A Patch of Sand

'Dog Patch' 8" x 10" Oil on Board.

This work is named for the surf break called Dog Patch at San Onofre State Beach in southern California. This is the part of the beach where dog owners walk their dogs. It is the surf break for surfers using stand-up paddle boards plus sit down wave skis (which my husband named butt boards).

Sketchy Work

Sometimes I get focused on one medium and forget to work in the other areas that I also enjoy. In an effort not to do this, I have written little notes telling myself to work on all kinds of projects concurrently. 

One such project is to work in one of my sketchbooks in watercolour. To help me along I am also taking a short creative course with summer as its inspiration.

This particular sketchbook started life as a novel. I bought the book for $1 at a local library and use it for drawings, collage projects, and watercolour sketches such as this. To provide an interesting and plain base for painting, I covered the pages first in gesso (although white acrylic paint would also work). The gesso doesn't allow the watercolour to absorb into the paper so the finished effect is different.

Done!

I have finally finished my seagull drawing. 
The main changes from last time are darkening the background especially in the lower portion. I also darkened the seagull's reflection to make the white areas look brighter.
I am really happy with the result. I will leave it a while before going back to take a last look to see whether it needs any tweaking. If not I shall mat and then frame it.

Laying It On

The first layer is done. Standing back from the drawing the reflection looks better than it does close up. Six to eight feet away is the optimum distance for viewing artwork. Sometimes I forget this and fuss about how a piece of work looks until I leave the room and see the work anew as I come back into the room.
I think the reflection will look even better when I put another, darker layer of blue on the drawing. If you want something to look lighter then put something darker beside it.

The Low Down

Here is my latest painting. I have just realised that I don't have a title for it yet. It is of the jetty on the ocean side of Dana Point Harbour. It is at low tide which is why you can see a portion of the beach on the left-hand side. 

Not Quite White

I am continuing to work on my seagull drawing. 

I am not too happy with how the reflection looks at the moment. I began wishing that I had done this drawing on toned paper (perhaps a grey) which would mean I could use a white pencil to put the white in. Because I am using the paper as the white it is harder to see how the white will look until all the blue and grey is coloured in. The white in my source photograph is very bright and the paper may not be bright enough to express that.

It is important not to make a negative judgement too early so I intend to continue on and see what happens when more of the blue is added. Although it is harder to erase coloured pencil than graphite, I can erase or lighten some of the reflection colours and make adjustments later on.
It is in the struggle that you learn to become a better artist even though that struggle is often discouraging and/or frustrating.

Gullible

After constantly telling myself that I would get working on my seagull drawing this day or that, today I finally did. I worked mostly on the bird although it is not finished yet. 

However, I feel I have overcome whatever it was that was blocking me from working on this drawing. Instead of feeling frustrated and dwelling on the challenges, I tried to just enjoy the experience. It worked.

Prior posts about this drawing can be seen here, here, here, and here.

Abstract Inspiration

A couple of years ago I was given a Canson Montval art board when I attended a workshop. It won't accept oil paints so I decided to do a painting with my acrylics.

Probably because it was free, I decided to try something a little different and more abstract than usual. I also worked to be less slavish to my source photograph using it more for inspiration.

I am very happy with the result.

'Darkening Horizon' 8"x10" acrylic on board.

Flowering Outcomes

It is good to be painting a little more regularly now.

'Solitude Awaits Below' 8"x10" Oil on Board.

'Gerbera Trio' 5"x5" Acrylic on Canvas.

Charting a Course

The next step in the drawing exercise, I started last time, is to make a chart or plan of the colours I want to use.

I get all my different pencil sets out and try the colours that seem to most closely match those in my subject photograph.

I forgot about the tiny bit of yellow I'll need for the bird's legs. I don't quite have the right colour for the palest blue in the water but I can layer the blue with some white to lighten it up.

Drawing Out a Task

It is still difficult for me to spend time drawing but I miss it. So I decided to do a little at a time by splitting the tasks into five minute tasks. Eventually those five minutes will add up to a coloured pencil drawing. At least that is the plan.

First I chose a photograph. This is a 4"x6" photograph and that is the size I decided to do. I'm not a great lover of seagulls but I liked the reflections and texture of the water. Usually I chose a drawing for its challenge rather than liking the picture for itself.

Because the drawing will be the same size as the photograph, I could just trace the main features of the drawing. 

It is perfectly okay to trace an image. I know I can draw and I don't have to prove it to myself or anyone else and tracing saves time. However, if you are learning to draw then drawing items from life is recommended. Photographs flatten objects so practicing drawing from life helps you remember that objects are three-dimensional. When I was learning to draw (of course I am still learning) I would draw anything I could around the house. I even drew a roll of toilet paper once to practice a white item on white paper. Plus it is good to learn how to draw items that are very soft up to very hard.

Here is my tracing. I do have graphite paper that you can put under your tracing paper to transfer the picture onto your drawing paper. However, I find it transfers extra graphite where I am leaning on the paper but I just may be too messy.

So I usually turn it over and go over all the lines before turning it back over and tracing over all the lines again with the drawing paper underneath. 

This leaves a faint image of the tracing on your paper. It is now ready to add colour to.

I should add that the drawing paper is from a larger sheet of Royal Brites. I bought this so long ago that I can't remember what the weight is (it doesn't say this on the label) but it isn't a very heavy paper. Probably as thick as card stock sold in craft shops.

Setting to Work

Finally getting to do some painting again after my car accident last year. I can't paint for very long but just to be able to some is something to be grateful for.

Day by Day

Finally I am posting about the calendar one of my photographs is included in.

The City of Dana Point produces a calendar every year with either historical or recent scenes from around the city - specifically the harbour and coastline.

I took my photograph of a great egret while on a walk beneath a cliff at a location called the Point.

Season's Greetings

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

Treasured Scene

'Treasure Island' 5" x 7" Oil on Canvas.

This is the southern most beach in Laguna Beach and is named for the 1934 film 'Treasure Island' which was filmed here. 

Egret Success

A photograph I took of a Great Egret in Dana Point, has been chosen to be included in the 2014 City of Dana Point calendar.
I'm very excited because many of the other people chosen are professional photographers with fancy cameras. This means that you can do good things even if you don't have expensive equipment or extensive training or experience.

Covert Action

'Sunny Cove' 6" x 8" Oil on Canvas. This is taken from a photograph by one of my cousins of a beach in Cornwall, England. Cornwall has beautiful, rugged coastline as well as some quaint harbours and towns. I always visit Cornwall when I visit England as I have friends and family there.

I wanted to keep the painting's complexity to a minimum to stress the simple forms of the cliffs and a sense of depth.

Feeling Blue

This was painted from a photograph of a sunset at Doheny Beach in Dana Point.

'Blue Heaven' 5"x7" Oil on canvas.