New York.

I saw this corner of New York and I like that it combines huge billboards and ongoing construction. Feels a bit overwhelming and full of energy. I used ink and Kuretake pens. This blue sky made with tiny Pilot Fude Pen Petite 3 from JetPens, also on letters Bank of America. What a toy.

He made me breakfast.

I tried Arches watercolor board. I like it, it takes color nicely, a bit stiff, not allowing to move much. Size is too small 8x10, it was on sale, so I should get bigger size. Too bad I can't rip or burn it but I used a boarder to bring casualty to it. Ink and Kuretake pens. I used new Holbein water brush with it. I like it, barrel is so big, you can scratch your back easily. Release water a bit too much. Shana Tova to all.

Sketches on a train, Sept 26.

First I tried to use Faber-Castell Durer watercolor pencil, top left, but juggling water brush and pencil is too much, so I switched to beloved versatile Palomino Blackwing 602, which already got  shorter. I like when things getting used, it shows love and goodness, it is more precious short.

Tomatoes.

Sketch of tomatoes in the evening with watercolor and Uranus pen. When it is getting dark in the woods, it is too dark and nowhere to go except to friends to eat and drink, but friend in Nice, France now and I should go on a diet.

Photo of drawing "Wet".

Used my Rembrandt watercolor set and few brushes. Sadly notice how paints getting deeper and smaller, didn't draw anything serious yet.

Wet.

Quick watercolor sketch before dusk. Rembrandt watercolor. I was interrupted, needed, so had very few minutes for this sketch.

Reflection.

Lazy sketch and reflection. Watercolor and ink in sketchbook.

Beauty of life.

Photo I took on the way home. Couple of days ago coming from Manhattan I was stunned by the light coming from the sky.

Apple Strudel.

Apple strudel we did together. I used ink and Kuretake pens and tiny bit of blue watercolor Dr. Martin I recently bought in "Dick-Blick" store in Manhattan. My everyday trips to Manhattan and sketching people didn't let me draw enough with my beloved ink and now I am torn apart missing my pencil sketching.
 Recipe for apple strudel I took from my Cooking Book, which I started as a young girl writing down my Grandmothers famous dishes, I started this on my own, may be because I liked the process of writing so much, may be because my Grandma told me about family secret recipes coming back from 19 century. It contains my little sister's handwriting, she helped me to record some exotic african dishes I found in magazines, also my friends, neighbors, relatives dishes I took interest in. Kinda cool.

Glazed wall.

Project was redone because the prep work wasn't done properly and painters had to do skim coat all over. So I did it again, two layers,  I like to do without touch ups, it was fun.

Here how it works with the furniture. I stretched it in 3 days so it won't look to easy so I won't get abused.

September 16.

Yesterday on the train.

I used Palomino Blackwing 602 in this weird but cute sketchbook "Laura & company". Would be sad to give up every day people sketching after I won't have to ride to the City by Subway. To create every day event sketching people in public places like daily routine would be hard. I was even thinking to ride Subway just for the sake of sketching  but it sounds to insane. :-)

September 15 NY Subway sketches.

Everyday sketches really trains the eye and hand, makes my trips exiting. I am watching my first Palomino Blackwing 602 getting shorter with loving heart. 

Walls and doors.

Wall with textured finish, faded stencil I cut basing on wallpaper from 18 century, eclectic, glazed doors.

Metallicish finish on doors.

Closer look on the other side.

:-)

September 13 sketches.

I found that funny little dusty-blue sketchbook with title A Book of Living on my shelve, which I bought probably in Home Goods long time ago, I like its binding, stitched. I don't know what it means, may be for sketching living? So I will. Palomino Blackwing.

Sketches on a train.

I took Kuretake Twin pen with me to try on this weird sketchbook I got somewhere in Home Goods or Marshall. Paper doesn't take washes how I was hoping and I realize that I don't like when sketchbook doesn't look like a plain planner or something not obviously artsy. Moleskine is the best for it but too expensive for quick sketches. Here is a biker done in Kuretake Zig Twin pen and Palomino Blackwing 602.

It was fun combining flesh color and pencil.

That lady kept changing her pose, crossing legs, hiding em underneath the bench.

He looked so tired, so did I . I went to DickBlick and got drunk on art supply. I got couple of Stabilo pens, 2 Durer pencils, wonderful sharpener M+R, couple of watercolor pads, few mats, cutting board for my table, couple of Dr.Ph. Martins, Higgins ink, small Arches art boards. Yea, embarrassing.

My best friend Tanya.

My best friend died 23 years ago, I still miss her and connect to her in my mind very often. Proper to say she still exists for me. She was 7 years older than me and very wise. She was an aircraft engineer and interior designer. She had double education. She was thirsty for knowledge and curious and drugged me to interesting events and adventures. I have deep respect to 3 people in the world: my father, Tanya and my other friend Konstantin. Here I used ink.

Pool.

Sketch of the mural for the pool. Used watercolor on Fabriano Studio pad. Hopefully I will get it and will paint it on the wall. I think it is 8 spaces between the columns. 

Afterwards I drew for a few minutes portrait of my friend while listening to music. It was bitterly sad.  I still miss her, after 23 years. We where best buddies and I learn a lot from her about life. She was 7 years older than me.

A bit corrected, deeper brown, darker ceiling.

Я

Link to my drawing was on Kretake's site.
I just love Kuretake's pens, not only for amazing soft bright touch on a paper but for appealing design too. Plus I like to grab a handful of pens on my trips to add color whenever I feel it appropriate, soon I am going to buy another bag from JetPens so I can carry my Kuretake in style.

I did research on 18 century floral wallpaper, even looked at the history and styles, I cut out a stencil and now designer said that the wall is so rich it doesn't need the stencil. Maan... Now sketching landscape for the pool.

Still no time to draw but sketching on a train.

I am really thankful to people telling me about their lives and characters while I am drawing them and getting into a brief contact. We can communicate not only with words but with a power of thought. Possible my impressions not always right, but imagination takes part.

Here is today's commute to Manhattan and back. I used Faber-Castell Exam pencil 2B with flat lead. Pretty soft and messy on brown paper, but cool, because I used flat and sharp point parts. Last page is Old Blackwing, awesome feeling. White is gel pen. I am researching vintage wall paper, but tired and want to sleep.

Yesterday sketches.

Yesterday's sketches on Subway with old Blackwing. One young man, white collar,  yelled across the subway car :"What are you drawing? Are you drawing me?" It sounded pretty aggressive. I smiled motherly and shook my head and showed him from the distance my sketchbook, this last page, that I drew  that napping woman, not him. In reality I wanted to whack him on a head and bark to leave me alone, because people looked at me, but I kept weak smile on my face.

Blackwings.

The process of sharpening and preparing for sketching on a train Both Blackwings: E.Faber and Palomino.

And today's sketches with E.Faber Blackwing. On the way back I got a ride, so instead of sketching spoke with one artist about politics and Blackwing. I promised him a pencil, so I better pack it now before I forget.

Today's Subway sketches in 2 Blackwings.

I took both Blackwings with me, Eberhard Faber and Palomino. This page was drawn with Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602. Felt pretty soft and pleasant. I would say like a B grade.
This charming little blond girl grabbed everybody's attention, her name was Carolina, she was humming, dancing a little bit, looking at her reflection, tortured her little bear in marine suit, her red bow was a little crooked in yellow curls.

This sketch was also made with E. Faber Blackwing. Young girls coming from shopping. I like girl's ballet shoe.

The last one done in Palomino Blackwing 602. Very close to original Blackwing. I am pretty impressed. I bought E. Faber by mistake, I thought I am buying a box, but it turned to be only one pencil. A bit painful, one pencil for 25 bucks. But still gonna use it the same way and happy that Palomino Blackwing is so good, so nothing else to desire, so freedom.

Quick Subway sketches and Blackwing obsession.

Here couple of Subway sketches and I did unimaginable, I sharpened Collectable Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602 and compared it with Palomino Blackwing 602. I am still heavily breathing, but gotta admit,  Palomino did a good job, they so much alike. I made a mistake,  accidentally bought Eberhard Faber, so now have no choice but happily sketch with it, because life is too short and all pencils meant to be used.

This tight big girl was charming in her plaid shirt, lots of personality. Tomorrow I'll be fortunate to try 2 Blackwings on a Subway.

Small street in Brooklyn.

This paper is more than 20 something years old, I ripped it from the watercolor pad with blue cover saying Aquarell, I think it is german. I think I bought it before my daughter was born.  Last place were it was basement Upstate. I like everything old, its connecting time. I used ink and a little bit of Kuretake pens for color. Nothing special about this street, it is life what is beautiful, light and shadows, and existing.  Size is 12"x12.7"

Roses and tuna melt on a bagel.

I started this before the hurricane Irene, but dropped everything and evacuated. So it was a little bit hard to get back into it, but I added some color and tried to bring to completion. I used ink and colors from old plastic leads containing Kuretake pens scribbles and Inktense pencils leftovers.   Dry puddles got reactivated on plastic with water brushes, it worked for faded nostalgic sort of colors I wanted. Always think of my beloved writer Marcel Proust, it is mostly image from remembered reality, relived once again.

Exercise in ink.

While discussing options how to get down from the mountains when all roads on the way were destroyed and our phones dead I kept sketching from the book I took with me "Pen and Ink", exercising in different strokes. It was sort of free interpretation. And it kept me calm.

Old coffee pot.

Locked up by hurricane I used daylight time to do a little sketch of old coffee pot, longing for coffee, we had no power for a few days. I used watercolor and precious Namiki Falcon pen.

Hurricane Irene started as rain.

Quick sketch with ink outline and watercolor.