What does a lab mouse do when he’s out of work? He’d probably grab the nearest piece of cardboard and advertise his talents.

I’d forgotten how relaxing—if a bit time-consuming—Prismacolor pencils can be. I usually work on Canson paper, which can be difficult because it has a pronounced tooth. Strathmore’s toned tan sketch paper, by contrast, feels almost too smooth—not unlike drawing on hot-pressed Crescent illustration board, but with a slicker surface. I wonder if a light spray of workable fixative beforehand might help.

In any case, the image would likely be more convincing if the mouse were drawn from a different perspective. Tomorrow’s project will probably be devoted to developing the concept further.