new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: bic-pen, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 25 of 28
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: bic-pen in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
It’s been a while since I’ve drawn with a ball point pen, even though it is still one of my favorite art tools!
And you know, drawing can be done anywhere. Also in bed. I added a bit of blue watercolours too.
This drawing was a ‘quickie’, while sipping hot tea on the terrace of the restaurant near my home. It was a lovely sunny December day – hard to believe it’s winter!
So. Nope, luckily I don’t have the blues, not in the negative sense of the word!
The post The Blues? No Way! appeared first on Make Awesome Art.
I stumbled upon this spread from my picture book ‘Millie’s Marvelous Monsters’ I made a few years ago. Sometimes when looking at ‘old’ drawings, I feel like I could do so much better by now. But the drawings I made for Millie’s adventures still make me happy to look at, and I have great memories working on the pages and thinking up the storyline as I went.
…some thing old on my new (yay!) website!
The post This never gets old appeared first on Make Awesome Art.
You know what they say: The early bird catches the worms!
In case you missed it: I am offering my online drawing course 'Just Draw It' again in October. It seems like a long time before it starts, and you may be wondering why I am blogging about this right now.
Well... it's because today is the very last day for you to take advantage of the early bird fee. For 6 weeks full of drawing fun, instead of $99, you pay $89!
Just Draw It is a popular drawing course full of drawing techniques. During the 6-week course I help you to get rid of 'I-can't-draw-that'-thoughts by taking things step by step in online videos, images and text. Together with your class mates (each in your own time zones) you will see a lot of development and growth in your drawings.
This course is for both beginners and the more advanced.
So what are you waiting for?
Sketches done in the streets, with people moving around, capturing the moment and atmosphere - that is basically the definition of an 'urban sketch'.
I like drawing in public. Especially when the weather is nice, it's a great excuse to look around you and to even stare at people and study them, listen in on conversations and enjoy the moment.
By: Koosje Koene,
on 4/14/2015
Blog:
Koosje Koene
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
journal,
mixed media,
watercolour,
pencil,
pen,
bic-pen,
paint marker,
Draw Tip Tuesdays,
Sketchbook Skool,
urban sketch,
draw tip,
Add a tag
Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!
Today's Draw Tip looks a little different.
A little over a year ago I teamed up with Danny Gregory to found Sketchbook Skool. Since then, we've been growing a fantastic and supportive community of artists of all levels, from all over the globe. We now offer 4 Kourses that are each $99* for six weeks of amazing online, video based lessons, taught by a different teacher each week. You will learn from these teachers, but also from your klass mates, since you will have access to our online community platform, where you can share your art and find/make friends from around the world.
I am so excited that this Friday, our brand new Kourse called 'Stretching' starts. It's a six week online course that will get you out of your comfort zone and into a whole new world of inspiration, surprise, exciting techniques, materials and ideas.
Watch this preview and click here to sign up today!
*plus VAT for EU residents
When on vacation, there is plenty of drawing time, and I love that! It gives me the opportunity to take the time to do elaborate drawings, but also to study. Trying out new techniques for example, or focusing on drawing things that may seem daunting to draw.
During my trip to Thailand in February, one morning I sat down after breakfast to have a very, very long look at the surf. Then I looked some more. And even more. I focused on the patterns the water made, the ripples, the waves, the foam and air bubbles, the swirls and movements of the water, the reflections and the transparency. The constant moving of the subject was very challenging, but I just got into the page and started drawing bits and pieces, focusing on the different aspects and trying to translate them onto the paper, discovering new things with each pen stroke and with each long stretch of looking at the sea. This whole process gave me a lot of insights and was very interesting.
Another thing I don't draw often: animals. I don't have pets, and even though I love looking at dogs and other animals - I hardly draw them because I don't seem to get the chance. Which basically means that I never take the chance to draw an animal.
In thailand, I got lucky because I found myself sitting close to sleeping cats a few times. A great opportunity to study and learn.
Even on lazy holidays, there's always room to study and learn.
Happy New Year! Make it a creative one. And Make Awesome Art!
It was time for a Silly Selfie again!
It had been a while since I did a self portait. So what better reason to do one, than a fresh hair cut?
Before going to the hair dresser, I sat down and treated myself to a cup of tea. And after returning home -with bangs- I took out a bic ballpoint pen, and started drawing a selfie. The top half actually has a pretty good resemblance. But the nose, mount and chin are a bit 'off'.
Sometimes, at the end of the day when it's already dark, I get frustrated that I still didn't get my daily drawing done. So then I just sit down, put something in front of me, place a lamp beside/above it and draw. I made this drawing of a pair of shoes, while sitting on the couch, sipping a cup of herbal tea and watching a movie on tv with one eye. It was wonderful to be absorbed in the hatching. Done with a fountain pen (Lamy safary) filled with carbon ink:
More Hatching! I took out a good old black Bic ballpoint pen, and started drawing the condiments on the table of a Sechuan restaurant in the centre of Amsterdam, while waiting for my dinner companion, who called to say that he was running a little later. That gave me 15 minutes of drawing time. So I got the basics in, took a picture with my phone for reference, and later that night when I got back home, I sat up in bed and did the rest of the hatching. It was late, I was tired, and it was so relaxing, at some point I felt myself actually dozing off while hatching!!
The next day, I looked at it again and saw it needed a little bit of background or colour so I added the yellow watercolour:
There is ALWAYS something interesting to draw. And if you really want to - you can find and make time for it. Even a quick 5-minute scribble can be very rewarding.
If you need a little help,
making time to do what you love, and to fill your art journal pages every day, you can still
join my 4-week online workshop 'Awesome Art Journaling' for only $69. I will guide you through those weeks and give you a kickstart on a daily drawing habit.
Join me by clicking here.
When I used to work for a boss, in an office cubicle, not so long ago, I used to commute to work. I took the subway and always carried a sketchbook with me to study and sketch the people around me. Waiting on the train platform or minding their own businesses in the carriage.
I don't miss that job. But sometimes I do miss the people-drawing-practice.
So, together with my sketch pal Yvonne, I went on an adventure to the Amsterdam Central Station and found a great spot on the first floor, right next to the monitors with the time tables for the departing trains. And drew this:
It's cool. It's cute. It measure 6x8cm, and it's a tiny sketchbook.
The only downside is, it's so small, sometimes it hides in secret corners of my bag when I am looking for it.
Have I ever said here on this blog how much I love Amsterdam?
Welll... a LOT! I am a city girl - I love to be able to step out of the door into the city buzz, but also that I know to find quiet places of the city. It's a small city, so it's quite common to run into people, like you do in small villages. The other day, I went for run and almost bumped into my brother and my sister-in-law. It gave me a smile for the rest of my run.
The neighbourhood I live in, has great architecture, so just going for a stroll or a sketch outside nearby is a real treat.
These are two recent sketches I made during lunch breaks. Away from the computer and the home office, into sunny Amsterdam.
And what about all the bicycles in Amsterdam? Many people say it's the hardest thing to draw. But really, it's just shapes and lines in the end. I find it very meditative to sit down and peer at all those tangled shapes of the bunches bicycles that are randomly parked in Amsterdam. For the drawing below, I sat on a bench next to a herring vendor and his stall. I started out drawing my own bike, since I was sure nobody would remove it, then drew more bicycles in the background - sometimes I had to be quick, as the owner of one of the bicycles would unlock a bike and leave. But, as the herring vendor said, as he sat down next to me on the bench to chat and have a look at my drawing: "You could go on forever, they keep parking more and more bikes in front of you". True. It was a lovely sketchtime, and if I wouldn't have hd to leave for an appointment, I could have sat there for at least another hour. And buy a herring as a reward.
Of course I showed the herring vendor this drawing in my sketchbook:
'Lekker' means 'delicious'.
His respond when seeing the drawing was: "Well that's a hundred percent solid". Glad we agreed.
Some vehicles can feel like friends. I’m sure you know someone who gave their car a name, or maybe you named your car too? It’s quite a common thing to do, for some people. I travelled around in Australia in a car called Lucy, for example. She was one trusty old station wagon, for sure.
Well, here in Amsterdam, my trusty old hand-me-down bicycle has brought me to many places for years. Amsterdammers take the bicycle to get around in the city. Even when it rains, or it snows, we hop onto our steel steads to get from A to B. We even have bike flats in the city center, floating on the canals, to park our bikes and prevent the streets to be cluttered with steel. Doesn’t help: bicycles are parked everywhere anyway.
I’ve portrayed my bike every now and then. Here's a recent post about it, if you're curious. And at some point it started to evolve. From my trusty bike to my rusty bike.
Time to say goodbye. Because really, it was just not safe anymore to use it. Half falling apart, it wasn't worth fixing it anymore, it needed to be replaced.
But because it has been such a trusty companion, I drew it once more, and told its story by making notes around it, and lifting out details.
An illustrated farewell:
Speaking of stories... Just before the weekend, we launched the new kourse in Sketchbook Skool, and the theme is 'Storytelling'. Melanie Reim, Mattias Adolfsson, Jean-Christophe Defline, Veronica Lawlor, Danny Gregory and I will be teaching about how we visually tell stories in our art journals. I am so excited about Sketchbook Skool, and the community of amazing artists that is growing, with each semester! We only started thinking of it in November 2013 and now we already developed this third kourse, and proud of it too! The first lesson will be on October 3 and you can enroll on sketchbookskool.com. Just sayin'! I decided to buy myself a brand new bicycle, and although we still need to become good friends, I drew the new bicycle at its first day in my posession. |
I bring it with me into Amsterdam, or rather, it brings me!
And I am 'customizing' it, by adding cool stuff - like this basket on the front, to put transport things in; groceries or more fancy things like art tools!
I'm sure there's more bicycle portraits to come!
What is your favorite vehicle for transportation? A car? Train? A scooter? A boat? Your feet? (I sure love drawing the pair of them, too!)
Now did you really think I could give you the key to success, when you read the title of this blogpost? I sure hope not!
There is something I can tell you about drawing though... patience, practice and perseverence are key.
So may times I start drawing and halfway through the drawing I think: 'what did I get myself into??'. Then I push through, because I know quitting is NOT an option. And by doing so, I work my way towards the reward: a finished drawing.
I can tell you much more about drawing, in fact, I can give you a lot of tips, show you techniques and give you personal feedback on your drawings and progress, in my 5-week online drawing course
'Just Draw It!'It starts tomorrow and for only $99 you can
join me today!
Summer is the best time in Amsterdam. When it's sunny, there's a wonderful buzz in town and so much to do and to see. You can choose to go to crowded places in the centre, or choose a quiet terrace and sit in the shade, look at the people passing by, the traffic and to listen to the bits of chatter around you.
So that's what I do. I feel lucky and blessed to live in such a versatile city and to be able to enjoy it so much.
Are you keeping a sketchbook or an art journal?
Ever wondered if there are any rules for doing that? Well, there aren't any. Unless you create them for yourself. |
Everyone finds their own way of journaling, sketchbook keeping, drawing, sketching, painting....making art.
To me, it doesn't really matter where or how - for some styles I need different kinds of paper than for others. Then again, a few years ago, I have committed myself to make a drawing daily, and I keep a 'daily drawing journal' for it. The entries differ and change in theme and subjects, which to me is interesting so I can see what was going on in my life at the time, when I look back at the pages.
But of course you can also create a journal by gathering favorite drawings that you did on separate pieces of paper, and bind those. This has been a discussion in the previous run of my Awesome Art Journaling Class, and the only advice I can give is this: It may take some time to figure out what works best for you. And don't be surprised to see yourself change sketchbook habits either. It's an evolving thing. You may find different ways of sketchbook keeping and art journaling, different goals and purposes. It's all part of your artist's journey. Scary to fill a sketchbook page, because it might not result in the drawing you've imagined it to be? So what if that happens? You made a drawing and you can simply go on to the next page. A whole new canvas for more creativity! |
|
An art journal, a sketchbook, a creative journal, a sketch journal... Whatever you call it, when you start a creative habit by drawing, sketching, and journaling about your life, you're creating a wonderful way of documenting your life and keep vivid memories on your pages. Speaking of sketchbooks...I am so proud that the new semester of Sketchbook Skool started yesterday, and students are sketchbooking like crazy! There's a lot of energy going on in the klassrooms, and it's not too late to join! You'll be right in time for my klass, which starts on Friday. You can join for $99, and will get 6 weeks of fun, with lessons from six diffrent sketchbook artists froim around the world. Click here to learn more. |
Almost there.
When I started the sketchbook I'm currently working in, without really thinking about it, I filled the first few pages with self portraits. That's when I unintentionally started a new project. Because when I flipped through those first few pages, they gave me an idea: I committed myself to make a self portrait each day in this sketchbook. I would still be using the book as an artjournal, so was still 'allowed' tp make all kinds of other sketches and drawings in it, but it would also become my 'selfie a day' journal.
The sketchbook is now almost finished. Just a few pages to go.
Here's an update of some of the portraits I hadn't shared yet before.
Some are really to be proud of, some are rushed or uninspired. Some don't look like me at all, and others are fun experiments with new techniques or styles.
In the upcoming kourse of
Sketchbook Skool, themed 'Seeing', I talk about how we see ourselves and about drawing self portraits.
There's an awesome line-up of teachers in this kourse:
Danny Gregory will show you how your eyes and brain can collaborate better when we draw.Cathy Johnson will change how you see nature. Brenda Swenson shows you how to see your own life through your sketchbook's pages. Liz Steel will forever change how you see building and teacups. And Andrea Joseph will help you see more in-depth than you ever thought possible.You can sign up for 'Seeing' right now by clicking here!
By: Koosje Koene,
on 5/25/2014
Blog:
Koosje Koene
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
journal,
sketch,
watercolour,
pencil,
pen,
colour,
coloured pencils,
bic-pen,
urban sketch,
Add a tag
Am I obsessed? Probably. But I'm having fun, and that's important.
More selfies, yes!
Film themed, most of these. Can you recognize the movies?
Nope, the one in the middle below is not Wolf Man themed - it was a selfie I did of myself making a face, but I messed it up... ah well.
Oh and the one below on the bottom right is not Film Themed either. That's just what I look like right after waking up: wrinkled up.
Wether I'm obsessed with making selfies or with filling journal pages... it doesn't really matter. I can share some tips on how to start a daily drawing habit, and how to keep it. This Monday my online workshop Awesome Art Journaling starts. It runs for 4 weeks and costs $69.
Click here to get more info and to join me.
By: Koosje Koene,
on 5/23/2014
Blog:
Koosje Koene
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
food,
journal,
coffee,
watercolour,
pencil,
self portrait,
pen,
recipe,
coloured pencils,
bic-pen,
Add a tag
In my previous posts, I've talked about my ongoing self portrait project, and how I stumbled into an extra challenge of doing Film Themed Selfies.
So far, I've been pretty devoted doing these. I am doing a self portrait each day, and if I feel like it, I'll give it a whirl and draw myself as a film character.
Below, you'll hopefully recognize Sandy from Grease, and a scene from Spiderman too...
Some days are better than others. Didn't really like the muddy result of the 'Pride and Prejudice' Selfie, and the whole sketchbook spread is kind of bland. But on Facebook, I posted that quick selfie on the bottom left, and someone said: is that Nurse Ratched? Which gave me an idea for the next journal entry!
So there she is. And on Facebook, someone else suggested I could do a 'Rocky' selfie. So I did. I made that one after a super intensive thai boxing training, so yeah, I could really bring that feeling of triumph onto the paper.
Just so you know: I am teaching a 4-week online workshop on art journaling, starting 26 May. If you'd like to join for only $69,
click here
By: Koosje Koene,
on 4/22/2014
Blog:
Koosje Koene
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
coloured pencils,
bic-pen,
Sketchbook Skool,
urban sketch,
journal,
sketch,
watercolour,
pencil,
portrait,
self portrait,
pen,
Add a tag
It feels kind of weird to be sharing so many self portraits here. But you and I better get used to it, because there are yet a lot of pages to be filled in my current drawing journal and I'm not giving up the habit of drawing a self portrait each day!
Some days I really like the result, some days I don't. I notice that with some drawing tools, I find it easier than with others. It's a fun journney I'm taking.
I will leave it to you to decide if they're getting any better.
By: Koosje Koene,
on 4/18/2014
Blog:
Koosje Koene
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
journal,
woman,
sketch,
watercolour,
pencil,
portrait,
self portrait,
pen,
bic-pen,
Sketchbook Skool,
Add a tag
Suddenly, I got myself into a Project, even though I wasn't aware of it in the first place.
I finished my last art journal, and opened a new one. I chose a Moleskine Sketchbook this time, instead of the watercolor version, because I felt like I could use a bit of change. A different type of paper, and a different format than what I got used to with the last few sketchbooks would bring some nice variety.
Yikes, that first page was kind of awful.
I had to get used to the smooth paper again, and I chose to draw myself in the reflection of the open window, which wasn't easy at all... but hey, the book has a lot of new pages, so onto the next drawing! and at least I enjoyed the process, while sitting in the spring sun for the first time this year.
The next day, I took some more time and chose a familiar tool: I have been drawing with ballpoint pen a lot on this type of paper.
I sat in the kitchen, on the kitchen table in fact, and chose another challenge: my own reflection in the lamp above the table. Wow that certainly was interesting! Not just my own distorted reflection in the round lamp, but all the details I discovered.
A fun drawing, and a fun hour of drawing.
I had such busy days with the very first semester of
Sketchbook Skool coming up, and a lot of ropes to tie together still... So I didn't take the time to sit down and draw something around me, like I'm used to do in my daily drawing journals. but what I
did do, was snap a picture of myself and use it as a reference to draw just before going to sleep, a few days in a row.
So yeah, The Project was born. Why don't I do A Selfie A Day? I have this ongoing self portrait project, on which I work on and off, but wouldn't it be interesting to see how I draw a self portrait each day? Will they be reflecting my moods? Will I get better at drawing my own face and its features?
We'll see. I don't plan to fill this journal with self portraits
only. because I want to keep journaling too. Just drawing my face won't do. And it won't be satisfying every day either. As sometimes, it just doesn't work out well. Like the one below.
Now that is just insulting towards my husband, whom I tried to draw from, admitted, a bad photo.
If I can I will do a portrait
and drawing of my surroundings. we'll see how it goes!
I just filled the last pages of the sketchbook in which these pages are. Great memories in this precious book.
The intention of our three week (!) vacation, was to totally relax and shake off any work stress of the past weeks, or well, let's be honest: months.
So, we took the boat to the beautiful Thai island Koh Chang.
This Island has gorgeous beaches, but also a large area of jungle... if you ever watched 'Lost', some parts of Koh Chang look a bit like the island in the show, only without the creepy stuff.
We found a great place to stay and rented a little bungalow, at a 'lake'. Well, it was more of a big artificial ditch, but the place was gorgeous anyway, and very peaceful. As you can see in the drawing I made of it.
Oh and here's the 'what we ate today' page of that day.
When you take your time, to look around you, you will notice so many details! On Koh Chang in Thailand, my husband and I explored the Island by motorbike and found a beautiful place on the beach where we sat down for a banana-coffee shake (oh my gosh that is such a great combination!), surrounded by hipsters.
I really enjoyed the chatter around me, the smell of fantastic Thai food, and the sound of the waves on the beach. I took my time to make this drawing. Some of the people in the drawing left before I finished drawing them, so I had to make up some bits. Doesn't really matter, as I was concentrating of the interior of the shaded pavilion.
Another lazy day: dozing off at the beach after a jungle hike...
As you can see, I started drawing my husband in the deck chair next to me, but then he went for a stroll along the surf to play his mouth harmonica, so I ended up drawing just part of him, and then the empty chair.
Maybe you noticed. Maybe you didn't. I went away for 3 weeks in February. I know, that's already a while ago, but I haven't gotten round to post my drawings I did during this vacation, and 'digital detox'. During which I caught my breath after juggling many, many projects at the same time.
Here on my blog, I have kept posting happily though: pre-scheduling is a life saver! So while traveling, there was no need to think about any online places, projects or work. Okay, I did check my email every now and then (because wifi appeared to be available everywhere I visited - even on far away beaches!)
So. Anyway. Even though I have been sitting on my butt for about three weeks, sipping coconut water straight from the fresh coconut, I didn't really sit still. If you know me just a little bit, you know I just can't.
Of course I took my art journal with me and drew every day. It was awesome to have so much time each day. Some days, I did elaborate drawings, other days I did more quick ones.
As the flight from Amsterdam to Bangkok takes about 13 hours, I started my first journal page while on the plane. Agreat way to spend the first hour of the long flight, before watching Last Vegas, Men in Black 3, trying to concentrate on a book, and trying to sleep.
I'll be finally scanned my journal pages to share them here. I hope you'll enjoy!While trying to shake off the jet lag, we enjoyed the heat, a cooling iced coffee, and of course: the wonderful food! Both me and my husband love cooking (and eating), and are very eager to taste new things and learn about exotic kitchens. At home, we prepare Thai food often, but there's always more to learn! So I decided to add a little daily project to my art journal during our vacation: 'what we ate today'. This way I would document what we ate, and remember the taste of it, so we can try them out back home. Also, it would be a great way to use different techniques to illustrate food.
Tomorrow, I'll be adding more travel journal pages.
View Next 2 Posts
