Drawing Lab Challenge #11 results

My results for the latest Drawing Lab Challenge are up over on Gumnut Inspirations. I've been playing with carbon paper and exploring what I can do with it. I got some interesting results.

Experiments with carbon paper

Nutty
(hope to see you over on my new blog as this one will be closing at the end of the month :( )

Drawing lab Challenge #11

The next Drawing Lab Challenge is up! Sorry for the absence of the challenge over the holiday period. It ate me.

You can find the new challenge here on my new website

Hope to see you there.

Nutty
(enjoying her new site, but missing some of you :( )

Drawing Lab challenge #10

Speaking of eyeballing...

This is the tenth challenge post for the Drawing Lab Challenge. Grab your copy of 'Drawing lab for mixed media artists: 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun' and join us as we tackle the book together. Details of the challenge and joining can be found here.

This week the challenge is...

Lab 12 (Page 42).

I've always loved drawing these. It will be fun to explore further.

Nutty
(it's great when your drawing stares back at you :D)

Drawing Lab challenge #9 results - scribbles

I thought this one would be easy, and while technically it was, I'm not sure I've actually done it the right way. I had a great deal of trouble discerning between scribble and sketching and I think pretty much all my drawings leant towards the latter.

First up I thought I'd play with my gel pens on some black paper. I like black paper :D

I had no idea what to draw and I couldn't be bothered digging a photo out of my photography files, so I drew what was in front of me - some flowers my sister brought over for KJ.

The gel pens certainly gave the exercise an interesting texture as they both lay down ink and picked it off as the lines crossed. I was as free as possible, not really caring where the lines went.

Wanting to continue to experiment I then went back to good old black pen on fineliner paper. Again I had no idea what to draw so I eyeballed what was on the table and picked a subject (I was sitting at the dining table, hence the rather odd occurrence of candles).

But they were incredibly boring, so I stopped drawing those about five seconds after I started.

Looked around for something slightly more complicated and came up with my jar of gel pens.

So is that scribble or sketch? I was as rough as I could be and it was drawn very quickly. ::shrug::

What else could I draw? Perhaps a more defined shape?

Okay, so I was getting totally lazy and lame drawing the sharpener that just happened to be there with me. After that I gave up and blamed my slightly off mood as the culprit for lack of inspiration.

But! I did complete the assignment and I do plan to explore scribbling further down the track.

So how did you do? Post a link to your creations in the comments, I would love to see them.

Nutty
(and now for the next challenge)

Drawing Lab challenge #9

Now for some fun...(sorry it is a day late)

This is the nineth challenge post for the Drawing Lab Challenge. Grab your copy of 'Drawing lab for mixed media artists: 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun' and join us as we tackle the book together. Details of the challenge and joining can be found here.

This week the challenge is...

Lab 24 (Page 70).

Did anyone manage to do some Drawing Lab last during last week's catch up? I know I didn't. My brain has been orbiting another planet for the last fortnight so I haven't really managed anything until the last couple of days, and that wasn't Drawing Lab. Hope you did better than I. Drop a comment here so I can go gander at your artisitc pursuits (I'm behind on my blog reading as well, so help me out by poking me in the right direction :D)

Nutty
(off the rails and heading for a cliff)

Drawing Lab Challenge #8 results and Catch Up Week #2

Okay, I managed to not even look at this week's challenge. It seems that Art Every Day Month ended and I collapsed in an art sense. haven't done a thing. Well, except for the tiny doodle I'm going to post in a minute, and that was done in a few minutes today between housework sessions.

So yes, I have no Drawing Lab Challenge results to post this week. I'll perhaps give it a go This coming week which is Catch Up Week #2 :D

Did you do better than me? Add your link to your efforts in Mr Linky below so I can go gaze at your work enviously.

Catch Up Week #2

This week is Catch Up Week, so this is your chance to either do those exercises you missed or couldn't finish or go all out on one you particularly liked and whip up a master piece.

have at it!

Nutty
(in the hot part of the house...welcome Summer!)

Drawing Lab Challenge #8

A touch of the more traditional...

This is the eighth challenge post for the Drawing Lab Challenge. Grab your copy of 'Drawing lab for mixed media artists: 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun' and join us as we tackle the book together. Details of the challenge and joining can be found here.

This week the challenge is...

Lab 41 (Page 112).

A good excuse to get out before the heat or cold really hits.

Nutty
(nature nut)

Drawing lab challenge results - Funky creatures

Okay, this one, I admit, was quite fun. And freeing in ways I haven't really done before. The reults, well, hmm, interesting, I guess. But the procedure, definitely fun.

I didn't quite finish them off as I left the exercise to the last minute again, but I think I like looking at the red, blue and yellow the way it is anyway. My favourites are the second and fourth piccies.

So how did you go? I've seen Pavinee's wonderful creations. Sorry I didn't make it clear where to post your results. I usually put up my answer to the challenge on Thursday night (South Australian time, so something like early morning UK Thursday, and middle of the night Eastern America, late night Western America Wednesday). To make that more accessible, I'm being adventurous...

I'm going to be wonderfully technically advanced and add a Mr Linky to this post like I have seen many other challenge hosts do.  So go ahead and link in your results :D

Nutty
(learn something new everyday and your brain won't rot)

Wind sculpted trees - Determined

It has been one of those weeks. I haven't managed to do much art and haven't even posted to my blog, which is even more disappointing. I'm not sure what happened. Real life ate me, I guess.

I have had something on the go. Something that should have taken me one day, but instead took four...as I said, that kind of week.

Determined, pen on fineliner paper, approx. 270 x 200 mm.

I don't think it is as effective as some of the previous ones (here and here), but it has some value. I'm certainly going to continue my explorations in this area. That and I just maybe a little down in the dumps about my performance this week. Hmph.

Drawing Lab Challenge - Hah! Um, no, I didn't manage to do it. Maybe I'll have a go in catch up week.

I hope you did better than I.

Nutty
(a touch depressed)

Drawing Lab Challenge #6

Something a little different...

This is the sixth challenge post for the Drawing Lab Challenge. Grab your copy of 'Drawing lab for mixed media artists: 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun' and join us as we tackle the book together. Details of the challenge and joining can be found here.

This week the challenge is...

Lab 51 (Page 136).

Draw some fantasy...

Nutty
(dashing off to look after my littlest girl)

Drawing lab Challenge #5 results - Herbert

'Somehow he felt different after visiting the art gallery.'

Herbert, pen on bleedproof paper, approx. 210 x 150 mm.

Just a quick post as my youngest daughter is not well at the moment (upset tummy, nothing major except for the fact she is only 7 months old) and I need to be with her.

I left mine to the last minute this week, only slapping it together a few hours ago. I also added an extra leg. It was fun and I would have done more if I hadn't left it to the last minute.

How did you all go?

Nutty

(dash, dash)

AEDM - Day 5 and Drawing Lab Challenge #5

Hmm, a convergence of fives :D

Today's art was just as scarce as my previous two, except the one doodle I managed to start and poke at for the previous two days has now been completed.

Wind, pen on fineliner paper, approx. 200 x 100 mm.

Back in 2006, Hubby and I went on the best holiday we had ever had (well, that I've ever had anyway :D). We took a driving holiday in Western Australia, a wildflower paradise. Anyways, while travelling up the coast towards Geraldton, we passed some wind sculpted trees - Wikipedia has a piccy. They've stuck in my mind ever since. And they were a major influence on my brain when I drew this. Not quite as bent, and a touch more active, I'm really happy with the movement in this doodle.

Maybe I'll get something other than a doodle done tomorrow ::crosses fingers::

And...

Time to bend your brain...

This is the fifth challenge post for the Drawing Lab Challenge. Grab your copy of 'Drawing lab for mixed media artists: 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun' and join us as we tackle the book together. Details of the challenge and joining can be found here.

This week the challenge is...

Lab 19 (Page 58).

This one should have some interesting results.

Have at it!

Nutty
(let's see if I can let go of control)

Art Not-Quite-Every Day Month & Drawing Lab Challenge results - catch up week

Okay, I blew it today. Busy all day, visitors, a trip to the doc's for Izzy (she's fine), and I traded my last little bit of doodle time for a shower. I did start a doodle, but barely had time to do anything and I'm exhausted. So no art today :(

So, why am I posting? Cos I wanna ::grin:: So here is a piece I prepared earlier...about five years earlier.

Blue Grass Lily, soft pastel on black pastel paper.

Those of you who have been following me since the Creative Colour Challenge might know that I'm a recent learner of the soft pastel medium. Well, here is my first ever pastel drawing (and first time drawing on a black background, too). According to my journal of the time, it took me an hour and a half back in 2005. Five years ago? I thought I said I was new? I am (though not at talking to myself :D). I did a small amount of experimenting back then, a handful of half finished drawings. Then I got pregnant in 2007 and didn't touch the things again until June this year.

And I kinda like this little sketch. Just thinking now what I could do with the same subject with all my recent experience....hmmm, might be worth playing with.

Drawing Lab Challenge - how did you all do? Did you manage to catch up or expand on a previous Lab experiment? I did some doodling with lots and lots of swirls which caught me up on Challenge #4, but I haven't revisited anything.

Tomorrow a new Lab Challenge. I hope those of you doing Art Every Day Month can weave it into your schedules.

Nutty
(sleep is an inconvenience)

Oil pastel experiments - Swirls

Saturday I felt like doodling and since the Drawing Lab Challenge I had missed involved doing exactly that, I did some. I grabbed my oil pastels, a piece of watercolour paper and just drew some swirls. No plan, no design beyond the idea that I'd like to play with some graduated colour (I followed the order of the pastels in the box mostly :D).

For the challenge I was supposed to listen to something distracting, but since I can't afford the time to be totally switched off at the moment, I just listened to my kids playing with my sister. My attention was half taken.

Doodle done, I then wanted to experiment. I was inspired by the transparent effect I stumbled across in my last oil pastel experiment and decided to explore the use of white oil pastel to create that effect. So I did some more swirls.

This is simply white and a few other very pale shades of colour directly on top of the other colours. I was really happy with this effect and plan to explore it further.

The piece as it was didn't satisfy me as a composition. It needed more, so I experimented some more.

Please excuse the poor quality of the picture, we had moved inside as the weather had deteriorated and the lighting wasn't crash hot.

I added some white swirls with acrylic. Initially I just painted in a basic line swirl, but I followed it up with some light wash over the top to give the swirls more body.  I wasn't as happy with this effect as I was the white oil pastel swirls, so I continued to fiddle.

The composition lacked contrast, so I added a thin dark blue wash in places that could give the white swirls more dimension. Still not happy and beginning to wonder if I should never have gotten the paints out in the first place. Then I hit upon another idea.

I scratched off the white lines.

I'm much happier with it now as the remaining wash highlights and shadows are now just as transparent as the second layer of swirls and the whole piece has much more dimension. Scratching those lines back to the first layer colours also brought some more vibrancy back into the piece as those colours are brighter than the washed and the white oil pastel swirled surfaces.

But it is still not finished and this is where it stands at the moment as I try to think of what to do with it next. I'm tempted to cut one side off to make it square which would balance out the composition much better. I'm also thinking of a silhouette in either black or a very dark shade, maybe a tree or something else swirly. I'm not happy with the lack of contrast.

But anyway, this is my contribution for today for Art Every Day Month. I did most of this over the weekend, but I did finish the scratching off today. There is no way I can complete a piece of art everyday, but I can DO SOMETHING every day, so that is my challenge.

My favourite bit

Oh, and it should be mentioned that since the weather went bad, we all ended up in our kitchen and it turned out to be a fantastic afternoon. KJ and Sis joined in the arty experience and soon the kitchen cupboards were adorned with drying paintings.

So even if I end up trashing the painting, it was worth the memory we made.

Nutty
(who had a great day with family)

Drawing Lab Challenge - #4 Results and fifth week catch up

Okay, I flunked badly this week. Left it to the last minute and that minute was smothered by the children and the pile of necessary things that need to be done.

But! This week is Catch Up Week. This is the time to have a go at any of the exercises you missed from the last four weeks (Labs listed here). Or to grab an idea generated by those exercises and beat it into reality. Or to finish up a piece already started that you know just needs that little bit more work to make it a masterpiece. And don't forget the extra exercises tagged on to each of those Labs, have a go at them. And if I start another sentence with a conjunction the proofreader in my brain is going to keel over and die.

Regarding Challenge #4, how did you go? I've seen White Violet Art's amazing doodle and she appears to have the process working smoothly. I'm finding that I'm having difficulty letting go fo the 'preconceived idea' method of drawing. I'm so used to having an ultimate design in my head, that it feels like I'm driving the car but have no idea where I'm going. A rather uneasy feeling for a control freak like me :D Anyone else get that feeling?

I'll keep trying, because I think it is a valuable skill to learn and it is part of my aim to free up my artwork (which is working really nicely at the moment :D Many thanks to all of you for your influences :D).

In the absence of any of my artwork to show you (though I'm planning on some more experimental stuff in the near future), here be three videos showing various aspects of doodling/zentangling.

The first one shows us how to start a zentangle, the second is how to draw a zendala (basically a zentangle in a circle, a cool idea I might try), and the last one is pure doodle...by a guy who obviously has a lot of drawing skill to back him up (he has a series of videos you might like to look up if you like this one).

So onto Catch Up Week. Do any of you have any plans on works you might like to do?

Nutty
(up far too late again)

Drawing Lab Challenge #4

Now for a little bit of relaxation...

This is the fourth challenge post for the Drawing Lab Challenge. Grab your copy of 'Drawing lab for mixed media artists: 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun' and join us as we tackle the book together. Details of the challenge and joining can be found here.

This week the challenge is...

Lab 33 (Page 92).

After last week's brain extender, let's take it easy for a bit.

Have at it!

Nutty
(time to put the brain in idle)

Drawing Lab Challenge results - my tunnel

It's been one of those weeks for me. Being sick and stuck at home has not been conducive to art work. So my entry for this week is rather poor and was thrown together on a vague idea in this last hour or so between hanging out the washing and mum duties. I type this fast hoping that Izzy stays asleep just that little bit longer. I guess my topic source is pretty obvious.

Apologies for the poor reproduction. It was too large to scan. It doesn't quite fit the bill for the challenge, but that is what I came up with. My other idea was to use cogs, lots of them, but I couldn't get a 'machine' to gel out of the idea.

I hope you all did better than I did. Show me and cheer me up :D

In better news, I do have another piece of work that is gelling well for the moment. It's not finished, but as experiments go, it's looking okay at the moment. Hopefully I'll get the chance to finish it soon.

In the meantime, have a gander at this little guy I found while hanging out the washing.

Get the feeling I was being observed while observing?

Nutty
(mmm, lunch)

Drawing Lab Challenge #3

Let the industrial revolution begin...

This is the third challenge post for the Drawing Lab Challenge. Grab your copy of 'Drawing lab for mixed media artists: 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun' and join us as we tackle the book together. Details of the challenge and joining can be found here.

This week the challenge is...

Lab 36 (Page 98).

We've been drawing some organic stuff, now let's fiddle with some machinery :D

Have at it!

Nutty
(squeaky wheel)

Drawing Lab Challenge #2 results - Eyes

I've always loved drawing eyes. There is something about them. Their shape, shadow, the soul staring out at you from the paper.

I've really practised drawing them over the years as they are my favourite part of portraiture. I know how important it is to put the shadow and highlights in just the right place and have followed some of the 'recommended' techniques. After all, a dead eye is a dead portrait.

But I have never quite drawn one like this.

This be my entry for the Drawing Lab Challenge #2. It be doodled and I have no idea what it is called. Pen on bleedproof paper. It looks like Sauron collided with a willow tree, got eaten by a chicken and then tattooed....but who am I to judge? :D

I have also had 'One-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater' singing in my head all week.

So...lemme see your inventions!

Nutty
(bonus points to any Star Trek fans who can identify who owns the eyes)

Drawing Lab Challenge #2

Get that mind's eye working...

This is the second challenge post for the Drawing Lab Challenge. Grab your copy of 'Drawing lab for mixed media artists: 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun' and join us as we tackle the book together. Details of the challenge and joining can be found here.

This week the challenge is...

Lab 26 (Page 74).

I'm really excited to see the results from this one. Let your imagination run wild!

Have at it!

Nutty
(growl)