Sketch Children & Capture Moment of Life

This week, let's sketch children. Often parents or teachers or care givers are with children. Get permission first(*my business card is a helpful ID device). Making friends with children is the best way to sketch them. Technically, the quicker, the better to capture moving children.

I sat next to a mother and a girl having a cream bun...putting cream on around her mouth. While chatting, I sketched her. We, three had a fun.

Not only front faces, I study back figures, too.

Often my style is called, "Loose." A very long way to come to my current style. Try not to draw or paint too much. Overwork is no good for a loose style. If a drawing line is correct, a simple and "single" line is enough and sufficient.

Squint eyes and enhance values. As long as a value and a line are correct, you can do anything in painting --- is my finding.
Regarding drawing skills, bad news is there's no royal road for learning. Good news is everyday sketch improves drawing skills certainly. So, please do not give up and keep up quick sketching even 5 or 10 minutes daily that makes a huge difference in years.

A boy above pulled down the pants and got into a fountain. His parents happily allowed me to sketch him. (*Furthermore, the father took the photos of my sketches and proudly urged me, "Tell them my son, 'so-and-so' is the model!" Ahahaha! Oh, Mom & Dad love the son so much!) Really a fun.
Children's any face expressions or postures are very fascinating. I sometimes sketch a crying child and try to calm her/him down with parents!
(= you can imagine how quickly I sketch kids in bad temper.)
Kids often come close to me, a sketcher and love drawing, too. They soon get I'm working on something important. Children really respect a sketcher and never, ever interrupt my work.



I'm a hunter to capture the moment, as I hardly use photo references.
In my experience, after millions of life model sketches, photo references are helpful. Why? Eyes tell where are a subject's real lines and correct values based on photos. (*I hope my poor English makes sense!)
Life sketching enables an artist to build accurate and detailed visual information on a simple sketch --- even on a stick figure. Oh, yes, a cartoonist is a good example. All good cartoonists are great life sketchers. A reversed way -- using photo references first -- seems counterproductive to learn figurative drawings.

So, "Sketch, sketch, sketch!" That's all and my joy.

The illustration above is based on my daily sketches.
In addition, a person in the work passed away. One family member talked to me(*they remembered we had chatted over a sketch at that time). I asked the person to wait right there and printed out my illustration for the family. We shed tears and held hands together. So, I believe a life sketcher is a guardian of time.

If you are interested in my past posts on quick sketches,
How to Make Quickies PART1
Importance of lines, drawing skills (Edgar Dogas's mentor's quote)How to Make Quickies PART2
Watercolor Quickies = Witty Short Speeches
How to Make Quickies PART3
Loose style = calculated spontaneity
How to Make Quickies PART4
Capturing Face Expressions
Sketch--Part 1 Women
Sketch--Part2 Men
Sketch Part3 Older People
Sketch Part4 Chilndren
Sketch Part5 Children, Artist as Guardian of Time
Enjoy a dessin and a croquis! Let us live our lives fully!

Sketch Children & Capture Moment of Life

Seek New Approaches in Old Masters, Plus Cartoon

Friends, I'm now playing around wash and colors in background for portraits. I'm thrilled with it.

Big brush strokes make a drama (*good paper is essential!).
Another experiment is a "limited pallet."

In order to seek new approaches, I look up great masters. Copying brings new ideas. This "private tutoring by great masters" is freebie! Friends, what a luxury tut! Sure, sketching excites you.

Here, my copies of French masters' drawings from the exhibition, "David to Cezanne" at NSW Art Gallery.

Above, Jean-Baptise Carpeaux, "Ugolino" 1860. (* "Sculptor" and painter) How impressive the model's sharp eyes and strong body language!! And simple expression. Carpeaux never wastes any line. The copying excited me so much. I should use a pen more often.

Below. Francois Marius Granet study of the death of Poussin 1842 ( for a bigger work ). How "simple," again, and a very well-organized composition in a single color! The sketch taught me the importance of a "thumbnail" and monochrome for value study.

My monochrome color work was "Young Boy" for a twenty minutes challenge. The young man and I enjoyed a chat during sketching. 

Another giant, Rembrandt might be in my unconsciousness.
Sydney university invited Australian Linguistics Conference in 2004. Good girl Sadami was sketching speakers rather than listening to lectures:).At a lunch break, we went to a second-hand book market. I bought "Rembrandt." Other students teased at me, "Sadami gonna be a famous artist!" I just blushed up. No idea to become an artist, but I secretly loved drawing and had admired Rembrandt. On a back cover, the single color work struck me, particularly, "Sleeping Woman 1654".

Breathtakingly, I looked, looked, looked into it.... and determined to explore watercolor...and to the present. I made it happen!

Probably, each artist has critical encounters with other artists and decision. Anyone starts with copying and develop originality. My admiring artists have been changed from time to time in seek of a style. Creative activities are identity forming and identity performance. Some people talk to me, "I wish I could draw like you," whistle my sketching on streets. My answer is always the same, "Be what you are."

My one regret in life is that
I am not someone
else.

Woody Allen
ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ
(That quote was on a linguist's door. Bahaha!?)

Let us find who we are in our journeys.

Well, a coffee break for you! A cartoon, "Australian Survival Game" from "A Day in Poor Artist's Life" series.

Is your life ok? Hope this post brings you some smile.
Friends, happy painting, drawing and do lots of "Bhahaha" and survive!!

Seek New Approaches in Old Masters, Plus Cartoon

Paralympians--My Heroes

Yahoo, Friends, I enjoyed Paralympic Warm Up in Sydney at the stadium in Sydney Olympic Park. It was held just before "The International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships" from January 21-30, 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

For the first time, I met the Paralympians and watched their great game in my eyes. Not many audience were at seats. But "not busy" was good for me to meet athletes in person, had a chat with them and their lovely coach, Ms Mandi Cole "volunteering" (what a tough word in an economic aspect...she is so noble.) So, Mandi(below) professionally coaches Olympic athletes, too, in Victoria.

Paralympians and Olympic athletes practice together. Mandi also looks after Japanese paralympic players. International. But Friends, what's the difference of disabilities in people? No. Nothing to do with narrow concepts of nationalities or races.

I saw how caring Mandi was! Really, really sensitive and extensive for each team member and even to me, a stranger with a walking stick. Her rapport with the team was great, as if she were providing "love." INDEED! Once, Mandi sensed an athlete needed backup, she immediately came closer and had a talk with an enormous care. It moved me so much. (even though she was very, very shy regarding my sketching! Cute!!)

From Mandi, I've learned lots about paralympic athletes and games.
"Sadami, look at a board over there. The number besides an athlete means a defined difficulty such as an amputated leg, arm, where was amputated, blind, intellectual disabilities etc." I see...
"And they can check a world record (in their categories) such as a blind can run right on a track etc" Got it! "Get into IPC web and you can get detailed information," Mandi added.

The game and players touched my heart. Oh, I nearly shed tears. A blind long jumper got set, but the audience's noises disturbed his trial. Background music was stopped and an announcement asked us cooperation. We kept dead silence. Then, his coach started clapping his hands and shouting. High tension. Go! He made it!! All of us gave the player a big applause. This isn't real Olympic spirit? We cheer up anyone!

You should see how strong and fast amputated athletes run. Amazing. They had specially designed amputated legs for sports. Wheelchair races were very exciting that reminded me of the movie, "Ben-hur."

According to Mandi, "(a wheelchair is) Very, very light." Although I sent big cheers for Australia, I sent the biggest cheer for the last runner and so did other team members!! Very humane and touchy.

In my observation, all amputated long jumpers used their amputated legs for jump. Is it a rule? "No," said Mandi. "An amputated leg has a spring and more bounce than the other. It is slightly longer than the other." Oh, I see...

The paralympians are young and full of energy. I saw their family members, too. Nothing. Nothing different from a person without disabilities. I know some people give up their lives and hope...and do not try rehabilitation at all. Friends, do you realize I use the term, "people with disabilities, " not "disabled people." I believe these athletes are never disabled. Neither am I.

This encounter cheered me up very much. I heard that a middle aged gentleman recently amputated has decided to challenge learning a wheelchair. Wow, great encouraging!! Mandi recommends me a bicycle or a tricycle like my podiatrist. My podiatrist is making new orthoticses right now. I do not give up hope. Rehabilitation is boring, which requires a very long term. (*at least 3 months are needed to see some result from physiotherapy). Some people drop out from it.

But I'd like to tell,"Don't lose heart. Never give up your great abilities and the potential. Where there's a will, there's a way and always PEOPLE who happily help you like Mandi! You're not alone and shining, when you maximize you." So, Friends, if you know anyone with disabilities and down-and-out, please pass this post to her/him.

yes...Sadami is flying!

Lastly, special thanks for all the paralympians and Mandi who gave me courage and hope for the future. I'll never forget you all!Hip, Hip, Hurray, Hurray, my heroes!!

Paralympians--My Heroes

First Chinese Emperor Exhibition at NSW Art Gallery

Friends, the entombed terracotta soldiers at the First Chinese Emperor Exhibition at NSW Art Gallery  are wonderful. *Qin Shihuang 秦始皇(259–210 BCE*=Before the Common Era)

In all, life size 8 warriors and 2 horses are displayed. The videos show the huge tomb and the excavation process. The first sketch, a charioteer caught my heart. He looks very nice and handsome. Many soldiers are quite Dundees. Their "fashionable" hair styles in variation and mustaches tickle girls in 2011.

Wow..., each one has a different personality and a face expression. Look taller than me(=170cm) and slender. Most original colors painted on them were gone. They, tens of thousands of terracotta have silently served the emperor for more than 2,000 years.

The work above was very hard to paint in a so poor light, nearly darkness. (I wanted to cry out! But I did not give up painting!)

The horses are beautiful and idealized. They look neat&tidy and strong. I enjoyed putting colors in a background.

The genearl's head protection(or hair style??) is very unique.

The military officer in an armour looks so elegant from a side. Obviously, he was holding a weapon in his hand.

A written language changes much more slowly than an oral language. An interesting finding, "Chinese characters are still the same." = They were systematically established and already used at the First Emperor's era. Amazing! Japanese borrowed Chinese characters long time ago before original Japanese letters developed and still uses traditional Chinese characters up to now. So, I comprehend old Chinese letters aftermath two thousands years! If a solider and I should meet, certainly, we can enjoy a chat on paper. Isn't it nice that stimulates imagination ? (*I'm unable to pronounce them. Phonologically, Chinese, a tone language is totally different from Japanese, not a tone language.) What would these warriors tell me?

How many people worked for years to make those terracotta armies, elaborated crafts and the huge tomb?
Little Sadami really loved reading books on old civilizations and had a great interest in dead languages. At uni, I wondered if I could be an archaeologist at a 1st year. No, I would not. But history units revealed that most historical "left overs"-- written records, crafts etc, were made by a hegemonic group or the powerful. Always, powerless or voiceless people are invisible in history.

The First Emperor was working on another famous project, the Great Walls. Once, I read a very sad Chinese "folk tale" ; so many heart-breaking wives and women's cries actually made bricks off from walls, as their husbands, loves, sons had to leave them behind...probably, most labours, I assume, never came back.... "(Recorded) history is a winner's history," a uni history lecturer's say echos in my heart.... The soldiers remain silent. Unlike the first emperor, my life is a tiny drop in an ocean. So, I always want to look at us, the voiceless and depict our daily life in drawing and painting. The evidence of life.

Hey, Friends, I've started handling a background ?! Yep! I'll keep up!
Enjoy life fully!

First Chinese Emperor Exhibition at NSW Art Gallery

Happy New Year!!

Friends, Happy New Year!!
Are you floating or drawn in an ocean of wine or champing?

*I met this macho man in a train on the way to fire works. Of course, I wanted to sketch his "pretty cap," so cute! My quickie made him so happy and he sent it to friends by a mobile phone. Other people in the train got amazed that I did it on the spot, while having a chat with him. Hahahaha?!


My new year resolutions for art and blogging are reasonably achieveable. Never rigid nor tough on myself.

1) From 10th, Jan, upload the blog every Monday like before.

2) Explore watercolor.
Play with different techniques, styles and materials. More experiments. When I sketch on a spot in limited time, it's physically hard to put wash on a background like a studio work. My assignment is how to handle a background and do not lose livliness like quickies.
Friends, your blogs have stimulated me so much!

3) Challenge landscape.

I'm sketching buildings or landscape nearly everyday. A long way to go.

4) More illustrations, focus on story telling. Illustrate a classic story.

5) Lots of cartoons. Stress busters.

*The work above is my true episode in childhood. After that, I learned that human beings need wings! My wings are imagination and creativity in art.
6) Life drawing. Watercolor "directly" on paper.
Friends, your comments, "Do you paint first?" gave me that idea.

The work above was made several years ago. Having a couple for models was very rare. At that time, I was exploring a loose style. Not easy and suffered much. But today, a loose style is great fun. Now, I want to paint papers directly to save time, above all, to make work more dynamic and lively.

7) Still Life, especially, "Flowers."
Blog Friend, Irina Sztukowski's great advice.

8) Develop my ideas/quick drawings.
By the way, how do you pin down when you hit an idea? Inspirations are much like butterflies for me. Ubiquitous and gone so quick. I always make a quick drawing. Otherwise, I'll forget it. But I did not use well captured ideas last year. So, maximize quickies this year.

Thinking too much is no good for me. Just moving hands is the best.
(*At uni, I was known a person who thought which leg should be put into pants on a morning bed side.) So...

9) Just DO it, Sadami!!
...is my resolution. And, after that, "Daarrling, I'll set you free..." and reward myself ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ .

My favorite say goes...

To live your life in your own way
To reach the goals you've set for yourself
To be the person you want to be
That's success

I become "myself." That's all.

May 2011 will be a wonderful and productive year for you all.
May a good health will be with you. Take care.

Happy New Year!!

Last Laugh for 2010 : Special Thanks for All Visitors and Friends

Hi, Friends~! Thank you for visiting my blog in 2010.

When I started up a blog this February, I was so worried that I could handle it. But with many people's help and cheers, I've come to today.
I do not call you a follower. My favorite say goes...

“Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” ---Albert Camus

My rule of thumb was/is "I respect my visitor fully." So, I chose a letter style to write comments. I've visited all Friends' blogs(*some people do not have blogs). I've replied for any visitor as a precious guest, certainly and courteously with all my heart.

Backstage story. It took several years to make a decision to run a blog since my linguistics professor had encouraged me. I even did not know a word, "blog" until Professor mentioned. What was worse, I was hopeless for a computer. With the caring Professor and other established artists' help, I made a start. Of course, I sat up till 2 or 3 o'clock in the middle of night and cursed at an "innocent" computer!

But above all, many visitors, Friends, "your" comments lifted me up in my ups and downs. Oh, too good to describe what I felt in language. Yes, beyond language. Friends, you've backed up me.

Now, here, "The Last Laugh!" for you at the end of 2010.
I came across this at a Christmas service long, long time ago. Ever since, I hang it at a kitchen. Have fun and cheer you up!

23 Things to Always Remeber and One Thing Never to Forget

1) Your presence is a present to the world.
2) You are unique and one of a kind.
3) Your life can be what you want it to be.
4) Take the days just once at a time.
5) Count your blessings, not your troubles.
6) You'll make it through whatever comes along.
7) Within you are so many answers.
8) Understand, have courage, be strong.
9) Don't put limits on yourself.
10) So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
11) Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
12) Reach for your peak, your goal and your prize.
13) Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
14) The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.
15) Don't take things too seriously.
16) Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.
17) Remeber that a little love goes a long way.
18) Remember that a lot love goes forever.
19) Remeber that friendship is a wise investment.
20) Life's treasures are people...together!
21) Realize that it's never too late.
22) Do ordinary things in extraordinary ways.
23) Have health, hope and happiness.

And don't EVER forget, for even a day, How very special you are!! Special Thanks for All Visitors and Friends!

Last Laugh for 2010 : Special Thanks for All Visitors and Friends

"Special" Christmas Table Manner to Be Happy...

My motto, "Life is short. Take dessert first," becomes the detailed table manner for a Christmas season. Developed in a way more sophisticated and highly elaborated. Already used among fat cats and proved the powerful effectiveness of this practical table strategy. Thus, highly recommendable for a public use.
(*WARNING: The side effect of this table manner is "Feel earth gravity more and later.")

Anyway, wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare... You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" Have a great holiday season!!

Friends, have a biiiiig fat dinner and enjoy parties!

"Special" Christmas Table Manner to Be Happy...