I have chosen my next subject to draw and have been working very hard on the portrait, as hard as I can, with work sandwiching my days and others. Again I have no definite timeline for my completion at the rate I'm going, lol! In fact I was intending to upload a WIP but I don't think it would be appropriate for how I intend to 'wrap it up' (a technical issue I've hit a road bump at ). It should be fine, though.
I will however, give a little. I decided that it was a time to move away from the female face and do a male one this time; and jeez! I do find it a lot more difficult, and different. The differences are so pronounce (and you're probably think: "well, duh! it's a guy!"). But, what I'm referring to are the little things that add up to create the bigger thing. It's really hard to appreciate it until you have a go at drawing people. The finer details are quite surprising at times, things that you kinda know, but, don't really strike at you until you really look! It's amazing.
I'll leave it here. But I am still 'ere.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
C. Smulders
Ok finally! Lol - I said that with my last portrait, but these two words express exactly how I feel at the moment and exactly how I felt last time.
How I Met Your Mother, absolutely brilliant sitcom!
So... back to the point of all of this. To answer my hopes and expectations of my last post, no I didn't achieve what I had wished to with the cheeks. They are a tougher battle than I had thought. I've also come to realise I tend to do hair in the same way all the time, I noticed that when I was drawing her right side; so then I decided to put a little more attention and care with her left fringe; before completely giving up at the bottom right corner of the page, hence the flat patch of grey ;)
I seem to be stuck at the moment... stuck with who my next subject is. It's important to choose someone I won't get bored of, which might not make sense since I've already admitted that I abandon my drawings because I lose interest, but "that" is tedium from the repetitive aspects of eg hair! It's important for me to find a face that is mesmerizing enough that I find it worth drawing - why do I find this statement will come back to haunt me? ...Well it's true.
C. Smulders (as Robin Scherbatsky), Lead Project, 2010.
How I Met Your Mother, absolutely brilliant sitcom!
So... back to the point of all of this. To answer my hopes and expectations of my last post, no I didn't achieve what I had wished to with the cheeks. They are a tougher battle than I had thought. I've also come to realise I tend to do hair in the same way all the time, I noticed that when I was drawing her right side; so then I decided to put a little more attention and care with her left fringe; before completely giving up at the bottom right corner of the page, hence the flat patch of grey ;)
I seem to be stuck at the moment... stuck with who my next subject is. It's important to choose someone I won't get bored of, which might not make sense since I've already admitted that I abandon my drawings because I lose interest, but "that" is tedium from the repetitive aspects of eg hair! It's important for me to find a face that is mesmerizing enough that I find it worth drawing - why do I find this statement will come back to haunt me? ...Well it's true.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
WIP C.S - Robin Scherbatsky
"One week" Pffft! I got bored and a bit preoccupied, but, just as proof that I did actually have something started and intended to be completed, here's the current WIP.
Drawing hair really gets to me - I get too tired to do it so I put off the drawing for several days. I feel like I'm slowly moving forward with experimental smudge toning (making a monumental movement with the nose) but taking one step back with shape and form (her eyes just look all wonky - eep!).
So from previous posts, I'd mentioned in passing various features of the face: no.1 the eyes (too bad I screwed them up here); no.2 the hair. I reckon the third ranking features are the cheeks - the way the bone structure is veiled by the muscle, tissue and skin creates such a beautiful sculpted form. Of course it's not a great example here, I'd barely etched in the form, but I'm hoping I do get them right 'cause this run is more about me focusing more on the light and shadow of the skin.
The chosen subject this time is really just a tribute to my favourite sitcom - HIMYM.
See completed>> C. Smulders
Drawing hair really gets to me - I get too tired to do it so I put off the drawing for several days. I feel like I'm slowly moving forward with experimental smudge toning (making a monumental movement with the nose) but taking one step back with shape and form (her eyes just look all wonky - eep!).
WIP C.S - Robin Scherbatsky
So from previous posts, I'd mentioned in passing various features of the face: no.1 the eyes (too bad I screwed them up here); no.2 the hair. I reckon the third ranking features are the cheeks - the way the bone structure is veiled by the muscle, tissue and skin creates such a beautiful sculpted form. Of course it's not a great example here, I'd barely etched in the form, but I'm hoping I do get them right 'cause this run is more about me focusing more on the light and shadow of the skin.
The chosen subject this time is really just a tribute to my favourite sitcom - HIMYM.
See completed>> C. Smulders
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
O. Wilde
Ok, finally! Here I am to present my third attempt at realistic portraiture. Yes, there is still a vast amount of room for improvement but I feel empowered to do so.
O. Wilde, Lead Project, 2010.
I didn't feel like keeping the identity of my subject a mystery this time (or really, I couldn't think of a better title for the work). This drawing is also available on deviantART. I registered as a user this week. I only have one sad, lonely submission - this one - on the account so far. The community is really amazing with its vast archive of artists and the exuberance of works (quite inspiring stuff!). Of course I don't aspire to become an artist myself but I do love the stuff.
I'm considering continuing my amateur collection which I'm now going to call it a "project" and see how far I can progress. It may take years, but I feel like I've got all the time in the world! So that means... more portraits! I've already chosen my next candidate for the challenge. I don't usually time myself but, I shall hope to have the next one here in a week. In the mean time tut-ta!
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Crevasse - Making of 3D Street Art
Absolutely mind blowing! This one by Edgar Mueller (and the third "Edgar" I've heard of now!).
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Persistence...yes, I wish I had it
The truth is I intended to have posted my third portrait drawing to share some time within the last three weeks. Yet, I'm here, with nothing of the sort. Persistence...yes, I wish I had it.
Not only do I have a half finished drawing stashed away in my desk draw, I have a novel that's barely just begun sitting as an ornament on my beside. Elizabeth Kostova's first novel and international best seller, The Historian. I was very much excited to "sink my teeth into it" when I ordered it about four months ago, but, my abstinence from reading novels, for-my-own-good and substitution for long winded textbooks dampened my love for reading entirely. What a pity, when I thought I had found a lasting hobby. I think I can say the same for my drawing...but, I hope this boredom is only a passing trend.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Cherry gloss, glass gaze
When you draw there's a lot of silent minutes - even hours - to think, reflect. When I draw, most of the time my mind is blank. All I'm registering is what I'm seeing; music helps set the mood but my mind can't hear the lyrics.
Cherry Gloss, Glass Gaze, Lead Collection, 2010.
This person, believe it all not is the same as the last. Very different, aye? But the two photos were strikingly different too; one was airbrushed and photo-shopped more.
There's a few things I've learned.
First of all scanning an image allows you to view the picture flat and face on. It makes the image look different as to when viewing an original - always slightly at an angle from the left, right, high, low. Even a photo would incorporate an angle of altitude.
A reproduction never quite matches the original; it's just missing something.
Drawings look good in bad lighting. Aids the illusion of making it look more real, more alive.
First comes form then comes tone. Rendering cannot save the wrong of an initial deformity.
And, practice helps.
Oh! I forgot...and drawing hair is such a bitch! Hair is such an important feature to a face (second to the eyes I believe); it frames the face; accentuates femininity or masculinity, but, boy is it such a tedious task.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Who am I?
Maybe it's just me but she looks way better on the original.
...but then again she's no where close her to living counter part.
It's All in the Eyes, Lead Collection, 2010.
Drawing from a photo is definitely not as exciting as life sketching but my models would have to endure the torture of five hours plus of immobility! All the while with my levels of interest fluctuating from high levels of engagement to down right procrastination.
The drawing looks nothing like the actual so I would be surprised if anyone could actually recognise who this is. I elongated the nose so her face is a bit stretched. But you never know.
I titled it, It's All in the Eyes simply because this person has the most gorgeous eyes in a pretty shade of green. A lot of the beauty that's in a persons face comes from the eyes. It's the feature that holds the viewers' gaze and gives their owner a sense of life. As it is said:
"A person's eyes are the windows to their soul."
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The thing about art...
Visual arts. "Visual" arts. Art is about expression. Visual art is visual expression. The idea that we have to read paragraphs of texts; have someone explain to us what's happening, what does it mean; doesn't that defeat the purpose or definition of "visual" art? My twelfth grade art teacher raised that question once, and I totally agreed. The class was watching the work of artist TV Moore, his video installation Magick Without Tears produced in 2007, his latest work at the time. Here's a good link if you're interested.
Don't get me wrong, his concept from what I gather in his artist statement that accompanies the work is interesting; it adds value, insight and meaning to the artwork. Without the statement though... The clip was excruciating to watch, painful even torturous to have to endure! We were only over a minute in. Without the title of the work I would have no clue what the meaning was; with it, is just contradictory. 'Magic' as in the clown, magician...yes. 'Without tears,' I don't think so. That was the longest seven minutes of my life and it was hell; sitting in a dark room, large flat screen, continuous slow, broken, treacherous drumming... just watch it and you'll get what I mean.
If it wasn't for some reference texts and some discussion after the viewing I would not have walked out of that room with a sense of appreciation for the artwork. Yes! I did appreciate it; like it even - but only conceptually, if I had to watch it again I think I would throw a violent fit. The thing about contemporary art today is, that 'visual' is dead and 'concept' is it's crowning successor.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Ink it! - Rubin's Vase
Rubin's Vase, developed by Edgar Rubin (that's the second person I've heard of with that name; the other being Edgar Degas) some Danish psychologist, in like 1915.
So I decided to give it ago myself. Not too bad for an amateur I think.
Ink it! - Rubin's Vase
I only drew one side 'cause I was lazy but that's what Photoshop is here for - to make life easier.
Below is an example of Rubin's Vase from Wiki just for comparison purposes.
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