Some sketches Japan inspired.

     

After spending the week practicing shapes, pen tools and more boring stuff, today I gave my self the gift of doing something more fun and freehand . 

Here is what I did, two sketches inspired once again by our Japan trip.

They are both done with pen on a bamboo tablet. 

Still plenty of room for improvement but I am enjoying this beginning already :)

Totally easier using pen and paper of course, in fact at first I sketched in the traditional way then I re-did digitally :)

Quick oil painting study: Audrey by the lake, with palette knife

5x7 inches

oil on canvas, with palette knife

My Illustrator studies are going better…I have to admit :) ...I am almost enjoying it!

But sometimes I just HAVE TO paint.

Play loud music, grab my brushes and start putting some color on my canvas.

Today I chose a tiny canvas, 5x7 inches, and I mainly used the palette knife, to create the tree and the water texture.

A very quick study, maybe I will do a larger painting out of this image …maybe not…who knows:) ?

Time to go back to my Mac now….Have a good day every one!

Audrey by the lake, Sketch

Black ink, pen and white gouache on toned paper.

I really enjoyed exploring different techniques for the same image…maybe this one is my favorite, with stronger contrasts.

Time for dinner and relax, it has been a long day!! :)

Camping, quite evening.Sketch

Ink Pen and white pencil on toned paper.

Same photo as yesterday, different technique.

Drawing this sketch was my relaxing moment of the day after fighting with Illustrator and its meshing tools all afternoon.

I am curious to try to sketch this picture with black ink and white gouache too…keeping this for tomorrow though:)

Time to go back to my study now…just a little bit more! :(

Camping by the lake. Sketch

Sketch with pen on toned paper

This weekend we went water rafting and camping in Eldorado County…. a fun weekend.

Just before dinner I took this picture :

Valerie with her daughter….I thought it would make a very good sketch, but I wanted to have only one person to balance with the raft.

The location was really nice, I have few more pictures I want to sketch..hopefully tomorrow, between a class of Illustrator and the other ;) 

Pizza time for us over here, the best Sunday evening dinner!

Tokyo, Imperial palace before the rain. Quick study

Haven't been painting in a long time….probably this was my longest break ever since I started painting almost 4 years ago.
Glad I picked up my brushes again …need to go back into the habit.
Today I worked mainly with the palette knife though! But you got the point :)

Few weeks ago I drew a sketch I really liked

 (http://lauradallagata.blogspot.com/2014/06/tokyo-imperial-palace-sketch.html ) thinking  it would also do a good painting, here is the quick study of today: 

11x14 inches

quick study, 

oil on canvas

Tokyo, Imperial palace before the rain.

Back to my Illustrator now!!
I am so diligent….:) I am amazing my self :)

Life is not about finding your self, is about creating your self.

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
-George Bernard Shaw-
I love this quote.

I believe that each individual's purpose in life is to draw their own map.
Is not easy and not comfortable but going off the chart is much more fun!

This wooden block lady is related with one of my recent experience: learning Illustrator, a very complicated (to me at least!) Adobe program.
I hated the beginning A LOT (and every time I get stack on something , too often!), but the more I keep going ( tempted to give up at least 3 times a day!) the more I am satisfied with my self and my progress.... so I ll keep up doing it.
Planning to painting a little bit today or tomorrow though! Need some old easy stuff too! :)

From the back: