365 faces of 2016. 36 - 41

Seem to have had a real struggle for time this week, found it hard to keep up with the daily practice.  But I have still managed it.  Been working with colour pencil again which I love, my valentine/anniversary gift was a box of 72 artist colour pencils, I love them.

Quite a few graphite faces creeping in due to my lack of time, but it means I can still manage to get one done.

This one was from watching the speed video from Gulfsprite, I loved her piece so much I had to try it on my own before watching the 'actual' instructions.

And then I loved the lesson so much I did it three times, and I am still doing variations of it now.

The pieces are very textured, the camera does not pick this up so well though.

Hoping this week will give me a bit more practice time.

Face a Day Challenge - Day 30 - 35

mmmh, Day 30 - I think it is Acrylic paint and pencil on mixed media background.

Day 31 - This one is all coloured pencil, I am really loving this medium, still need a lot of practice but do enjoy.

Day 32 - Another in coloured pencil.

Day 33 - This one is soft pastel, she does look a bit scary first time I have tried black pastel paper, think I need to use lighter colours for this, when I used the fixative it went very dark, lesson learnt.

Day 34 - Colour pencil again, tried a different pose to give more interest.  Used kraft paper to practice on.

Day 35 - Lastly done in my art journal, mixed media background, including collage and face shaded with colour pencil.

Still on track to do my 365 faces this year, days when time is my enemy its just a pencil sketch.  Also do a lot of study on art video's to watch how things are done.  Of course also loving my art course with Gulfsprite 'New Obsession' found on Patreon.

365 faces personal challenge. Day 24 - 29

Hopefully my next entry I will have caught up.  Still managed one a day, just about.. not always easy but still determined.  Above was the latest Art Geeks Lesson, done with mostly markers and a small amount of pencil.

Above was inspired by Gulfsprite livestream, available for you to watch on YouTube.  Mixed Media.

One of those 'short on time' days.  So a quick pencil sketch with background of pastel and water.

My first with my new pastels and pastel paper.  Very happy with both purchases.

Another with the new pastels, I do like this medium.

Lastly was the last lesson of January with Gulfsprite at Obsessions on Patreon.  Mostly soft pastel with water added.  This takes me almost up to the end of January.  I do think I am improving with the disciplined daily practice.

365 days of Faces Personal Challenge. Day 18 - 23

I really do need to keep up with these, its actually day 29 now and I am still a week behind.

Above (face 19) was a bit of fun in an Art Geeks lesson.  Drawn and coloured with markers, and a very tiny bit of pencil.

Above is mixed media and that weeks Obsessions lesson with Gulfsprite on Patreon.  There is even collage on this one.

Day 21 I do remember as I was sick this day, just had one of those 24 hour bug things, lucky for me I was better the next day so could continue.  I am proud though to keep going even when I dont feel like it, I am teaching myself a little discipline too.

This looks very much like colour pencil only, I am doing a lot of practice with this medium, not quite getting it yet but trying.

Day 23 another with just colour pencil.  I should catch up on my next post, when hopefully you will see an improvement.

365 faces personal challenge - day 12/17

Although I am behind on my blog updates, thankfully I am not behind on my challenge.  I am now on day 27 and still keeping up.  I do show daily on my instagram which is @simjata.

The problem with being behind is I forget the medium I used, I think above was watercolour and pencil.

I know this one (above) this is mixed media and taken from my classwork with  Gulfsprite Patreon. Loving this class, great value for money too, with a lengthy class each week and one bonus at the end of month. Learning a lot on this one.

Above looks again like watercolour and pencil, with pastel and water as background.  I am getting quite an addiction to the coloured pencils.

Looks like a mixed media piece.  I know it was done in my art journal as the green flecks are from a stencil I had cleared off on the page.

Lastly, looks again like watercolour and pencil - I am doing other medium now, but very taken with the pencil and also with soft pastel, just invested in new paper too so from today (day 27) there will be improved paper for each medium.

365 Faces, Day 6 - Day 11

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.

365 Faces - New Year, new me

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.