My mind and its magnificent walls

I have been around but I haven't been very active with art of any kind and it makes me a sad person, I think, to not work on art.

Though, I discovered just how clever my mind has been lately at keeping me from starting/completing projects or working in my journal. My craft area has been a wreck for over a month now and I usually just look at the mess and sigh, perhaps I wish I had a maid or could blink and make everything clean again, at the very least I just wish for the energy to get something done. I haven't had a lot of energy lately. But on Monday I woke up with an immense amount of drive to get some things done around the house and that helped, A LOT! I got the kitchen clean with the exception of the pantry and fridge. I also got the dining room sorted out and my craft supplies re-organized in there! Now I have a place to art and can find my things when I need to!

So after all that was done, I was wiped out! So I took my sketch book to bed with me and I intended to play with drawing eyes. Lesson 2 of my Face to Face class, yes, I am still only on lesson 2! But my sketch book sat there for the entirety of the night, every time I saw it my mind came up with SOMETHING new.
These are thoughts that have occupied my brain when thinking about working on eyes...
-You've worked too hard today and you're shaky, why don't you give it a day or two?
-You're OK at eyes, you know how to draw the basics, what do you need to finish that lesson for?
-Eyes are NO FUN to draw, plus you aren't any good at them, just move on. (Notice the conflicting thoughts there?)
-You should print out the pictures of faces but you're almost out of ink, oh well, guess we'll do it another day.

So, somewhere along the way I decided to bite the bullet and work on some eyes. I snapped some pictures with my phone camera of the faces (eyes) I had looked up on the computer so that I could draw while Anthony played his game and off to drawing I went.

First was a worksheet on which I was supposed to draw three sets of eyes in boxes, I started on the first set reluctantly but by the time I finished them I was having fun! Imagine that, FUN! I easily finished the last two sets and I realized they weren't perfect, far from, but I was OK with that, I just wanted to draw more eyes!


Here's my worksheet.

So, then, I got out my phone and worked on drawing a pretty set of Asian eyes. Unfortunately this was the only set I finished before bed, but I was looking forward to drawing more, and I did, I finished off the exercise yesterday and am looking forward to moving into Lesson 3!


Working on getting comfortable drawing from pictures.


Sans eyelashes, eyebrows and most shading,
just trying to get to where I shut my mind down and draw what I see.

Face 2 Face - more magazine sketching

I finished this picture late last night.
Now, let me be clear, the point isn't to add all the shading as it should be, really, it is to work on proportions, to practice, and for training.



I was drawn to this picture because of the mouth, I always do pictures with closed mouths.
So, last night when I was done with it I HATED this picture. Put it away a little bit frustrated, but this afternoon when I pulled it out to take pictures to send to Mika I thought it wasn't so bad after all.
It's an honest attempt and I can only get better.
At least it is closer to the photo than my last one was!

Hubby bought me a new journal so I think later tonight or tomorrow I will work on some backgrounds.

Face 2 Face - learning proportions and placement

Yesterday I started my Face 2 Face class on Motley Soul and WOW.
Within the first few minutes of having access I was so excited and completely enthralled.
The videos are great but Mika has provided sooooo much printed materials, it's crazy!
I feel like I am taking a real art class in college but without all the stress of a GPA, I am just left to learn and enjoy it!

Just with the first class I have learned proportions and placement, some of which I did already know but I have learned a couple of easy tricks that help me immensely!
I am just floored with how great this class is, and Mika, though she is busy is always willing to lend me her ear and give advise to a newb artist!


Learning proportions and placement, trying to get it straight in my head just where everything goes.

This was my first sketch done without the help of the provided grid paper.
For some reason my lips always come out HUGE! Working on that.

Attempting to sketch a picture. Yeah, it's way off, I have a ways to go but I wont give up!

So, I am pleased with my purchase of this class and I look forward to learning!
If you haven't joined the Motley Soul Mixed Media Art Community yet, you should!

Creative Motivation

Oh where, oh where has my creative motivation gone?

Got my new computer in, also got a new phone (hubs thoroughly spoiled me) but somewhere along the way I lost some creative motivation. Due to space issues I do not have a room of my own for a studio, due to space issues I had to move all my art supplies out of my room into the dining room where it sits all stacked up on the floor at one end of the dining room.
I stayed much more motivated with my supplies within reach in my bedroom.
I have to see if I can find a way to remedy this.

So, I am hoping that my motivation will return as I signed up for a class I have wanted to take since it was advertised the first time. I started drawing last year and I just adore it, I need a lot of practice, but I adore it! My friend, Mika, over at Motley Soul Mixed Media has a class called Face 2 Face where she teaches you to draw faces. I bought it last night, just got access and started with the first video and I think this is just what I need to regain some artistic motivation!

I also have my Life Book course to get back to, but I need motivation first.
I think I will start by moving some select supplies back to my bedroom again, and then I will complete Mika's drawing exercises, and then I will get back into Life Book.
That's the plan anyway!

Oh, and I just have to share my most beautiful journal! I won this journal from the Motley Soul Mixed Media site for being THE most active member in the month of December (I think)!
I LOVE this journal! I have been loving on it since it came in but I have yet to put anything IN it.
Well, now I do!