Showing posts with label Leslie Saeta 2016 challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leslie Saeta 2016 challenge. Show all posts

Monday, January 11, 2016

Day 11 | A Sketching I will go...."Smartphone Poses"


No time for painting today so I've done a few quick sketches instead..... 



 

I have a love/hate relationship with smartphones.  I hate seeing people sitting in restaurants and everyone at the table is looking at their phones instead of talking.  However, I love it when I want to practice sketching faces.  People talking on or looking at their phones stay still long enough for me to get a quick drawing!  




Sunday, January 10, 2016

Day 10 | "My First Tweet"


“My First Tweet”
6x6” oil ($50)

I have a long time friend (since junior high!) who is a wonderful photographer.  Bill has shared his photographic adventures with me for years.  When he heard I was looking for birds he sent me 75 photos! so I'd have a lot of choices to paint for the 30-in-30. They are from one of his photo safaris at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.  Bill tells me my first pick is the "Say's Phoebe."  Who knew!?!  I'll be painting a few more of Bill's birds before this month is out.  


So many great artists make painting wet into wet look so easy!  I tried to wait overnight to go back when 'Phoebe' was not so wet and add my highlights.  No matter how many times I watch artists put in their darks first and add their highlights in the end and see them come out perfect I can't seem to master it.  I swear its magic. 

Friday, January 8, 2016

Day 8 | Procreate App Experiment





"A Shadow of Myself" 
Procreate "mixed media" Experiment
I couldn't paint for my Day 7, 30 in 30 so I took my iPad with me and experimented with  Procreate to do a mixed media style painting.. 

Art Tip:  Creating Art On Your iPad

Procreate is an inexpensive ($4.99!) app for your iPad.  Google it and its exciting to see all the beautiful work that can be created on this app.   It was recommended to me as a easy to use art app when I was looking for a drawing/painting tool for my iPad to use when I'm traveling and don't want to haul paint with me when I know I won't have time to paint.  That was the plan.  

I'm still in the experimental stages so I haven't really created 'paintings' with it yet, but do have fun playing with it and using it as a tool in my studio.  

While I don't use Procreate all the time, its a great way to "sketch" or work out composition and color choices before starting a painting from a photograph.  Right now, I most often use it with a painting that isn't working.  I take a photo and "paint" over it to create different versions or changes to see what they will look like and go back to the painting with fresh eyes.  

Its also a great classroom tool.  We artists are visual.  For me, many times its difficult to try to explain a visual concept to a student without showing them what the heck you are talking about.   With Procreate you can show them without touching their canvas.  Its that saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" right at your finger tips.  You take a photo of their painting with the iPad, put in into the Procreate.  Now you can show them how to correct perspective that is off or where they should consider adding highlights or shadows.  Take a screen shoot and email it to them.   

Its finger painting for adults... without the mess and some wonderful results.  

There are lots of great YouTube tutorials to get you started. 

You can also see different artists' work and comments on a Procreate FaceBook page

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Day 6 | "Here Kitty Kitty"

Day 6 | 2016 | 30 in 30




“Here Kitty Kitty”
6x6” oil ($50)

Its official.  I think cats the hard to paint.  It must be that long fur thing!  Hats off to all you artists who love to paint cats.