Sunday 15 November 2009

I like birds...



I gave spent the weekend trying to come up with ideas for Christmas cards. The pictures have been copied from images found in books but I really enjoyed doing them. I am getting more and more relaxed with my drawing skills now, but really feel I need to loosen up quite a bit! I want to get much more flowy and free with my drawing. I try to put far too much detail in and fiddle around when I should stop.

Until I began this process of rediscovering my creative self, I had forgotten how graphic my art is. When I did my art foundation course (in the late 1980s) I focused on fine art. I feel now I should have focused on graphics. Why did nobody tell me?

Anyway, here are a couple of coloured pencil and ink studies I came up with as card ideas, I'm not going to use these but I quite like the studies anyway. I shall post the actual card design, after I have sent them out to friends and family!
I am also posting an ink and watercolour study I did of some pebbles. I love rubble! If I had been clever at science at school, I would have loved to have studied geology. But I wasn't, so I satisfy myself with a sizeable rubble collection. The picture is of fossils, pebbles, sea-glass and ceramics, found on beaches in Yorkshire and Northumberland.
When I have a minute I will design myself a better banner - the one I have at the moment is rubblish!!










16 comments:

  1. Welcome, Lesley! You are off to a great start. I relate very much to your wish to be more loose and free -- I have the same wish! Your journal page addresses this nicely, I think.

    BTW, I love the stones, and that is one of the past EDM challenges, "Draw a rock," but I don't recall the number.

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  2. A big welcome to you Lesley! :) I don't really understand why it had taken you much energy to gain courage to post your drawings up, because they are just great!
    Really good composition, and I absolutely love the colors. I hope you'll gain the similar motivation that I have to keep on drawing and may it bring you to where you want to be ^^ good luck!

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  3. Lesley, your artwork is beautiful! Welcome to EDM - I'm glad you picked up your art again.
    -Krista

    www.kristameister.com

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  4. Such interesting combinations of washy-color and defining pen-and-ink shade and line. I really like that. Have you visited Mark's site yet? You can Google "How To Be A Childrens Book Illustrator" You might find some things there to excite you right now - but one thing for sure, there is no dearth of inspiration on EDM, and another, like you, is most welcome!

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  5. Lesley, your work is fantastic! Great job in going back to art, because I think you have great talent...and everyone has their own path in this creative journey, so don't worry so much that you didn't learn something or didn't study graphics, etc. It's all part of the big picture in the end!

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  6. Welcome here, Lesley! Don't be shy, You did a great job! Hope to see more of your productions soon!

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  7. Glad you're back in the saddle! You're doing all the right things to get art back in your life. You won't regret it.

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  8. Hello Lesley and welcome! Love your sketch of 'rubble' and am very drawn to the colours you have used. Looking forward to seeing more of your art work.

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  9. Welcome, Beautiful work and your blog is off to a Great Start!!

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  10. Thank you all so much for your encouragement and lovely comments. What a great way to keep inspired! :o) x

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  11. Very nice! Love those rocks! Sweet bird and squirrel too. I hope you have a great time enjoying your renewed drawing skills. They're gooood!

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  12. Welcome! Love the bird and the squirrel, great page. But, Oh, the rocks...I must confess, I, too, am a collector. I pick them up everywhere. There's always pebbles, small rocks, shells, seeds, etc. everywhere, pockets, purse, jewelry box. You are not alone. If you need to talk just let me know, ; ) lol

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  13. Oh I love your pictures. You do need to get back to this as a steady practice. You do wonderful art.

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  14. Again thank you all!! Your comments have really inspired me, just need a day off the 'proper' job!

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  15. Ditto to all of the above...Welcome and kudoes on your new start! :)

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