Trying to keep a hand - or at least a finger - in art

Seems like there is never enough time to make art, especially if it requires getting out paints, gesso, drop cloths and making a mess. Same for bead-stringing, collage, paper mache' and the like. But I always like to doodle and try to make time to at least do that. Here are some practice pages from my sketch journal, using techniques from some recently acquired books, including a Japanese manga-girl art book, and Japanese pen-and-ink doodle book and the simplified drawing books of Ed Emberley.

Doodling Traci Bautista Style

I just received a copy of Traci Bautista's second book Doodles Unleashed, and immediately tried to unleash a doodle in my sketchbook. It's patterned after one of her girly doodles, page 99 to be exact. I love her style, and I loved her first book, Creativity Unleashed, which she autographed for me at CHA in 2008. I later had the chance to take a class from her at Art & Soul, and that was wonderful also. You can find out much more about treiC designs all over the web.
Here's some earlier art I made from Traci's collage sheets, and here's some of my doodles from her class.

I used simple and cheap markers from Office Depot for my doodles, but I am excited that I have a little batch of Copic markers coming from Ebay. Soon I will know why everyone raves about those markers. And honestly, I've had a couple before but they were very similar colors, so it was hard to appreciate the Copic range. And I've never used a blender with them. So it will be fun, and if I don't have the knack, I can always take a Copic class at The Queen's Ink in Savage Mill, where they are taught regularly.
Meanwhile, back to doodling...