I just opened a new spread in my sketchbook and drew in vertical lines and started filling them with repetitive patterns. It's like an outstretched zentangle, a zenlongle! ;-) I drew them with a black tombow marker and used both the brush and the fine tip. I like the effect of the different lines.
After that I just had to color them in and since I want to get better aquainted with colored pencils anyway I decided to use those. I love the soft effect of the colored pencils in contrast to the stark black lines.
And I loved the first one so much that I just had to do more:
I thought I would like a border around the lines, but it turned out I really didn't like that, so the above is the only one that is enclosed by a border pattern. While making that one I did come up with a name for these drawings though: system work. It just popped into my head and seemed appropriate.
Unfortunately it's also a song by a former Dutch women's group called Mai Tai and even though the song has nothing to do with these drawings the words 'System Work' put it into my head now everytime I work on these. I may need an exorcist!
After the border fiasco I decided to try some different color schemes on one page drawings. (Two pages take a lot of time. A Lot.) What if I used different greens for instance?
I like the monochromatic look of working in one color. So I made another one in pinks and purples as well, this time a horizontal one. (Now the lines aren't perfectly straight, but the bend of the page makes it look even worse.)
So now I have a new addiction. I have no idea how long this will last, but I don't care. My next try will be one in blue colors. The challenge of course is to think up new patterns and to make it work as a whole. It really is system work.
I'm even thinking of doing some as just black and white drawings and offering them as freebies for you all to color in. We'll see about that, me and my big ideas! For now I'm pleased just to be playing in my sketchbook, which is a good thing, since the studio is still off limits. I can't wait for fall to show it's chilly face!
Wishing you all a wonderful and artsy week!