What can be done with brush, words, iPad, HTML5, Photoshop, ink, and video. Inspiration and innovation blending art, design, community, and technology wherever possible. Support for understanding the tools and process of creative work.
This post is a catch-up to get my blog caught up to my Facebook and Twitter feeds.
During the past few days, I've finished several pieces, and used my cell phone to get them quickly announced on Facebook, Youtube, etc. It's just so easy to do it that way. However, the blog here allows a more thorough explanation and the ability to label my posts. So here goes.
First of all, I created and completed a pastel cat painting recently that I want to show off. I like the drawing it's made from, and I made two copies - one for pastel and one for watercolour. The watercolour is still in progress today.
Pastel cat painting by Heidi Bada
Watercolour version still in progress
I also recorded a bit of commentary regarding the pastel version which was uploaded to YouTube:
I really like how the first version worked, made from a sketch done earlier today as an experiment and test of my memory of cat features. It turned out so likeable, that I want to wait till tomorrow to make some copies. My method is to tape it to the window and trace onto watercolour paper taped over the initial good drawing. It's quite late now, so I'll wait for daylight.
Meanwhile, I made a video (in two short parts) that show the work off a bit. I plan to make a watercolour with traditional washes, to practice my watercolour paint handling, and a pastel version using my new Pan Pastels, and also probably a charcoal drawing or ink version.
I'm still not sure which media I'd like to specialize in, so I feel compelled to try all with this cute drawing of a cat.
On a spur-of-the-moment enthusiasm urged by an email from a friend, I decided to check out Pandora Arts Collective today. My friend had told me about a number of events and groups in the area, and I was familiar with this one's location and impressed by their pro-art website.
I was greeted with warm smiles and a thorough orientation. The studio is wide open space with tables to draw, paint, and do crafts. I believe easels are also available if needed. The drop-in fee is obviously very reasonable at $2, and I had a pleasant and productive time!
The mix of eight or so artists included an artist-in-residence interested in animation, a painter, a jewelry duo, and a few pastel and pencil illustrators. I think I made 8 new friends today! It was fun, and I didn't know what to expect, at $2 a session, so I only brought a sketchbook and pencils.
I see now that the place and the people are suitable for doing any combination of serious, fun, collaborative, and therapeutic art.
The reason I'm sharing this is to encourage people to visit their local community groups and even venture out of their usual circles to meet new artists. I was encouraged to keep working at my confident skills, and indirectly try new things, too.
Carbonmade is one place I show off my work. It's free, allows up to 5 categories, and 35 total images. A paid account is also available that offers more space and features.
I'm happy with free! The layout is beautiful and clean. The first thing viewers see (when you give your "you.carbonmade.com" address) is photo-icons of your categories. When they click a category (a "project"), they'll see whatever images you uploaded, in a simple gallery viewer, with or without thumbnails at the bottom.
The free account also includes an About page, where I tell how to reach me, hire me, and what my artistic interests are. I get to have fun there, because I'm only sharing my best work and not trying to sell it. Some buyers just need to see a portfolio, and I agree it's a good idea to provide one. Sites like Fine Art America make your artwork look great and clickable, but don't allow a traditional portfolio viewer.
While it's a pain to upload to both, the combination of these two serves my main purposes to show and sell my work, and provide methods to contact me.
I found a fog-making Photoshop tutorial that looked promising and I really wanted to try it. I really wanted to add some doom and gloom to some of my photos. I found one photo that definitely needed a dramatic enhancement, shown below.
Original skateboard with grid spot flash accessory
This photo was the result of some tests using a grid spot flash attachment, which was a new accessory to me. I love the strange lighting effect it produces: flat yet vibrant.
Working through this tutorial, on the tutsplus.com website, I proceeded through several steps. First of all I added fog with a fog-oriented brush set. I didn't want to pay for the suggestion brush set on deviantart.com so I found an alternate free option by searching "fog brush Photoshop."
Using a mask, and gradients, the fog was tailored and tamed. Green and blue layers were added with gradient fills and "Soft Light" blend mode, to create that creepy alien atmosphere found in the tutorial.
What do you think of the result? Creepier or more alluring? Mysterious at least?
I like this little drawing I made at a cafe. I was trying to keep my people-drawing skills active. Doing it reminded me that I feel comfortable drawing people, even when they're not in intense action.
Here's a screenshot of the work in progress, on a bigger sheet of paper now. The original was about 4x5" at the cafe, and now it's 8.5x11" on watercolour paper.
Ink drawing of Cafe Guy, copied from sketch book
I actually made two copies at the larger size. The first was drawn simply from the original as a model, and without precise scaling. The result is very close to the original little sketch. By the way, the guy left while I was drawing - he was a cafe customer and I hoped he was merely gone briefly to the bathroom - but really only the table portion was missing, so I turned it into a ledge. He never returned, anyway, so I stand by that decision.
The other large copy was made by tracing the first enlargment, after it was inked. The violet ink I chose was barely visible when blank watercolour paper was laid over the enlarged, inked copy, taped to the window. This copy was also inked.
One of these larger copies will become a hard pastel illustration, and the other a watercolour. I'm in the mood for lively, fanciful colours and backgrounds lately, and this subject gives me lots of opportunity to play.
Some of my thoughts were captured on video using my cell phone, soon after making the first enlargement, and they are shared below. I hope my video comments throughout this blog will give you insight into how I work, and get the results I do.
I'm always learning more, don't get me wrong! It's been a while since I had full-time creative work. I miss it and want to get there again, using the internet regularly to share work, and push myself to ever-greater skill. The quality of illustration I see online these days, and now digital arts too, humbles me but also thrills me.
I like this sort of line illustration. It reminds me of doodling during high school math class, or drawing objects under force in high school physics. I recall very much having notebooks full of doodles that didn't relate at all to what I was supposed to be doing, as well!
Since my last office work position ended earlier this year, I am confident to keep practicing the excellent training I've had in live classes, and tutorials found online. The techniques are out there for all of us to practice and experiment with. I'm just relieved to find sites like fiverr.com that let me offer skills for convenient sale! Find me there- my handle is "Island Geek" and I have 100% 5-star ratings, and a 3% world domination value!
I've been putting off commenting about drawing because I wanted to be sure that people hang onto my photography interests. Rest assured, I take all my interests fairly seriously. I simply don't limit myself to just one tool.
Today, I've finally finished a drawing in pastels with a golf theme. It's the second sports drawing I've made this summer. I spent so much time learning Photoshop as a goal, or re-learning it, that I now want to rekindle my old skills in illustration.
My very first paid gig, even before paper routes was actually a drawing. My first paid employment was as a sports illustrator, but the first thing I did for money besides household chores, was a bizarre drawing gig.
A lady in the neighbourhood commissioned me to draw a life-sized portrait of someone in her family who was becoming famous for his car racing successes. A local hero! I barely remember it, except I think the gig paid $50, and I recall people saying that I had drawing prowess at the time. I was about 13. I guess I doodled even then, not just in high school. I know for sure I was doing drafting for a hobby, using Autocad, but that's another story.
So today I was proud to finish my drawing. It uses a combination of hard and soft pastels. It's very close to what I intended, which was to practice pastel techniques I've learned in the book Pastels Unleashed by Margaret Evans. I also wanted to explore drawing sports, like I did as a teen.
Here's a snapshot taken with my Google Nexus phone (sorry about the vignette):
Golfer drawing in pastel by Heidi Bada
The book covers things like glazing and creating atmospheric and perspective effects. I enjoyed trying the techniques, and I'm sure this won't be my last sports image using pastels.
More of my comments about this drawing are found on my Youtube channel below, in two parts.
