Life Drawing & Face Expression

Hi, Friends, how is your weekend? Did you enjoy it? 
Now, this week, I'll chat over my approach to life drawing and face expressions. As I'm a portraitist, a face often interests me most even in life drawing. Then, I choose the most interesting point. Only one. Not many.

Below, the model's eyes caught my heart. A rest of other visual information is simplified. His "mood" comes up that made me happy! I'm planning to make this work on A2 Arche paper and create a backgroud. Hopefully, these free brush strokes will happen again.

            Lion Against a Wind (A2)

This lady looked happy and relaxing. I made it in a few minutes! Quick job always gives me interesting results.

 Relaxing (A2)

A same model shows different personalities that fascinate me. This model is the first man, but I felt him like a philosopher or a man in a cold wind. 
Technically, I tried not to do overwork. (*I felt too busy around his cheek and stopped paiting at once).

 

Philosopher (A2) 

So, my steps to get on a face are ...
1) Choose one topic = What most interests you? 
Eyes? Nose? Mouth? What else such as a mood? Only one, not two or many. Then, I focus on the topic.
2) Simplify a rest.
Omit other information. If necessary, I leave out other areas blank. 
3) Emphasize the focal point.   
With colour? Lines? Angle? Distortion? Different media? What else? Up to your techniques.  

Also, in watercolour painting, timing to stop a brush stroke is critically important. Don't do overwork!

Now, KuRingGai Art Society is having the annual exhibition. I've put two paintings, the life drawing and Sydeny uni below.

Today, we, life drawing class members will have dinner together. The class is planning to have a same model with a one posture from 10am to 3pm on Saturday. Sounds nice, doesn't it? 
You, too, Frirends, have a wonderful week and Happy Painting!!  

 Sydney University. 

Life Drawing & Face Expression

Spotlight Violet in Sketchcrawl#36

Hi, Friends, this is the exclusive,  on the story of my model, a shy lady in the 36th International Urban Sketchcrawl in Sydney. 

Queen Vitoria Building was chosen. It started from 10 AM. I, "architecture allergy girl" looked for a figure to draw. I met a lady at a lunch time. She seldom spoke in a group. I felt her like a violet, shyly looking down with a humble smile. I really love shy people or those who will not come up on a central stage. "May I sketch you?" I asked.  My asking a bit surprised the lady.  Other members told her, "Sadami makes a beautiful work! We want to be models!" (Thanks, members, great backup! Cheers for our mateship!)

I just sat besides the lady and shared a wonderful silence. She sometimes smiled and kept on drawing seriously. It gave me her image. When she looked at my finished sketch, she said, "Oh, you  flattering!," but happily she took a photo of my sketch.

Outside the QVB, I challenged sketching a statue and Town Hall. Thank goodness, Queen! Without her, I might have messed up the work. (*Often my tiny "handmade" paint kit amazes others. Daarrrling, size is not a matter! All we need is LOVE! xx!!)

Group work is fun. We, members were sketching each other. Could be a classic joke! (actually, this  quick sketch was a warm up for my right hand. I usually do some warm up before "get on.") This gentleman was a very productive caricaturist. He made the quick cartoons of most attendances. Amazing!

Later, we, members uploaded photos and sketches at our MeetUp site. The members gave me really nice feedback, particularly on the quick protrait. It's the lady's beauty. I'm dead honest with what I feel. Very happy to know my work made others happy, too. 

In work, I hope myself to spotlight violets standing against the wall as well as orchids, roses, party flowers. 
I hope my painting brings something heartwarming and shares joy with others.  

Friends, Happy Painting!! 

Spotlight Violet in Sketchcrawl#36

Flowers and Uniqueness

I enjoyed an orchid show and the 36th International Sketchcrowl in Sydney. Hahaha, you know I rarely  work on "still" life. As still life does not move around, it bores me too much. 

But when I looked at these flowers, I fell in love with them. Particularly, this pot caught me, even though it did not win any prize at the show. What do you feel in these flowers? Well, I feel something very sexy. Colours, forms and styles look like dressed up ladies going out for a party.  

 Technically, the colours have come up well in those paintings. I usually bring Arche300(A4) and a cheap sketch book(A4) together. The first uploaded work is on Arche. I'm thinking of a background and waiting for an idea will come up. The below is my first quick sketch.

Putting similar colours/picking up one colour from a subject is a safe and orthodox way to make a background. I do not know why, but a very light blue came across heart for a backgroud colour. Mmm ... not sure yet. I hold an action and leave it out "white" untill a clear image comes up.      

Back to the topic. 
The Orchid loving members told me interesting backstage stories with their enthusiasm for flowers. They say, "Each flower is different. Like it has a mouth and a face. So, I look into a flower one by one."  Uniqueness! Individuality! Oh, that's what I've been working on in my art work. In my eyes, each person is so precious and beautiful in any circumstances or contexts.

"Life is beautiful. People are lovely, " is my mantra for drawing. I hope my work will depict humanity and the beauty of us, ordinary people in daily life. 

Friends, Happy Painting!! Bloom out in your own way!
(*Oh, yes, our life drawing class will start from today. Hey, we're planning to have get-together dinner after class late in the evening. Yey!!)  
Happy Painting!! 

Flowers and Uniqueness

Ice Skating & Life Experinece

I enjoyed sketching skating children. We are in the middle of winter and school holidays. Parramatta Council has set an open air ice skate rink like a last year. An event, "Winterlight" is from June 30th to July 16th, 10:00 AM – 9.00 PM Daily. 

I'll take you to the rink!  
Most children experice skating for the first time. Some kids get very scared and "walk" like "tiptoe, balancing.... Oooops!" But children get so excited, too!  

This girl looked so charming after skating. I wondered what she was thinking of. 

Skating is challening. Some children cling to a fence. Many parents take photos and cheer up kids.(I saw little children crying out. Their parents picked up kids, but with a big laugh in love.) 

How cute  these slipping kids!  Really fallen angels!
The more, slip on the ice, the sooner we learn skating. One mother said to me with a wink, "Just she will have some bruises tomorrow and ok!" Yes! Skating is much like life experience in general. We need to be brave to challenge new things and get how to handle it! 

While chilren are "struggling", professionals are skating beautifully.  

Very elegant! (*Ohh..., their beautiful skating makes me forget about friction, force and gravity.)  Practice makes perfect.   

Yes, we are having a great fun! The skate rink staff well remember me, a sketcher and invite me for skating. Well, not sure, it is appropriate for the leg, but I want to try it. 

Let's challenge new things and learn it.  
Have a wonderful week.
Happy Painting!!

Ice Skating & Life Experinece

Semi Finalist of Moran Prize 2012, World Richest Portrait comp

I've become the semi-finalists of Moran Prize 2012. (*the site displays all shortlisted work.)  Doug Moran National Portrait Prize is the world richest portrait competition with A$150,000 awarded to the winner and A$10,000 awarded to the runner-up. 

My work is "Dignity" with the statement(*50 words limit). 

"The work captures the exact moment a needle enters an elder patient’s arm. His face shows dignity between two opponents : life vs death, but they are beautifully unified in a brave fighter’s triumph to be respected. Pencil drawing and watercolour focuses the subject and simplified other visual information.

As Moran is very competitive, the good news surprized me so much~(*o*)~ . Wow, but I made it!(*Last year, more than 200,000 works challenged Moran. **The number includes photos and paintings.)

Unlike Archibald, Moran does not require the artist or the subject be well known. Portraits that reveal a deep connection between the artist and their subject are well received by the judges. Yes, Friends, if your work shows the strong relation between a model and you, you have a chance!

Moran Prize Office 

(Submitted paintings/canvas at the right cornor in the sketch.)

Very delighted that the judges have acknowledged my profound relation between a model and me. Indeed, a third party has appreciated the patient's dignity and struggling for life in a treatment. It's a great reward. Then, I sent "special thanks" to my medical team, the hand surgery, uni professors and all other supporters. Without their help, I could not make this achievement. Yes, of course, I'd send big hugs to you, blogger Friends!!  

This achievement has convinced me the importance of "be what I am fully." When I submitted the real work to Moran, I glanced at other wonderful and huge paintings by chance. Most of them were oil or acrylics and as large as a wall or a door. Mine is an A4 size and watercolour. Level is quite high. No surprise, any semi-finalist could be a finalist. I do not expect myself at all. From here, all is a bonus. Whatever the result would be, I look forward to the news. Their notice says,

Christopher Menz and Vincent Fantauzzo have selected this year’s semi-finalists for the 2012 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. They said the works are diverse, challenging and exciting.

The 30 finalists will be announced shortly followed by the winner of the $150k prize on
24th July 2012.

The exhibition will be displayed from 25th July to 9th September 2012 at Moran House, 
13-15 Bridge Street, 
Sydney NSW between 9am to 5pm.

 

This Moran experience encourages me so much! So, I'd encourage you to try any big entitlements. If we hesitate, we'll waste time and it'll never come back. Let's challenge big entitlements in our own ways.  I'll keep up as a watercolour artist ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ. 
Friends, Happy Painting!! 

**In 2017, I became a Moran semi-finalist again with "Publisher Helen Chamberlin". 

  

Semi Finalist of Moran Prize 2012, World Richest Portrait comp

The Beauty of Life Drawing

Hi, Friends, thank you for the great support and patience despite the access difficulty to this blog  just after publishing a new postʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ. Now, back to normal!


OK, the topic is life drawing!This Monday, our life drawing class was over like a school term. 

When I look back the life drawing class, the benefits I've got are...
1) Beauty of our body!!! Awesome! Really exciting.
2) Anatomical knowledge of body. 
3) Technical experiments in a relaxing mood. 
i.e) Mixed media: crayones & watercolour on biiiig papers (A2, A3). Dancing brushes on a large paper is a great stress busterʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ.
A bonus! I could meet same minded friends. Nice!

I'm the queen!(A2)

In the beauty of life drawing, movement was very eye catchy. 
Above, a model played a very cheeky woman with a brave posture. Ahhh.... so beutiful and how unique...!! I can't help but capture each person's personality on papers. Their "body language" really tells each personality with a story.   
 

Also, a models' face expressions often caught my heart! 


One lady, below, was very shy... oh, in a melancholic blue. 

Deep Thoughts(A2)

This gentleman's body spinned out his life long story I loved capturing on paper. 

I'll take a rest on journey (A2)

Our body language speaks a lot. In the work below, I emphasized a colour, purple so that the work would show the serious mood. A model showed me the beauty of relationship. Romantic. ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ 

All I need is You (A2)

Even in life drawing class,  I've always felt a model's individual story. It has convinced me that I was born to be a portraitist...(and a picture book illustrator!)  Also, I'd say special thanks for our models, hard work.  

Finally, I'd really want to tell you, Friends, YOU, too, have such beauty and precious uniquenss on the earth. So, cherish being "who you are" -- is my message from the drawing class. 
Cheers for your beauty!!
Happy Painting, Friends!! 

The Beauty of Life Drawing

One Word One Day : Fundraising for Indigenous Children

Hi, Friends, exclusion! 

Yesterday, we enjoyed the fundrasing national project for Indigenous children, "One Word One Day" run by ASA  initiative at ABC building (=Australian Broadcasting Corporation ). ABC TV news and radio programs broadcasted this event!

Artists work on a given word and create images. We, artists offer 4 hours from 10 am to 2 pm. All art materials are generously provided by Micador. Later, created art work will be at auction to raise money for Indigenous Literacy Foundation. 

 The given word was "Teeter." 

I actually got there 10:30, a bit late, because hard to find a good parking spot in the CBD. To make up the late start, I worked hard on the word. In a "few minutes," I finished up two doodles for "warming up." Then, I started sketching artists working on a table. Title : "People are teetering!"

My work appeared to capture many people's attention. As I hoped the work would help an auction, the Indigenous Literacy Foundation banner and the ABC logo were woven into the work. When I finished it, the key person from ASA asked me to put the words, "One Word One Day." Done!! I heartily hope our work will help Aboriginal children.

I also enjoyed a chat with the camera woman from  Indigenous Literacy Foundation. We talked over Indigenous people's language rights and my linguistics professor, the expert of Aboriginal people's language. It was really lovely to meet such  wonderful people struggling on behalf of Aboriginal people.

  ...and after the event, I always appreciate the backstage players' hard work-- they were from ASA! I helped their packup.
...then, I popped up ASA office to have late lunch.

Creating a work in a limited time could be a good pressure for an artist. Daily quick sketch saved me. 

Now, my uni linguistics professors celebrate my contribution and hope the project will go well.  

Friends, Happy Painting! 

One Word One Day : Fundraising for Indigenous Children