Digital Doodle

Today, I had the chance to take my son to one of his multiple and varied soccer games and sit with the other parents watching their children play.  I will confess, however, that there was this beautiful little tree, in front of my car that seemed to be begging me for a sketch.  So, I decided to try my first digital drawing, using my iPad Pro and the Procreate app.  I kept one eye on the game, and the other on the treee.  I’m not convinced that I’ve got what it takes to do things digitally, but it was fun playing aound with the strokes.  What was equally interesting is being able to watch the videos that the application automatically makes as you create your little doodle.  I’ve included it here as well.

The end of the game came so fast that I was unable to add much foliage, but I enjoyed playing around with the texture of the bark and the undulating branches.  While I am not yet the master cross-hatcher, like my friend France Van Stone, I love a good doodle with layering lines.

Soccer Parks and Japanese Mail

Today was my turn to take my youngest to his soccer game up to North Phoenix.  He plays all over, but the complex he went to today, the Rose Mumford Sports Complex, is my favorite because of all the older trees that dot the landscape.  So, while he was out there vigorously defending the goal as "keeper", I watched the game, as well as vigorously sketched the trees as a "doodler." The game finished before I did, but here's what ended up in my sketchbook:

 

Also, last week I doodled yet another envelope and sent it off to a friend who is serving a mission in Japan.  I envy the amazing beauty that he is likely seeing every day in the architecture, the symbolism and the culture.

 

inktober #2

Here's the 2nd post for Inktober...yes, yes, I'm still a day behind......  

 

Thanksgiving Point, and other stuff

Recently, my family returned to Utah for a brief vacation and to see family.  While there, we went to Thanksgiving Point Gardens which were rather breathtaking.  I took many photos of the flowers, which were really quite spectacular.  Upon returning, I sketched the following, trying to capture a handful of the images that were left in my mind from the trip:

Also, while there, a visit to my wife's father's house afforded me a few minutes to sketch a beautiful tree that they had in their back yard with a swing on it.  This tree has seen many grandchildren spend many hours swinging underneath the brawny, black limbs next to their swimming pool.