Thursday, July 25, 2013

In Process

I thought I'd share one of my faces in progress in my sketchbook. Here's the first take and I will show more as I add more details.
This lesson is about turned faces and this one is a 3/4 turn as you can see.....a bit more challenging since the eyes are not equal.  
I love her big eyes.....not sure what she'll look like in the next stage.  Stay tuned.....

Monday, July 22, 2013

Where Has the Time Gone??

What can I say?  I've been so immersed in faces that I've let my photography become a "stepchild".  I would not want
to bore you with all my face drawing attempts, many of which I 
consider failures on the way to success.....
This little girl was done with colored pencil and Dylusions ink.
For the doodles I used the Signo Uniball pen.  I love it as it writes on just about anything.

And this little party girl was done using alcohol markers.  I wasn't satisfied with the results here as they didn't blend well and left lots of streaks.  I think I might have had better results with a bleed-proof paper made for alcohol markers.  Question is.....do I really want to order MORE supplies???  Art supplies can really be addicting!  
I had such a disaster using distress ink on the background that I covered it up with collage papers.   Onward and upward as they say.......


Monday, July 08, 2013

Machines.......

Here's what I made for a collaborative art project.  I found the instructions in a Somerset publication called 
"Sew"....I purchased it because I wanted some really simple machine stitching projects.  


I think I have begun an intimate relationship with my sewing machine.  My husband calls it an expensive door stop.    
I sew so sporadically and I'm so new to machine stitching, that every time I decide to make a project involving the sewing machine, it takes forever just 
to remember how to change the "foot" or needle.  This week-end, we were definitely going steady.  I changed the foot to the free motion foot.  Somehow I had a jam and ended up having to take everything apart.....removed the bobbin plate and bobbin, removed the needle plate, cleared out the thread jam and decided I might as well clean.......got rid of the lint.  Then decided to change the needle since I would be sewing on 
cardstock and paper.  I guess I did not get the needle up as high as it would fit and ended up with another jam.  I mean really.....can you see what you're doing when you're installing the needle?? I have to do it by braille!  Maybe 
I need one of those mirrors like the dentist uses?   I took everything apart again!!!  I've read my instruction manual from beginning to end at least twice.  It is working now though...
 I suppose it's for the better that I had these challenges.  I had no choice but to "get intimate" with the machine.  I learned that I can, indeed, open it up and put everything back together again.....and, have it actually work....wonder of wonders!  
I managed to get a face drawn too.  I keep telling myself I'm going to draw a face every day.......well, somehow it just doesn't
quite happen.  Maybe it's because I want perfection.  I want that face I draw to look really good.  I threw that all to the wind
when I did this one.....just decided to scribble/sketch and not worry about that dreaded perfection.  
I used Stabilo pencils in my journal.
Have a fun day!!

    

Tuesday, July 02, 2013

I'm Still Here

Yes, I am still here.  This drawing thing does take some time.  Even though these are not portrait drawings, I still take a long time.  Plus I'm trying to use various art mediums.  Let me catch you up to date. 
I drew my lovely "Lavender Girl" and collaged a paper napkin around her. 
Her hair was done with watercolor ink which did not do well over the glue that I collaged with.  What to do??? I decided to gesso over her hair and I actually liked the lighter color.  I added a flower over her ear.
I took these photos in different locations.  I apologize for the poor quality but she was too big to fit my scanner.  
I love her little face.  The hair is not my fave but for now I'm satisfied.  Jane Davenport's class is all about having fun and drawing faces more stylistically.  I think mine will be going to "Mermaid School".  She has that look.  I know I will be able to turn these out faster with practice.  I do love drawing them so I don't really care that it takes so much time....it's really rather meditative.  I got lost in "Lavender Girl".

On another note, I worked on my sunflower painting.  Erin taught me a few tricks for "fixing" what I might not like.
I think I like it much better now.
I'm wishing you all a beautiful July 4th and all the friends and family and FOOD that goes with it!!