Friday Delay

Worked on the False Idol poster today. Can't post it right now, though. I don't have anything else to post today, but tomorrow I have a "paint date" with a friend. So, hopefully, I will have something to post tomorrow, to make up for today.

Lip-sync Contest

I've been working on several designs for the event we're holding for the youth at my church. It's a lip-sync contest that we need to promote soon because there is not much time left. A couple weeks, I think. So, the youth leaders got together to brainstorm how we could get the word out, and fast. I'm on poster duty, and whatever other images might be needed for the event. This is only one design. It was intended for the Facebook event, which my husband is in charge of putting together. Whether or not he'll use this one, I don't know. Anyways, I've been having fun working on the various images that go with the flyers. I think I have more fun with design work when I'm volunteering to do it.

Progress Report

Sorry for the lack of updates on the miniature series. I had started this one a a couple weeks ago. Yes, it's the same pose as the first one I did. I was trying to be a little more intentional this time. It's not finished, which is why it looks kind of blotchy right now. It wasn't going how I wanted it to, so I took a break to work on other things, like Illustrator and Photoshop. Anyway, I hope to start up on this again this coming week.

Bud

Sketch for the April Challenge on Open Sketch Book Society.


Plus linear burn stuff.

tuesday night

More Practice with Illustrator

This time I put a photo into Illustrator and traced shapes over it. I think it looks like something you'd find on a diagram or something. Kind of neat. Still working out the pen tool stuff.

Playtime with Photoshop

I don't remember when I drew this exactly, but it must have been sometime after last October when we moved in. I know I was sitting at our picture window. Anyway, I rediscovered this little sketch the other night, and today I thought decided use it to play around with the Photoshop burn options.

A little late this Friday

My Aunt Bev used to call me Peanut when I was little. After she passed away, my Uncle Mike, her husband, started calling me Peanut. And even though I am an adult now, the endearing nickname has not been lost. I will always be their little Peanut. I remembered this nickname after putting this little guy together in Adobe Illustrator.

It's the first time I've used Illustrator since college, and to be honest, I don't remember anything I learned from that one class. I am much more acquainted with Photoshop, and making the switch to Illustrator was very strange since the tools and keyboard commands differ quite a bit. But in wanting to be a better illustrator, I was determined to at least get familiar with the pen tool again. So my goal tonight was just to make some kind of simple picture. I think I'm getting the hang of it again, but I know I have a long way to go. I mean, it took me about an hour just to do this! Uploading the image to Blogger even took some doing.

Eventually, I want to learn how to use Flash as well. It's strange... I used to never want to have anything to do with these programs. I much prefer drawing freehand and making art traditionally. I think that will always be true for me. Still, I'm finding more and more that I need to be able to use these programs if I want to be a good illustrator.

Turtleneck Terri

I was doodling on post-it notes yesterday. After drawing this one, I decided to name her Turtleneck Terri. She is sad because turtleneck season seems to have come to an end. And as the name suggests, she is a big fan of wearing them. So, when warmer weather finally comes, she is reluctant to give them up.

I, on the other hand, am thrilled to have the sun shining, the birds chirping, and the windows open. Flip flops, capris, and a tee shirt for me please!

A "Post It" Note for All

I recently became aware that there are several of you who do actually follow this little blog of mine. Perhaps not the kind of "following" that blogger suggests on the side panel there (I know a few of you do), but there are friends who have mentioned in passing that they keep an eye on it, waiting for me to update again.

So, to be fair to those of you who take the time to check back here, I am going to attempt a weekly schedule of sorts. This blog lacks consistency. Who wants to follow a blog that posts new material one day, goes a month without a single update, and posts again at random? I'm going to see how this schedule works out for the next couple weeks.

Tuesdays and Fridays I hope to have progress updates, finished pieces, and other art stuff. So check back Tuesdays and Fridays, and if I haven't posted, feel free to get on my case. Please.

Progress

Started another mini tonight.


Sweet.

March Challenge Complete... Sort of

Kylee, 2.5" diameter, acrylic

This was my post for the March Challenge on Open Sketch Book Society. Here's a little history on the miniature.

Miniatures derived from illuminated manuscripts, and in England they took off during the early Tudor period. The miniature was a unique art form because it was intimate. The viewer had to pick it up and hold it close to see it. It was either round or oval in shape, sometimes inscribed with text. Miniatures were displayed in cabinets, or worn around the neck or waist as an item of jewelry. This is where lockets come from. They could also be pinned near the heart. They were portable, and popular as gifts for lovers. They were also usually covered, a way to keep it a personal secret. Miniatures were especially used as a part of courtly love. They were given to show favor.

While, traditionally, miniatures were meant to be held close and worn as jewelry, I've decided to take a different approach to this art form. I will still be working small and applying colored backgrounds (like Holbein), and will try to keep to the standard poses. However, I will be displaying them as you see here, matted. This is only the first one I've done so far, my test piece, I guess. I plan on doing a series of these, and eventually will display them in grid formation next to each other. My purpose for this miniature style is not secretive, and so I will not be treating that way. Instead, I am sort of incorporating that pop cultural design element, bright colors in formation.

I am also glad to finally be using my circle cutter. I didn't have a reason to use it until now. And I finally figured out how to use it the right way! I still need to tape everything down because it's quite unruly, but my circles are cleaner now.

Photo Reference Session: one step closer

I finally took the next step of making my project goal a reality. I had fleshed out basically what I wanted to do for the March challenge on Open Sketchbook Society. But sketches and thumbnails were all I had. Until today, that is. A friend of mine from church was kind enough to volunteer a chunk of her morning to my reference needs. So we had a little photo shoot, plus some tea and good conversation. I always like being able to hang out with my models and get to know them a little better. Of course, when I spend time drawing someone, I feel like there's a whole new level of connection. It's a very intimate thing, focusing so much attention on another person's face. It's like giving them your time in a very different way. I'm really not sure how to explain it.

Anyway, I'm glad I got to take pictures early in the week. The rest of the week is looking really busy so I'm trying to stay on top of it. Hopefully, I'll have my progress posted soon. The challenge piece is due by the end of March.

Spring Refreshment: Moving Forward

I'm sure you've noticed by now that I haven't posted in a while. In fact, it's been over a month since my last post. That's because I haven't been drawing. Unless you count the doodling I do in church on Sundays... ^_^;

After a long, busy week (shadowing for a nanny job, preparing for and leading in youth ministry, cooking, cleaning, etc.), Adam and I were wiped out by Friday night. So, Saturday was our day. We decided to sleep in and just take it easy. We made pancakes for breakfast (at lunchtime), went for a walk on the old railroad tracks behind our apartment, went to the printmaking senior show, Under Pressure, at Hartford Art School, went out for sushi, and finally turned in for a movie and ice cream. It was a great day.

Where is the inspiration you ask?

Well, with warm weather steadily approaching, and with the sun shining more and more after so many gloomy winter days, I have had a new spark in my soul. An energy I only feel when fresh air is finally allowed in through the windows, and when a sweatshirt is sufficient enough for taking a walk. It's like the sky is a little bluer or something, or like the sun warms my soul enough to lift the cold state of depression from my ever-shivering body. It is such a relief! Just as the trees know when to start budding, so can I feel in my bones when my mental winter is over.

With the feeling of spring in me, I have a refreshed desire to draw and make art. The longer I am away from it, the more I want to do it. While we were at the printmaking show Saturday night, I ran into some old professors. They asked how I was doing and if I was still making art. After telling them I hadn't been, they gave me some very encouraging words. They encouraged me to keep working, not to be discouraged by life after school. Just keep doing what you're doing, they said. In combination with their advice, I got to see the artwork of the senior printmakers. It had been a while since I'd been to a show, so I was inspired by the beautiful pieces to continue making my own work again.

Right now, I am full of new ideas and a desire to draw again. I will be starting research on the March Challenge today, and hopefully do some sketches of today's walk with Adam.

Goals for this week:

- Research and brainstorm for the March Challenge
- Walks with Adam
- Draw
- Eat Healthy

Branches and Banners

Sketches from today. The last one is my entry for the banner contest on Open Sketch Book Society. Today was the deadline so I threw this together. I wasn't really sure about it since it was so last minute, but for a last minute effort, it has grown on me... a little bit. We'll see how that goes. So far I'm still the only one who posted anything. If no one posts anything else, I might win by default. I was really hoping to see what ideas people could come up with though. So I will be kind of bummed if mine does end up being the only one.

I'm happy with how the branches came out. I rarely do tree drawings, usually because I don't like the way they come out. I never know how to approach them because... well, those branches are all over the place. Yet there's some kind of rhythm that I just can't figure out. So I have new hope after this sketch. When the weather gets warmer, I want to go outside and draw more trees.

A Week of Whatever: Moving On

No, that was not my plan for this final week of January. I did not get any actual feet done last week. Just a couple skeletal studies. So rather than assign another topic of study, I'm just going to leave it open to continue work on feet. When I have time, that is. This month has gotten progressively busier, and I just haven't had as much time for these studies.

In some ways, this is a good thing. Not good that I haven't been drawing what I want to be drawing, but good that I've had other things to work on. For example, I'm currently being commissioned by my sister to design a few tattoos for her. I want to have the first two mostly fleshed out by February 1st. In addition to the tattoos, I took on the task of making favors for the women's retreat at my church. The woman in charge asked for help, and so I've been folding pretty paper into pretty boxes. I've also got another commission on my list. My other sister wants me to do one of birds for her. So at some point I'll be working on that.

While the January challenge has not been completely successful, I am still feeling inspired to keep moving forward. I recently put a couple ads on our church's market page. It's for general news and job posts and the like. So I have one offering commission work, and another offering private drawing lessons. I'm really hoping someone will be interested in lessons. I think I'd have fun teaching kids the elements and principles of art, and help them improve their technique. I always wonder what my skills would be like now if I'd learned more at an early age. For example, a core shadow is such an important thing to know about when you are rendering forms, but I didn't learn about it until high school, and even then I didn't understand it until college. I want to share my knowledge with kids who love to draw and who love to learn more about art. I guess we'll see what happens with that.

Drawing from Friday



Favor Boxes (I have about 70 done I think)

The Weeks of Hands, Ears, and Feet.

So the January challenge is not going at all how I envisioned it would. I've been taking on some other projects this month ( for family and friends) and so my time spent drawing has been cut back tremendously. Still, I am determined to keep up with the various studies each week, even if it means I can't do it everyday, as I did with the week of hands.

Last week I focused on ears, and while I wish I could have spent more time studying them, I am glad I was able to revisit them for a short while. This week is A Week of Feet. In college, we studied anatomy. One of my illustration assignments was even focused on hands. But I feel like I never had much time to get familiar with the feet. They were always sort of an after thought in my figure drawing classes, as were the hands. The main purpose of this challenge is to become a better artist, which means revisiting the things I never had the time to practice.

I doubt I will have as much time this week to draw, but I am going to do my best. And in the future, I think I will do these monthly challenges a little differently, so that I can have more time to learn about each thing I'm studying.

Here's my sketches from the past couple weeks...


Feet

Ears





Hands

Hold Ups

Well, for the most part, the first week of the January challenge went well. I do feel like I could have done more, but the experience was good all the same. I have not drawn anything for the past several days now due to a family weekend in Virginia, plus Adam and I have been running around getting other things done since yesterday. So, my drawing time has been cut to nothing for the start of this week.

I do plan to use the rest of the week for a new study, but I'm moving things around a bit to compensate for lost time. This week was supposed to be A Week of Feet. I will, instead, do A Week of Ears and save feet for another week. I am not sure doing the week-by-week studies are practical, but I will at least continue it that way for the rest of January.

A Week of Hands (continued)

I've been lazy about posting this week, but I have been keeping up with the hand studies. Still drawing everyday so far, since January 1st. I hope I can keep it up. The weekend may prove difficult though, since I will be away visiting family. I plan on bringing stuff to work on though, so maybe I can draw in the car on the way there.

Also, I should mention the book I've been using for anatomical reference (i.e. bone structure, etc.). All the drawings so far, except for the latest one from today (fleshed out hands), I have referenced from Stephen Peck's Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist. I highly recommend this book to all artists. It is a great resource, and I use it all the time.

Here are my sketches from the last few days. This time I'll post the new stuff first and go backwards.

Today, Wednesday, January 6th


I am very excited about how these came out, especially the hand that's hanging down. The yellowed one is from photographing under yellow lamps, before editing. I usually edit to black and white (as seen below) but I liked the look of this, too. I thought it gave a nice, old traditional look.





January 5th - Tuesday



January 4th - Monday



January 3rd - Sunday

A Month of Anatomy Studies: A Week of Hands

January 1st - Friday

Radius and Ulna from Front

Radius and Ulna from Behind

Radius and Ulna Movement

These are bones of the forearm. I started with the forearm structure because it plays an important role in the movement of the hand at the wrist. So in a sense, I am also studying the forearm in addition to the hand, to better understand the hand.

January 2nd - Saturday

Right Hand from Dorsal View


I was going to officially start this project on Sunday since it's the first day of a full week. But I wanted to get a head start on this because I've been excited to begin this undertaking. And so I'm using the "extra" days beforehand to get a handle on some bone structure. I'm starting to wonder if a week will be enough time to pick apart the hand and practice it. Or any of the other parts of anatomy I want to study for that matter. So much to learn!

Also, I think I may start new subjects on Mondays, since it's the beginning of a work week. It would allow me to focus on something fresh, on an un-distracting day. Then I could continue into the weekend, and simultaneously prepare for the next subject during that weekend.