Wednesday, September 24, 2014

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First Things First

642?! Where did that number come from?  It's on the cover of a book 642 Things to Draw, published by Chronicle Books in 2010. 


When I first saw it, I thought I was holding a book filled with 642 pictures of things to draw.  But I opened it and found it was much better than that.  Except for captions of things to draw, the pages are all blank!  It's my job to add the pictures.  The items in this book range from such mundane things as a bottle cap to intangible things like girlish laughter. 

While most of the drawing subjects are simple objects, some are rather challenging.  But all of them are great exercise and provide excellent experience and an opportunity to be quite creative. 

I'm Dave Merriam (Papa D to my grandchildren).  I have been interested in drawing and painting since the 1990s.  I enjoy landscape painting and still life in oil and acrylic, and love drawing anything in charcoal or graphite.  I enjoy drawing at least as much as painting. Drawing is fundamental to painting anyway -- a good painting begins with a good drawing.  Drawing is so much simpler -- just paper, pencil and an eraser (which is used not only for corrections, but also serves, in a sense, as a white pencil on a dark background).  

I've had a lot of fun with these little drawings.  And with 642 things to draw, I have a lot more fun ahead of me. 



Things to Say

Specifically ... Thank You!

I received this book as a 2012 Christmas gift from three granddaughters -- Ellie, Evie and Vivian and their parents.  What a great gift it was!  Thank you so much for getting me started with this wonderful experience!

A fourth granddaughter, Haley, gave me a big homework assignment.  She went through the book and picked out a bunch of things that she wanted me to draw.  Then Ellie picked several more. Altogether they selected 38 things to draw. See the list under Things to Come.  Thank you, girls, for helping me decide which things to draw next.  

This book has no table of contents and no index.  There are times when I am inspired to draw a particular thing that I know I have seen in the book, but I can't remember where.  Thumbing through the book of 642 things to search for the right page is a big deal. But another drawing enthusiast, Mariale Ojeda, has made it a lot easier.  She performed the huge task of making a complete list of everything in the book, in her 642 Things to Draw Full List.  This list makes it much easier to locate the thing of interest.  Thank you, Mariale!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.  Hope you enjoy the drawings.  


Things to See

Drawing Gallery
Every month or so, new drawings are added to the gallery.  

All drawings made so far are shown in the Full Collection.


These are a few other drawings that I have done over the years that are not listed in the book.


Things to Come

These drawings were requested by granddaughters Haley and Ellie, so they will be my first priority, although I may occasionally deviate from this list and make a choice of my own.  Some of these have already been completed and appear in the gallery.

Update: As of January 2023, all drawings on this list have been completed.

  1. A skunk
  2. Bob Marley
  3. Fiji
  4. A roller coaster
  5. Brass Knuckles
  6. The Milky Way
  7. A Panda
  8. Best Friends
  9. A Football
  10. A Stick of butter
  11. A Rubber duck
  12. A moustache
  13. A caribou
  14. A Boom box
  15. A prom dress
  16. A sock monkey
  17. A moose
  18. The periodic table
  19. Perfume
  20. First love
  21. Middle school
  22. A string of DNA
  23. A stoplight
  24. A wooly mammoth
  25. Sushi
  26. A hippo
  27. The abominable snowman
  28. A tarantula
  29. An ink pot
  30. Tectonic plates
  31. A beach
  32. A wedding dress
  33. A tuxedo
  34. A convertible
  35. Polka dots
  36. Plaid
  37. Zigzag
  38. Yourself

Things to Do
  • Visit other blogs...
This is Mariale Ojeda's blog, showing her drawings and her very helpful 642 Things to Draw Full List.  Check it out.
https://doodlecompany.wordpress.com/

This blog is a collection of my ink drawings created specifically for the annual Inktober challenge.


This blog shows the activities of Papa D's summer art camp for five grandchildren.
https://papadsartcamp.blogspot.com/


  • Get one of these books...
...if you enjoy drawing.  They're great practice and a lot of fun.
Amazon has them along with many bookstores.  



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NEW DRAWINGS


NEW DRAWINGS

Unless noted otherwise, medium is graphite.
Click any image to enlarge.
Apr 2024
fruit cocktail
medium: oil on canvas

Mar 2024
a baseball glove
medium: oil on canvas

Feb 2024
a surfboard
medium: oil on canvas


a saxophone
medium: charcoal

Jan 2024
a trailer
medium: charcoal
This 8x10 framed drawing will be on display at New Mexico Art League Black & White show, March 7 to April 6, 2024


Dec 2023
a log
medium: oil on canvas paper


Nov 2023

steak and potatoes
medium: oil on canvas


Oct 2023

Check out the ink drawings posted on my Inktober blog


Sep 2023
noodles


Aug 2023
a salt shaker


July 2023
a water tower

June 2023
a cabin


May 2023
a ballpoint pen


Apr 2023
a knife
medium: charcoal


Mar 2023
pom-poms
medium: charcoal

Feb 2023
a cuttlefish


Jan 2023
first love
medium: charcoal


Dec 2022
snowshoes


Nov 2022
the periodic table
medium: charcoal


Oct 2022

Check out the ink drawings posted on my Inktober blog


Sep 2022
a wedding dress


Aug 2022
zigzag


Jul 2022
a tuxedo


Jun 2022
the Milky Way
medium: oil on canvas, 8'x10"


May 2022
a string of DNA
medium: Prismacolor Premier soft-core pencil


Mar-Apr 2022
a prom dress


brass knuckles


Feb 2022
tectonic plates
medium: graphite and colored pencil


Jan 2022
a boom box




FULL COLLECTION

FULL COLLECTION

These are all of the drawings made so far.
189 drawings done, only 453 more to go!

Unless noted otherwise, medium is graphite.  

Drawings are shown here in the same order in which they appear 
in the book.
a rolling pin


a hammock


skunks


a desk chair


 a bottle opener


a cabin


mushrooms
medium: pastel pencil on Canson black pastel paper

Bob Marley
Medium: Charcoal
This is a framed 8"x 10" drawing
that was on display at Art Gallery Studio 606 (Albuquerque, NM) exhibit
Music in Visual Art
August 3 - August 27, 2016
Drawing title for the show: "King of Reggae"
... and it SOLD!


fangs




 a dolphin

paper clips

a trumpet 
medium: charcoal
This is a framed 10" x 13" drawing
that was on display at Art Gallery Studio 606 (Albuquerque, NM) exhibit
Music in Visual Art
August 3 - August 27, 2016



a crayon

a roller coaster

a mosquito
Medium: graphite and colored pencil
This is the 64th drawing done, completing 10 percent of the book.


fruit cocktail
medium: oil on canvas


a spigot


a balloon
medium: charcoal and pastel pencil


the Milky Way
medium: oil on canvas, 8"x10"




a tulip



pom-poms
medium: charcoal


a water tower



a surfboard
medium: acrylic on paper
(original drawing with graphite pencil)

a surfboard
medium; oil on canvas


Fiji

a panda





a penguin


a seagull


David Bowie
medium: charcoal and colored pencil


a leopard

tree limbs
This was a great exercise. Sitting directly under the canopy of the tree, the limbs were clearly visible without the camouflage of the leaves. Trees are interesting creatures. I look forward to doing more tree studies in the future.


a mouth


Brass Knuckles


an ear of corn


smoke
medium: ballpoint pen, Pigma Graphic, Pigma brush, Uniball Micro

This drawing was created for the Inktober challenge in October, 2020



weeds
medium: pastel pencil on Canson black pastel paper


weeds
medium: pastel pencil on Canson black pastel paper



a teapot



a turkey leg
medium: charcoal, colored pencil, digital enhancement


a pencil


a ladybug

a helmet

ripe bananas


a squirrel


a thumb

a book
medium: charcoal


noodles


best friends


a log
medium: oil on canvas paper



a melting candle

a bucket

a bicycle
medium: acrylic on paper
(original drawing with graphite pencil)


a corn dog with mustard
medium: graphite and colored pencil

a bunch of grapes

a flamingo

a Tyrannosaurus rex

a music box
medium: charcoal
This is a framed 10" x 8" drawing

a bulldog

an electric guitar
medium: Charcoal
This framed 8"x 12" drawing was on display at 
New Mexico Art League Black & White exhibit
April - May 2017

a watermelon
medium: charcoal


onion and garlic
medium: acrylic
This framed 8"x10" painting was on display at
New Mexico Art League exhibit
"The World in a Still Life" 
April - June 2016

onion and garlic
medium: Charcoal
(This is the only time that I have done a color painting, 
and returned later to do a black & white drawing.)


a ghost
medium: fine-tip felt pen and brush, ball-point pen

a football

a lightbulb

a pug

a warthog


sea spray
medium: ballpoint, Pigma Graphic, Pigma brush, Uniball Micro
This drawing was created for the Inktober challenge in October, 2020


hills and valleys
medium: charcoal
This framed 10" x 13" drawing was on display at 
New Mexico Art League Black & White exhibit
March - April, 2020

a hamburger

sunglasses

a seal

a top hat

a turtle


a saxophone
medium: charcoal


cat whiskers

pumpkin

a zombie
medium: charcoal

a watering can

french fries

a butterfly
blue morpho
medium: colored pencil

a cactus


a knife
medium: charcoal


an inchworm


a salt shaker


a box of kittens
medium: charcoal


a slug


a winter hat
medium: Paper Mate InkJoy pen, Gelly Roll metallic pen and graphite


a diving board


a cuttlefish


a unicorn

a bottle cap
medium: Charcoal


a bird feeder


running shoes
medium: ballpoint, fine-tip Pigma Micron
This drawing was created for the Inktober challenge in October, 2020



an apple tree
medium: Paper Mate InkJoy and Gelly Roll metallic pens


a storm
medium: ballpoint pen
This drawing was created for the Inktober challenge in October, 2020


a stick of butter


a baseball glove
medium: oil on canvas


a rubber duck


a milk carton
medium: ballpoint pen
This drawing was created for the Inktober challenge in October, 2020


snowshoes



a bowler hat


a frog


a spaceship
medium: Uniball Micro, felt marker
This drawing was created for the Inktober challenge in October, 2020


toes



a newt


an ugly duckling


a caribou



steak & potatoes
medium: oil on canvas


a rabbit


a boom box


a butterfly
medium: graphite and colored pencil



a crab-apple
medium: charcoal

a sock monkey


a scorpion


a bookstore
medium: charcoal


dumplings
medium: charcoal


a prom dress


a bowl of pudding

a beetle

an artichoke


a flower
Iris innominata Violet Ice
medium: Conté pencil

a flower
Iris
medium: graphite and crayon

a teacup

Mickey moose

a palm tree

a bear family


the periodic table
medium: charcoal


an anteater

an antelope

perfume
medium: charcoal
This is a framed 5" x 7" drawing


a giraffe

"Hi, What'cha doin'?"


first love
medium: charcoal


middle school
medium: charcoal 

a tongue


a string of DNA
medium: Prismacolor Premier soft-core pencil


a squid
medium: pastel pencil and Conté pencil on Canson black pastel paper


a ballpoint pen


Teeth
medium: Ballpoint, fine-tip Pigma Micron and Graphic pens
This drawing was created for the Inktober challenge in October, 2020


an elephant

a narwhal

an iceberg
medium: charcoal

a cello
medium: charcoal
This is a framed 13" x 10" drawing
that was on display at Art Gallery Studio 606 (Albuquerque, NM) exhibit
Music in Visual Art
August 3 - August 27, 2016
Drawing title for the show: "Ellie on Cello"

The Shadow on the Wall:
My cellist granddaughter is sitting on the front porch in the early evening.
The sun is low in the sky, casting an interesting shadow on the wall.
This shadow is part of my inspiration to create this composition.


a stoplight

Alfred Hitchcock
medium: graphite and charcoal

a trailer
medium: charcoal
This 8x10 framed drawing will be on display at New Mexico Art League Black & White show, March 7 to April 6, 2024


your pinky finger
(no, my pinky finger, and others)

a wooly mammoth

a swimsuit
medium: acrylic on paper
(original drawing with graphite pencil)


a poodle


a church


a scream
medium: charcoal

a hummingbird
Medium: Acrylic 
This is a framed 10"x 8" painting 
that was on display at
Art Gallery Studio 606 show
From Ant to Elephant,
an exhibition of two-dimensional artworks 
expressing an association with animals
February 4-25, 2017

a garden
medium: pastel pencil on Canson black pastel paper


a waterfall
medium: charcoal
15" x 20"
This framed drawing was on display at 
New Mexico Art League "Black & White" exhibit,
April - May, 2019

an owl

a seashell

a pinecone

a sheep
This is the 100th drawing completed -- a notable milestone!

a Scottie dog

a bird in the hand
medium: Charcoal
This is a framed 7" x 10" drawing
that was on display at
Art Gallery Studio 606 show
From Ant to Elephant,
an exhibition of two-dimensional artworks 
expressing an association with animals
February 4-25, 2017

a horse and carriage
medium: Charcoal
This is an 8" x 10" drawing

goldfish

a strawberry
medium: graphite and colored pencil

a hippo

sushi
medium: graphite and colored pencil


a dragonfly

a tractor

a windmill

a starfish

a Beatles song
medium: charcoal

a wheelbarrow

a three-toed sloth

the abominable snowman

a tarantula 

a bee


an ink pot


tectonic plates
medium: graphite and colored pencil


a beach


a wedding dress



a spider web
medium: pastel pencil on Canson black pastel paper


presidential pets


wind
medium: ballpoint, fine-tip Pigma Micron and Graphic pens
This drawing was created for the Inktober challenge in October, 2020


a tuxedo


a phonograph


a convertible


ski slopes
medium: ballpoint, Pigma Graphic, Uniball Micro
This drawing was created for the Inktober challenge in October, 2020


polka dots



plaid
medium: charcoal


zigzag


a tuba
medium: charcoal 


yourself (no ... myself)
2015
medium: charcoal


myself, May 2017
medium: charcoal



   myself, June 2018
medium: charcoal 

 myself, April 2019
medium: General's charcoal white and pastel pencil 
on Canson black pastel paper 


volleyball
medium: acrylic and graphite on paper
(original drawing with graphite pencil)  

basketball
medium: acrylic and graphite on paper
(original drawing with graphite pencil)



This is the end of the 
Full Collection
of drawings in the book.

For OTHER DRAWINGS not listed in the book
see EXTRAS next, 


or go back to ...
Home     New Drawings