83rd street.

Quick sketch from the car on the way from the store, where I was choosing decorative pillows. What a nice house, I wanted to go there again and do a serious detailed study. Ink.

Early morning sketch Upstate.

Was exploring shades of white and had fun mixing my pens and pencils early in the morning, around 6 am.

I used Wink of Stella pen by Kuretake, so the white is sparkling, but photo doesn't show it.

Sketches on NY Subway, few new tools and very uneasy day.

I was lucky to have a seat, so was able to relax unnoticed. This sketchbook is not laying as flat, as my previous one.

3 women, 3 different personalities. Even pencil felt it.

Awesome to have such different characteristics, not only ethnically, but different mood too. This is New York!

Here is my new tools from JetPens (the best shop in the world!), I decided to spoil myself, in secrecy, and got few amazing things, like sparkly brush pen "Wink of Stella", acrylic based watercolor by Rohrer & Klingner, few white pens, interlocking pencil caps, 2 mm lead sharpener, very thin black ink pen. All laying on the top of my drawing of a Subway musician, which is still in a process.

Few sketches in April in deteriorating sketchbook with brown paper.

I can't wait to get rid of this sketchbook, even I really like the paper. Hard to look back at filled pages, everything seems irritating and no good. This people I met here and there, touched me and gone. Again pencil and white gel pen.

This woman I met by the dentist, first I was hungry for drawing, than we start talking and she was pretty cool telling me stories from the life of Manhattaner. She knew my dentist for 40 years. Interesting that my dentist has such wrong opinion about me, I am not correcting.

New Jersey.

I took this new sketchbook to a family event, hoping that I can steal a minute or 2 for people sketching. It has toned paper, which I wanted to try. So end up drawing a little lake with kitschy swan pedaling boats, while other members of the family and friends took a stroll around. I joined them later for a walk and was really embarrassed by the compliments and their interest in my little sketch.  So I was invited to visit extended family in further state (9 hours of driving) with ink, paper and easel, to exchange  drawing for a good lunch.

Apple dumplings.

We decide to order Apple dumplings, (whole apple baked into dough), which we didn't do for years, even we loved them and use to order pretty often in past, in good times, when we had house full of friends. People knew my name in the bakery, remembered me, laughed when I asked, pretty pretty please! They don't bake it if not ordered.  I came to pick up in the old place and they are not there anymore. So I found them in the new location, they said they are there for at list 3 years, if not more.
I still shared with friends, sent some to one friend's home, brought in for a sick friend, invited a new friend.  Not because I am too kind, but because it extend the pleasure. Fun.
Especially fun to draw it. I used ink and Kuretake pens. Could not find my fat white pencil for the powder, so used white pen.

Song to go with by Raphael Gualazzi, remixed.

Sketching in Delta.

I know I shouldn't allow myself to fool around with great sketchbook, Delta, hardbound, but couldn't resist to scribble on the way.

Played for a few minutes with water soluble pencil and smudge Dr. Martin's watercolor over.
I drew on each side of the page, nothing bled through, even layered washes on the other side.

First page in hardbound Delta sketchbook by Stillman & Birn.

I was so eager to try this wonderful treasure, that started it on a Subway, coming back from Red Hook in Brooklyn, where I experimented in a shop with the "wooden" guys and different textures. I didn't want to waste an inch of this creamy thick 180 lb paper so started right on endpaper. I drew my little Red Dot Japanese knife, which my husband found on one of Manhattan streets, and I fell in love with it. I wanted to test color washes on the paper and it took it perfectly, no bleeding, no little soft fibrous substance from applying wet on wet. I added Uranus pen's ink, Kuretake brush pens, white gel pen, Pentel color brush and even blue Durer watercolor pencil.

Red truck on the road.

Shiny red truck, loved and groomed by his owner (building inspector), I had to draw it. It was hugged by shadows and greens on the road side. I used ink and Kuretake pens with tiny help of Stabilo pen and blue Durer pencil for the sky.

Chips.

It was too much rain, so it was fire in the wood stove, chips and endless reading on Kindle. And yes, butter pecan ice cream. Managed quick sketch in Delta by Stillman & Birn in watercolor (Bijou box) and Uranus pen.

Blooming purple in Stillman&Birn Delta book.

I added quick outline to blooming trees sketch in Stillman&Birn Delta series sketchbook, which was laying for days on the top of my scanner and looking at me with reproachful purple flours, while I was sleeping, eating and breathing cracks and ruins for the mural during past few days.
Little Delta book 6"x8" is so cute and comfortable to drag along, so I sharpen my pencils and hope for some  sketching adventure, with Bijou box, since it takes washes so gracefully.
Here used ink and Kuretake and Tradio pen.

Another small watercolor in Delta Stillman&Birn. Today is my Birthday.

I like perforated pages, it always lays flat and gives you an illusion of separate piece of paper. If you like the page could be removed without damaging the whole sketchbook. I was not comfortable with this before. The only thing is that materials used should be strong, not smudgy or it should be sprayed with fixative. I used watercolor(Bijou box) with water brush and Uranus pen for outlining.
Fire trucks on the road side.

Sketches in Delta book (Stillman&Birn).

I packed Bijou watercolor box and this new little (6"x8") Stillman&Birn Delta series sketchbook on my short trip Upstate. Paper is 180 lb with rough surface. I used watercolor and accented with Uranus pen, double ended. I like that paper takes water so nicely, strong and durable, takes eraser and rubbing with the brush. I like ivory color of the paper, it adds to the vintage feeling, sort of little nostalgic theme. So here my shaved dog and I curled up on the couch looking at flames. ( We shaved Yorkie and surprisingly she looks like absentminded kangaroo or that funny character from Ice Age cartoon, I think named Layla Zee or Sid).

Here another sketch. Stream.

Sketching in Stillman&Birn and little Muji book.

Sketched from the office window with sepia ink and black Uranus pen (double sided) in Stillman&Birn sketchbook, Gamma series. I am still amazed how well paper takes layered washes. On the top drew Kuretake 13 brush pen. I want to get Pentel pocket brush and compare to Kuretake 13. One day.

Quick sketch in the dentist office in the little Muji book with Blackwing 602. Added bits of color with Muji pen and color pencil. I met interesting writer there and we had a little chat, exchanged numbers.

Cheese.

This is my first page in Stillman&Birn Alpha series sketchbook. Size is 8, 5"x11".  I used ink and serious washes, Alpha seems a bit more delicate than Gamma with slightly more pronounced texture, but it took water easily, just a few dots from banging with orange Kuretake for paprika and green for dill bleed through, but new page is clean, I didn't put any paper underneath. I usually cut out sheet of thicker paper for the most sketchbooks to protect from accidental bleeding or pressed too hard pencil or pen. I think it would be a good idea for sketchbook companies to add insert protection piece of paper along with a sketchbook, a bit thicker and harder, but exact size. Color of the paper is white, Gamma is ivory. I love that jacket is black, so classy.
I drew plate with pieces of cheese, infused with Maggi sauce, dill and paprika and coffee. Somehow I came up with this idea to spice up my morning coffee. I get condiments in Turkish store on Brighton. I have a feeling that music and herbs have a huge impact on human's brain.

Green house.

Attractive house at Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn. I went for appointment and was surprised again by diversity of architecture and by new construction. May be it is my ability to see things in a new light, that makes me get charmed by the same objects, no wonder I love Proust so much, or may be houses do grow on Manhattan Beach like mushrooms after the rain.
I am running out of ink and using more and more not favorable leftovers and hesitate to throw art things out, so here I used old ink mixtures, Kuretake brush pens, Muji pen on Bockingford 90 lb paper.

Sketch in Stillman&Birn Gamma sketchbook.

Sketch from the car in Bay Ridge,  Brooklyn, while waiting. I tried that little black pen from the Muji store, really charming, it could be washed a little bit with water. Just $1.50 Really like it, should get few more colors just for fun.
Sketchbook Gamma series 100 lb paper takes water very well. When I drew this Muji pen, I kept adding wet into wet and nothing happened on the other side of the page, all like new, just amazing for 100 lb paper.

Boats on Bockingford paper.

I sort of gave up after painful battle with the scanner. Paper is too big for it and too crooked, so it is approximated version of that boats and canal near Kings Plaza in Brooklyn, made with Sepia ink, couple of Kuretake pens, white gel pen, Namiki Falcon pen on gray Bockingford 140 lb paper.
Paper, even seems so strong and excepting water start buckling in a process, but the good part its really easy to burn, hard not to burn completely.
Namiki Falcon is the most amazing pen created by genius.

Feb 19 on Subway.

Sketched few people on the train on Sunday. Wanted to get to museum to see 9 Renoirs and few interesting drawings, but the line of people was so long and we were dressed so light that we decide to pass and took amazing stroll through the Central Park, enjoying beautiful patches of nature in the heart of the City. End up eating Shake Shack on the bench Uptown, bathing in the sun and laughing at the New York dogs passing by.
This little ball pen is from the Muji store in Times Square. I wanted to get calligraphy pen, but they didn't have it. I got little sketchbook for $4.50 with yellowish thin paper for simple pencil sketches, so I  won't feel bad for wasting Moleskine pages.

Sketches.

Sketches at the doc office with pencil and bit of Noodler's ball pen.