Doodle-a-Day:2-6-08
Once again I am not completely happy with this one–the sketch came out very different than the painting–which is fine, but I couldn’t get a good photo of the painting so it is kind of weird and missing the focus on positive and negative space and contrast that I was going for. However, I am going to go ahead and post them anyway, and force myself to continue to do so, just because I need to get over myself. I find using a small pad tricky–I am used to large spaces to work and the tiny pad and pencil/brushes that are bigger than I want aren’t helping me get the affect I am going for.
It is an interesting project all the same and it is forcing me out of my comfort zone (doing large life like portraits is very different than these tiny more cartoony/surrealistic images. ) Not that they really are surreal, they just feel that way to me. Features get exaggerated and changed when you do a quick sketch with a regular size pencil and pen on a tiny tablet. Your perspective changes and you are forced to look for the most obvious things instead of focusing on minutia. It is also forcing me to reevaluate how I use space. With such a limited size and shape I find myself trying to adjust midstream, constantly reviewing how the space is being used. For instance in the sketch Rachel’s hair became exaggerated because I was trying to do one thing then found myself doing something else.
The second was very different–I was working from memory (which is hard when ones memory is sleep deprived and not working so well). As I said I am trying to stretch myself. My goal was to use contrast and move towards leaving more negative space. I don’t think I really accomplished that but it is a step in the right direction. I guess I should mention that when I do portraits professionally I work from static photos, the more detailed the better. So working from life and from memory on a very tiny surface is definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone.
Beautiful. Check out my site, I put up “doodle” that my 14yo dd did on the magnadoodle tonight. Madness I tell you, she did not get that talent from me. I actually need to scan in some of her work out of her sketch book.
I’m impressed, as always, Heather! And I finally changed your weblink on my blog! Yeah. I actually accomplished something today!
Such great talent! You are blessed.
Oh, and yes, I do have RA. I have mentioned it a few times, but don’t like to make a big deal about it. I was thinking not long ago, though, that I am doing so well and should write some posts about what I do to manage it because maybe it could help others with it. Before I went on the meds and started taking all the natural stuff, I was having a hard time even walking around. God has been so gracious to me…that is why I added the stuff on my sidebar.