Endless changes...

Scarcely did I decide to shift my artistic operations to DeviantArt, or I have reason for second thoughts.

I very much like the layout of DA, and the way its galleries work. But it is also a very big umbrella, and I have noticed that lots of the artists there produce some pretty extreme adult-oriented art. I don't personally mind such work at all, but many people do, and I don't want anyone to get into trouble because they ended up viewing more than my own gallery!

I also noticed that DA's discussion forums are positively infested with neo-Nazis and other kooks, cranks and assorted nuts and dolts.

I'll probably continue to make use of their gallery feature, but for the moment I'll be here again, on a more regular basis.

So, let me first play catch-up, with an assortment of some of the stuff I have been up to since I last posted art work here.

Some more drawings:

Small pencil drawings (18 x 13 cm)

And ballpoint pen:

I like the medium, but it has a tendency to fade. I do notice that nowadays, lots of professional artists make use of the medium, and opinions vary somewhat as to how permanent such drawings are. If kept behind glass and out of direct sunlight, they'll probably last reasonably well; I am not too sure.

Some attempts at somewhat more detailed pencil drawings:

I have never been much good at these - I tend to prefer rapid sketches. But they are a good and necessary exercise, and now and then it is fun to sit back, relax, put on some soothing music and spend a few hours with a subject.

A pen and wash sketch as birthday gift for a friend who wanted a picture of a Tuscan-style window:

I also made a stack of these that I turned into handmade greeting cards. Here's a selection:

Some recent adventures in acrylic painting in a next post...

Rose bud

Sooner or later, everyone has to try out the droplets-on-petals thing. As usual nowadays, quite small; 3.5 x 5 inches:

I have never been much into drawing flowers, but I may just change my mind - I enjoyed doing this one.

Two more small drawings

Two more of my small drawings - sunset scenes (3.5 inch x 5 inch), on larger paper:

Two new ones

I have been moving house, and suffered from a painful and annoying injury on my index finger, precisely where I grip brushes and pencils. Thus, almost nothing done for a while. And it will probably be a while longer before the injury has healed completely.

But in the meantime, two more small pieces.

A roadside vendor (acrylic on board, 5 x 3.5 inch):

And a sketch of a Jersey cow; same size as the painting:

Two small drawings

I have been working on developing a style of drawing that is more or less consistent with my current paintings style, i.e. unabashed use of outline, with fairly flat areas of tone, in the post-impressionist manner.

I decided to keep the drawings small - the paper size in these two is 13 cm x 18 cm (about 5 x 7 inches), with the drawings still smaller - 128 mm x 178 mm (3.5 x 5 inches):

Back in the land of the living

It appears I am not done with art after all. Or perhaps I was done with art, but art was not done with me. In recent times, I once again found myself drawing and painting. Once the bug bites, it never lets go, it appears.

I spent some time working from reference, such as stills from a film (in this case, The Name of the Rose):

Or trying somewhat detailed sketches from various reference photos:

But, as I have discovered before, I seem not to really enjoy working from photos. I am not too sure why, but whatever the reason, I am now back to working mostly from life. One evening during a power cut, I sketched this self-portrait by candlelight:

It's a bit lopsided, if you ask me. In my defense, it was really dark and by the candlelight I could hardly see my own image in the mirror, let alone the drawing. You can it was winter by the way I am bundled up in wool - when the power goes, so does the heating!

Under better conditions, a sketch of a pine cone, a challenging but interesting subject:

#32: Compound leaf

Compound leaf of a carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). As I mentioned before, I just love old, well weathered leaves as subjects for drawing!

#31: Glass and plastic figurine

Back to my series of drawings from direct observation. I have become badly rusty, I fear.

Buddhist sculpture

HB mechanical pencil on printer paper, 18cm x 12cm:

Mushrooms

Done from a reference photo. I have reported before on my struggle to draw from photos. Considering how convenient they can be, it seems like a weakness not to be able to make proper use of them, so I am trying to overcome it. Not sure if I am managing...

HB mechanical pencil on printer paper, 13cm x 18cm.

Self-portrait

As always with self-portraits, the rather menacing expression is just an effect of staring intently into a mirror...

A small series of camels

Why camels? Just because, that's why.

#25: Stapler

As usual, turned out rather more difficult to do than I thought!

#24: Glass and lemon

My fascination with the effect of things viewed through glass continues...

#23: Ogre and banana

A miniature ogre or a giant banana?

# 22: Plug

I thought this would be a relatively easy thing to draw, seeing as it is a nicely symmetrical object, and initially looked rather simple. But it turned out far more difficult than I imagined. I am not well versed in perspective and didn't quite capture a likeness.

#21 Egg and liqueur glass

I enjoy drawing glass, at least when the drawings end up looking more or less glassy. But what a struggle to get the shapes of things like glasses and bottles reasonably symmetrical!

#20: Plastic spray bottle

Couldn't quite capture the effect of light reflecting from and shining through plastic and water: all the subtle patterns and tones are fearsomely complex!

#19: Mug and apple

Finally had some time to draw again. Here's another in my series of still life drawings. I have gone all rusty and forgotten everything I have learned. Oh well, back to the drawing board. HB mechanical pencil on printer paper; about size A5.

A portrait

Haven't had time to draw anything in ages. But I made some time to make this sketch as a birthday present for a friend of mine: a portrait of her adopted daughter: