Album Cover Art

The cover art for my new album of piano tracks. Album to be released August 19, 2011.

Sunny Day in Sydney

A few days ago I completed this painting in Corel Painter 11. The painting is based on several overlapping photographs that I took in Sydney, Australia in 1993. If you are interested in commenting on, or contacting me about this particular painting you may do so at: penandinkdetails@gmail.com Please note that I may post some of these comments unless you request otherwise.

As you can probably guess from the title of this article, I call this painting, "Sunny Day in Sydney." It is my second digital painting overall.

At some point I may tweak the color of the sky to make it more natural. Some details have been changed from the original photos.

Clicking on the picture should enlarge it to fit more of your screen.

Enormous Ancient Sea Turtle

This is one I've been looking forward to inking. I photographed this ancient sea turtle at the Smithsonian last year. This sea turtle would be big enough for a couple humans to take a ride on. Ancient earth had some enormous creatures! Enjoy.

Music Division News: Find My Wintersong Album at Bandcamp Site

Bandcamp.com is an excellent way to put your album on the internet so that others can hear the tracks for free, then buy if they wish. There are many, many bands on this site, kind of like a musical flea market. This site is especially helpful to the little guy/gal who may not be able to get his or her stuff on i-tunes so easily. Here's my little booth, with full previews of the entire album. Please go and listen: http://chris-truelsen.bandcamp.com/

(And a special thanks to Steve Howard for introducing me to bandcamp.com. A friend of his has helped develop it . . . .)

Experiment with Flowers: A Sampler

Unless you want to use white correction fluid-as they do in comic books-ink work is just not correctable. It is also not advisable for large works of art. An 8 x 10 section of paper, I think, is really too big to try a work and not expect there to be any mistakes or just simply, sloppiness. (Note: the drawing itself is more symmetrical than it looks in this photo. The camera was at a slight angle).

That is where this work has gone awry for me. This is one of my first attempts at using more than just a single color in pen and ink work. This was done using Faber Castell's Pitt artist pens.
If you try them I think you'd like them.

First I used a photograph I took as my model, first using transfer paper to trace a good deal of the image onto a white sheet of paper. I then sketched in additional details with pencil.
Once I had the image in place, I used my photograph as a reference as I inked in the colors in a decorative pen and ink style.

Here's what I'd do differently: first of all, I'd plan to do a much smaller work, just a few inches in length and width. Once I'd selected the parts of the photo I wanted to use, I'd create a model sketch in pencil just to try out different cross-hatching techniques, as well as the values of the composition. I'd also use less black. I was hoping that by adding black around the flowers I'd get them to "pop" more. I think that I could have accomplished that by using darker coloring, but avoiding black. The areas without flowers or greenery would still use black cross-hatching; maybe just one or two styles would be better.

Here's what I liked: though there were areas that needed work, I think this ends up being a good sampler for the kinds of techniques I'd like to use on future drawings. Let's zero in on some of the sections I liked.

1. This was a nice little bit of black crosshatching, with diagonals to the left and to the right, and with vertical strokes up through the center of them.


2. I like the black cross-hatching pattern around the bud below. It has some rounded strokes, as well as straight diagonals.


3. The section below by itself would make a nice illustration. The only thing I might do differently is not using black to outline the flowers. However, it might be OK around the green. I'd have to test it out. I like how the blues and lavenders mix optically when placed side by side.


4. The section below also would make a good illustration by itself. I especially like the cross-hatching in the lower right green sections and the buds to be found there.

5. I really like the buds below. From the various colors used, to the decorative patterns throughout, this turned out nicely. I even like the way the black was used here. Reminds me of something one might find in a medieval illustrated book . . . .
6. I like the flowers in the grouping below, as well as the patterns that comprise this section. This could almost also make a nice illustration by itself by adding or subtracting a few parts of the selection here.

PID Music Division Index

This index is designed to help you find articles and links relating to Pen and Ink Details, Music Division.

Want to preview my entire Wintersong album? Go here:

http://chris-truelsen.bandcamp.com/


To buy an album in electronic or audio CD format:

Amazon.com (Electronic and Audio CD versions available):

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Wintersong+Chris+Truelsen&x=0&y=0

Createspace:

https://www.createspace.com/1823557

Lulu.com:

http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/wintersong/10276085

Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pen-and-Ink-Details-Music-Division/113284952029900

Twitter page:
http://twitter.com/PenNdInkDetails

To download my free "Semi-Ugly Living Room Demos" album, click here:

The Exclusive Outcast Society: The Semi-Ugly Living Room Demos

Articles:
Music Division News: Find My Wintersong Album at Bandcamp Site

Pen and Ink Details Introduces Pen and Ink Details Music Division

The End of the Golden Age of CDs!

Pen and Ink Details Introduces Pen and Ink Details Music Division

I have written music for several years and created an album of several songs written myself and recorded in the living room of my apartment. That was in 2001. I never really shared the music from that album extensively, even though there were a few songs I took great pride in.

A few years ago, I thought it would be fun to write an album of songs appropriate to the Christmas holiday and the season of winter. Other things came before writing music in the last few years, but this year I finally wrote and recorded the last few songs for the album. I call it Wintersong, and I think the songs are actually pretty good.

The album is available from a few self-publishing outfits. The Createspace version is a little more expensive, but I think the overall package is more attractive. If you don't care about the artwork, but want a CD version anyway, lulu.com carries a slightly less expensive version, and if you prefer to go bare bones and try the electronic version, or just a few singles, Amazon.com has an electronic only version of the album available. The songs can be previewed there, and a preview mix can be found at lulu.com. Wonder what on earth I'm talking about? Just follow the links below:

Createspace:

https://www.createspace.com/1823557

Amazon (audio CD and electronic versions):
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Wintersong+Chris+Truelsen&x=0&y=0

Lulu.com:

http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/wintersong/10276085

Culbertson Poster Still Available

The Culbertson poster is no longer available at the Gallery, but this does not mean you cannot still get it.  Just contact me at penandinkdetails@gmail.com to find out more.  

Postcards and posters can make nice keepsakes.  You don't have to throw that postcard you like in the trash.  Keep it, but put it in a nice frame.  

I received a beautiful card with a painting of a Holy Land scene with pressed flowers from that area upon it.  The flowers were not in the best shape, but I really did not want to throw the beautiful painting on the card away, so I framed it.  

Of course, I throw out this idea to give people more ways to use MY cards and posters, but for those who like these architectural and historical sites, they really are a nice memory and keepsake of a visit, or a reminder of when one lived in the area.  

Frames and mats dress up cards nicely, and you can make them suit the decor of your home however you like.  

Check out the Culbertson poster framed above.  

To see some better pictures from the poster itself, click here for the original article.  

Niswonger Aviation Technology Building

The Niswonger Aviation Technology Building was recently built and dedicated at Purdue University.  I completed a commissioned artistic drawing of this building, about 20 in. X 14 in.  The drawing is unlike any other I have done.  

Here is a description of what is going on in the drawing: The backgrounds have been done in black.  The building and the clouds are primarily white, and thus “pop” out of the picture.  The clouds are of unusual shapes and are drawn with solid lines, in character with the solid lines of the building itself.  A black jet streams high into the sky, beginning to exit the top of a   cloud.  

The building itself can be seen at the Purdue airport.  In person, you will note the reflective bluish colored windows of the building that set off the architecture of this contemporary building.  

(The illustration above is a photo of the drawing.  Click on the photo for a slightly larger view)

WBAA at Purdue University Interviews Chris Truelsen of Pen and Ink Details

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to do an interview with Mike Loizzo at WBAA, the radio station at Purdue. Mike discovered the Lafayette Courthouse poster, and wanted to learn more about it. Hear the interview AND check out the poster we're talking about:

WBAA interview

A small jpeg of the full poster

A few larger shots of drawings on the poster

Postcard drawings of New Albany, IN sites were mentioned as well.

Hope you enjoy the interview. Looking forward to adding more drawings here at the blog, just as soon as my wife and I have our upstairs remodel completed by the contractor . . . . Have a great June!

Blossoms in Red

This new drawing, done entirely in red is an attempt at trying something a little different.  I happened to find a postcard done of a Chinese woman's painting, done entirely in red on a white background, of a floral arrangement.

I chose a close-up of some dogwood blossoms.  Getting used to working entirely in red is a bit of a challenge.  I call my drawing here, "Blossoms in Red."  

Tippecanoe County Courthouse Poster, 1st Printing Rolls Out

The Tippecanoe County Courthouse Poster has been printed and is now available.  This small thumbnail gives you a glimpse of the poster, which at full size is 12 in x 18 in.  

If you are interested in buying a copy of this fine poster, please contact us. 

For larger thumbnails of a few of the illustrations in this poster, click here.

Index of Illustrations

This post is intended to be an index of the illustrations here at "Pen and Ink Details."

By clicking on a link below, you will be able to find the post where illustrations of these particular destinations can be found.

• Blossoms in Red, 21 April 2009
• Culbertson Mansion, New Albany, IN 2009
  
• Culbertson Mansion, article 2.
• Enormous Ancient Sea Turtle, June 2010
• Experiment with Flowers: A Sampler, June 2010
• New Albany, IN - Postcards of Sites, 2008
• Niswonger Aviation Technology Building, Purdue University Airport, Sept. 2009
• Sunny Day in Syndey, August 2010
• Tippecanoe County Courthouse, Lafayette, IN 2009.
• Tippecanoe County Courthouse, Lafayette, IN - complete poster, 2009.

Other items:

• Article linked to Chris Truelsen's Interview with Mike Loizzo at WBAA, Purdue University
  

To Contact Us:

PEN AND INK DETAILS

CHRIS TRUELSEN

PenandInkDetails@gmail.com

• artwork for sale.
  
• printed greeting cards and posters for purchase.
  
• commissioned portraits and other subjects . . .
  
• reasonable prices . . .
  

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http://pen-and-ink-details.blogspot.com/

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Pen and Ink Details has expanded to include music: The music division has its own Facebook page . . . .

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pen-and-Ink-Details-Music-Division/113284952029900?ref=ts

Tippecanoe County Courthouse Drawings Finally Finished!

Having spent many years growing up in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, I always enjoyed the beauty of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse.  Apparently there was a point years ago that the county thought of tearing it down.  Glad they didn't!  What a tragedy that would have been!  

Soon to come out of my workshop will be a poster featuring 9 sketches of details of the courthouse.  The 9 sketches are complete, but I have yet to go to

 print.  

Below is a sneak peek of a few of the drawings.  I'm really quite pleased with them.  I hope you like them too.  

The drawings were completed March 13, 2009, and the poster will be on sale in a limited edition in the Lafayette area.  If you're interested, contact me at this site, and I'll help show you where to purchase a copy.  -Chris Truelsen

Drawings copyright Chris Truelsen, 2009.  All rights reserved.  

New Poster Available at the Gallery on Pearl

One of New Albany Indiana's best known landmarks is the subject of a new poster presently available at the Gallery on Pearl. This poster called "Culbertson Details" includes some of my finest pen and ink work yet.

The poster features a large illustration of Culbertson Mansion in the middle, with various details from the facade of the mansion in smaller frames around the main picture.

Even those who are well familiar with Culbertson mansion may find some details on the poster that they've never noticed before. I think it does a great job of displaying Culbertson's beauty, and is a fitting tribute to one of the finest architectural examples New Albany has to offer. The thumbnails on this page provide small glimpses of illustrations featured on the poster, which is a size of approximately 11 in x 17 in. There are seven illustrations on the poster.

Further details: There are only three scans featured here, and just so you know, any unpleasant artefacts you may see on the scans here have been eliminated on the actual poster itself. To see them all, make a visit to the Gallery on Pearl . . . . Enjoy. -Chris

Addendum: This poster is no longer available at the Gallery, but you can purchase a copy by contacting me at penandinkdetails@gmail.com

All illustrations here by Chris Truelsen, copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

Why Inking?

Of all the things I like to do, I had never focused much on doing art. I took one photography class in high school and one art history class in college, and that was it. However I have always loved art, and always planned on trying my hand at it in various ways.

Sparing you a long and boring story about the origins of my art development (which continues) I will share just a few things. First of all, I have always been better at drawing than anything else.
I tried other media. Finding that I didn't really like doing pastels, I bought some ink with the intention of messing around with it, and finally got around to trying it. I found instantly that I just loved working with it. (article continued below bullet points . . . .)

Some notes on the works you see in this article:

• First of all, note that the streak you see across the scans is not in the actual works themselves. That is an artefact from the scanning.
  
• The originals are approximately 5 in x 7 in, while the actual greeting cards are smaller.
• These works come from my first and second series'of postcards, and do not include all of the pictures in those series.
  
• The works are from left to right, then proceeding down the page: St. Mary's Roman Catholic, St. Paul's Episcopal, 2nd Baptist Church, Scribner House (home of New Albany's DAR chapter), and the new YMCA.
  
• All the works here: copyright Chris Truelsen 2008. All rights reserved. Please contact me at the below e-mail address for permissions.
  

(article continued . . . .)
I created a drawing of the leaning Tower of Pisa from a photograph that I had of it. I created drawings which were representations of various Bible passages for a VBS. As much as I liked doing inks, was my work good enough to sell? That was the question.

I took some of my inks into a gallery that sells local art in New Albany, Indiana and they liked them. At their suggestion I created a series of several greeting cards of New Albany locations. They are now sold at the "Gallery on Pearl" in New Albany, IN. -Chris Truelsen

If you are genuinely interested in my work, you may e-mail me at: penandinkdetails@gmail.com (no spam please)

If you wish to visit the "Gallery on Pearl" or just check out their website, please use the link below:

http://www.thegalleryonpearl.com/