How to Capture Movements

Let's sketch moving people. People often ask me, "Isn't it difficult to sketch?" No.Below, I sketched gospel singers playing on a street.This is my way.1) Carefully observe movements.2) Define pattern of movements.
For example,
a) as a whole body, what sort of movement?
eg) dancing, running, eating, jumping etc.
b) some parts remain still = distinguish moving parts from still ones.
eg) head? what else? In this quick watercolour, a restaurant manager stays still except his hands and sometimes a head.Sketching sports palyers is a good option to learn the moving pattern. Also, put moving people in order on a same page -- is a good fun to check the drawing.3) Try very rough drawings.
eg) "stick figure" is a good idea!
Draw moving people with a few lines. Lines are the lesser, the better.Below the acrobats in a circus.













4) Put some muscles = Mainly most impressive areas = make drama, dynamic movemenet.
So, having anatomical knowledge is advantage. Some body parts remain in the same posture, while other parts are changing positions. Once, you get the pattern, your eyes will follow movements easily and remember movements by heart.

I love sketching moving people. It's beauty and "life."
Friends, enjoy movements and Happy Painting!

**and the right hand gets stronger and better day by day! Yey!! ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ

Emerging Indigenous Authors & Illustrators Workshop

Hi, Friends! After the right hand surgery, I've happily come back to work. I helped an Emerging Indigenous Authors & Illustrators Workshop (Overview) in Glebe, Sydney. The Little Big Book Club and Allen & Unwin(*publisher) ran the workshop, funded through The Australia Council. This initiative has a focus on developing picture books by Indigenous creators. What a wonderful project!!
My mentor, Ann James was one of the presenters and ran a hands-on art workshop. Julie Vivas and I joined the event. (*Friends, think of it : "Ann James" and "Julie Vivas" are in our workshop = "The Rolling Stones" and "The Beatles" joint concert!! Got it?) On Sunday, the first workshop was on "process of publishing." The handouts were clear, concise and spot on. I fell in love with Allen & Unwin and The Little Big Book Club's ongoing project. Their goal is to promote the love of and importance of reading to children from a very early age, especially in families.

Friends, do ye know? An interesting linguistic research we studied at uni is "bed time story makes a middle class." The research revealed the influence and the importance of reading books for young children. It gives children lifelong literacy, success in formal schooling and improved life chances. Apart from socio-economic analyses, anyone loves listening to parents' reading at bed, don't we? It's nice and will be very sweet memories in our lives! So, I'd support The Little Big Book Club objectives.

Each presenter, Erica, Ann, Sarah talked on. Particularly, Ann's talk was practical and helpful to learn how to illustrate. She, originally dreamed of becoming a social worker, but chose an Art teacher career. She started,
"Draw from memory." An enthusiastic illustrator Ann was born!
Although the making process has no difference in general, each illustrator has a unique methods to develop drawings. Ann's way is just fit to me."Draw from memory" is a very useful methods to illustrate a text. It purifies visual information. In our memory, visual information gets through our mind filters. Only impressed info is left that responds to emotions well.
Another memorable Ann's say is "Lines and colours are different languages." Yes, I'd explore both more!

After the talk, participants enjoyed varied medias : watercolour, pastels, oil pastel and acrylics. Great fun to practise drawing and painting! We, mentors assisted students in person. I explained about "simplify info," "value study" for figurative drawings and a technique, "wash off & sedimentary pigments." One portrait demo for the student.




Ohhh, this is one of our students' hard work! She sketched me. Lovely!








Our great bonus was Julie Vivas, an Australian national icon for picture book industry. Julie, this humble superstar showed her fantastic work nearly at the end. Beautiful and so sensitive. All of us uttered, "Ohhhh!!! Waaaaa!!!!" Kind Julie explained another technique to use a pen for very detailed watercolour work. The lovely, lovely end for us.It was a great joy to meet youngish talents and see their wonderful work. I have no doubt about these talented Indigenous artists' bright future. They will crack into market. Hope we will see again soon.May many "Indigenous picture book illustrators" will come up from this project and gain a public attention!

Friends, happy painting!!!

Blog-Versary, 2nd yr & Happy Valentine

Hi, Friends, 14th, Happy Valentine! 16th, this blog-versary!
Wow, amazing. I've been blogging for these 2 years. Thank you for cheers. Soon, they'll remove the stitches from my hand. Ah, I wanna say, "Dr, set me free!" Hopefully, I can update the blog Monday like before. Thank you for patience. I sketched the fast food shop one day after the surgery. Really lovely to see my right hand work smoothly. Even though still the hand is weak, it gets stronger day by day, step by step.
Now, I've got back on the illustration project. I've done many "double spreads"(=*2 page scene in a picture book).
Hectic.
I keep on sketching between illustrations. Sketching our daily life makes me think of life. I want to capture snap shots of our daily life.Finally, the wonderful singer has gone back to a heaven. I've been her big fan. Often my colleagues would tease at me, saying, "When Sadami hears this song, "Step by Step," she gets excited."
Well, we have many troubles in a job place, family business etc. This song has always cheered me up at tough times.

I'd pass on this song, "Step by Step" to anyone facing difficulties. Have a listen of this song. Slow, but steady steps lead us into hope and a bright future.

Say it, Baby, don't give up.
You got to hold on to what you got.
Oh, Baby, don't give up.
You got to keep on moving on don't stop (yeah yeah).
I know you're hurting, and I know you're blue.
I know you're hurting but don't let the bad things get to you.

Never give up, Friends. And please remember you're not alone!Don't lose your heart.
Com'on Baby, keep going!
Happy Painting!!

Successful Op & Recovering!

The operation is success! Thank you, Friends!
My fingers move well, even though the hand is still sore. (*Full recovery will take 3 months.) Hahahaha, my quick sketches have entertained hospital staff and impressed the hand surgeon so much.
OK, my surgery was rather hilarious and very merrily.
In an operating theatre, I was conscious during the performance. I saw a doctor in the puppy cap, bright orange. "I like puppies!" I said. That doctor smiled, "Thank you!"
I enjoyed hand surgeons' chat over my hand. Although I hardly understood technical jargon, their cheerful voices swept away my concerns. The main doctor was explaining my hand to other surgeons. Although a local anesthesia blocked the nerve in the hand, I felt "stitching." The main doctor's final say was so funny that gave me a big laugh at the end.
After the op, a surgeon asked with a big smile, "Nice? Come again?" Ahahaha, no thanks! Once is enough.
You see, not scary at all. Nice doctors cared for me.

(A left hand drawing. Hey, it works well!!
**painted with the right hand.)

Behind my braveness and serenity, there were your cheers and my full trust in the hand surgeon. My hand surgeon clearly explained about these things : diagnosis, prognosis and the pros and cons of a surgery. Interestingly, according to the surgeon, my hand would move better than ever after the operation. Then, the specialist left me the decision. I was respected as an agency. Brilliant.

(My sketch makes the staff & patinets happy!
That's wonderful to see!)

Still my right hand is weak, but my brush "dances" on paper like before. Relieved. Below, I sketched the musician at a pub. Everybody there loved this work. Ah, what a joy to do painting and drawing!!
The quick decision to have a surgery was right. Time will heal the trauma.
I'll get back to the picture book project.

Really, really thank you, all the Friends, with my special feelings beyond language. YOU, have cheered me up and been worried about me. I could get over the tough things. Also, I've found as long as drawing/painting stays with me, I can bear almost anything. Another happy finding is my work sings for joy that brings others joy, too!

Friends, Happy Painting!