I am a serial killer. During the last two months, I killed a handful of plants and drove others to the brink of death. I regret my actions immensely and will be issuing a Notes app apology shortly.
I used to be really invested in caring for tropical plants, but I've moved back to a drier area and generally don't have as much time to baby them anymore. I selectively bought some replacements that I wouldn't need to micromanage as much. The surviving plants appear to be salvageable, since they're still growing (somehow)...
Image description
Drawings of houseplants in pen and watercolor crayon. The crayon was used dry before being brushed with water, so there are dry, textured areas left on the page. Only the plants have been lined with ink so they stand out from their pots.
The first page has drawings of a Philodendron Brasil in a terracotta pot and two Haworthias in ceramic turtle pots. The philodendron is a bright green trailing plant with heart-shaped leaves. The leaves have lime green markings on them. The haworthias are small succulents with fleshy leaves that form rosettes. One is darker green, while the other lime green.
The second page has two drawings of the same Peperomia Metallica plant, one drawn in crayon and one drawn in brown ink. Written underneath the ink drawing: "Nice shape for drawing, but not for maintenance!" This plant has long magenta stems with dark olive-colored leaves.
My sketchbook, which is bound inside the cover of Shivers by William Schoell. The cover features a painting of a gargoyle on a roof done in a warm grey palette. A green mist winds around the gargoyle and down to the bottom of the cover. The title is printed in large gold foiled lettering behind the gargoyle.
I love making book covers out of things that otherwise would have ended up in the trash, so I couldn't pass on one of these handmade book-sketchbooks from Arsenik Press. I don't have the time or energy to bind a new sketchbook right now, so I was happy to buy this one because it's still handmade and (importantly) it looks cool. The paper in this book is Fabriano 1264 watercolor paper.
I stole the idea to draw/paint an overview of my current favorite supplies on the first page from Apple Pine. I always struggle with what to put on the first page of a sketchbook, so I like this exercise. I've also made several changes to my tools lately, so let's talk about them.
A closer photo of the drawing of my current supplies, described in detail in the text below.
Transcript of writing (top to bottom)
Supply log 22/2/2025
Rag (old T-shirt)
Crayon tin — much easier to use and transport when they're broken in half!
Old waterbrush — stained to hell, but it works
Platinum Preppy with Carbon Black Waterproof!
Esterbrook J (1948) 9048 nib Montblanc Van Gogh Turquoise
Rubato Pocket Pen Brause Steno 361 nib Pilot Yamaguri
The pen I commissioned from Rubato. It's a clear demonstrator with plants embedded in the resin and a green grip section.
I've been enamored with Rubato Pens for a while now and finally took the plunge on commissioning a pen a few weeks ago. And now it is here!
Rubato is operated by one woman, Emi, who makes fountain pens, nib holders, and other trinkets. Her pens are made of resin with decorative inclusions that give them a distinctive look (plants, glitter, charms). They're beautiful little art pieces in of themselves, but I was primarily drawn to their functionality. They take dip nibs!
Tragic: I wanted to draw nice leather shoes but then I had to draw people attached to the shoes. And then clothes attached to the people.
A monochrome sketch of Ian sitting on a chair with his left arm draped over the back. His posture is slouched, and he's sitting with his legs spread. He wears a white shirt, dark blazer and slacks, and leather lace-up shoes.
A monochrome sketch of Bruno sitting on a stool with his left foot propped up against the footrest. His arms are crossed and resting on his thighs. He wears a black turtleneck and necklace under a white suit. He also wears a dark coat draped over his shoulders and leather ankle boots.
I've been trying to come up with something with the appropriate amount of gravitas to say for my first post of the year. This has been unsuccessful, so now I'm just going to say something and move on.
This year, the main goal is to stop thinking about shit so much and instead make like Shia LeBeouf and just do it. This is particularly pertinent to my art — I made some progress in overcoming my aversion to "wasting" sketchbook paper last year, but I've noticed I'm still not immune to the pressure to find the perfect scene or reference to draw. This eats up a lot of time that could be spent doing literally anything else.
I've started pulling out my sketchbook and drawing something around me whenever I feel the impulse to check my phone. Most of the time, that "something" is a mundane man-made object, so I can't waste time looking for something photogenic. Also, sometimes it sucks. It's fine!
Spontaneous travel sketches done in green pen (Platinum Preppy 03 inked with Diamine Evergreen). Left: A sketch of traffic done while waiting in traffic. Right: A sketch of a table at a mall coffee shop.
