A Challenging Challenge

About a month ago, Claire from Claire's Craftroom set up a creative challenge, where she sent us each a picture and a colour and we had to make something inspired by the two. I got sent these:

Now, I struggled. I left it until the very last minute because it was out of my comfort zone - as a crafter I rarely use nature scenes to inspire, in fact I am, by definition, a nerd crafter usually. Or, at least, abstract novelties (such as my felt hearts) are more my thing.

But I couldn't do that this time.

So, I stuck to it as literally as I possibly could, and thanked goodness that I was half decent at painting.

I was very taken with the image of the gate though, so I chose to incorporate it into the painting. I used a piece of fabric in an attempt to incorporate the colour I was given. It gives the image a  more autumnal field. To try and make it more interesting, I frayed the edges to give the image some texture.

So while I found it challenging, I managed to get past it, and found it enjoyable despite it all, and I look forward to the possibility of joining in with subsequent challenges.

Final Piece - Surfaces

My Final Piece idea was actually given to me by my best friend. The concept was to paint a Greek pot, but instead of it conveying a traditional mythological story, I would depict one of our favourites.

This relates to surfaces as, on a first glance it could be perceived as just another ancient  pot, but beneath it, there is that link to present day.

Tada!

This was my design idea. From this, I realised just how much I needed to work on the form and proportions of the pot. I've tried here to link as many sections of my studies and experiments as I could, from the History, to the silhouettes, the storytelling and the Greeks.

This is the double page spread that drawing belonged to, exploring the various different options of finishing for the foot and the lip.

Here, returning to my love of maths, I mapped out all of the precise details and proportions to ratios and measurements so that the image would fit the canvas that I had bought. I planned colours and the symmetry, all so that I could get the curvature and details correct.

This was essentially my 'final draft'. A quick experiment to see where I was going on,and what more I could do to improve it before starting on my canvas.

And here it is! It's only an A2 canvas, which is actually quite small now that I think about it. I spent hours layering for the orange mid section (which is less red in real life) on its own! I used acrylic paint, with a watercolour background, and overall it's quite stylistic.

At the time I remember being very proud of it, but now that I have grown as an artist, I'm not as pleased as I was. I see all of the mistakes, things that I could have done a lot better. It's a very personal piece, and wouldn't be to certain people's taste, and in a way, possibly childish.

But those are just my thoughts. What do you think?

Sgraffito, Silhouettes and Story-telling

I'm realising now that I started to flit around a lot at the end of this sketchbook... This post is a collection of me finishing up all of the ends of the book.

Sgraffito - isn't that a cool word?!
 These here are a selection of studies that I did experimenting in the sgraffito style. Here's how you do it:

1) Paint a block all over the paper. You then leave this to dry until you could essentially sandpaper with it and no paint would transfer (but I would not advise trying that). The best thing to do is to leave it overnight.

2) Then, very quickly, paint another layer of paint over the top,making sure that none of the bottom colour is visible.

3) While that top paint is still wet, use an implement to scratch and take away the top layer, leaving the base exposed.

There we go. Very simple,but a bit time consuming. The effect I created was very similar to the red figure Greek Pottery,and I became particularly fond of the bottom pattern...

Then, at this particular time, silhouette cameo's were in fashion, So I took a look at the history behind them, creating a few examples in different styles of my friends. I used traditional paper, then acrylic paint and oil pastel as well. The pastel one adds more texture, which is very nice, but is not keeping with the tradition of being a plain shape. The paint was the easiest of all,and also had a very good finish to it.


Storytelling was the final idea I took a spin at, inspired by the stories conveyed through the Greek pots. I looked at several more artists, and chose to create my own version, with a more modern story that will and has travelled through decades.

I started off by looking at storytelling in art, being directed to look at Tracy Emin. Once again though, I had extreme problems actually liking the work. I could see how it worked, but I didn't necessarily consider it nice or good. I did however, set up my own version and took photos of my revision.

I then started to look at stories being told through people, by emotions and their body language... taking inspiration from both Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings.

Here is a greater development on the study of the LotR photo, explaining its meanings and my attempts to draw them myself. I did a paper cut out, and a pencil drawing. Unfortunately,with the cut-out, I forgot that if you turn things round,everything will be backwards... so now the Fellowship is walking in the other direction....

Bent backs, faces pointed down; tired, dejected and scared. The body language of the Fellowship says it all. Also, their order shows the rolls of each of the group. Gandalf the Leader, Aragorn the loner to say but two.

These last page was focused on showing how colour can affect the mood of the painting. This is an oil painted study of one of Picasso's Sorrow Paintings. The image is done in various shades of cold, icy blue, depicting a man that the viewer can immediately see is sad.Those colours heighten this, making for a rather depressing picture. My study,however,I was particularly pleased with - I am very proud of the undulating waves of light and shadow on his cloak/blanket.

Well, nearly there! That is most of the prep done, now comes the final piece!

Bark Studies

One of the exercises my teacher made us do was to collect a natural object, then experiment in techniques and media that we wouldn't usually have used.

I picked up a piece of bark from our field.

First, I drew it, but not in my usual, photo-realistic style. I used cross hatching to create detail and texture. Personally, I think it strikes a particular resemblance to a whale, but others said it looked ok.

Then, after tracing the image onto a second piece of paper, I used torn bits of sugar paper to collage the image. I hated it. The colours were too bright, it looked too abstract... Then I slid the tracing paper across it accidentally, and realised it actually made it better. It's translucent nature dimmed the colours,and the lines I had used for tracing gave it definition. I offset it, so the sugar paper is still visible, but it gives it more character.

This is a particularly bad photo of the final technique I used. I applied layers and layers of different shades of brown paint to the paper, before using the tip of a blunt pencil to scratch in the details of the bark pattern. This is called sgraffito, and it worked rather well.

Clustered together, I use these three experiments as a reminder to step out of my comfort zone every once in a while, and try something new.

Craft Review: Week 31: Sunday 22nd July - Saturday 28th July

This week's been a good one in my opinion... I got rather a lot done!

I also participated in my first Creatives Unite, a brilliant idea that makes a crafter commit to at least one un-interrupted hour of craft between 9pm and 10pmon a Thursday Evening. Please, check out Anna's blog, she's amazing.
Above is what I made: two felt hearts. The grey one is a design I've used before, but the red and green one I created to represent a more contemporary Christmas feel. This is because I'm starting my Christmas stuff now. Call me crazy,but it's always worked before.

Speaking of Christmas, take a look at these two! My first Christmas Cards of the year... I want to give them to my Grandma to use,as I myself am not particularly religious person. I did, however,love painting the watercolour background to each. In a way, these cards sum up what I enjoy, and what I'm good at.

Here is a painting I did one afternoon when it was warm. It has no purpose, as of yet, but I'm fairly pleased with it, especially the light and the shadow across the body of the shoe.

This, you have already seen. For my mama, the tutorial is here.

And this is another thing I finished, which now features prominently, my blog logo. I am very pleased with it.

So, that's all for this week... Next weekend, I'm away watching the Olympics! So that should be fun... The craft review will most likely be a bit later,and then in a fortnight, I leave for Holiday.But,don't worry, I'm setting up a load of schedule posts to carry this blog through until I get back...

Toodle Pip!

Craft Review: Weeks 29 & 30: Sunday 8th July - Saturday 21st July

Well, the last two weeks have been a bit hectic.... But don't worry! I have a planned tutorial coming up, and I plan to start my Christmas cards, and making things for a Christmas fair... So, it should all be good!

But, here's what I've been up to over the last two weeks...

I made a simple envelope red cushion cover, I'm just adding the finishing touches now...

I made a card for corresponding with my friend up in Yorkshire... I far prefer sending post as opposed to sending e-mails... as it generally means that they have to reply using post as well. Which is good, as I like getting mail. Plus,this is actually a stamp that she gave me for my birthday,so I thought it would be a good idea to send her one of its products...

This is a very bad photo of another square for my Harry Potter blanket. It's the Sorting hat, or supposedly. It's a very dark brown, so it doesn't show up very well.... I hope to get some more squares done at some point...

Here is a ruffle flower brooch in teal... I found some glittery net, which I'd forgotten about, and I thought this was the perfect project.... a little bit of prettiness

I then started to make a Weasley jumper Decoration for my Mum..... I just need to sew on the other sleeve, and a loop to hang it from....This is hopefully for the beginning of advent, as a pre-Christmas present. I also plan to do one for my sister... Hers will be in a horrid shade of fuchsia pink...

Then over the last week, I had lots of fun painting my room... It's ok, but I thought it would be paler... But it's ok... Photos to follow at a later date when I have sorted out the carnage left behind...

And then, on Saturday, I took the train dressed as a Hermione Granger look-alike for the launch of the summer reading challenge at the library where I volunteer.

Always fun to watch the confused faces of other passengers..

Craft Review: Week 27: Sunday 24th July- Saturday 30th July

Here we go... Another week gone by... ah, shame. This week though, mother started leaving me jobs and chores to do.... I've put the washing on now so many times, it's unbelievable! But here is what I managed to squeeze in in my spare time...

Lovely little Radar.... You've seen him before....

This Egyptian Eye-Thing Painting for my sister (she's the one who knows too much about the Egyptians, I have absolutely no clue. I just typed something into google and this idea came up)

It's painted with both acrylics and watercolours,and I'm quite pleased with the outcome.

I also painted my mama this lily. Lily's are her favourite  flower, and I can understand why.I had a bit of trouble trying to decide how to outline the petals, but I settled on silver ink pen. It looks ok, doesn't it?
Painting in acrylic and watercolour,with pen as well.

I also knitted a few more rows of my Ravenclaw scarf, took some photographs, and made some lovely cookies from a recipe on DeerLittleFawn's blog. Recipe here. I definitely recommend them, my friends devoured them in seconds. Seal of approval, I'd say!

Toodle Pip!

Slate

Finally! Another Art Coursework post! This one refers to the section I spent studying a selection of slate rocks from by garden path...

Tonal Pencils

Slate

Clay

Above are the collections that I created from the slate: A Tonal pencil drawing, then the slate itself, and finally a collection of clay pieces that I shaped into the rocks.

Slate is interesting and difficult to draw because it is a layered rock. The splitting of these layers is easier than trying to break it up perpendicular to the layers because the molecular forces between the layers is weaker. Random Physics thrown in there.... either way, the effect was hard to replicate, as was the texture, in both the clay and the pencil drawing.

I like the pencil drawing. It was the most detailed one that I'd done up until that point, and it took me several hours. The shapes of the pieces themselves were intriguing, and rather complex, something I hadn't really planned for when choosing to study them.

The clay was more tolerable than usual. I detest clay, as it never does what I ask it to, usually. But, as These were smaller objects that I was trying to work with, I think it was easier - which is probably a fluke.

Painting them was fun as well... Instead of using glazes as we usually do in school, I used acrylics to create the dappled grey effect. This was more realistic, I found.

Overall, I'm very pleased with them. They could have been better, ut isn't that always the case?

What I learnt from this was to be realistic when choosing a subject to draw - the slate was difficult. It also depends on what  drawing style you want to use - photorealistic is harder to create than line or crosshatching. I also learnt to tolerate clay. For now.



Craft Review: Week 23: Sunday 29th May - Saturday 2nd June (and a Thank You)

Tada! We're back, but with a different format...

I'm not going to do structured days anymore... I'm just going to gather together everything from the week and show them.

I'm also not going to be as strict on my Resolution as I was before; as long as I get one crafty project done a week, I think I'll be happy. This is thanks to Deer Little Fawn, and her wonderful comments in my Wednesday Recap. Please, go and check out her blog, her paintings are gorgeous, and she's a lovely person.

So, without further ado, here is what I did Last week.

Hana, as seen in a previous post. She is definitely one of my favourite characters, and indeed, my favourite painting of my characters that I have done so far.

And this.... may look familiar. I did the stitching a few months back. I've spent ages on this, and I think I've finally reached a point where it's acceptable. Beneath this, there are layers and layers and layers of watercolour washes, pencil lines, other swirls.... If anyone has any ideas as to what could make it look a bit better, I'm willing and open for suggestions. Just add a comment below.

It has struck me how recently I've only been painting, rather than drawing or knitting or sewing.... I'd like to change that (hopefully). In just over a fortnight, my Exams will be finished, and I will be free! But, until then, I need something to keep me sane as I revise.. watch this space!



Hana

As promised, here is Hana.
I was getting bored with regular, plain people, and she's such a crazy character, I figured her painting should reflect that. Note yellow half-jumper (I don't know its technical term...) Blue spotted shirt, and coloured under layers to her hair...

Hana is a descendant of Merlin, and skilled with magic, along with her cousin, Ian. They are the two in charge of the group, as second in command(s). She is argumentative and serious, but also kind and bubbly. She's weird, basically...

Painting her was fun, because she is different from the rest. all of the others have just been wearing plain clothes, but Hana's add to her personality. It made  me feel very free, painting the small dots onto her shirt sleeves and collar, something childish. Perhaps we all need that hint of childishness every once in a while...

Her under layers of her hair caused me some strife. Following with the childish theme, I was too impatient to wait for them to dry, so all of the colours began to bleed into each other... It was good when I was able to paint the black of her hair on, as it covers the worst of it... In that way, black is very forgiving, but in another circumstance, that would've been  seen as a bad thing....

Hana was fun. I think she's one of my favourite characters, overall.

"Kate gazed at the older girl. Her essence oozed control but her demeanour was calm.  Kate noted how some of the under layers of her hair were tinged pink, blue and green, hinting to a more daring nature."

Lonnie

Woohoo for Exam reprieve!!!!!

This one is Lonnie. He's one of the fighters, and really just one of 'the guys'. He gets on with everybody, pretty much, and is mainly impartial to small tiffs. But, when he can see that something is wrong, he'll stand by his friends over the troublemakers.

He's also a very deep sleeper.

Random.

I'm finding with these paintings that I'm gaining more control over my watercolours. That's a nice feeling. I'm beginning to understand them more through my experimentation. I used to be too impatient to let them dry, and all of the would colours bleed.... Here, I'm learning the effect of letting them dry to create layers and colour density..... I'm also getting more used to working in pen, which I actually used to hate...

I drew Lonnie perhaps a bit too small compared to the others, But I suppose that's all part of the learning curve. Proportions and sizing's.

I love doing art. It's just a shame the exams have to take up so much time, work and effort...

" “How the hell did I sleep through all of that? More to the point, how could you let me sleep through it?” He glanced up, eyes daring.

“Simple. You’re scary when woken at ungodly hours, and your body has adjusted so as not to ever let anyone involuntarily witness it” I grinned at him, laughing slightly. He glared and punched me hard on the arm. "

(Matthew in first person, Lonnie referred to in third)