Face 2/100

Here is my second face. If you'd like to join the fun of drawing faces check out the facebook group: studio7ARTacademy. This one is another one drawn from a photo of me in my new hat taken last year.

I've been looking online, finding youtube videos that show how to divide up the head so that the features fall in approximately the right spots. That helps. I am nervous and freeze up when trying to draw the nose, especially.  Laura Frankstone draws wonderful faces. She had a post once in which she reminded us that the nose has shape and architecture. I'm working towards capturing that. Maybe by face 100, I'll get a hold of that idea and be braver!

This is drawn on a piece of map that I'd taped into my Moleskine pocket planner. I put some thinned out gesso over it to knock it back a bit before I drew and painted the face.

Face 1/100

So, they say to stretch beyond your comfort zone. Tracy Scott started a group of us drawing faces. That is totally beyond my comfort zone. I figure I will draw myself for a while and see how that goes. This is from a photo of me dressed to go on a motorcycle ride. I cheated a bit, by choosing a photo where I don't have to draw the eyes.  I've looked up how to draw faces before, so I tried to use the little I remember about it, but I think I'll refresh my memory by looking it up on Youtube.

The drawing under this was all ink. I was not going to color it, but I found that when I tried to add shading to my face with ink, it looks very much like a beard!! Also, the gelli print I was drawing on had a big green splotch in the middle of my face. That's when I broke out the paints.

This is my first one. The gelli prints make a wonderful way to add interest and color, and also avoid having to start with a blank page!  It will be interesting to see how the faces change as I go along.

Underpaper Envelope

When I was making that journal cover, I had some big envelopes under it. I cleaned my brush on it, and stuck little bits of the collage paper scraps down. It actually looked pretty ugly, but after adding a few borders and some flowers, it's kind of fun. I needed a big envelope for 2013 taxes, so there you go. If I ever get audited the auditor will think I'm nuts probably. Anyway, no wasted paint!!!

Wild and Precious Life....Journal Cover

Tonight I added a line out of one of my favorite poems by Mary Oliver. Originally I wanted the bicycle to be horizontal, but when I had to add the duct tape, I turned it on it's side. I think I like it that way! I think this might be done after a couple of coats of sealer.

I want to ride my bicycle....Documented Life planner cover

 

 Tonight I started to work on my planner by closing the cover, which I had collaged and painted while it laid flat. That was a mistake. When I closed it it ripped in several place. I  know from last year, that the spine is important, and so I went the most functional way I could think of: DUCT TAPE.

 I had some colorful duct tape from when I was making hula hoops, so I chose some yellow and put it on while the cover was closed. I hope that works!

I've done a bit of doodling too, and a packing tape transfer of some red glasses. If you want to know how to do a packing tape transfer, I have a tutorial here.

 I sketched a bicycle on, and painted it in with some acrylic paints.

I used the Scarlet Lime pen to outline, and the Sharpie white acrylic marker to highlight. I did the same to the little glasses, to make them pop a bit.

 This is the back of the planner. Kind of simple, but that's ok.

I like this bike! The pink is a bit more Barbie than I usually go for, but it's bright and fun. I think I want to stamp some words on still, and maybe do a bit more doodling, but I think that's enough for tonight.

Journal Cover 2015..in process...

I went to bed early so I could get up early to meet friends for breakfast and not be tired, but I could not sleep for the life of me. So I got up and smeared some paint around. I guess I'll just go to breakfast tired, but it won't be the first time.

I couldn't figure out what colors to use. All the sudden I was freezing up about it, so I decided to use some new greens and yellows I bought today. And some of my favorite blue. I can see looking at this that I've obliterated much of the blue on the left side, but I can fix that later. Whenever I'm at this stage, I wonder if I've just made a mess of it, but usually later it works itself out as I start drawing on it. We shall see! If not, gesso can usually save the day and give it a fresh start! I think it looks summery and sunny. I like that.

 Ok...now I'm starting to see it. I might end up liking this after all! Pretty sure there might be a bicycle on this year's cover too. Why not? Bikes are happy, active things, and I like to draw them.

This post reads much like this meme:

Muffler Men move to England

It makes me so happy to see someone fall in love with a piece of my artwork. Last month, Jules became the happy new owner of the Muffler Men of Illinois. This piece will now live in England! I like to get a picture like this one when I sell a piece...it makes it a little easier to let it go.

The Documented Life Project 2015

The 2014 Documented Life Project sparked me to do more art this year, so I'm going to give it a go next year too. Last year I did more artwork overall, and finished more pieces and pages than before.  This is the journal they are recommending and that I'm using. It's much bigger than last years, and I will not be carrying it around like a planner. I will, however, still be "documenting my life" with pictures and journaling, as well as art work. If you want to join in check out The Documented Life Project 2015.

I started out by collaging some vintage ledger paper, maps, and bookpages to the cover.

Now I've knocked the print back a little with some gesso. I'll be drawing over this, and it was a bit too busy before. What will be on the cover. I'm not sure yet....it's still cooking in my brain. There might still be a bicycle on this year's journal too.

Halloween....

The prompt on this week in October was to use stars. I started with a dark background of blue and black acrylic paints and some black lace washi tape. Then I did a little sketching and added stars in silver and white Sharpie pens.

Catch up...drawing at the lake....

Here are a couple of pages done at the lake this summer. The Documented Life Challenge that week was to used black and white, which I did....and I added some blue because of the water. This is our neighbor's boat motor.

The shells are sketched in PITT artist's pen. The feather is Sharpie white acrylic pen on black gesso.