Day One Hundred Eighteen

Mmm. I took this Monday slowly; gradually easing into the week while escaping doing any actual work. Bliss. I hope your Monday was as equally relaxing, or at least you can forgive me for so thoroughly enjoying mine.

So, time for some art. I took some serious time with my piece today; working my way through while attempting to break out of the drawing routine.

mum adj. Silent, not speaking.

I wanted to use “mum” in a darker, more in-your-face way. I decided to illustrate a character “keeping mum” against their will. I began, for once, with the eyes. Instead of crafting a face from a quickly drawn oval, I decided to begin with some seriously adorned eyes. After I finished the pencil sketch, I went over it in pen:

Then, I pulled out the pastels and worked to get some definition and color into the piece.

This piece was both interesting and surprising to me for several reasons. For one, I rarely, if ever, work in this large of a format. I did not expect this piece to be this large, and was shocked upon finishing it! I liked the addition of the bow-its bright, pink, girly look almost mocking the fact that she is tied up and kept from speaking.

I hope you enjoyed both today’s post, and this piece. As always, thanks for reading!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred One

Oh jeez. I have to start off today’s post with a disclaimer: I do NOT know how to draw weapons, at all, in any way. Hah! Well, with that in mind, I shall continue.

So, anyways, after a great day out on the town...

we started off the evening by attempting to make pizza. Unfortunately, we had an issue with the yeast (I claim it was dead, others don’t agree) and the dough did not rise (also, we were too hungry to wait longer than 10 minutes for it to do so). So, we rolled the dough out and ended up with a rather strange triangle pizza:

The result was, well, strange. I think it would have been worse had we not been starving to the point of insanity. So, after a strange dinner of...pizza? I was ready for today’s project.

fierce adj. Savage and violent in nature. Slang Very difficult or disagreeable.

Immediately, I thought of the rather goofy use of “fierce” that has been changed around and applied to good-looking women. I thought...oh, no...nope, not doing that. I couldn’t bring myself to draw a “fierce” woman, so I decided to draw a fierce one. 

I began with a pencil sketch of a rather usual pretty woman, and then outfitted her with a few serious weapons. I had a lot of fun coming up with this one, but I’m fairly sure my twelve year old weapons enthusiast of a brother would have a few choice remarks about the way these weapons are drawn. Ah, well. There’s always time to learn.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thanks for reading!

Xx

-r

Day Ninety Eight

After a long day (my feet have never been happier to be flat) I’ve plunked myself down in front of the TV to bring you the latest update.

The connection between today’s word and today’s art piece is somewhat vague, but I think it translates nicely.

con-ju-gate adj. To change the form of a verb; to join in pairs.

As I am in the process of learning French, I am no stranger to conjugating verbs. So, of course, this word led me to thinking about French and what a beautiful language it is. This, in turn, led to me remembering an interesting moment that happened earlier this afternoon. (Still with me? Trying to connect the dots here...)

So, I walked by an older man and his companions today who had accidentally cut me off on the sidewalk, and it turned out they were French. As he passed, without even turning towards me, the man tossed a simple, low, “Je suis très désolé.” Almost inaudible, this simple sentiment stayed with me the rest of the day. For those unfamiliar with French, this is a formal version of “I’m sorry”. I think this moment stayed with me because this was more than just an encounter with someone speaking a foreign language (still something incredible here in Lawrence), but the (unfortunately rare) expression of a gentleman. Instead of an “excusez-moi”, or even a “pardon”, he threw in an entire “Je suis très désolé.” Ah, I wish more people (including myself) made the effort.

Well, now that I’ve told you the story behind today’s piece, I should probably let you see it already!

I usually seriously struggle with drawing men, especially trying to draw them somewhat realistically, but today’s piece was an exception. For some unknown reason, today’s piece seemed to flow effortlessly onto the paper. It was quite a pleasure to draw.

I hope you enjoyed today’s piece; thank you for reading.

Xx

-r

Day Ninety Five

Well, it has been a wonderful Saturday. Although I got little or no (more like NO) actual work done, today was a very satisfactory start to my weekend.

Today’s word tied in perfectly with a conversation I’d had the other day about spotting a vintage car downtown. We were admiring the timeless elegance, the long-forgotten class, and the way those cars just seem to...

purr n. The low, murmuring sound characteristic of a cat. purr v.

At first I dismissed the car idea; I have not drawn a car since elementary school (you know the ones that look like cardboard boxes with wheels?) and didn’t want to completely bomb today’s project. But then, I thought, how will I ever learn to draw anything new if I don’t start somewhere? So, I took out a pencil and started to sketch. After a lot of erasing and even more intense studying of a page on Google images, I can safely say I have not progressed much farther than those cardboard-box cars...

Although it isn’t the greatest (or even the most recognizable) image, I had a blast drawing it. I know that it’s important to work outside of your comfort zone and see what works (or really, really does not work) for you artistically; it’s something I need to continually remind myself of. I think, despite its wacked-out perspective and lack of...well...car-ness, this sketch is growing on me.

Enjoy your night and, as always, thanks for reading.

Xx

-r 

Day Ninety Four

It’s Friday, eh? The weather was wonderful, breezy, and light. I managed to finish another sketch today, and color an older one:

Now, knowing what to do with today’s word stumped me, it confused me, you could even say it served to...

con-found v. To amaze, confuse, or perplex; to confuse one thing for another.  

I thought long and hard (and even began a few other drawings) before I knew what to do. I finally decided on a rather comical take on today’s word. It occurred to me that what I (and many other ladies) thought of as amazing, beautiful, and wonderful really confused most guys. I decided to illustrate that for today’s piece:

I love the mix of interest and mild disgust on his face coupled with the bright and excited look on her face.

I truly enjoy this time each day to close off from the (increasingly) insane world and draw pretty characters in poofy dresses. It’s a great escape. I hope it offers a bit of what it offers me, to you.

As always, thanks for reading.

Xx

-r

Day Ninety Three

For the first time in at least a semester (I think) I rolled out of bed before 9:30. After the amount of work I got done today, this may just be the start of a trend. Although I did not get the chance to work on any art of my own today, I decided to make it up by spending a nice long time on today’s piece.

Today’s word was very strange. At first, I thought Wow! What a great word! I could illustrate this perfectly! I had tons of ideas about how to incorporate this excellent word into a drawing and began to form a sense of how I wanted this character to look. But then, I began to draw.

tai-lored adj.  To be made by a tailor.

The strange thing about this word is that started me off on a drawing that ended up having little or nothing to do with it. I really enjoyed this drawing and am happy with the way it came out.

I love the process of creating things. I love that you can begin with one idea and when you let go, you end up with something beautiful and completely different.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thank you for reading!!

Enjoy the rest of your night.

Xx

-r

Day Ninety Two

Like every other Wednesday, today was an art day. Although I had only faced two days of schooling, it felt long overdue. I managed to get most of the way through making an amazing book (thank you Auntie Liza!!), and get a little darkroom time in.

After a break for dinner and a (sort of) nap, it was time for the next day at The Ink Drop.

Today’s word made me think a little bit. Because today’s word is (sometimes) a noun, I wanted to avoid simply illustrating it literally. So, I went with kind of a different version of it.

fire n. The chemical reaction of burning, which releases heat and light. v. To have great enthusiasm; to ignite or cause to become ignited; to bake in a kiln; to discharge a firearm or explosive; to let a person go from a job; to dismiss.

Woah, that’s a lot of “fire”. Anyway, I wanted to incorporate the word fire into a character somehow. And then I thought, ooohh hair!! I decided to use pastels to create the look of her hair being on fire.

I used shades of red, orange and yellow to create the color of the “flames”, and added some black and gray pastel to the tips of the locks in order to give her hair more depth and a smoky, burnt look. I also added some pink pastel to her cheeks and mouth to give her some life. I like that she looks a little surprised by her hair, but isn’t too alarmed by it.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thanks for reading!!

Xx

-r

Day Ninety One

Well, we had another rainy day today. At least they’ve called off the snow for tomorrow. After today's math battle, I'm really looking forward to some art and sunshine tomorrow.

Maybe I’ll take it upon myself to venture out into the wilderness.

As strange as it will seem to you in a minute, I liked today’s word. I’d really like to explore this theme even more; one piece did not seem to do it justice.

ma-ca-bre adj. Suggesting death and decay; ghastly; gruesome.

I started by drawing a very thin, dark-eyed character in a doorway. I then added a knife to emphasize the “macabre” element.

I really liked the way the shading turned out on the dress. Thanks for reading!

Xx

-r

Day Ninety

Oh, gloomy Mondays... Although I have no excuse to be complaining about being tired (my schedule is dictated entirely by my record-breaking teenage sleeping patterns), it never stops me from doing so. Maybe some art will wake me up? Worth a shot...

I shuffled over to my dictionary this evening to find that its spine had been fully broken, and the cover had been ripped!! Although I admit that the living room floor is not the safest place for an unprotected, pocket-size dictionary, I suspect foul play.

So my dictionary, despite its sorry condition (I may be introducing it to a smidgen of duct tape before long) offered up a great word for today’s project.

pig-my n., pl. –ies A very small person or animal; a dwarf.

Having slowed to a halt at the towering height of 5’2”, I can definitely identify with today’s word. I wanted to illustrate a very small, very fashionable young character for today’s piece. So, I grabbed a piece of posterboard and a few pencils and began.

After I had finished the character, (and noticing the illustration had taken on a French-y theme) I decided to continue with the piece and add a background. I thought a street lamp would add a nice Parisian touch to the piece. I soon realized that (duh) I wouldn’t be able to show the “lamp” of the street lamp in order for the perspective to be correct (she is, after all, pygmy size). So, I decided to add another lamp a ways behind her. I used smudged pencil in order to convey a sense of romantic fogginess.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thanks for reading!!

Xx

-r  

Day Eighty Eight

Phew! Late post, people...apologies.

Today’s word is one that I think I don’t appreciate enough. When constantly striving to be best, first, different...whatever you may wish to be, it is hard to appreciate just how great the middle can be. Not that you should aim for mediocrity; far from it! But, I think it’s important to remember to give yourself a chance to appreciate the usual.

u-su-al  adj. Ordinary or common; regular; customary.

With today’s word, I wanted to illustrate an obviously stylish, driven, and (most likely) a workaholic character embracing the “usual” in terms of dress. I love conveying intelligent women who are serious about going out and accomplishing things without losing their femininity, grace, charm and elegance. While today’s character has a relaxed, slightly undone look, each aspect of her has still been carefully chosen to give a carefree look. In other words, I tried hard to make her look like she tried hard to look like she wasn’t trying hard. A lot for a piece of paper and a few smudged lines of pencil? I say never, but I’ll let you decide:

Thank you for reading; I hope you have a great night (or day, for those of you who retire at a decent hour).

Xx

-r

Day Eighty Six

I had an interesting, semi-productive day today. I managed to churn out yet another sketch and attend a play at an old school...

That's me, on the right. Well, my feet.

For today’s project, I attempted a different, more abstract style of illustration. Maybe it’s just the constant episodes of Project Runway and Next Top Model that air on afternoon television, but fashion (as an art, an idea, a way of life) has sunk it’s perfectly manicured nails deep into my all-too-willing brain.

So, at the risk of becoming every other young woman my age, I’ve decided to indulge this recent obsession with all things (good or bad) fashion related and continue to illustrate and study. Why not, right?

far-ther adv. To or at a more distant point. adj. Most distant; farthest.

Without thinking, I just began to sketch. I was inspired by a few dresses I’d seen today, and a vintage-y look. I used the runway to illustrate the concept of “farther”.

I like the way this turned out; it was very freeing to draw a simple sketch of the (greatly exaggerated) human form without obsessing over how each curve looked and if everything lined up in a semi-realistic way. I like that the runway is as long as it is; it makes the whole experience seem larger than life. In a way, I think, it is some kind of unreal, fragile existence. It’s fascinating that so many people dedicate so much time, energy, and obsession for a few moments and a short (often devastating) career. All for something that does not feed, heal, or house anyone. But, in a way, it does all of these things (except feed...I would really argue the opposite). It’s an interesting dilemma; does something so superficial and pointless on the surface really have a deeper meaning? Maybe I’ll never figure it out; that’s alright. I don’t mind being perched between cynicism and awe.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thank you for reading!

Xx

-r

Day Eighty Five

Oh, it’s a late night. Today, I worked over at the Auntie’s house. Having recently taken a class on bookmaking, she taught me how to make my very own reporter’s notebook!!

We used a couple of giant (scary) clamps to keep the paper straight, and glued it on one end.

Then, she guided me through gluing the cover to the pages!

She even made one (much, much nicer) herself!

I can’t wait to use my brand new notebook! To see what she’s been up to, check out her page; “MacKomics Studio” on Facebook!

Today was very productive, as I managed to get another sketch completed:

Now for today’s post...

I had never heard of today’s word before and, frankly, didn’t think it sounded all that great. After a little Google image search, I had cleared up some confusion and was ready to sketch.

snood n. A type of band that can be worn in a woman’s hair.

I began drawing a woman’s head from behind, showing her wearing a “snood”. Not wanting to stop there, I drew the rest of her. As I kept drawing, I decided to create a fitted dress that was interesting and classic at the same time.

I left the dress partially backless; I like the contrast between the eye-catching openness of the back of the dress and the prim and proper look of the buttons all the way down. I added a polka-dotted bow to the top of the “snood” to give it a little extra decoration.

After I’d inked the drawing, and gotten a consultation, I decided to use pastels to color the dress (and the bow) a deep, red wine color. I layered red pastel over gray to darken it a little, and blended it with q-tips.

I really like the way this came out; I’m very happy with the way the color came out. I’m not sure I would change this drawing if I could, so I guess that is a good sign.

I hope you enjoyed this post; thank you for reading!

Have a great night!

Xx

-r