Art Markers

Artists Have Opinions, Too

Orbisplanis has added a new feature, the Weekly Orbisplanis Poll. The results won't be (art) world changing, but it might be interesting, so please take a moment to vote. The deadline for this week's poll is end of day on July 31, and will post results on August 1. If you have a burning question you'd like us to poll our viewers, just leave a comment.

...And The Living is Easy

It's high summer (in the northern hemisphere anyway), so I hope you're finding time to invest in your artwork and yourself. With August almost underway, now is a good time to beat the heat and stay inside your studio if you reside in one of the warmer locales. There's a bright spot with every season, and for summer, these long days provide more daylight allowing us to just keep drawing or painting away before losing our light. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Yet More Drawing Materials

Continuing to comment on the contents of my 'drawing' drawer: the purpose of which is (in case you've been wondering) to show you how easy it is to get started again with relatively few materials. You may even have some of these on hand already.

Markers

In an earlier blog I confessed to how much Iliked drawing with markers in the 1970s. Back then, they were relatively awkward, at least the brand I had. Some had tips that were made of a thick piece of felt sliced off at an angle fastened onto a little glass bottle, and if you didn't keep the cap securely on that felt, they dried out in no time. Others were a little more user friendly and were more like pens with a finer point. In all I think there were about 30 colors. but it may have been more. State of the art back then, but seems primitive now.

Like most of the other materials I've told you about, today's markers come in all shapes and sizes and all colors and price ranges. The ones I have are just like pens. They have a relatively fine point, which is good for detail, and the tip is just long enough so you can turn it on its side and make a broader mark if needed. Not sure what the tips are made of made--it's somewhat flexible, which makes them very easy to control.

Let me just say, these were very, very reasonably priced (more of my bargain hunting). What you want to do is look for your materials at places and at times where you may not expect to find them, you can pick up some great deals. I got these last year during back-to-school specials. I'm proud to say I have 36 of these (the same number as my colored pencils) in all the colors you'll need to get started.

Sorry to report, I don't know the actual names of the colors since the packaging only consisted of a plastic pouch (guess you get what you pay for). But--there are at least six shades of blue, ditto for green, and a range of yellows, oranges, browns, and purples as well as reds from burgandy to pink. There's also a nice warm grey and even several shades suitable for all colors of flesh tones. This was the bargain of the year.

In a flashback to the '70s, I still have to keep the caps on so they don't dry out. Like the colored pencils, I don't use these often enough, but maybe I will soon. I included a drawing done with these markers at the top of the blog for your viewing pleasure.

In the Studio

Glad to be in my "studio," such as it is during very warm afternoons. I am nearing completion on the 'Grand Canyon' acrylic I've been giving you updates on. I finished painting all the rock formations pretty much to my liking, although I will put some finishing touches on those. The last thing to do is to paint a few of the pinion pines that grow from some of the outcroppings. I hope I can get the correct green for those.

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Cheers!