Day 8: End of Week 1 + 1 Day

I haven't been able to get to the computer over the last few days, but I thought now would be a good time to give a summary of what's going on for me right now.
Here are my last two drawings:

The latter is really a part of week 2. The former I plan on finishing in colour sometime in the future. Here is a collection of all the sketches I did from this past week:

I will be posting some skeches tomorrow for the bi-weekly illustration I'm working on. I'm going to switch up my sketches so they reflect my illustration style rather than just sketches from things around me. I'll be using more photos for references, and my drawings will be more like my illustrations. I think I'll be working against myself if I don't make this change now. I have a lot of things to think about, so I'm going to call it a night.

Day 5: A Litte Bit of Colour

I wanted to try a little colour in today's sketch. I chose both the right and wrong time to do it. I was all set up, ready to go around 2:30pm, but I had all these silly little distractions. They were stupid little things, really. I needed to set up an appointment for the vet, because Toby (my cat) keeps limping on and off. I couldn't find my tubes of watercolour, so I had to use the colours dried on my pallet (So much for yellow!).  In a blink of an eye I realized that it was getting late and I was losing my light source (It was 4..ish? when I finally started, which actually was better than last night!). I started out light when it was still bright out, and started using darker, more saturated colours as I moved on. I stopped when my cat decided I had spent enough time in front of the window, so I had to get out of her way, or let her drink my paint water. I'm far from mastering water colours but I had fun!  Here's the result:

I've always found working with watercolours much like owning a cat. You can't really train them to do what you want: they do what They want, and You have to conform to their needs. If you tell them what to do, they'll tell you in their own way to get bent, and go right ahead and do whatever it was they had planned to do in the first place -- as if you never existed. Even if you think you've figured them out they will come back and surprise you... sometimes in very unpleasant ways.

Day 4: The Accidental on Purpose Self Portrait

I decided to do a Self-Portrait today because I couldn't think of anything else to draw that didn't make want to gag. I've always preferred to draw organic things. Still life drawings always kill me, so does drawing anything with strait lines. I know, I know, I'll have to force myself to draw these things to be a great artist. I think I'll try it tomorrow, or the next day... perhaps the day after that...

It's not a particularly wonderful drawing, but I had fun playing with the textures. If I did it again I could do better, but I'll wait awhile before trying it again. For now I'm off to make supper. Also I need to do something about my cat... she wont quit whining.

Day 3: Things are Already Going Wrong

On my third day things are already going awry! I decided to draw a glass, and the glass refused to be drawn. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I spent an ample amount of time on it, so I'm letting it go. This glass will have to be drawn on a different day, after it's decided not to be so difficult.

Day 2: Don't Laugh at Me (Unless I'm Funny)

So it's day two and I'm finding out how out of practice I really am. Sure, I've done the occasional drawing and started a few paintings, but I haven't been serious about art since... forever. It use to be a lot easier for me, this drawing thing. My faces actually looked like faces and not... well various other parts of the human anatomy.  I did find that it's easier sketching a sleeping cat than a sleeping husband.

I think I should clarify something about my Illustrations. The Illustrations I plan to do will be for children's books and magazines. Maybe I'm trying to recapture some part of my youth, maybe I want to be lazy and not draw to my potential, or maybe I think that children's illustration can be one of the highest forms of art. In any case: If you think children's illustration is inferior to other forms of art, then this is the wrong blog for you.

I don't mind posting every sketch I do, but I'm not sure if this website will take all the artistic wonder I will be bestowing upon it. Every week or so I'll be posting my sketches in a single image, so this blog doesn't become too cluttered. I will be working the better sketches into my blog, also I will be including drafts of my drawings as they progress. I have an idea, so I'm hoping to get some sketches ready to share.

Day 1: How to Make a Sleeping Man Lie Still.

So my first sketch is a rather unsuccessful sketch of my husband sleeping on the couch. Some days I can catch him sleeping still for hours and others he's worse than a little kid. It would make it easier if he were awake, but then, really, what could I complain about? Let this be a lesson to all you children out there: Don't work 3rd shift. If you do: Don't work it as a manager...of anything. Or else your wives will be drawing terrible drawings of you sleeping on the couch.

I'm hoping to change the overall look of this blog over the next week. The colours are alright, but they are certainly not me. In case you are wondering I'm an American living in Canada, therefore I will be most likely using both the British and American spellings of everything (what fun!). I should probably note that I would have done the same either way, but this way I hold the illusion of it being someone else's fault rather than my own.

Anyways before I blog your ear off, I shall say adieu. I lift my wheat germ scone and my glass of juice and say, here's to a promising 2010.

The Resolution

At the risk of being one of the millions who make a New Years resolution and don't follow through with it, I'm here creating a blog about my life as an artist. I am 31 years old. Married to a wonderful man named Peter. I have a BFA in Drawing. I am currently working as a Graphic Artist at a family owned printing company.

The Bottom Line: I'm bored with my current life. I need to make serious changes so I can not only become an artist, but also be happy with where I am with my life.

The Goal:
In the following 365 days I will be creating my portfolio to be published on the web. 


The Rules:


1. Every single day I will draw (or paint) at least one sketch from life in my sketch book.
2. I will write (non boring) blog updates on a regular basis - writing at least 5 blogs a week.
3. I will create 26 illustrations (one every two weeks) that may be used in my portfolio.
4. I will design one working web page to host my final portfolio of at least 15 illustrations.
5. I will add artwork to my blog to prove that I'm making the progress I claim.


More rules may be added later, but none will be removed. There will be no excuses for not finishing these goals.*


*Acts of God may slow down the process, but I believe the disbelief in such a being will greatly increase my chances of avoiding such problems.  Family deaths will be greatly dissuaded. Kidnapping, mugging, and other violent crimes are just silly. In case of death please disregard this blog, as it no longer applies... unless I can find a way to come back from the dead, but then the point is just mute.