Portrait Giveaway – Work in Progress
Oct 19, 2009 On my Easel
A week ago, Rossi won my portrait giveaway. I was thrilled when she sent me her photo because it not only has great shadows, it’s a totally cute picture of her and her sister!
Here is Rossi’s portrait so far… I’ve done my outlines and erased my grid, now I’m ready for the shading. I had to really play with the contrast on this picture so that you guys can see my lines. The real drawing is much lighter, but this at least shows you where I’m at!
Stay tuned for more updates, and check out my portrait website!
“I’m an Artist” …can you say the words?
Oct 18, 2009 Drawing
“Have you admitted, or come to terms with yourself, that you actually are an artist?”
Byrne posed this question on his blog recently and it got me thinking…
For many of us, calling ourselves “artist” can be a very difficult thing to do. I know it’s hard for me! Maybe it’s the dread of other people’s reactions, maybe it’s the uncertainty that we are actually artists, or maybe it’s the fear that others won’t agree, but something about that label makes many artists uncomfortable.
First of all, what is an artist? This term is harder to define than you might think. If an artist is someone who creates, then are construction workers, furniture makers, and bricklayers artists? They create! Where do we draw the line between art and craft? Maybe it’s the idea that counts, and the artists are the architects and the draftspeople and the designers.
Answer.com defines the artist as, “a painter, sculptor, or writer, who is able by virtue of imagination and talent or skill to create works of aesthetic value, especially in the fine arts.”
This definition is still troubling. Have you seen some of the contemporary art out there? There’s not a lot of aesthetic value in much of that work, but we still call the creators artists!
So if “artist” is a vague term for a person who has an idea and creates it, why do some people have such a hard time using that word to describe themselves when they clearly are making original, creative works?
The word “artist” is very loaded in society and has all kinds of connotations. When I call myself an artist, I can’t help but compare myself to the other artists in the world who are showing more, selling more, and having more success. Does that make me less of an artist? Sometimes it feels like it!
In art school, it was drilled into me that not just anyone could be an artist. To be a true artist, you had to be recognized by your peers (other artists) as such. You had to have several exhibitions under your belt as well as other professional experience. This is just another of the pretentious teachings inherent in art school: you’re not an artist until other people say you’re good enough to be one.
Even by that definition, I could call myself an artist. And yet, I still have problems with it!
One thing I’ve noticed is that people have so many expectations as soon as you tell them you’re an artist. You get questions like “is your work in a gallery?” or “do you sell your work?” If you’re not represented by a gallery and haven’t gotten to the point that you’re regularly selling, it can be a bit awkward answering these questions. People don’t always understand the nature of galleries and often seem disappointed when I say that my work isn’t currently in any galleries, but that I’ve had several shows.
The question that really annoys me, though, is the “have you ever considered doing such-and-such show/fair/market/etc?” one. People always suggest these things as if I’ve never heard of them, and never seem to understand when I explain that much of my work wouldn’t fit into these types of commercial exhibitions.
Then there’s the awkward pause where you know people are thinking “what’s the point?” If you dont’ sell and aren’t exhibiting, then how can you be an artist?
The term artist implies “professional” as in, making a living from. Those who aren’t making a living from their art might find it hard to call themselves artists!
When people ask me what I do, I automatically reply with my day job. I consider art to be my career, but for some reason it’s never the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe it’s my subconscious trying to avoid those awkward questions!
Whatever it is, I know I’m an artist. It’s just that sometimes it’s hard to tell other people!
What about you? Have you come to terms with being an artist? Was it difficult, or was it easy?
Facebook Fan Pages for Artists: The Who, What, Where, Why and How?
Oct 14, 2009 Drawing
Facebook fan pages: they seem to be everywhere these days! I’m reading about them on blogs and forums and I found myself asking, “do I really need one?”
What first sparked this was a conversation on the Wetcanvas forums. People were talking about how their fan pages let them connect with a wide range of people and gave them the freedom to promote themselves only to the friends who are interested.
At first I was skeptical: I already have a website, a blog with RSS feed, a twitter account and my personal Facebook profile. What could I possibly need a fan page for? Would the same people who read my blog and follow me on Twitter really feel the need to be my fan? Would I have enough to say in all those different forums?
The answer, as it was pointed out to me, is that some people only Twitter, some only blog, and some only Facebook. It’s a way to communicate to those who maybe wouldn’t see your work otherwise. As soon as anyone becomes a fan, it’s displayed on their wall to their Facebook friends. It’s great exposure!
The other reason is that it filters out your friends who are genuinely interested in your art. If you’re anything like me, you kind of funny marketing yourself to your Facebook friends. This way, only those who have chosen to be a fan will see those updates.
What sealed the deal for me was Alyson’s post on the Art Biz Blog. She pointed to Lisa’s post, on MakeBigArt.com, which states that it is actually against Facebook rules to use your Facebook profile to promote anything commercial or professional in nature. Therefore, if you want to market yourself on Facebook, you need a fan page!
The Who
A fan page can be for a business, a service, or a professional. When you sign up, you will be asked to indicate what kind of fan page you want; there is an option for “visual artist.”
The What
A fan page is like a special profile page specifically for businesses or individuals who want to promote themselves. People can “become your fan,” which is like adding someone as a friend. The main difference between a profile and a fan page is that you don’t have to approve fans or friend them back. Anyone and everyone can be your fan. There are also options for fans to add content to your fan page, which is a good way to get people interacting!
On your page you will be able to post photos, which you can organize into albums. You can also post videos and links. Another interesting feature you can choose to add is a discussion forum. As well as having these elements, you can update your status as often as you want.
The Where
All of this happens on Facebook. You will need to sign up for a Facebook account and get a profile. You can make your profile as detailed or as minimal as you want. You can also set your privacy settings so that people can’t see your information. Your profile settings won’t affect your fan page in any way. After you have an account, you can start making your fan page.
The Why
A fan page is necessary if you want to be able to use Facebook as a tool to market your work. It’s against Facebook rules to promote professional ventures through a regular profile, not to mention it can be awkward continuously sending your family and friends promotional materials. A fan page lets people choose to sign up to get those kinds of updates.
Another good reason is the of networking that Facebook allows for. When someone becomes a fan, a notice appears on their profile that tells their friends about your fan page. This lets you get exposure to all kinds of people you wouldn’t otherwise reach.
The How
Lisa’s blog has some great, detailed information on how to create a fan page. This takes you through the entire process step-by-step. It’s not difficult, but it can be a little time-consuming when you get to the uploading images part.
Conclusion
I have decided to make myself a Facebook fan page. You’ll notice a link to it to the right, along with my RSS and Twitter links. It’s only in its early stages, but we’ll see how it goes! If you want to get updates on my art, my commissions and this blog, come be my fan!
If you’re still on the fence as to whether you need a fan page, check back for my progress report. I’ll let you know what kind of results I’m having!
Do you have a fan page? I’d love to see it! Leave a comment with the link!
Portrait Giveaway Results!
Oct 12, 2009 Special Bulletins
First of all, I want to thank everyone who took the time to visit my new site and enter the contest! I was absolutely overwhelmed at the response and appreciate all the wonderful comments.
Thank you!
Unfortunately, there can only be one winner…
I considered using a random number generator to pick the winner, but decided to go the old fashioned route for the pure fun of it! Everyone’s name was put on a piece of paper, those who tweeted and subscribed, etc., were put in twice.
And the winner is…………….
Congratulations Rossi, I will be sending you an email shortly!
To everyone else, thanks again for participating! I plan on doing more giveaways, so check back often, or subscribe to RSS to get updates. If you prefer not to leave it to chance, you can always order a portrait online! Christmas will be here before you know it!
Also, come back to see progress on Rossi’s portriat. I will be posting images as I work on it!
Take care, and thanks again!
How to Draw Hair – Tutorial
Oct 11, 2009 Drawing, Tutorials
As I pointed out in my post about tips for drawing hair, drawing hair realistically can be very tricky. Don’t give in to the temptation to draw every single hair. The best way to approach drawing hair is to look at it as a solid object. You need to look for the shapes the hair makes and the patterns of light and dark. When drawing hair, it’s necessary to simplify quite a bit. Here is a tutorial to show you the steps I take when drawing realistic hair.
Here is my reference image, from the Wetcanvas image library. It has been gridded using Corel Draw, but you can also grid it by hand. I find it’s easier to see the different values if you put your reference into greyscale before drawing it; that way you aren’t distracted by colours.
Now, using a 2H pencil or harder, use the grid to draw the shapes that you see. Try to ignore the individual hairs, instead look for the dominant light and dark shapes. Here I’ve drawn the highlighted shapes of the hair as well as the darkest shapes. Try squinting if you’re having trouble making out the lights and darks.
At this point, before you start shading, you can use a very hard pencil (6H) to draw in some of the individual hairs. Press firmly so that you indent the paper, and when you shade the lightness of the pencil will be preserved, leaving what looks like an individually highlighted hair. Then, use a 2B to shade all of your midtones. That’s everything that isn’t a highlight or a shadow. Make sure your pencil strokes to in the direction that the hair is growing in, but shade as if it were a solid object.
Now use your 2B pencil to shade in the shadows. Pay close attention to the subtle dimensions of the hair. Here I have shaded in the shadow areas that I identified in my line drawing stage, but I’ve also added some darker midtones in the rest of the drawing.
Next, use a blending stick or tortillon to blend your pencil together. Make sure you blend into the highlights; you don’t want a solid line where the highlight meets the midtones. Also blend out your shadows in the same way. Again, blend in the direction of the hair growth.
Now you can start thinking of the individual hairs. This shading serves as the base of your hair drawing. It describes the form of the hair and tells us that it’s an object of volume. Using a very sharp 2B pencil, start laying in some of your hairs. When you do this, draw in the direction of the hair growth. Use quick pencil strokes by flicking your wrist. Remember that every hair isn’t going to be parallel; some should go in a slightly different direction. Draw the hairs into the highlights, preserving some white just in the middle.
Now use your 2B pencil to do the same in the shadow areas. Make sure these strokes blend out into the rest of the drawing. Sharpen your pencil as often as you need to; you want a nice point!
At this point, you can repeat the steps as often as necessary. The key to hair is to build up depth and dimension. Blend out your pencil strokes, then go in with more. Once you feel like you’ve achieved the look you want, it’s time to clean up the highlights. Grab your kneaded eraser and form a thin edge. Use this edge pick up thin lines within your highlights. It works best if you use your eraser the same way you did your pencil: short strokes going in the direction of the hair growth. Remember to add a few thin highlights in the midtone area of the hair where the light might be hitting a single strand.
And now you know how to draw realistic hair! Don’t forget to check out some of my other tutorials!
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Subscribe by Email