Excuses Excuses!

So, activity #1 was not working out so well while trying to hold a fussing Solveig.  Let's see how well I can type and sooth at the same time.  I want so badly to blog, to clean house, to read, to draw, to scrapbook.  Heck, I'd settle for organizing my photos on the computer just so they are orderly!  But I get greedy with my spare time.  Moments when one or both kids aren't needing me, I find myself laying down or escaping through Netflix instant play.

My husband has been encouraging me for months to try using the graphics tablet and SketchBook Pro on our computer.  "It's what professional graphic artists use Whitney!  I think you'll enjoy it!"  And I've made no effort to even give it a try.  "If I'm going to draw I want to just mindlessly pick up my pencil, let it become part of my hand, and go.  I don't have time to learn something new!"  These are the sort of lines my poor husband has been told over and over again.  Yes, my sentiments are true, but still... I would like to give it a chance if for nothing else than for my husband who believes in me.

A few nights ago after the babies had been tucked into bed I had the urge to draw.  At some point last year a gal we grew up with asked me if I would be willing to illustrate a children's book that she'd written.  She had messaged me the story nicely split into pages so I could illustrate accordingly.  But I haven't done anything with it!  I feel kind of bad, though I hope she understands.  The book is for little ones whose siblings end up in the NICU and it serves as an explanation of the chaos that enters their little lives.  This gal has a 3 year old and had just had a baby (who was in the NICU) when she sent me the pages.  I was in the midst of pregnancy exhaustion (just in the 1st trimester my @$$! ).  Then after Solveig was born... I'm sure you can imagine my excuses there.

ANYWHO... I got on the computer to fetch the pages so I could start drawing.  Kyle somehow weaseled the graphics tablet onto my lap and I ended up using it.  And I behaved badly!  It is not the same as my pure graphite pencils that I contort on their sides and hold in my hand in ways that only art professors would approve of.  I can't smudge with my hand to blend or shade.  And the erase feature of the stylus is nothing like my kneaded eraser.  I cursed and got so frustrated!  I think Kyle thought I was going to quit.  He quietly left the room.  But my frustration drove me to figure the darn thing out.  And while it is still taking some level of patience and I'm still learning... I am enjoying myself.  Thank you my dear husband!

I'm still questioning whether I should start drawing the old fashioned way for this book though.  The drawing I've started on the computer is fairly realistic (click on the picture to see the full size).  That's where I'm comfortable, so that's where I default to when trying new tools.  I might do simpler illustrations better on an regular old sketchbook.  We shall see...

Oh and P.S.- This post took me 4 separate sessions throughout the day to actually finish.  Victory!