We’re moving…

Things are really hopping here at ACompassRose.wordpress.com!

With many changes in the next few weeks, the most exciting is this… we’re moving and improving!

 

TheDRAWpage.com   is our new online home, where you will find the fun-packed activity and drawing pages you’ve come to expect, plus more!

More entertainment,

more fun and

more things to learn.

Join me at theDRAWpage.com

and resubscribe to get all my news and new lessons… and have a super cool time!

News Flash!

Rainy Days and Sun Days will be available in sketchbook format starting February 28th! For those of you who just can’t wait, there are a limited number of special boxed editions ready for shipping.

Click my link to the DRAWpage.com and start your drawing adventure now. Don’t forget to re-subscribe for emails, or sign up for theDRAWpage newsletter!

Coloring!

See the little boy in the tree-house? This boy and of his friends are from the book:     WHEN I AM QUIET written by JFMiller….and illustrated by me in 2010!

We had fun doing that book. Now you can have fun coloring this page!

All you have to do is click on the image to make it bigger and then print it out!  When you are done…if you can scan it or take a photo of it with your phone…send me a copy. I’d love to post it here. Use the CONTACT ME FORM…Go to the CONTACT page and fill in the form.

 

Remember: 

Are you willing to try?

Here’s a page that may not be as easy as some…but I thought it might be fun!

There is no step-by-step in this one….we’ll have a lot more of those this year. Okay?

Right now try to use some of these ideas to build your own robot. Mine are silly & colorful…but you can make your anyway you’d like to.

 

There will be more drawing activities coming in 2013…but we’re going to be moving!

…I’ll tell you more in the next post.

Until then, Happy Drawing!

-Rose

Happy New Year

Here’s a fun maze…you can click on it to make it larger and then print it out, if you’d like to.

 

Happy New Year…thanks for joining me in 2012. We’ll have a lot more fun as this year begins with more drawing lessons and other fun drawing activities.

Keep Drawing & Happy Coloring in 2013!

-Rose

Snow, snow & more snow!

It snowed like crazy here in Pittsburgh yesterday! It is beautiful! (not so good for traveling, but fun for sledding & building snow-people)

Here is a coloring page for you. Get those markers or crayons out, and have some fun!

I drew this for my grandson….a galloping pony… you can click on the image to enlarge it and print it out.

Send me a copy of your finished artwork. I’d love to see what colors you used.

Happy Winter Coloring!

-Rose

the making of my CHRISTMAS card

In the late ’60 and early ‘70s we had two doves at our house. Their names were Sebastian & Celia. I decided this year to paint them for the front of my Christmas Card.

Here is the pencil sketch and a wash of watercolor.

I then scanned it and opened it in Photoshop and cleaned it up & brightened the color…printed it out again …adding the orange for the beaks and feet.

Then I painted the leaves…And painted one or two berries

I then scanned everything…and used Photoshop to add the painted berries.

Then I added a light outline to the painting and the words: Merry Christmas!

I hope that you have a wonderful Holiday….

Merry Christmas with love,

-Rose

 

and coloring is even better!

Drawing is fun, and coloring is even better!  Here are some things to color with.

Markers & crayons are wonderful!  You can purchase them just about anywhere.  You want to get a nice strong color on your paper, so try to find some good ones.

Colored pencils, watercolor pencils and even paint pans can be so much more fun when the colors are vivid and easy to use. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive brand or the biggest set…but, just a few quality products makes a huge difference.

Brushes are the same. Better to get a $2 or $3  watercolor brush (#6)  at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby than a .50 plastic one. And if you teach the child to clean it and store it properly….it will last a while and give them a better idea of how much fun painting can be.

and paper:  I know a lot of art stores sell inexpensive watercolor, drawing, sketch, &  newsprint pads in easy to use sizes. And they explain what media each will take right on the cover.

Its worth it in the long run to get a few (just a few) quality items into your kids hands. That way they can experience fun in art and not frustration.

A special gift boxed edition of Rainy Days and Sun Days is now available. (includes a $5 off coupon for the volume 1 edition)…click here for details.

ERASERS…

It’s all a matter of personal preference, but I am a big fan of the white-vinyl erasers. I find that for me they erase cleanly and easily.

But there are tons of different opinions and styles of erasers out there. The kneaded eraser is a good choice. I enjoy just rolling and kneading it in my hands sometimes. But their biggest plus is that you can make a tiny point to erase a small area or flatten it to clean a big area. You can even shade with it…taking just a part of the pencil off of the paper….blending the pencil marks.  It is versatile…and another favorite of mine.

 

 

and there is what we always called the art-gum eraser, it erases well, but crumbled too easily for my taste. But they do a good job and they are inexpensive.

 

Then there are the pink-erasers…I think they are the same as the ones on most pencils. I always have a difficult time with my paper tearing when I use them. I suppose I should be more gentle.

 

Another eraser that is really fun to use is the electric (battery-operated) ones. You can get different tips for them, they do a great job.

But, again the one I personally use the most is the white-vinyl. All of these erasers can be purchased at most art supply stores or at the online stores on Saturday’s post.

-Rose

 

Sharpeners

 

One of the most difficult things for little fingers to do is sharpen pencils.  I guess one solution would be to buy them a mechanical pencil…or maybe sharpen the pencils FOR them…or buy an easy-to-use sharpener…

I have an old Boston electric pencil sharpener…works like a charm even after all these years. But, I’m not sure they make them anymore…I can’t find them anywhere.

But places like Staples, Office Max, and Walmart  (not to mention the online ART STORES that I listed on Saturday) have tons of models of electric and battery operated ones. Approximately: $20 to $65.

As a child I remember having difficulty using one that looked like this one. (this is the kind we had in our classrooms in the 50’s & 60’s )

A lot of stores sell ones that mount on the wall or desk…with clamps, screws or even suction cups so they are secure enough to use the handle.  Approximately $10 to $35.

And last, but certainly not least are the hand held sharpeners. If you get one of these it would be best to get one that collects all of the shavings. Like the one pictured. Ranging from $1 to $6.

 

I’ll leave you with a great quote from Mother Theresa. I found it on page 94  of  THE HOLE IN OUR GOSPEL:

 “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God

who is sending a love letter to the world”

 

Pencils!

The numbers on a pencil indicate the hardness or softness of the ‘lead’ – or the core of the pencil. This core is made from graphite & clay. The more graphite in a pencil the softer or easier to make a dark line. The more clay- the harder & lighter (and more precise).

So a 9B is a very soft pencil lead and a 9H is a very hard one. In the middle of those two extremes is the HB (sometimes called F for fine).  Something like this:

9B-6B-4B-2B-HB-2H-4H-6H-9H

I am sure that there are other markings on different brands but these are the ones that I see most.

The one that you are asked to bring to your SATs is a 2B….the most typical school pencil. It is very close to a 2B drawing lead…and a good one to use for drawing as long as you can erase it cleanly.

A 2B (or any of the others) drawing pencil will cost between $1 and $3 in most store.