You know you've seen that face looking back at you from time to time. Whether it was your own child or someone else's, the look is the same. I love this age -- as aggravating as teenagers can be, I love to see the strength and conviction that comes with that time in life.
0 Comments
Happy Halloween! Okay, so I'm a little bit early, but I do love that holiday. All the little ghosts and goblins running the streets and always a surprise or two.
I may just revisit this painting once it isn't a timed challenge. I like the subject matter and generally like the way it turned out. I'm not certain I got the lighting exactly right, though with practice and more time, I know I could make it better. Aaaaand that's a challenge! :) Yes, I know that hedgehogs eat grub worms -- but this is me, people! You know my hedgehogs will be keeping that worm as a pet.
Well, I tried a new style today and I'm not sure it was successful. I would like to be able to try something new and be absolutely awesome the first time out. Completely unrealistic, of course, but it sure would be cool. I am getting better with the tiny work and brushes, so that's a plus.
As I've said before, I love elephants. This one is a nod to Miss Betts at the Riddle Elephant Sanctuary in Arkansas. I met her when she was just a baby and had the pleasure of feeding her a marshmallow. I was there for an Elephant Experience Weekend, which was a very generous and much-loved gift from my family. Did you know elephants love marshmallows? Before that weekend, I didn't either. Here's another surprise for you: They also love Twizzlers! I personally witnessed two magnificent, full-grown elephants run across a field at the mere crinkle of a Twizzlers wrapper. That weekend was full of surprises, new experiences, and fun. If you ever get the chance to visit, either during one of the weekends they are open to the public or for a more in-depth experience, I highly recommend it! I cannot believe that I am 90 days in! It seems like I've been at this a while, but three months?? Not really.
This is another image for my picture book dummy. Once I am able to use colored pencils and markers, I will think about refining the shading and the lettering. My brush skills have not progressed to the point where my lettering is as tidy as I would like, but I am miles better than at the beginning. It's interesting to me that nearly every night when I post these paintings, I notice something I would like to change or something that I missed. I promised in the beginning I'd post my progress, not perfection. An artist I follow says, "Finished, not perfect." I have to agree with the sentiment, though I sometimes struggle with putting it into action. :) Today was a test of my patience, my computer skills, my generally positive outlook. The day job brought a giant stinking pile of stress and dumped it right on my doorstep.
Just when I was about to resign myself to starting over and staying up all night to meet a deadline, I took a breath and took a cue from Regis -- I phoned a friend. She not only went out of her way to help me, she did it without hesitation. She could have begged off and told me she was busy or just didn't know how to fix the mess I'd made. But she didn't. She took that sticky mess from out of my hands, cleaned it off, and handed it back all shiny and new. She reminded me that there really are selfless people in the world willing to help even when they do not stand to gain. I realize that this was not a catastrophic event in the grand scheme of things, but to me, today, it was a major complication. During this time of disquiet, I reached out and a friend reached back. Thank you, friend! This painting will make very little sense to anyone but me -- and the kind and wonderful people from my critique groups. It is another image from my picture book dummy, which is humming right along, by the way. The manuscript has to be postmarked by the 15th (nothing like waiting until the last minute), so this challenge couldn't have come at a better time.
As for my critique groups, I have three. One is primarily area writers and we've been meeting in one incarnation or another for about a year. It is a diverse group and I am very thankful to have found them. The second mixes writers and illustrators. I am new to this group, so I'm still seeing how I fit in there. The third group is quite small and far flung. I met these women in my past life halfway across the country. They are part of the rainbow unicorn of critique groups that used to meet at my house one Saturday a month. I don't know how we worked so well, but we did. Thank heaven for the interwebs (yes, I know that is incorrect)! It has enabled us to keep at least part of our group intact, even though we have scattered to various parts of the country. I don't know where I would be without all of these people in my life. They keep me on track, show me different perspectives, cause me to examine each word, and polish my work until it shines. They are awesome and I appreciate them so very much! Poor, little Rosalie! Her day is not starting off at all well. Not to worry, I have a feeling things may just work out in her favor. This is another illustration for my picture book dummy.
This challenge has really helped me to become more confident with watercolor -- and I think I have improved along the way. I look forward to the next couple of weeks to see where I am at the end. I can't wait to start incorporating other tools along with the watercolor, such as colored pencils for details and shading. Using only paint has forced me to test myself to see what I can accomplish and what the paint can and cannot do. It's all been pretty interesting so far. The opening illustration for my latest picture book dummy -- now to complete the rest! I have just over a month to get it done. Wish me luck!
|
AuthorArtist and author. Archives
July 2022
Categories |
Pinky's Sketchbook
Pinky's Pages
Proudly powered by Weebly