Drawing of a Robin - Colored Pencil

This soft sweet Robin is in the same series as the Cardinals. It's 5x7, on Champagne Mi Tientes paper (smooth side) and done in Prismacolor Pencils.

For this one, I ended up with a few more colors than usual: Indigo, Periwinkle, Mineral Orange, Yellow Ocher, Black and White. The blue and orange tones are complements and work together nicely even though Robins in life don't have much blue in their feathers.

The softness of this drawing is very apparent, to me anyway, and adds a sweet look to the subject. That wasn't my goal when I started but I did work with it as it appeared.

The entire back of the bird is suggested but not drawn clearly or just plain missing. I'm still experimenting with the pencils to see how loose I can go. This may be getting close to the boundry of "not enough" - we'll see where it ends up.

Drawings! Cardinals! In Colored Pencil!

OK, so that's a lot of excitement up there in the title. But, it's been such a long while since I posted and almost as long since drawing and painting that I got kind of wound up.

This is the first drawing after being away for while and I could sure tell in my rusty hands and eyes. It's sketched lightly on Champagne Mi Tientes and then the color is worked in with Prismacolor colored pencils. In trying to stick with limited colors, I chose Tuscan Red, Scarlet, Poppy Red, White and Black.

Overall, it's OK but I didn't like the texture of the paper - too mechanical. Nor am I happy with the stiffness and lack of life in the bird; perhaps it's a bit overworked.

So, I did another drawing exactly the same- sort of.



Here's Cardinal #2, same paper (except on the smooth side), same size (5x7), and the same colors. To me, it seems fresher even if there's less detail. This one was much easier to draw and complete; I could feel myself loosening up as it progressed.

Colored pencils are a big draw for me, but I'm still getting comfortable with how I want to use them in a less precise manner. I'm enjoying exploring these small drawings and am trying to do some everyday. I've got another couple to show very soon.

Thanks for looking and any thoughts and comments are always appreciated.

I Want a Kindle

No, I crave a Kindle, yearn even.

Now, I’m not an acquisitive person, especially where electronics are concerned. We have one television and it’s not even HD or a big screen. I don’t own an IPOD and most of the time my cell phone has turned itself off because the battery died.

So, why a Kindle? I’ve wanted one since the first version, Kindle 1, was unveiled, but I waited because I couldn’t justify the cost and unproven technology. Then came Kindle 2 and I waited again because it still seemed extravagant. But, the lure of so many books just a click away has wormed its way into my brain. Now, the Kindle DX is due soon.

The DX has a larger screen more suited to reading a newspaper. Think of it, reading the paper one handed without all that ink. No more flapping the pages around trying to find the continuation. Best of all, no more traipsing out in the front yard in your sleepy clothes to get it!

I’m not sure if I can hold out much longer.

Shiny Designs has a New Look ...

and a new outlook. There’s a fresh format and an updated take on things.

So, why? Apparently I’ve reached the point in my life, some would say the age, where I want to be more me as a whole and less of the separate parts that fit our notion of proper roles.

That means my blog will have to be more “me” as well. So, now there will be content from the many, and wide ranging, parts of my life: from my new business venture to articles and books I’m writing as well as artwork and the random curiosity treks I take occasionally. Most recent- investigating the decay chain of radioactive isotopes.

This may be messy and it may be silly at times, but I have high hopes it will be more interesting and it will be more authentic. Thanks for joining me; I appreciate the support and the company.