Dog Crayon

I started exploring patterns that had some potential to be tesselated, and stumbled on a dog bone shape.  That repeating pattern made a cute backdrop for the dog-crayon.

Dog - pencil and black micron .5 pen on 300 series Strathmore mixed media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

While crayons were delightful at the beginning of the school year, do you recall what some of them were like at the end of the school year?  In my elementary school one of the required school supplies was a pencil case.  It had to be large enough to hold a couple of pencils, a checking pencil that was red on one end and blue on the other, a pencil sharpener, a stand-along eraser, and 8 to 10 crayons.  This packet of the most essential of the essentials traveled throughout the building everywhere that the student went, except for gym and lunch.

Dog - pencil and black micron .5 pen on 300 series Strathmore mixed media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

By the end of the year, those essential traveling crayons had collected all kinds of "goodies."  Most had their personal collection of pencil shavings from the leaking sharpener.  Depending on the other contents of the pencil case, they could also have strands of hair, pieces of broken pencil leads, dust, gum wrappers, etc. etc. etc. 

Dog - pencil and black micron .5 pen on 300 series Strathmore mixed media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

Because I wanted my crayon to be sharp and pointed, they seldom got to the fuzzy condition of some of my classmates.  SCAMPERing a crayon into a fuzzy dog, however, does not seem like a tremendously big leap when I think back to those traveling crayon days, however.  Omit the panting tongue and the perky eyes, and a number of dog crayons populated my elementary school every May and June. 

Dog - pencil and black micron .5 pen on 300 series Strathmore mixed media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

When teachers would fill plastic wash basins with donated crayons on the last couple of the days of the year, a criteria list developed over the years for crayon contributions.  The list included an intact wrapper and no "fuzz, glitter, or non-crayon passengers." 

Dog - pencil and black micron .5 pen on 300 series Strathmore mixed media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

Collections also shyed away from conglomerate crayons, restaurant-style wax crayons, and anything (even with a wrapper,) that was shorter than one inch (perhaps that was just to see if kids still had their rulers and knew how to use them for a practical purpose...)

Dog - pencil, black micron .5 pen and Intense pencils activated with a water brush on 300 series Strathmore mixed media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

The dog crayon here is a tribute to the well used "fuzzy" crayons unable to qualify for the crayon donation bin at the end of the year.  These hard-working troupers, who made the rounds to each of the designated locations throughout the entire school year, were cast into the trash container.  We appreciated your service and know you spend a lot of time adding color the the school environment! 

Dog - pencil, black micron .5 pen and Intense pencils activated with a water brush on 300 series Strathmore mixed media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

North Shore Crayon

If you have ever traveled to the north shore of Lake Superior, you have been surrounded by the rugged terrain.  The shoreline of the lake is lined with rocks, many of which are large and flat.  The colors of the rocks in the harbor in Grand Marais are predominately blue-grays and brown-rusts.   Since one of the main natural resources mined along the North Shore is tachonite, it makes sense that the shoreline rocks are rich in iron-based colors. 

North Shore - pencil, micron .5 black pen, and Inktense water soluble pencil activated with a water brush.  Click on the image to enlarge. 

 Just like a traditional box of crayons, there is a limited number of subtle color variations in most kits.  This is also try for the Inktense sets.  I have not spent a lot of time mixing hybrid colors for this quick crayon-color exploration. 

North Shore - pencil, micron .5 black pen, and Inktense water soluble pencil activated with a water brush.  Click on the image to enlarge. 

North Shore - pencil, micron .5 black pen, and Inktense water soluble pencil activated with a water brush.  Click on the image to enlarge. 

Eatyurpeez

Eatyurpeez - Pencil and micron .5 black pen on Strathmore 300 series mixed-media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried this little, two-ended crayon for a quicker, weekend project.  As a child I remember always wishing there was a way to keep the pointed tip on all of my crayons; that was one of the very best things about the start of each new school year:  new crayons.  While many have referred to the memorable smell of their new crayon box, it was always the crisp images and edges that could be made with those beautiful points for me!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Eatyurpeez - Pencil , micron .5 black pen and Intense pencils activated with water brush on Strathmore 300 series mixed-media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

Eatyurpeez - Pencil , micron .5 black pen and Intense pencils activated with water brush on Strathmore 300 series mixed-media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

 The addition of the crayon sharpener to the 64 count box of crayons was an inspired idea coming out of the
Binney-Smith think tank.  When it comes to putting sharp objects in the hands of kids, however, I am sure they were in a difficult position.  A sharpener sharp enough to truly create the ideal crayon point would be confiscated or, better yet, a tough sell at the retail level.  A sharpener that could be rendered "safe" for most school environments, sharpened the first 5 crayons to some level of pointiness, but the remainder of the box, come mid-September on, was relegated to the "blunt blobs" of the 64 box.  How many times did you resort to a "less than desirable color" as a sacrifice so that you could work with that new (or almost new) sharp-from-the-factory tip?  Perhaps that explains the creative expansion of the 24 set......

Eatyurpeez - Pencil , micron .5 black pen and Intense pencils activated with water brush on Strathmore 300 series mixed-media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

It just seems to me that a crayon with a beautifully formed, sharpened tip at either end, has good potential for extending crayon satisfaction.  You can still peel the wrapper off for covering large areas with the flat surface (yep, I know, "....what would this crayon, smeared across an 8 1/2" X 11" sheet of paper look like???? but think back to your regular, one-color, non-think-out-of-the-box crayons,) it has the traditional crayon smell (although these days each of these "designer crayons" could be fragrance enhanced,) and the waxy chunks could still clump on your paper and compress under your fingernails. 

Of course, if the two-sharpened-end crayon were to catch on, I am guessing packaging would be next on the think-tank agenda.  Just a reminder for those creative minds:  the first criteria is fitting in the school desk! 

Wurmz

The fun thing about creating the crayons is thinking about the different ways in which new colors can be created. As you look carefully at the actual make-up of each crayon, however, think of the waxy colors it would leave on the surface, such as paper...hmmmmm. 

"Wurmz" - Pencil and black .5 micron pen on Strathmore 300 series mixed-media paper.  Click on image to enlarge. 

 This series of images represents stops along the creative process to catch the progress.  I am finding this a useful tool to analyze and critique my work before I get to the final product and am not happy.  Along the way, there is still time to course-correct! 

"Wurmz" -Pencil and black .5 micron pen on Strathmore 300 series mixed-media paper.  Click on image to enlarge. 

 If I do more of these types of images, I would like to get some broader tipped pens to fill in the relatively large areas of solid black.  This is way to time-demanding for the end result.  The challenge will be to find a comparable product that is the same shade/tone of black AND is also NOT water soluble!  Many products say "permanent," but are really "ALMOST permanent;"  NOT the same thing!

"Wurmz" -Pencil and black .5 micron pen on Strathmore 300 series mixed-media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.   

 The next step is the point at which the permanence of the pen ink is put to the test.  I have had great success with both the Micron product line and the India ink in the Pentel pocket brush pen.  I am currently testing a variety of relief inks for the same permanent properties;  I have yet to find one of those that is more than "ALMOST permanent...."  The search will continue. 

"Wurmz" -Pencil, black .5 micron pen and Intense pencils activated with a water brush on Strathmore 300 series mixed-media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

 I have also been very pleased with the permanent properties of the Inktense pencils and blocks (these are a Derwent product.)  I have been disappointed with their lightfastness, however, so have only used them for images I am photographing and saving early in the process.

"Wurmz" -Pencil, black .5 micron pen and Intense pencils activated with a water brush on Strathmore 300 series mixed-media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

You will notice that the name of the crayon color has been included on the crayon wrapper.  I think it would be interesting to think about two important crayon elements:  what does the waxy crayon look like under the wrapper - I might be tempted to peel off the wrapper soon after opening the crayon box.  Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, what would this color look like on paper????  

The opinions about products are strictly my own and are specific to the way I am using them and my specific demands.  I strongly encourage each user to explore a variety of available products and find those that best meet each personal creativity and financial need. 

The 2015-2016 School Year Begins!

Welcome back to school !!!!  This is the time of year we used to jump into creative problem solving to help empower students to think "outside the box."  Although our instruction was not exactly like the image manipulation here, this work is related to SCAMPER skills.

SCAMPER is an acronym that represents 12 ways to get to a more creative product.  The letters stand for substitute, combine, adapt, adjust, modify, magnify, minify, put to other uses, elaborate, eliminate, reverse, and rearrange. 

Pencil and micron black pen on Strathmore 300 series mixed media paper.  Click on image to enlarge.  

Substitute - The crayon has been substituted for the body and engine of the bus.
Combine - The crayon logo  has been combined with the bus lettering and name to create a new bus name and logo.  

Pencil, black micron pen and Intense pencils with water added.  Click on image to enlarge. 

 Adjust - the bus colors have been adjusted to be more crayon-like. 

Pencil, black micron pen and intense pencils with water added.  Click on image to enlarge. 

Modify/Magnify - The crayon has been enlarged substantially to be large enough to be the body and engine of the bus.

Pencil, black micron pen and intense pencils with water added.  Click on image to enlarge. 

 Put to other uses - The wax from the crayon can provide the fuel for the new wax-burning engine.
Elaborate - The crayon wrapper images have been added to decorate the bus body.

Pencil, black micron pen and intense pencils with water added.  Click on image to enlarge. 

Rearrange - The wrapper images have been rearranged to fit into the door window of the bus.

SCAMPERing a bus seemed like a great way to commemorate the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year. 

Not a Deliberate Pun Intended to "Bring Up the Rear...."

...but the donkey is often the butt of such jokes.

This charmer was also at the Amish petting zoo and clearly a skeptic from the "get-go."  I was just putzing around with this sketch and quickly added gouache.  Wasn't really planning to share him, but....he's just so donkeyriffic....he reminds me of a character...not Eeyore......

6B pencil sketch with gouache color added on top, then black India ink with Pentel pocket pen.  Click on image to enlarge.

This donkey isn't a "down-in-the-dumps" kind of guy like Eeyore, but a "I'm checking this out..." kind of guy.  He needs some eye light to look brighter!

He must be a left-eyed donkey...... I like the top eyelid shadow - makes him more believable.  White gouache added to each eye.  

I know who he reminds me of - Sylvester of the book "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble"  by William Steig.  He was also the author of "Gorkey Rises" and the much more famous "Shrek."  A little glimmer in both eyes to balance him out, and I think we are good.  I would try this quick process with gouache again - notice - no background color added!

Donkey - NOT Sylvester, with glints in both eyes!  6B pencil, gouache, and black India ink.   Click on image to enlarge! 

What is Fair Season Without the Dairy Queens???

Back to school for all of those attending or working in public schools in Minnesota.  I want to wind down my tribute to farm animals with the queen of the barn:  behold the noble cow.

Diva Cow - pencil, white China marker, water color and black India ink using a Pentel pocket pen, on tan Strathmore paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

Once again, I moved ahead quickly (yeah, I am getting the hang of the "quick sketch" thing,) and did not pause to take pictures along the early stages of development.  Doesn't she look like a devious diva?

Diva Cow with background watercolor paint added.  Click on image to enlarge.

I think the background color gives Diva a little depth, but certainly does not warm her spirit.  I will experiment a little with the eye, but love the pace of this quick sketch with color, and don't want to burden or muddy the process or the image.

Diva Cow  - a good place to stop!  Click on image to enlarge. 

The glint in the eye helps Diva look a little more rational - well, at least like she does not have glaucoma.  The lighting from above may make her appear a little too celestial for that stare, however.  Don't you wonder what she is thinking?  Is she one of the mean cows in the yard akin to the mean girls in the high school clic?  A little personification is good for the sole, right?