Practice, Practice, Practice

Today, I am practicing eyes.  For your viewing pleasure, here is one eye.  I bookmarked some photos in Sktchy where people had something interesting or distinctive about how their eye(s) appeared in the photo.

One, random, floating eye looks a bit goofy.  I haven’t completed my practice for the day, so I’m off to do more. 

It’s Absurd and Ridiculous

That’s what these drawings of cats in hats are.  Absurd and ridiculous.

Cat in Knitted Hat #4

They are also a lot of fun and they make me smile.  Nuff said.

It’s Alun Armstrong Month

Roz declared here that March is Sketch Alun Armstrong month.  I confess that I didn’t know who he was, however I decided to fit a few Alun Armstrong portraits into my general March project involving portraits and I am glad that I did.  First, the overall idea is just playful.  Second, he has a really fascinating face.  Third, I’m finding it easier to work on trying to sketch people I don’t know.  If I only get a partial resemblance, it doesn’t bother me.  

Here’s the portrait that I worked on yesterday and today.  The eye on the left is off as to placement and shape, but otherwise I’m very pleased with the result.  

The first one I did had less resemblance.

For both of these, it was such a good exercise to push myself to complete a piece. The one in pencil is more of a sketch, but it’s a complete one.  Honestly, I am kind of amazed that I can do this.

Last Month

In February, I worked on portraits as a project and mostly I worked through a Skchy Art School class about the Loomis method. It was taught by Mike Creighton.  He did a good job of showing and explaining this method in the videos.  I still need to watch the last one which is a beginning to end frontal view portrait and also to watch 3 of the live Q&As which were filmed when the class first dropped in August of 2020. 

I've found that I really don't like sitting and watching videos but I am coming to terms with the fact that it is a good way to learn, especially during a pandemic.  Most days, I split my project time about 50% watching/learning and 50% doing. 

Here is a portrait of a Sktchy muse (that's what they call them) at the beginning of the month before I started to watch the videos. 

Here is the same muse at the end of the month.  I didn't even remember the sketch from the beginning of the month until I started to document and do my month-end evaluation.  If I had planned, I would have waited and gone through the 3rd to last lesson, which was a full run through of the profile view.  Even so, I think the proportions improved a lot from the beginning of the month. 

Part of the resemblance issue is getting someone to look the right age.  In both of these, she looks older than she is. I'm not that hung up on resemblance at this point, especially since I am discovering that I really need to slow down to truly see actual facial features.  After that, it's the issue of trying to get the right shapes and angles and when you are trying to capture the exact shape of an eye or how lips some together in the corner it's a lot of tiny details.  

In March, I am going to continue to work on portraits.  I want to finish Mike's class and start to use some of the other resources that I found.

Speaking As Someone Who Uses Cats As Models

I find dogs hard to draw.  Since I don't draw them often, that should not be a surprise.  I enjoy working with the crayons, because I can layer and layer and layer.  In the end, there's more I like about this than I don't, so I will probably send it.  

My cousin had to put down his 8 year-old, beloved golden retriever, Sadie.  It was very sudden.  In two days, she went from being a seemingly, healthy dog, to having several neurological episodes, which led to discovering that she had an advanced condition which could not be treated.  

This is my best attempt at trying to capture Sadie.  In the past, I've tried to paint her. 

I spent a lot of time working on this one and decided yesterday that I just needed to be done.  

Now, I can get back to doing cats in hats. 

Hurrah! February Is Almost Over

Back in college, my favorite professor would bring donuts to her classes on the last day of February to celebrate that the month was coming to an end. I mostly believe in letting things be as they are and not wishing away time to pass more quickly than it should, however February can be a trying month and February in a pandemic is even more trying. 

On a personal note, something switched several days ago. I think it’s the combination of some sunny days, warmer temperatures (although I do love snow and am a little sad when it melts) and longer days. When I’ve been waking up in the morning, I’ve just been feeling more like myself with both a little more spark and a little more energy.  

Given where we are in the pandemic, I’m not expecting to see things change in a macro way any time soon, but I can see where things have changed and will continue to change in a micro way. Meeting people for socially distanced walks outside is doable again. When I go out walking, I run into neighbors more often and we stop and chat for a minute. I know people who have gotten vaccinated and rather than be envious, I think with every vaccine which is given and every day which passes where people are being vaccinated, it’s getting closer for both me and the hubby. I’ve started the seeds in the basement which need a long time to grow, such as leeks and some of my herbs. At some point, juggling club will start meeting in the park again. Yes, this is last on is still ways off, but the overall trend of all of this is positive.  

From an art-marking perspective, I’ve been working on portraits or facial features all month. I’ve mostly focused on the  Loomis method from the Sktchy class. Yesterday, I watched and followed along to the video where we worked through a profile view together as a culmination of the prior lessons. Today, I worked solo using the same source picture.  The next several days, I plan to finish up class with the straight on view and 3/4 view.  

Overall, progress has seemed slow and resemblance is still a big issue, but I’m pleased with where I’m getting by showing up and working each day. I think I will continue with portraits in March. 

I Am Not A Reindeer

 I am not a reindeer.

I did not voluntarily dress up as a reindeer.

I do not want to play any reindeer games.