Project 1 Progress

I am getting so tired of this painting...Hahaha..

It's going well though. I am glad I chose digital painting for my medium for this project. I've been wanting to learn how to paint in Photoshop for quite some time now and this project has been teaching me very fast how to blend properly, how to get colors, how to use hotkeys...

I am enjoying the composition of this image at the very least. Good movement, good contrast, everything I've been learning in class this week I have employed well I think.

Man, oh, man my hands are cramping though. And it may have too much contrast because my eyes are bugging out after staring at those bright green leaves all night.

Dreading the camera because it's pretty complicated, but hopefully I'll have that started tomorrow.

First Assignments in Art 1

This week, our exercises for Art 1 have been a written assignment on the Elements and Principles of Design, five thumbnail sketches using a viewfinder, and five photo manipulations to improve an image's composition.

I went to the park to get some lovely fresh air and get some interesting sketches done. I don't particularly like drawing with a viewfinder but it was a good exercise. I find I can only accomplish anything with the viewfinder if I look through it with only one eye. It makes sense because the thing is to help you visualize your subject on a 2D surface. Using only one eye makes you see in 2D.

Here is what I came up with, in the end:

I also did some photo cropping, but I'm not going to upload those because it would take forever and I also don't want to offend any copyrights since I took all the photos right off the internet.

The actual project for the week though is also started. Out of the three project options, I chose a still life project. We have to choose some objects that have some meaning to us and arrange them in a pleasing composition to sketch them in whatever way we see fit. Here are the compositions I'm messing with:

So far I like #6 the most, but both Michael and one of my instructors have said they like #5 better. I'm torn. What do you think? It's due Monday but I wanna get started on it.

Final grade for Art History...

My final grade for Art History is.......

97% !!!

Woo! I rocked that course! And I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I actually learned a lot about art, and really studied a lot of different artists on my own outside of the class just due to the fact that the course work really got me interested in some of the artists.

It feels so good to actually be passionate about school that for once in my life I am actually taking the time to go above and beyond. I used to just do what I had to do to pass. But now I am actually engaged. You get what you pay for, I guess. I think it has to do with that fact that I'm finally reaching for my actual dreams for once, as well.

Bring it on, Fundamentals of Art 1!

My Art History Work

My second class at Full Sail, Art History, had two digital painting projects. The first was a digital cave painting from scratch. The second was a digital pop art painting from a photo of yourself.

So it may not look like much but I actually learned a lot from this painting. I learned how to create a textured background by adding a texture to the light rendering. Photoshop has nice lighting effects, actually. I also experimented a little bit with creating brushes, which I am getting pretty good at now.

This painting was actually completely invented by me. I went out on a limb and didn't follow the instructions for the actual assignment, which was just a basic photomanipulation to look like Andy Warhol's screen print works. Instead, I did a vector painting with the pen tool and then manipulated the colors and stuff. I also halftoned the skin color to sort of mimic Lichtenstein's comic book art.

So anyways, I finally got the OK to share my work online from Full Sail. So I will be putting up all of my art for school on here from now on. Yay!

Doodle Journal Prompts

This is my doodle journal! It's an empty sketchbook just waiting to be filled with all sorts of nonsense. My goal is to do at least one page per day. I can maybe do some collages and some poetry in there too. Whatever tickles my fancy.

You should do one too! It's good for the soul.

In case you do decide to join me, I am making a list of journal prompts--doodling, writing, all sorts of things--to give some inspiration in case you can't think of something to doodle. I'll shoot for a HUNDRED! I know I will be referring back to this post often.

Try to keep an open mind with these prompts. Think outside the box. Be flexible. Many of these prompts will have you thinking about yourself in ways you never have before. That's a good thing! Go with it! Most importantly, have fun with it! Don't try too hard, don't try to make it perfect. The object of the game is to let the creativity happen without having to think about it.

1. Doodle your home from the outside.
2. Doodle your name in fancy doodle letters.
3. Write a poem about your earliest childhood memory. Illustrate on the side.
4. Get your colored pencils and doodle in three different shades of your favorite color.
5. Trace your hand and doodle inside it.
6. Doodle a paisley pattern.
7. Practice doodling different celtic knots.
8. Doodle a garden.
9. Free doodle with your non-dominant hand.
10. Free doodle with your eyes closed.
11. Doodle a self-portrait, using only a mirror for reference.
12. Make a random scribbled shape and doodle inside it. Color it in!
13. Doodle about something that happened today.
14. Draw a postcard and write a letter to your imaginary friend.
15. Doodle your favorite food.
16. Doodle your spirit animal. (If you could be any animal, what would it be?)
17. Draw any object that you like in the middle of the page and doodle out from it.
18. Doodle someone you love. Draw in things that define that person, like their favorite gadget or favorite activity. Remember to mention who it is!
19. Write a poem about a moment that has inspired you.
20. Doodle about the weather today.
21. Write out a quote that you love and make a doodle to match.
22. Doodle about what makes you the most mad.
23. Draw a circle in the middle of the page. Write about what made you happy today by wrapping your words around and around the circle.
24. Doodle about something that has made you sad.
25. Make a list of things you are grateful for.
26. Make a doodle inspired by one of your favorite movies.
27. Doodle about the craziest dream you ever had.
28. Write a letter to a friend you've parted ways with.
29. Doodle about a place you wish to travel to.
30. Write a poem about going to bed.
31. Recreate your favorite album cover in doodle form.
32. Doodle about something small that made you smile today.
33. Make a list of things people compliment you on.
34. Doodle about a beautiful sight you've seen.
35. Write a poem about your favorite season. Always doodle on the side!
36. Doodle what you wanted to be when you grew up as a kid.
37. Doodle your favorite plant.
38. Doodle your most prized possession.
39. Doodle-write all of the names and nicknames you have ever been called.
40. Write a poem about the day you were born.
41. Doodle a map of your neighborhood.
42. Doodle the appearance of your first school as you remember it.
43. Write a poem about your Mom.
44. Write a poem about your Dad.
45. Doodle copy your favorite photograph.
46. Doodle the essence of your hometown.
47. Write a letter to your favorite teacher from grade school.
48. Doodle the essence of your faith.
49. Doodle about what makes you feel invincible.
50. Doodle/write about something you are afraid of.
51. Doodle/write about something you feel guilty for.
52. Doodle/write about something you are ashamed of.
53. Doodle/write about something you are still sad about.
54. Doodle/write about something you're lying to others about.
55. Doodle/write about something that isn't what you had expected.
56. Doodle/write about something you're very attached to.
57. Doodle the floor plan of your home.
58. List as many little things that make you happy as you can fit on the page.
59. Doodle about what you wanted to be when you grew up as a teenager.
60. List all the specific places you want to travel to.
61. Write in doodle letters/numbers your exact birth date and time of birth, how much you weighed, how long you were (if you know).
62. Doodle about a vice you have (like smoking, or Facebook...)
63. Doodle your favorite toy when you were young.
64. List all the things you hope to accomplish within a year.
65. Write a poem about waking up in the morning.
66. Doodle a whole page in a single theme (ie. flowers, trees, cars, or houses, etc.)
67. List the items you would try to save if your house was on fire.
68. Doodle something that calms you down when you are upset.
69. Write a poem about your favorite pair of shoes.
70. Doodle a whole page of circles.
71. Doodle an animal you hope to never meet. Remember to doodle their environment around them.
72. Doodle with only warm colors.
73. Doodle with only cool colors.
74. Doodle with every color of the rainbow (R.O.Y.G.B.V.!)
75. Write a poem about your favorite type of weather.
76. Doodle your pet (or what pet you would have if you could).
77. List all of your pet peeves.
78. Doodle the setting you want to be in on your last day of life.
79. Doodle a red circle with a slash through it (like a no smoking sign). What will you put in the circle?
80. Doodle about the first foreign country you would move to if you were exiled from your homeland.
81. Doodle about your most favorite hobby.
82. Write out your wish list.
83. Doodle your favorite holiday.
84. Doodle your perfect night out.
85. Write a poem about the scariest moment of your life so far.
86. Doodle a made up animal.
87. Doodle your dream home.
88. List all the people that have changed your life.
89. Doodle about love.
90. Doodle the food pyramid if it could look the way you wanted it to.
91. Doodle all over an entire page without lifting your pen once.
92. Write out all the dates that have been significant to you and why. Write each in a different hand writing.
93. Doodle all over an entire page with your favorite word, and only that word.
94. Write a poem about breakfast.
95. Trace your toes/feet and doodle inside.
96. Doodle your silhouette.
97. Doodle the things that are most symbolic for your life. 
98. Write a poem about your age.
99. Doodle about what you want to look like.
100. Doodle about the ocean.

Doodling

I have a new found love of doodling. I created a journal for the sole purpose of daily doodling and creative exercise. Here I was doing a super speedy doodle on my tablet in Photoshop as an experiment and for practice. I find that doodling really loosens up the creativity in me. When anything goes, it is so easy to just let the art come to you.

The trick is to go as fast as possible and without really thinking about it too much. Once you get the hang of it, it really opens something up. I am glad that I have found the art of doodling, and I recommend anyone with a desire to be more creative give it a try. It's just an exercise. Just like your muscles, your creativity needs very regular exercise. It teaches you to take risks, to trust yourself, and to think in new ways other than your old and concrete way of thinking.

Looking forward to sharing more doodles with you all for inspiration!

Fauvism

That portrait I was painting last night of Evelyn got painted over...Matisse style! (No I didn't actually save over it.) But here is my fauv version of Evelyn. I was learning about expressionism in my Art History class and was so overwhelmed with inspiration that this happened. :)

It was really interesting to experiment with colors in a way I never had before. I really challenged myself to not use black or white and the result was pretty fun. I know the hair looks pretty lame but I was mostly concerned with depicting the face and skin tones in new ways. I also challenged myself to use as many colors as possible. I know that doesn't necessarily mean fauvism, but I was just having fun. :P

Inspiration:

Inspirer: Leonora Carrington

I have taken a lot of inspiration from this woman, suddenly. Her name was Leonora Carrington. Sadly, she passed away last year. She was a painter, and an incredibly interesting human being. Her work was typically surreal, a style of which I have always been fond of.

"Who Art Thou, White Face?"

The above painting I am particularly drawn to. Much of her work is extremely mesmerizing to me.

Oh, and just in case anyone is feeling especially generous and cares to donate to the "Alicia Is Too Poor To Buy Herself Interesting Things Fund" then I shall have you know that I desperately want to own this:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Hearing-Trumpet-Leonora-Carrington/dp/1878972197

It is a children's book called The Hearing Trumpet, written and illustrated by Leonora Carrington. Admittedly, I took interest because of this excerpt: “You may not believe in magic but something very strange is happening at this very moment. Your head has dissolved into thin air and I can see the rhododendrons through your stomach. It’s not that you are dead or anything dramatic like that, it is simply that you are fading away and I can’t even remember your name.” 

That is about all I can find from the book as well. But anyways, if you're interested, here is a nice blog post with many good examples of her work: http://timeisart.org/?p=306

Digital Paint WIP

Well, I have been doing a lot of "research" on how to blend digital paints and stuff like that. So I am finally sort of getting the hang of it. I got some semi-smooth transitions in there.

I have also been having a LOT of fun making different brushes to play with. I really like the more speckled brushes for painting portraits than the smooth, soft brushes. It gives the skin more texture and more character.

Anyways, hopefully I will end up finishing this at some point. Apparently digital paintings take HOURS. So I am throwing in the towel for tonight.

Evelyn

Meet Evelyn. Full name: Evelyn Marietta Von Tessa.

She is my new original character for art practices. I will be using her to try out all kinds of artistic styles. This way I can compare different art styles more easily. Knowing that each picture depicts the same person will make it easier to distinguish the various elements of a particular art style that make it unique.

So Evelyn will be a basic semi-gothic character. And by that I mean that she is probably closer to being from the Victorian era than the Gothic era.

She has dark, long, wavy hair. Sleepy grey-violet eyes. Her favorite color is burgundy. Fair skin.

Evelyn is likely to be the first of many original characters that I create. To the right is just a quick sketch of her in my...normal realistic style. It's not great or anything, but I just wanted to create an appearance for her.

So anyhow, treat her kindly and watch out for more of her on my DeviantArt channel!