolia...

2008-01-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

i was originally going to try this on rice paper, oriental style and made a big mess. this worked better. i'll save the rice paper for another day... lol!

watercolor on 9 X 12 Arches 140lb w/c paper.

Alice in Wonderland...

2008-01-16T22:09:00.001-07:00

Little doodle turned into an ATC painting. watercolor on 2.5 X 3.5 300lb Arches w/c paper.

actual size...

enlarged...

Happy Holly Days

2007-12-23T10:18:00.001-07:00

Been into painting these ATC cards lately. lots of fun! ATC size (2.5 X 3.5") watercolor on Arches 300lb watercolor paper.

actual...

Enlarged...

Santa's List...

2007-12-18T22:56:00.001-07:00

ATC size (2.5 X 3.5") ink and watercolor on Arches 300lb watercolor paper.

Merry Christmas!!!

actual size...

close up...

Stone House...

2007-12-13T20:45:00.002-07:00

ink and watercolor on 9 X 12 Winsor & Newton 140lb watercolor paper...

Child on Swing...

2007-12-13T20:43:00.001-07:00

Another ATC... ink and watercolor on 2.5 X 3.5" Arches 300lb watercolor paper.

actual size...

detailed view...

2007-12-02T19:01:00.001-07:00

This is an ATC (Artist Trading Card). Ink and watercolor on 2.5 X 3.5 Arches 300lb watercolor paper.

actual size...

detailed view...

Red Bull...

2007-12-02T18:59:00.001-07:00

think it's a cow not a bull... but the red called for a bad pun... lol. watercolor on 9 X 12 W & N 140lb watercolor paper.

Girl on the Beach...

2007-12-02T18:58:00.001-07:00

This was a 'quickie' done at the end of an art class. watercolor on 9 X 6 W & N 140lb watercolor paper.

Pair of Ducks...

2007-12-02T18:57:00.002-07:00

watercolor on 9" X 6" W & N 140lb watercolor paper.

Gourd on Vine...

2007-12-02T18:55:00.001-07:00

Watercolor on 9 X 12 Arches 140lb watercolor paper.

Old Racer...

2007-12-02T18:53:00.001-07:00

Dang... getting behind again!

This is done in charcoal on 9 X 12 Strathmore Bristol Vellum.

Fence Walker...

2007-11-12T16:04:00.001-07:00

Not sure if i like this one or not. Definitely room for improvement...

Japanese Gazebo...

2007-11-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ok... this was better... also the second attempt. you don't want to see the first one...lol.

Prickly Pear...

2007-11-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

Made a mess of this one, but you get to see the bad with the good... hee hee.

Nosferatu...

2007-11-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

Doing my halloween thing...lol

Old Church...

2007-10-28T00:15:00.001-06:00

Now this one, i was excited about. It's finally starting to come together!

Dahlia...

2007-10-28T00:14:00.000-06:00

I'll be darned! One i like.. maybe there's hope yet...

Autumn Colors...

2007-10-28T00:13:00.001-06:00

This was a quickie. Took about 45 minutes.

Butterfly and Flower

2007-10-28T00:11:00.000-06:00

After a couple more disasters, i came up with this. Those 'blooms' in the background were fun to paint!

Thistle...

2007-10-28T00:08:00.000-06:00

i've been on a quest to learn water color. this is the first one that actually looked like something. not great.. but a start.

Carousel Horse...

2007-09-02T23:04:00.000-06:00

there... caught up... gotta remember to keep this up to date.. my bad!

ink and pastel pencil on 9 X 12 Strathmore Bristol Smooth.

2007-09-02T23:03:00.000-06:00

Conte and pastel pencils on 9 X 12 Strathmore Tinted Artagain paper.

Tango in the Night...

2007-09-02T23:02:00.000-06:00

Conte on 9 X 12 Strathmore Artagain paper

Foxy...

2007-09-02T22:59:00.000-06:00

conte pencil on 9 X 12 Strathmore Art paper

Butterfly and Flower...

2007-09-02T22:57:00.000-06:00

Nupastels on 8 1/2 X 11 Canson Colored sketch paper.