Archive for the ‘Pen’ Category

Self-Portrait Project: Finish!

Finish!

Stay busy.

Happy belated new year to all blog readers! Okay, so I am late wishing everyone a new year but I’ve been busy this month painting, reading new material on logo design, working with a client designing a website, prepping to craft different from wood…and painting. It is a good to begin the new year busy with the same hobby, new career and lifestyle (excluding personal relationships unless there is a good reason for leaving). There is topic I am currently writing to discuss my experience with round brushes and how to prevent it from flaring. Maybe most of you know how to prevent a round brush from flaring and it is probably not the most exciting topic to read. But if you are painting or crafting, do you always wonder why brushes are made to stroke a certain position and why it is not perfect? Well, I do… I will have this article ready for you blog readers in another day.

As I mentioned earlier, I have been painting the same canvas for awhile and I am no rush to complete it. Below you will see of my progress that I painted since last December. I am keeping my color palette simplex with three colors — Titanium White, purple and Mars Black. You will not see purple on the canvas, and that is because it is mix with Mars Black. Mars Black seems to be lenient of a dark charcoal, so I want to make sure it is pure black. Yes, any black pigment is going to black but it is not as toxic as other black pigments. In addition the label on the acrylic tube is stamped as AP (Approved Product). There are different types of black acrylic paint colors such as Carbon Black and Dioxazine Purple I would have purchase but I rather stick with mixing colors to experiment.

There are three sections on the canvas to balance the negative space from the dark space on top. I am working to complete the bush object the left to add shadows before I continue painting on the main “white flames”. I am using acrylics, pens, marker and charcoal to add texture for the curvy lines. I’ve added black marker for heavy dotting on the shell-like object to include shadow and texture.

Besides focusing on the canvas, I have added two more sketches in my sketch book before I mail it to the Art House Coop tomorrow. These sketches do not relate to the other sketches I have complete in this book, just a story by itself. I will post these images soon.

Why is it tough to write a blog?

Hello, everyone. I have read your comments about my recent blog posts and I thank you all for your positive feedback. To tell you the truth, I am absolutely not good blogging about my artwork. I have thought of it many times to not word anything about my work but show images instead. Since people like reading blogs, I will try to make an effort to write blog posts longer for yours and mine enjoyment.

For the past week, I have been distracted trying to concentrate what I want to write and display on the web. If people are around me and they are watching television in the same room, I have to stop and watch it with them. I tried listening to spa music with my earphones to get into the mood of writing a blog post, and sometimes it helps. And hearing your love-ones snoring overnight while writing, that also helps me too…I’m not sure why. Oh what I must not forget, MMPROG games like World of Warcraft can be distracting to the point if I want to join in a raid or participate in a player verses player battleground to collect honor points and filthy coins from your opponent. Yes, call me geek or what not, games like World of Warcraft, Rift and other fantasy games do help stimulate the mind to think of an ideal or doodle…But not to write for your next blog post.

Blogging is not the only issue I have a difficult writing, even drawing, painting is tough too. For instance, my sketchbook is not consistent using ink or pens; instead, I use crayons and pastels. I would like to be consistent for this year’s sketchbook but I choose to sketch a variety of mediums to expand my creative process.

I drew a few ink drawings below for my Sketchbook in-progress and it was not what I had in mind. I wanted to make my drawings consistent from the previous post — Sketchbook Project: 2nd Page Complete, but my mind was not set to repeat the same process. Instead, I kept staring at the same sketch and wondered, ‘Why I did this?’

I admired my drawing so much that I want to get it print but I don’t know where exactly…Except to use my hands, paint brushes, canvas and lots of black paint. The drawing reminds of me being isolated or anit-social from the world. It’s like finding your favorite place to hangout to be alone, meditate and draw. Sometimes I don’t have to draw but there is always something for me to do and learn on my own…At my own time and place. So, this is my thought of my own drawing.

The fact I have spent hours shadowing, scribble, connecting dots, watching movies and listening to music, this was too much for a sketch for a Sketchbook Project but my time was not a waste. So, I felt that I accomplished spending time alone doing something what I like….To be alone, meditate and draw.

Below, you will see a few drawings that I did not over the weekend but it is work in-progress.

Underneath it all, there is depth.


Finally, I finished the second page of my sketchbook! As you can see in the photograph, I darken the shapes for depth and detail a little (not a lot) on the flames — foreground. I spent three hours detailing and darken while I watched, Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman for the second time and later listened to country music. I know movies can be distracting but it is good to relief pressure from drawing and take a break. I am happy that I finished this sketch without straining my wrist.

I wanted to go back and detail the this page to improve my shadowing techniques when I am dotting with ink. In addition, I wanted to show more depth in the background of the sketch. I have added detail of the flames but they suppose to be reefs. I guess what I am assuming, I sketched what is it like to live under the sea. When I show this sketch to my friends, they liked it and thought it was, “kind of cool”. I’m not sure what they meant but I did not care to ask.

I have a few sketches I want to complete for the day but I am heading out for breakfast at 2:31 P.M. right now. I know it is late…But it’s food.

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