Cats and a doodle

I call this one Cat Nap. It is based on a photograph my sister sent me of her cat sleeping in the object that she (the cat) uses as a scratching post. Obviously not a post, but it is covered with material that is suitable for a cat to happily scratch. She likes to curl up and sleep in/on it. Well not when I am around, she is very shy around strangers, and for all I am a relative of her cohabs I am still a stranger. Also I usually visit in winter when she prefers to nap next to a hot air vent where it is much warmer.

This is a small drawing that I started last month as part of the #inktober challenge but quickly realized was going to be more work than I could easily do in a day. After working on it off and on for several days she is finally done. Size is 4.0 x 4.0 inches on Bristol Board smooth paper and done with my 4X0 technical pen. There are mistakes but for the most part I am pleased with how this came out.

Above is another of my neighbors strays. I photographed this one the other day, and I think it was actually hissing at me during this photo. Oops, but I did interrupt it having a snack. I used some of my Derwent colored drawing pencils for this drawing. It isn't a very large drawing (working in my 5 x 7 sketchbook) and the pencils don't hold a point very well so details aren't good. It was not easy to get the few I did manage. Still I rather like the pencils I just think I need to work larger with them so the lack of a sharp point isn't such a problem. As you can see they also don't erase terribly well, I was having problems getting the slope of the back both large enough and then the right shape and over did it a bit and then had to try and erase.

If you think you are seeing hints of color you are, as I used a couple of different drawing pencils for this and then added in some color from a few of my Graphtint pencils. The cat is mostly grey but there were some hits of a sort of rusty brown in some of its fur.

Eventually I hope to do this cat in pen and ink, but don't know if I will use this same reference.  I don't recall seeing this cat prior to the day I photographed it and it may not hang around for me to capture it again.

Above is just a doodle, I was playing with my blue and grey .05 copic multiliners, and this is the result. Just pattern somewhat based on what I have been noticing on the Classic Greek vases I photographed and those whose images I have also downloaded as part of my research on classic Greek vase patterns. The mandala is waiting for me to get back to it while I do this research.

OK I admit a not very exciting photograph. But the sparrow taking off in the lower left is what I was after and pretty much captured in mid wing flap. To capture this image I put the camera in Manual AV mode, white balance set for sunny, ISO auto, and the F stop for 4.0, I had to lighten the image just a bit to post, but I often do that even when the camera is in total auto mode.

So the adventure continues. Our weather hasn't been really good for photos and the trees are mostly stripped of their leaves so subjects for photography are getting a bit slim. I want to take a trip into Boston and head over to Faneuil Market and see what I can come up with there, or even on the Common, the wading pool should be set up for ice skating soon, as long as the weather turns cold enough to freeze the ice, maybe after Thanksgiving.

That is it for today, per usual comments are welcome.