I teased this post in my summer art review post which I made a few months back where I said I’d share some of the traditional art I’ve made over the summer (and not over part of the semester). I have no really good reason as to why it’s taken me so long to post this besides that fact that every time I managed to think about it, it would slip my mind when I actually sat down to write a blog post.
All that being said, here are a few art pieces I’ve made over the last few months.
I think a few of my favorites are the mouse in the tea cup, the girl in the ballcap, the girl with a ponytail, and the close up of the cat. I wasn’t a huge fan of the green dress fashion sketch as the shadows just didn’t look right and I regret not giving her face (even though I feel it should be alright not to have to draw a face in a fashion sketch). Anyways, I hope that you found these little sketches interesting or at the very list give you a little inspo as to what you can sketch (or if you find them awful, use them as an example of what NOT to do when drawing :P)
Anyways! That’s all for now! Have a good week my friends and, if you happen to be on fall break like me, have a fabulous fall break where you drink lots of pumpkin spice lattes and attend a lot of campfires and soup potlucks.
One thing I alluded to in some of my life update posts is that I have new art that I am very excited to share. Most of it is digital edits that involve a lot of photoshop and less coloring/drawing (But still fun and artsy nonetheless). So I decided that this post would contain my new digital pieces that I’ve created over the last couple of months. I’ve been trying to focus a lot on portraits and faces more than anything. Hope my practice has paid off and you enjoy!
This is an digital edit portrait I did of my friend Megan over at Megan’s Musings. Really happy with how this one turned out!This is another mixture of a photo edit/art piece. Certain parts of the piece like the face and some of the hair are drawn while other parts I edited and blended into the piece. The base picture is one that I took myself and used for reference.This is another edit/art piece where I took the photo I used as a reference myself except I did a lot more drawing for this piece than I did the other one. Perhaps in another post I can share the original photos vs. the art pieces but I’m not sure if people would be interested in that. Regardless, that is a post for another day!This is a photoshop portrait I did of my friend Becca! This is one where I really struggled with the hair and background but I’m pretty okay with how it came out.This is another photoshop portrait I did of my younger sister. I would love to redo the background but I think by the time I was getting close to finishing, I was simply ready to be done. I’m sure many of you artists out there understand the feeling.I really enjoyed playing with colors in this edit. The Original was a photo my sister took this time of me playing in chalk. It turned out super cute.
And that’s it for now! I have some traditional pieces that I may also share in the future but I was mostly excited to share my digital pieces this time around. Thanks for checking them out! And if you like what you see round here, maybe consider dropping a follow or a comment below! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Alrighty! That’s it for now! Talk to you later, lovelies!
While I generally enjoy populating my blog with tips for writers primarily, from the few art posts I have on my blog, you can probably tell that I dabble a bit in the realm of drawing both digitally and traditionally. It is not a source of income for me nor do I ever really plan on it being however, I still find myself in a much better mood having created something that appeals to my eyes (for the most part. Every artist knows you must create an abomination every now in then to keep thinks spicy).
So, all that being said, I felt like it would be fun to make a little “tips and tricks” post for my fellow artists out there for keeping motivated to draw and create even when you feel like you’re not improving or find yourself in a rut creatively.
1. It’s okay to have a pretty scuffed sketchbook.
I know first hand the discouragement that Pinterest drawing journal inspo can produce. On one hand, I feel inspired to create such beautiful pieces myself! On the other, it can cause me to obsess over the “cleanness” and perfection of not just my individual sketches but the state of my sketchbook itself. And, like I often say over here on my blog, perfectionism can be one of the biggest obstacles an artist must overcome. So take heart, artists with beat-up and banged-up sketchbooks! It is totally fine to have a collection of drawings with a few “scrap” pages and maybe a few coffee stains on the cover. Actually, I’ve found that I often draw more when I have a slightly scuffed sketchbook as it prevents me from being nervous about messing up the book with a less than perfect sketch.
2. Draw, Draw, Draw. Quantity (mostly) over Quality.
Just like with writing, often skill comes overtime with the production of a lot of creations. This is the whole practice makes perfect phenomenon. Not that you shouldn’t try of course. Keep trying, by all means. But try not to get all caught up in creating the perfect piece now.
3. Not every art tip you find online will apply to you.
This is another important thing to note when you’re an artist with an internet connection. You have an endless supply of lists of “Do’s and Don’t” that you should follow when drawing. However, while it is good to at least CONSIDER these tips when making your own art, you probably shouldn’t follow every single one. Certain things are creative decisions and a piece that follows all the “rules” can sometimes feel boring or devoid of creativity.
4. Practice the things you struggle with.
I don’t like this tip but once I decided that I was going to draw a hand every day for a month, I saw a huge (though gradual) improvement with my ability to do so. Now that’s a pretty intense solution that I don’t think everyone should do, but I think you get the idea. Try not to avoid things that you struggle with and feel you aren’t good at it. Not that you have to now make your living as a hand-sketcher but it really pays off to put extra practice into those artistic pet-peeves you have whether it be drawing hands, eyes, people, animals, etc.
5. It takes time to find your style.
Not to mention it also evolves constantly. That’s alright though. That’s actually good because if you weren’t changing, you wouldn’t be improving in the slightest. Remember, change is (usually) good.
And I think that’s about it! Thanks for dropping by and reading! Also feel free to let me know in the comments section below of what tips really helped you as an artist! I’d love to hear them!
Just wanted to bring y’all a quick life update as it relates to my blog posts. 😅😂
I started a new job (my first full time job/internship position) which has been going great but it means I’m going to slow down a little bit on posts at least until I’m more well adjusted. 😂 As you can probably tell from the haphazard emojis, I’m a little tired. 😂 The job is great, I’m just having to adjust to a new sleep schedule.😂😂😂😭
Posts may appear more frequently on the weekends now but I’m not entirely sure yet.😂 Y’all know how it is. 😂
Hello, bloggers & readers! Today I’m just gonna ramble a bit about some of my favorite works of art. These vary from classic paintings to paintings done by lesser known artists whose work (in my opinion) is just as beautiful. I’m no art expert, sure, but if I see a painting and think “ooooh, I want that on my wall.” I think it’s pretty darn good. And I don’t think you come to this blog for impeccable art advice or critiques (if so, I am both perplexed and amazed).
So let’s get started!
Paintings by Regina Argentin
This girl. Her stuff is incredible. Her works are both ethereal and haunting. Some of my favorite pieces are down below.
This piece is called “Demeter”. It’s probably my favorite of hers. The vintage gown and look to the body contrasts so beautifully with the untamed vines sprouting from her neck. Chef’s kiss. Truly amazing. I also just now noticed there is a bat in this piece so double points.This one is titled “Alfalfa”. I adore everything about it from the flowers to the intelligent and uncomfortably sentient look of the coyote (or whatever creature it appears to be. I think its a coyote? Anyone is free to correct me in the comment below, I’m about as much of an art expert as I am at identifying dog-like animals).This one is titled “Alfalfa II” and it is equally as breath-taking. The green , earthy feel of the painting mixed with the calming blues is a wonderful combination. The painting feels so mysterious and feels like s belongs in a green-house somewhere to keep evil spirits at bay. 10/10.
Link to her profile where you can view more of her immaculate work: click here
Paintings by Van Gogh
Van Gogh’s pieces are probably some of my favorite out there in the art world. So if I ever scrape up a gazillion dollars, I totally plan on buying one. But my interest in the artist doesn’t just stop at the popularized “Starry Night” piece. No, I also can’t help but adore his “Iris” painting, “Wheat Field” painting, “Almond blossoms” painting, “Sunflower” Painting, and “Starry Night over Rhone” Painting.
Starry night is gorgeous, but, if you haven’t, I implore you to browse his other works.
“Starry Night over Rhone”Somehow even with the bright yellows of the blooms, this painting feels melancholy. I love it.
A positively haunting piece.
Another favorite of mine. The blue and white blooms just seem so serene and striking to me. I would love a dress in this pattern.And of course, the classic Starry Night. There’s a reason this piece is so popular. Positively striking.
I want to conclude this section with a recommendation of the wonderful and touching movie, “Loving Vincent”. It is a gorgeous piece of cinema that I discovered this year where the whole movie is animated to look like a moving Van Gogh painting. If you’re interested, the trailer is below. I rented it on Youtube for about three or four dollars and cried like crazy while watching it the first time through. Can’t recommend it enough.
The Paintings by Monet
Another popular artist whose work I love. I primarily enjoy his nature paintings, especially the ones with water and water lilies.
These pieces absolutely slay me.
Paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
My obsession with this man’s work probably is rooted in the same part of my brain that is obsessed with fairytales. His work has a very fantastical feel to it and has many portraits of beautiful, princess like women that I find entrancing and ethereal.
I love this painting but this could also very easily be a dude with luxurious hair. That is the only problem I have with this guy’s paintings. I can sometimes not tell but they’re beautiful pieces so I don’t care much either way.This painting invokes the exact feeling that I feel during the school year. I don’t know how, but it does.
In Conclusion
I’m not an art expert. I cannot positively identify a coyote. I really can’t tell a lady from a knight with luxurious hair. But I can point to a painting and say, “Now there’s a looker!”
“Color is my daylong obsession, joy, and torment.”
“Every day I discover more and more beautiful things. It’s enough to drive one mad. I have such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it.”
“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece”
“the more I live, the more I regret how little I know”
“It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly.”
“What keeps my heart awake is colorful silence.”
“I can only draw what I see.”
“I don’t think I’m made for any earthly kind of pleasure.”
“No one but myself knows the anxiety I go through and the trouble I give myself…”
“I get madder and madder on giving back what I feel.”
“Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.”
“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”
“I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.”
“Art is to console those who are broken by life.”
“I always think that the best way to know God is to love many things.”
“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”
“I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”
“I wish they would take me as I am.”
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
“Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.”
“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.”
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
“I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.”
“Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all.”
“A great fire burns within me, but no one stops to warm themselves at it, and passers-by only see a wisp of smoke.”
“The beginning is perhaps more difficult than anything else, but keep heart, it will turn out all right.”
By the Brooke 