Inspire Me Thursday : Show And Tell Art

Hello.

Around a week or so ago, I felt the need to take a break from doing art on the computer. Digital art is something I enjoy and like for its convenience (how great is it to be able to pick from a variety of brushes and colours in an instant, make copies and have the 'undo' option at your disposal while making art?) but that particular day around a week or so ago I was feeling particularly unispired by the medium and decided I needed a break from it.

I'm currently a student of VisComm in a local institute, and right now we have a break with classes resuming from the 15th of June. So I figured why not splurge on a bunch of art supplies and spend the week before classes resume just creating art by hand? This was also partly inspired by this website. I loved the concept of spending 30 days just living the life of an artist and just creating. Plus I love challenges. So basically I guess I had visions of doing something like a 7 day artist challenge - doing as much art I could in a week using whatever supplies I have at my disposal.

Here's what I've got so far.

Artwork #1 : Portrait Of A Girl



Day One started off with a portrait in watercolour for Illustration Friday. It's based on a photograph I took of a friend, and while I'm pleased with the result I'm also aware that certain areas have gotten muddy. I decided I wanted to keep at the portraits in watercolour and try to achieve a perfect portrait in the medium - ergo one which is realistic, yet true to the watercolour style with no muddiness.

Artwork #2 : Portrait Of A Coz-Friend



Coz-Friend is sometimes what I refer to my cousin in my head. :) We're the same age and spent the last three years as classmates and room mates in college, so I guess she's more friend that cousin in some ways. This was another attempt at a portrait in watercolour, again based on a photograph I took of her. Hmm...I felt I face the same problem with this one as in the previous one. In my attempt to make it as realistic as possible I overworked it again. But am happy with the resemblance.

Artwork #3: Robin Redbreast



This one is a watercolour study of this very cute photograph of a robin I founf online that was used a refernce for Artwork #4. I call it 'Robin Redbreast'.

Artwork #4: Robin Hood



This one was actually started on day one. I was going to call it 'Listen' as the idea was to have a bird singing into a girl's ear. However after the initial sketch and first layer of paint, I could see the whole thing just was'nt working. So I decided to make the bird bigger and change the style of the face maybe. While staring at the green background I'd laid down, it occured to me that in terms of colours atleast a brown/red/white bird would fit right in. So I started looking for a reference picture of a robin. I found a gorgeous picture. So gorgeous that I decided to remove the bird altogether and make the bird the sole focus of the painting. I'm glad I did. What followed was fun. I started on acrylics (and in between layers did artwork #3). After I'd finished the acrylic robin, I still felt it was'nt done...it was too...well, ordinary. Pondered over words I knew I wanted to add tot he painting, and in the process came across 'Robin Hood'. That got me thinking and finally I had it. The idea I needed to make it different. I would add the words 'Robin Hood' and give the bird a robin hood hat! I collaged the hat with newspaper, printed out and glued the words. After a few mishaps, I was done. I think I liked the way it turned out though there's still something about it that nags me. Hmm. Anyway, on to Artwork #5.

Artwork #5 : Free-Fall



This one's an abstrct. Now my approach to the feww abstracts I've done so far is to lay on some paint spontaneously. After a point, I'll step back and try to figure out what it's trying to tell me, what it makes me feel. Did the same thing here. Laid on the purple and blue strokes...added the crosses cos' I felt like. When I stepped back, I distinctly had the impression of 'falling' but in a good way (Am I making sense?). And from there on the rest of the painting just happened. The whole concept revolved around 'free falling'. If in life, we have to fall (and we usually have to) why not free fall? Enjoy the fall, get as much out of it as you possibly can, then get up and dust your hands! :D .Umm. Well, that's what I came up with anyway.

Hav'nt got a very good response to it so far and am currently contemplating painting over it.

*Sigh*

And that's my progress so far. Classes resume in 2 days and I find myself in a slump. Feel like I hav'nt been doing good work so what's the point in going on? While I know this is not positive thinking and probably stems from a lot of self-doubt, I can't seem to help myself. So have decided to just 'go with the flow'.

And that ends my show and tell. I apologise for the lengthy ramble.

:)

Cheers.