I was doing my own little celebration jig when I returned home from sketching at a cafe yesterday. After the first two weeks of this six week "one drawing a day" book course, I whipped myself into gear and drew EVERY day. I even did any extra drawing session just because I felt like it. I'm quite satisfied with my efforts this week.
Not only did I draw every day but I felt like I made some progress. I didn't always stop with one drawing. Sometimes I redrew a few times and happily saw improvements. I also sometimes saw none really but didn't let my mind make a failure out of it. I drew. That's what was important. My favourite of the week is this one.
The task was to make a quick, undetailed sketch of a local landmark with water soluable crayons, spray water over it and do a press with absorbant paper. I decided to give it a go with my inktense blocks. It was the best match I had for watersoluable crayons. They are basically a block of ink but mixed with some other stuff to make it slightly pastel like for sketching. You can add water like you do with waterpaints but being ink it's more final in result. I only have four basic colours from a sample pack.
The idea was to choose just two or so colours to work with and sketch a rough idea. I did my best with the water sprinkling/soaking and paper pressing/dabbing. I'm not sure inktense blocks work the same though. I tried two other sketches before this one of Tower Bridge but it was Big Ben that got me smiling. Just a few features that identify it in sketchy scribble design.
Another example of progression for this week is from this 'day'. An abstract reflecting lines and colours of the subject with a few features to sort of identify it. The above "Carousel" is the example from the book. My efforts are below on the subject of a clown ball game at a fair.
The first picture was my first attempt. After completing it I felt that it was still too detailed so I had another go. The bottom one I was satisfied with. More abstract; the one main clown to identify had less detail. I also added in some other elements that made me think of this clown game. Random circles for the balls, some cog shapes for the mechanics and the spray of colour at the top left for the spritz of a win. While I was satisfied with my effort in acheiving the idea, I'm not really a fan of such abstract art. I like it to look either like just a spread of colour or like an actual picture of something. Not that wierd inbetween state.
It's Through the Woods by Kalurah and I did the crochet version. I didn't use the yarn suggested and substituted it with Berroco Ultra Alpaca in this lovely red. I chose a hook to match the gauge but it's seems huge. Alpaca is lovely yarn but I'm not sure it was the best choice. I think a stiffer yarn would have got the neck to stand up better. Mine just flops down all the time which I'm not so happy about. And now that I've looked at the pattern photo again I'm sure mine IS huge. It's a bit too big for me really and doesn't quite sit nicely. I was tempted three quarters of the way through to frog it and do it again with a smaller hook but I finished it all off as I wanted to take it to Iceland with me. I hate disappointment. I still like the hood. I just think it would be a bit better being a bit smaller. Maybe I'll undo it one day... Anyway, enough whining.
I attached some yarn to neck near the buttons on either side and wove the strings through to the top. I tied them together in a bow so I can use them to pull the hood opening tighter around my face when I want it more snug. That helps a bit. I chose some funky patterned buttons to dress it with (and close it with). It's a blue button with a red flower. I also like how you can flip the hood back too. 
The hood was interesting to crochet. A fairly basic design. Just an oblong with some extra tabs and then hemmed all around. I liked doing the twisted crochet stitch. I'm impressed with how cabled it looks. I also got to do "rib" for the first time too. Though it's only rib in looks. It doesn't have the same stretch that knitted ribs have.
I do like the design and it's not too complicated. I'd pretty happily make another. But this time I'd wing it a little more and make it a better size. I also discoverd that when I wore it up as a hood when my hair was out, the twisting this way and that as I looked around inevitabley had whisps of hair being pushed forward and hanging in my face. Less annoying to wear it with my hair tied somehow. All the same it's cosy and I like that it when I was wearing my jacket it looked like I was also wearing a hooded cardigan or jumper. But I wasn't. Just a hood. He he. 
