Tuesday 25 March 2014

Yet More Face Practice

I actually quite like this.  I think it's fair to say that I'm quite comfortable drawing from the imagination, by this stage.  Onwards and upwards!


Monday 24 March 2014

More Copic Scary Stuff



Really have to get used to these things!

Scary Copics I


I happen to have the whole lot of Copics, but it's taken me weeks to get up the courage to use them.  This, as is obvious, is a line drawing of a face - I couldn't find a bloody pencil to draw my guidelines. But, determined to record my 'failures' as well as 'successes', here we have her!  Bated breath for what is to come with these lauded supplies!

Saturday 22 March 2014

Art Journal Page 22 March 2014 /2


Not quite sure where this came from...really like it, though!  Portfolio crayons and hand-made stamp.

Art Journal Page 22 March 2014/1


I love messing around with dye ink pads and water brushes.  The two larger images here are each a part of a hand made stamp I made with thin, sheet foam and the sharper end of a knitting needle; it's one of my favourites - amazing; took about 5 minutes to make and cost next to nothing.  I love it when that happens!  Doodles with my v favourite white gel pen - by Signo.  Oh, and at the end I thought it was a bit too 'bright/bling', so toned it down with Zinc Mixing White acrylic, using a brayer.

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Different...


Just tore apart and desecrated what I thought was a beautiful napkin

Saturday 15 March 2014

Something else different...

Finding myself also fascinated with 'primitive' art, so this is v different to what I've been doing.  Very interesting and 'freeing'; no concerns about perspective, detail etc.  It's definitely going to figure in my style, whenever I decide what the hell that is going to be!

Friday 14 March 2014

Alternative Head/Face


Still struggling with #1 Jane Davenport Homework.  Pathetic!  Concerned that 'yesterday's' head/face might get lost amidst the density of the background, decided to try another.  This is she!!!  Now, of course, am worried that it's too stark.  Oh, bugger!!!

Thursday 13 March 2014

Advice?


Is there anyone out there who could give me advice on a particular technique?  I'm doing a piece of work which involves a textured/layered background, with a figure on it.  I was wanting to try to do the face on a piece of very think substrate, so chose a piece of flowered napkin and layered it with several coats of clear gel medium, to strengthen it.  Now I've coloured/painted the features but find myself with a problem.  The background piece I've prepared is so textured that, if I were to stick this onto it, it would probably show through.

So, the question is, how do others get this effect?  Do I a) draw the face on the background, rather than separately b) leave a place on the background untextured or c) use thicker paper for the face?

All of these suggest further difficulties, if I'm not mistaken.  I'd be really interested to learn how others might have found their way around these issues.  Thanks!

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Face 12 March 2014


Bit of practising, based on Jane Davenport and other techniques.  This is done on really well-gessoed (or gel mediumed) substrate, with matt acrylic forming the basis of the face, then coloured pencils on top of that, for detail.  I have found this is one of the most useful techniques I've picked up so far from the course - it's really true that the layer of gesso and matt paint allows wonderful coloured pencil detail.
The rest - turban and hair has been done with Portfolio oil, water-soluble pastels - wonderful things.  So far, so good, I think; but I'm not the most patient of students and just want MORE MORE, MORE!

Journal Page 11 March 2014


Left over scrapes of mixed, and translucent orange, acrylics; commercial stamp and one hand made one; Uni Posca white pen.

Monday 10 March 2014

Art Journal Page 10 March 2014



Odd, the way this happened.  I had already 'smooched' some left over turquoise acryic on an empty journal page  .Few days later, mindlessly sketching faces/people and this particular one turned up.  Not sure why, but I really liked her: I think she's being challenged somehow and is digging her toes up in assertiveness.
Then, of course, where there's turquoise, I need to add orange and this is my very favourite - Schminke Transluscent Orange (watercolour); but in a fairly sparse way.
The stamp is one which I recently made from adhesive foam sheets (so v quick and simple).
For the first time, I have felt like a 'character' has emerged, full blow from me; I just wish I could reproduce and make more of her.  We'll see!

Sunday 9 March 2014

Art Journal Page 9 March 2014

Incorprated quick face sketch,, using left over acrylic paint and hand made stencils...

Update on Faces...


As well as doing the Jane Davenport e-course, which covers faces, I'm also enrolled in the Danny Gregory SketchBook course which begins next month.  I really want to be able to capture a scene, or whatever, quickly, then work on it later.  For that reason, I've decided it might be useful for me to try to 'pare down' on the faces lessons I've been following - use fewer lines and fewer materials.  It really calls to me.  So, this is one of those - dashed off, literally in about two minutes.  I have experimented earlier with a few and been relatively pleased with them,  I want to capture 'mood', 'expression' in as few lines as possible.  Does that make me stupid? 

Saturday 8 March 2014

Art Journal Page 16 February 2014


A bit displaced, since I didn't get around to finishing it until tonight!

Friday 7 March 2014

Art Journal Page 7 March 2014



More messing around, primarily - diluted gesso, home made washi tape and gouache.

Thursday 6 March 2014

Vulnerability...


I'm on a Jane Davenport course and trying to get the hang of 'turned heads'.  This has to be one of the most challenging tasks I've taken on for a long time.  But - what the hell - decided to document my difficulties, anyway.  I'm not (that) proud!

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Art Journal Page 4 March 2014


Continuing obsession with Silent Movie Divas.  Decided I needed to use the original images I've been trying to reproduce for the 29 Faces Challenge in my journal.
Background, if I remember rightly, is home made sprays and stencils, with heavy treatment of the 'Magic Pencil' (so termed by Dina Wakley and Tracie Bastista (it's a Stabilo ALL pencil and they come in black and white; mark over anything and are water soluble; I LOVE them and buy them by the box!).  Don't go asking for the 'Magic Pencil'!

Art Journal Page 4 March 2014


This background was done a while ago, but think it's acrylics and home made stencils.  Photo, I believe, is of Clara Bow (or, less likely, Theda Bara) - I happily confess to an obsession of these images.  Then, of course, the ubiquitous scribbly journalling.

Art Journal Page 4 March 2014


Home made sprays and stencils, together with 'table scraps', interwoven, in a loose manner.  Background journal-scribbled and then white in to 'embellish'.
Oh - and a touch of Inka Gold!

Monday 3 March 2014

Jane Davenport - Supplies Me Course #1



This is going to be quite confusing.  I'm following, at the same time, Jane Davenport's Whimsical Faces and her Supplies Me introductory course, simultaneously.  I guess that's a reflection of my inner lack of focus/search for my 'own style'.  I have to say I feel I'm learning an enormous amount from her, though, of course, recognise how far I have yet to go.  But enjoying the challenge enormously.  

Sunday 2 March 2014

Art Journal Page 2 March 2014


After the stress of 29 Faces in February, I'm finding myself increasingly drawn back to abstract.  This was used from left over paper designed for my dearest friend's birthday card and I really felt like I wanted to commemorate the day we shared.  Very unusually, I'm really happy with the composition etc. and am wondering whether I'm actually on the way to slaying my inner critic - how wonderful would that be?????