Illustration Friday: Shades

Illustration Friday: Shades, a photo by Sultry (packing and on the move) on Flickr.
I don't know how many kinds of shade/shades there are in this image,
but there are as many as I could think of and render.

Hoarder
Originally uploaded by Sultry

Today was a tough day.
A friend and I did an intervention of sorts on a Long Term Friend. Several of us finally figured out that LTF had been less than truthful with us about her activities, physical condition and mental state. The friend had dropped in last weekend to discover that LTF was immobile, had neither electricity nor running water, and had innumerable bags of trash (or something) throughout her house.
At 8:30 am we called the only agency I knew of that might come out and do an assessment on LTF AND be able to get her to go someplace for observation.
With the help of that agency, two EMT crews, a Fire Department crew and the occupants of five (!) police cruisers, she was moved with (relative) dignity to the local major hospital for assessment.
As one of her family members said (when family stepped in), we may have saved a life today.

I will never look at personal grooming chores, emptying the trash, cooking, or household maintenance the same way.
Or asking for help when I'm overwhelmed.

My many hued life

Journal Title Page: "My many hued life"
Originally uploaded by Sultry

Started my my new journal yesterday, colored it this evening.
I'd hoped to finish the old one so this would begin on January 1. But in the grand scheme of things, this is close enough. (If government contractors can be "off" by billions of dollars and several years...)

Brush Work Gesture Cat (followed by sillinesses)


It is a challenge to get a cat to sit in one place long enough to paint him. However, if one settles for a prayerful scribble... one might catch the feline essence. I was pretty happy with this one.

Of course there are also "silly cats" that are entirely made up.

Sketch Book

I stayed up LATE drawing an imaginary village I made with my new blocks. I may still ask DH to show me how to make ones that are bigger (but to scale) that have windows, doors or balconies marked on them.

Creative Day

Sea Barns

Sea Cluster

I haven't done this much in a single day in months.

That probably "means" something, but I'm not sure what. It could be that I have re-weaned myself from the sugar+salt+fat trifecta. It could be that I'll be seeing my children AND getting a vacation in 30 days. Near the sea, the beautiful sea!! It could be that I gave stellar advice to a friend and actually took it myself.

So I caught up on office paper-work and went to the grocery store this morning. I cancelled a meeting that was inconveniently mid-afternoon and made major progress on the two WIP's above. (MUST tone down and reconfigure some of the shapes in Sea Cluster, and add some complications to Sea Barns).

But what bemuses me tonight is wondering where the courage came from to attempt a self-portrait.

As an apprentice draughtswoman, I'm pretty pleased with the result. Who knows what would happen if I tried to use color! (Well, I wouldn't be painting in artificial light, or in the dim, as I was for this). I'm still disappointed that I don't see someone more like Grace Kelly or Candace Bergen in the mirror... but the likeness is adequate compensation.

Siblings pose

Mar-24-09-Life-Drawing-(1)
Originally uploaded by Sultry

Due to low attendance, my instructor is changing her Tuesday evening offering. But tonight, another student brought her two children who were relaxed and friendly enough to pose in close quarters.
The boy liked my drawing and immediatelly turned his foot upside down because HE hadn't ever noticed the pattern on the soles of his shoes.
20 minute pose.

FINIS

I started this sketchbook on my trip to Boston back in November. I don't think I've ever finished (or at least FILLED) one so fast-- even though it was only 9 x 6 inches and 70 pulpy pages.

The guys on the top row were having a business meeting at Starbucks. If my eavesdropping is correct, they are bent on buying, and developing every parcel of land between Dallas and Oklahoma. I hope they don't. Or, I wish cities and combined entities like the North Texas Council of Governments would invest in PLANNED development so there aren't just acreas of McMansions with inconvenient access to groceries, parks, and conserved open spaces.
Some people make better models than others. After the shop emptied out (post lunch), I colored in a page of sketches. The "jaundiced" girl wasn't really yellow. I just got headed in the wrong direction trying to make her look pale in comparison to her brunette friend.

Life Drawings from Water Dance

And an EDM journal page done during staff meeting this morning.

Office phone
Originally uploaded by Sultry

Ball point pen, enhanced later with graphite pencil and colored pencil.
It's funny how engaged I get with homely objects (and homely drawings). Even though it was time to head for home and I still hadn't drawn the cord, I like the faster, more suggestive way I portrayed it-- leaving out the backsides of all those kinks and curls.

Click to see the bigger version at Flickr.

Even empty chairs and tables can make a challenging subject. I was pleased with capturing the mood and "attitude" of the couple at the coffee bar. More at Flickr via click through.

Favorite sketches this week

I filled quite a few pages in my sketch book this week. These three were from photos posted at Flickr. I liked the composition of the Rooster drawing (quite different from the original) and the graphic quality of the buildings. Click on the image to see others posted at Flickr.

Sketching resumes in 2009


Resolved: to sketch from any source available: photographs, what's in front of my nose, and my imagination.

To realize that ANY sketch could be in preparation for a painting, a card or a mere epiphany. Who knew that sheep heading "north" could be so cute?

In my sketch book little things can be big, big things small, and copies can feel new.

Some things can only be found together in a sketchbook. I am quite sure that pitbulls don't much care for artichokes.

But let me know if I am mistaken!

I love comments.

Paralysis of Analysis?

While I value introspection, self-exploration and analysis to a degree that some of called excessive, this book is on a part with those one-size fits all dream interpretation books. Sometimes a cigar IS just a cigar. (And sometimes a dingbat is just a dingbat!) Doodle a lot. The meaning will reveal itself if and when you need it.

Illustration Friday - Forgotten

It had been long enough since she was happy and healthy that she had forgotten who she was.

Today mattered!

Still working on non-representational abstract compositions. This one is digital.

This was the pencil sketch thumbnail.



Sheep in the future.

One A Day in May

teapots-artsy-cut-out
Originally uploaded by Sultry

Ok, Ok! I know it's June already. As usual, I seem to be running behind. Above is the most artistically satisfying version of my digital cut, paste, and manipulated tea pot images. Below are some alternates. I'd love to know which one(s) you prefer.

Teapot Impressions (below)

Teapot Seurat (below)

And, the least favorite thing I've done in quite a while was this illustration of "Under".

I have lots of things I think are "wrong" with it, but if you have suggestions for fixing it, bring 'em on!!

One a Day in May - Rocks

One a Day in May-18-Rocks
Originally uploaded by Sultry

One a day in May - Shadow

Even a Goddess may be surprised by her shadow.
One a Day in May-19-shadow
Originally uploaded by Sultry

One a Day in May - Quartz

One a Day in May - Quartz
Originally uploaded by Sultry