Tonight in Drawing Class I gave a brief explanation of what all those numbers mean on the ends of your pencils, why you would choose one over the other and why it matters. I touched briefly on the concept of surface "tooth" and grain.

To illustrate the point, I used one of Boy2's toy cars with different pencils clipped to it to draw lines across a page. This demonstrates how the darkness of the pencil varies while the working pressure remains relatively constant, thus preserving "tooth".

The class is free and online at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19418035
The password to get into the class is in the newsletter here: https://www.artisticbiker.com/newsletter

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Our weekly trip to the cafe to sketch and have breakfast together went by WAY too quick. The fact that we slept until almost 10 AND that it was Christmas Eve meant that we had COMPLETELY avoided any rush at the restaurant. I swear our food was to us in less than 10 minutes. Of course, the owners have started to recognize us and start our food when we walk in the door. The waitresses all know us by name and bring our drinks to us as soon as we sit down. We may have to start drawing AFTER we eat if they keep this up. :)

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In album Daddy/Daughter Breakfast (1 photo)

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Every year on Dec. 24th the Santa Signal calls Kris to duty!
So a lens fell out of my glasses this week. I'm a cheap frugal sort of fellow and am waiting for my insurance benefits from the day job to renew after January 1st to get new ones. Since I'm on vacation this week, I ought to be able to live without them for a few days, right? Except that now everyone can see through my disguise and recognize me as Titan Buff, saver of damzels in the dresses. So that, and the fact that The Artistic Biker Live! webcast fell on the Thursday before Christmas inspired this week's page: The Santa Signal.

See the ustream broadcast (2 hours) here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19325739
See the 6 minute YouTube version, complete with me and the family singing The Twelve Days of Christmas (Boy2's public singing debut!) here: Art Journal The Santa Signal

This week's featured artists were:
+Darcy Wilkinson http://art-and-sole.blogspot.com/2011/12/52-pages-2011_19.html
@threedot(twitter) http://twitpic.com/7w3624
+jay the viking t.co/pVZzkxw

This week's in chat links were:

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/Timeless
http://art-and-sole.blogspot.com/
http://www.theamplegoddess.com
http://eveline-timeless.blogspot.com/
http://moon-light-creations.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1617235@N23/
http://www.youtube.com/user/EvelineUK?feature=guide
http://www.flickr.com/photos/timeless-etsy/
http://inkiwell.blogspot.com/
http://www.comfortableshoesstudio.com/
http://www.auslorri.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/groups/scrappindipity/
http://artjournaling.ning.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/juriaan13?feature=guide
http://ikerrilove.blogspot.com/
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/comfortableshoes/3/1/0/
https://www.artisticbiker.com/
http://art-and-sole.blogspot.com/
https://www.artisticbiker.com/newsletter/
http://www.facebook.com/OasisGalleryOK

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In album art journal pages (1 photo)

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Diets are freaking POINTLESS during the holidays. People will for just OUT OF THE BLUE bring a spiced bread or home made fudge or bag of candy coated chocolate covered cherries… So I journaled about it. :)

The Ustream blew a breaker 20 minutes in, so there is a part I (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19170588) and a part II (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19170865) if you wish to see the two hour show in it's entirety.
The 7 minute You Tube version is available here: Art Journal Holiday Diets

This week's What's On Your Easel featured artists were:
@threedot http://t.co/xxAwRrB
+Eveline Hessels bit.ly/ut4Anv bit.ly/tJabq3
+Darcy Wilkinson http://t.co/NKhKARG
+Kerri Love http://t.co/92YH4FC
+Leslie Herger http://t.co/SEv55Ox
(Leslie has a whole series of videos about her automatic drawings you can find on her website here: http://t.co/EJPy4gA )
+jay the viking http://t.co/AAXQOKh
@carolbinokc http://t.co/AvY1D0s
Bill Flowers http://www.redbubble.com/people/snakeartist/works/8211985-catwoman-and-the-coachwhip
+Deina McIntosh http://www.flickr.com/photos/glimmermoonstone/6502340799/in/photostream

The week's In Chat Links were:

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/Timeless
http://art-and-sole.blogspot.com/
http://www.theamplegoddess.com
http://eveline-timeless.blogspot.com/
http://moon-light-creations.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1617235@N23/
http://www.youtube.com/user/EvelineUK?feature=guide
http://www.flickr.com/photos/timeless-etsy/
http://inkiwell.blogspot.com/
http://www.comfortableshoesstudio.com/
http://www.auslorri.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/groups/scrappindipity/
http://artjournaling.ning.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/juriaan13?feature=guide
http://ikerrilove.blogspot.com/
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/comfortableshoes/3/1/0/
https://www.artisticbiker.com/
https://www.artisticbiker.com/newsletter/
http://www.facebook.com/OasisGalleryOK

Whew. That's it for this week. Be sure and tune in next week to The Artistic Biker Live! Same Artistic Biker Time, same Artistic Biker channel!
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-artistic-biker Thursday nights from 6-8p Central.

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