Let’s Draw BOSTON!
Plus a peek in my sketchbook & what I've been up to 👀
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14 @ 7:00PM ET on YouTube
We’re taking a quick trip to Boston this week to go to a Celtics game! We leave on the first flight out Tuesday and come back late Wednesday. Short and sweet!
Boston is such a walkable city. My plan is to take a ton of photos of all the things for us to draw! Or maybe I can figure out a way we can draw from video? I always think that would be cool, so it feels more like urban sketching (but I’m not sure I want to challenge my computer, which I’m pretty sure I’ve fixed now 😅)
ALSO ON THURSDAY!
I’m joining Beth Spencer as her guest at Introvert Drawing Club on Thursday, November 14 at 8am et for her GOAT drawing session! 🐐🤗💖✨ (if you’re in the AHP discord check the socials and self promo channel! 😉)
✏️🤗💖✨
Next ART HANG PARTY! will be Thursday, November 21 at 7pm et on YouTube
Theme: TBD!
Do you have an idea for a future ART HANG PARTY! theme?
Follow and DM your doodles to @arthangparty on Instagram to be shared on stream! Tag @arthangparty to be featured in our stories!
Join the ART HANG PARTY! discord! https://discord.gg/XztzrCkQT5 🤗💖✨ A place to share your AHP drawings, theme ideas, inspirations, artworks, and for us to get to know each other better! 🥰
🤗 Show support for ART HANG PARTY! here
📺 Watch ART HANG PARTY! replays here
MONDAY NOVEMBER 4
This morning I joined
and for their live zoom session where we drew images from Helen’s recent art residency in Italy.It’s not often that I crack a sketchbook open at 7 am, but I have to admit it was a really nice way to start the day.
The session started with some 3-minute warmups, which I did in my little Talens sketchbook, using watercolour over acrylic.
Then the timer went up to 10 minutes for the rest and we had a selection of images to work from, which was nice because we could choose how fast or slow we wanted to work. For the first two 10-minutes I did two references each, then decided just to focus on the one with the figure, the host of the farm Helen’s residency was at, for the last full 10 minutes.
I used my palette that mixes Gansai Tambi granulating watercolours and Holbein half-pans and Inktense pencils. I stand by this being a magic combo!
After dinner a group of us got together in the AHP discord where we chatted and drew random things that came up on my Pinterest feed. I used some new markers I picked up at IKEA earlier in the day - they are surprisingly nice!
Today’s self portrait
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5
I started my day early again by joining
on zoom for a chat and draw with her patreon/substack group. She decided to do a zoom instead of her usual YouTube live. A lot of people were drawing Kamala Harris so I pulled up google images and filled a spread with her. So much hope.
Then I started drawing everyone in the zoom on some really awesome paper I picked up at IKEA yesterday. It looks like the Canson XL oil and acrylic canvas paper, and it was only $4.99 for 16 A4 sheets. Look at that texture! Definitely going back for more.
I received a fun package in the mail! Well I ordered it from Amazon, but it’s still fun!
During a random art supply searching binge, which I like to do from time to time to see what weird or interesting things are out there, I stumbled upon this chunky little fountain pen from Majohn. Never heard of this brand but turns out they have a bunch of fountain pens with pretty decent reviews.
Anyway, this one is the Q1, or “Fat Little Man” and I just had to have him! It comes with a little eye dropper to drop the ink right into the barrel of the pen, and it has a fude nib!
I have the Sailor Fude fountain pen and I love it, but I sometimes wish I had black ink in it (I have a really dark green ink), so now I have options!
My initial reactions are that I like it. It’s really balanced to hold when you put the lid on the back. It is a bit heavy when it’s filled with ink, so I’ll have to see how my hand feels after using it for a full drawing, but so far so good!
Editing update: I’m having trouble with the ink flow, so I might have to try a different ink to see if it will be better. Maybe switch to the dark green in this one, black in the Sailor.
Update 2: I took the nib off and cleaned it and put it back and the flow seems much better.
After dinner I joined Sophie McPike for Scribble Brigade. This month she is having us play with different styles!
We started by first doing a 10 minute drawing of some nasturtiums from her garden.
Then *gasp* she had us cut it up into 8 pieces and puzzle them back together. That hurt but it’s all for fun.
Next we did some blind and semi-blind contour drawings of the same reference, followed by a colour story, where we picked a maximum of 10 colours we could see in the reference.
And then only used those colours to draw the reference again.
This whole month will be fun experiments at Scribble Brigade and next Tuesday is a public session so I think you should come join the fun! It’s at 6pm et on Sophie’s YouTube.
Today’s self portrait
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 6
I had the idea to make myself a sketchbook cover that includes a pencil case that I can just throw in my bag for trips to the art gallery or say, 2-day sojourns to Boston.
I was going to try to come up with my own pattern but after a quick search I came across this YouTube tutorial that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind but I thought would make a good start.
The tutorial was pretty easy to follow but I think I might have gotten the dimensions off a bit because I had to open the long edges up to drastically reduce the seam allowance, but I managed to make it all it in the end.
My original vision was to have a zippered pouch third panel that would fold over the top of the sketchbook to help keep it closed, and hang down the right side when the sketchbook is open, so you could easily access and grab supplies as you’re drawing.
I think I might modify this one to add that, since it’s a pretty rough draft as it is!
Today’s self portrait
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7
KAYLEIGH IF YOU’RE READING THIS CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SCROLL DOWN 😂
Kayleigh is a wonderful human who has been helping me out with ART HANG PARTY! since the very beginning. She reads my mind and shares links and messages in the chat when my hands are busy drawing. She keeps the conversation going and is always so encouraging and supportive of everyone.
I was getting ready to send her some fresh AHP stickers but I can never just send her stickers because it never feels like enough, so I decided to make a her a little portrait!
Today was also Illustration Master Study day at ART HANG PARTY!
I am very happy to report that my computer didn’t blow up, or I guess, freeze up! Everything was smooth and back to normal! Well, aside from that first timer going off 😬😅🙉
We did 4-minute master studies of illustrators featured on Pete Beards “Unsung Heroes of Illustration” series on YouTube (thanks again for idea Xan!) I used a combo of Inktense pencils and paints.
For once I agree with the chat that 4 minutes simply wasn’t enough time for most of these references, but what is an AHP session with a little Slight Panic™️!
Today’s self portrait
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 8
I added a third panel to my sketchbook cover! I had to use all my brain power to figure it out but I did it!
It would have been cool if I added another zipper on the other side, so I could access it when the flap is closed, but otherwise it works just like I imagined. When I have the sketchbook on my lap the pouch hangs down the side of my right leg, letting me easily access whatever supplies I have in there. If I just had the pocket on the front I would end up holding everything in my left hand, which honestly I’ll probably do anyway, but whatever. Cool!
The main thing that sort of stumped me what how to actually attach the panels together. I didn’t want to take the original part apart because I have literal millimetres seam allowance at this point, so I ended up learning how to do some invisible hand stitching.
I’ll see if I can make a little video to fully show how this works, because I think it’s so cool!
I tested everything out sitting on the couch watching the Celtics play the Nets. I wanted to use the Fat Little Man but the ink flow was pretty terrible so I need to figure that out, but the side pouch was great!
Today’s self portrait
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9
I was up way too early this morning so I had plenty of time to draw along with
’s Taxidermy Gone Wrong drawing session that I missed yesterday.I thought treating the references a bit more seriously might help detract from what there references actually were. You know, don’t think too hard about it by thinking hard about it? LOL I don’t know but I like how they turned out.
I used the Gansai Tambi granulating watercolours and Inktense pencil combo.
Later in the afternoon I joined
’s zoom session and painted a couple forest photos.This one I used my dried gouache palette and followed along with Char’s demonstration, where she guided us through how to paint the foggy/misty trees in the background. I kept working on this while she started another demo.
I used the IKEA canvas paper. I think it worked fine with gouache. I think it would be much better with acrylics.
Then I drew my favourite tree-friend with Neocolor IIs! We see this silly guy whenever we visit Tobermory and walk The Grotto trail. He’s always waiting with that goofy grin on his face.
Again I used the ikea paper but I had to press way too hard with the neocolors to get any colour off them so I don’t think I’ll be doing that again. But you can see the texture of the paper which I guess is cool.
Today’s self portrait
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 10
Ray is starting up another weekly house music event that starts today, and it coincidentally corresponds with our friend Gabriella’s birthday so I thought I would make her a little portrait.
I had to do three before I feel like I caught her. The one in the lower right is definitely her vibe. The other two look like the reference photo but they do not look like her (so if they look like you let me know and I’ll send it your way LOL!)
Today’s self portrait
Swatching the IKEA markers and unboxing the Fat Little Man!
And!
Here’s the replay of the Free Draw Friendly live drawing session that took place on google meet on November 2 2024 where we had such a lovely time drawing portraits of each other!
If you draw along we would love to see your portraits! Be sure to tag me and Char and Free Draw Friendzy on instagram! (at)melissa_martin_art (at)blueshineart (at)freedrawfriendzyfriends
Please visit
everywhere on the internet! https://www.youtube.com/@blueshineart, https://substack.com/@charlottehamilton, https://www.blueshineart.com/, https://www.instagram.com/blueshineartPlease check out
channel and subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@debbiedrawsfunny 🙏🤗💖✨
Ok, that’s it for me!
See you Thursday at ART HANG PARTY!
💖 Visit my art shop here and my sewing shop here!
🥳 If you enjoy ART HANG PARTY! and the content I make leave me a tip here!
✉️ Want to see more of what I’m up to on a weekly basis? Sign up for my Newsletter!
📣 Want to help me? Share my work on social media or send a link to your friends! Tag me!
🎟️ Do you like to draw? Join us for ART HANG PARTY!
📬 I don’t have a PO Box, but if you’d like to send me something you can ask for my mailing address (believe it or not people have!)
I’m loving all your fabric art ideas 😍 don’t stop!
Well done for this side pocket idea, it's very ingenious.