Quill & Coil

Sounds like the name of some pub . . . but in reality, this is a macro with my Nikon Z 50mm macro lens. 

Quill & Coil

Anyone who does post production with photo editing software knows about pre-sets. I have a lot I have made over time and it can be a lot of fun to manipulate a picture. The original of this was in color, so I converted it to black and white and then used a high-key preset I have made. I like the way it has softened the feather but retains enough detail to let you know what things are.

On an aside, I need to cut some new quills and brew some new ink. I am using fountain pens right now to write, but do like the tactility of a quill pen! However, my fountain pens are a lot of fun, too, and with different pens and inks, the variety is equally pleasant . . .

Super Black

The preparations for the Christmas season are done! We had oodles to do as we hosted the family at our house Christmas Day. Now it is time to return to the mundane world and enjoy mundane things, like thinking about what to do rather than having to focus on this project or that. Getting out the drawing supplies is one thing to begin those thoughts.

Logitech Mouse in Red

This is perhaps one of the first paintings – sketches? – that I have done since re-visiting watercolors a few weeks ago that does not depend on ink lines to make sense of what it is.  It’s still floating in space, as the shadows are not especially strong.  There are a few things I like here.  One is how there is a highlight in the read of the mouse.  Another is the central brownish panel on the side of the mouse, which is a mixture of carbazole violet and Naples yellow.  The black outline of the mouse is in Daniel Smith’s Genuine Sodalite, which I picked up some time ago.  It’s a rather nice blackish color.  The blues in the background / foreground are from Daniel Smith’s Lapis Lazuli Genuine, which, like the sodalite, I picked up on a whim.  It will be interesting to see how these two paints work.

I also set up my studio palette the other day, choosing a variety of colors to fill my Quiller palette.  I did a color study and labeled all my colors, except one, which I think might be yellow ochre – or not!