EDM# 104 and An Idea for a Painting

I had an idea for a painting that I attempted to sketch out here. The plan was for a girl to be walking with little tiny elephants dancing all around her feet. Well, not really dancing, think Heinrich Kley. Then her feet went off the page and I really didn't feel like correcting anything. After this, my heart wasn't really into the drawing anymore. Not that it is terrible. I used two reference photos for this, both from morguefile. Here and Here.
And this is something I haven't done in a long time! EDM Challenge #104: Salt and Pepper shakers. In fact, I just turned myself into a liar because I recently commented on someone's blog that I don't do the EDM challenges anymore. (Not that they're bad or anything!) I think I said that today, in fact! But then I saw this salt and pepper set in my mother's china cabinet and couldn't resist. Not sure how I've missed these. They look quite old, with some of the shine worn off the ceramic. The sketch isn't very well observed. Have you ever been in that mood before? Where you don't really care to focus that hard? Just throw down some lines and let them be? That was me today. I just said, 'ah! Nobody will even notice!" Except, I'm a blabbermouth-- I forgot. It looked better before I added the ink lines, which I did because they actually appear on the birds that way. This was done on some very old paper that I found amongst my late aunt's things. The paper is pretty rough, and 300 lb weight. I had never used paper this heavy, and I love it! No buckling whatsoever! No taping down! Maybe it's a little rough for my taste, but I do love the weight!

(They are still sitting next to me. I just looked over and they have been pushed together in a way that it looks like one bird is whispering in the other's ear. Now why couldn't I have set them up that cute???)

Self-Portraits 4, 5, and 6

Whew! I've been doing some crazy things the last few days. Most of it has been a complete fiasco. Like the canvas that I glued tissue paper onto and then tried to do a portrait in acrylic. Only, I've very limited selection of acrylics and they didn't work the way I expected. Not only did the skin tone turn out a hideous orangy color, like someone spending too long at the tanning beds, but the tissue began to dissolve and break apart as I added layers of paint to hide the mistakes. It WAS a failure-- an utter failure. But that's one way I know I won't fail again. And it was fun to do something I've never tried before.

Not letting that get me down, I had something else I wanted to try. I've seen people draw and paint in books and I always thought it looked cool. So, I tore out the last pages of some book I had just read, you know the part where they introduce you to the first three chapters of some other book they want you to buy? I started splashing around and having fun. But, it was harder than I thought it would be. I misjudged how much the paint would lighten when it dried. I didn't get a good likeness. I tried again on another page...still didn't get a good likeness. So, I quit for the day, knowing that I had at least been experimental.

Oops...lips too red. Oops...face to red.

Oops. Oops. Oops. That was my yesterday.

So, I woke up today determined to do something a little better to get my confidence back. It started off as an exercise in tones, but I quickly realized my photo was taken with a flash camera and had washed out most of the tones. Though it's light, I kept going. I made a few mistakes along the way. Like when I got a little green mixed in with my black and then painted the lenses. Oh, that was a happy accident. Then I decided I would paint just my eyes blue. But the pupils weren't yet dry and it turned into more of a gray. I like it enough. I did have fun with this one. There were other things I had intended to explore in this one that I didn't get to, but hey, it's only #6 of 100!

You may wonder why I put that one at the top of the post, when I talk about it down here at the bottom. Well, it's like this: Would you be able to look at your blog with these horrible drawings being the first thing you see? No way! Not me! If I'm going to post my uglies, I'll do it with dignity thank you very much!

Self-Portrait #3 of 100

This is the first time I've ever attempted to draw something while standing up. And while the drawing only took about five minutes, my arm thought it took at least thirty! Wow! It was burning like I was holding a twenty pound sketchbook instead of the little 8" X 5.5" Exacompta (very lightweight!) that I was using! Seriously, my arm was nearly shaking by the end. This could become a new workout routine!

I'm undecided on the painted version. I like it; but it's not what I had pictured in my head. No reason to get down though...this is only number three!

And Time Flies!

You wouldn't know it from looking at this blog, but I have not been completely idle, art-wise! I've been busy during the day, and sketching at night. April and May always seem to be like that for me. The garden needs tending. All the major projects for the year begin, and this year is no different. Our garden has kept us very busy. I've started repainting various rooms and shampooing carpets throughout. Then, at night, though I'm tired, I at least pick up a pencil or a pen, so I don't lose the feel for drawing. I've not felt like posting or even practicing with watercolor. Pencil or pen is just easy. And I'm all about easy when I'm tired!



This is a morguefile photo (#209568 by Nesstor4u2). I've noticed that although it is relatively simple to draw people (for me), I find it more difficult to group them together and keep proportions correct. That is why I chose this particular photo. It's done in pencil and I probably should have scanned it sooner, before the smearing could begin.




This man is also from a photo on morguefile.com. (ref#607477, by Bboomerindenial). It's done in ballpoint pen. I love weathered faces, so much easier to do than perfect, youthful ones. The shapes are easier to see because they are broken into smaller pieces by wrinkles and folds. And it's easier to make them not look like plastic! Have you ever noticed that?


This is morguefile again. (ref#221173, by CarolinaJG) It's of several people walking along a beach. I never finished it. There was another woman walking alongside the one. The two men weren't walking together but at angles to one another. It's in pencil on watercolor paper, but I never went back to it, and I put too much shading in for wc.



This one (ref#217100, by jarndt, and on morguefile) was of two men riding horses in a small parade. I wasn't doing very well though. This horse didn't, in actuality, have these long, long legs. And the man is actually sitting in the saddle, not behind it! I know it sounds like I'm complaining and pointing out all the flaws, but I just see it as it is. It needs redoing is all.

I've decided to participate in MommaNinja's challenge. I like that I have an unlimited amount of time (a year is good, I think) to complete 100 drawings of something. A dog sounded good, but mine has sadly passed. Our cat isn't always around when you need him, and he hates to cooperate. So, I'll be doing 100 self-portraits! Yikes!

EDM #10, painted

I'm new to painting. (Don't let the watercolors on my previous post mislead you into thinking that I'm an old pro at it...I had an instructor standing over me, telling what to do!) Corel Painter is one of my favorite places to play around with it, since I don't worry about messing up a drawing, or wasting material on something ugly.

So, this is the sketch of my hand, painted with oil paints, in Corel. Very overdone, I think. (especially when I see Janey's !)