Saturday, January 23, 2010

Charcoal & Stuff....

Once again I haven't had anything much to show and I've been busy with the clutter and getting ready for those much anticipated classes that I dearly need; I'll even show proof of that!
I did get signed up for the Shades of Grey and finally got signed up for the Faces class with Sharon/Norah'S; I still have the Fantasy Folded Altered Book class going and my book is feeling very very neglected and I also have a class at the Junk Art Queen's Society (also on Ning) for painting a Rooster which is still waiting in the wings. I just wanted to get my art spaces cleared and in some sort of order before I start. Otherwise I'll end up trying to work on everything at once in one place and really get myself into a bind. I just still have a problem going into the art room to work on clutter cleaning and not sitting down and playing with something! It's a horrid habit and I can't stop it! I did make some headway, however, and when I find my camera I might show a picture. I wonder if someone 'borrowed' my camera and it's out in the shop? H'mmmm.
The other day, Emelie from here http://emeliesartandsuch.blogspot.com/ talked about trying her hand at charcoal for the first time and was brave enough to post a picture (which wasn't bad at all). So I got out the NEW charcoal pencils I just got and some of the pencils I've had here and never touched except for some outlining, one of my small practice sketch books and had them ready. As it always happened, I was watching my Thursday night must-see TV shows and my hand reached for the nearest things which was the charcoal and book. So I played, giving the TV and sketch book half attention each. Not that full attention to charcoal would've done any good! Anyway, I started to sketch 2 different faces and they weren't really too awful for a first ever try. BUT, then I decided to try and fix them and they got worse and then even worse! You know what happens if you try to mess with eyes or lips after they're already drawn and have a touch of ink also? On top of that, I had never worked with anything using eraser for highlights etc., either. That's a new trick! And I was getting the charcoal smudged all over the place! Again, I was going to just toss these and not let anyone see but what the heck, if Emelie can do it, I can, too. It did dawn on me that it's only in my mind ( a scary place) that I can hear people laughing and making rude comments. Might as well show them and then I have a beginning shown to compare when I post pictures of improvements!! Right? So here goes:
See those eyes, well, you can't miss them can you? The more I tried to fix them the bigger and worse they got! She looks like she belongs on the Edward Gorey site  http://goreydetails.net/home.php for sure! We won't mention the ears, her see-through shirt neck or anything else, either. Right?

Now,  she's not as bad as the first but again, she didn't start out as bad but when I tried to make corrections to the eyes and other things it just kept getting worse so I quit. I can see that me, charcoal and eyes will be having a battle! I better learn better pencil and paint first and leave the charcoal for outlining and such.
I'm off to search for that camera.....

Monday, January 18, 2010

Classes

I decided that this year I would finally take some on-line classes and try to learn a thing or 2 or 3. Funds are way short so I have to be choosy even though I'd like to take a whole bunch.
I signed up already on Ning for one painting class which I haven't done yet for lack of the right supplies, I just ordered supplies and will sign up for the Shades of Grey with Pam Carriker as soon as my package arrives. And then this Friday will sign up to take the new class with Sharon of All Norah'S Art. Yes, the much anticipated class is about to unfold and in her honor for all her diligent hard work answering our pleas for a class, I've even changed my music to go along with her blog post announcing the class!! Wanna-be face painters are dancing in their seats in anticipation!!! The gang's all here......roll out the barrel!!
Go here:  http://allnorahsart.blogspot.com/
Go here:  http://www.pamcarriker.com/