So far so good, still doing the face a day and still busy learning a lot.
Day 6 (above) was also last weeks lesson with 'Gulfsprite' with her new 'Obsessions' Class - loving every minute of this and learning a lot. All mixed media and finishing off with soft pastel shading.
I enjoyed the lesson so much I had another play with the pastels the next day in my journal.
This one was one of my own new techniques which did not turn out as well as I had hoped, but still good practice.
This was done using a mirror to try improve the shape of the features, I thought the nose and mouth were improved but still not the eyes, and in truth even my hair is not quite that messy, most of the time.
I think this is mostly acrylic paints with some soft pastel shading.
Lastly a quick sketch on a day were there was not so much available time.
Having a great time doing this, this week I have been learning more about colour pencil a medium I have always loved but never quite understood, I have ordered a new blender which has been recommended by Gulfsprite and a small set of portrait pencils, and blending fluid. Very excited to use them, I have already started some pencil practice, not an expert yet but having fun learning.
So, looking back it seems it is June 2015 since I last wrote a blog post. Needless to say it was not the best of years and I am not sorry its now over. I did very little in the way of art to speak of, but gradually started getting back into it and at last finding what I would like to do with my future. In order for this dream to become a reality I have to work at it, I do not have a natural talent, having only started to teach myself to draw at all a few years ago and I am now in my 50th year.
I decided to set myself a challenge - I have been sharing this on my instagram account since the beginning of the year (@simjata) to draw/paint a face every day this year. Other commitments mean I do not always find the time to paint each day.
But there is no excuse for not finding a few minutes to reach for a pencil if time is short.
Today I am making a start by sharing my first few days of the year - it is of course now day 12 so that gives me more to blog about too, so I can share on here and on my facebook page.
Some days I do more than one, and if I am happy with the attempt I will share that too, above is numbered 3a, as I did two on day 3.
As I can only put 6 pictures on per post I am sharing my first 5 days - my next post will be the next lot and so on.
Idea also being I get to blog once a week, which I 'should' manage to stick too (you would think). I hope to improve each month, and my ambition is to be able to do portraits that might actually resemble who they are meant to be in time. I have a book on hollywood actors which is great for beautiful faces, and also on on hairstyles which gives me a few models to practice with. Thank you for reading, and those wonderful artists on instagram, thank you for all your encouragement.
Doodle Art, have you seen this stuff? its amazing, there is so much talent out there. I am just starting and still have an awful lot to learn, but I am hoping to combine my fantasy art idea's into this style too, alongside actual paintings, gives me plenty of interest.
I am enjoying doing so much drawing and I am starting to improve as I am practicing daily, also with doing some pen work and more detail I am learning to take more time. Here is my first pen work doodle.
working with pen is a real disciplin, certainly focus's the mind. I am working on the roses and flowers I really want to get better at them, so been doing a lot of them to try get it right, I think they are coming on now, and I still have a lot of drawings that are awaiting the added doodles and paint to finish them off.
This last one was the most popular on instagram (@simjata) I am following many talented artists and learning a lot, also getting encouragement from other great artists on instagram.
When I did this I was suffering from a nasty case of sciatica, it was a struggle to do much so I tried to focus how I felt into my art work.
Hope you like viewing my new idea's and thank you for reading..
As I mentioned in my last post, I 'REALLY' need funds in order to move forward with my art at the moment. So... I took the decision this week to offer many of my art books for sale on Ebay. Took me many hours yesterday to list them, I have 24 on offer, here are a few of the popular and most useful titles that gave me a lot of help and encouragement.
I studied the prices both on Ebay and Amazon and have offered ALL my books at a cheaper price and hope to find them good homes at the same time as funding my passion further.
You can find all these great Art Journal and Mixed Media book by following This Link to my Ebay shop.
They are all in great condition (unless stated) and come highly recommended by me and many other mixed media artists.
Thank you for your support.
Before I leave, thank you to Jen (Miss Bohemia) for taking the time to post and encourage me on my last blog post, much appreciated.
I have been adding some art works to my Etsy shop recently. Trying to develop my new art style comes at a cost, and the dog walking day job is not making enough after the necessary eating thing is out of the way. Extra paper both professional and practice comes at a cost, and reference books to learn from all mount up too. I have lots of great comments but little else so far.
I quite liked the above painting, so intend to offer this up as original art work too, alongside the prints. I only do 5 each of prints as I do so much art and hope to have so much more to offer in the future.
I did have a big downer this week when I made the HUGE mistake of showing a family member my art, should have known better. I can take critisism and dislike from the public fine, but just a little support from close family I would have thought would be freely given? how wrong I was. Seems if you do not draw and paint like one of the master's you cannot call yourself an artist. Luckily I have some good friends, and some great 'Instagram' followers who gave me a lot of support to drag me out of the place I fell into.
After a weekend so far of family, and friends in need I am about to go pick up those pencils and hopefully paints and get started on this weeks wonders.
Thank you if you have read and viewed this far.
On the right of page is a little showcase for my Etsy shop, just one click will take you there.
So............. here is my new style!!! Part of our lesson in Painted Faces III with Gulfsprite has been some teachings on surrealism, which I have found I love. This makes me so happy all I want to do these days is draw, I do paint too but I worry about spoiling my drawings when I paint them, I am getting better with this though. The above painting I have made into prints and added to my Etsy Shop today.
Along with surreal art I am also studying 'Steampunk' as I am a fan of that too, always was but a bit too long in the tooth to follow and dress that way, but to draw and paint.........oh yes, now that is a lot of fun. I now only paint with watercolour as find that to give more of the effect I like, never could get it quite right with acrylics, I now know my problem was too much paint, less is more for sure in the case of painting.
I am just starting to design my own little creatures after learning from books how to draw dragons and other mythical beings, so as above they do not come from anywhere else but me, which is worrying my husband greatly.. I am trying to learn to draw without distraction and what just comes from within, this is taking more time but is interesting.. I have a sketchbook upstairs away from any other influence which is becoming very interesting indeed.
All the above will be made into prints and added to my Etsy Shop in the future. I need to start adding more as I need so many art supplies to continue and they are not given away. I go through an awful lot of paper, and most of it is artist quality. Also like nice brushes and graphgear pencils.
Art is to Console
Those who are broken
by Life.
Vincent Van Gogh
Art Allows us to FIND ourselves
and to LOSE ourselves
at the same time.
Thomas Merton.
