Tombows

I decided to use the Tombows to develop this little image a bit. They seem to be softer than the Generals, as in they feel really silky on the paper. I only used a 4B, but it was plenty dark enough. I haven't done any nudes in a long time. It seemed to fit with these ladies.

Japanese pencils made in Vietnam :)
 

Monday Magic

 

Well, I got my colors out today. It was a start.

The nice thing was I got these two beauties in the mail. Hayao Miyazaki says that Japanese pencils are better than my Generals, so I figured I'd better give them a try. 

On the bottom is a portrait of Elihu Vedder, the fellow who illustrated the Rubaiyat. This photo is on the back cover of a book about his work. I would love to have a copy of his Rubaiyat, but I haven't yet found an affordable version. Until I find one, this will have to do. There is a whole section on the work, at least.

There are two more Mondays left in the semester. Maybe the magic will happen after that.

Three Fates

A lovely friend brought this beautiful book for me to look at tonight. It's full of drawings and verse, and is a garden of ideas in itself. It is an illustrated and interpreted version of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat. The drawings are by Elihu Vedder and the verse by Edward FitzGerald. One of the pieces that I like very much is this one of the Fates, who have decided to yank their tapestry down from the sky.

    Maybe I'll give the three girls floating above the bench a needle and thread, a ruler and a pair of scissors. Then they can make something nice for me.

 

From my sketchbook

I found this in my sketchbook today. I can just hear these three, cackling in the background of my life. They are levitating off the bench. Maybe that is the secret to their happiness, to detach a bit.