This post is about my very first attempt at oil painting. Well, really first ever attempt at any type of painting, which to my surprise
Shuffled Posts from the Archives
Video Game Sketch Inspired by Kenshi March 22, 2020 This write-up is going to be about a post-apocalyptic sandbox style video game called Kenshi. But it's also going to be about sharing art that you're not… (click to read more of this randomly selected old favorite)
Drawing with the Kids August 8, 2021 If you've read many posts on this site, it's probably apparent that I do a lot of drawing with my kids. They have desks set up right… (click to read more of this randomly selected old favorite)
European Travel via Mediterranean Cruise – Tips and Thoughts August 29, 2022 This write-up covers some tips and thoughts regarding European travel, specifically when taking a Mediterranean Cruise. Like a lot of the world, we haven't traveled much over… (click to read more of this randomly selected old favorite)For more, check out Amdall Gallery on YouTube, books at the Amazon Author Page, and reviews at Armdog Reviews
The Latest Blog Posts
Art from Stranger Things Season 4
As with my original post from a few years ago, I am once again a bit late in writing about Stranger Things. This time though,
European Travel via Mediterranean Cruise – Tips and Thoughts
This write-up covers some tips and thoughts regarding European travel, specifically when taking a Mediterranean Cruise. Like a lot of the world, we haven’t traveled
Author and Travel Show Host Rick Steves
Somewhere in the neighborhood of a decade ago, my wife and I took a honeymoon trip to Europe. To celebrate this anniversary, we decided to
Summer 2022 Portrait Giveaway
When I shared my last custom portrait giveaway, I mentioned that I had somehow let a year go by between these artwork raffles. I thought
Delayed Portrait Giveaway Artwork
In my last post, I wrote a bit on the fact that my posts are often a bit delayed from when the artwork is actually
Blog Post Length and Total Views Comparison
There was a point in time, just a few years ago, when I typically referred to Amdall Gallery as both an art and data analysis
A Longtime Friend’s Wedding Portrait
I am often slightly backlogged on writing blog posts. It’s something that I’ve mentioned previously and is probably fairly common for many artists who write
Elden Ring Art – Ranni the Witch, Blaidd, and Iji
I’ve finally beaten Elden Ring, which feels like quite a milestone for someone who isn’t a particularly skilled gamer (I can’t tell you how many
Elden Ring Art – Millicent, Hewg, Alexander, and Turtle Pope
As I’ve discussed quite a bit, I am a big fan of Elden Ring by From Software. The challenging and deep combat of Dark Souls,
Travel Art – Drawing on an Airplane
The question of what to do during a long flight is much easier to answer than it used to be. Our kids have been on
In Memory of Javier Garcia
This post is written in memory of Javier Homero Garcia. Javier, my wife’s father, recently passed away. We were fortunate that we were able to
Elden Ring Malenia Radahn Artwork
Apparently Amdall Gallery is turning into an Elden Ring fanart site, because I just couldn’t move on yet without getting into some of the interesting
Elden Ring Spirit Ash Drawing
I thought I had sufficiently scratched the Elden Ring artwork itch with a couple of drawings I shared last week, but apparently that is not
Elden Ring Art – Tarnished, Maiden, and Grace
Like many people, I’ve been completely transfixed over the last couple of weeks by Elden Ring. The game is basically like wild mashup of Dark
Drawing a Mirror’s Reflection
I am often amused by the strange processes that seem to govern how I decide what to draw. Personality-wise, I tend to be a planner
Poll: Best Drawing Time-Lapse Method?
Buried deep towards the end of my last post, I posed the question, “which style of time-lapse drawing progression is your favorite?” I embedded a
Art Show Entry, Dallas OAC ART214 Exhibition
One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2022, in addition to the usual “eat better” and “get more exercise” items, has been to enter a
Yennefer Artwork, The Witcher Show and Game
Just recently, I rambled on and on describing my approach to sharing multiple related drawings. Over the course of several paragraphs and almost a thousand
Stargate SG-1 and Original Movie Discussion
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a bit on some of my recent viewing habits. Over the last year or so, I’ve been watching
Sharing Multiple Drawings – Another Geralt and Ciri
My habits when it comes to artwork typically involve sporadic bursts of motivation. I often tackle one drawing at a time, spending a couple of
Geralt and Ciri Art From The Witcher Netflix Show
Recently, season two of Netflix’s The Witcher series debuted. Back in the summer lock-down months of 2020, I wrote a bit about my impressions from
Thoughts on Portrait Requests
First and foremost, happy new year to all! It feels like we’re stuck in a bizarre time loop in some respects. I definitely remember thinking
Weekend Relaxation and Unfamiliar Movies – Pandorum Drawing
One of my all-time favorite things is a nice lazy Saturday with the family. It’s a fantastic scene from my perspective: We’re all upstairs and
Self Portrait Comparisons
Every once in a while, I find it’s nice to attempt a self-portrait. After all, what face are you more familiar with than your own?
Art Backlog Thoughts and Cousins Hanging Out
At the moment, I am quite backlogged in terms of both finished portraits I haven’t yet written about and ideas for future drawings. I’ve written
Narrated Walkthrough, Drawing Process Discussion
One of the early pandemic projects I started was to transition from progression .gif slides of my drawing process into full time-lapse videos. I created
New Family Pet, a Ragamuffin Cat
Earlier this summer, our family finally made a much-discussed leap to adopt a little fur-ball. If I haven’t already mentioned our new cat offhand in
Guitarist and Busker Mariusz Goli
Like a lot of people, my primary method for visual music consumption is YouTube. In the absence of an actual television channel dedicated to music
Drawing with the Kids
If you’ve read many posts on this site, it’s probably apparent that I do a lot of drawing with my kids. They have desks set
Navigating Subtle Facial Expressions
In conversations with acquaintances, colleagues, and other various newly-met people, occasionally my drawing hobby comes up. Although not everyone is particularly interested in art, usually
Non-Stop Bob Ross and The Joy of Painting
Moving to a new home naturally comes with an adjustment period. I guess everyone’s timing may vary, but eventually that sense of newness wears off
Princess Bride Part 3 – Westley and Buttercup in the Fireswamp
Where does the time go? It seems like I ask myself that a lot. It’s probably on my mind so much lately because I’m rapidly
Princess Bride Series Part 2 – Fezzik, Inigo, and Westley
Over the last week or so, I went on a sudden Princess Bride artwork binge. I started outlines for three different scenes! I’ve only finished
New Home, New Desk, New Art
Well, it took quite a bit longer than I anticipated, but it seems things are finally settling down for me and my family. Last year,
Thoughts on Website Monetization And Affiliate Links
I’ve been tinkering with this website pretty consistently over the last three-and-a-half years. Throughout that time, I have maintained interest in ways I could make
Practicing Scenery Through Video Game Art
If you’ve followed this blog for long, you may have read me roasting myself about various art-related weaknesses. Every artist, amateur and professional alike, has
Full Portrait Walkthrough YouTube Video
In a couple of ways, I consider this post to be somewhat of a do-over. Months ago, I shared a YouTube video on my relatively
Santa Taking a Cookie Break Christmas Eve
I am going to share some art out of order, which isn’t my usual approach. But I thought it would make more sense to jump
Giveaway Winner – The Boo Crew Puppy Drawing
I am getting really bad about writing on this blog! I am also not really keeping up with my artwork hobby very well. I have
Second Healthcare Worker Drawing
Way back in April (which feels like it was years ago now somehow), there was a healthcare worker “portraits for heroes” thing going around on
Youtuber Art Series, Marques Brownlee (MKBHD)
Although you probably wouldn’t be able to tell based on how sporadically I’ve been posting, over the last few months I have wanted to focus
More Random Selections from the Archives
Book Status, January Giveaway Portrait (3/28/2019) - Although it doesn't feel quite so long, it's been over a month since I've written a post. I have actually been furiously writing away elsewhere though -… (click to read more of this randomly selected old favorite)
Pandemic Social Distancing Artwork (3/19/2020) - Writing about artwork during a global pandemic really isn't something I expected to be doing at all. Yet here we are in an escalating health and financial… (click to read more of this randomly selected old favorite)
Giveaway Winner – The Boo Crew Puppy Drawing (11/25/2020) - I am getting really bad about writing on this blog! I am also not really keeping up with my artwork hobby very well. I have a long… (click to read more of this randomly selected old favorite)
Quiz time! (7/14/2011) - I just figured out another fun thing I can do (potentially), so let's see if it works. I created a very important quiz, housed in a Google… (click to read more of this randomly selected old favorite)
Historical Timeline
4+ years of blogging on Amdall Gallery
The very first blog post. Site was abandoned fairly quickly afterward until 2017.
Returned to the site, started analyzing data. The beginning of continuous blog posts for the next 4 years (and counting).
First artwork post, returning to drawing after over a decade. Didn't know at the time this would become a major hobby.
Early attempts at using colored pencils. Initial efforts were rough and poorly blended.
Artwork started to feature a thicker layering and blending style, which has been refined during the last couple years of practice.
Published my first book! Essentially about my experience returning to art after being away from it for so long.
Rejected by a local art show. A bit of a setback, but didn't impact me as much as I expected.
Start of the pandemic, stayed busy publishing a new book, drawing, and getting organized.
Launched a YouTube channel to show progression videos instead of .gifs.
Launched a new website focused on product impressions and reviews.
I have shown improvement over the years, but know there is still much to learn.
What's next? More drawing for sure. But will I attempt to enter another art show? Finally try painting? Perhaps get some formal training by taking a class? All great ideas - we'll see!
