Mouth Planter

EDM Challenge #53  Draw a mouth.  I went for a walk while I was thinking about which mouth to draw for this challenge.  I passed a dentist's office that had a mouth on the sign, but I didn't really feel like drawing that mouth (and all those teeth!).  I thought about whether to draw my own mouth, or my son's mouth, or one of the cat's mouths.  Then I walked into a garden center that I've been meaning to go to for ages and saw this planter.  Well, it was too perfect to pass up -- it had to be the mouth for this challenge.  It's a rather large planter, and very striking, but I'm not sure I'd want it in my garden.  It would be like a huge, bizarre Chia Pet.

I used charcoal -- it seemed appropriate for a concrete subject.  Plus, I really love drawing with charcoal!

Tootsie Roll and Rover

EDM Challenge #52  Draw a dog.  I don't have a dog, but my mom and step-dad have a lovely one named Tootsie Roll.  We had a chocolate lab named Tootsie Roll many years ago, and when they got this Chesapeake Bay retriever/lab mix from a rescue shelter, it was impossible to call her anything else.  So now this Tootsie Roll is the second of her name.  Rover the cat is so called because my step-dad tends to call every cat Rover, so they decided to make it official.  Rover has been kneading Tootsie Roll ever since he was a kitten.  Now he's an enormous cat (not fat, just big) and kind-hearted Tootsie Roll keeps putting up with his pummeling.

I used gouache today, and am happy with some things and unhappy with other things.  I like Rover and the tail end of Tootsie, but I had a tough time with her front end and face.  Still, I'm happy with it overall.  The blue sofa was an afterthought -- I realized that drawing the sofa protector wasn't enough because it looked like they were just floating in mid-air.  I didn't want to do too much, so the sofa is barely there, but at least it gives some context.  Also, their sofa is not blue.

Sherlock

EDM Challenge #51  Draw your TV and favorite show playing.  I've had a very busy time at work recently and haven't been able to draw at all for the last couple of weeks -- I've missed it so much!  This was a really fun challenge to come back to.  I don't know what my favorite show is, but we've been enjoying watching the BBC Sherlock series, so I thought Benedict Cumberbatch might be an interesting person to draw.  I also drew part of my TV, but I was more interested in depicting the character in the show.  The challenge also states that I am to journal about why I like the show.  Well, I don't know much about journaling, but here's what I think. I like the Sherlock Holmes stories, so I tend to like adaptations of them, as long as they're done well.  This modernization of the story works particularly well, in my opinion -- especially the use of technology.  I think the writing is great, the acting is great, the music is very effective.  The only thing I don't like is that I've now watched all of the shows that have been made so far and I want more!

I was also very interested to do this particular challenge because I've been wanting to try my hand at more portraits.  I'd love to get better at likenesses.  I didn't quite nail it with this one, but I think the idea comes across.  If you've seen the show, I hope you recognize the character, at least by the scarf and coat!  I used charcoal because that's the only way I know how to do a portrait right now.

Homecoming

EDM Challenge #50  Draw your home's entryway and journal your thoughts and feelings about "homecoming".  Here's what I wrote on the drawing:  "After walking in the front door, through another door, and up a flight of stairs, this is the first you see of our apartment's front door.  I had never noticed the orange walls before.  Looking now, I can't believe I missed them!

"Friends of ours had a baby today - a little baby boy - and I remember the first time we brought Simon home.  We had left our apartment a couple of days before, and we came home completely new people, with a completely new person.  That is an amazing homecoming.  I'm very excited for our friends as they start their new life at home with their new little person."

I used oil pastels for this.  Not for any particular reason.  It just seemed like it would be fun and I wanted to celebrate 50 days-50 drawings by doing something a little different!  I'm going to relax a little bit now that I've reached 50.  I'll still try to draw something each day, but I might not worry too much about doing one of these challenges before midnight (I still have 40 minutes!).

Three Drawings and I'm Caught Up!

It's been a busy week!  Very long work days have meant no time to draw.  Today, though, I did three quick drawings, and now I'm caught up!  I wanted to do 50 days--50 drawings.  After that, I'll be more relaxed!

EDM #47  Draw a challenge from the past 1-46 that you didn't try before.  Challenge #26 said that I could draw anything I'd like, or a vegetable.  I drew an ocarina then, so this time I drew an eggplant.  This was shortly before I cut it up and roasted it.  Roasted eggplant is lovely!

I used pens today!  I've never done anything quite like that, and I'm not sure it entirely worked.  It was fun, though!  I think I'll check out some tutorials online that address cross-hatching.

EDM Challenge #48  Draw something that represents your new year's goal or resolution.  This photo is awful!  Here's what it is:  a messy bookshelf on the left, a neat bookshelf on the right; boxes and mess on the left, a nice corner to read in on the right.  The words in the middle are: "Having a baby, no child care, and working from home has really not helped us have an organized house.  Simon will be two soon, though, and it's time for us to get it together!"

I used a pencil, and it was so frustrating not being able to make anything dark!  Soft lead from now on.

EDM #49  Draw your refrigerator.  Our kitchen is not made for a refrigerator.  Or counters.  Or running two appliances at once.  Here's what's written on the drawing:  "This refrigerator does not fit in our kitchen.  We can't open the door all the way because of the heater closet.  you also have to squeeze past the dishwasher (bottom left) to get in there.  And it's better than the previous refrigerator!  I am grateful, however, to have working appliances in a nice apartment.  Even when the lights dim every time I boil water for tea.  Magnets: Bagpipes, a piano that plays The Entertainer when pressed, a bunch of tiny Vermeer paintings, Jack Nicholson's "Here's Johnny!" moment, and magnets from the vet and various restaurants.  And a key."

I used charcoal, then went over some lines with a charcoal pencil to get a little more detail.

Happy Holidays!

EDM Challenge #46  Draw something holiday themed (Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice).  When the original challenges came out, this challenge happened in December, so it would have been natural to have chosen one of the subjects they recommend.  In September, though, it felt a little odd.  I had left on a shelf a couple of wooden ornaments we had gotten for Simon for his first two Christmases (one each year at the Christkindlmarkt in downtown Chicago), so I decided to draw those as my Christmas-themed drawing.  But then I thought, you know, I work at a synagogue, and Rosh Hashanah is just a few days away.  I should really be drawing something for that holiday!  Drawing number two is apples and honey, the traditional treat symbolizing the hope for a sweet new year.

I'm much happier with drawing number two.  I would have thought that flat wooden ornaments would have been much easier than an apple and a little honey jar, but the ornaments turned out kind of bland, and I really like the apple and honey!

Medicine Cabinet

EDM Challenge #45  Draw your medicine cabinet (the inside of it).  I'm afraid I didn't feel terribly enthused about this particular challenge.  I'm sure it's because I just don't care about my medicine cabinet.  It's the place where I mostly throw things that I need to look for when something has gone wrong.  It's not well organized, everything in there is tippy and rolls into the sink if I so much as look at it, and it's impossible to open without getting a smudge on the mirror.  So, with that as my introduction, here is my drawing of the inside of one of the sections of my medicine cabinet!

I used watercolor pencils -- I didn't think I'd be able to get any detail with gouache.  I think I'd like to have used pen and ink, but I don't know how yet (a future project!).