Gradually transitioning into the new year
I'm still very much in a reflective mood looking back on 2017, which I think will continue over the next couple of days as I prepare myself for 2018...
I did have to work a lot during the Xmas holidays and new years, which left me with little time to pause and contemplate 2017 properly.
Above image; 'Man In The Mall' - A close up of one of my public sketches in Pacific Fair shopping center which took me 1-2 minutes, in the Gold Coast, Australia
This is part two of 'My Best of 2017 Artwork', you can check out part one in my previous post; My Best Artwork of 2017
In this post I am going to show you some of my best drawings in both pencil and Ink. Some are really quick sketches taking only a few minutes, others are much more detailed which took me 5+ hours to complete.
My love for traditional drawing
I absolutely love sketching in pencils, and drawing in both pencils and with ink pens. With pencils I really enjoy being able to draw thin and thick lines whilst holding the pencil and twisting my wrist in different directions, and also drawing soft lines with the slightest contact on the page which becomes harder with more applied pressure.
With inks I love the strong, bold effect they give off as the black contrasts with the white of the paper much more, making the artwork appear to jump off the page, and this really grabs the attention of the viewer.
Traditional vs Digital
Overall the use and feel of pencils and inks on paper, and the way I can hold pencil/pen at various angles, creating a wide range of marks, keeps bringing me back to these drawing mediums, and offers more freedom from their use when compared to drawing and sketching digitally with a stylus and tablet.
So this post is also dedicated to my traditional drawings only!
Here are my drawings in no particular order...
Image above; 'Notice The Baby Dragon' 🐲 - One of a few sketches I completed one night whilst listening to professor of psychology Jordan Peterson being interviewed by Stefan Molyneux. This was a really important conversation. 🔥
Above image; 'Unseen Battle' 👊 - This was one of my 2017 pencil drawings on paper. I used a reference shot of character John Snow from The Game of Thrones.
Above image; 'Solution Thinking' - 'Hmm, how can I improve my situation for the better?... 💭 This was one of my Ink drawings for the Inktober challenge.
Above image; 'Divided' 🍃🐒 🍌⚡️- Another one of my ink illustrations for the inktober challenge. I experimented with ink washes for this one. It was my second attempt at using ink and a brush instead of a brush pen.
Above image; 'Divided' 🍃🐒 🍌⚡️- Another one of my ink illustrations for the inktober challenge. I experimented with ink washes for this one. It was my second attempt at using ink and a brush instead of a brush pen.
Above image; 'The Arrival of MONDAY' 😳⚡️☔️☁️ - Monday's - The Love/Hate Relationship 😩😓🎨😁💛
This was a quick sketch of mine on paper which I ended up liking, and added this text to go with it;
Are you waking up on a Monday morning feeling dread, or excitement? For so many, the realisation that Monday has arrived so suddenly, can be devastatingly depressing. And you might walk into that office or whatever place you go to with an expression like this on your face. But, if you are taking steps towards your true desired path, Monday is another great opportunity to roll up your sleeves and put in productive work towards improving your skills and self development.
If you're not there yet, you can take incremental steps. You can start planning just 1 hour (or 10 minutes if you are honestly that tight for time) to work on doing that thing you love to do most, and move on from there. If you don't know what you love to do yet, you can schedule time to discover what you like by trying new things.
Above image; 'Underwater' 💧🐋 'The Four Mermen & The Quartz Crystal' - Atlantis 🐠 - This was another one of my Inktober ink illustrations on paper.
Deep beneath the ocean, the remains of a lost civilisation has unknowingly continued on. Not with Human kind, but with the others of the past, the dwellers of the Sea...
Above image; What are you reading? 💡📖 - One of my December drawings on high quality paper during a time when I was reading books consistently on a daily basis. I added this quote to go with it;
"What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic." ― Carl Sagan, Cosmos.
Above image; 'Waiting For The Bus'🚍🚎 - Thumbnail Urban sketching on the Broadbeach South Tram/Bus Station in the Gold Coast Australia.
I only had a few seconds to capture something of these people as they say waiting for the tram. And now whenever I look at this drawing of mine, I am reminded of that very moment which I can remember in vivid detail.
The benefits of carrying a sketchbook wherever you go allow for great opportunities to draw from life in a number of situations. Even if for only a few seconds. It is conscious practice, and you record that moment in time visually forever.
Above image; 'The Warrior, The Horse & The Sword.' 🌌💫 - This is one of my personal favourite ink illustrations I created for the Inktober challenge in 2017. I started to create a story with my warrior, one which I will no doubt continue.
A moment of quiet and calm passed as the warrior sat down in the grass to rest and reflect on his journey so far. The sword had a mystical and magical power to it, as the warrior sat there in meditation, looking at the sword, images of good things to come appeared in his mind. His free companion, the horse, was also attracted by the sword, and was grateful to find his new warrior friend who he wished to help on his path. 🌾
Thank you for checking out my 'Best Pencil & Ink Drawings of 2017' post!
More to come soon...