For today's post I thought I'd share how one of my goals for the year is going: Use one art book at a time completing ALL the lessons.
The book I'm starting with is How to Draw Buildings, by Ian Sidaway. I chose it for a number of reasons: - It dovetails nicely with my other art goal and theme of drawing and painting doorways, especially those connected with my current WIP, Ghazal.
- It give me a good foundation (no pun intended) for my weekend outings with Urban Sketchers.
- I really, really want to learn how to use perspective better/correctly.
- Being familiar with buildings and architectural detail will help me with some ideas I'm tossing around for illustrating picture books.
- The more buildings I draw for practice, the easier it will be to sketch in my travel journals.
- And more than anything, I just love buildings!
I particularly like the way this book is structured. Each lesson is divided into three: first is the main example with several pages of instructions followed by the suggestion to "Try Another Medium," and ending with a third prompt, "Try Another Building."
The first chapter, and the one I've completed, is all about drawing simple small houses, beginning with graphite on white paper. I used a new 9 x 12 inch Strathmore Recycled 400 series sketchbook I bought for just this purpose:
Once I'd finished the drawing, I then moved on to Part II: try another medium. For this I chose to use an ultrafine black Sharpie on a heavier sketchbook page (Strathmore Visual Journal) that I had already painted with a background using my Japanese Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors:The last section, "Try Another Building" provided a photo of what the book called a "stern little house," which it certainly was. For this piece I chose a sheet of student-grade watercolor paper that I had previously experimented on last year by placing a piece of crumpled wax paper face-down on the surface and then ironing the whole thing with my craft iron. After removing the wax paper and letting the watercolor sheet dry, I then painted it with a light wash of Prang watercolors (my super-favorite, ever-so-cheap but excellent brand for art journaling, etc.). The result was an interesting resist pattern resembling bare tree branches that also matched the photo in this last part of the lesson.
I drew the house and filled in the "trees" with Faber-Castell Polychromos color pencils and white charcoal--doing my best to make the whole thing as stern as possible.So there you are, three houses, three ways, and all ready for the Three Little Pigs to move in! Another interesting option might be to write a story or vignette based on each of these settings. Anybody want to try?
I've set aside Sunday afternoons to be my "class time" using this and my other how-to books throughout the year. Next Sunday I'll be moving on to Lesson 2 and two-point perspective (the example shown on the cover of the book above). Already I'm feeling nervous which is exactly why I'm using this step-by-step approach. No more just buying books, looking at the pictures, and working on the "easy" parts. Instead, I'm "building up my courage" to go straight through from cover to cover, lesson to lesson. And because I've put that in writing, I'm now honor-bound to stick to my goal! (Taking a deep breath.)
Tip of the Day: What difficult phases of the creative process do you find yourself frequently avoiding and therefore never learning to the degree you want? For me it was never attempting the "advanced" lessons in my art and other reference books. I've found that breaking a task down into easy steps is a good way to overcome and/or work with anxiety. For instance, gathering all your needed supplies for a project a day before you start can be be one step. Setting a timer to work on a portion of the project for just twenty-minutes at a time can be another. Whatever you do, keep in mind that the only way to learn anything is with steady practice, not "instant genius absorption." Good luck and have fun!
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Here we are—a new year, a clean slate, all kinds of good things on the horizon! I have so many plans and ideas, but as I mentioned in my last post I want to pace myself a little better this year, and keep my goal list down to just three items. Over the weekend I had some time to sit down and make some decisions about what those three goals would be. In no particular order, the winners are:
1. Edit and rewrite my next novel. As soon as my synopsis and outline for The Abyssal Plain--the literary novel I finished last year--are ready for submission (hopefully by the end of the month) I want to start working on book #10: Ghazal. Last fall I re-read the first draft for the first time in a year, and was happy to discover that most of the editing will simply be improving some of my word choices (stronger verbs, etc.), cleaning up typos, and adding a small amount of text to help clarify the plot.
2. Work on a long-term art project. Prior to this year, the best word to describe my approach to art-making would be “scattered.” “Unfocused” might work even better. My haphazard style (aka "dabbling") is the result of loving absolutely every art material and technique I can get my hands on: collage, watercolors, acrylic, clay, every type of pencil or crayon or pastel imaginable that I then use on so many different types of papers, boards, and fabric supports that I could probably write a comprehensive thesis on the subject.
What I haven’t done is follow any kind of serious idea or direction. I like painting cats, dogs, landscapes, faces, flowers, trees, ferrets, even my art supplies when I'm desperate—but none of it really makes for a coherent body of work. Although I never want to box myself in to the point that I give up drawing ferrets, I still want to find some kind of artistic voice this year. In other words, I want to create a series. And the strongest subject that is calling to me right now is: doorways. Using a variety of mediums and supports, I want to explore open doorways, closed doors, antique doors, doors decorated for the seasons, doors in foreign lands and climates. The concept of doors (and the houses they belong to) is so rich in metaphor and possibility that it will be a challenge to know when to stop!
3. Sketch as much as possible, and add freewriting to my drawings.Despite my concentration on doorways, I still want to keep up a sketching habit, hopefully with even more vigor than in previous years. After all, a series of doors all on their own can get a little stale. For that reason, each door will need it’s own personality: a kitty on the stair, a container of roses under the streetlight, a basket of freshly-picked tomatoes. To do that with any kind of finesse, I’ll need to practice. And to make sure I get in my daily writing practice, I plan to add freewriting to my sketches. I can’t tell you how energized I am about these goals and plans. The best part is I don’t need any new supplies, LOL! Just the faith and confidence to say “yes” to every new drawing, every new page.
Tip of the Day: Never underestimate the power of brainstorming. To make my list of three goals I actually had to brainstorm a list of about twenty. There was a lot I wanted to do—way too much and much more than anyone could handle with any kind of joy or enthusiasm. But I couldn’t have found the three that really appealed to me without writing it all down first.
Happy New Year, Everyone! Let's make it the best ever.
Usually at this time of year I list my writing goals, but for 2014 I only have two: to edit and submit my two current WIP's--one fiction, one nonfiction--for publication. That's it! Not that I won't be having some fun and entertainment in between marketing sessions, however, because 2014 is the year I plan to go much more deeply into my artwork.
This is particularly significant for me as my 2013 Christmas gift to myself was to renew my (very lapsed) membership in the
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, not just as a writer, but as an
illustrator, too
. A big step, I can tell you.
My theme for the year will center on animals and what I can best describe as "seasonal illustrations," pictures that portray and define the various months of the year and what they mean to me: winter snow, autumn leaves, spring flowers. To help me stay motivated and on track with this project, I've set myself a game-plan that will focus on a single medium every month:
- January: Conté brand products, both crayon and pencils.
- February: Mixed media and collage.
- March: Pastels; including soft stick pastels, pan pastels, and pastel pencils.
- April: Charcoal.
- May: Colored pencil.
- June: Graphite--all shapes and sizes..
- July: Watercolor.
- August: Rubber stamping (with collage and mixed media backgrounds).
- September: Oil pastel.
- October: Water-soluble pencils (both watercolor and graphite pencils).
- November: Pen and ink.
- December: Acrylic. (The scary one--I've left it for last, LOL!)
Sound fun? I think so! One of the reasons I decided to try this approach is that over the years I've acquired so many different art supplies that I thought it was time to a) stop buying anything new, and b) find out which ones I really like and which ones I can live without. At least that's the plan--hope I can stick to it, and I hope you'll be inspired to venture into a creative project of your own this year. Let me know what you find!
Tip of the Day: What would you like to explore in 2014 that's outside of your usual comfort zone? Jewelry, pottery, archaeology? I'd love to know--drop me a line, either as a comment here, or at my
Facebook page. Looking forward to what you have to share. Best wishes for a great year ahead.
Happy Holidays! And welcome to longer days now that we've passed the solstice. More time to write--well, a few minutes per day at least!
For the coming New Year I've decided to make myself some "rules," ways to stay energized during those extra minutes when I'd much rather pull the covers over my head and hibernate until spring. Here are my top 12: - Morning pages. 3 handwritten pages first thing in the morning are easy to write in the spring and summer, torture in the winter. Which is why I need to shift my schedule just a little bit. Instead of giving up, or stumbling around in the dark hating every minute of the exercise, I'm going to write my pages during my morning tea-break. It will be something to look forward to every day, and a good use of my spare time.
- Write up my goals for 2014 step-by-step. Every year I set at least 5-6 new goals for the year. What I usually bypass is how I'm going to achieve those goals. In the past I've relied too much on hope and magic: hope that I'll get it done, and wishing for a fairy godmother to wave her magic wand and make things happen. This year if I can't list a number of practical, sensible ways to achieve a goal it goes in the trash.
- Read good books. My reading time is limited. If a book bores me halfway through or I think it's just too silly for words, I have no obligation to finish it. The End.
- Drink cocoa. A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. 'Nuff said.
- Take artist's dates. I am so bad about NOT taking my planned artist's dates. 2013 saw me make at least a dozen or more plans to visit museums, galleries, specialty shops . . . they all fell through. I told myself I was too busy, I would go "tomorrow," I would make up for it by taking two dates in a row, who needs artist's dates anyway . . . No more procrastination.
- Be crafty: knit, sew, crochet. A few years ago I accidentally bought 5 times the amount of yarn I needed to knit my husband a sweater. (OK, math never was my strong point). 2014 is the year that stuff turns into some more outfits, or maybe a blanket or two! I also want to buy a new sewing machine to make a dress from the fabric I bought at Mood in April.
- Walk. Although I try to walk as much as possible whenever I have to accomplish errands (the mall, grocery stores, etc.), nothing compares to going for real walks in the real outdoors. Albuquerque has many beautiful parks just waiting for me to stretch my legs, clear my head, and take some photos while I'm there for future art references.
- Wear gloves, bundle up. It's taken me several years to realize that if I want to enjoy a winter walk, I will have to wear the right clothes. A light cardigan won't do! I suppose in the past I went without gloves or a hat thinking I would get too hot and then I'd have to carry everything home. This has never happened.
- Be a Secret Santa regardless of the date. Giving doesn't stop at Christmas. One of my favorite ways to help out is to always maintain a donation jar or tin for coins all year long. At the end of every day I place my spare change in the jar. It's amazing--and fun--to see how that money adds up!
- Make soup. There's something so healing and comforting about soup for lunch or dinner in the winter time. Not only is soup ridiculously easy to prepare, it seems to go a long way, leaving plenty of leftovers for those nights when cooking is the last thing anyone wants to do.
- Plan a new manuscript. But don't actually write it--at least not until my current WIP is completely finished and ready to submit. To that end I am going to have a dedicated notebook just for ideas for the next novel. Only ideas and notes. No actual scenes, no freewriting "just for fun." The notebook will be at my side as I work on the WIP so I can jot down any ideas that come to me, but that's all I'll do: jot, jot, jot, and then back to the WIP.
- Dream about summer vacation! Catalogs, travel magazines, and brochures make great resources for collaging a visual summer treasure map. And most of them are free. Where will we go?
Tip of the Day: Christmas is just one day of the year, but that's no reason to turn into the Grinch on the 26th. Do something special for yourself and someone else every day--and then write about it. Merry Christmas, one and all--see you again in 2014!
For the last few weeks I've found myself offline much more than usual. I can't help it--where some people suffer from "spring fever" and the inability to stay indoors and concentrate when the first green buds appear on the trees, I have the exact opposite problem: "autumn fever."
It's been that way all of my life, something to do with the turning leaves, cooler days, an Indian Summer wardrobe that pairs sweaters with cotton skirts, Halloween, Nanowrimo . . . my birthday . . . there's nothing about the season I don't love!
And even though it's been a long, long time since my student days, I think autumn brings back a remnant of "back to school" determination and renewal to my psyche--all those great plans to accomplish by next semester! I recently read somewhere that deciding to become a writer is like signing up to do homework for the rest of your life. Too true--which is probably why I'm so interested in creating schedules, routines, and self-imposed deadlines; I don't want to mess up my assignments.
With that theme in mind, I've been busy getting ready for the writer's equivalent of term paper and doctoral thesis rolled into one: revising my next novel. In this respect I've been a little bit like a squirrel hoarding autumn acorns for the winter. Do I have the right supplies? Have I done all my prep? I think so, starting with:- A complete first draft with a beginning, middle, and end.
- First draft fully edited. (Four red pens hit the dust!) Areas that require new scenes and chapters all marked out for new writing.
- Character names, dates, goals finalized.
- To keep my characters and story events in order, I've created a "manuscript chart" listing my chapters. This was important for me to remember both my timeline and to know exactly which characters appear in these chapters, and why. I've also included a section to remind myself why I even HAVE a particular chapter other than because it's so well written, LOL! I figured this last section could also be helpful for marketing and and editorial response, especially in the case of an editor requiring any kind of further rewriting.
So . . . I'm ready to go! Second draft, here I come. But first, I just have to take one more autumn walk with my journal-sketchbook in hand. These leaves are just too pretty to miss.
Tip of the Day: What projects have you got planned for the winter? What "school supplies" do you need to purchase or make to ensure the work goes smoothly? In my case it was a bigger binder to hold all my revision notes, as well as some new magazine cut-out for those extra sections I need to write. It's good to have everything you need before you begin.
The Big Move is over: (most) boxes are unpacked; old furniture has been gifted to new owners; the to-do lists shrink on a daily basis--and I'm doing my best to follow Stay Creative Every Day Tip #11:
Don't worry. Easier said than done, of course--especially when there's so little time left each day for my writing, not to mention blogging, tweeting, e-mailing....
And as much as I'm trying to "stay calm and carry on," I know it's natural to worry about things like getting to the post office on time to mail packages, or keeping the refrigerator stocked with more than toaster strudels. What isn't acceptable is getting equally worked up about the times I can't get to my art and writing, thanks to things like moving. I've also discovered that the #1 reason I worry is because I've neglected following my previously-posted 10 tips on how to stay creative every day. For instance, the times I've managed to not have pen and paper handy while waiting for the cable installer to show up, or then trying to write with a faulty pen I found in the trash.
During more settled times, my other "creative" worries can stem from not feeling "good or smart enough" to be a writer or an artist at all. (Tip #8, "Don't compare yourself to others" is the true root of this problem.) Or worrying about not having enough time to accomplish all the amazing goals swirling through my mind, especially in the middle of the night. I'm sure we've all been there, and I'm sure we've all done as much as we can to avoid the worry track, but if you're still feeling stuck and can't see a wait out, here are some ways to approach the anxiety:
- Worrying wastes energy--energy that can be used for creative work. A good trick is to simply write out or express your worries through any art form: clay, collage, even dancing.
- Some people are fuelled by worry--and that's okay if it helps get the work done. What isn't okay is wasting other people's time by incessantly voicing those worries, being the kind of worrywart Julia Cameron has referred to as a "toxic friend," someone who wants to stop your work while they complain about their own. Avoid at all costs!
- Take action! Do one small task toward your goal every day, no matter how small. For instance, because I've had zero time to write, I've been collecting visual bits and pieces for a collage about this current time in my life. It only takes a few minutes, but it does help me feel that I'm doing something.
- Procrastinating is a form of worry that is self-perpetuating and can only add to your worries. That's why schedules and routines are so important to keep. Even if you only designate 15 minutes a day as the bare minimum where you MUST work on your project, do it.
- Feeling like your work isn't matching the picture in your head? This is a big one for me. Yet no one else can possibly imagine what I'm envisioning as the perfect story or perfect painting. The same for you, so just be proud of the work you have accomplished and keep going forward. And never, ever point out to others what you think are your work's flaws, or apologize for what you think is "wrong."
- The sense of being overwhelmed by all that's required to finish any major piece can be pretty worry-making. So while it's admirable to be able to see the whole picture
Valerie,
I love the idea of your concentrated focus on the animals and your multi faceted approach for each month. I'll be curious to see which medium you like the most.
I love the watercolor!
Be refreshed,
Dawn Herring
Thank you, Dawn! Yes, it will be a year of strong experimentation for me--looking forward to many new discoveries. Wishing you a wonderful 2014.
Happy New Year, Valerie! I am very happy to learn that you are now focusing on illustrations as well as writing. How exciting! I look forward to seeing your explorations with all of these different types of media through the year. Sounds like a lot of fun. ^_^
Great to see you here, Kimi! Thank you for the warm words of encouragement. Will do my best to share my results over the coming months. Best wishes with your own work, too!