What Art Would I Like To Do?

I'm currently planning a new Art Website to showcase my portfolio and link to this blog. I was browsing some fantasy and science-fiction artists websites for inspiration and ideas, when I stumbled across Greg Horn's website, and it made me think about the kind of art I want to do, when I consider my skills good enough.

I would like to do:

• Advertising Posters
• Art Prints
• Calendars
• Comic Book Covers
• Fantasy Art
• Greeting Cards
• Heroes & Heroines
• D&D Miniatures Illustrations
• Licence Art - for use on T-Shirts, Ornaments
• Magazine Illustrations - Vignettes
• Movie Scenes
• Music Album Covers
• Music Artists
• Sci-fi & Fantasy Still Life
• Science-fiction Novel Book Covers
• Space Opera Scenes
• Superheroes
• Video Game Magazine Covers
• Witches & Other Supernaturally Powered Figures

So I guess I need to improve my skills by practising these kind of works! I'm off to find reference images to match these now!

Happy Sketching Everyone!

Trees Landscape - Complete!

I finally completed my landscape! It's been difficult working on this one, but I am so glad I finally completed it. It was worth finishing as now I am proud of it! There are still areas I need to improve on, I am a fledgling landscape artist, I do need to improve the contrast and make the picture darker in some areas. But this is a good start I think with a difficult reference image (see previous post). Thanks so much to Retha for offering me so much help and support - without you and would not have completed it!

It just goes to show that it is worth finishing your pictures, no matter how badly you think they are going - they do improve once completed, and you have something to be proud of!

My Landscapes Need Help!

This is a work in progress (WIP) of the landscape I have been trying to complete. It's Colour Pencil on A5 sketchbook paper. I don't think I am a natural landscape artist - I am struggling! I never seem to manage to complete a proper landscape. I think the main problem is I don't know how to do the texture and detail in landscapes, I am completely at a loss. For some reason Still Life drawings and close up details of images I can see the details. But doing a Landscape, with grass trees, etc. I can't seem to manage at all. I would be very grateful for anyone to give me some help and advice!

Here's the reference pic I have been working from:

Fantasy Creature - Gryphon

Today I had a go at Wetcanvas' Creature Feature - the challenge this month is to create a Gryphon, a fantasy creature with combined elements of an Eagle and a Lion. I have since discovered that I need a little more practice at drawing animals, as that's the best way to learn how to create convincing supernatural creatures. I am pleased with how my beak turned out, the eagle's head is good although I think I shortened the neck a little too much. The wings I would move further along the back, and possibly make them larger. Proportions are very difficult to get when you are combining various elements of different animals! Here is the reference photos I used to create this Gryphon.

A Happy Little Shieldbug!

Finally we have colour! I really had to push myself today to have a go at something. I haven't done any drawing for a while, and I guess the insecurities start to creep in. Can I still do this? But thankfully, once I chose a picture I liked, and looked simple enough for me to have a go at, this is what I came up with - A Happy Little Shieldbug!

I've seen these creatures in my back garden, I think they're really cute! Tiny, but they seem able to just leap from one plant leaf to another. Love them! :)

Artist's Block

I know you can get writer's block, but is it possible to get artist's block? What do you do when you don't know what to draw, and every reference photo you look at, you think you can't do? Maybe it's partly a confidence issue, and maybe it's a little of allowing the world to rest in heavy on your shoulders and stifle your creativity. Either way, I think I might have found a cure.

If I take a break, do something else, allow myself to get distracted, and best of all start laughing at something - I laugh the stress away! Then I spent some time looking in my art inspiration folder, where I've collected both pencil and colour pencil art that inspires me. Art I would love to be able to do.

I have a basic art plan to work on each week: Figure Drawing Monday, Still Life Tuesday, Wildlife Wednesday, Landscape Thursday, Urban Landscape Friday, Sci-fi Fantasy Saturday, and Colour Pencil Sunday. This gives me goals to work on to improve my art skills. I am also thinking of trying themes for each week, such as movie week, so I pick a reference related to movies for each one that week, a patriotic week, so each one has to be related to something patriotic to my country, maybe a Victorian week, so everything is Victorian related, etc, etc.

To ease myself back into regular sketching, I am also planning to try just a section of a reference photo if I am too overwhelmed by the thought of tackling a whole finished image. I will still be able to practice my drawing and rendering skills, hopefully gain confidence, and then maybe work on a full finished drawing at the end of the week.

That's the plan anyway. The main goal is just to get me sketching again. I want to be good, and I want to improve my skills. I can be a great artist if I practice. I can do this, I just need to try.

Rolf Harris Impressionism Class

Right now I am so inspired by Jamie Oliver's Dream School. He's bringing together the world's best in each subject he wants to have teach at his school. I recently enjoyed Alvin Hall teaching Maths Class, as Maths is one of my weaknesses, and he teaches it in a really interesting way, and makes it relevant to our everyday lives!

But I wanted to post this Introduction to Impressionism by Rolf Harris, where he inspires and amazes the kids in this school. I really enjoyed watching it, and it really made me want to have a go at it. Even though I don't use paints, I believe I could use similar rag blending techniques using graphite pencil to create similar impressionist paintings. I really enjoyed it, and I hope you do as well.

Rolf Harris Impressionism Class

New Sketch - Alarm Clock

Today I'm working on some Still Life practice, so I tried drawing my alarm clock. I think I need to practice my ellipses! This clock is not perfectly round, which seems to have made it doubly hard for me!

I have been inspired today by Vivien's Still Life Challenge, where she's challenging artists to try doing an unusual contemporary Still Life piece. I'd love to try this, and we have until the end of April I believe to get some practice in and some ideas together. I've seen one idea she suggests in her Still Life posts, something she did when she was 15, was to collect one item and draw it, then go pick another item and sketch that in, and keep going until she builds up a nice composition. Which sounds unusual but turned out pretty well for her!

Another idea I've seen from searching up various Still Life's, is where you pick items that mean something or represent something about you. And they called the piece "All About Me." What items would you collect if you were going to do a Still Life piece of objects that represent you? A fun challenge I think!

New Sketch - ''Glamorous Singer''

Here's a new sketch I did today of a singer. I'm trying to improve my figure drawing skills, I think my figures are improving slowly, I just need to challenge myself more with these - I fear doing figures because I know I struggle with them!

I'd happily welcome any constructive criticism!

Sci-fi Sketch: Spaceships & UFOs

Today I fancied something different. I've been looking at sci-fi spaceships all afternoon, and eventually chose to have a go at designing my own. I can see I need a lot of practice! I think if I try sketching real submarines, aircraft and ships, it should help a lot with learning to draw similar vehicles. I also think sketching shiny MP3 players, CD Walkmans, etc. would also be good practice. They are made of shiny metal in futuristic styles, and may inspire me to do new and exciting spaceships.

Landscape Practice

After yesterday's abysmal landscape, I decided to spend today's sketch time on trying to improve my landscape skills. So today I worked on my grass, and a tree sketching. I think my grass is looking quite good in the end, I do need practice putting it in a scene and making it look real. At least that's the idea! I'm also hoping to improve my trees, these are a start.

An Abysmal Landscape!

Today I think I have relearnt how much I need to work on my landscape drawing! I know my landscapes aren't usually the most detailed, and now I think I can see why! I tend to shade the grassy areas smooth, I don't think I am good at adding the detail yet. This sketch is approximately 4 x 3 inches, done with a blunt 2B pencil and a B pencil. I really need to practice my grass and trees!

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!

Sketch #6 Sea Serpent

Today I nearly ran out of time in the day, I literally sketched this in 15 minutes before I went to bed! It's a small sea serpent inspired from a childrens drawing book. Drawn with less details to make it quicker to do, but I did enjoy adding the pattern and changing the shading for under the water and above it. A fun sketch.

Sketch #5 Lamp on Wicker Table

Today's Sketch I also found in a mail order catalogue, a fancy lamp with strange globes on the end with bulbs inside and a chrome base, and then I picked a small wicker table to draw underneath it. I don't think I got the ellipse correct that it is sitting on, but then it's not that easy adding a table as an afterthought! I did enjoy it though, and I'm gradually increasing my Still Life sketching.

Improving My Art

I am amazed by how much my art is improving, sketching every day is making a huge difference to my art. I want to improve my art equally in all major areas. There are 7 days in a week. If I can come up with a list of 7 things to try, I can do them each week, and ensure I improve.

This idea came to me after seeing my Fashion Girl figure drawing yesterday. My figure drawing is improving much better than the last one I did. If I choose to do a figure drawing sketch once a week, my figure drawing is bound to improve. So I will make a list of the 7 different things I want to work on each week, and see where my art ends up in 3 months time. I am doing this over 12 weeks, which means 12 figure drawings - just imagine where my figure drawing will be then?

1. Figure Drawing
   (music star, movie star, fashion model, humanoid, fantasy)
   
   
2. Still Life
   (a stationery object or food)
   
   
3. Animal
   (mammal, reptile, fish, bird, insect, spider)
   
   
4. Landscape
   (greenery, trees, grass, plants, water, full natural landscape)
   
   
5. Urban Landscape
   (buildings, parts of buildings, stone statue, street, vehicles)
   
   
6. Sci-fi or Space scene
   (spaceship, stars, nebula, asteroid, aliens, alien technology)
   
   
7. Colour Pencil Piece
   (any of the other 6 items in colour)

This should keep my skills up in all these areas, and I can have fun doing them. I’m looking forward to this.

Sketch #4 -- Fashion Catalogue Girl

Today I sketched a Fashion Catalogue Girl. She appealed to me because she reminded me of a Vampire, a real cruel and evil one. I ended up spending over an hour on this sketch, and I think I might have overworked it a bit. I ended up shading away most of the detail in her hair, I had some gorgeous strands and movement showing in there, but she does have really dark hair and it wasn't dark enough in my sketch.

I'm still happy with how she turned out, as people are probably the one subject I find the hardest to do, and this is a learning curve for me!

Sketch #3 -- Laptop Hard Drive

Today I sketched the Hard Drive I recently pulled out of my old Laptop. I had to prop it up against a cup to be able to sketch it, it kept wanting to fall down, but eventually it gave up and decided to pose there for me! :)

Sketch #2 - Fantasy Doodles

Today I just doodled for fun, I started off drawing sweets, a heart, then a white rabbit, and his magic rabbit hole, a pocket watch, a little more stippling, and then a fantasy door to finish things off. It was nice just to relax and not worry about doing something 'right'.

Sketch a Day Game - Tree Stippling Practice

I just discovered a Sketch a Day Game challenge on Wetcanvas, where they challenge you to do a sketch a day, numbering each one you do, and having to revert back to #1 any time you skip a day! It's ok to not upload every day, so long as you sketch every day, and upload them after. Let's see what number I can get up to without missing a day!

Today I start on Sketch #1 - a practice at Stippling foliage for bushes and trees. I usually just do the shading as on the first couple of shrubs and trees on this page, the stippling definitely doesn't come naturally to me, but I'm hoping they resemble trees and shrubs!

Fantasy House Sketch

I'm starting my daily sketches again, today's sketch is a little fantasy house I made up on a coffee break.

My 2011 Art Goal: Create Beautiful Art

I think this year I want to concentrate on creating beautiful art. I have been trying to do concept sketches, and am embarrassed by how badly my art looks without reference images. This year I want to really work on my art and improve it. Perhaps rather than trying to create amazing original sci-fi and fantasy art, I should concentrate on doing art from reference images and creating beautiful art. Obviously improving my skills in the process.

I think I am afraid to try creating art that I cannot see clearly in reference pictures before I start the final piece. I don't think I have ever tried to draw lizards or snakes before, and believe I should try to do that before I try to create a lizardlike creature from imagination. I remember seeing fantasy artists sketchbooks in The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques, (one of my favourite art instruction books), and it showed many drawings from life as well as some flights of fancy. The more I practice doing art from reference images the more skilled I will become, and can adapt that skill into fantasy work.

I think this year I just need more practice, work from reference images, and build a portfolio I am proud of. Then I can try more fantasy art. Or perhaps trying some flights of fancy in between? Especially in the Boris Vallejo book, Fantasy Art Techniques. He shows you how to work from reference images of the various elements, and put them all together in one painting.

Reference images is definitely the way for me to go, and I intend to work at them and create beautiful art this year.

ArtOrder Creator - Great for getting new ideas!

I just visited the new ArtOrder blog (they've moved!), and found a link to a really cool ArtOrder Creator widget. You click the AO button at the bottom and it generates a whole series of ArtOrder specifications for you. If there's anything you want to twek slightly, just click the grey buttons to the right of each line you want to alter. It's a lot of fun, and you can get new ideas when you're stuck for inspiration!

Here's what it came up with for me, funnily enough I've been really interested in Steampunk lately, so think I may give this one a try!

(Click image for larger view)

This would also be really handy if, like me, you're an amateur artist and want to see how you could have a go at doing commissions, without actually committing to one and risk letting a client down. A test run if you like!

Eachy Concept & Lizard Dragon Sketches

Here are couple more Eachy inspired sketches, my Eachy concept first...


followed by a rough sketch of a Lizard Dragon. He had a gorgeous expression on his face, he seemed so alive.

Trying Concept Art Sketches

After being inspired by Christopher Burdett's blog post, and his amazing monsters that he loves to create so much, I thought I would have a go at designing and creating my own monster. I decided to do the Wetcanvas Creature Feature, which this month is a mythical creature called an Eachy. An Eachy is described as a species of lake monster from Northern England and Scotland. It is typically a large humanoid being of gruesome and slimy appearance seen to occasionally emerge from the lake. It is described as a 13-foot-long (4.0 m), triple-humped, python-headed creature.

Following Christopher Burdett's method of using reference photos and concept sketches/thumbnails, I gathered many images of python's heads, hunchbacks (of notre dame), and even the odd hunchbacked gargoyle statue. I looked for 'humps' so I could look at camel humps. For future reference, make sure you add the word 'camel' to your search, or you get a lot of humping and no camels!!!

These are some of the suitable reference images I found...

I like these reference images, and I got a basic idea in my head of what I wanted my Eachy to look like. So I started sketching my first ever 'concept sketches'. I've never done concept sketches before, I've looked at some, (especially those in Art of Star Wars books), I've sketched fun cartoony images before, and drawn from reference images before. But how do you draw an imaginary creature, from reference images that obviously are not a photograph of the imaginary creature you're trying to make up? Well, I had a go, and embarrassed to say my drawings looked like a child's drawings! They looked awful to me! I shaded them in and went over the lines a bit, and they seem to have improved a little, but they're definitely not the best sketches in the world! I know concept sketches aren't meant to be the best art ever, just show the design of whatever it is you're designing. Which mine do, just about. I just hope I can make a better creature when I come to doing my final drawing. I really think I need help on using reference pictures to create imaginary creatures!

Here they are, I hope you don't find them too poorly drawn. Any help and advice anyone can offer would be gratefully appreciated!

Colour Pencil Art Inspiration

I decided to trawl the 'net in search of inspiration today, so I specifically searched for colour pencil art in the style I would like to be able to recreate.

So please note, I DID NOT CREATE ANY OF THE ART IN THIS POST! Please see artist info and link back to where I found the art underneath each picture. I have only posted these images here as I find them inspiring, and hope to promote more colour pencil art.

Lizard
by ~Katie~

Ghostbusting
by Chris Hoffman

Alien
by Chris Hoffman

Living In Two Worlds
by Peter Williams

Jared Padalecki
by Ana Rey

Scott & Jean
by Anthony Klein

Please note, I DID NOT CREATE ANY OF THE ART IN THIS POST! Please see artist info and link back to where I found the art underneath each picture in this post. Thank you.

2011 - The Year To Find My Art Style!

I've just been reading Christopher Burdett's latest blog post, 2010 - The year I got more serious. I love reading his blog posts, and it reminded me of reading his blog post this time last year. I think it was called 2010 - The year to get serious, (or something like that). I remember I found it really inspiring, and made me want to really focus on my art. I wanted to create amazing fantasy art, and I know that had I concentrated, and pushed myself to produce new art every week, I would have produced many pieces, that would have improved over the course of the year, and I might have felt closer to calling myself a professional artist now if I had.

Now I'm wondering what direction I'm going to take my art in this year. I know Christopher Burdett loves his MONSTERS! He writes so just about all over his blog! I don't think I have found my niche yet, I know I love fantasy art, but I don't have a specific goal of becoming a monster artist, fairy artist, sci-fi spaceship artist, dragon artist, etc. So perhaps this year will be spent finding my focus. I would like to try creating each type of fantasy art I can think of. Producing a piece in each genre to the best of my ability. And then having tried each, I might be in a better position to see what I like, and which I might like to focus on. In Christopher Burdett's latest post, he also speaks greatly about REFERENCES, and the importance of gathering many photo references to produce more realistic and better work. He shows images collected of photos, he then creates thumbnail drawings and ideas, before producing the final drawing and then painting (adding the colour).

I don't think I've properly tried to create a brand new creature from imagination and reference images, I've often not known where to start. But using this method I may be able to try one! I think this is the year for me to experiment, try different things, and find the type of art I want to do. I love spaceships, I think they're cool, space art looks amazing, and I don't think you see enough of it. (Or at least I don't). Something else Christopher's technique above has taught me, is that even though you're doing fantasy art, you can still use references, you can still find elements of what you want to do, in real life. For example, his Crab-Bear monster has elements of bears and crabs. A monster's mouth has giant teeth, so why not use a shark or a lion's mouth as a reference? For spaceships, take a look at sleek airplanes and maybe helicopters for the way light reflects on them, and their shape. Perhaps submarines and other sea vessels too.

So my Big Art Goals for 2011 are...

1. Sketch every day
   
2. Work on a full colour piece every week
   
3. Try a Monster Piece
   
4. Try a Spaceship Piece
   
5. Experiment and Try New Things
   
6. Look for inspiration on ConceptArt.org, Wetcanvas, and Art Blogs (see blogroll at bottom of column on right)

New Sketch - Igloo & Christmas Tree

Here's an igloo I sketched today with a Christmas Tree, inspired by one of my new calendars - 'Eric the Penguin.' It's a funny slimline calendar following the exploits of a perhaps not so intelligent penguin in the North Pole.

I think in my drawing I would have been better drawing the igloo with a rounded base (for some reason I was thinking the shape of a snow globe would be right), and the doorway of the igloo should be a little further in to the left. In my defence I was working without any reference image in front of me!

New Sketch - Snowman & Star

Here's a little sketch I did on New Year's Day, a Snowman because I was still feeling festive, and a Wishing Star for all your New Year Wishes. Happy New Year Everyone!