Oh No! I didn't put a Clip into my New Fashion Sketch Supplies. Interesting to see how a person functions when something 'goes wrong'. I didn't skip a beat. I just Taped each paper to my Drawing Board as needed.

I was thrown like this several times while Drawing at this Party. Oh! That's what comes from 'trying too hard' ~ but I'm sure I'll ultimately end up in a better place. This is how it happens. This is what happened.

I've drawn Fashion Sketches at Events many times. But since I'm primarily a Caricature Artist, I just brought my Caricature Supplies and drew Fashion Sketches with them. Black Markers, Gray Markers, and Color Sticks. But at my my most recent Fashion Sketch Event before this one, I was asked to use Only Markers (Color), No Colorsticks. Since it had been a last-minute Event, I had to bring whatever Color Markers I just happened to have here (mostly from when I do Caricatures on tshirts). Turned out that I liked the way the Fashion Sketches looked with the Colored Markers. So before this night's Event, I went out and bought over $50 of Colored Markers and I made a clean new box for them. Efficient. Dedicated. Me.

I'm glad I included just a few Color Sticks anyway. I had just felt like it would be a good idea in case I don't feel comfortable with the new medium at this event. And it turned out to be Very needed.

Because there were all sorts of things I felt surprised oh no! with.

The very first thing was that I had to use Tape instead of my Clip. Because I hadn't realized that I keep my Clip in the Supply box that I always use for Caricatures. (I kept the Tape on in the Photo that I'm showing you here ~ but of course, I took it off before giving it to the Party Guests.

My very next step ~ Oh No! I didn't include my usual Black and Gray Markers. Since I didn't need to buy more of them, I didn't think of putting them into the new Fashion Sketch Supply Box.

My first tentative fix for this was to start drawing the Outline with a Blue Marker. I wasn't feeling right with it ~ because it was hard to 'turn on a dime' and do what I hadn't planned on doing. Then I remembered ~ I keep some Old Markers in the Back of my Cart ~ for Drawing on my time off ~ found Only One Old Black Marker that had the thin point that I wanted. Good thing I'm accustomed to drawing with Old Markers on my time off ~ because that one had to last me throughout the Event. And I relied on my Black Color Stick more than I usually would have.

Then I found out that Colored Markers don't show up the same Color on Colored Paper as they do on White Paper. I wanted to use Colored Paper for many of tonight's drawings ~ and I found that the Color Sticks were usually better than the Markers when working on Colored Paper. But egads ~ I had been careless with choosing the Color Sticks because I didn't expect to use them. So I didn't have Red. Or Light Blue. Or Burnt Sienna. I had to use Markers for those Colors. I quickly came up with an ingenious method for perking up the Bright Dark Red (on White Paper) that barely looked Red on Blue or Brown Paper. I used an Orange Color Stick as highlights on top of the Red Marker, and it worked great. They really Popped! Whew. As far as the Light Blue though ~ didn't show up on the Colored Papers at all. I just switched it to Light Green ~ chagrinned. But it did have the same Feel as the Light Blue.

and what else, what else. Oh! I remember. I was Constantly Searching for the right Marker to use. I discovered ~ now that I am Experienced with using Colored Markers at Events ~ that you Have to Have them arranged Orderly. You can't just glance in the box and see what you want the way you can with Color Sticks. I'll have to set something up for it the Next time I use Colored Markers for a Fashion Sketch Event, but to function tonight ~ how I managed ~ I just chose a Very Few of the most used ones, and I kept them at the Top Right of my box.

Soooo..... my Audience was not at all aware of my aghk-what-to-dos. I kept the Event moving smoothly. I feel glad that I've had enough Experience that there was plenty that I could fall back on. But this is not usually my way ~ which is to be perfectly prepared.

One of this Weekend's Clients requested that I draw the girls 'Pretty'. Black and White. On Smaller Paper than I usually use.

Didn't feel unreasonable. I could do that. But I felt like I would feel more comfortable at the Party if I try it out at home first.

So using Reference Photos that I found online, I drew these on Small 8 1/2 x 11 Paper. The only 'mistake' was that I picked up a Blue Colorstick at first ~ Feels Black and White to me. But I think it will make a difference for my Client. So I made sure to have plenty of Black Color Sticks available

The guy was looking for a Comedian. I said "My Caricatures are Funny." He hired me. A Caricaturist's dream. But what to draw? Can I force 'Funny'?

To see how it might go, I Googled 'Faces of 30 year old men', and I chose the first picture I saw as a Reference. Because, as you can imagine, the people who post their Photos online are usually presenting themselves as Manly ~ these Faces could probably be used for the Cover of a cheap Romantic Novel. And I tried to impose 'Funny' on it. Hahaha ~ I'm laughing already. That's a Funny thing to do ~ not exactly standard Internet Entertainment. But here I am. And that's what I did .

But ummmm.... I have to draw Funny? I just draw what I see. It frequently comes out Funny because well, Sometimes things strike me as Funny. Sometimes it happens as soon as I see the Face ~ Sometimes it just Happens as I'm drawing along..... But sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes nothing strikes me as Funny. I can't control that. I can't Make it happen. Caricature doesn't mean 'Funny'. And it doesn't mean 'Pretty'. It just means 'Exaggeration.'

I tried to Make Myself see it as Funny. What could I do that would be Funny? I jumped right in and drew the first picture here. IglyAngulyAghkGakGak. I got myself in check. "Don't draw so Scribbly, Alison'.

Then I tried it again. The 2nd one is much better. Even though I did not see it as a particularly Funny Face, I managed to make it a Funny picture.

I like the picture. But I feel that ~ by forcing myself to come up with Funny ~ I took away any chance of it happening Naturally. Took the Fun out of Funny

Oh my goodness. Last minute Events. Today is Friday. There I was intrigued by Line Speeds, when

a job came in for Saturday. In which I am supposed to draw just four 4-year-old Children as though they were the President of the United States. Very Detailed On-the Spot Pictures. My Client suggested things like the Oval Office, or Air Force 1, etc.

I got a lot of research to do. A lot of Presidential Picture ideas.

The first thing I did was to Google images of the Oval Office. I drew a picture just mapping out what goes where. Then I drew a 2nd picture because I don't want a dorky pichur with no pizzazz ~ no movement. And I liked how I included the 'Oval' to clarify Shapes for 4-year-olds who, like I did for many years, might wonder why they call the office Oval. But looking at the two pictures, I'm feeling like the first one ~ simple ~ just the answers ~ feels better?

I have quite a bit of experimenting to do like asap. But it would be a good idea to get some sleep, and have a date to go Swimming this afternoon, and I'm on for making Dinner, and the day just goes......