ONLINE ART COURSE - COMPLETING THE PASTEL PENCILS MODULE, THE FIRST SHEET OF PEPPERMINT TEABAG STAINS, AND COLOURED PENCIL UPDATE Pastel Pencils Self-Directed Challenge - Facial Features This afternoon I finished this challenge at last. It's been a busy couple of weeks, what with being ill and getting my new glasses and various…
NEW ART MATERIALS, MORE TEABAG STAINS, AND CATARACT NEWS Coloured pencils A couple of years ago I got a set of Derwent Coloursoft pencils. These wax-based coloured pencils are very soft and creamy, and blend very well, but it is impossible to retain a sharp point on them and they are not good…
ONLINE ART COURSE - SELF-DIRECTED CHALLENGE PT 2 Today I completed the second facial feature on the self-directed challenge in pastel pencils. I'm not entirely happy with the result, but the ear is a complicated structure. The lighting on the reference photo was pretty strong, resulting in lots of contrast, but I think…
ONLINE ART COURSE - PASTEL PENCILS - SELF-DIRECTED CHALLENGE It's hard to believe that we have come to the end of the fourth module of the course! How time flies... As always, the final project is the "self-directed challenge" where Phil, the teacher, gives us something to do and then leaves us to…
3-D MANDALA - METAL WITH PINK GEMSTONES, A NEW DRAWING TOOL, AND A HEALTH UPDATE 3-D Mandala Background First of all, I am not involved in any way with the spiritual aspects of mandalas. I just enjoy drawing them as an art concept. The way one builds up concentric circles with different patterns…
ONLINE ART COURSE - PORTRAIT IN PASTEL PENCILS, AND ANOTHER UTI The third project in the pastel pencil drawing module of the course was a charming portrait of a little girl blowing bubbles. When I first saw what we were expected to draw, as always, I thought it was much too hard! However,…
ONLINE ART COURSE - PASTEL PENCILS - HEN This is the second project in this module. Although I am improving, I still struggle with proportion! I marked the extremities of my drawing before beginning, and it came out much too small! I didn't use the proportional divider. Apart from this, I am pretty…
ONLINE ART COURSE - PASTEL PENCILS - AVOCADO Now that my pastel pencils have finally arrived, and I had a nice quiet day on my own today, I was able to settle down and work on the first project in the fourth module of the course, which is pastel pencils. I had thought…
NEW PASTEL PENCILS, AND COLOURING SOME OLD DRAWINGS Faber Castell pastel pencils My new pastel pencils arrived today, a day earlier than scheduled, which is excellent. Tomorrow I am hoping to settle down and begin the Pastel Pencils module on the art course, which I have had to delay because my existing set…
GRAPHITE DRAWING - KITCHENAID FOOD MIXER Only a couple of days to go before my new pastel pencils arrive, and I can continue with the online art course work. In the meantime I am trying to practise drawing every day (I don't always manage it but it's important to keep trying!). Originally I…
