Keeping up with the face challenge 67 - 72

Keeping up a little better this week, for once.  Although not easy when its pencil work.  Above is the first lesson of March with 'Gulfsprite' on her Patreon.  Watercolour and collage.  Enjoyed this, as though I do like watercolour I am not that great with it, enjoyed the practice.

This one was an experiment on my part, really must try it again.  Colour pencil and soft pastel pencils on Mi-tenes paper.

Watercolour and coloured pencil.  This is a medium I do like to play with, all pencil work.

Not my finest hour I know, not quite sure how I went so wrong on this one but I did.  Still, enjoyed the shading practice with watercolour pencils and dry colour pencils.

Must have been a short on time day, so all graphite here, bit of an odd hairstyle but again, all practice.

Finally for this week my Mum's favourite, she thinks I should put this up for sale - trying to explain though it is good for me, still not quite good enough a way to go yet.  All colour pencil, mostly derwent but others used too.

365 faces challenge - random 41/60 something

Sorry for absence.  Family drama got in the way of my art work, so in truth I did miss 3 days.  Above is 46.

49. So, as I am so far behind now I am just going to choose a random 6 that I like best so I can catch up.

I am still very much enjoying learning colour pencil work and how best to blend, using different tecniques. (and one day I will learn to spell too!)

I do try when short on time at least to manage a pencil sketch in the moleskine, but for a few days there was either no time available or I was just wiped out with the stress of it all.

I even got behind on my art lesson with 'gulfsprite' but think I have caught up with that now.  Above was one from the class.

This one is just from a few days back, and I loved it.  Though nobody else did, so I got the worst reception ever on instagram with this one - funny when we dont all like the same things.

I hope to be back on track now, and trying to keep my back seat from the on-going drama.  I hate drama, much prefer peace and quiet and pencils and paint.

So Much to Learn

One of the best things about my journey in art is all the learning to be done.  Each day I am learning more about how to progress with my art which is the most amazing of experiences.  Okay it does take a bit longer later in life, but I think is more appreciated.

I love doing the faces, but have never been all that thrilled with the hair on my girls, or that sure on what to do in the backgrounds, always wanting them to have a bit more of an interest.  This weeks lessons in Painted Faces III and in Art Geeks have been teaching more about the face and how to enjoy creating your own version of the hair, and in the group we have been discussing surrealism and how to include more into our background pieces.

I think I am getting quite an addiction going on, I have a head just full of paintings waiting to get out, and as usual not enough hours in the day.  Also my little dog was neutered yesterday so she is needing quite a lot of care right now, having said that she has slept most of today which has allowed me to complete another page.

I just finished this one.  Also the majority done this month have been in watercolor, I think I am starting to actually prefer this, after so long fighting it and not really understanding how it works, my next task is to put away my desk full of acrylics.. not saying I wont use them as sure I will but need more space for my watercolors, inks and of course my crayons.. still having a lot of fun in my sketchbook with the crayons.

keeping up

Really struggling to keep up with everything at the moment.  Determined to keep a record of my art works here on blogger as I feel its important to see my own progress and I also hope it may be of help to others.  Above is the second journal page lesson in Painted Faces III with Gulfsprite.  Many have said how lovely the page is, which I agree but .. it is with the help of an excellent teacher.

In our facebook group (Gulfsprite class group) we were discussing the use of other mediums, one of the girls has broke her hand and having to try using her none dominant hand for her art - this started a discussion on adult colouring books and the use of crayola crayons, so some of us went off and had a try at art using just crayola crayons, above was my first attempt.  Not the easiest things in the world to shad with, but I have seen some true masterpieces done, so I have another book on the way to tell me more.  Using crayons is just a wonderful experience.

We were also discussing marker pens, which is something I have previously not got to grips with.  Seems the secret for me is to just 'go for it' with no thought at all and play, this has to be the best thing I have ever done with just markers... It took me about half an hour.

Finally is today's art lesson and journal page.  Not really sure about this one, I do like the face I did but the background is bolder than it should be, I feel a softer approach may have been better.  I have another two pages sketched out though when we were learning 'ears' so hope to find some time to develop those over the weekend.  Though I have visiters tomorrow, and am out most of Sunday as its my birthday, so not looking that great time wise..  I may well be a bit slower next week too as my beautiful little dog is going to the vet to be neutered so I will be spending time caring for her till she is back to full speed.

Art in April

So, I have started my new on-line art course - you can find it here Painted Faces III and just three lessons in I am learning a lot, and I do think my style is improving.

Alongside I am also still working on the People Pleasing book, and learning how to STOP this as it is not good for the health.  Above was to copy down the 10 commandments of a people pleaser and then change them to a new and improved lifestyle, learning that it is okay to put your needs first, or at least to learn to consider them at all.

My new commandments are written out above, not so easy to stick to them but I am trying hard.  Of course the book does not actually 'say' to incorporate this with your art, I just like to do it this way.

Above was just my playing around with my own style, after a lesson in 'features' on the course, I am hoping my facial features are starting to improve, still the lesson on shading to go and today's lesson (or yesterdays for most) is a very long one that I am about to watch.  Certainly get your money's worth on this course.

This last one was actual 'homework' from the art course, it was the first 'journal page' lesson, not like me to use so few colours so was an experience.  We are going to learn more about jewellery and hair yet too, I did enjoy this page also with the collage element.

Not had a whole lot of time for art with the Easter weekend.  Intending to cram lots into today though, always happiest with my pencils and brushes.

Difficult Week but still Painting

It has not been the easiest of weeks, and although I have dated my paintings each day they were not in all honesty done daily.  I did have at least two days of no art at all.  I quite like this first one, I have started to use even more of my art supplies for improved effect.

This dramatic girl was done on my paint palette page in the style of the paint palette Polly's I did, trying a new direction with them so I can continue at some point.  I did find the drama of the piece quite uplifting.

A similar style in my art journal, not one of my better days but at least I managed to throw some paint about and have a practice.  I did like the colour palette.

I did like the style of this one.  I did the initial sketch with a brush so it did start off a bit looser, then refined it at the end with pencils.

Right up to this morning, whilst some of my collage work was drying out I got out some soft pastels and a sketch book and did this one just from my head with no reference picture, she is quite interesting and I still do not really know what I am doing with pastels, would love to learn to use them correctly with the effects I have seen.  But no pencil work on this, all done with soft pastels.

Lastly I finished this one off this afternoon.  Paint and collage to the back and she is painted and coloured using pencils, inks, pastels, oil pastels and paints.  Hope to have time to try another tomorrow before again (hopefully) finding the time to start my new faces course with Gulfsprite on Wednesday.
With Easter upon us I will probably loose more time, and its my Dad's birthday on Saturday so a family gathering for that and mine the week after.. I am hoping to go out then as there is a dog show at one of the local rescue's I support and I would love to take my pretty girl Rhubarb to the fun dog show.  Also have the day job getting in the way from time to time too, but should not complain about that one, that is to keep me in art supplies so a necessary evil.

Pastel Pencils

Now, oil pastels I have tried - and enjoyed using.  But soft pastels, not really (aside from a Reeves set which dont really count do they? enough to put anyone off) so for the bonus lesson in the FACEcinating Girls Class I invested in a set of pastel pencils and had a try above, this is my first try and I quite like them, so much so I have ordered a set of Conte soft pastels to go with them.  I find the blending far easier than other media and it helps me to learn what its all about.

I tried another one today, not as keen on the placement of her features but again enjoyed the shading.

Still struggling a bit for precious art time, so the pastels are very good for that - dont have drying time, or sorting out clean water and pallets.

Just a couple

I like to think the faces I paint are developing, but I still struggle with the 'eye' thing.  Despite the fact I have new spex now, I often wonder whether it is due to my eye problems that this keeps happening - as you see on the above face, the eyes are just totally different - which is such a shame as I was happy with the nose for once and the mouth was okay for me.

How adventurous is this then? I added hands! they are not so bad for a first attempt, but again see the eyes are 'off', maybe I will need to seek out my ruler for the size? but then still struggle with the shapes being equal................

Just 3 more sleeps till the next 'facecinating girls' course for winter faces, see below blog post for details - so its unlikely I will blog again till my first painting from the course - I am excited about it, as I love Andrea's courses, I think its the contageous smile that does it.

From Start to Finish

Its not often I do the whole picture on the same day - Its not often I have the time, or of late could actually spend that long in the Art Space.  But today has rained for most of the day, and I have been up since 5.20am for Hubby's new job.........yawn.  Just had the dogs to walk, a few chores in the village and the day was mine.
So, I started off with a sketch..........

Must confess, this one is not straight out of my befuddled head, but I did have a reference model from a fashion magazine, at least the features do seem to be in proportion so good start.
Then I did some underpainting with Acrylics..

Now then, that has made her really scary.  While this was drying I was working in my art journal, now thats drying so not finished as yet.
When dry it was time to get the oil pastels out and some coloured pencils - background was art bars and water...

Think I need to find a lesson in eyelashes as they were not so good, but was quite happy with the rest of the face and the hair was an improvement on my usual faces so quite happy with that too.

Since Wednesday ...

Since Wednesday I have... finished off the journal page I showed on my desk on my last blog post for WOYWW.  Didnt go as well as I had hoped as life got in the way, and with it brought back anxiety attacks etc, so been struggling a bit, it does help to art it out so that is what I have tried to do.  

While layers were drying I picked up my Portfolio oil pastels and did this one..

..and today I tried a larger one on one of the mixed media backgrounds I had done on A3 card.  I am calling this my 'not quite' face, as parts of it are quite good, but the placements are not right so it really does look like a 'not quite' face, LOL. I have to keep telling myself they are much better than they were 18 months back, and everyone has to start somewhere.  Only the very lucky have the natural talent, the rest of us have to work very hard at it.  So, here is my 'not quite' face...

Hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the warm weather - sadly I am not the biggest fan, seems as I have got older it does me no favours health wise at all, but so far its cool (ish) in the house so thats ok, though I am going to have to take the nuicance dog out for 5 mins, its too hot for him so will only be 5 mins.  We took them on the beach last night at 8.30pm which was a successful walk, and nice and cool for us all.

Not sure there will be too much art done over the weekend, I have family to visit tomorrow, and puppy class is Sunday, and a shopping trip to the Organic Farm - puppy class usually does for me too.

Bored Yet?

I have often been taught that the way to improve is to keep up the Practice, so I have been doing this every day this week.  I dont manage a face a day as I do have other things going on in life, and especially with backgrounds and some underpainting there is drying times.

These are the faces I have done this week. Again they are with oil pastel which I just adore to work with.  I do still feel my faces are a bit 'flat' and need more dimension to them, so more practice is still needed - probably a lifetimes worth LOL - but still, I enjoy doing it.

I have ordered an A3 display book so I have somewhere to put them and to log my progress, funny thing as some days I think 'thats great' then the next day I seem to go backwards again?  Today I have been working on a cover for my new book (I say today, was yesterday too), also running out of some of my pastel colours, so I have invested in some new ones of the more expensive and professional brands, only 4 sticks but its a start, wonder how they will affect my progress?
Here is my last one, finished her off yesterday...

I think she is a bit on the scary side, not sure what went wrong there.............