The Creative Spirit

Graffiti Challenge #62

2012-02-08T06:04:00.000-05:00

Last year I came across a documentary on graffiti while looking for something to watch on Netflix. At that time I was struggling with making a connection with my middle school students during their time in the art room. I watched the documentary, and to my surprise, became inspired by the colors and lines. I started working on my own graffiti style drawings and turned what I had learned into an art lesson for my middle school students. I have continued working on my graffiti skills (only on paper) and have learned so much with this process. At the end of last year I decided to challenge myself to do 200 graffiti drawings. The purpose of doing this is to demonstrate to students how much of a difference practice makes. This year I started doing an art battle with my students where I post a different word every couple of weeks and they draw that word. I also do a drawing of the word and give it to the winner of the battle as part of their prize. They also get to pick out some art supplies like sharpie markers, mechanical pencils, click erasers, etc. For this drawing I used Prismacolor and Touch markers. I prefer the touch markers at this point.

Abstract Watercolor Painting Lesson

2012-02-05T15:32:00.002-05:00

I got the idea for this lesson from a pin on Pinterest and thought I would do it with my eighth grade students for their first art project with me this year. It looked easy to do and I thought it would be a good way to break the ice and get them warmed up with a low-pressure project.

Supplies:

12x18 white drawing paper

black ink

straw

watercolor paints & brushes

Step 1: Place drops of ink on your paper (one at a time) and blow it around the paper using a straw. The amount of air you push through the straw will determine how your ink moves around. I tried to vary my air pressure as much as possible. Allow the ink to dry before moving onto the next step.

Step 2: Using watercolors, add color to the white parts of the paper. I used my ink splots as guides for some of my colors and for others I let them stop randomly. The purpose for me doing this lesson with my students is to let them experiment with watercolor paints. I will show them different painting techniques prior to them starting with the watercolors and then have them try out the different techniques.

Step 3: Continue adding colors until your paper is filled, leaving no white spaces. I decided to use only a few different colors for my painting. I think I will encourage my students to pick a few colors but will allow them to use as many as they want since the purpose is to have them experiment.

Overall I'm happy with the way the project example turned out. However, I think it would have looked better if I used liquid watercolors instead, so the colors would be more intense.

Imperfection Zentangle Journal Page

2012-01-30T05:56:00.002-05:00

This challenge was posted over at Zentangles and Stuff and I thought it looked like fun. It was very simple to do, yet very much a challenge for me. The challenge was to free-hand draw a tic-tac-toe board in a journal page. Then, fill in 4 of the squares with writings and the rest of the squares with tangles. The challenging part for me was to journal about how imperfection has enhanced my life or art. I don't like imperfection, in my life or in my art. This is something I struggle with every day. When I work on my art I am usually very tense because I am always worried about making a mistake. The great thing about doing Zentangles is that you can relax and not worry so much about mistakes. When I did the writing sections I wrote more about not liking imperfections and less about how they have enhanced my life or art. I still really enjoyed doing this page and like the idea of using the grid for my page.

Op Art Hands That POP!

2012-01-29T07:02:00.001-05:00

I found this lesson while doing a Google image search for hands and thought I would try doing it with my current sixth grade art students. I think what attracted me most to the lesson is how simple it is to do. I mean what can be easier than tracing your hand? It also looks really cool when it is finished!

Step 1: Trace your hand lightly using a pencil. Do this step as lightly as possible because your original outline of your hand should not show when finished.

Step 2: Using a thin black Sharpie marker, start adding your lines. Start at the bottom of the page where your arm is and draw a curved line on the arm and then straight lines for the background. I had my students start by using a pencil for the first four or five lines until they got the hang of it, then using the marker to add the rest.

Tips:

Make sure your curved lines line up with the straight line in the background.
Do not trace your outline with the black marker.
Place your lines close together. If there is too much space between your lines it will not look like the hand is popping off the page.

Step 3: Continue adding lines and moving up the paper towards the top of the page. When doing the fingers I found it was easier to curve your lines in the opposite direction instead of trying to add straight lines there.

Step 4: The most difficult part of this project is ending the fingers. I found it somewhat difficult to find a way to get back to straight lines at the top once you get past the finger tips. Try to flatten out your line as much as possible so it no longer matches the curve of the fingers.

Step 5: Choose three colors, using a color scheme, and color between your black lines using colored pencils. I used a monochromatic color scheme for my example. I also gradated my colors to help the hand pop off the page. I finished by using a kneaded eraser to lift some of the color off the ridges of the fingers, hand, and arm.

I did this lesson with my sixth grade students but I think it could be done with younger students as well. Once I knew what mistakes were common, I could explain the lesson to them a little bit better and avoid those mistakes.

Getting Started with ATCs (Artist Trading Cards)

2012-01-20T05:18:00.003-05:00

This is going to be a very basic tutorial in starting to make and trade Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). I have been involved in this for of art for many years and have found it to be highly addictive!

History of Artist Trading Cards:

Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as a baseball or Pokemon card (2.5 x 3.5 inches). ATCs originated in 1997 by the Swiss artist M. Vanci Stirnemann. ATCs are part of the mail art movement.

Rules:
There are very few rules pertaining to making and trading ATCs. However, the ones that do exist MUST be followed. They are:

size = 2.5x3.5 inches
ATCs are traded not sold
Signed and dated on the back
Neatness counts

Step 1:
The first thing you need to get started making ATCs are blank cards. Regular white card stock makes excellent blank cards. Cards should be cut exactly 2.5 x 3.5 inches and as straight as possible. I use a cutting board to make my cards. If you do not have access to card stock or other similar paper you could use empty food boxes (cereal, mac & cheese, microwave popcorn, etc).
I bought my cardstock at OfficeMax.
*** If you use a standard weight paper make sure you mount it to a heavier paper. ATCs should never be as thin as regular weight paper.

Step 2:
The next thing you need to do is decide what type of card you want to make (drawing, painting, collage, etc) and what you want to put on the card (your subject matter). This is entirely up to you, unless you are doing a themed swap with someone. I you are using blanks cut from food boxes you will most likely need to cover it with a piece of white or color paper first.

Step 3:
The previous step shows the beginning stage of the card. I still need to add color and mount it to stiffer paper.
Here is what my card looks like when finished. You can't tell here, but I have mounted it to a stiffer background to make it more durable. To do this I used a glue stick and then stuck the card under a heavy stack of books until the glue dried.

Step 4:
To finish your card the final step is to sign and date the back of the card. You can also include a title for your miniature work of art and contact information for future trades. This can be done as simply as writing the information on the back of the card or you can get fancy and print out stickers or labels to stick on the back of your card.

Step 5:
When your card is finished and ready to trade you will want to store it in a safe place. For me, this means putting it into a clear plastic sleeve and then storing it in a metal tin until it is ready to be shipped to a new owner. I buy my sleeves at Target or Toys R Us. They are cheap (around $3 for 200) and can be found by the trading cards. I don't remember where I bought the tin, but I believe it is called a tea tin.

Trading:
The last thing to do is find someone who is interested in trading one of their cards for your card. A great place to start is the ATCforall site. Post your card in the gallery and wait for someone to take interest in it. You can also contact me. I would be more than happy to be your first trade!

#61 Graffiti Challenge

2012-01-18T05:37:00.002-05:00

Another one for a student. This one is done with markers and colored pencils.

Graffiti Challenge #60

2012-01-17T05:36:00.001-05:00

Another one done for one of my students. Prismacolor and Touch markers.

Graffiti Challenge #59

2012-01-16T06:17:00.001-05:00

Another drawing for one of my students. Did this one over winter break so I did a Grinch theme. Still working towards my goal of 200 drawings. My students are always very excited to receive their drawings. I do not tell them when I draw their names... I just do the drawing and give it to them the next time they come to art class. Again, Prismacolor and Touch markers.

#58 - Graffiti challenge

2012-01-15T06:13:00.001-05:00

Another drawing done for one of my students. I try something different with each drawing. I love this challenge because it pushes me to try new things and experiment with colors and designs. It has also given me the opportunity to work with markers, something I had never done prior to this challenge.

#57 - Graffiti Challenge

2012-01-14T06:04:00.002-05:00

Another drawing done for one of my kiddos at school. #57, my goal is to do 200 graffiti type drawings by the end of this year. Again done with Prismacolor and Touch markers.

Zentangle Give Away

2012-01-04T05:35:00.001-05:00

The week #52 Zentangle challenge over at I am the diva is to give a zentangle to someone. I chose to pass this tile along to a co-worker who recently asked me what Zentangles were. The timing was perfect!!

Penny Auctions

2012-01-02T07:23:00.002-05:00

Up to 500 Free Bids Over $300.00 in Value for #1 Penny Auction Site!
Join Free today and I will be giving up to 500 Free bids to all users who sign up!
http://rodeals.zeekler.com/splash

** These bids will expire after 30 days, so make sure you use them before then!

These bids are 100% free to use on all Zeekler penny auction items. Upon signing up they will only ask you for your name, e-mail, and country. You pick a user name and password, then start bidding right away... no strings attached!

A few words on penny auctions, if you are not familiar with how they work. Auctions do not end until the timer reaches 0 (zero). Auctions start with 24 hours on the clock. You don't want to start bidding until the timer is under 20 seconds. Once the timer gets under 20 seconds, it gets bumped back up to 20 seconds with each additional bid. So, you want to wait until the timer is ready to run out (3-5 seconds left) before placing your bid. If you look at the screen shot below you can see that all of the auctions still have over 1 hour left on the time, yet there are hundreds of bids that have been placed already. If the price says $7.03 it means there have already been 703 bids placed on that item. Those bids are gone forever, you don't get them back! So why would there be 703 bids placed on that item? The most likely answer is that they were placed by customers new to the auctions who don't understand how they work. That is why I am giving you the information here. You are getting 500 free bids, that's a $325 value. These free bids are worthless if you don't understand how to use them. So don't waste your bids!

There are different types of auctions. These bids can be used on the beginner or penny auctions. Beginner auctions are only for customers who are new to the auction site. Once you have won 3 auctions, you can no longer bid on the beginner auctions. This means the competition on the beginner auctions is less advanced then on the penny auctions. Only bid on items you are interested in winning. If you win the auction, you have to pay the price the item sold for.

What's in it for me? Nothing... I get paid for posting this ad, even if no one uses the free bids!

Have fun and happy bidding!

Graffiti Challenge #56 of 200

2011-12-30T05:05:00.000-05:00

This one is my least favorite so far. I don't care for the colors I chose to use, but K'Lynn still loved it.

Graffiti Challenge #55

2011-12-21T05:55:00.001-05:00

I did this one for an art battle I do with my students. Every 2 or 3 weeks we pick a new work and make something using that word. This time around it was hope.

Graffiti Challenge #54

2011-12-19T17:47:00.000-05:00

Another graffiti drawing done for one of my students. This one was done after taking my kids to see the new Muppets movie. Marker on card stock.

Graffiti Challenge - #53

2011-12-08T05:37:00.001-05:00

Another drawing done for one of my students. This time I pulled Sakiah's name from the jar. She loved her picture! This time I used colored pencils for the background and markers for the letters. I am making progress towards my goal of 200 graffiti drawings. I can feel myself getting better with each drawing!

Ace - Graffiti Challenge #52

2011-12-07T05:40:00.001-05:00

This one was done for an art battle I did with my students. Every 2 weeks we pick a new word. They can submit anything that they want but it has to include that word. I do it with them and the first place winner gets to keep my drawing.

Graffiti Challenge - #51

2011-12-04T09:18:00.001-05:00

Graffiti drawing number 51 was for Justin. When students are working quietly on their art projects and following directions I put their names in a jar. Every Friday I pull a random name from the jar then draw a graffiti picture using their name. The last name I pulled was for Justin and this is what I came up with.

Diva Weekly Challenge #49

2011-11-24T17:33:00.001-05:00

This week's challenge over at I am the Diva was to use a red thread for the string. This is what I came up with:

Graffiti Challenge #50

2011-11-20T06:55:00.001-05:00

Working my way up to 200 graffiti style drawings. This is another one done for one of my students. Each Friday I pick a name from a jar filled with names. This week I grabbed Azhane's name. The best part about doing these is seeing how excited students are when they see a drawing with their name on it hanging on my board.

#49 - Graffiti Challenge

2011-11-20T06:32:00.001-05:00

Another attempt at a Netflix envelope.

#48 - Graffiti Challenge

2011-11-19T17:52:00.001-05:00

#48 - marker on card stock. This one was drawn for one of my students. Each Friday I draw a name from a jar filled with the names of students who earned an entry into the prize jar by demonstrating good behaviors. This week Dawn's name was picked from the jar.

Netflix Envelope - Graffiti Challenge #47

2011-11-13T20:26:00.001-05:00

My 2nd attempt at drawing on a Netflix envelope. This time I tried to use the barcode and window as part of the design. I used Sharpie markers and Prismacolor colored pencils.

Bailyn - Graffiti Challenge #46

2011-11-13T10:59:00.001-05:00

Done for one of my students. This was done using Sharpie markers and Prismacolor markers.

Netflix Envelope - #45

2011-11-13T05:42:00.001-05:00

My first attempt at artwork on a Netflix envelope. This makes number 45 for my graffiti challenge. I used markers and colored pencils on this.

Last Graffiti Challenge Batch Update

2011-11-05T18:03:00.000-04:00

This batch gets me all up to date on the drawings I have done so far for my graffiti challenge. My goal is to complete 200 drawings. I want to demonstrate to my students the power of practice.

#44 - Bristol board and markers

#43 - Sketchbook and markers

#42 - Bristol board and markers

#41 - Sketchbooks and markers

#40 - Sketchbook and markers

#39 - Bristol board and markers

#38 - Sketchbook and markers

#37 - Bristol board and markers

#36 - Sketchbook - Prismacolor markers

Graffiti Challenge - next batch

2011-11-02T20:53:00.000-04:00

A few more graffiti style drawings. The last one was done a couple of weeks ago, so getting closer to new drawings.

#35 - Sketchbook drawing

#34 - Paint markers on canvas

#33 - Drawing for my son's friend

#32 - Drawing for my son

#31 - Sketchbook drawing

#30 - Sketchbook drawing

#29 - Bristol board and markers

Graffiti Challenge - Update

2011-10-30T07:54:00.001-04:00

The next batch of my older graffiti style drawings. I have been keeping up with the challenge and getting 2 or 3 new drawings done each week.

#28 - blackbook drawing.

#27 - canvas done for a friend's son.

#26 - Canvas done for my son.

#25 - This one was done as part of a Zentangle challenge.

#24 - Angel on Canvas (done for a friend).

More Graffiti Art

2011-10-26T06:01:00.001-04:00

Here is the next batch of graffiti drawings. At this point I started doing some paintings for friends and family along with the dream series.

#23 - Bristol board and markers.

#22 - Canvas board and paint markers.

#21 - Canvas board and paint markers.

#20 - Markers and Pitt pen in sketchbook.

#19 - Done with markers and Pitt pen in my sketchbook.

Graffiti Challenge (older drawings)

2011-10-24T06:01:00.001-04:00

Here's the next batch of graffiti drawings. I just finished number 40 last night, but I would still like to post all of my older ones, just to see the progression of skills and styles. I didn't feel like I had progressed much until looking at these older ones in the order I created them.

#18 - Drawn at Tecumseh during my son's lacrosse game

#17 - just some random design

#16 - Drawn while at our camper in Oak Harbor, Ohio - playing around with characters and themes.

#15 - I love drawing eyes... still just playing around with colors and the background.

#14 - wanted it to look like lightning in the background. I used a masking gel to make the lightning white.

#13 - playing around with the colors

#12 - Mondrian Inspired

Graffiti Challenge

2011-10-23T12:59:00.003-04:00

I have challenged myself to create 200 graffiti style drawings. I am still in love with doing this type of art and have found it to be very challenging as well as rewarding. I have decided to do this challenge because I want to demonstrate to my students how much you can improve at something by practicing it.

#10 - my first attempt at wildstyle

#11

Tony - Step by Step Painting on Canvas

2011-06-27T09:01:00.006-04:00

For some unknown reason I decided to do this painting as a step-by-step. This is my first attempt at putting together a painting tutorial, so go easy on me! I do not claim to be a professional painter, but I thought someone might be interested in seeing the process. I'm sure there are much better ways to approach this, but this is how I did this painting. It's a painting I did for my son Tony to hang in his room. Here we go... how I created Tony's Halo/graffiti canvas painting.

1. The blank canvas: 18x24 from Dickblick.com

2. I draw in my guides for my letters using a red col-erase pencil. I like using the col-erase because they don't smear as much as a regular pencil, but can still be erased.

3. Next I choose the lettering style I want to use. I try to pick something that goes along with the person's personality. I draw the letters in using the red col-erase pencil. Since this is a graffiti style piece, I want my letters to overlap.

4. The next thing I do is add some details to my letters to make them more interesting.

5. I use a black Decocolor paint marker (fine line) to start going over my pencil lines. I like using the paint markers because it is quicker than using a paint brush.

6. I used a paint brush and black airbrush paint to start filling in the letters. I want a blended look to the inside, which I can not achieve using a paint maker, so I used regular paint and a brush for this step. The paint I used was airbrush paint, just because I have a ton of it left from back in my airbrushing days.

I'm still in the process of completing the painting, but this is what I have so far. I have to finish the inside of the letters and then fill in the background. Tony loves Halo, so I guess the background will somehow be a Halo theme.

Diva Weekly Challenge #27 - "Duo-tangle"

2011-06-23T08:32:00.003-04:00

This week over at I am the Diva the challenge was to create a Zentangle using only two tangles: "Dex" and "Verdigogh". I seldom use either one of these, so it really was a challenge for me. I sort of cheated this week, since I have too many pots on the fire right now, by combining this challenge with a sun Zentangle ATC swap I am participating in over at ATCs For All. The title of the card is "A Warm Smile". Made with a black artist pen and watercolor pencils.

Spiral ATC (edited zentangle tile)

2011-06-20T13:34:00.003-04:00

I took the zentangle from the diva spiral challenge and added blue to the edges of the spiral design. I then cut it down and turned it into an Artist Trading Card. I think it makes a nice looking card.

X-Files Graffiti Blackbook

2011-06-16T10:06:00.005-04:00

One of my favorites in the DREAM series. My 9th attempt at graffiti style art. I like the colors and I like the way the caricatures of Mulder and Scully turned out. I would like to do more of these in the future. Finished 4.20.2011

Diva Challenge #26 (Spiral Out)

2011-06-15T18:55:00.002-04:00

Not too happy with the way this one turned out. I might go back in and add some color to the background. I don't like the background design either. I might give this one another try.

Diva Challenge #25 - "Zendala Magic"

2011-06-08T21:10:00.004-04:00

Weekly challenge #25 over at I am the Diva was to create a Zendala using a template that was provided by Genevieve. This is what I came up with. This is the most fun I have ever had creating a Zentangle and my first attempt at a Zendala. I loved doing this!!!

DREAM Series #8

2011-06-04T06:49:00.005-04:00

Another one from back in April. I like the blue and I like the contrast against the black, but I don't like how the black marker left streaks.

Diva Challenge #23 (stripes)

2011-06-03T18:28:00.003-04:00

This week's Zentangle at I am the diva is called string theory II: stripes. The string needed to be created using straight lines. I really enjoyed this challenge and am starting to feel more creative. Can't wait until school ends next week so I can focus more on my artwork!!

Dream - Woody

2011-06-03T05:55:00.003-04:00

Another Dream drawing. Again, done with markers. At this point I was really starting to get comfortable with using the markers. If you have never tried doing a series I highly suggest it. I have been learning so much by doing these drawings. It has been the best experience!!

Diva Challenge #23: String Theory

2011-05-25T18:06:00.005-04:00

I am the diva weekly Zentangle challenge for this week was called "String Theory". A string was provided and we just needed to fill it in with our tangles. This was what I came up with. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Dream - Faces (#6)

2011-05-21T07:05:00.003-04:00

This drawing was one of my earlier pieces (drawn back in March). Inspired by an image I found on Google. At this point I was really just exploring colors and how the background interacts with the word. The Dream series is being done to go along with a unit on graffiti art I'm doing with my 8th grade students. I decided I should do the unit right along with them. I am amazed by how inspired they are to do these projects.

Diva Challenge #22

2011-05-21T06:42:00.004-04:00

Weekly Zentangle challenge from I am the Diva - "A Little Help From My Friends". My son did the string for me, then I filled in the rest. I didn't plan on making this one a Dream drawing, but I love doing those so much, that is what it turned into.

Diva Challenge #21... OOF

2011-05-16T17:07:00.004-04:00

A couple of weekends ago I found this really cool site called I am the diva. The site owner posts weekly Zentangle challenges. Just what I needed to get my creative juices flowing again. I did this one for last week's challenge, but then the blogger went down and I couldn't post it before the deadline. I thought I would post it to the blog anyway.

Dream Wildstyle

2011-05-08T18:01:00.003-04:00

My latest attempt at graffiti style art. This one was done on smooth bristol paper with markers. This was my first attempt at wildstyle; still pretty simple but I am really learning a lot while doing these. Finally got a new scanner, so I'll be posting more photos soon. I have several finished pieces I need to scan.

More Graffiti Art

2011-04-03T12:46:00.008-04:00

My second attempt at graffiti art. Originally started this for a middle school art project... I am now obsessed with creating "Word Art". I am sticking with the word DREAM because that is what I want my middle school students to do. I have realized it to be my own path of creative discovery. I did this one with only pencil... big mistake! I like using brush pens and markers much more. Ended up being kind of a disco theme, although that was not my intention.

This next one was my 3rd attempt for this series. I wanted to get the Hollywood sign look mixed with graffiti. I don't care too much for it, except for the palm tree. Live and learn... each drawing is a step in a new direction. Also, this was my first attempt using markers.

My fourth attempt at graffiti art. Inspired by Tim Burton (I guess you could call this fan art). I was pretty happy with the finished product at the time, but feel I have surpassed that now, which is exciting for me because it has been less than a month.

This is my fifth attempt and the first one I felt really happy with. I like everything about this one. The colors work, my lettering is getting better, and I'm getting more comfortable using markers.

I have done several more since this one (some good, some not). Will be posting those just as soon as I get the scanner hooked up and working on the new computer.

Graffiti Art

2011-03-20T18:12:00.003-04:00

This is my first post in a really long time! I never seem to have the time for the things I want to do. Anywho... I started working on a graffiti lesson for my 8th grade students. Obviously, we will not be doing real graffiti with spray paint on walls, but I love the look of this type of artwork. The idea is for students to develop their own style with the purpose of getting people to notice their work over the artwork of others. I started by creating an example using the word DREAM. I enjoyed doing this one so much I am going to continue working them.

It's Been a Long, Long Time!!

2010-06-09T18:35:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I have posted to my blog!! I have made it through my first year as an art teacher. They say they first year is the hardest, so I am looking forward to an easier 2nd year. As I think ahead to next year, I am looking at my own short-falls this year. Some of my drawing skills are lacking. I have always struggled with bodies. Heads, I can do... bodies, not so much! So, this summer (along with working up new lessons) I am setting a challenge for myself to start drawing bodies. I have not decided on a time frame yet. As much as I'd like to do 1 a day, that does not seem realistic to me. I'll shoot for 1 a week (minimum) and see what happens. I will be posting some student work as well.

Zentangle, Zentangle, and more Zentangle

2009-07-29T10:12:00.005-04:00

I have been looking for a teaching job this summer, so I have been working on lesson plans. I decided to put together several Zentangle lessons, since I enjoy doing them so much. Following are the samples I did up to go along with each lesson.

This first one was to create a unique shape to hold the tangles.

This next one was to find an art history image that would be easily recognized and draw tangles in the negative space.

This last one was a Mandala project.

Random Works

2009-03-23T16:16:00.005-04:00

I have been doing quite a bit of drawing as of late. I thought it would be a good idea to actually post them.

This one was done with a cheap ink pen and some colored pencils. This is one of my favorites, and was a lot of fun to do.

A random abstract drawing using the same cheap ink pen and some green pen for color. Again, very fun to do. I find these very relaxing to draw.

Another random abstract with patterns.

Another random abstract drawing.

I got another pen and finished this one (from an earlier post).

This time with pen and colored pencil.

Pen and ink with watercolor. Caricature of William H. Macy.

Abstract Gel Pen Drawing

2009-02-13T07:14:00.003-05:00

I've been taking my sketchbook with me when I am subbing and it has proven very helpful in allowing me time to actual create some art. I finished this one a couple of days ago. I'm not sure how much I like the end results of these, but I find it very therapeutic.

Cells - Ink Pen

2009-02-11T16:20:00.002-05:00

This was done with an ink pen, which ran out before I finished it. I guess this will have to be called "done". The ghost image in the white area is the next page in my sketchbook showing through, it's not part of this drawing.

Hermosa (Drawingboard.org)

2008-12-24T15:33:00.002-05:00

It has been quite some time since I have posted any new work. The reason is because I have not done any new work, until now that is. This was drawn from a photo posted at drawingboar.org in the caricatures' caricatures thread. I believe the person's user name there is Hermosa.

Artist Trading Card Lesson

2008-10-12T19:36:00.005-04:00

WOW!! It has been quite some time since I last posted here. I've been super busy with my student teaching the past 6 weeks. I have two weeks remaining at the primary level and then I go to the middle school. I can't wait to get to the middle school! Anyway, I have been doing ATCs with the 5th graders and they seem to really enjoy the lesson. Here are a few samples the students made.

You can read more about his lesson and other at http://artedunite.proboards85.com/index.cgi .

Every Day In May #18 - #22

2008-06-09T15:23:00.002-04:00

So much for the every day in May! I did make it 22 days, even though I am just now posting many of them. It really was a good exercise (I just wish I had not gotten so far behind and given up). Oh well, here they are anyway. Some you may recognize, the others are people from caricature boards.

Every Day in May #16 & 17 (Faces)

2008-05-20T07:26:00.004-04:00

I'm having a hard time keeping up with these. I think I might be spending too much time on some of them. It has helped to develop some skills though, so I think I'd rather be behind than to hurry through them. This first one is a really bad caricature of Robin Williams, done with a skewer stick and drawing ink (fun technique).
This next one is Tommy Lee Jones done first with pencil and then with a Bic pen. I like going in with the pencil first. I have been trying to work on my exaggerations and that is hard to do straight with the pen. As you can see, I didn't finish the shading on this. It takes too much time.

Every Day in May #14 & 15 (Faces)

2008-05-16T10:09:00.003-04:00

I've been keeping up with the drawing, not so much with the posting. Here are the ones from the past couple of days. The first one was done with a Bic pen, penciled in first. The subject is Nicolas Sarkozy. This next one is supposed to be Jim Croce done with Prismacolors on cardboard. Not one of my better drawings.

Every Day in May (Faces) #8 - #13

2008-05-13T15:18:00.004-04:00

I have been down the past few days with a nasty case of the stomach flu. I am feeling much better today and managed to get all caught up with the challenge. The first one was done using only a Bic pen. It is a caricature of the guy who plays Dr. House on the TV show. I am pretty happy with how this one turned out.

This next one was also done with a Bic pen and is supposed to be a caricature of Bruce Willis. I'm not so happy with this one. That is the bad part about drawing with pen... no room for messing up!

This next one is another caricature of Subway surfer. He posted some really good expressions on his blog. Expressions is something I need to work on. I think this one turned out much better than the last one of him. Another Bic pen drawing.

Caricature of Kid Rock. First drawn with pencil and then with a brush pen.

Same technique as above. This one is of a member from The Drawing Board.

Again with the brush pen and another member of The Drawing Board.

Every Day in May #7 (Faces)

2008-05-07T13:00:00.003-04:00

I am not at all happy with this one and almost didn't post it. I have always had trouble with exaggeration and showing expressions. I tried both with this one and failed. The gentleman in the drawing is Subwaysurfer who is a wonderful caricature artist. His work amazes me. The other day he posted a couple of pictures of himself so I thought I'd have a go at him. I think I might try this one again another day. First, I think I should spend some time studying the face!

Every Day In May #6 (Faces)

2008-05-06T19:08:00.002-04:00

I did some experimenting on this one. First I took a chunk of cardboard and glued torn peices of sheet music to it. Then I put a white wash over it and drew the caricature of my son Collin on using my Pitt Brush Pen. Then I used chalks and colored pencils for color. I haven't decided if I like it or not. It didn't take the color very well.

Every Day in May 3, 4, &, 5 (Faces)

2008-05-05T16:49:00.005-04:00

I have been drawing every day, or at least no more than 2 drawings in one day. I am a bit behind on my posting though so I have three drawings to post today. The first one is a drawing of a doll, along with the body (something I never do). The second 2 are of people from various drawing boards who post their photos to have caricatures done of them. Neither of them are famous, just fellow artists.

Every Day in May (Faces) #1 & #2

2008-05-02T11:11:00.005-04:00

Today I finally got a chance to visit Everyday Matters on Yahoo. While there I came across the Every Day in May challenge and decided to have a go at it. I have been wanting to try drawing every day for quite some time now. I am starting a day late and this weekend we will be gone, so I am going to cheat and post a drawing I did a few months ago but never posted. My theme is going to be faces. I am leaving it open so I can have some room to move and not get bored. The second drawing is one I did today from a draw me thread over at the Drawingboard.

EDM Challenge #3

2008-05-02T08:26:00.004-04:00

One night during class, the girl sitting next to me had her purse sitting on the table. It was all white with lots of folds and shadows. The teacher was giving a lecture, I had a migraine, and I just didn't want to be there, so I started sketching the purse. I was just playing around at first, but then it starting coming together an looking really nice. I ended up spending most of the class drawing. I was really pleased with myself until the teacher called me out and announced to the class that I had been drawing for the entire class period. It was done with a pen on a sheet of printed computer paper (important notes for the class I think).

Art Educators Unite

2008-04-26T13:18:00.003-04:00

I have started a new message board located at: http://artedunite.proboards85.com/index.cgi . The board is for anyone interested in teaching art and sharing ideas about teaching art. The board is only a couple of days old, but with time I hope it will be a fabulous resource for art educators. You do not have to be an art teacher to join, but that will be our only topic covered. Hope to see you there!

Jack Black Caricature Sketch

2008-04-25T08:29:00.003-04:00

I did this one a couple of weeks ago too. Just another quick sketch done with a Bic pen in my sketchbook. I hope to post lots of new drawings/artwork from now on.

Tim Curry Caricature

2008-04-22T07:06:00.002-04:00

I found a little time to do some drawing a couple of weeks ago. I just now found time to upload them. School is just about over! I hope to do lots of drawing and painting this summer. This one was done with a Bic pen in my sketchbook. I'm not entirely happy with it, but I can see some progress in my work.

Journal Pages

2008-03-24T14:13:00.002-04:00

Last week I had a chance to draw in my book a little bit. I didn't have a lot of time so I decided to do some more Zentangle drawings. I find these so relaxing to do. They really are fun. Nothing spectacular here, just playing around with some different shapes.

Painter Assignment

2008-03-12T15:35:00.003-04:00

I am currently taking a class called Applied Computer Graphics for Art Educators. Basically, we use Corel Painter to create art and translate that into lesson plans. For this assignment we had to go into the museum and draw from three different sculptures, scan those drawings into Painter, combine the three images, and use the brushes in Painter to color the image. This is what I came up with. I thought about continuing with it, but I like the painterly feel to it so I am calling it finished. We didn't have to write a lesson for this one, just do the image.

Charcoal Drawing

2008-03-06T16:49:00.003-05:00

So much for posting each day! Better late than never I guess. This one was done as an example for a junior high lesson plan on non-representational art. I really enjoyed doing this one, even though it made a big mess. It was meant to be 1 of 4, that could later be placed together as a whole, but I am thinking I might not do the other 3. When I drew the original lines it marked the paper and they still show after erasing. I might just try doing another one on a different paper and using a softer pencil for my lines.

Adrien Brody Caricature

2008-03-04T16:01:00.003-05:00

I haven't been keeping up with my posts, but I have several things to show and will put one up each day until I run out of new drawings to post. This one is part of the A to Zed Caricature Challenge. Just a quickie, but I wanted to get going on the challenge. The last one took so long to color, it sort of stalled me out on the challenge. Done in my sketchbook with my Pitt brush pen.

Been Busy!

2008-02-22T08:18:00.002-05:00

My main 2008 art goal was to post to my blog each week with a new work of art (of some sort). I am failing miserably!! I have been so busy with school that this just is not happening. I have not drawn much of anything in weeks. This next week I am teaching my first lesson. It will be a non-representational charcoal activity. My plan is to do this activity myself before teaching it to the class. Hopefully I will be able to fit this in. Mid terms are next week, so I will already be a bit more busy than usual. I have also started working on a floralfoam sculpture I am trying out for a different lesson. Maybe I'll have two new works to show soon.

Journal Page

2008-02-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

I have been down with a cold, the flu, etc. so I have not posted in a couple of weeks. And I was doing so good with posting each week! This is a page from my book I am journaling in. I drew it out a couple of weeks ago, but just now got around to adding color to it and calling it finished. I am really enjoying this book, I hope you are enjoying it too.

Murder She Wrote

2008-01-25T20:50:00.000-05:00

In keeping with my A2Z challenge with a caricature theme, I did Angela Lansbury for my female letter A. Done with Pitt brush pen and colored pencil. I spent a little more time on this one than I wanted too. I need to do them quicker for now on. Anyway, I exaggerated the eyes more than I normally would have. This is something I have been trying to do for some time now. I still need to push it more though.

Journal Pages & EDM Challenges

2008-01-22T07:14:00.000-05:00

Saturday hubby and I took the boys to see a movie. We got to the mall a bit early so we stopped in the book store to look around. I had been thinking about using a printed book to journal in so I head straight for the clearance shelves. I knew exactly what I was looking for; hard cover, thick paper, and a comfortable size. I started by looking for the size I wanted and then opening it up to see what kind of paper the pages were made of. I found the perfect book and purchased it. At that time I couldn't have told you anything about the book itself. I didn't know the title, author, or story line of it and didn't much care. When we got home I took the dust jacket off and pitched it. I was very happy to see the cover was a nice burgundy with some texture to it. Things were going as planned until I opened the book up to start drawing in it. The first thing I see is that the author also wrote The Perfect Storm, which was a great movie. This leads me to the title - A Death in Belmont, which interests me because I love a good murder mystery. Now I have a problem. How can I deface a book I might enjoy reading? I don't have time to read a novel right now with so much school work to do. So I made a deal with myself. I would read the book 2 pages at a time and then include these in my thoughts and drawings. Here are my pages from the first 3 days of drawing in it. There are a couple of EDM challenges in there as well.

This was much harder than I thought it would be. I still find myself worrying about how it all flows together and if the page is interesting to look at. It also takes a bit of time to fill the pages, even though the book is not very big. I decided I like the 2 page spread better than the one page so I think I will continue that way. Also, I am using marker for color and it bleeds through the paper so I will have to skip pages.

New A2Z Challenge

2008-01-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I started doing the A2Z challenge started by The Crusty Crone. It's your basic a to z where you start by drawing something that begins with the letter a. The next week you move to b and work your way through the alphabet doing a drawing each week. This is fine but with school I don't have a whole lot of time to draw. I did this for 3 weeks but it was feeling a bit like wasted time. I have a message board called Virtual Art, which I started when I first started drawing caricatures. One of the members there started a challenge for himself where he draws someone each week alternating male, female. Doing it this way gives you 2 drawings for each letter and should take the entire year. This seemed more in line with my goals for 2008. Therefore, I am started over at A and doing the A2Z challenge with caricatures. I am also going to try one with artists where I study a different artist for each letter. There is no way I can do both each week so I think the artist one will only be once or twice a month.

Here is my first drawing for the letter A, Jerry Stiller - plays Arthur on The King of Queens. I used a Pitt brush pen for the lines and soft pastels for the color.

I am not entirely happy with this one, but that is what this challenge is for. Next, I move to a female for the letter A.

2 New ATCs - Fit 2008 Art Goals

2008-01-18T12:59:00.000-05:00

I have made some goals for 2008. This includes, but not limited to: journaling more, using pen to draw more, posting to my blog each week, studying the works of great artists, and just drawing more in general, among some other things not listed here. Last night I made a couple of new artist trading cards while trying out some new techniques for me as well. This first one is a drawing of my rollball mouse I have on my laptop. I used a pitt pen for the drawing (which I did on a page from a book) and used marker to color it... several new things for me. I would love to get a printed book to journal in, but I have not yet found one suited for this project.

This next one goes along with another goal of mine, to study various artists who's work I am inspired by. I call this card "Dance; ala Keith Haring". I do my student teaching next fall and I need to start thinking about lesson plans. I figure learning about some artists is the best place to start. This one was done in marker on paper cut from security envelopes.

A2Z Challenge - "C"

2008-01-14T14:18:00.000-05:00

C is for celtic knots. On wetcanvas there is a tutorial on drawing celtic knots. I spent a couple of days playing around with them and it was fun. This one was done on grid paper and then inked and colored with an opaque marker. I think it would look better on a black background but I am just too busy right now to worry about that.

I would also like to take this opportunity to let everyone know that this is the last A2Z I am going to post. Well, sort of... I feel like these are some what a waste of my time, which I have so little of. I am going to start over and adjust the challenge for myself to be more inline with my goals. I will post this along with my 2008 art goals in a couple of days.

A2Z Challenge "B"

2008-01-06T09:24:00.000-05:00

B is for Barbra. Loralou over at the Artist Trading Card Forum (http://www.atcards.com/) asked me to do an ATC for her with a caricature of Barbra Streisand on it. Since I am due for the letter B, and I just happened to be working on this card at the same time, I am using it for B. I really feel like I am cheating here, but what can you do? It looks nothing like her, so I guess B could be for bad drawing as well.

Zentangle Fun

2007-12-31T12:46:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I received my Zentangle kit. The technique used is somewhat similar to the first few exercises in the book Drawing with Imagination (mentioned in an earlier post). The Zentangle designs are simple to do and I find them quite relaxing. You can get more information at http://www.zentangle.com/. I have not done nearly as many drawings as I should have by now but I am going to blame that on the holidays. So far I have done a couple of designs on the paper supplied in the kit and around 4 ATCs. The technique is wonderful for ATC designs. For those of you who have the kit... did anyone else notice it smells like a hospital?

I also made one for the letter "A" for the A2Z challenge at The Crone's Corner. It is nothing fancy but it does meet the requirement for A. This one is also done for an ATC and got traded moments after I posted it.

Angel Caricature

2007-12-23T17:10:00.001-05:00

I seen this photo of a darling little girl dressed like an angel at The Crone's Corner blog and had to draw her. Originally, I had planned to do a more realistic drawing of her but since I have been in a caricature kind of mood, she turned into a caricature instead. How you like her anyway!

EDM Challenge #144

2007-12-22T17:41:00.000-05:00

The Every Day Matters challenge #144, draw something square. I decided to draw my ottomen because it sits between me and the TV and the boys wanted to watch the new Pirates movie last night. I know, the top is really screwed up, which was more obvious after I did all the shading. I layed a piece of tracing paper over the top and sketched it in just to see where I messed up but I didn't bother to fix the sketch. Live, learn, and move on. Done in my cheapie sketch book from Target.

Morgan Freeman Caricature

2007-12-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

From the movie The Shawshank Redemption (one of my fav's). Done in my recycled paper sketch book with graphite and white conte pencil. I did this one last night while my son was at cheerleading practice. Tonight is hockey practice, so I will have another opportunity to do some drawing. Tonights subject will be a little angel I got from The Crone's Corner.

Enrique Caricature

2007-12-19T09:12:00.001-05:00

I did this one last night while watching the Biggest Loser finally. I'm not overly happy with how it turned out tough. The nose is a bit funky and there is not much of a likeness. I do love this technique though which I have not done too much of. I picked up a couple of recycled paper sketch books at Barnes and Noble. This was my first sketch in one of those books. Graphite and Conte Pencils. Comments always welcomed.

*** I uploaded a new image. I fixed the nose as much as I could and added some background on the left. I think it is a little better now.

Alaskan Bog

2007-12-19T09:05:00.001-05:00

This one was inspired by an image I saw in National Geographics. I didn't get the browns quite as dark as I would have liked to, but I like how it turned out.
Bic pen and colored pencil in my cheapie sketch book.

Drawing with Imagination

2007-12-17T09:26:00.000-05:00

A fellow art blogger named Greg recomended a book to me, which I ordered right away (Thanks Greg!). The book is by Bert Dodson and is called Keys to Drawing with Imagination: Strategies and Exercises for Gaining Confidence and Enhancing Your Creativity. I love how the book is laid out and so far I am really enjoying the exercises in it. I am only on the 3rd exercise in the book but I already have several ideas for new works. The bad part, I am in such a hurry to get to the next exercise and see what it is that I rush through the actual drawing exercises. It's ok, I'll go back and revisit them after I finish the book.

Here is an example from the first exercise. It is called "Taking a Line for a Walk". I really enjoyed this exercise.

This next one is from the second exercise.

Nothing fancy. Just fun and relaxing. These get me in the mood to do some more serious works. Not to mention, I found a good use for that gridded moleskine sketch book I bought.

2 New ATCs

2007-12-13T13:15:00.000-05:00

I haven't had time to make many of these lately. Here are two I just finished getting ready to trade today. As of now they are both available for trade.

Imagination Drawing 2

2007-12-10T14:10:00.000-05:00

This is my second attempt at drawing from my imagination (inspired by nina). I might color this later but I like how it looks with just the ink so I wanted to save it in this state before adding color.

~ sketched in pencil and lined with a brush pen

Facial Expressions

2007-12-08T09:48:00.000-05:00

I have this wonderful book called Facial Expressions by Mark Simon. It has hundreds of photos in it of different models making crazy faces. I love drawing from this book and I usually get a pretty good likeness, but most of the time I fail to capture the expression of the person. I am not sure how to correct this. Normally I would say more practice, but I think I am missing something. Maybe I need to slow down when I am drawing and pay more attention to the location and angles of the facial features. If anyone has any advice on this, I would love to hear it.

Both of the drawings are of Charlotte. The first one looks like her but the second one does not. I always draw people straight on because I have trouble with other views, which is why I chose one that was a 3/4 view. Maybe it is time to draw more of these.

EDM Challenge #36 - Draw in Public

2007-12-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

Thursday night my boys had floor hockey at the local YMCA. I had my sketch book there and the lady sitting across from me was crocheting so she was sitting pretty still. I thought this would be a great opportunity to do some live drawing. I have always wanted to do some live drawing but I know I am not very good at it so I have never really tried it before. I know, this is dumb. I can not get any better at something if I do not ever do it. It did not turn out very well, but I consider it another notch on my list of things I have never done but want to be better at. I look at this one as a benchmark to track my progress.

Imagination Drawing

2007-12-06T19:33:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Nina Johansson's challenge to draw from the imagination every day in December. I doubt I will manage to do this every day, but I did do it today. My goal is to be more creative and I think part of this is to draw as often as possible and in part by trying new things. I almost never try to draw from my imagination so this is a great exercise for me. I also have not made time for sketching since starting school almost 4 years ago. I am trying to find opportunities to sketch whenever I can. I did this drawing while we had critiques in digital photography. It was much better than sitting there for 2.5 hours while the teacher rambled on.

I know it is not the most creative drawing but it represents a lot of new things for me. First of all, I drew it without looking at anything. Second, I used watercolors in my sketchbook. Third, I drew an entire scene, which I have never done before.

EDM Challenge #37 - Keys

2007-12-06T07:48:00.000-05:00

I have been reading a lot about Moleskine sketch books and I wanted to try one. I could not find one locally so I had to order it online. I ended up getting two of them. One had plain pages and the other had a grid on it. Lately I have been thinking about doing some grid drawings and when I read the description, I thought of the pages having about 4 larger grids on them. I should have read it better I guess. I did not let this discourage me so I just used the gridded paper to draw my own grids. For the Every Day Matters #37 - Draw some keys. I did this last night while sitting in my car, waiting to pick my boys up. I sort of like the broken grid look to it but I think I might go in and add some color to the background. Done with a bic pen. For anyone who does not know about Everyday Matters, there is a link to the site in the inspiration section of my blog. Visit it today.

Dick Van Dyke Caricature

2007-12-06T07:36:00.000-05:00

It has been quite some time since I have drawn any caricatures. This is something I love to do, so I really need to make the time to draw more often. I started out with a brush pen but then decided it needed more so I went in with a smaller ink pen and added some shading to it. I am not sure the thinner pen works with the thickness of the brush pen. Also, I have not used an ink pen for shading in a very long time. I think this is something I should practice. This was done in my cheapy sketch journal that I bought from Target. I thought about adding some water colors to it but I am not sure how the pages will hold up. Maybe I should try a page in the back to test it.

Angry

2007-12-01T15:07:00.000-05:00

Day 2, post 2. I am off to a good start! I drew this yesterday but I am not sure how I feel about it. This is the first time I have ever done the scribble thing. I usually spend hours finishing a drawing and I would like to be more lose in my drawings some times. It sort of feels like the scribbles are too messy and that they create a loss of detail. Feel free to comment on this.

Starting Anew

2007-11-30T17:50:00.000-05:00

I have been reading a lot lately about creativity and the creative spirit. What I have learned is that you need to be productive if you wish to be creative. I, however, am not productive. I tend to spend most of my time dreaming and wishing I were more creative and more talented, instead of doing it. I am inspired by those who can draw, paint, create, or post every day. This is not realistic for me so I am going to set my goal for posting at least once a week, even if I have to cheat and post an older drawing :) I feel like I am turning over a new leaf and I really want to improve my productivity so I have started this new blog. At my old blog I had 45 posts in 3.5 years. I would like to have more than that each year. Here's to all of you slackers out there who can relate!

I am going to start off posting a drawing I finished about a week or so ago. I bought a cheap journal from Target and have never really used it. I think I paid $6 for it and it has a billion pages in it. The paper is cheap, but that helps me relax and takes the pressure off when I am drawing in it. This drawing was done with a bic pen.

ATCs (Up for Trade)

2000-06-16T11:31:00.001-04:00

The following are the Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) I have available to trade, well, some of them anyway. I actually have a whole bunch more to add. I prefer to do a 3:3 trade, only because of the cost of stamps. I would also prefer to do 1 choice card and 2 blinds. If you are interested in making a trade, just contact me and we can work something out. I am willing to trade with all skill levels and personal style types. I enjoy all types of artwork!

1. "Remington" - available

2. "Rollerball" - available

3. "Nursery" - available

4. "Mixed Emotions" - available

5. Inquisitor" - available

6. "Dance" - available

NatraBurst

2000-06-15T12:15:00.000-04:00

On my journey to life-time weight control I discovered a product that is all natural and taste good too. I have been using NatraBurst for a couple of months now and like it so much I decided to sell the product as well. It has been difficult to find a product that is all natural and not full of processed foods and sugar. If this is something you might be interested in selling or using, check out the website... all of the information is there.

http://burtscher.124online.com/