On (and off) the drawing board:
Phew, there's so much awesomeness going on.
The very first semester of Sketchbook Skool has just finished and it was a tremendous succes. We are now working on all the good stuff coming up in the second kourse, which has the theme 'Seeing'.
Just last weekend, Andrea Joseph (I know, she is an amazing illustrator!!) came over to Amsterdam, and she and I spent the weekend, filming the videos for her klass in the upcoming kourse. I got to see some (no, a lot) of her magic and I hope it rubbed off just a little on me.
It was hard work, but we also had a lot of fun, and I was glad that she enjoyed it after all, even though she was very hesitant towards the whole filming bit of the klass. It was great to spend the weekend with her. We had fun, and she really is a lovely person.
I have a huge pile of editing work to do now, but the things she showed in front of the camera are very inspiring and I know the whole skool is gonna love it. So... if you haven't signed up for Sketchbook Skool yet: make sure to get yourself a seat in klass! The kourse starts July 4 and you can
click here to find out more and enroll right away.
In the meantime, Spring is here, and I am teaching a fun workshop to start (and keep) art journaling:
The workshop starts May 26, and will be running for 4 weeks. After that, I will give you a workbook to take home and keep going on your new daily drawing habit.
So what are you waiting for? For only $69, you will get 4 weeks of fun, full of drawing tips, motivation and a kick-in-the butt for those procrastinators out there.
Does this post look like an advertisement? Sorry about that, if you don't like it. It's just that I am just so excited about the online classes, and I want to share it with everyone!
Suddenly, I got myself into a Project, even though I wasn't aware of it in the first place.
I finished my last art journal, and opened a new one. I chose a Moleskine Sketchbook this time, instead of the watercolor version, because I felt like I could use a bit of change. A different type of paper, and a different format than what I got used to with the last few sketchbooks would bring some nice variety.
Yikes, that first page was kind of awful.
I had to get used to the smooth paper again, and I chose to draw myself in the reflection of the open window, which wasn't easy at all... but hey, the book has a lot of new pages, so onto the next drawing! and at least I enjoyed the process, while sitting in the spring sun for the first time this year.
The next day, I took some more time and chose a familiar tool: I have been drawing with ballpoint pen a lot on this type of paper.
I sat in the kitchen, on the kitchen table in fact, and chose another challenge: my own reflection in the lamp above the table. Wow that certainly was interesting! Not just my own distorted reflection in the round lamp, but all the details I discovered.
A fun drawing, and a fun hour of drawing.
I had such busy days with the very first semester of
Sketchbook Skool coming up, and a lot of ropes to tie together still... So I didn't take the time to sit down and draw something around me, like I'm used to do in my daily drawing journals. but what I
did do, was snap a picture of myself and use it as a reference to draw just before going to sleep, a few days in a row.
So yeah, The Project was born. Why don't I do A Selfie A Day? I have this ongoing self portrait project, on which I work on and off, but wouldn't it be interesting to see how I draw a self portrait each day? Will they be reflecting my moods? Will I get better at drawing my own face and its features?
We'll see. I don't plan to fill this journal with self portraits
only. because I want to keep journaling too. Just drawing my face won't do. And it won't be satisfying every day either. As sometimes, it just doesn't work out well. Like the one below.
Now that is just insulting towards my husband, whom I tried to draw from, admitted, a bad photo.
If I can I will do a portrait
and drawing of my surroundings. we'll see how it goes!
I ate some dodgy prawns and had a vision of St.Fractalius.
Click to enlarge.
The newest page from my upcoming
Memoirs.
Paper53 on iPad. Click to enlarge.
My horse lost at the Cheltenham Gold Cup yesterday. I had to sell grandma to pay the bookies.
ZenBrush on iPad. Click to enlarge.
Two more pages from my forthcoming
Memoirs.
Paper53 on iPad. Click to enlarge.
My latest page of
Memoirs. It's all true, I swear it.
Paper53 on iPad. Click to enlarge.
A quick pose using the ZenBrush app on iPad.
Recent sketching in various cafes.
Paper 53 on iPad. Click to enlarge.
...Three times a lady...
If you recall, I'd completed and study for my summer tree/woman and was well on my way into a "final" version. I thought it would go quickly - and the initial drawing did - but, I really got stuck on some things.
First of all, I did the study on a different paper than the one I'm using for this series. It was a very smooth texture while the final has a bit more tooth. It's always a bit of an adjustment, getting used to the different result. But, the hardest part was that it was more difficult to get extreme darks that came so easily in the study because of the texture - the white of the paper shows through, lightening whatever value I put down.
I also struggled with the palm fronds, for some reason. They came together so easily in the study - not so for the drawing that followed. And then, I realized that I had really confined myself to almost only B-range pencils. I really didn't use the the lighter values that I like to use in my drawings. I flashed back to a college drawing class - I'd spent weeks on a poster-sized detailed still life and the professor commented that it appeared to consist mostly one value. When I realized that, I started erasing to see if I could fix it, and this resulted in dirty, smudgy-looking work (not consistant with the other drawing in this series and rather sloppy for the subject matter).
So, much to my chagrin, I knew that this second drawing was not a final but another study. There were elements in both drawings that I've taken and put into what will hopefully be the final drawing. This time, I've started by laying down my light values - 4H, 2H, and HB - on the palm fronds. I'll insert more dark shadows where needed, but I'm in the building of values stage. This will take some time, depending on how much time I can carve out in the next few days.
In the meantime, I will continue to chip away at the mess of toys, shoes, and family stuff that always seems to pile up too quickly. I'm teaching our writing co-op tomorrow - it's my turn and it's research paper time.
First time using iPad in Lifedrawing class quickie poses.
Adobe Ideas on iPad.
Another kid from the
Almussafes series of child dreamers, this one is Maria Angeles. For a forthcoming book and exhibition of Spanish children's dreams collected by Roger Omar.
Adobe Ideas on iPad. Click to enlarge.
I came across this old sketch I made of my late mother.
Sepia watercolour 15cm x 10cm. Click to enlarge.
Let me share today's thoughts:
- Who put the Pope in ajar above the moon?
- I would pay a lot for a problem incinerator.
- Ah, the autumn of 1580....
- Why don't elbows sweat?
- Money-saving anaesthesia for our cash strapped health system.
- The ecstacy of the real.
- Broken newt? Why, glue your eye shut, of course.
Pen and ink with digital colour. A4 size. Click to enlarge.
The dream of Maria Ángeles from Almussafes, Spain. From a series of children's dreams collected by Roger Omar.
Gouache and pencil 25cm x 35cm. Click to enlarge.
It's Helgoid's birthday so I've donned my celebration hat.
Gouache and pencil 36cm x 23cm. Click to enlarge.
Hello all! I wanted to let you know about my latest work hanging at the very wonderful Moden Eden gallery in San Francisco, CA! I was lucky enough to be part of their latest group show, "Myth," and returned to a subject I find myself coming back to time and time again; the Japanese folktale The Crane Wife.
More info "behind the work" and purchase info here!
I didn't get to post about the opening reception back on July 14th, but luckily, there is a closing reception in conjunction with North Beach First Fridays on Friday, August 3, 2012. The closing reception will be held at 403 Francisco Street from 6-9pm.Facebook event invite here!
http://www.facebook.com/events/449331605088376/Thanks everyone! : D <3
www.daisychurch.com
The Japanese model. 0% finance and 5 years free servicing.
Pencil A3 size. Click to enlarge.
The rather fine Japanese model. I'm told nude life models are unknown in Japan.
Pencil. A3 size. Click to enlarge.
Remember the
fat boy? Well, he's still at it apparently. My illustration originally published in
The Fanatic.
Pen and ink with Letratone and Pantone film. Click to enlarge.
I can't wait until I get my hands of your memoirs, I guess you have all the big publishing houses fighting over it?