Painting

[Hound dog]

Well..........It's been interesting.

I've been drawing and sketching since as far back as I can recall. I did one pastel portrait that turned out really nice first time I played with that medium. And took an oil painting class with my sis right out of hs where the instructor painting the example, and we did what she did. lol

So basically, this is my first time painting. This guy does not show you what to do. He offers suggestions and gives very vague instructions. Which I've discovered isn't very helpful when you've never 1. attempted anything in color and 2. never worked with paints before.

My first painting is an otter resting on a log. I wasn't allowed to trace the image onto the canvas because I'm also in his drawing class. So, I managed to sketch the otter onto the paper and get it right. (when he saw me just sitting there staring at it, he gave me some very helpful tips on how to do this) Then he set me loose to paint the darn thing.

Three wks in and I think Darrin could do a better job. I'm not good at mixing paint. Period. Obviously this takes ALOT of practice. Plus I'm trying hard not to make those lines I drew totally disappear so I know what I'm doing. Instructor says I'm doing wonderfully and not to worry.

Ok bud. Your the instructor and big shot artist.

Last week and this week I've been working on his fur. Oh, this is an adventure! Layer after layer of paint with an itty bitty brush. Takes forever. And he still doesn't look quite right, although better than before.

Tonight I get started early because I'm behind everyone else. Yes, leave it to me to pick the hardest thing possible to try to do the first time. I found out just how much harder it is when the other students in the more advanced classes kept commenting on it. Sigh

So I'm working hard on layering my fur. I'm starting to get the hang of it. (finally!) And this elderly gentleman, I'll call him Frank, sat down to paint next to me. Frank is in the very advanced class. OMG his paintings are fabulous!!!

Frank leans over to see what I'm painting and says, "My you've picked a hard one to do!"

I agreed and told him it was also my first painting. He told me he thought I was doing a wonderful job. Which made me feel good coming from him.

So I keep painting. Determined to get that darned fur done once and for all. Hours people. And all the while...........as he was painting a gorgeous old victorian home for a commission......Frank was watching me paint my otter. And he kept encouraging me. And I started to actually have fun.

But something was still wrong with the darn thing. And Frank took the reference photo and helped me fix the face. I wanted to hug him.

Now my otter is just about done. Thank goodness as everyone else is well into their 2nd painting.

Then Frank told me as we were packing up to leave.......that he would never dare attempting something as hard as I had.

Oh, well. I'm just glad he looks like he's supposed to and I didn't manage to ruin it. lol And now I know how to paint fur! But next time, I'm doing something simple....like a tulip. So I can learn how to do flower pedels. Nichole is doing an awesome flower this time. It's turning out beautiful. Then my last one will be a landscape so I can learn to do that.

I'm trying to cram all I can out of this class cuz I may not get a chance to take any more.

The instructor wants me to paint a baby elephant I have in my sketch book for my next painting........ I tend to draw animals alot. But I'd rather learn to do the other things instead.

I'll post my otter when he's finished so you can see him. I think I just may frame him and hang him in my livingroom.

 

[everywoman]

Good for you Daisy. While I know it may get frustrating, it sounds like you are having fun too and growth only comes when we reach beyond what we know we can do and attempt what we've never done before.

 

[gcvmom]

But next time, I'm doing something simple....like a tulip.

Me? I'd pick something simple..... like a STICK figure.

Well, you otter know that fools rush in where other's fur to paint... or something like that.

You got guts, girl. Guts. You go for the gusto or you don't go at all! That's the best way to live life. Kudos to you for sticking your neck out there and biting off more than you can paint! What's that saying, something about if we never reach for the stars.... You get the picture, er, rather, paint the picture!

 

[Abbey]

I'd struggle with the stick figure.

I'll be eagerly waiting to see the photo! My daughter does Sharpie art. She's actually quite good. I'll take some pixs today and put them up.

Abbey

 

[Hound dog]

I'll just be glad to be done with the darn thing. lol This is something I've wanted to do for ages, just never had the opportunity. And I'm going to have fun with it this summer. Then once the expensive paint runs out......I'll have to go buy cheaper, because I can't afford it. Now I know why artists starve. It can be an awfully expensive hobby. But I figure I can practice with the cheap stuff and move on to the more expensive materials when I get better at it.

Abbey, I'd love to see your daughter's sharpie art! I think that's so cool. I can't stand the smell of a sharpie long enough to use it for anything. lol

 

[Star*]

I think it's odd -

I had an art teacher in high school that was VERY self-absorbed. She had one dark and moody boy in our class and he got to paint whatever he wanted to. THe rest of us had to draw/paint what she TOLD us to. His name was Edward - Edward could have taken a dump on her desk and she would have made an artsy calligraphy written tag for it, named it and called it art.

So the rest of us despite having some skills - NEVER got attention. We had the same teacher in middle school -so glad to go to HS and then the art teacher at the hs retired so we got Artilla the Hun again. We had to do a self-portrait and I remember her picking up my canvas and saying THIS IS WHAT NOT TO DO - I hated her. And MY Father was an artist. lol

I can draw, I can paint on walls - I love to do colored pencils and chalk or charcoal. I can't for the LIFE of me paint on canvas. I've tried. I recently tried to paint a bull Mastiff for the ASPCA here to auction and well - it looks like EMOart....if the dog was any more sad they'd prescribe puppy uppers. But - ask me to paint the same dog on a wall? Beautiful.

Maybe if it's going badly with your otter you can call it - dead otter on a log - and win first prize. I saw your pencil work and you have mad skillzzzz. Don't let working in this medium stop you.

I saw my art teacher years later. She was still the same miserable person she was years before. I chalked it up to some people are at their most creative when they are depressed and miserable - maybe she figured that out and just got stuck on sad. DUnno - don't care.

Hugs
Keep drawing!

 

[Hound dog]

Star

I had an art teacher in high school that was VERY self-absorbed. She had one dark and moody boy in our class and he got to paint whatever he wanted to. THe rest of us had to draw/paint what she TOLD us to. His name was Edward - Edward could have taken a dump on her desk and she would have made an artsy calligraphy written tag for it, named it and called it art.

I'm wondering if that is a *thing* with art teacher's "pets"??

We have a hs kid in the class. Kid has the personality of a pencil. Literally. If he talked any slower, I'd start finishing his sentences for him. He sounds like he's stoned most of the time. But isn't. For a while I wondered if he had aspergers......but I don't think so. Just an odd kid.

Anyway, our teacher goes on and on about this kid's "art". I know art is in the eye of the beholder........but c'mon! The kid's art consists of stick figure cartoons! This kid paints what he wants. The rest of us are expected to do the assignment. Then later gush at whatever stick painting/drawing this kid has come up with while the teacher goes on and on about how fabulous it is.

I could've done this kid's "art" in the 3rd grade. Oh, and it's supposed to be political satire. Ok, kid is still in hs........I doubt he knows enough about politics and life in general to produce art with political satire. Most of his themes also revolve around grade school level.

Our teacher is spending money so this kid can do Performance Art for the spring fling this year. Gag me.

Drives me nuts. And I'm not the only one. Heck, we've got a lady who has never attempted to draw or paint in her life producing paintings way above this kid's level!

I don't get it either.

Although I did tell Nichole I was sorely tempted to produce the same type of painting (it would take all of maybe a half hour) and see if it got the same response. lol

At least our teacher isn't the depressed sort. And he does give praise to other students........Still........If I were this kid's parent and was spending the money for him to get an Art Degree and this was the best he could do........I'd stop paying.

I'll keep drawing. And I'm determined to get the painting down. I'll just keep working with the cheap stuff until I'm more comfortable. lol

But Star, I'd think painting on a wall would be much harder than canvas! But then, I have issues with the easel. lol I got mad last night and refused to use it......and my painting went much better. Putting paint on a cavas is not as easy as it looks. I'm using acrylics as "watercolor".......so one time it goes on perfect, the next it's either too watery or too thick. sigh But I have improved. If I hadn't, I'd have continued to use the mediums I'm more comfortable with.

My hs art teacher was a witch. She was the reason I didn't take anymore art classes in school. She hated everyone's work. I never did figure out how I got an A when she hated everything I did.

 

[AnnieO]

Don't feel bad. I draw on graph paper... That's as good as I get.

 

[trinityroyal]

I'm wondering if that is a *thing* with art teacher's "pets"??

I think it must be.

I used to love to draw as a small child, but got really soured on it in Grade 8. The art teacher at my school simply HATED me. She ripped apart everything I did, and I was getting Cs in her class, even though I worked super hard and my artwork seemed comparable to that of the other kids.

So, one day I tried an experiment. My friend Stephanie and I swapped projects before handing them in. She was the teacher's favourite, and was getting As in the class. When the teacher returned the projects, I got a C- with Stephanie's project, and she got an A+ with mine.

So, at least I knew that it wasn't me. Still, it really did kill my love of drawing. It's never really come back either.

Now, my Creative Writing teacher back in university had that depression thing going on, but that's another story for another day...

Trinity

 

[Abbey]

Lisa...here are the sharpy pieces as well as a canvas one. Sharpy art is really quite interesting. She takes photos, then grids them off with a pen and uses that as her guide to do the artwork. The cactus one was the first canvas painting she ever did. Not perfect, but pretty darn good.

The one with the guy's hand on his head was the FIRST TIME EVER H lost at playing Monopoly. We all thought he was going to cry.

Abbey

 

[Hound dog]

Abbey she does a wonderful job! I am in love with that flower!!! OMG!

I just can't take the smell of a sharpie. Besides, I need to be able to erase mistakes.......or paint over them. lol

I'll have to show these to Nichole. I have a feeling she'll want to try this.......although it will have to be in another room.

Trinity, why don't you go out and pick up a cheap sketch book and give it a whirl again? Great stress releaver. Thanks to that hs teacher I stopped drawing and such for years. Then started drawing things for the kids.......and got hooked again. lol

Weird though, since the brain injury..........I swear to God I've vastly improved!! Must have shook up some wiring in the brain.