I Love Figures

Friends, this post shows a whole process from a black and white to the finished work, in all four and a colour chart. I like Helen Chamberlin's soft and gentle mood in her eyes -- that's what I wanted to show. 
"Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter... It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself." ― Oscar Wilde 

I played with colours in a background. But the background is a simply, a background. Only a sub actor in the work (A3). 

At the second stage of colour, I darkened eyes and enhanced a value. I wondered which background would be better, coloured or nearly blank. I decided to add a warm colour background and her shadow. 

This is the start of colour. It was a doodle. In my mind, bright colours came up for a background, but I was not sure how to organise it. 

This is a black and white. I felt a mistake in the drawing though, I always correct them in colour. So, I did not mind it and moved on.   

Colour layering is fun. "See through a bottom colour" is another beauty and trick of transparent watercolour. (I hope it does make sense to you!). I'll enjoy that technique more than ever. I look up my own colour chart on the wall. The chart shows transparency and opacity of 16 colours I have. 

Btw, how many colours do you have and use? Once, lecturers, Donna Rawlins and Wayne Harris said, "You do not use many colours," when they looked at my paint box. Although I have these colours in the box, I usually use limited colours only. I might as well use more colours?!   

I'm partially satisfied with the work and partially unsatisfied. It means I will try it again. I'm wondering what about changing a composition of colours or loosening up a subject and background etc, etc. Above all, I'm enjoying/learning how to handle a bigger paper for portraits.  

I repeat a same model or a same subject. It helps to study about people. Figures will never bore me. I hope I will enjoy figures more in watercolour painting. Wise Oscar Wild knew the subjectivity and the objectivity of portraiture. I just wonder what sort of Sadami revealed in the work. 

Friends, Happy Painting and Enjoy Portraits! 

  

I Love Figures

Comparing Current Work with Old One in Busker Sketching

Friends, I'll upload musicians : harp players and a guitar player. My recent work shows improvements in drawing, colour use and other techniques. A current style gets more spontaneous and free. A harp player is rare in buskers. I met only two harp players in the past 10 years. This is the second guy. I sketched him in a quick way. 

This is the old work and a first harp player. I met the first harp player 7 years ago. I still can remember that sketch took a long time to finish up on spot.  Today, in my eyes, the work came out very rigid and awkward because it failed to simplify visual information. But I told myself, "I did my best. Celebrate it!" on that day. In addition, the lady harp player asked me to sell this work (*Thank you!).  

Sometimes, it's a good idea to look at an old work and compare it with a present one. We don't improve in a day, but day by day one goes far.  
Here's a guitarist, my recent work. His emotions in a face interested me most. Like music, sketches of musicians or drawings have a rhythm and a melody. Lines and colours sing and dance in work. I hope I will explore them in my work.   

Thank you for warm concerns and cheers at the time of injury and after a surgery. A physiotherapist says my shoulder and a wrist have a quick recovery.  A next follow up will be the last consultation. Then, I'll see her and doctors in an year. 
Now, a long weekend was over. Projects occupy me lot. 
You, too, Friends, Happy Painting! 

Comparing Current Work with Old One in Busker Sketching

The Rabbit Hopping Society

Have you ever tried sketching a bunny jumping competition? Sydney Sketch Club went to a Dodo family show to sketch them! The Rabbit Hopping Society and event staff kindly let me into the official enclosure of the Rabbit Hopping Society with closer access to the bunnies. I fully respected all the staff and bunnies. In the Rabbit Hopping Championships, bunnies and trainers challenge obstacles like horses and jockeys, which judges score.  
Before the championships, we saw some "athletes." When a trainer showed audience a bunny, the bunny got nervous. To calm down the boy rabbit, a trainer or his "mummy" tickled his tummy. I love to see the bunny having its tummy tickled. So adorable. 

The competition set a course that included obstacles and a pond. The staff told me that already some rabbits took years to learn to jump (*Obstacles for "senior athletes" were difficult, high and a long distance). Good on you, bunnies! All of them were brave! It was very interesting to observe how a rabbit jumps. 

One of trainers, a lady's bunny rabbit (*I sketched it named "Go go") has started to learn it for only 8 months (= "Junior athletes" did easy obstacles). The staff try not to give bunnies too much stress etc. This "Gogo" is one of the smallest breeds. Gogo looks like a wild rabbit. Mmm, so chaaarrrming! The lady has a school visit with Gogo. I'm sure students will love it. 

The Rabbit Hopping Society, their welcome of us, their enthusiasm and genuine love for rabbits are touching. I've learned a lot about rabbits and could get anatomical information of bunnies. Thank you very much for the Rabbit Hopping Society! See you next time. 

Now, we're in an Easter Holiday. Have a wonderful and safe long weekend. 

Friends, Happy Painting! 

The Rabbit Hopping Society

"Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice" is out now

Dear Friends,
I hope this book will give the public awareness of social issues. Topics are around us, here, there, everywhere in our daily life. The content and a review is below. That's what Ingrid has been passionately teaching and discussing with us for ages at uni. A great honour and joy that I worked this book cover. Kind Ingrid talks about my art work and why Lady Justice has ear muffs in Introduction. As well as this book, I hope we can advocate the disadvantaged in children picture books. Indeed, my admiring illustrators and authors are doing it! 
Best wishes, Sadami 

Ingrid and her team's blog, "Language On the Move" 

Oxford University Press has just released Ingrid Piller’s new book

Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice: An Introduction to Applied Sociolinguistics

Description

Linguistic diversity is a universal characteristic of human language but linguistic diversity is rarely neutral; rather it is accompanied by linguistic stratification and linguistic subordination. Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice employs a case-study approach to real-world instances of linguistic injustice in liberal democracies undergoing rapid change due to high levels of migration and economic globalization. Focusing on the linguistic dimensions of economic inequality, cultural domination and imparity of political participation, this book offers a detailed examination of the connection between linguistic diversity and inequality in domains critical to social justice such as employment, education, and community participation.

Features

• Prompts thinking about linguistic disadvantage as a form of structural disadvantage that needs to be recognized and taken seriously, and that warrants a serious public debate as to how it can best be mitigated

• Includes case studies from around the world

• Offers a conversational approach inviting readers to engage with linguistic diversity and social justice through the online forum Language on the Move

Early reviews

“This is a serious book on a serious subject. In a globalized world whose rhetoric celebrates linguistic diversity, Ingrid Piller shows that the reality is one of systemic inequality and disadvantage—and makes a strong argument that linguistic questions should figure prominently on the social justice agenda in the twenty-first century.” (DEBORAH CAMERON, Professor of Language and Communication, University of Oxford)

“A vivid, powerful, and sober analysis of how language serves to entrench injustice and create indefensible discrimination. Piller’s wide-ranging book should inspire and shock both the general reader and the research world.” (ROBERT PHILLIPSON, Professor Emeritus, Copenhagen Business School (Denmark), and author of books on language policy, linguistic imperialism, and language rights)

Preview

A Google preview of Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice is available here.

Discount for Language on the Move readers

Order online at www.oup.com/academic and enter promotion code AAFLYG6 to receive a 30% discount!

Paperback $29.95 $20.97

"Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice" is out now

Visited Como, Sydney Sketch Club

Sydney Sketch Club is visiting places by an alphabetical order. "C" for Como, 27 km south from Sydney CBD. We enjoyed sketching, freebie handmade lunch and really a wonderful friendship from members. Wow, one of our members set "road signs" on a station and a street! They led us to a right meeting place. What a kind welcome! Furthermore, she, her hubby and her friends set our sausage sizzles, salads and fruits. She humbly said, "You are coming such a long way," and was concerned that there were not many cafes. Oh, we THANK for the members' hospitality and the organiser, Jennifer. 

Como Hotel (1878) saw two world wars come and go, but could not withstand a fire in November 1996. Affectionately known as the Como Hilton, it was re-built 5 years later keeping the original brickwork. According to a member, "There used to be 13 hotels here when mostly German immigrants were building the railway and the bridge. Como became a great holiday stay, especially for honeymooners." Oh, it sounds interesting.  

I sketched this, sitting on a street opposite to the hotel. Many children and parents were coming and going on the way to soccer or rugby on the ground behind us. Pedestrians and I had a short "hello" chat. Plain air sketching makes me most cheerful and always brings warm human interactions. I sang and whistled. 
I'm learning lots about architecture and landscapes. It's fun. Experience is the best teacher.  

After the wonderful lunch, I sketched an old bridge from a high point with another member. We enjoyed a chat, too. It took four flights of steep stairs and a rock climb to the spot. But it was worth doing it. So beautiful view from a high point. Other brave members went across the bridge and could see us from the bridge. The Rail Bridge across Georges River which was opened in 1885 was one of 12 prefabricated lattice truss iron bridges ordered by the noted Engineer-in-Chief John Whitton. The view was so beautiful and peaceful. Just beneath the spot, children were enjoying swimming (Ah! I should have brought a swimmer!). Luckily, I could finish up this sketch just before a downpour on us -- 10 minutes or so, a heavy rain. 
I've begun to play with colours in landscapes. I hope I will make a progress. 

I will sketch more landscapes and architecture and enjoy them. Group activities are wonderful to encourage each other. Thank you for all the nice members. Special thanks for the member who gave us a fabulous welcome. Our Como visit became one of the most enjoyable days. In Sydney sketch club history, the street signs, the unexpected lunch and the member's name will be an outstanding epic. She is a legend!  

Friends, Happy Painting!  

Visited Como, Sydney Sketch Club

Character Design in Children Picture Books

I enjoy developing characters in the current picture book story. The first image is one of main characters. Feedback is very good. Character design requires lots of work and research. An illustrator uses all what she has to create it. In order to set "telling" characters, these are essential : daily observation, profound and broad knowledge and the insights of humans and society.  They give an illustrator inspiration and an idea, which enables an artist to establish an interesting, adorable and distinct character. In me, each character has personality and begins to work or move. Characters are alive in me. I'd share my methods to illustrating Moon. If you could find something, I'd be happy. (*My writing on approach was submitted to a publisher. Sorry, if the style is too formal to bore you, please pardon me.) 

The text, Moon is very poetic, imaginative, emotional, yet realistic at the same time. So, it had many challenges to be illustrated. The most challenges of Moon were three tasks. First, give life to an inanimate moon life and set “her” into a protagonist as well as a boy, Max. Second, visualise invisible and visible elements together in pictures. Third, technical challenges in watercolour painting were to express the first and the second tasks on paper. Night scenes were not easy. 

In order to find answers for the first and second tasks, deep and broad research was carried out in a multi-dimensional way. For example, I checked beautiful Australian nature, classic literature, mythology, folk tales, songs, paintings, any English words related to the moon and so on. At the same time, Publisher/Editor Helen, Author Matt and Mentor Ann’s strong encouragement supported me so much. Helen sent me an old German folk song. I translated it and tasted it.  Then, to enrich my visual images, I went outside and observed the moon, from the evening to the mid night. The aim was to feel the sensations such as sound, silence, smell in an air, atmosphere etc as well as moon, light, reflections and colours. The collected data enabled me to establish the concrete image and the character of Moon.

When I developed the Moon's personality, this image, below, came up in my heart. This is a colour rough that won the publishing team's thubm's up. 

In order to achieve the second task, I played with children like Max’s age and read out the text for tens of millions times. I also reviewed my huge sketch references, focusing on Max’s emotions and inner world. I could build up his personality that convinced Helen, Matt and Ann. I confidently drew lines and put colours. When Moon was launched at Gleebooks, Margaret Hamilton AM said, "I don't know how much Sadami was led in her choice of how to interpret the story." Behind the good interpretation of the story, there was my profound and extensive research. It established the characters of Moon and Max. (*I'll omit the answers for the third task. It does not relate to character design.)  I could confidently draw lines and put colours.    

The illustration of Moon has become my very important experience to work on following projects. Before Moon, I tried another text for my study with mentor Ann (unpublished). It also became a momentous experience, particularly, to learn character design.  

As I mentioned above, character design is not an easy task, but its process is a great fun. Once, a character has been established and come to alive, s/he moves on papers and shows me how s/he behaves in scenes. So, I work hard on the study of a protagonist and draw lots. In addition, I know Shaun Tan did the huge research of Australian immigrants at State library. His talk of the massive and longitudinal research impressed me most at the book launch of "The Arrival." I've learned lot from Shaun. I thank for all the people teach me and lead me. 

Black and White Max and Dad 

Each illustrator or an artist is different. My approach is above. If you have any interesting and useful way to create a character and if you do not mind, let us share it. 
Friends, Happy Painting!  

    

Character Design in Children Picture Books

1) Edinburgh Uni Press 2) sketch Sydney CBD

Very busy. A new project is a book cover for a second edition of "Intercultural Communication," written by Prof Ingrid Piller, an academic book. It will be published by Edinburgh University Press in Jan, 2017. The book is British Association of Applied Linguistis Book Prize 2012 - Runner Up. Great honour and so happy to work with/for Ingrid! I hope my image will help Ingrid's great work that tries to respect any languages and advocates oppressed languages in the world. When a book cover image comes to me, I'll post it. (*if this topic is boring, skip it and read about Sydney Sketch Club meeting below.) 

The statues at Family Court of Australia

Do you want to know how to have a chat with different language speakers? Why do we sometimes behave differently or similarly in languages and societies? If so, "Intercultural Communication" is the book to read! Full of insights, deep knowledge, good data, so many interesting case studies are drawn from Ingrid's life long and rich linguistic research in a critical approach from all over the world. 

This book also challenges our stereotyped information or prejudice in society. Some say, "Japanese or Asian background overseas students are shy, modest and silent." No, the fact is they cannot get the timing of turn taking in an English conversation and no idea about local topics in a class room. So, they think silent is the safest option. Ingrid demonstrates it with convincing statistical data. Her case studies fascinate me so much and very beneficial to contact other language groups. (I can't wait for a gratis book! Yey!) 

Ingrid is the linguist who can walk across continents and overcomes boundaries such as races, nationalities and languages. I was lucky to have her in my uni life! As far as I know any linguists dream that people will communicate freely in any languages and respect every language. No oppressed languages. No dominant languages. Like other linguists, me, too, hope so.    

A brave artist voluntarily sacrificed herself for my model.

Between the projects, a good break was a Sydney Sketch Club meeting. We enjoyed to sketch around the corner of Pitt St and Goulburn St in Sydney CBD. I sketched members, a hotel and the statues on the gate of Family Court of Australia. The first image is the statues. They were very emotional and eye catchy. A male and a female were struggling for something in a rocky mass in a dark colour. It has fascinated me. I depicted an unfamiliar subject like the statues. The second image is a kind member artist voluntarily sacrificed herself for my model! We, cheeky girls enjoyed a chat and portraits! The image below is the hotel and a street view. I so much enjoyed colours. Next time, I want to put people around architecture on streets. City view sketches will be references for the next picture book. So, I've been focusing on a street view and architectures these weeks. 

A hotel and a street view

Yes, I do sketch hunting. When I come across useful visual information, I'll sketch it. I'm always aware of the ongoing project and nearly obsessed?! It's nothing different from hunting. Then, I've been working on the character design in black and white and colour of the main children. I'm certainly developing their images = my characters will come to life in my heart and on papers. 

Another good news. My computer has been fixed up, finally! You've got why I've been so quiet for these weeks! Please pardon my no comments on your blogs, but I tried my best to contact you. Oh, being without a computer is equal to being out of civilisation and no socialisation! The fractured shoulder and the wrist are recovering steadily and quickly, which has amazed a physiotherapist at hospital. My magic?! is "long distance swimming." 1.5 km. The physio says with her shining eyes, "I'm excited! You do very well. I will recommend other patients to do swimming. You recover much quicker!" The kind physio, too, celebrates my contract with EUP. 

Thank you so much for a strong support. We all have ups and downs in life. In any context, I'm eventually and always optimistic and positive, because of your support.   
Friends, thank you for waiting and visiting. Happy Painting and Happy Communication! Let's enjoy our lives! 

1) Edinburgh Uni Press 2) sketch Sydney CBD