DrawWithMike.net

Hi all,
Isn't it great to have a Mike forum back?!! Announce it to the world!
Anyway, those of you who know my work from previous forums know I have often focussed on animal and nature drawing - However in the past 2 years or so I have returned to my love of sci-fi and steampunk. I have had two quite successful solo exhibitions of these works and am now working towards a third. Attached is the finished work 'Lead Balloon' - this is done with Staedler Mars clutch and woodies on Fabriano 300gsm Bright White Hot press (which I find a bit more forgiving than Mellotex). 38 x 33 cm.

... and in a bit of flagarant self promotion... follow my blog! I am currently experimenting with tea and organics... https://lindaweilfineart.blogspot.com/
Linda Weil

I absolutely love the direction you're going in now. They brighten my day! They're so wonderfully inventive, and full of little details that keep me entranced, no matter how deep I look.

MORE PLEASE!!!!

I'm with Mike! Love it! If anything at all comes close to my love of nature, it's fantasy and children's book illustration because they both create worlds from pure imagination.

Linda - I love it! What a wonderful drawing --- and like Mike, it made me smile I'll head over to your blog now!

Hi Linda
Great blog too ! And by the way, I agree about Steadtler Colored Pencils. They're wonderful. I found them by accident at Staples . The ones I'm using are extra soft so are great for laying down undertones. I love your idea also about experimenting with tea stained papers. I recently saw a spectacular leopard drawn with charcoal on paper stained with dirt and then the patches of fur were real gold leafed (auctioned for a whopping $20K and then donated to a wildlife charity! ). Good for them. Ofcourse it was in Qatar - probably to one of the princes:)

BTW I signed up for your blog -- people don't normally call me Mouse. They call me Alexandra

Thank you Alexandra (mouse). Staedtler are great. Yours are the soft ones which are similar to Prismacolours, but richer. I am doing a demo in class this week with Prismas on coloured paper - Hope to have a pdf for your all soon on this. If you can try the karats as well you will love the hardness for fur drawing.

and playing with tea, coffee, herbs, and inks is great fun. If I could get 20k !!!! that would be amazing. I have used copper leaf but cannot afford gold.

and hope to see you on the blog as well, thanks for joining in. I try and post something at least once a month if not more .

I really like this balloon drawing. Terrific. I always get drawn to steampunk stuff. Always wanted to do some but haven't yet. Something I am planning though. Lots of gears , owl, and timepieces likely be pocket watch and maybe a old grandfather clock in background. I joined your blog. All the best talk soon. Tim D

Hi Tim! Thanks... I really love doing steam punk as well. Something about it just turns my gears. (lol - bad steampunk joke). I would love to see you post your drawing... owls in steampunk would be so amazing.

Just remember, it can be complex and time consuming. Try starting off with a smaller piece or two first then build up to the larger one with all those elements you discuss. Here is a small one I did at the start of a series - I ended up doing 6 of these eggs in the end before moving on to larger works. This is 'Mech-Egg #4' - roughly A5 on a A4 sheet

Another great one Linda! I love the way you choose a naturally soft subject like a balloon or an egg or the legs of a nautilus and translate those shapes into metal plates and rivets and gears. The contrast between the texture we expect and the one you give us is fascinating.

I do agree what Laurene said, the way you transfer those kind of "soft roundy" shapes into metal/steal panels, complimented by little tinny screws or other such detailed mechanical pieces ...
Wow ...
Anyway that balloon!
I can watch it all the time, and enjoy to follow every each detail...
It's even more than that, the way you put it flying in the air, those interesting surroundings around...
I'm getting kind of dreamy feeling looking at your art Linda