Sketch Music Players

Friends, do you sketch music players? I do and love it! Particularly, guitar players are so interesting, as once I played it. OK, the tips to sketch music players is "understand the movement patterns." As you know well, instruments players repeat same actions. Once, you can get it, it's not hard to capture it on paper.This quena player was a busker, Latin American folklore. I was enjoying their music and carefully observing the band. One moment, when the quena player looked back to me, I pinned down his face expression! Yey!A bit like, a hunter. I observe a player and wait for the most sensational or the most impressive moment. Usually, I make 2 or 3 rough sketches for warm up. Spot-on sketch is the best way to study value and capture vivid colours. A short time finishing(*maximum 30 minutes) is preferable.


This guitar player was a solo classic guitar player. Quite sophisticated! He made beautiful sounds and "harmonics." (*I was not good at making it!) He played "Sakura" for me. Thank you. Oh, it's really a fun to draw a guitar player's hands and fingers. As I know guitar techniques, I try to pick up the most dramatic position for sketch (otherwise, the drawing will be dull).He's been playing the same guitar for 20 yrs! Wow! Friends, do you know? When I have had a chat with guitarists, most of them really love their guitars more than anything, even more than girls! "Daarling, love me like your guitar," could be a practical approach to a guitaristʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ .

The below is a band guitar player and busker. He was tuning up the guitar and checking sounds in a nervous manner. I captured his serious face. His guitar fascinated me. *Unfortunately, I was not good at playing a guitar. I decided to mainly sing songs, hahaha?!
Putting colours on a "black and white" in a studio is not a bad choice. But hard to re-build a subject's atmosphere and a mood. I want to make something dynamic and make a drama on paper. Hope you can feel music in my drawings and watercolour.
So, I keep sketching, sketching!
Then, based on these sketches, I make illustrations and art work in a studio.

Friends, Happy Painting! Enjoy sketching!

Sketch Music Players

Sketch Sydney Uni & Special Thanks for Retiring Professor

One professor will get retired. Today, I tried some of our uni buildings for the lecturer. I'm not a big fan for sketching architecture except our own university. Recently, modern architecture and renovated buildings more come up on the campus. For example, Social Work and Education Building.Often other people use uni theatres for presentation, book launch and conferences. I met a great picture book illustrator, "Shaun Tan" in the theature, for his book launch, "Arrival."
Ah, hopefully, one day, I would have a book launch at the uni.

Another, my secret favorite place is a "stairwell"! It's very interesting to look up. I tried colour based on a value study wtih a limited pattet.
....a stairwell could be a good place to whisper a love romance...or break up?! Gulp.Move on.
Particularly, old stone gothic buildings are lovely. I've sketched this clock tower for many times and still love it. So far, a black and white. I'm thinking of realistic colours on this drawing.
(**Once, I made a pinkish roof! The real colour is a purple+blue, even though many lecturers loved my unique approach. Thanks!)
But...mmm... "retiring" ... I have not thought of it...
Most artists would keep on working until die? Unlike other occupations, many artists do not have steady income. Artist friends and I talk over our superannuations. The professor's retiring made me think of aging. Not easy.

Anyway, the retiring professor has really helped so many students ; I was one of them. It was that professor who encouraged shy Sadami, "Frame it! Hang it!" (*You see my old traditonal style was very different from my current free, liquid style!) With lecturers cheers, I got into a new carrer, an "artist and picture book illustrator." I'd celebrate the professor's retirement and wish all the best.
Also, let us prepare for our bright future all the time. Really we do not know when we open another door or others acknowledge our talents.
Friends, happy painting!!

Sketch Sydney Uni & Special Thanks for Retiring Professor

Call For Victoria Cancer Council Art Awards 2012

Yahoo! Friends, how are you?
The right hand gets better! Thank you for warm cheers.Now, Victoria Cancer Council calls for Art Awards for Entry.
The theme is "Strength."Digital entry. Art work from overseas is OK.

Entries close : 5pm, 27 April 2012
Entry fee: $10 per entry. No entry fee for entrants 18 years and under and Indigenous artists.
*The mark and the link is the courtesy of Victoria Cancer Council.

I have the same treatment like people with cancer and leukemia.Sometimes, cancer patients and I have a chat over life. Nothing different between cancer patients and me.
The point is how to live this life fully.
I'd spend time in creating something rather than complain about the disability in the leg. I'm a practical realist.
The below is my favorite prayer.

Lord, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and
wisdom to know the difference.

Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (American theologist)

Also, experiences have taught me that self-trust and confidence makes an optimistic attitude or keep up hope. Sometimes, the weak leg makes me sad, as I work hard on exercises that do not improve it. But I do not worry. People call me "Very positive."
Well, I've learned...

When life gives me lemons...

I make lemonade!

Nice!!

Hahahaha, a good sense of humour makes our world happy.

BTW, I'm seeking different approachs in watercolour not to get stuck in mannerism!I really enjoyed this sketch. Especially, this baby's eyes and the face caught me. Ah, life!! Full of life!!
But I'd remake it with a background or with a different approach. Sadami, fearless! Try "new."

Thank you for kind regards. Have a wonderful day.
Take Care and Happy Painting!!

Call For Victoria Cancer Council Art Awards 2012

Child's Back Figure -- makes Front Figure!

Hi, Friends, did you enjoy a weekend? I had a good time after I submitted some paintings to exhibitions. The hand is getting better.
Thank you for many cheers and the feedback on "movements."
Now, this week topic is a "kid's back figure."By the way, how do you play with a sketched back figure? Well, I do a "second use." I reverse the back figure drawing. See below.
An outline is exactly the same as the first illustration. (*I traced it.)
But with it, I can make a front figure, too. It's my methods to check a back figure is correct or not. If right, a traced figure turns out to be a beautiful front figure.Yes, a back figure makes a front figure! Vise versa.
It's a good practice and an interesting approach to understand a subject in a multi dimention.

Back to the subject.
A back figure often tells a story well, sometimes, more than a front figure. Actually, we often look at back figures more than front figures, which tells life stories and emotions lots.
In a picture book illustration, a back figure is as efficient as a front figure to tell a text. Or I should say, a back figure stimulates viewers imagination. So, a back figure is a good vehicle to carry a text's message in a subtle way.

Often I feel something poetic in a back figure like an echo. It's a joy to find little children's innocence and great concentration in their back figures. Sketching a back figure is reasonably easier than a front figure.
My methods.
1) Check a head, a neck, a shoulder's position.
Yes, unlike a front figure, a shoulder/body comes forward to you! (*hope that sentence makes sense!)2) Especially, examine a head's angle.
3) Make a smooth relation between a head, a neck and a shoulder/body = A spine is at the centre!



Friends, happy painting!!!
Enjoy both back figures and front figures!

Child's Back Figure -- makes Front Figure!