7_30 through 7_31

Forgot to post, working on Hero Tree design. Taking double the time. . . I need to move on tomorrow. Also went to figure drawing.

7_29_13 Tree 30 Min

For thirty minutes and under pressure this wasn't bad. I definitely feel less worried and more free while painting. I guess I'm not so hung up on making mistakes.

I did a quick background value. Then measured and blocked in the trunk. I indicated the width and height with a light paint mark and blocked in the shape of the leaves. I wasted a lot of time trying to match the values of the whole tree while blocking in. 

Next time I'll block in the local value of the shape of the whole tree, then go back and give the tree its form. Then I'd have more time for the darks and lights. 

A long ways to go but a good feeling for this one. 

7_28_13 Blending Practice Part II

I was lifting on all of them until the last one. I was trying to push the paint from one end of each pigment into the next in hopes losing paint with each stroke, causing it to lose opacity and blend into the next pigment.

What worked was mixing an inbetween pigment or value and putting it in the middle. So I just kept doing that until it blended. Going to try the egg tomorrow. Need to remember relative values and to be patient. . . possibly premix too for faster blending. 

All my attempts. You can see almost all are lifting because I went over the line too many times. I lost paint and then the brush only had water left, so it lifted. 

My best blend, worked because I mixed a half step in between each value. 

7_26_13 Blending Practice

After trying awhile I found out I was using too much water and too little paint. I went on youtube to watch videos of people blending, most didn't know what they were doing but it still helped.

One thing I tried was lighting wetting the paper before adding the paint. It made it flow smoother on the paper. I often get clumps and find the paint sticking to the paper.

I also learned a little about Gels. They lessen the gloss of paint, extend the paint, and make the paint thicker, which would be useful when using Black or the acrylics that are a bit runny like Alizarin.

1. Use more paint, less water. Cake it on.
2. Wet the paper first
3. Try gels for more body

Not necessarily in that order. . .

7_25_13 Grayscale, Egg

New strategy: Going to just try blending. So I'll have a square, one side gray the other white and I'll try to blend them in the middle. On the core shadow I keep lifting the paint. Not sure but I think the black paint is watery, or more translucent. Its not as thick as the white or as opaque. Gray scale still having same issues. . . Need a new plan for that too. 

7_23_13 Grayscale 9 Values, Egg

When I squint. . . the middld of the scale is all the same values. Need to get lighter faster. Also the opposite end is too black. I'll get it next time!

The egg. Shape and getting that blend is proving to be a problem. Still having technical issues with the acrylic. Lifting the paint, so I need less water and more paint. I did have better success with fading out the shadow. It needs work, but was better than the other times.

7_22_13 Fundamentals: Grayscale and Egg

Did the scale first, then the egg. Tried out the new brush, its like a round combined with a flat. Not bad for blending, even though it still needs work. Each 30 mins. Did the small thumbnail first in pencil for the egg. When I squint the second to last scale is too dark. Next time it will be a nine scale in 45 mins. 

7/20/13

Here it is, here it is.

7_20_13 Asher Brown Texture Study

WIP, I'm hoping to revisit same painting to practice textures. I was pretty distracted, but I focus tomorrow by using head phones or hopefully waking up early. Also I need to say NO more. I hung out with too many people this weekend and there is more to come. Plus, I didn't focus. I really am going to make a schedule and treat it like work. So a project, the project broken down into small tasks etc.

I did not do much this night.  I was getting frustrated right off the bat with the drawings and I just decided to stop instead of get more frustrated.  Just....BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

7_19_13 Gurney Study

James Gurney has always been an inspiration to me. So I decided to try out one of his landscapes to study color. However, I feel like I got ahead of myself. I SHOULD have done a value study first. Then afterwards really focus on the EDGES. Mine is fuzzy, its because of edges. So next time I will take more time and do it in black and white first. A second study will follow, focusing on the EDGES and color. But most of the emphasis on the edges. 

Post-O-Rama

Here are the sketches I have done over the last few days where I have not posted (including today's).

7_18_13 Tree Branch WIP

Just block-in. Took forever to mix colors and prep palette. Also a ton of distractions here at home.

WIll Post

Just wanted to post that I know I haven't posted in awhile, but it isn't because I haven't been drawing each day, it is just that I was too lazy to actually upload images and post.  I will post tonight for the last couple of days so that I can catch up on my posts.  I haven't been drawing a lot, but I have fought off the habit of "I will just draw tomorrow" habit and have done some gestures before I go to bed and some of the occasions actually did it when I first woke up.  I am not nearly where I want to be, but I am feeling better that I am at least doing something each day.  Again, I will post tonight when I get home from work.

7_17_13 Tree

Trees and Trees. I feel better about this one. Started with measuring, then did a nasty block in of color for the trunk but it eventually looked better with time. Did the darks after the initial "local" color. That helped give it form. Erased out the holes in the tree and drew more branches. Lastly I filled in the bg, bad idea, but I was just lazy. . . Overall, a much better feeling than last time. 

Sketches from Yosemite!

Not all are of or even done at Yosemite, but its just proof that I did keep up with the drawing habit!

Tree at Yosemite. Watercolor, 30 mins

Wolverine!

People drawing at Yosemite

Blah Fest

I'm not sure if this is helpful, but I choked on this one big time. Color is already an obstacle, I really am not sure how to handle it. But today my drawing was waaaay off. Drawing meaning measuring. Feeling a bit defeated, but going to take a break and come back to it. There has been a lot going on today.

I restarted 3 times. Measuring was way off. Also its nearly impossible to work at home. Too many distractions, every 10 minutes something happens. VERY FRUSTRATED. This is what I mean, I work at stuff, I really do, but then I try something and it doesn't get better. I want to end positive, I can't paint, but maybe thats because I just don't have a knack for it. Maybe I'm not a painter.

Day 3

More gestures.

Zorn in my Side. . .

Very hard using color. Just wanted to do this as a warm up, but I'm having problems with color. I might go back to black and white. 

Also I will be in Yosemite for a couples days. I'll draw but wont be able to post for a few days. 

Good work, keep up the drawing and posting 

Day Two

Didn't do much on this go, just a few quick poses.  Though I am not thrilled with my drawings I am glad I overcame the urge to just "do it tomorrow" and just draw/sketch something.  I know it will evolve into more work and better progress, but at the moment I will just focus and trying to build up the habit and in the meantime use figures as my focus.

Day One...Again

This is Day One because I am trying to get into the habit...need 21 days in a row to kick it into habit...in theory.  Just some quick gestures today.  I am going to focus for the time being on my figure drawings since it is very important and I need work on it.  I also believe that is part of the reason I am less motivated to go out drawing in public so time to remedy that.  

My game plan for each day is to warm up with a page or two of figure drawings from that quick pose website, then try to duplicate some of the drawings within Michael Hamptons book or work through some of the exercises in some of sheldons books, and then finish off with a few more pages of quick poses.  In theory, this should help motivate me because there should either be a visual progression from the first set of quick poses and the second set each night.  If not visual then I should at least feel as if it were easier in a fashion or another.

Eye of the Sargent

Just the eye. . . Piecing it apart. Did this earlier, not organic as defined in previous post but its a master study in color. I'm a little yellow and green, the temp of Sargents is warmer still. . . Learning, got to focus on color temp.

Tree Speed Paint

Now that I look at the picture, I see more red in the highlights. . . and every where else too.
Next time I'll treat it like a real painting, painting only on one layer, since I'm gearing up for acrylics. Background first, then the little shrubs and what not, THEN the tree. Also need to measure better.

Also I am going to practice FOCUSED learning. Breaking down the skills I need to paint well, painting and applying those skills, and finally learning from my mistakes and NOT DOING THEM again. Easy right?  Up first is better drawing, meaning measuring and proportion. Then its values. Next is shape, rendering and lastly texture. OH and color I'll be messing with throughout.

I will focus on organics: rocks, trees, bushes etc to prep for the painting.

7/6/13

Started off with some gestures from the quick pose website, then headed onto mario and finished off with a bit of a snake.

Hero Tree Comps

Attempt at comps for the Hero Tree Assignment. I'll do more tomorrow, along with some sketches to finalize the Hero Tree Design.

Here are my ideations from 113B w/ Bunny. She liked the bridge on top in the middle. I like that one and the one on the top right. Problem with the bridge is its harder to incorporate in a comp, it looks cooler though, but it'd probably be harder to paint. . .