Some updates

I'd love to make a promise for more sketches soon, but I've recently realized that my deadline is looming and I'm feeling behind.  I always like to finish ahead of schedule rather than just on time or even behind.  I can't post photos right now, but the drawing is working out rather well.  I have started work on the second face, and I'm a bit worried about some things with it. I have to remember that it's still in the early stages and I can still make some changes.  I need to finish the hair and sunglasses from the first figure, and of course add the body in, but the face is done.  I'm really hoping to finish on time, that way I can start on my new drawing (though I am having second thoughts on what to do next).  Either way I should have something new started and posted soon.  Depending on the subject I choose I may have a bit of a delay while I obtain permission to post the work in progress images, if at all.

A sketch and an update

    I finally got around to sketching tonight.  It took me awhile to finally decide on a reference photo to start with, the photo I used was from a virtual figure drawing class.  I think the most successful part of this was actually the mouth.  I tried to be more loose with the whole thing.  I like it, it was interesting, and I think I might try another sketch tomorrow.
     I made some more progress with my drawing.  I have the whole first face filled in. Aside from fixing a few issues with the skin tone, I'm feeling good about it.  I even started in on the second face.  I made the decision to keep the eye where I had it.  I really liked how it was looking so I'll work around the slight placement issue.  So far I'm not sure how on track I am with my deadline but I know I need to start working more for sure.

Deadlines

Yesterday I finally made the decision to give myself deadlines again. I know I'm going to off on my goal for the year, but I feel that giving myself a deadline will make me work a bit faster anyway.  At first I was going to give myself until the end of the month to finish the drawing I'm working on, but I think that is a bit too close to be realistic, so I'm thinking about the 14th or 15th of next month would be a good deadline.  I have plans for my next drawing already, which will be another gift.  This one I've been toying with the idea for awhile, and I've come to the realization that sometimes time is of the essence, so I'm not putting it off anymore.  I will be asking permission of the proper people to be posting the work in progress (this time the models are not the gift receivers so that makes it easier).

Working...

     I just finished up a little progress on my drawing.  I started adding color to the first face.  I was going to finish the whole composition in dark umber, but then I went to start drawing in the second face and it wasn't working out.  I need to more finely settle where the first face will be so I can draw in the second face with the first as a basis.  The color is going rather quickly, so it shouldn't be too long before I can start back in on the second face.
     I still haven't done any sketching, though I keep saying I am.  Today I was thinking about sketching some images from my dreams. One would actually be a painting I dreamed I had done, another is some imagery involving my hands that I found rather disturbing.  The painting I've been wanting to find a way to do since the dream, especially since in the dream I said it was the best one I had ever done.  The other dream just keeps sticking with me, and hoping maybe by sketching it, I can turn it into something positive.

Working

I was working today, and even though I don't feel comfortable posting photos of my drawing just yet, I do want to talk about it.  I'm laid in a good bit of the first face just in dark umber.  I really like how it's looking but I think I'll have to start adding in some more colors soon.  I keep telling myself all the changes I'll make, when I start adding in more layers.  I think I'm going to have to see that happen soon.  Part of me was hoping do the whole composition in a layer of dark umber, then layer over it with the rest of the colors.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that.  It would be a first for me though and I might benefit from it.  I might try to keep pushing myself to just stick to this layer.  I'm thinking though I love where it is going, part of me feels the eyes need to be fixed but I think that will happen when I add color in.  I think they'll look great in color and I fix some of the issues I'm having.

Working again

     It has taken me awhile to pick up a pencil again, but I've done it.  I got a bit of work done on my new drawing that I can't post on here.  I'm working on a gift and I don't feel comfortable posting it online for several reasons.  Mainly it's a gift but also I prefer to get permission before displaying someone's likeness on the web.  So far I'm feeling good about it though, and my daughter seems to think it looks about right.  She's been very encouraging. 
     My plan to post sketches everyday fell apart when I found that sketching for that purpose was not at all fulfilling. I may sketch, but not for the sole purpose of a daily post.  I'm not sure yet, but I think I could stand to do some quicker pre-sketches for drawings I'm considering.  I'll also have to go through my idea book and take some reference photos too soon.  I'm starting to feel inspired and motivated again, which is very good.

Brief Update

I've been struggling to get back to work again.  I am determined to keep working on my new drawing, that I started briefly.  I also just finished reading an article in Artist's Magazine that has inspired me to sketch again.  I'm going to try to do a sketch every day.  I think I'll start with a goal of a sketch a day for a week.  I'll be posting the sketches on here as well, that should help me keep to the goal.

Finished Drawing

I've been having mixed feelings about this, I worked really hard for two weeks to get this done on time.  I stayed up late Monday night to finish it, and I think it turned out rather well.  Though as with every piece I'm seeing a lot of problems, of course to be honest I was really disappointed with the lighting in the photo to begin with, I felt like sometimes I was getting no contours and then others I was getting contours in all the wrong places.  I like to attempt to draw these two people again in a more natural pose with better lighting, for sure.  Despite the technical flaws that are driving me crazy, I think the likeness is there for them.  I have definitely learned from this piece and hopefully I'll be able to apply that knowledge successfully into future pieces.

A bit of an update

I'm really not as far along as I should be at this point and I am a little disappointed in myself in regards to that.  Though I did get a lot of work done tonight.  I have faith in my doing even more tomorrow.  The client doesn't want it for another week or two but I personally wanted to be finished tomorrow.  I might be a day or two late on my personal deadline, but that will still be okay.  There are lots of parts of this that still worry me but overall I don't think it's looking that bad. 

Some work

So I've gotten some work done, I still feel behind.  I have a little over a week to finish.  I have some tweaking to do with the first face, but I wanted to get started on the second figure.  I think overall it's still looking pretty good, and I'm happy to have both faces started.

Second thoughts

I've had to move my drawing around several times today, so I've looked it more than a few times.  The funny thing is the more I look at it the more the nose looks right.  Also I realized I had a brain lapse or something and I was measuring right.  Maybe I just needed to step away from it.  I think I may leave the nose mostly as is just come in and adjust a few things.  It may still be off on the one side but definitely not as bad as I was thinking it was.

The nose is too small, and I'm too hungry to fix it

I've been sitting here trying to figure out why the nose looks off, I measure and re-measured.  Then as I got to give up and gets some food it hits me... I've been measuring wrong.  I just need to erase most of what I have done and just make the nose a bit bigger.  I'm also having a few issues with the left eye.  I originally had it too far over, and now there is a line permanently in the paper from before.  I'm trying to shade around it to make it less apparent.  In the finished piece I think I might be the only that notices it.  Tomorrow I'll fix the nose and the shading around the left eye.  Hopefully I won't have to dwell on those too long and I'll be able to get the mouth in.   

New Commission

I just started this drawing tonight, it's an 8" x 10" double portrait of a brother and sister.  I started on the right side of the paper for some reason.  It just didn't feel right starting with the figure on the left for some reason, maybe because the one on the right is a little higher in the composition.  It will be come a problem though when working on the second figure, I'll have to try to keep my hand from smearing through everything.  I'll figure something out though I'm sure.  Last time I had this problem I used a pen to keep my hand off the paper.

Happy Birthday!

This was the photo I took about an hour ago.  I'm pretty impressed with what I got done in an hour.

I finished, about an hour ago I was going to leave this until tomorrow, but I decided I wanted the date on it to be my grandmother's birthday.  Today was her birthday and she really meant a lot to me.  I just think it's neat to have that date on this drawing.  I'm really happy with how this turned out anyway.  I love the hair and I'm feeling really full of myself right now.  Also I think the earring looks fabulous as well.

Drawing update and some photography

I didn't get as much work done today as I would have liked.  I also was going to forgo anymore update posts on this drawing until it's done, but I really like how the hair is turning out.  I'm really trying to get back on schedule now, though I haven't sat down to figure out exactly how far behind I am.  I think that would only make matters worse.  I am going to be devoting more time to working during the day as well as at night (despite a slight schedule change recently).

I took this through the car window while sitting at a red light.  I was struck with the beauty and isolation of the scene.

This is also why I should take my camera with me more often.

Small break and some thoughts

I'm taking a small break from working. Though my reason for taking a break is still bothering me now. I have a pain/cramp in my hand, and the typing that I thought wouldn't be so bad still hurts a bit. Though stopping every so often to work my hand around is less distracting. Besides that I can put my legs up, which helps with my knees.
Anyway, I was reading Smithsonian Q & A: American Art and Artists and I've only made it in the first few pages.  I did start thinking about maybe studying Native American art a bit more.  In high school I went through a period of researching my heritage.  One thing that has stuck with me is the Cherokee language.  I love the look of the letters and ended up only using them in one piece; the heritage self portrait assignment.  I have a few words in my idea book and I really want to use them in a piece again.  I think studying a bit more on Native American art or maybe just the culture in general would be beneficial.
I want to study art history more but I find myself so scattered on where I want to start.  I can't just choose a starting point.
I also worry that my work is too autobiographical.  I dwell too much on comments from other people.  My photography teacher said my photos were too autobiographical.  He wasn't referring to my drawings, but still I worry the same could apply.  Sometimes my work is about me, sometimes my work is just an idea that I came up with and I'm most readily available model.  Sometimes I think even my more personal work has some universal themes that other people could relate to.

Little more progress

I just spent a little bit of time working. I'm still having a bit of trouble mapping out the outer dimensions. Though I do feel better about making my deadline. When I start my commission I'll have to work within preset dimensions. That will be a bit different. I suppose though if I work well that way I might try that more often.

Back from being sick

I was sick for far too long. It was one intense cold and really just knocked me down for awhile. I don't think I'm fully recovered yet because I'm still coughing on occasion but at least I can function on a semi-normal level.
I fell really behind schedule for sure, I definitely have to pick up the pace. I've really got to get into a groove of working during the day too. Working exclusively at night is not working. I also have a commission that I'll have to start on soon and I really need this done before then.

I really didn't get much done tonight either. I spent too much time trying to map out that boundary line. I'm hoping to make a much bigger dent tomorrow. Now that I see the glasses in the photo though I really feel much better about what I did with that.
I'll be posting more progress tomorrow.

My take on Barvo's Work of Art

I've been reading a few reviews of the show today, and I decided to just throw my opinion out there. Though I agree the title of "Next Great Artist" might not be so realistic but really is "Next Top Model" or "Top Chef" really all that realistic. I've watched Top Model and mostly after the show I really haven't heard much about the winners afterward. Of course on other seasons they follow up and quick google search will show that they do indeed have careers, but still they are not the new household name in modeling. Same goes for Top Chef, they win they get their money, but mostly I'm sure the rest of the coverage becomes more local. The same will probably happen with the winning artist of Work of Art, when they win they'll get the money and the solo show but past that you might not hear much from them. Winning one of these shows doesn't guarantee that you are the next great anything. It does say that you did well in the conditions the competition provided.
So far though as a viewer and an artist I've been enjoying the show. I was a bit skeptical at first of how they would be able to create a competition with so many artists working in different media. I'm a bit impressed that they just seemed to pick one concept that all the artists could work with. I also like that they are forcing some of the artists to work outside their comfort zone. I haven't really been forced to work outside my chosen media since high school. Then also watching the show and seeing that some of the artists work in similar styles to mine, is really an uplift. I do see realism in Artist's Magazine but mostly in mainstream media I'm seeing abstract and performance art. Not to mention one of the top artists from my high school, the one whose style we were told to emulate for painting, is now doing abstract work. In high school I was very much discouraged from pursuing the painting style that I have and the style that I strive to achieve. Seeing artists with a similar style talking about their accomplishments really does make me feel better.
Anyway I don't think the show is all that bad, it's definitely having an interesting impact on the art world. It's got people talking, and for those of us who are having a hard time finding more info about the art world at large it is giving us a starting point.

I honestly didn't spend much time working but I was using a small window of opportunity. I spent a lot of time cleaning and reorganizing today and I'll be doing the same thing tomorrow though in a different room. I like the progress I've made with this though and I think that triangle of flesh is starting to look less awkward it looks less orangey but is still a little too abrupt in some places I think. Otherwise I'm pretty happy with it I'm having a few issues with the hair especially that one piece that meets the eye. Right now driving me a little crazy I think I'll work on that first tomorrow. It just looks a little outlined so I'll want to close the gap a bit on it. I like the sketching I've gotten done too it's really starting to take shape. I just need to get myself to work more, and keep building my confidence.

Some progress and back pain

I started sketching in the circle part of the earring. I don't think it's looking too bad. Though the one plane of the face doesn't look so good. It looks like a tacked on triangle of yellowish-orange. I really need to fix that. I'd actually work on it right now but I've got to take some Tylenol. My back hurts from bending forward like I was. My shoulder and knee are also starting to bother me. I think it's also a good reminder to call and make a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I keep putting it off but I finally have to call, I don't like that this pain is interfering with my work.
I keep looking at that triangle of flesh and I really hope I can fix it, I think that abrupt change of value is not helping anything either.

Dragging my feet

I'm really dragging my feet on this drawing. I just lost momentum. I really need to pick it up though I think I'm behind now on my goal for the year, and to think I was ahead only a few weeks ago. Of course I say all this when I should probably be picking up the drawing board and working for another hour. I know I didn't get much done in an hour. Though I'm starting to like some of the skin tone. I'm starting feel a bit better about this drawing overall though and I think I really need that. My last drawing kind of sucked away some of my confidence. Hopefully I can pick up the pace again and maybe get back ahead of my goals.

I'm starting to pick up more inspiration and keep track of it in my little sketch book/journal. Though I use the term sketch book loosely. The only drawings in it is an eye on the first page, and few more recent sketches of body lines next to one of the ideas I had written down. I'm hoping to work through some of the better ideas and maybe get to a point where I'm almost caught up with them. I'm going to be making some time during the day this week, to get some work done. That should be a good start at least. I also need to get back into working regularly at night.

Small update

I've been lost in the world of procrastination and self doubt. I almost scrapped this whole drawing and moved on to something new. I think it's a great start and an interesting concept. Perhaps I should have done it in pencil or charcoal but I started in colored pencil so I'll keep going. I also ended up switching to a new computer, so I have to start over I lost several programs in the process. I'm working to get them back. Mostly I have no one to blame but myself I'm the one that didn't think to copy down serial numbers. I know I have a habit of misplacing the cases for the programs. I'm working on ways to get everything back and until then I'm using some free trials. I'm also trying to get used to Windows 7. A good bit has changed since XP, I don't much care for how the photos display in image viewer but I like the full screen display that I get with slide show. It worked out well today. To be fair, I don't think the image viewer has changed much I think it's just the clear bars are a bit distracting. I think I can adjust them and make them more solid if I need to.

Mad inspiraton, manic flow

I spent a good ten minutes of fervor and energy on looking for a pen. I had a pen, in fact I was sitting at a desk that is currently home to about 10 pens. The problem is though I'd don't like regular ballpoint pens. I can't stand the way the ink flows, the writing in consequence flows. It feels much more forced and I wanted to get out a hurried flow of words an ideas, I needed a pen to flow with me. Not something I needed to fight against. My search turned up nothing, so I settled for a green brush tip marker. It was not the pen I was looking for but it was on hand and lent a better flow than any of the plain black pens. I had a completely manic moment it would seem. Now I sit here typing about it trying to bring some of that energy back. I have a flurry of thoughts in my head for an idea that will take quite a bit of preparation for. I have some shopping to do before I can even create a reference photo.

Though in all this mad flurry I did come across some rather comforting thoughts. I've been focusing on how to make money, how to fit into a standard. That's not what I need. I need to follow my inspiration. I need to spend more time working on my art, so I can work on more ideas. I shouldn't be so worried about doing a series because that's what I should do, because that's what other artists do. I have a book of inspiration that I'm ignoring in favor of a series, that seems to honestly be failing. I'm happy with several of the pieces, and I think me calling them a series doesn't really make it such. They are more like a forced grouping. I think my current piece could be great but it doesn't need the constraint of a series. It may not be what is best for my career, but it's what's best for my passion. After all the main unifying factor of my work is that it's mine, my inspiration, my work.

New drawing

I started my new drawing. I almost went ahead and did this in charcoal, but I think I may start a second drawing in charcoal of something else, or just do my next drawing in charcoal. For some reason i just really want to work in charcoal.
Also with this drawing I'm trying something a bit different than how I started my last one. I'm more working off how I started "Polynesian Slumber." I was really happy with how that worked out, I really liked the texture I ended up with.

New Etsy Listing

I added a new listing to my Etsy shop. This time I'm just working on listing some prints. I'm going to space out my listings over the next few days. I have a much better grasp on how to put up listings and how shipping will work, so I'm hoping this experience will go much better.
Also if anyone would like a print of a specific piece, either in 8" x 10" or some other size then let me know. I can create a listing just for your request, or if you just have a suggestion on my next print to list please let me know.

Thinking about new work

I had to take a little break after my last drawing due to vacation. But now that I'm back I have to start thinking about my next piece. I really like the one reference photo that I took of the fish charm that I used in my last drawing. Though I'm not so sure about straying from my series that I'm working on. I did take a few reference photo for the series, so I should probably just work with that that. I still have a bunch of great photos of my daughter that I want to work with. I'm hoping to maybe pick up a bit of a faster pace in working and be able to get more done and get more ideas out. I was hoping to start my commission after I got back from vacation but I still have no reference photo.
I've also been looking at Etsy again. I really like that site. I'm just not sure if my work would sell any better on there than it does now (using this blog and website). I had an account once before but I had no sales. I'd definitely try Etsy again if do follow my idea of trying out a few crafts. I'm also thinking of maybe playing with my logo a bit, but I'm not sure if any of my ideas will work out for me. I will post the new logo ideas, as soon as I finish them up, whether I choose to use them or not.

"Swimming in Emotion"

I finished this today, just in time for vacation too. When I get back I'll either have the reference photo for my commission or I'll start on something else in this series. For the next one I'll either continue with the general jewelry theme or I'll do another drawing with the fish charm. I think that is the best part of this drawing, and I have another reference photo with it.

http://jessicamckelvin.com

Progress on "Swiming in Emotion"

I spent a bit of time working on this. Right now though it's so hot in here I'm finding it hard to focus. I'm happy with my progress I feel like I'm heading int he right direction. A few things need to changed but overall it's getting better.

Progress, not liking the eye

I need to get this drawing done soon anyway because I should be getting the photo for my commission soon. Also I have to finish this soon, because starting to get really frustrated. I did a great job on this fish, I think though a few thins don't look quite right to me. I think they work though. I just don't like the eye right now though. I'm wondering if I've completely screwed up and if I've done something wrong. It just doesn't look right and I don't know what it is. It's like that moment in my freshman art class; Teacher: "Something's wrong I don't know what it is, fix it." Me: "I don't know what it is either." (Needless to say it still looked wrong when I turned it in).
I'm going to work on this more tonight, but I needed to vent a little bit of frustration about this.

Zazzle vs Imagekind

I'm thinking of just having some prints available through an online service. I like the idea of having control over my prints and limiting how many can be made, but I feel that both Zazzle and Imagekind offer a ease of use, and a bit of security for the transaction. First though I have to decided which to to use.

With Zazzle I like the amount of control in creating a product and I have used them before so there is the familiarity. I also know that they produce a great quality in business cards. Though I was hoping to be able to pick standard sizes and have more than one size available at once. I wouldn't unnecessarily crop the artwork but I could create the white border on the prints to accommodate. I did make some changes to an old Zazzle account of mine (new username and all), and I did explore a few options in prints.

I did just create an Imagekind account too. So far I'm just confused. I'm not really sure how you set up a store to sell products. I started creating something and I do like the options but I don't know how the store is set up. So far it looks like I'm going to go with Zazzle unless I can figure out Imagekind and it's absolutely dazzles me.

Yes right now I do have a prints available link, but I've been looking at the two options of Kinkos and an online service to be able to fulfill any orders that way. I think Zazzle though taking me out of the equation in the middle might make ship time a little faster. Also it should keep costs of prints down since I don't have to charge for shipping.

Bit more progress

I got quite a bit of work done between yesterday and today. I'm really happy with the fish, now if only I could be that happy with the eye. I think it's the eye lashes that are bothering me the most. I'll fix those when I start filling in the rest of the skin. Ideally I'd like to finish this by Friday but we'll see how that goes. I think it wouldn't be so bad to at least be finished by May 8.

Progress and self explorations

I spent a good hour working tonight. It's not much really in the grand scheme but it's all I can afford right now. I think I spent my hour well. I'm really happy with how this is turning out.


I just started reading Lives of the Artists. I've only read the preface, but I'm already impressed. It got me thinking as well. Tomkins talks of getting to know more about the artist's lives to understand their work and I can definitely agree. I didn't really care for Pollock's work until I learned more about the man behind the work. Now he is one of my favorite artists and I love his work. It really made me think about myself as an artist. I feel that for someone who spends a lot of time drawing themselves; I sure don't think much of how I look. I just spent an hour looking at a photo of myself, yet I really wasn't seeing myself. I look in the mirror to brush my teeth, do my hair, but rarely do I really look at myself. I sometimes surprise myself when looking in the mirror. And usually find flaws straight away as well, "I'm fat... my face looks weird.. my nose is big... I hate my teeth..." I think in my artwork I'm searching for that beauty in myself. Especially with my more recent drawings, I haven't avoided my teeth. In "Day at the Zoo" I considered editing them out, but in "Part of Me" my mouth was the only part of my face in the composition. I confronted that piece of me that I just am not fond of and tried to find the beauty in it.

I've also considered writing an autobiography someday. I think some parts of my childhood are pretty interesting, and they've definitely influenced some of my work. Like Tomkins said, artists with interesting work usually had interesting lives. I've like to think my art is interesting, and I think my life as been interesting. I think I have some things about my life I'd like to get out at some point in written form, to catalog a bit of my childhood. If not in a full autobiography, then just in a word document that will sit on my computer. I work through some issues in my work, celebrate parts of my life, and explore parts of myself. I also take inspiration from music, media, and art history.

I got a little bit of work done tonight, and I made a few changes to the first line of scales. I think it's definitely looking better for it, and I'm really happy with the gold color.

New Prismacolor website

http://www.prismacolor.com/

Prismacolor, revamped their whole website. There is a new feature, Studio, you can upload a portfolio of your work. You can show your work get some feedback and maybe find a little inspiration too. The whole design of the site is really eye catching, clever and beautiful. I think I'll definitely be spending more time on there now. I think I might even create a portfolio of my own in their studio.


**I created a portfolio of my own: here.

Small update

I'm actually pretty happy with what I did tonight. I think maybe some of my proportions may be off on the fish head/eye area, but I don't think it really makes a huge difference. I didn't use the gold pencil and I really like the gold color that I was able to create with the yellows.

I did come across something that confused me a bit. Some colored pencil work is considered drawings and others are considered paintings. I thought because of the nature of the media, my work would be considered a drawing. I pretty much use the same technique I would use with charcoal and pastels (would I use pastels). I consider my charcoal and colored pencil work because I consider them a dry media. Though I did get an email explaining two colored pencil painting techniques. It would seem that the technique that I use would be considered painting. Though I'm not sure why. I think I'll definitely have to find some books on colored pencil. In school (high school and college) colored pencil was never formally covered. I've kind of gotten into this media on my own, so I don't know a good bit of the technical side. So if anyone has an opinion on the subject, or has some knowledge to share, I'd love to hear it.

Loss of confidence, yet gain in inspiration

This fish is driving me crazy. I'm not really happy with the color right now. I still don't like the angle of the body. It measures out right but still the angle seems a bit off to me. I'm also trying to figure out my eye based on the fish. I'm not sure I'm doing the color justice but from a distance it doesn't look that bad. This seems to happen to me a lot; I freak out, nearly bring myself to tears then take a photo and decide it's not that bad. I think it's just my way of backing away from it. We were told to do that every now and then in high school, but I almost never do that now. I only really back away when I take the photo to critique it and talk about it here.

Anyway while I was freaking out about this drawing I took another photo of the fish, this time in my hand. I was hoping to get a new perspective on the fish, but I had a bit of inspiration. I've been trying to do a bit of a "jewelry" series, but I think I could easily move into a series based on this fish. Provided I ever want to look at it as reference object again after I finish this drawing. But if I could stand drawing it again, drawing the fish against different backgrounds might be interesting. I'm not sure though, we'll have to see how that goes. I did have some ideas left for this "jewelry" series. It's nice to entertain the idea for a bit.

Also on another note I'm debating using the gold metallic pencil I have in my set. I did a little test spot on my paper and I'm not really happy with the color or effect. I am wondering if I could get a good effect with just yellows and browns. I didn't use the metallic silver in my other drawings, so it might be good for consistency to leave it out.

For better or worse though I'm hoping to get some more work done on this drawing soon and really put a dent in it. I feel like I've spent all this time sketching for nothing. I did finally figure out the fish eye though, and start filling in the head. This piece is such a challenge I just need to be patient with myself. Though I do keep seeing my deadline coming up in the distance. I may be ahead now but I get behind so quickly.

New piece

It turns out that this fish charm is rather difficult just to draw. I'm working partially from life with this. I've been needing a better look at the fish. I've drawn and erased the whole thing about 3 times. I'm starting with the fish because it's so complicated, then moving on to the eye. I'm just trying to get the angle of everything correct right now. Also just getting the base rendering of the fish in. My knee really hurts right now, despite the two Tylenol I took. It became a bit too distracting or I would have worked more. Having it propped up is helping a bit but I can't really draw from this position.

I've noticed something lately. It seems like everyone is making a fan page on Facebook. I tried before, I couldn't understand how to set it up. I think I have a better understanding of Facebook now, but I'm wondering if I should try to set up a fan page.

Completed drawing, "Part of Me"

It feels like I'm finally getting around to posting this. I took the photo earlier today, and I've been taking care of some cleaning, then I had some trouble editing my blog subscriptions. I've complained about that enough on my other blog though. Long story short the problem is fixed now.
Anyway I'm not 100% happy with this, but when am I ever 100% happy with anything I do. I do think it's good enough, and it's time to move on to the next thing. I have some really interesting ideas I want to investigate later for some new reference photos. Maybe I'll be getting the new drawing started by the end of this week. Also I'm not sure what to title it. The only thing I can think of is "Wedding Circle," but maybe "Family Circle." I'm not sure really. I'll get my site updated with it as soon as I can figure out a title.

**Just came up with a title and I edited the title of this post to reflect that. All previous ideas were rejected in favor of "Part of Me."

Good Progress

I'm about 1-3 days worth of work away from finishing this. I need to drop the shoulder back down a bit, and make the arm a bit wider. The necklace needs some work, and everything just needs to be filled in. So I'm saying 1 day if I push and 3 if I'm lazy. Still that's not bad as long as I can work for the next 3 days straight. That also means I'll have to start thinking about my next piece soon. I was thinking about using my fish charm in the next one but I'm not sure. I think something more close up next time too.

Another update

I don't think the color is very true to life and that throws it off a bit. But I've mapped out the dimensions and I've started in on the neck. I'm still not happy with the shading on the face. I think a few things need to be darker and some need to be cleaned up a bit. I'm going to work down into the neck then finalize that chain on the necklace and get to work on the pendant. I think I'm actually working rather quickly with this, and I hope to be back working on it tomorrow. I did some experimental swatches at the top as some options for the background. If I do the background in gray it will be the one in the middle. With the gray I don't want it flat gray I want maybe some sort of cloudy looking mix of tones. I'm not sure if that's what I want though.

Some progress

I feel like I'm so behind because I've been sick, but I think I've made some descent progress. Of course I still have issues to work on. I think I need to lighten some of the shadows toward the front of the chin. The transition into the next just isn't working right now, and I just noticed that I think the next comes out a bit too far. I'll just have to trim a bit off. I think I may edit my hair out of the finished drawing. I don't think it will work well for the composition. I think I'd rather have the uninterrupted negative space, though I'm not sure what color that negative space will be. Right now I'm thinking maybe a neutral gray. Other than the few issues I have though I think it's coming along well, and it really is odd to be using the mouth as measurement for everything rather than the eye.

Start of something new

My first thought is that it's odd to be starting with the mouth, and also I don't know what I was thinking starting with my least favorite part of my face. I really don't like my mouth at all. Though my theme lately has been all about challenges. I don't know, maybe after all this I'll like my mouth a little more, see the beauty in it. I'm struggling right now but I think I need to remember to separate myself from it a bit, and just look at the color, shadow and contour. If I don't focus on what it is and what I don't like about it maybe I can see the beauty of it. And if I can see the beauty I can translate that into my work. I'm not sure if you can see that the shoulder sketched in, but this is the next one in my jewelry series that I'm working on. I'm loosely calling it my jewelry series, but it's also about cropping the face and challenging myself.
I'll work more tomorrow. I'm really excited about this, the simplicity and the color should be interesting.

Feeling good

I've sprayed my last drawing with fixative and stored it away. I've also just finished cutting off a new sheet of paper from the roll. I'll need to trim it a little. It never looks straight when it's first cut off the roll no matter how many times I measure. I'll probably start on the preliminary sketch tomorrow, I took the reference photo for the new drawing. I need the paper to spend some time with some weight on it so it won't curl so bad while I'm working. I haven't been using tape to hold the paper down, just the clips to hold it to the board.
I also put a book on Dada on hold at the library. I'm going to be reading through more books on art history again but this time I'll take notes and write articles for here on what I've read. It will be me a purpose to read for. It will also give me an outlet and focused way of talking about the new things that I learn, and maybe even how to implement it into my work.

Finished: "Something Old, Something New"

I finished up tonight, and though I'm still not 100% happy with it (but really when I am with anything I do), I love the hair. I'm so happy with the hair, and I think I fixed the issue with the second eyebrow by just adding a little more of a bang. I think the second finger looks a little off but it's alright. I'm going to take a reference photo for the next drawing in this series. Again I'm loosely calling it a series, this is really my first serious one so I'm taking this as it comes.

http://jessicamckelvin.com

Progress, panic and rationality

I've gone from ready to cry, to rationally trying to figure out how to fix this. I just realized way too late that the reason why the forehead and left side of the face looks off is because of the finger. I'm not sure if I can shift the whole finger up, because too me it looks to far up compared with the ring. Compared with the ring and the hand it looks like it should be shifted down. Part of me just wants to cry rip this up and start over. Another part of me want to salvage what I have. I could fix the angle of the finger to look right with the hand or leave it it as is. Then just try to add an eye brow, maybe even take a second reference photo to realistically show how this would look with the finger in that position.I'm not sure though. I don't want to just throw out a month's worth of progress and start over. I love how the eye looks. I almost want to just crop out the second ring, but I really want that ring in the composition. Then I think maybe some creative angular cropping, but I don't think that would work. I don't know maybe I could crop it at angle on the left side of the face but rather than blank space try to input some of the beading from the jewelery box. That might be interesting if I can cover up what I already have down. It would also help tie it to my previous piece. I'm really liking that idea if I could pull it off.
I need to think on it though and come back to this, maybe get some input.

**A bit of an edit, I've made a mock-up of the one idea. From the photo I have of my work so far and my last drawing. If I would follow this idea, I would straighten the finger and draw in the border over the work I've already done. The one long term problem I can see with this is that I'd have to include this border somehow in the rest of the series but I'm not sure how I feel about that. I like the design element of this but I'm not sure if it works really.

I have a third option as well. To just ignore it and finish it as is, but I think I can ignore the finger being a bit off or the missing eyebrow but I can't ignore both.

Please let me know what you think, and leave a comment.

When I hear any song off this album I'm instantly 14/15 years old, lying in my small bed in my cramped little room. It's night time, all the lights are off and the world is quiet and peaceful. The only sound that fills my ears is this soundtrack to the moment coming from the earbuds of my CD player.
It is such a strange feeling to be catapulted back to that tumultuous time in my life. A strange connection to the past, always out of the blue. The same song being issued out of a new set of earbuds, but from a very different piece of technology. Being heard in a very different setting at very different point in life.
A fascinating experience, an interruption by "A Boy Named Goo."

Small Update

I like the progress that I have right now. I really need to finish this soon though. My deadline is once again looming. I'm really going to have to buckle down and just finish. Though I think over the next few days I can make that happen. I just have to push a bit.

Beautiful Blogger Award

Magaly Guerro has nominated me for a Beautiful Blogger Award. Thank you Magaly for nominating me, and I'm happy you enjoy my work.There are a few rules I have to follow for this, I'll try my best to follow them. Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award to 15 bloggers, who you have recently discovered, and who you think are fantastic.
4. Contact the Bloggers you picked and let them know about the award.

7 things about me:

1. I love the color green, favorite color used to be described as "green like Kermit" (I still like that shade of green too.
2. I used to want to be a Disney Animator and now I wouldn't mind doing something art related for Disney.
3. I wish I could wear my Fit Flops year round.
4. I'm having trouble trying to build a series, in my art. I have so much inspiration right now but a lot of it doesn't relate.
5. I used to write a lot, stories. I've always been terrible at poetry.
   
6. I take inspiration from songs, dreams and life experiences. Some of my inspiration just comes from me taking a photo and enjoying it so much that I want to draw it.
7. I have two serious blogs now I'm still trying to get the hang of this.

My nominees:

1. Witchy Mama: I've really been enjoying her holiday posts on this blog. I've been able to learn something new from each. She also has a great Disney blog that I've gotten some tips from: Family Disney Vacations.
2. Fashion for Real Girls: she has some great fashion tips.
3. Tiffany Wert: some beautiful photography on this blog. I remember her from high school too. She has another blog too: here.
   
4. Adventures in Mommydom: I've loved reading her posts. Especially this last one with the leprechaun traps. (I'm subscribed through my mommy blog).
5. We Blog Artists: I love the artwork here. I really love the shoe series.
6. A Day Late and A Dollar Short: A great blog with some great tips. I've gotten heads up on some coupons and deals from this blog. (Also subscribed through my mommy blog).
7. Disney Driven Life: Another great Disney blog.
8. Blue Summer: A really great writer, and she has helped me out a bunch over the past few months.
9. StickyLikeMicky: I've know her since highschool and I love her style.
10. SuggestiveTongue: I love her blog, some great advice here.
11. Michelle Phan: Great make-up tutorials.
12. Home Grown Families: A great homeschool blog. Really enjoyed the posts on dinosaurs. (subscribed through my mommy blog).
    
13. Headbanger Homeschool: Another great homeschooler blog. She also has a great taste in books (subscribed through my mommy blog).
14. Joanna Said SO: I love her cakes, she just makes some beautiful cakes.
15. Our Worldwide Classroom: A lot of great ideas on here (subscribed through my mommy blog).

I nominated people mostly that I know through other blogs, because I've been reading more blogs through my subscription list on my mommy blog lately. So they were on the forefront of my mind.
So now I'm off to contact everyone : )

More progress

Once again I'm wondering what I've gotten myself into. That seems to be my new theme. This is proving to be a huge challenge for me. I'm starting to get used to the colored pencil, I still think it's the more difficult media that I work in right now. I seem to be challenging myself lately. I just realized that I've never really done a ring before. This angle on the face is a problem and difficult time with the hair (I struggle with hair a lot). So far I like the ring, though I may have put it a little high on the finger, I think I can make it work though. The foreshortening in the finger is driving me crazy and I don't like the left part of the forehead right now. I'm just going to keep working through it though.
I honestly didn't spend that much time working on this tonight, but I did need to step away from it. I was starting to feel like giving up and starting over. Now I feel better about it though. I just need to work on a few things a bit more and it will be fine.

I've been sick

I have been sick so I took a few days off, mostly because I kept falling asleep early on in the night so I just didn't get to work. Surprisingly I'm still on track with my personal deadline. I think if I just buckle down and get to work I may be able to finish before my deadline. I'm going to work tonight and hopefully get some progress posted as well. I want to get the second ring sketched in properly and then get the whole composition finalized.

Little progress

I've actually gone back and done some sketching on this since I took the photo. The second ring needs to be completely redone at this point. Because if I would crop this way the ring should be cut off partially. I do like the sketch for the first ring though. It has a lot of intricate detail which should be fun to do with colored pencil. I'm liking the eye so far, but the hair is bothering me right now. I need to just keep working and keep moving forward.

Little bit of work

I got a little bit of work done tonight. It's not much but I do think it's looking better. I was having a little trouble trying to sketch in the ring. Hopefully that will turn out ok in the end. I'm not sure if the drawing is going to be a large as I originally intended. I suppose that is fine though. I may even have enough paper to cut off a small piece and create a smaller drawing on it.
Also I'm still working through some website host issues. I'm going to be switching hosts, for sure this time. I already signed up with a new one. There is no real big issue, I just found a host that offers less for less. My old host was descent but I wasn't using everything I was paying for. Now I'll be paying a little less and that will definitely help out. I'm still waiting for everything to go through though, so I'm not sure if my site will go down or not.

Small update

I got a little done tonight. Honestly I think it looks really neat right now and I wanted to take a photo so that's why I chose this as a stopping point. I'm really happy with how this is going.I think the eyeball still needs a little more work but I figure as I work on the flesh around the eye I'll go back into that as well.

Also I got all my website issues worked out, just a bit of run around but really no visible changes.
http://jessicamckelvin.com

New Drawing

I've started my new drawing though I'm not quite sure about how I feel about it. Right now I'm not sure if I should start over or just keep going. The eye just feels a bit off to me and it's very important, I think it has mostly to do with the eyelashes and the line of the eyeball/eyelid to the left. I'm really excited about this composition and the level of detail. This concept is inspired by my last drawing. I'm happy with my reference and the media I have chosen, I'm just unsure of my start. I may work on this more tomorrow and see how it goes.

Finished drawing, and new projects

http://jessicamckelvin.com

I've updated my site with this new drawing. I also made a few minor pages to the front page. I have already gotten some excellent feedback on this drawing. One artist that has served as an inspiration to me, suggested I do a series a with this. I've already been thinking about a new drawing and now have two reference photos I'm thinking of working with. I feel that they have been inspired by this but I do wonder if they will be strong enough in relation to be a series. I think either way it would be best to do them in colored pencil. My husband is also encouraging me saying that they will relate enough to be a series and that I should do them in colored pencil.
When I was thinking about this next piece I was earlier debating on my choice of media, and I almost immediately moved away from pencil. Though there is nothing wrong with it and it's where I started out, I just don't like it as much as charcoal and colored pencil anymore. Right now I'm also really enjoying the challenge of colored pencil and vibrant color. I've been seeking to challenge myself with my new work, working larger, seeking things that really challenge me in a composition.
Anyway tomorrow I should be spraying my last piece with fixative so I can clear the board for new work. I think I'll make my deadline March 31, and we'll see if I can stick with that. I'm really trying to focus on building my portfolio this year and I feel my monthly deadline will really help that. Though my goal is for 11 drawings by the end of the year it would be nice to exceed that.

Finished, but not perfect

I will take a better photo tomorrow, for my proper updates. I still think it could use some improvement in places but honestly I'm just done. I really really challenged myself with this one. I have trouble with perspective, glass, and reflections, so of course I put all three into this one. Oh yeah and then I decided to use colored pencil. I think it turned out rather well though. I had a moment when I was looking at this photo where I completely saw the depth of the jewelry box. It caught me by surprise and I loved it.

Work from today

I worked on my drawing a bit earlier today. I'm about to start working again but I had forgotten to post this photo. I like the photo because it was taken in daylight so a lot of the loss of detail and odd shadows I get just are not present in this. I'm not going to update after I finish working tonight. Hopefully when I update next it will be with the finished piece. As per my self imposed deadline I should be finished tomorrow, we'll have to see how this goes.

Feeling good about this

I'm feeling really good about this. I worked a little all over the place tonight, but I do feel like I made some progress. I had neglected the fact that the beading is on both sides of the glass. Even on the computer it looks like one solid value, at least until I started moving the monitor around. I definitely would not get this much detail with a printed photo, I love working with my reference on a monitor.

Looming deadline

My deadline is looming ever closer but I do feel like I actually got a good bit done tonight. I'm still not sure if I can finish this in the next 4 days, but I'm definitely feeling better about it. I really like the bottom bead on the framing. I have all the lines drawn in now, so there should be no stopping to go grab a ruler, which will save some time.

I'm getting so close to my self imposed deadline, and I'm dragging my feet on this. I'm not sure how I feel about that side panel. The bubble in the paper really distorts the whole image. I do like it better now though. I think I'll work on this tomorrow night and try to work on it a little during the day on Thursday. If I really buckle down I could probably just blow through it and have it done by the end of the week and still meet the deadline. I don't want it to look sloppy. I'm just not sure how I feel about it overall right now. Either way though I want to finish it. If it's not that great in the end, I can at least say that I tried.

Artistic Identity

Right now I'm trying to figure out who I am and where I want to go as an artist. I have so many ideas floating around in my head. I'd love to do some more drawings of my daughter from photos I've taken. I have a few more conceptual ideas I'd like to work with, I'll have to use myself as a model, so basically more self portraits. I also have this relatively new idea of working with some Disney images. I really love the work from the Art of Disney store, and I even have a few reference photos that would be vaguely reminiscent of Garmash, but of course would have my personal style. I even have a few reference photos of architecture and and sculptures that I could use in creating work. Of course all of that requires permission to use the recognizable imagery. And I'll be going to Disney World again soon, so I'll be taking more photos and will probably find a few that I want to use in my art. I used to have the dream of becoming a Disney animator, but really I don't think that's possible for me right now. I think combining that first love of Disney and Disney animation with my love of realistic portraiture might be the way to go for me. I think maybe I should just explore all of these outlets and see where it leads me. Also I do plan on buying some acrylic paint so that I can try my hand at painting again. I have oils but I think my style and method of working may be better suited to acrylics.
One thing is for sure, I need to start working more often and for longer periods of time, and I need to get a nice set of acrylic paint to start out with. Then I can just start working on all my ideas, maybe even get to the point where I can work on more than one piece at a time.

I did a little work tonight. Still nothing major, just some laying in lines, figuring out boundaries and adding a necklace. I think the chain still needs a little work, but I'm thinking this will be a square piece 14" x 14" I think it might be interesting, with the strong rectangle as the focus of a square composition. I was listening to a National Gallery of Art Podcast, and I definitely need to do some more research into artwork from 1850 - 1900. The exhibit was "The Darker Side of Light" it's darker more intimate work that was done during a the time of impressionism. I took a bunch of photos tonight too, I was exploring a concept that I may end up using in a drawing. I might use one of the photos as a reference.

A Bit of Inspiration: Pam Powell

http://pampowell.com/

I just got the new issue of Artist's Magazine yesterday, and I found an interesting article on Pam Powell. I see some similarities between her work and mine, and some of what I strive for. I love that she works with those small fleeting moments in life that can be so beautiful in their simplicity. Sometimes that is what I am working to strive for. I also love that she uses photoshop as a way to "sketch." She will sometimes edit two photos together to get the right composition which I just don't have the confidence to do. Mostly I depend on just getting the right photo the first time, but of course I also can't afford to hire models like she does. Right now I work with the models available to me, my family and I. I enjoy the dramatic lighting in her work, the shapes of light, all really add to emotion of each piece.