More random sketches

Here are a few more sketches. I am trying various pens. I am finding that I love drawing with a pen, can’t believe it seemed to be an unattainable skill to me before.

I drew the perfume bottles with your regular Paper Mates I had in four colors (my daughter gave them to me a while back, they are somewhat dry by now.) The coffee pot is in rollerball ink pen my husband brought back from some conference. The Aladdin-like vessel is drawn with my beautiful new Lamy Safari fountain pen, although I am unsure of the blue ink – would rather prefer brown…

The shell I drew with conte and pastels. Though not in pen, I thought I’d include it simply because it is already scanned.

10 Comments

  1. debra March 4, 2012

    Lovely work Alex !!!!

    • Alex Zonis March 5, 2012

      Thanks for stopping by, Debra! Good to see you, I was thinking of you. A friend of mine may go to HK soon for her job, I am envious. If I were to go, I would get to meet you in person…

  2. Karen Boe March 4, 2012

    Wow Alex. Sometimes I attempt a crossword puzzle in pen, but never a drawing. I think that Aladdin one is my favorite, and the blue color is fun. Though the metallic lids of the perfume bottles and the glass there is so great, and the gradual cross-hatching in the coffee pot handle…it’s hard to pick a favorite, they’re all fabulous! So is the shell. 🙂

    • Alex Zonis March 5, 2012

      Thank you, Karen. Glad you like the sketches. It is funny about pen sketching, I used to feel the same hesitation you are describing. But I always loved good pen work of other artists and wanted to be able to do that myself. I think letting go of the investment and attachment to final results helped with my fear. Just get your oldest and least loved sketchbook or some cheap scratch paper and put your pen to it. If you don’t like the result, who cares… But don’t stop!

  3. Carol King March 4, 2012

    Hi Alex, you did wonderful drawings! I can’t believe the perfume bottles are done with ballpoint pens. I like the idea of a Lamy pen in sepia. All your drawings are great.

    • Alex Zonis March 5, 2012

      Fountain pen with sepia ink sounds delicious. I may have to get some bottled ink… Ballpoint pens are very underrated as art making tools, one can do great things with them!

  4. lindahalcombfineart March 6, 2012

    I love doing drawings or sketches like this. I really believe I learn alot when I do them. And I have fun. Great work!

    • Alex Zonis March 7, 2012

      This is exactly how I feel about sketching. I wish we could get together one day and do a sketch crawl…

  5. Sam Harrison March 6, 2012

    I see you acquired a Safari! Pen is my favorite sketching medium, it teaches you a boldness no other media can, thanks to its permanence. Get a bottle of Noodler’s black or Diamine sepia if you’re looking for something different.

    Actually, I like the little shell the most of these. Something about natural objects drawn in conte has always appealed to me, very classic and traditional.

    • Alex Zonis March 7, 2012

      I love how Safari handles. I never realized the variety of marks you can get out of a fountain pen. I will be looking into a convertor and bottled ink. Thanks, Sam!

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