100th post

I started this sketchbook in the airport on my last vacation, but when I turned back home it wasn't finished (I drew the last pages only last week). This is a little movie of the whole sketchbook.
You can leaf through a better version of the vacation pages here.



This is my 100th post.
I opened this blog on 2006 but its real life started on june 2007 when I discovered EDM. It was a really great moment for my blog and so was for my drawing activity... and for me.
Thank you all.

Some days in Javea

Some days ago I came back after a little trip to Javea, a little town on the east of Spain: beach, sun, swimming, good food (we were in the middle of the paella land), and obviously... sketches.
These are taken from a little sketchbook I started in the airport (and almost finished at the end of the trip).
Click on the image to see it bigger.

Four months have passed since I posted my last EDM challenge, and even if it seems I don't follow the thread anymore, I think this blog keep on beeing always that thread. Thank you EDMers. This sketch is the 9th of a series I started a year ago (and I don't know when I'll finish).

EDM #87 Draw your food

Yesterday Fabio left school later than usual and so he ate alone. I sat with him at the table, and while we talked I drew some green beans and potatoes. They had nice colors thanks to the sun that came from the window. It's been one of the first real spring days of the year. It was also the first time I used my new Niji water brush.

EDM #104 Again and again and again and again

Vacation is a busy time. Too many things to do, too many places to go, it's quite hard to find a moment to open the sketchbook. Meals are the best moment for me, I can talk while drawing so people around don't think I feel crabby, there's a table and there are usually good motifs to draw... or at least a couple of shakers to go on with this series (more shakers here).

Every Doodle Matters #9

"An organized chaos" or in other words, 100 challenges -or so- in one go. But people who love logical games -as me- could say that one of the missing challenges is just #9 since it's self-referential an then not included itself in the drawing. If this could be right then the title would be wrong so I could entitle it EDM #42 "something you are thankful for" (it's was a great day when I found this group), or EDM #61 "a group of 2 or more similar objects (what about 100 or so EDM Challenges?), or EDM #71 "something representing your favorite sport" (I used to love cricket, curling, petanque and extreme ironing, but EDM'ing is much better, even if not so calorie burning). Of course, there's so much inspiration I owe Andrea. Thank you!

EDM#18 The view from two windows

I drew this last weekend looking out of the window of R&C's House in Naples. The churh on the center is Santa Teresa degli Scalzi. On the background Sant'Elmo's Castle and the Charterhouse of San Martino. I took also some photos that you can see here.

I've found this a week ago lost in some folder. I made it in august 2003 sitting in the balcony of our house in Zola Predosa, where we lived since our arrival in Italy (july 2001) to august 2005 when we moved to our current house. I didn't know I was making EDM#18 "Draw the view from a window".

Give me a healthy mind, Lord

I believe in the religion of this prayer.
I did this as a gift for my friends R&C in 1993.
The photo came out really bad but the text is still readable and that's all that matters.

EDM #56 "...keeping an eye on the holy land"

The big shadow is half a creative choice, half a fiddle to avoid drawing the second glass (it always comes different from the first one).
I made a lot of sketches and two serious (and missed) attempts before this one, but I'm not so courageous as Suzanne: I haven't published them.
I've made this with France's stratospheric portraits somewhere in mind (color on the back is a little homage).
Thank you both!

EDM #54 ...And I love her

One of the loves of my life: my itty bitty teeny weeny (the pen is just to give an idea of the size) moka express: two cups of dark strong italian coffee. I meet her at least 3 times a day: first about 7:30 before breakfast (a great habit I took in Italy), second about 10:30, third after lunch.
I know this love of mine will never die... and I love her.

EDM #84 and some doodles

Having dinner at the restaurant's terrace, with some friends and not so much light.

Afterwards at home with some will of drawing and not so much inspiration.

Back from vacation

I've been in Lech, a little town in Voralberg, the westernmost region of Austria. The idea was trekking in the morning and swimming in the afternoon, but half the days the weather didn't agree. We seized the rainy days to visit some wonderful places as Bregenz or Sankt Gallen.
I was really amazed by the facades.

I wanted to work on light and tone and so I carried only markers and fibre pens. No much color in this post.


There were two Orthodox Jews playing chess on the the top of the Rüfispitze (2.632 m)

It was because of the weather that most of my sketches were made dinning at the restaurants...

...or having breakfast at the hotel

which restaurant had a marvelous ceiling.

Next two were made at the S'Achtele Restaurant,
that really deserves the link.




The next 4 were all made while having breakfast at the hotel.

I finished the crosshatching of the next at the swimming pool
(it's easy to guess it from the stains).

Next two are EDM #128 from both sides of the door


This was made after a whirlpool bath (a very relaxing sketch).

EDM #13 and some forgotten pages

Heat is not the best for creativity, and so I took one of the nearest things so I must not move too many muscles or shake too much gray matter.

Last week I must go again to the dentist. I sat on the same chair of the last time and I obviously want not to draw the same motive (see this). Instead of looking in front of me I looked to the left where this plant was. (I touched the sketch with some watercolors at home).

After the plant there was nothing interesting to draw. I resigned myself to draw the fire extinguisher, and to finish my descent on boredom, I let my hand rave.

EDM #96 (or it was 47?)

Even if it was my birthday, I was not allowed to do a real EDM challenge live. Someone talked about tons of melted paraffin wax oozing over such a tasty cake while they wait for me to finish one of those... sketches. (Ah, we artists always misunderstood!)
Well, I shot a photo before blowing the candles and eating the cake, with the idea of draw from it taking my time. This time lasted about two -very busy- weeks.
Finally, a couple of days ago, taking a look at the challenge list I saw that #96 was "draw something sweet"... and I thought that really it was.

EDM #14 (3 versions)

This is what I see in the morning when I get up. Actually, when I get up I see almost nothing because everything is dark, this is what I see after putting up the blind.
I did it this morning and seems I was not attacked by an outburst of inspiration, so I tried 3 takes before giving up, here they are.
For a more objective, descriptive, realistic and scientific approach, see this.

EDM #32 and #123 (of metals and noises)

I live in an area that someone calls "the roaring heart of Italy" (Ferrari headquarters is located 25 km far from my house, Lamborghini 15, Maserati 35 and Ducati just 2, Imola Circuit 50 km and Mugello Circuit, 60). There is a huge tradition of metal and mechanic work (from manual crafts to high tech) and you can often find wonderful naïf sculptures like this one in stores, flea markets... or unsuspected places as the hairdresser's shop.
I took a quick scribble while waiting my turn and a photo to finish it at home.


This is an old birthday gift/joke. Heavy metal in this case: several hundred million dB of sound power, broken glasses, neighbor panic... My 11 y.o. used to ring it some time ago, preferably while I was drawing in 7th heaven so he could wake up my darkest, primitive and deeply hidden myself... just for a few seconds, lucky him.
It's been placed for some years on an upper shelf.

EDM #02 and #105

I started timidly to draw a lamp for the EDM challenge #02. At a certain moment my hand became intelligent and went ahead without consulting me and what must be a humble sketch of a lamp became an indoor landscape. She often behaves this unruly way but I don't know when.

For example, I don't know where she was when I tryed this scissors (obviously she held the pen but she wasn't there). I must finish the work all alone (isn't it evident?)

EDM assortment (from the last week on the beach)

Every now and then I found a motif for an EDM challenge and here they are, arranged chronologically.

EDM #03 and more

Fabio, my 11 y.o has started today his summer holydays. I drew his backpack yesterday, ready for the last school day of the year.


This is an EDM drawing made before I knew EDM challenges.