Sketching Bliss

It feels like there has been plenty of bliss in my life lately!  I have been seeking out ways to experience that.  The hours I spend with pens, pencils, markers and brushes in my hand play a big part in obtaining that feeling.  Here are four of my recent projects.  For each, I followed a tutorial that gave step by step instructions with the option to press pause while I tried to replicate what I just watched.   

I like how the projects begin with  sketching measured boxes and then filling in sections of the boxes.  Starting out it looks nothing like what it is supposed to be, then it begins to all come together.  The boxed lines are then erased and voila!  I used a 2H pencil, a 2B pencil, a watercolour brush pen and a blending stump to make this cat face come to life.   

I am still not ready to attempt a front on face but ready for a full body.  Once again I used 2H and 2B pencils and two different sizes of blending stumps along with a piece of tissue.  The tutorial used one pencil but I purchased a set of six sizes and I wanted to begin experimenting with them.   This sketch was my second attempt, the first was, well I won't even go there!    

In searching for a lesson on making a beach scene with watercolour brush pens, I came upon this picture.  It was not really what I was hoping to find but it jumped out at me and I had to give it a go.  It was a lesson in blending the paints then laying india ink on top.  I will search again for a beach scene!    

Awww that's the life!  I saved three additional lessons on how to sketch people after completing the little girl with the butterfly sketch.  This one had my name written all over it, I could see me sitting on that window ledge.  I look at this and think it would look pretty in colour from either brush pens or pencils.  Hhmmm!