Anyone can draw, lesson 6 - a still life with Durer's drawing grid.

In this lesson the task is to create and use Durer's grid frame.

First of all - this is the grid frame I made.

One of the problem with it was that I made it too big and I have nothing to put it on. But since I'm almost sure that I won't be using it in the future, I don't really care.

In my sketch I used a computer mouse, a chess piece and a pencil extender. It was mentioned in the lesson that while using the net one should keep one eye closed at all times.

This is the result:

As you can see, the sketch is far from being finished. The reason is that I found this method is so much uncomfortable that I couldn't even bare to think of finishing it. And my eye still hurts!

I'll think of this lesson as finished, although I know it's not...

It's a holiday season: Zazzle shop update #3.

Keeping on with updating my Graphiking gift shop.

These are some of the new items:

Kitchen towel:
 

Cute snowman with red gloves and snowflakes kitchen towel by graphiking
View other Annual illustration Kitchen Towels at Zazzle.com

A napking:
 

Cute snowman with red gloves and snowflakes cloth napkins by graphiking
Find more Annual illustration Napkins at Zazzle

A plate:
 

Cute snowman with red gloves and snowflakes dinner plate by graphiking
See other party plates

And a Post Stamp:
 

Merry christmas and a happy new year!!! stamps by graphiking
Buy postcard stamps online at zazzle.com

More items with the same image are available at Graphiking Gift shop.

It's a holiday season : Zazzle shop update # 2

Added some more items to my Graphiking gift shop - these are you last chances to shop before the Holiday rush!

Cute Santa hat with Christmas decorations:
 

Colorful New year decorations on a Santa Hat by graphiking
See another Santa Hat at Zazzle

And a matching Christmas Stockings to decorate your room:
 

Colorful New year decorations on a Small Christmas Stocking by graphiking
See more Colorful new year decorations Christmas Stockings at zazzle.com

Here you can see an update # 1.

Enjoy your shopping and have a great holiday season.

Aoyone can draw, lesson 5 - working with tones, from color to monochrome.

The task here was to draw an upside down view with trees, without recognize a form but using only stains. I began it, but got bored really quickly so I moved on. This is as far as I made it.

It's a holiday season : Zazzle shop update # 1

Remember my 15 before 2015 task list? One of the items was to create some new items for my Graphiking Zazzle shop.

Well, that's what I've been doing lately.
I didn't add any new images but I did add some new items for the upcoming holiday.

Here are some of them;

A cute pencil holder;

Merry Christmas with Colorful New year decorations Pencil Holder by graphiking
Check out other Colorful new year decorations Desk Organizers at zazzle.com

A cute plate

New Year decorations on snow Plates by graphiking
Find other New Plates at zazzle.com

with a matching mug

Happy new year!!! coffee mugs by graphiking
Find additional mug online at Zazzle.

And a bag to be filled with presents :)

Happy new year!!! bag by graphiking
Create photo bags from zazzle

More items can be seen here :)

Enjoy your holiday shopping.

Anyone can draw, lesson 4 - drawing a still life, fruits and glass objects.

This is another sketch by squares, using a left brain and working with tones. It was a bit confusing, not on the tone but on the squares part. It was sometimes difficult to get the measurements right so the lines of the objects would connect. But it was fine on the part of trying not to recognize the object, so I guess, there's a progress there.

Anyone can draw - thoughts of the artist

One of the things that I received from Mila Naumova of Anyone can draw program was a brochure she wrote. This is an encouraging brochure for beginning artists. Those who don't believe in themselves and try to convince themselves that they cant, for different reasons, become an artist.

Many of the things Mila wrote about are know to me, like believing in myself, and that baby steps are better than no steps at all, and that negative critique is usually a waste of time unless it's a structural critique.

But there was one thing I really liked that she wrote. She said that beginner artists tend to compare themselves to the Masters. And that is why they get disappointed, discouraged and frustrated very quickly. Mila says what these beginners should really do is compare their today's self with their yesterday's selves.

I partly agree with this idea. Obviously, one should compare himself with another, a better one. But this comparison is in no way should discourage but encourage the one who seeks the progress. Otherwise, it can become a very, very sad process. And progress, after all, is one of the goals in every new thing one learns.

Anyone can draw, lesson 4 - drawing stains in squares, a baby face

This lesson is pretty interesting, nothing I've ever done before. The given task is to draw an image using stains.

There is a square divided into 9 smaller squares and they are numbered. Below are squares with images. If you'll look closely, this is actually a face of a child divided and rotated upside down. Right side of the brain, remember? The task is to fill in the big square using smaller squares and then shade them.

It appeared to be a face of a baby. The best portrait I've ever done.

 The eyes are uneven, but overall I'm happy.

Anyone can draw, lesson 3 - how to measure your objects.

In this lesson the idea is to learn how to measure objects and draw them proportionally one to another. The old measure-with-pencil method. I was never good at it.

But I took these objects and drew them.

And I failed because I just couldn't do it!!! I hate this measuring, and although I completely understand the concept and the importance of this action I simply cannot do it. 

So I tried once again.

15 before 2015 - an end of the year goal challenge

I found this challenge a day after its due but I decided to take it anyway.
The idea is to finish 15 important tasks before the end of 2014 and I thought it would be interesting to push it a little more, up till the end.

So this is my list:

1. Repaint a room.
2. Finish a New Year calendar for a client.
3. Participate in at least 5 Conjure's flashmobs.
4. Finish another learn to draw program.
5. Start a new learn-to-draw art program.
6. Finish my blue sweater.
7. Start a new sweater.
8. Create a new Hannukah card for Daynix.
9. Create a New year card, also for Daynix. 
10. Create a wall clock for my son.
11. Hang 5 shelves.
12. Cook at least 10 recipes from the same cook book.
13. Arrange 2 birthday parties.
14. Add some products to my Zazzle shop.
15. Have a baby :)

I challenge you on this!!!

Have a great end of the year!

Anyone can draw, lesson 2 - working with your left brain

Left brain? Yes! Read Betty Edwards! She explains the concept perfectly!!!

The general idea of LB drawing to create lines and nor recognizable objects. Like, if you see a face, one should not draw a nose but a line that builds this nose. Or if you draw a triangle, then draw some lines that construct this triangle and not the triangle itself. Sounds complicated? Like I said, read Betty Edwards. :)

In this lesson I was supposed to draw an outline of the human face using only my left brain. Meaning, that I had to start thinking in terms of a line - curvy, straight, thick, thing - and not in terms of facial features - eyes, nose, lips.

It wasn't difficult, actually, since those profiles were presented upside down, so I guess I succeeded in this task.

"Anyone can draw", a tryout + lesson 1 - a hand; a landscape, a tone scale.

So today I officially begin a new learn to draw online program - called Anyone can draw.

The first task is to draw a hand and a landscape.

These are my sketches.

They are quick and non-detailed - I wanted to catch a general look of both my hand and the view I chose. Also, it was really really hot outside so I couldn't draw for a long time.

I was surprised that drawing those buildings wasn't as confusing as I thought it would be. I recognized all the mane lines of these buildings, all the windows and shutters.

The goal of this lesson was to create a test sketch for comparing in the future. The author insisting on putting a date on it so the difference is visible and obvious when comparing. We'll see soon if there will be any difference in the future. 

"Anyone can draw" - an art program by Mila Naumova.

In my search for online art programs I found a site by Mila Naumova , a Russian artist, art instructor and author. The site's name is "Anyone can draw", suggesting that everybody can draw if they follow the instructions.

The idea is simple: you register on the site, leave your e-mail and start receiving daily letters with art tasks. One should complete the task before he/she receives the next one. I believe that one of the ideas is to develop a daily habit of drawing.

Mila also sends a book that she wrote about the process of becoming an artist. About the importance of enjoying your way and perfecting yourself. About the importance of finding the right program that teaches you how to see and analyze the subject you draw and not only how to follow your teachers and copy their style.

So lately I actually joined this program and started receiving emails and doing tasks.
I will publish them here as usual.

Wish me luck.

Drawing flashmob: Sportswear

So this week I decided to take some action and Participate in a drawing flashmob of Natalie Ratkovski. This week subject was sport shoes and I chose my keds for a drawing object. The goal was to 1st - draw from life; 2nd - just draw and 3d - try and capture the form.

This is the outcome.

It is far from being perfect, but that was my another baby step to perfecting my skills. It was pretty intimidating and I got lost in those laces but it was definitely worth it.

I do hope I would make a weekly habit out of this.

Drawing in 4 steps - conclusions

 I'm done with the book!!!

I did most of it leaving only the section that deals with human drawing. Just like I did while doing the Drawspace program previously. I guess I'm not there yet.

The nice thing is that I completed it pretty fast without breaking the tight schedule I set up for this blog. And even thought I posted every 3 days, I worked on my drawing every single day for at least an hour, sometimes even more. Which means that I really enjoyed this process.

I sketched many things for the first time on my life, like tanks, elephants, closets and oak trees. I learned a little bit about working with color. I've learned that leaning my drawing hand on a pinkie allows me to create a longer line. I've learned that drawing with a pen is really nice and I want to continue doing that.

One of my conclusion was to draw as much as possible of the subjects suggested in the book. I did that with flowers in 2012. I won't dedicate a whole month to each subject, obviously, but probably dedicating one post to each item will be just fine. The only condition would be is to draw from life as much as possible. In different techniques, even. So I guess it will be my own art flash mob.

Oh, and my sketchbook is full too.

It has only several pages left.

Drawing in 4 steps - part 10, transportation

Another part of the book is about transportation. Everything in this section is the first time draw. Never in my life had I drawn a car or a helicopter or a tank. But the outcome is ok.