Back Streets in Parramatta

I sketched "back streets" in Parramatta. What sort of architectural drawings and landscapes do you want to create? I want the sense of life such as sounds, smells etc to come up in work. I also want to keep a unique point of view to the world. Finding subjects is the key element. My most fun is to have a look around little known spots or places disregarded such as back streets. Subjects are just in front of us. Each has unique beauty. If an artist can disclose the beauty of an overlooked subject, it would be a great honour.

Have you ever tried back streets for your subjects? In back allies, you see people working at restaurants. Frustrated or stressful people come up and throw away dirty stuff and unnecessary things into bins. Or tired people come out for a cigarette for a few minutes break. Or a truck driver delivers something for shops. Each person's small stories show "dramas" -- tragedies and comedies, yet humanistic stories go on. Soon, working people realise me and silently let me sketch (*thank you!).

Technically, I enjoyed to capture the perspective and played with the colours in these drawings. Artists may move mountains or create them in drawings. The changing is the important element of the composition of work. It's "balance" in a drawing. My balancing sense really owes to instinct, although this sounds strange and vague. I changed the colours, values and positions of bins. There are many signs and bins in back allies. They are so colourful and powerful to stimulate us, passer-bys' inner world. I met a photographer, while sketching these streets. "Colour!" he yelled at a first sight of my work. The nice photographer smiled at my say, "I can cheat it. I moved some and changed value."  Yes, he had known it and turned a blind eye to the changing in my work. That's the the creativity and pleasure in drawing.

Regarding the sense of life in back streets at night, I love a picture book "Way Home," illustrated by Gregory Rogers. The story is about a young homeless boy who picked up a kitten, showing city's night world. I feel sounds, smell and conversations in a back street in that book. Like Gregory, I hope my work will send you some mood, although I need more experience of drawings. I hope ultimately, my architectural work will show people's life and send the "sense of life." I'd explore them in my architectural drawing and landscapes. So, my work will not always be neat and beautiful, but they will be dirty, stinky and strong -- I'm working on them at the same time. They are similar to illustration or drawings with narrative stories.
Now, I have no fear of landscape or architecture. I'm really enjoying them daily. The more, we draw, the better we do.
Friends,  Happy Painting! Thank you for warm cheers.

Back Streets in Parramatta

Start From Eyes of a Portrait

Where do you start drawing in a face? I always start drawing people from eyes. Other members asked me questions. "Do you draw it from memory?" Mmmm... partially from impression or memory, but I have no idea, for I draw so quick. Something in a person intrigues me. Then, I get on drawing that person. A person is moving around and never stops for me. After catching the point such as eyes, I wait for the same moment comes up in the model.

I enjoyed sketching with Sydney sketch club members. Although we sketched architectures, I sketched others at lunch. Very much fun to sketch each other.
This is one of our club members. His sharp eyes fascinated me most! Only for a few seconds he threw his eyes to another member and mostly worked on iPad. I observed him carefully and captured that moment. The angle of his face is another key in this work.

Another member was enjoying a chat and lunch. The old lady had a character in her appearance. She made a pause and thought for a second, which impressed me most. I started drawing her eyes and simplified other areas. A mood is very important in my figurative drawings.

Probably, our eyes tell most stories of life in portraits. So, I start drawing from eyes. Oh, yes, I answered for the member, "3D understanding of a model is essential. Once, you get a model in 3D, you can draw her from any angle." I usually move around a model and check her/him from all around. To pick up a lively face expression is crtically important for my work.

I feel my mentor is very wise and knows who I am or my strength. When I got sluguish in drawing of children, she suggested me to "Focus on children's face expression, not a whole body sketching." By her advice, my work got back to life. It turned out colourful and vivid. In additon, in a studio, I start from eyes or face lines. It depends on a case. Friends, if you start drawing from other areas in a face, let's have a chat over it. Or you may say, "It doesn't a matter as long as work comes up nice!" Yeah, true. 

Back to the techinical thing, eyes.  If I can draw eyes well, I feel comfortable and move on other areas without any hesitation. But if I cannot draw eyes good, I chuck it into a bin. BTW, I'm still working on the close up portrait though, it's nearly at finishing. Ah, a bad habit?! I endlessly keep on touching graphite or a charcoal unlike speed drawing. I should stop my hands. (I started from eyes in this work, too.)

Publisher and editor Helen Chamberlin

I'm enjoying architectural drawings of Parramatta as well as figures. Did you enjoy my architectural work in the last post? Later, I'd post the newly created ones.

When I put aside technical stuff, one thing I'm sure is I love people. Drawing us, human beings is my great joy. Simple motivation is strong and great. It drives me go forward and keeps me stay positive. 
Friends, thank you very much for warm cheers. I hope all, we can have a productive and creative week.
Happy Painting!

Start From Eyes of a Portrait

Bologna Children's Book Fair Mar30 to Apr2

Books Illustrated (Ann James and Ann Haddon) will lead our Australian team for Bologna Children's Book Fair 2015 from Monday March 30 to Thursday April 2 in Italy, 2015. If you see these two people = Book Illustrated, certainly you've come to the Australia Stand, Hall 25 B112. The Stand will display books and limited edition prints from over 100 new Australian illustrated books. Please say, "Hello!" and enjoy books and chat with Australian illustrators and authors!

Click the image below, our team's catalogue "Hello! from Australia" will come up. Can you find your favorite picture books? 

Yes, the stand is the exhibition of selected Australian quality children picture books. 

Friends, you also have a chance to see Australian illustrators and authors in person! NOTE: They are fragile. Handle with care. Keep upright, please !? 

Tada~! Also, here's the information of shortlisted publishers from Oceania.  
Ah, I wish all the publishers would get prizes...!  
Bologna Prize for the Best Children's Publishers of the year
Oceania, nominated publishers:

Allen & Unwin - Crows Nest, Australia  
www.allenandunwin.com

The Text Publishing Co. - Melbourne,  Australia
www.textpublishing.com.au

Wilkins Farago - Victoria, Australia

www.wilkinsfarago.com.au/

Full list is here.

Another sounds interesting event is,
International Children's Laureate Summit hosted by Bologna Book Fair 2015.
Jackie French attends it. Jackie is the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2014– 2015. She is also celebrated as the best-selling author of over 170 books and Senior Australian of the Year 2015.

Sunday 29 March – Private Laureate conference
Monday 30 March – Growing the Laureate movement – by invitation
Monday 30 March (3.30–5pm) – Meet Jackie French on the Australia Stand, Hall 25 B112
Tuesday 31 March (Time TBC) – Official Summit – for general admission
Wednesday 1 April – Australian Stand Party, Hall 25 B112 talk by Jackie on Australian Children’s Literature. 

Btw, I'm waiting for their come back with souvenirs, but I keep in touch with the team and will join them in the near future. Hey, the Australian team, never forget coming back ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ. 
I always feel that Books Illustrated is really the motor engine of Australian picture book industry. In addition, anyone in Australian picture book industry gives me positive feedback on the image of Books Illustrated such as, "Gorgeous!" "Ah, adorable,"Ahhhh Sadami, what a lovely way to start my day!" "Very good pic!" etc, etc. Yes, Boooks Illustrated is very much loved in our industry. I'm fortunate to have such a wonderful mentor in my career. 
Friends, enjoy Bologna Book Fair! Also, Happy Painting! 

Bologna Children's Book Fair Mar30 to Apr2

My dislike of architecure cured by Parramatta sketches!

Here, my sketches of architectures to show changing Parramatta in both black and white and colour. Unlike my figures with graphite, my architectural drwaing takes time. It's not a loose style. You will say, "Didn't you hate architecture?" I've got the way out! This is my "treatment" to cure the dislike!? (*Otherwise, I will never learn it!) The point is to give myself joy in architectural drawing. 1) Find a favorite medium. 2) Stick to the most favorite style. They've worked out! I enjoy sketching of Parramatta deveolping into Australia's great city in the near future. 
(**I made a blogging techincal mistake ; my reversed empty post will come up in Friends' blog rolls. So, *this week, I upload two same posts at different titles, "Parramatta Changing Into Australia's Great City" and "My dislike of architecure cured by Parramatta sketches!" Sorry and thank you, Friends.)

St John's Anglican Church and Parish (*All work size is A4)

Mentor Ann James's say gave me a clue to explore a pen drawing. "Your architecture drawing is quite accurate. I can't draw like you!" Hummm.... Her say was my surprise. I remember when I was young, I sketched mechanics very meticulously. I loved exactness. Little Sadami was so happy to sketch it again and again. I eventually memorised the quite complicated machines and drew them by heart. Also, the use of a pen for Sydney uni had been good. So, I've chosen a pen and started sketching buildings accurately. Oh, it works well! Fun, fun, fun! I've giggled  like a little child. Black and white drawings have turned out joy. 

Then, I decided to stick to my "original joy" in architectural drawings -- accuracy. I remember Robert Ingpen, one of my favotirtes and admiring picture book illustrators, as you know. "Afternoon Tree House" (Robert Ingpen) and "Memorial" (Shaun Tan) are the most influencial works about a tree and landscapes. I've been reading them years after years since I fell in love with them!  

...and my most and only favourite editor has been Helen Chamberlin who edited both picture books  mentioned above. I dreamed to work with her. Today, she has become my editor and the mentor. Although I made a gulp from a high tension, I sent Helen these drawings on Parramatta. Wow, her feedback is very positive. "Your architectural drawings all look really lovely to me, Sadami - I don’t know what you are worried about! All the best Helen" Hurray! It put me into a heaven.  

The restaurant on Church St called Eat St 

Btw, does anyone have difficulty in architecture like me? Let's share my technical findings. Architecture is not hard than what I expected. I always seek for the most big "chunk" in a building. A building consists of very mathematical lumps like cubes in 3D. Check if they are symmetry or not. Then, rebuild them in your mind. Once you get it and the perception is correct, it's reasonably easy to pin down a subject on paper. I put priority to my first impression of a building and do not too much care about details.

Emotionally, we need to feel joy, don't we? After choosing a right material and tool, I've realised that I'm very keen about a ratio of buildings in drawing.That excites me and thrills me in drawing architecture!  It is fun to find an object matching to another object's size in drawing one after another. It means I love drawing a scene correctly and setting the content properly. So, viewers will not feel "This work is weired." (*Of course, in the world, there is a very wise guy like Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher who used trickery and illusions in art work such as impossible constructions. I admire him!) Anyway, I could find joy and confidence in architecture drawing. Ah, I can go on.

Regarding colours, I'm playing with them, whilst sticking to reality at the moment. I need more time to develop my own watercolour style in architecture. My figurative drawing and loose painting has taken years to come to the current loose style from a traditional classic style. Or I may stay with this accurate drawing in architecture? See how it goes.

Back to another topic. Parramatta interests me by her strong contrasts : historical vs modern, chaotic vs neat, back streets vs promenades. European settlers marked a first step on Parramatta. Already, this city has become the CBD that has collected Departments of NSW State Government, Court etc as well as City in Sydney ( = Gov Depts have dual addresses equally in City and Parramatta). Their function is increasing. The development plan will transform Parramatta into Australia's big city in commercial, cultural, medical and social phases. 

In order to enhance Parramatta's function and upgrade the quality of life, reconstruction and refurbishment has started. In the very near future, sky high towers will stand in Parramatta : Western Sydney University, Cumberland Newspaper/News Ltd Site (Media Centre), Westmead Medical Research Hub, a shopping centre etc, etc. The new huge car parks are ongoing that I sketched. Dynamically and dramatically, Parramatta is dressing up herself! I look forward to what sort of lady will come up. 

Did you enjoy my architecture? It seems that I made mistake in the option of a style and medium. Although in years, I may be able to loose up architecture, my most favourite work remains in my eyes and heart. My adventure is going on, while keeping my own stance. Editor Helen's most important say was/is "What's your stance?" I'll always remember it in my art work. Thank you, Helen. 
Any feedback is welcome. If you like, I'll post architectural drawings more, picking up an interesting topic from time to time. Local shops and Parramatta Heritage Centre welcome my sketching. Passer-bys cheer me up. They are very nice and supportive ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ. Thanks guys!!
Friends, Happy Painting! Work on your style! 

Bibliography

Parramatta Council (2015) "Building Australia's Next Great City-- Changes Ahead,"

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/your_council/news/changes_ahead

Parramatta Council (2014) "Parramatta Major Development" 

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/work/economic_development/major_developments

My dislike of architecure cured by Parramatta sketches!

Parramatta Changing Into Australia's Great City

I sketched architectures to show changing Parramatta in both black and white and colour. Unlike my figures with graphite, my architectural drwaing takes time. It's not a loose style. You will say, "Didn't you hate architecture?" I've got the way out! This is my "treatment" to cure the dislike!? (*Otherwise, I will never learn it!) The point is to give myself joy in architectural drawing. 1) Find a favorite medium. 2) Stick to the most favorite style. They've worked out! I enjoy sketching of Parramatta deveolping into Australia's great city in the near future. 
(**I made a blogging techincal mistake ; my reversed empty post will come up in Friends' blog rolls. So, *this week, I upload two same posts at different titles, "Parramatta Changing Into Australia's Great City" and "My dislike of architecure cured by Parramatta sketches!" Sorry and thank you, Friends.) 

     St John's Anglican Church and Parish (*All work size is A4)

Mentor Ann's say gave me a clue to explore a pen drawing. "Your architecture drawing is quite accurate. I can't draw like you!" Hummm.... Her say was my surprise. I remember when I was young, I sketched mechanics very meticulously. I loved exactness. Little Sadami was so happy to sketch it again and again. I eventually memorised the quite complicated machines and drew them by heart. Also, the use of a pen for Sydney uni had been good. So, I've chosen a pen and started sketching buildings accurately. Oh, it works well! Fun, fun, fun! I've giggled  like a little child. black and white drawings have turned out joy. 

Then, I decided to stick to my "original joy" in architectural drawings -- accuracy. I remember Robert Ingpen, one of my favotirtes and admiring picture book illustrators, as you know. "Afternoon Tree House" (Robert Ingpen) and "Memorial" (Shaun Tan) are the most influencial works about a tree and landscapes. I've been reading them years after years since I fell in love with them!  

...and my most and only favourite editor has been Helen Chamberlin who edited both picture books  mentioned above. I dreamed to work with her. Today, she has become my editor and the mentor. Although I made a gulp from a high tension, I sent Helen these drawings on Parramatta. Wow, her feedback is very positive. "Your architectural drawings all look really lovely to me, Sadami - I don’t know what you are worried about! All the best Helen"  Hurray! It put me into a heaven.  

The restaurant on Church St called Eat St 

Btw, does anyone have difficulty in architecture like me? Let's share my technical findings. Architecture is not hard than what I expected. I always seek for the most big "chunk" in a building. A building consists of very mathematical lumps like cubes in 3D. Check if they are symmetry or not. Then, rebuild them in your mind. Once you get it and the perception is correct, it's reasonably easy to pin down a subject on paper. I put priority to my first impression of a building and do not too much care about details.

Emotionally, we need to feel joy, don't we? After choosing a right material and tool, I've realised that I'm very keen about a ratio of buildings in drawing.That excites me and thrills me in drawing architecture!  It is fun to find an object matching to another object's size in drawing one after another. It means I love drawing a scene correctly and setting the content properly. So, viewers will not feel "This work is weired." (*Of course, in the world, there is a very wise guy like Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher who used trickery and illusions in art work such as impossible constructions. I admire him!) Anyway, I could find joy and confidence in architecture drawing. Ah, I can go on.

Regarding colours, I'm playing with them, whilst sticking to reality at the moment. I need more time to develop my own watercolour style in architecture. My figurative drawing and loose painting has taken years to come to the current loose style from a traditional classic style. Or I may stay with this accurate drawing in architecture? See how it goes.

Back to another topic. Parramatta interests me by her strong contrasts : historical vs modern, chaotic vs neat, back streets vs promenades. European settlers marked a first step on Parramatta. Already, this city has become the CBD that has collected Departments of NSW State Government, Court etc as well as City in Sydney ( = Gov Depts have dual addresses equally in City and Parramatta). Their function is increasing. The development plan will transform Parramatta into Australia's big city in commercial, cultural, medical and social phases. 

In order to enhance Parramatta's function and upgrade the quality of life, reconstruction and refurbishment has started. In the very near future, sky high towers will stand in Parramatta : Western Sydney University, Cumberland Newspaper/News Ltd Site (Media Centre), Westmead Medical Research Hub, a shopping centre etc, etc. The new huge car parks are ongoing that I sketched. Dynamically and dramatically, Parramatta is dressing up herself! I look forward to what sort of lady will come up. 

Did you enjoy my architecture? It seems that I made mistake in the option of a style and medium. Although in years, I may be able to loose up architecture, my most favourite work remains in my eyes and heart. My adventure is going on, while keeping my own stance. Editor Helen's most important say was/is "What's your stance?" I'll always remember it in my art work. Thank you, Helen. 
Any feedback is welcome. If you like, I'll post them more, picking up an interesting topic. Local shops and Parramatta Heritage Centre welcome my sketching. Passer-bys cheer me up. They are very nice and supportive ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ. Thanks guys!!
Friends, Happy Painting! Work on your style! 

Bibliography

Parramatta Council (2015) "Building Australia's Next Great City-- Changes Ahead,"

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/your_council/news/changes_ahead

Parramatta Council (2014) "Parramatta Major Development" 

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/work/economic_development/major_developments

Parramatta Changing Into Australia's Great City

New Stylefile, big, long, wide, beautiful!

My ASA stylefile has been renewed. I added new four images! A new portfolio has become modern and looks very nice. A successful applicant may upload maximum 8 images after the panel's acknowledgement. The new Style File website features the work of 52 Australian illustrators, 23 of which have never before been seen on Style File.
Here's my 8 images. Which image do you like? In Stylefile, you can search by names, genres/styles/subjects, intended audience, media/technique to meet your project needs. 

Other wonderful features :

• An image rotation of each illustrator and illustrator's gallery on the homepage. 
• A featured illlustator speciality, browse by genres and styles. 
• A featured illustrator rotation on the homepage.  
• A "my favorites" function helps publishers and users keep track of portfolios. 

A new outstanding feature of Stylefile ; an illustrator can show publication's information together : a front cover, publisher, author, Intended audience, techniques, subjects. I posted the detailed information about "Moon." 

pp18,19,  "Moon" written by Matt Zurbo (Windy Hollow Books)

Intended audience: Adults,Family, Lower primary, Middle primary
Media/Technique: Charcoal, Pen and ink, Pencil, Watercolour
Styles: Impressionistic,Loose/sketchy, Painterly
Subjects: Animals, Country,Educational, Environments,Nature/Botanical, Weather
Yes, my information above is categorised and you can search for the best illustrator who will match your project! 

"Moon" Front Cover 

Now, my other images are below. Although some images are already familiar to you, I hope you will enjoy them all. 

I played with colours, focusing on a child's face expression in this illustration.

Daily sketches gave my imagination "reality" or supportive and concrete evidence. It's fun to produce an image standing between imagination and reality.

I've demonstrated portrait ability, too. This was a commissioned work.  

The Stylefile is famous for its high quality, indeed, the best of best Australian illustrators showcase. The Stylefile is the hot meeting spot for publishers and illustrators. Publishers "buy" illustrators from the Stylefile. Many illustrators have got projects through the Stylefile. 

Friends, it's a good idea to try Stylefile and begin an illustrator career. Here's the information of Application. ASA kindly assists you how to do it. It is very difficult to crack into market for emerging illustrators and artists. Yet, always publishers look for good illustrators who will meet their need. I hope all of us will fly into a bright future like a big pelican following a dream.  

Friends, Happy Painting and Illustrating!

New Stylefile, big, long, wide, beautiful!

Close Up Potratrait Finished

Finally, I finished up the paper work. Then, I moved onto new projects, while I'm preparing for the exhibition. 
Also, I finished "publisher and editor" Helen Chamberlin's portrait with a background. Yes, the original is the close up portrait shown in the past post. I added the background. Yes, finally, a background image came up in my mind.

publisher and editor Helen Chamberlin

Always eyes intrigue me most in portraits. I made a black and white of Helen after the watercolour. I started from her eyes and simplified all other information in the work. Her voice, speaking habit and body language remain in me, but the voice is quietly echoing in my ears. They have become my own "references" of Helen. If I was given only one photo, I'm not certain to create a quality portrait that gets into a model's inner world. Although resemblance might be a required condition for a portrait, an artist looks into a model's world and pursuits it, not surface similarities. You can compare the image below to the above.

Interesting. I've found my drawing lines and watercolour brush strokes overlap or show the similar lines. Which do you like the watercolour one or the black and white one? Helen likes both. Me, too. It's fun to have a chat with a model over portraits.

This is the watercolour original and starting point. 

BTW, Friends, what do you handle "stuck" in your working process? Sounds silly though, I will not dare to get on something in work until an inspiration comes up. When I follow a heart, the best work turns up. My drawing and painting are not theoretical movements (*I haven't studied at art school). A senior established picture book illustrator calls it "instinct." What do you think? I agree with it.

When I get stuck, I take a break, refresh myself and await an inspiration. Fortunately, editors understand an illustrator's difficulty in trade picture book illustration and give me more time. I go outside of a studio, enjoy sunshine and chat or move a body.
The same is true of my watercolour portraits. Until an image comes in me, I do not work on.

It is a bit hard to find enough quiet time for portrait work at the moment though, I want to more enjoy portraits between the ongoing projects in parallel. Thank you for your warm cheers!!
Friends, Happy Painting!

Close Up Potratrait Finished