Sketch Book Fun

Icelandic Pony Study in sketch book, Colored pencils.

I've been sick the past week, so I apologize for the lack of up-dates! There are several year long art challenges I have joined for 2010! And I am hoping this will help me further improve my drawing skills. Most of the challenges are bi-weekly, and I will certainly be posting the results of each project on here.

This sketch was a challenge from 2009 that was going to be studying a breed a week before it fizzled out mid July. I am really hoping the 2010 art challenges I joined will go strong through out the entire year! I only have 24 pages left in my sketch book! I'll have to go buy a new one to fit everything in it!

Happy Painting!

Hanging in There.

"Bushel" 9 x 12 acrylic on canvas paper

I really think my brain has turned to mush. I've taken two 4 hour tests back to back. Ugh. So it will more than likely take a couple days for me to get over the academic over load! The tests were the PRAXIS series, I have to pass them to get my teacher's licence (and ultimately graduate!)

This mental break, however, involves lots of painting! I am greatly enjoying the acrylic paints. I can whip out a painting in over half the time it takes to do a colored pencil piece. I just really need to get down backgrounds a bit better with the paints. A new challenge is always fun!

The Secret to a Good Painting

People have always been baffled with what makes a good painting, and it's not just having a good grasp on colors or brush techniques mastered. Although, those things certainly help they aren't the most important part. The key to a good painting is a well thought out drawing. Let me explain, if you were trying to create a painting of a horse, for example, but had a half hearted drawing with lots of errors there is no way you can create a wonderful painting. By making the job more frustrating than it should be- the painting is doomed to fail.
This was a very hard lesson for me to learn as I would rush through the sketching process so I could color it. Guess what? All those paintings were pure crap. They were rushed through making them poor quality and awkward. Art is nothing but checks and balances. There is no one part that is more or less important than the other. Creating a good solid drawing is just as important as painting it. If you rush with anything in the creative process it will fail.
You have to enjoy the entire process of creating a painting, for this is what ensures a warmly received high quality treasure. A treasure that you have put every ounce of your being in.

"Blue Eyes"

"Blue Eyes" 9 x 12 Colored Pencil on Pastel Board

This painting started to take on a mind of its own the more I worked on it. Originally I had a beautiful silver dapple pinto in mind as I started to color the horse; however, the more I colored it the blacker the horse became! I eventually gave up trying to save the light grey idea and just went with it. When the painting was finally finished I just had to laugh because it came out looking like my mare Melody. I think its telling me to do a portrait of my girl rather than other people's babies! :)

On another note, looks like I'm taking a very spontaneous trip to Washington DC to visit my sister and I will be back on Monday. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

A New Year

The start of a New Year always excites me as the countless possibilities of what it could bring fills my head. First thing I did this morning was construct my 10 New Years Goals I want to accomplish for the year. That way I feel as if I have direction in the New Year rather than flailing around blindly and letting it take me.

The start of the New Year also means the start of new art projects! One of my main goals for the year is to do a daily painting. Now, this might get complicated as school starts again in full swing- but I think it's doable!

For the first painting of the New Year I did a lovely portrait of a thoroughbred mare named Lucy. This horse has such an adorable face I couldn't resist trying my hand at painting her. So, here is the cutie done in acrylic on 9 x 12 canvas paper. I've titled it "The Rail Walker".