The result of a 3-4 hour break from studying:
I used the stock of Faestock for this piece, she has such lovely stock photos!
I used the stock of Faestock for this piece, she has such lovely stock photos!
Last week, I was scanning the crowded shelves of Booksale at SM Mega Mall when the gilded title of a certain green book caught my eye: Painting Acrylic Flowers A-Z. With no hesitation I tugged at the book until it pulled free from its tight wedge, and flung it open on my lap. It was love at first sight, my dear.
Authored by Lexi Sundell, the book is a simple but thoroughly comprehensive manual regarding the task of painting flowers using acrylics as medium; it includes a detailed introduction to painting in general, floral structures (basic shapes and such), as well as an entire directory of paintings of beautiful flowers... I'm so happy I own such a book; I feel like I want to own more art books like this, it may help to improve my technique.
I've always loved flowers, but it was only recently I actually resolved to paint them more. Case in point:
I admit this is a more of a fruit fairy than a flower fairy, but she's based on a plant, nonetheless. This is a cape gooseberry fairy, or Cape Goosefairy, as I like to call her. Completed last summer, this was actually my first attempt to perform watercolor techniques using acrylics. It didn't turn out so well, since the paper I used was severely inadequate (you can see the dark areas where the paper dried in bumps), but I do like the overall outcome, more or less (she looks a bit dead though). I had initially planned for her to be a simple flower fairy, but then, browsing through the internet, I discovered that little curiously-shaped fruit with the precious name.
The next few flower paintings I plan to do will be on canvas already, since canvases really pick up the vibrancy of acrylic colors. Let's hope I can get started on them soon!
On that note, have a pleasant day ahead, everyone!
The next few flower paintings I plan to do will be on canvas already, since canvases really pick up the vibrancy of acrylic colors. Let's hope I can get started on them soon!
On that note, have a pleasant day ahead, everyone!
It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing. {Mother Teresa}
I still can't believe I drew the one above; I think the immense amount of free time helped (this was done during my year-long break from school in 2008, prior to university); and I admit I cheated a bit (I used a grid for this one; I copied it from an ad in Dubai's Friday magazine); but still, looking at this drawing just makes me wonder why I don't do leisure drawings like these anymore.
It's always been my dream to hold an exhibit of my works, so, lately, I'd taken to painting on canvases. However, time doesn't really permit me to really do so, because for one thing, I'm absolutely anal with details, and it takes me, without exaggeration, forever to work on a painting because of that. Moreover, it takes me a while to mix my acrylics to get a particular hue, and then there is 'the mood'; I have to be in a certain mood to do canvas painting - maybe because of all the effort I put into it. I wonder what that says about me as an artist.
In my entire lifetime, I have only ever finished two canvas paintings; both had been made into gifts, but the more recent one, which I finished earlier this year, was one I am still proud of; and which I think will reflect the styles of future canvas works:
I gave the painting above to my boyfriend's mother (she had requested that I paint her something; if anyone cares to know, it's this painting that serves as the backdrop to this blog's title); it was the first time I painted flowers and leaves on canvas, and I had so much fun working on getting the petals and twigs and veins right. I absolutely love painting flowers; I can't wait to paint more!
Currently, there are two canvas paintings that are on my list of works-in-progress: a personal painting, and another gift-to-be:
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| This is a small painting, just a couple of inches in length and width... that I started three years ago. That darned mood. I should really finish this one. |
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| This is the first landscape painting, and by far the largest painting, I've ever attempted; it's literally a blown-up version of a postcard my grandmother asked me to copy. |
Graduation, come fast already so I can work full-time on my paintings. I'm considering, however, buying an easel before that happens; I'm just having difficulty deciding on whether I should get a table-top kind, or a standing one. As it is, I'm not used to painting on a vertically inclined surface, and I'd much rather paint on a slanted drawing table, because the way I paint is really much like the way I draw with a pencil. Drawing tables are much more expensive than easels are though (at least, the one I have in mind is), but I would so love to have one. One more reason to save money!
On a side note, I just realized that I have so many pending works. I'm such a disorganized artist. It's just that I have so many things I want to draw/ paint, and I'm impatient to get them down on paper already. Oh well, at least I'll always have something to return to.
Last Sunday I was able to attend my first ever formal sketching session, and it was a challenging but absolutely thrilling experience. Organized by Valerie Chua and Feanne Mauricio (both so talented and so pretty!), the session was held at Arts in the City, a quaint, multipurpose art center that sits snuggly along 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City.
It was a session for nude model sketching - which was why I, faced with the opportunity of improving my drawing skills as well as the chance to draw my favorite subject (i.e. women), was only too eager to join (I was actually the first attendee to arrive, so funny).
After small friendly exchanges between artists and hostesses (we were less than twenty all in all), the session kicked off with a gentle murmur of excitement. We were to draw the model in different poses, in gradually lengthening spans of time, from three-minute sketches, to thirty-minute sketches. Below are my five-, ten- and thirty-minute sketches (I'm too embarrassed about the quicker ones; I discovered to my horror that I actually suck at doing quick sketches):
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| This is my favorite one! |
I did absolutely no justice to the model at all; she possesses a very unique beauty, and I couldn't quite capture her sleepy eyes or her round torso that well - not to mention the various skin depressions and muscle contortions. I found that my weakness lies in drawing large, general shapes (I tend to focus on details), proportioning, and basic anatomical recognition. I have a lot to work on, I hope I do improve eventually, with loads of practice!
I am so grateful that I was invited to attend such an event; I wasn't able to really mingle with the other artists present (I loved how dressed themselves up that day; so artsy) but next time I will. It was fun watching them use different mediums such as charcoal, ink, and paint. Thanks again Val and Feanne, I hope you continue to hold similar sessions in the future!
To all those interested in the session, visit their page. Have a lovely day, everyone!
So this is it, my first and hopefully official art blog! I'll try to update it as often as I can - given, of course, that I draw as often as I can; right now, my free time is being pushed over the edge due to the intense workload of senior year. For now, here's a peek at the paintings I've been working on (rather sporadically):
My dad gave me cold pressed watercolor paper a long time ago, but I never did get to use it until recently, when I discovered that most of my paintbrushes were more suited for watercolors than acrylics (my usual medium of choice). So, in the hopes of defining my style, I decided to experiment a bit with the watercolor effect, still using acrylics. Hence you can see certain areas in the paintings are more opaque than others, but I think I like the effect (although I do think I'm botching the watercolor technique). Here's another that I practiced the technique on:
Both are unfinished, quite obviously... I just hope that I can get back to painting them soon! This shall be all now for my first post, a lovely day to you all!