My Creative Journey

[felicity-b]

I’ve taken this blog on three journeys so far: (1) 52 weeks in Sydney (2) Growing Basil and (3) On Hiatus. It’s time for another chapter - creativity and art.

I have always wanted to be able to sketch well, my ultimate goal is to be able to sketch people. But to get myself started, I set a goal of making 52 Sketches in 2023. I hoped that goal would get me motivated and on the journey, and it worked from that regard.

I’m working on technique, and trying to find what works for me. I’ll take any (kind) feedback and suggestions.

[felicity-b]

Finished my friend as an ice cream!

Not sure if I’ll share this with her. I feel like the cone isn’t awesome. And also, tbh, this face doesn’t exactly look like her 🤣. And, I can see now that I put the highlights of the ice cream swirls on the wrong side. But … 🤪🥰

But I loved the process.

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Still plugging away at the portraits. RHS was attempt #2. I spent more time blocking out and locating all of her features so when I started on the shading and detailing things were in the right places. Well … right-ish places 🤣

The struggle continues.

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I seem to be in an ice cream era 🤣

A friend asked me to draw her as an ice cream cone so I am busy with some preparation and exploration.

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I’m off to do some “en plein air” painting with my best friend on Tuesday. Not gonna lie - feeling a bit intimidated 😬🤪

Decided to pretend painting in the pub we are meeting at, to see what I’ll be able to accomplish is an hour.

Can’t say I am loving the water brush, but I am getting used to it and have hope that more practice will help me fall more in love. I like it as a way to add colour to a line drawing, vs trying to create effects with it on its own.

Learning, always learning.

[felicity-b]

This is a glimpse of what I would like to be my style. I want to be able to … draw portraits of my friends as cats 🤣 Along with other things.

The struggle continues. In bursts of energy.

[felicity-b]

Three attempts. I have one more sheet of paper but I don’t think I feel like attempting a fourth.

There’s something I like about each attempt, and they all taught me something. Like peeling the tape off (in disgust at my water drop on the stingray, another learning moment 🤦🏼‍♀️) too soon is a bad idea. And too much white flattens the overall effect.

None are great, the struggle continues 🤣.

(As an aside, I went looking for Leonardo Da Vinci’s first painting. There is one that survived, not necessarily his first. It wasn’t that flash - understandably. Because no one is great from their very first attempts 😉)

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In progress portrait. Taking a picture and stepping back is so helpful, I can see now where the face highlights are off. Among other things 🤪. Many other things 🤦🏼‍♀️

The struggle continues.

[felicity-b]

Finished. Not sure I am loving his eye?

The hard thing about these collages is that they are a ton of work and time, and it’s not until the end that you really see how it’s going to turn out. Or not 🤣

[felicity-b]

It was only when I took this photo that I could really see my shading 🤦🏼‍♀️ But, still, some progress.

Since 2015, I’ve attempted 32 portraits (this is #32). Most have been in the last three years, as I’ve focused more on art. I have a number of portraits completed in my mind (365) after which I hope (a) they’ll be better 🤣 and (b) my own personal style will emerge.

[felicity-b]

Working on another collage. Not sure about the transition between the grass and the sky, my Vogue magazine is in tatters and the options are getting more limited 🤦🏼‍♀️

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I don’t love everything about today’s portrait attempt, but I like a bit more of it than yesterday’s.

I am finding using the Loomis structure helpful, but the Asaro planes are not speaking to me. Bit too proscriptive, maybe? But I can hardly discount them just yet, that would be too arrogant of me.

[felicity-b]

Working on portraits today. I think this small bit is the only part of my sketch that I like 🤦🏼‍♀️

Ah well 🤣 The struggle continues.

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Taking some time now that I’m at home for a bit to finish up some works in progress. I had planned a much darker and opaque background, but I quite liked where this was and decided to leave it.

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Much better result with a full reference 🙌

I need to learn more colour theory, I feel like my greens could be improved.

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Oh dear. This was a good illustration of why I need some kind of reference for any artwork 🤦🏼‍♀️

Tried to do this by looking at a few references, but the shadows and tones are all off and wonky. Oh well. There are bits of this I do like so posting for comparison purposes.

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Still playing around with coloured pencils. There’s lessons to be learned from this for painting, layering of colours and texture.

Shadows missing here. Not sure if I want to continue to work this. Setting it aside for now.

Learning, learning