Insanity!

I have this list in my head that has all of these great ideas and things I would like to do. In the morning, I go through that list and pull out the things that just have to be worked on and the things that I really really want to do that day. I gather them all up, snag a cup of coffee, and head to my little corner of the living room to get down to it. Usually, there are a few hiccups that occur, but I manage to get at least one or two of the things handled and off my list.

This has not been the case over the past week.

I have had a near-fire caused by a now-replaced furnace (and, what the heck… we might as well go ahead and replace that heat pump, too!), been put out of my home for four days because there was no heat, lost the key to my car (which I have found), and had a dog go ill with hives. Interesting week. There have been a few other little tidbits, too, but they are actually of little consequence. They were only magnified to me because of the already crazy situation I was in.

But, I digress…

I have accomplished very little. I did finish this portrait of Sharon & Lee that I have been working on. Yay! I actually am very happy with it and I hope they will be, too. Other than that portrait, I cannot think of a thing that I FINISHED. Well… I did update the apps on my iPad. Maybe that counts for something?

People Just Aren’t Like That Anymore….

There are some things that are rare to see anymore.  A young man holding the door, someone stopping to help a fellow driver change a tire, or even a basic “please” or “thank you” are becoming rare occurrences.  Every now and then, you get a small surprise in seeing some good human act of kindness….even if it is small in the eyes of some.  I am lucky to have friends who are those people.  Those good-hearted and kind people.  The interesting twist is…  I haven’t even met most of them.

Back in the day when I was planning my wedding, I signed up at Brides.com because there was this huge forum that had all these women asking each other questions, sharing ideas, and being great support systems to each other.  It was cool.  The women were cool.  Okay…there was one or two that weren’t so helpful, but they didn’t matter because the sheer number of women who were there were completely incredible.

Anyway…  I got to know quite a few of these ladies, and in the 5-6 years since I planned my wedding, I have stuck with them.  We have been together on Facebook for quite some time now.  And there are always new ones… ladies who have “met” other ladies under the same sort of circumstances.  So…we all get to continue to know each other.  We have grown into quite a group.  We have shared childbirth, family stories, progress of our children, new business ventures, big moves, new jobs….and, sadly… we all share in deaths.  We are something of a family, I suppose.

So…  on to the story.

I did some graphic design work for a friend who I know through our cool little group on Facebook.  I was extremely tickled for her when she got engaged and wished I could have gone to her wedding.  She lives several states away.  I don’t think that any of her requests were extreme.  They were, in fact, quite simple and she was happy with whatever I did.  She’s awesome like that.  She said that she would pay me, but I refused.  For me, I was getting to be a small part of her big day that I couldn’t make it to.  That was reward enough.  Apparently, not to her.

In the mail I received a box.  In that box was this sweet Thirty-One bag (I had wanted one forever and she had to have known because she sells them) and art supplies that were exactly what I would have bought myself.  She took the time to have the bag embroidered and figure out what I use for drawing without even asking me.

See?  This is what I mean!  How often do you get to witness, or even be a part of, something like that?  And…. she and I have never met face to face.

I cried.  I was so touched by her thoughtfulness that I cried.  THAT doesn’t happen every day, ladies and gents.

So…  next time someone actually does something thoughtful for you, remember to say “Thank you” and really truly mean it.  As rare as these occurrences are, we can all afford to contribute a little…making our own little moments of kindness.

My very sweet friend also has her own blog.  She is a writer and her blog is really kind of fantastic.  Go check out Read, Rate & Review.  I highly recommend it!

They May Look Out of Place…

My drawing tools of choice may not be every artist’s cup of tea, but they certainly do work for me! I have had some curious looks come from the direction of my husband, who is rarely present when I am drawing, and from others who have that, “What the…?” on their faces when I tell how I did something. So, I thought it might be nice to put some information out there that could explain a little of the behind the scenes.

I love love LOVE using soft paint brushes when I am drawing. They are great for shading skin, blending hair, and softening hardness in a portrait. One thing, though… you have to make sure that the brushes you use are super-soft, or you risk damaging the paper. Trust me… I have done this before and it is a seriously tough fix.

I have a bit of sandpaper that I use to make graphite and charcoal powder for shading with the paint brushes. Any old sandpaper will do, but get a fine grade. You don’t want to end up with large chunks of material stuck in your brush. That would definitely produce a less-than-desirable outcome.

I have blending stumps, though I rarely use them. I have a heavy hand, so they just don’t work well for me.

Of course I have erasers! I mainly use a kneaded eraser because of the pliability.

My pencils vary greatly. I have used charcoal less and less, but when I do use it, it is generally in vine form. I sharpen the vine using the sandpaper and reserve the powder for use in shading. Graphite and carbon have become my favorites. Graphite is just smooth, which gives me a little flexibility. I use Derwent Graphic pencils. Carbon… Fantastic for those super-dark areas that you just can’t seem to get quite dark enough with the graphite. There is no shine to the carbon, either. It’s one of my greatest finds.

Finally, a chamois. Great for lifting graphite to help get the subtle highlights that are needed for the realistic look of a drawing. I recommend getting these from the art section, rather than the automotive or cleaning sections. Those intended for detailing a car or for cleaning often hold chemicals to keep them pliable and preserved during the time that they are packed and shipped. Those that you find in the art section will not. They are made specifically for the purpose of art.

Well…there you go! That’s mainly what I use. If you have any thoughts, feel free to comment.

By the way… I have heard of artists using X-acto knives on their drawings. I have no idea how this works, or what it does, so if you know, please share! I am so curious!!!!

Tips for Drawing Hair

How to Draw Hair

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Stan Prokopenko’s Website offers a great tutorial on drawing hair. My least favorite part of portrait drawing is the hair and trying to make it look natural. These are some very good points on making the hair you draw look more realistic.

Seeing the Drawing Process

I had entirely too much fun with this.

Marilyn has been so cool to draw.  She’s classic!  Plus, I wanted to do a portrait of someone who is pretty well-known so people can see that I don’t do half bad with the portraiture.

Once I decided that I would draw her, I thought it would be a good idea to video what I was doing.  I like time-lapse videos and it might be beneficial to see what I do…from a different perspective.

I think I will do more of this.  I have watched it repeatedly and continue to see things that I might be able to do a little differently…  a learning tool, perhaps?