Just a quick post tonight, then it’s off to bed.  I want to try something different tomorrow.  I want to move my “creative moment” to the beginning of my day to see if it has a bigger impact on me than it already has.

Whenever I have drawn ears in the past, I have always used that symbol language that you develop as a child.  I would draw an oval with a scribble in the middle.  I probably still will for the average sketch.  Everyone was asleep by the time I got around to this tonight, so tonight’s EDM challenge, draw an ear, is from a photo reference from Wet Canvas.  I suppose I should be practicing that too, but I much prefer drawing from life.  It’s safer this way, though.  The women folk get a bit edgy when I turn on the light while they are trying to sleep.  There are just some things you would be better off drawing from a photo.  Like  rabid pit bulls… or frenzied sharks… or mad cows…

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EDM 79: Draw an ear

On the ride home from work today, sketch kit on my shoulder, I decided to cruise downtown and do something for Urban Sketchers.  I was rocking along with my headphones, painting the federal building, sitting on my bike.  Once or twice I chuckled at what people must think driving by to see the leather clad biker dude playing with his watercolors.  I think I actually sang Jack’s Lament out loud.  Anyway, this was fun.  I think I may try to do all of the buildings downtown.

Tonight’s EDM challenge was to draw a souvenir.  It just so happens that I was at the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, TX lately.  I got this pair of sunglasses for Girl1.  To bad she made it out of here this morning without them.  By the way, two of my three babies have now joined the tax paying work force!  Boy1 is working in a custom body shop and Girl1 got a job as a waitress!  I was especially proud when I found out she reported all of her tips.  It’s not easy instilling that kind of honesty into teenager these days.  Brings a tear to my eye.  Or maybe that was just the onions on her uniform.

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EDM 78: Draw a souvenir

It is only because my beautiful young bride loves me so much that I was able to complete tonight’s EDM challenge after the fashion that I wanted.  You see, it is at the end of March and we have mostly stored our winter clothes.  We have just come through a freak ice storm and it looks like there is another one coming in the next few days.  This lovely woman that I am married to was all bundled up under her red quilt on the sofa.  I needed something “Cold or cool”.  Since my wife is the coolest person I know I decided to draw her.  She wouldn’t come out from under the blanket, and in her words, “I am not taking my clothes off in the living room when it is this cold!”  That sort of makes me look forward to summer.  I was able, however, to peel the blanket back far enough to capture something cold as ice.

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EDM 77: Draw something cold or cool

We woke up this morning to snow and ice making a light blanket over the whole world.  That rarely happens in Oklahoma this late.  Several times today I felt like gearing up and trudging out to sketch.  I find that when it is cold outside, it is easy for me to resist those urges.  Tonight’s EDM challenge was to draw some flowers.  I did a quick thumbnail sketch so that I could complete the challenge later, but I couldn’t resist the colors of the grape hyacinths.  So I ran back out into the 4o°F afternoon, with Girl1 in tow, to paint the little lovelies in with the new mini sketch kit.  I’m not sure how much longer I can continue to call it new, but I know I’m still having fun with it.

I’m especially glad that I went back out into the cold to paint them because all I did with the EDM sketch outside was draw a few basic shapes to lock in the placement of the flowers.  We loaded up for a family outing (go see Monsters VS Aliens!) and when we returned it was too dark to get any more details outside.  So, I used my watercolor sketch as a reference to fill in the blanks.  Usually when I a work from a photo reference, I get the basic shapes and then I have to remove the photo.  I don’t like to spend as much time in realism as I do in interpretation.

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EDM 76: Draw some flowers

I peeked at yesterday’s EDM challenge the night before.  The challenge was to draw clouds.  Yesterday, my day started at 4:30 a.m.  We were on the road to the presentation by 6.  We finished up around 4:00 p.m. and began the long drive home.  All day and all the way home I watched beautiful clouds roll in and out until the whole sky finally became one gray mass only to fade to blackness as the darkness took over.  Today, an ice storm has rolled in.  So, I used an internet photo reference from Wet Canvas to find some clouds.

Tonight’s challenge was to draw the ingredients of my favorite food.  My favorite food only has two ingredients:  one can of Campbell’s New England Style Clam Chowder, and one can of milk.

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EDM 74: Draw clouds
EDM 75: Draw the ingredients of your favorite food