Fantasy Portraits Makeover

Hello friends! 

I've really been enjoying creating some fantasy portraits lately. Here are some more.

This first one is a reworking of a previous one I've shared with you. I didn't like the lips. They were too big. They were too red. They were too bold. They were like a slash of fierce red lipstick across her face. It did not bode well with me. In the meantime, I've been taking more online classes, and one thing I have learned is that gesso is quite a miracle medium, in that you can use it not only to stabilise your substrate but also to wipe things out. So guess what I did? You've got it. I just gessoed over those dreadful red lips and painted some new ones. Hurrah.!

In order, first is the original. The second one with the lips gessoed over.  The third one, the final amended one.  I used pink ink instead of paint for the final one.  I also added eyelashes, which is some facial feature I do need to practise. However, I think they've given the eyes an extra lift. And I also slightly reworked the shading in the eyes which is something I have learned to do since I painted this originally. Altogether, I'm very happy with the improvements made. I'd really like to know what you think. 

The lips gessoed away, makes me think of a horror movie where a spell is cast and mouths are sealed with web like bonds, but which one, I can't think.

I'm not going to pretend it wasn't scary. It was utterly terrifying!! However., I plucked up the courage and committed to it. I don't know how I did it, because it was frightening putting that first layer of gesso down over the lips, knowing that I could easily ruin everything with no going back. It was at work down the drain so to speak, but I think it's paid off dividends and it's a much better portrait all round now.

I may have mentioned that I subscribed to Tamara Laporte's. Life Book 2019 but because Mum passed away, I didn't even begin it. Once you've bought one of her classes you have lifetime access to all the components, so I've decided to go back in and work through the lessons.  Because I bought at the early birds price, I also got a free bonus class. It's called Garden Fairy; this is my result. I'm very happy with how it's turned out.

One thing I have learned is once you have set down your original line drawing and start applying your paint it can be quite a daunting process. I'm sharing just a few of the stages here with you to illustrate what I mean. To be honest once I start laying in the flesh tones, they really look quite frightening, as if you've ruined it before you've even started, but you just got to keep the faith and keep going.  Layer upon layer of paint builds up gradually and you hopefully end up with a finished outcome that you're happy with.

So, I create my drawing, with which I'm very happy.

First layers of flesh tones, and I already feel it's ruined. This is the point to keep going.

Now I'm terrified. What have I done?  Keep the faith. Keep going.

Then as soon as I start adding features, the colour of the eyes and the lips, it all calms down again.

Final Outcome

I'm showing you two versions of the same painting. First one is without the vine leaves hanging down in the background. The second one has the vine leaves added. I'm not sure which one I prefer. I can't make up my mind whether the hanging vines are a step too far or whether they add something to the portrait.  That's the thing with taking photographs at every stage of development. You get to see how things looked and compare. Photography can be a very useful tool with painting analysis.  I am very happy with how she turned out, either version!  Do you have a favourite?

Just bring everything up to date before I start on the taster sessions for LifeBook23. That is a fortnight of taster sessions with various artists similar to the previous one, Artist Soul Gathering, I did with Ida Lang Anderson.  I have already started it.

Until next time.

Stay safe, stay well.

Debbie

Artful August And That's A Wrap

Hello friends!

Well, this ties up Artful August with the final three pieces of art for the month long challenge.  There's a few extras as well that I'd already done, and I might just as well show them to you as leave them in the box.

Day 29. Prompt Drips. Totally outside of my comfort zone with this one, so I just painted a quick background. I made some very watery paint mix and just let it drip down from the top of the paper all the way down, making drippy marks. I added some gouache paints into white acrylic and did the same process as previously to make some flowers just to go on top of it. Although it's not meant to, I think it's got a very sort of underwater tropical feel to it.

Day 30. Prompt was Book.  Initially I was at a bit of a loose end with this one. But then I decided to draw stack of books. Drew on some favourite titles and this is the result.

Day 31 Prompt was Vintage.  Maybe I've interpreted this more in the vintage colour scheme rather than something that looks particularly vintage. I like all the frames in the different colours and I think it would make a useful background for a journal page or for a scrapbook where you could put your own photos or images into the frames.  Someone misread "vintage" as "village" and thought it looked like abstract windows.  I can just see a curtain or two twitching, can you?

Now the extra ones I did just for the fun of it!

You must be wondering what happens to all the leftover paint at the end of the day? Well here's a couple of examples, what I usually do is end up painting onto some blank cards creating backgrounds that will be used in something in the future. Waste not want not!

and finally, "The Stack" of 31+ cards {it's a tradition to show them all in one at the finish}

I'm not sure what's next on the agenda but there are more online art challenges coming up so no doubt I'll be taking part in some of those. September 6 through September 16th there's a short challenge for drawing “inchies and twinchies” miniature works on pieces of paper no larger than two inches square. It should be quite challenging to go onto such a small scale, but I think I'll give it a go because it's something you can do quite quickly, and it's all good practice.

At some point in the future, I'm hoping to be getting back into sharing things in the garden but it's all in a state of flux out there at the moment as some of you know. 

Don't forget to let me know which one is your favourite will you?

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie

Mushroom Village

Hello Friends!

Recently, I came across a small group of the cutest mushrooms imaginable. Perfectly formed, they seem to be just crying out for doors, windows, and chimneys to make the sweetest little mushroom cottages for our fairy and elemental friends ~~~ what do you think?

Then, just less than a week goes by, and the scene is changed, and I fear the fairies and elementals are flown away ~~~

All the while, the little village, undergoing so many changes, nestled underneath the gnarly roots of an ancient and magical yew tree ~~~

Until next time ~~~
Deborah xo

The Pages are Turning ~~~

Hello Friends!

Yes, the brand new brave new pages of a brand new brave new year are turning again with each new day bringing a fresh, clean page for us to fill with our imaginings and ramblings ~~~

Over the last few months there has been a recurring theme in words and sentence fragments I have read in many places across the internet, in letters, in conversations, from books, and so many other sources, and some which have even uttered forth from my own lips, quite uninvited, and in the last few days of December the urgency, the number of occurrences that continue to shout this message are now gaining such proportion that I can no longer ignore them ~~~ I must "NOURISH" my "CREATIVE SOUL" ~~~

I mentioned it a short while ago, so you may recall me saying that I will not be taking as many photographs and instead I shall be using my words to paint pictures for your mind's eyes to develop for yourselves; I believe this to be the catalyst, for since then I have been writing more and, although not yet published, and I have started picking up my art more and more.

It is fascinating how, once you open a door in the right direction, more doors, and more opportunities seem to start flooding in ~~~

I also noted that continuously, as the one behind the camera lens, I find myself missing out on the moment, and this year it is my intention to live in the moments rather than be so lost in capturing a digital image.  Living in the moment will Nourish me too ~~~

But, I hear myself argue {oh, boy! there's no one like my inner voice at times such as these} you love photography! Well, yes, I do, but this year is going to be BRAVE and NEW for me as I try to strike some fresh, new balance in my life, and that must start with some balance over my photography and it's connection to other aspects of my creativity.

Seed Head

Oh, before I forget, I don't particularly make New Year resolutions, but do feel it is necessary to do so this year. I resolve to replace caps on pens and to retract ball points immediately upon finishing using them. From this, I think you may gather that there have been a few inkcidents recently. Do you like my new word?

Without going into detail why, I have neglected to feed and satisfy my creative self for far too long a time, whether in writing, painting, sewing, and more, but the time is right to return to feeding my creative self, right now, no time like the present {it's a gift, don't you know?}, I am giving myself the gift of creativity, this is the time I reclaim my creative self ~~~

The pages are turning on my new tool to a more creative me "Morning Pages" A good while back a dear friend recommended I read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, and like so many other recommendations it made it's way onto my bookshelves only to languish. Now, if there is one thing I believe in it is everything comes in it's own time, and now is the time for me to start working through this book. There are a few other books that have arrived at the cottage recently too, namely Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and Draw Every Day * Draw Every Way Sketchbook.

Each morning, hopefully before the day begins in earnest, I am working on my Morning Pages, three pages of writing which does not have to be creative, but a stream of conscious thought. There are some interesting pages developing!

Each day, at any point where I can squeeze it in I am going to draw something. A doodle, a zentangle, illustrate a single letter, or work on something more intensive that might build up over a number of small bites of time, even over a few days.

I am making myself pick up something to create that involves fabric or paper as often as I can manage it, daily if possible. It may be something small and simple, such as a greeting card, a note card or a book mark, or it may be something that, again in bite size nibbles, goes on to create a larger work. I've ordered some crochet hooks as that is something I've always wanted to try, and I've pulled out some old embroidery hoops too ~~~

To all of the above, it isn't important what I write, or draw, or make, the important thing is that I am doing something creative, to feed and Nourish my creative spirit in some sort of pattern daily ~~~ the worth of this to my creative spirit is immense.

Please, don't worry that I have abandoned my photography entirely, for I know how so many of you love to travel along with me as we stride out across the byways and bridle paths of the Shire ~~~ on the contrary, I have signed up for an online course, "A Year With My Camera".  I know this is starting to sound contradictary, but this is not about taking photographs as such, it is about getting to know your camera and improving the quality of the images you take by knowing your camera ~~~ you know all those buttons and icons that most of us ignore and opt to use 'auto'? Well, soon I'll be learning what they do and the way they can be used to give back control of the image to me not to the camera.

Some of the other ways I am nourishing myself are, briefly, through healthy eating and walking. I'll share more on that in the future, but you know what this means, don't you ~~~ recipes and outings coming in the future, along with updates to my progress on The Artist's Way and other art and creating ~~~

Until next time ~~~
~~~ Deborah xoxo