Thanks a bunch! This article is top-notch, and I’m planning to toss it onto my Instagram for my buddies to dive into. Also, don’t miss the inside scoop on the MKBHD Smartphone Awards; it’s a solid piece.
I appreciate you checking it out! Sorry about the delayed response, I’m really bad about keeping up with the blog. Sometimes it takes a major backseat to youtube and instagram unfortunately.
I appreciate it! Over the last year or so, I’ve averaged about 2-3 paintings per week. But lately the last couple weeks, I’ve had to slow it down. We’ve had the flu bouncing around our house, so it put me out of commission a bit. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things!
Also, I’m massively behind on my wp reader feed, so just catching up on some of your latest – looks like you’re off to a great start to 2024
Thanks Claire! It was a fun one – I felt like this one just flowed. It doesn’t always happen, but I love when it feels natural like that. Hope everything is good with you in the textile and printing world!
That looks comprehensive for a blog post anyway, the links to not only the videos but to the supplies along with little icons and colour swatches – very snazzy.
I can’t imagine where you’re storing all these, even if they are a smaller size that’s a helluva lot of pictures. You could set up an Amdall Gallery shop in your hometown and be well stocked up.
Haha thanks Steve – I have to admit though, I definitely took a lazy approach here. Lots of copying and pasting (from my previous posts, instagram, and YouTube). Trying to work smarter rather than harder maybe?
Also you are so right about storage…it’s definitely a struggle. I’ve got a bunch of drying racks that I’ve purchased from various places when I’ve found a good deal. One from Ikea, another from Amazon, and even bought a rack that was a store display front that a craft shop was trying to get rid of. Even with all that, all the racks are full! I’m going to have to start migrating to other rooms, which I’m sure the family will love!
Actually, the storage question sounds like a solid blog post
This is so much better now! However, it looks like you are using black to create shadows, am I correct? If so maybe this video or others like it will help… shadows on faces are colored, darker than lit areas but not grayed, not with black blended in. https://youtu.be/3cgXG00o8sQ?si=AX6hW_frXYQoy51Q
Hello there! Hope you’re doing well and happy new year to you. That’s actually tough to answer, since this painting was so long ago now – it was actually from May, about 110 paintings ago. So it’s really hard to remember exactly.
I can tell you that at some point around that time, I did stop using true blacks and instead worked on blending them from umbers and ultramarine blue. And actually, I feel like that suggestion may have originated from a suggestion from you (or another WordPress artist). It was a great tip! I find I like it much better.
I’m still trying to figure out what to do about how far behind this blog is, but in the meantime, if you were interested I do have my latest painting on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa2XyGk00Ww . With this one, I think it might be easier to get a sense of how I shadow and use darker colors.
Hi John, it’s Phoebe from WAGblog. I just watched most of that video you suggested and wow, that was quite a challenge you set yourself and you acquitted yourself quite well. When I say don’t use black to create shadows, I mean not even a mixed black as shadows are not black. Once I did a self portrait in which I set myself the rule to only use greens and reds and yellows, no brown no white and no black. It taught me a lot about how to achieve shadows using just colors. By the way, I love that you sketch your portraits on canvas using thinned paint! I still sketch in pencil and seal the sketch under 2 layers of matte medium, at least when Im painting with oils on paper.
What an interesting challenge! It reminds me of one of my favorite artists over on instagram – have you seen any of Andrew Cadima’s paintings? He’s got some fantastic two color value studies that are so fun to watch. He did one that was basically just two different types of blacks, really impressive!
I appreciate the comments and you checking the post out! Hope the start of 2024 is great for you
110!! I wonder if I’ve ever even done 110 paintings, thanks for making me feel so much better about infrequently updating WordPress. Happy new year and all the best to you and the family.
Haha Steve do I win the “slackers of WordPress” championship this year?! I’ve been trying to figure out how to recapture that old mania behind updating the site, but I just can’t find it anymore. Just not enough hours in the day, you know? Happy new year to you and yours as well! Cheers to a great one for you
Good to hear it hadn’t degraded, it was a nice one.
I did a “monster” painting once, way back before getting stuck on doing the cars. It was in a folder for about 6 months and I happened to see it one day and the ink had faded into the paper quite badly.
It was cheap (and smelly) ink and on photocopier paper so I probably shouldn’t have expected much but considering it wasn’t even out in the daylight I was surprised. Since then I’ve been mindful about the lightfastness and quality of the materials I use, especially if it’s something I might plan on selling. I still use cheap stuff for my own sketching and the posh stuff for anyone else :o)
Sorry Steve, I am shamefully behind on the blog! I have such a hard time figuring out how art supply quality will show itself, it’s odd. Some of the extremely cheap paints I bought on Amazon do not hold up well at all, but the lowest student grade of Gamblin and Utrecht have really stood the test of time. Some are like a year old and haven’t faded (to my great surprise)! I guess I just need to stick to brands I’m familiar with eh?
Hi Jon I know you have progressed past this but I rather like this portrait. You have successfully captured the faraway look in the woman’s eyes as she’s chatting on the phone and not truly attending to her surroundings. Nicely done !
Thanks Phoebe! She definitely has a faraway look of someone not totally engaged, although I have to admit I don’t know if that was even intentional. Hope everything is good with you!
Thanks Jennifer! I definitely agree – my expectation is that it might take me a couple of years to really feel confident about it.
I just checked out your blog and appreciate your post about overcoming your art-related fears. I empathize with and understand that sort of fear, and it’s reassuring to hear that others feel similarly sometimes. Best of luck to you on your future art endevours!
Well done, I liked watching the video too, in fact I thought it showed the painting slightly better in terms of contrast than the photo for some reason. Pushing out beyond the comfort zone is always a challenge but necessary, good to see. Keep going! Best wishes!
That is an interesting observation – I have to say, I have wondered that for a while about the videos vs. photos. I feel like so many of the videos depict these various paintings in a much more accurate way in terms of color and overall presentation. Honestly, I think I’m just really bad at photography (and using my scanner).
I appreciate the comment, Surfsensei – hope all is well!
Thanks Omar! I get the same sense about Sargent being a favorite of many portrait artists now. I watch a lot of painting videos on youtube to learn how all this stuff works, and he referenced quite a lot. Definitely someone worthy of emulating!
It’s amazing how much work you’re putting into this, of course though it’s work and not a chore all the time you’re enjoying it.
One thing I would say is that despite the aim to fit into rules, human faces don’t fit into the rule book. They aren’t symmetrical. They do have wonky features. I’ll be honest, I can’t see a lot wrong with the one with the wrong angle above but I’ve not spent hours poring over it as you have. Artists are definitely their own worst critics 🤣
It’s better than a Picasso with the nose above the eye and ear way away….
To be honest Steve, I’m a bit surprised I’m still pushing so much on this. My expectation was that I’d paint a bunch for a couple months, then settle back into my old drawing rhythm. But it’s been 6 months and I’m still wanting to dive in all the time!
That’s a good point about faces too – they should have tilts and asymmetries. When I did a self portrait not too long ago, I surely noticed that! Haha, a nice lopsided face to practice on
Becoming an artist has it’s downsides. As my observation skills improved the more I noticed my ears aren’t level.
Here’s a funny thing, I thought of you a few days ago. As you know I’ve been painting for a couple of years, I just ordered a set of pencils earlier this week. I feel we could’ve done a swapsie 🙂
Haha that’s awesome, so I’m expecting to see some insanely detailed and realistic cars that can’t possibly be pencil, yet somehow are!
What brand of pencils are you going with? I feel like maybe I saw some pencil artwork from you really early on, back when I first found your site years ago…is that accurate, or am I totally imagining things?
Ha! I’ll give it a go. Any realism is usually just a by product.
I bought some Polychromos, as we mentioned something that will take heavy handed gorilla colouring without snapping.
I did do some coloured pencil drawings before but they were watercolour pencils which I didn’t really get on with to be honest. I nearly always ended up painting over them and was a waste of time having coloured beforehand.
Was it the Mini on IG? That’s just regular graphite pencil on sketch paper. Something to re-awaken those drawing skills a bit.
Plus… in my opinion if you can’t draw in monochrome then you are only ever going to be masking that with adding colour. There’s a saying which I’m probably going to misquote “value does all the work, but colour gets all the credit”.
It’ll be a couple of weeks away for the polychromos but I’ve got a few projects in mind which I’m keen to try out.
Much appreciated! Im trying to keep rolling on that path as much as possible. I do value repetition because it can be enjoyable to do familiar things, and also it helps from a practice standpoint. But I also want to grow and improve, so definitely have to get out of the comfort zone for that!
As an alternative to revivifying the face, as you’d noted it was good before? How about dullifying the greens? I’m thinking a very thin layer of cool grey to mute those tones behind, something towards the bluer end would have the reverse effect of the face becoming pale and perhaps introduce more depth to the overall piece?
Composition – grab a coffee and start reading about golden ratio and why 1.618 is an important number. It’s a rabbit hole worth falling down, though I confess to doing the most basic of composition checks when planning layouts. For a quick check I sometimes take a photo and then flip it horizontally to see if it still looks right.
Haha yes I’ve been hitting up my thesaurus! And man, that’s outside the box thinking on the background. I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t try that first, it might have been easier. The only thing I can think of is maybe since I’m so weak on backgrounds that I was afraid to change that at all.
On that golden ratio situation, I have come across that before. But to be totally honest, I didn’t really understand it! I figured I better not even try to discuss that here, since literally the only take away I had was that the little overlay seems to look like a seashell. Do you happen to have any good resources or recommendations on the subject?
I find that most guides, even those in books, seem to try to find a connection between paintings and the composition lines, often to the extent of shifting the lines around to meet the painting. To my mind I could take almost any picture and find and force composition lines to fit, to me proof needs to be exact which is how they portray it but is factually incorrect.
In other words, it’s not something I’m going to get hung up on. But I still have it in mind for when I’m being a bit more creative.
I find it easier to think of that seashell in its box form like on the link below. And even easier to think of it as a variation on the rule of thirds with thinner boxes rather than an even split.
That makes sense, I think I’m in that same mode. Maybe it would be cool if I could get to the point where I could keep that stuff in mind as I make something. But I could never see myself actually changing a painting or drawing to fit something like this.
It’s all very interesting and I do enjoy learning more about it. But man, it can get so complicated! I really just want to have fun painting, you know?
I appreciate the discussion of “failures” or as we called them at work, lessons leant. I have 5 efforts to the one that I eventually post. Great stuff.
Thanks Omar, I’m glad to hear it was a useful thing to read about! Like most people probably do, I struggle a bit on whether to share the failures and rough patches along with what I’m proud of. I try to share the learning experiences as much as possible, but there have definitely been some that I just had to trash and move on from. I guess that’s part of the whole experience, eh?
Great post, Jon, and I understand your dilemma re what and when to post. I decided a while ago to shorten my text when blogging to give me more time to create. Then I realised writing is actually a way of consolidating my art process in my own mind and I needed it. It performs a brain-sorting exercise; a clarifying and reminding of what I wanted to achieve, what I tried, how it progressed and what the outcome was. I now feel it’s as valuable a tool as the making because it’s a permanent record I can refer back to when I’m trying a similar thing again and it lets me know if I’m stagnating or improving.
Love both of the images above and I’ve watched both time-lapse videos. The amount of work in those faces is amazing. You’ve transitioned from pencils to oils seamlessly.
Enjoying following your journey, so don’t stop blogging!!
Hi Jon,
Glad to see you are trying to mix blacks! If you are interested, here’s a blog post on the varied ways to mix cooler or warmer blacks. https://artstudiolife.com/how-to-make-black/
I think it’s a good idea to look at shadows on faces more closely. Or shadows on snow, or on other surfaces. Shadows are colorful, yes! especially on faces — and using black for shadows there works less well than a darker shade of the flesh tone you are using. Trying adding a blue instead of black for your shadows, or even mixing your flesh tone with some darker green. Early on, frustrated by my attempts at natural self-portraits, I did a one in colored pencil, using only red, yellow and a dark green. All the shadows were rendered in green and green mixed with red to make a brown, and all the lighter areas in yellow or yellowed reds. I was very pleased with the results and to this day it’s one of my favorite self portraits. This exercise taught me an important lesson, that any color can work as a shadow color as long as it’s darker than the main tone. And much darker than the light-colored highlights. It was fun too, to try to limit my palette colors to just three. I highly recommend trying this, and no black allowed!
That’s quite a useful post, thanks for sharing that Phoebe! This really has been such a learning experience, which is definitely going to be an ongoing journey. I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone though and tried painting, because I can take these same lessons back to colored pencil (if I ever find the time for it haha). I really appreciate your suggestion from December about that same topic – I feel like it had a great impact. Since I’m so far behind sharing paintings, this one doesn’t really reflect it, but hopefully within a few points I’ll catch up to some that feature more color blending.
Color mixing is such an incredible learning curve – I really feel like this might be one of the aspects that takes the longest to get the hang of. Measured in years instead of months it seems!
Nice paintings, you are really good at these mideval characters. I like how you used like selective primaries in your characters, one cyan the other magenta, etc.
Thanks Shawn! I’ve really got so much to learn when it comes to composition, I’m definitely a rookie there. But I’m trying to find my way to using colors in a creative way sometimes.
And I definitely enjoy the fantasy/medieval themed characters – it’s so fun to me to draw or paint from things within that realm. Actually, that even goes back to when I was a kid! It’s always been so fun.
Ouch 150 drawings to get comfortable?! Man o man do I have a long road ahead of me. I’m enjoying reading about someone deep in learning mode balances out watching the YouTube experts. Good work!
I appreciate that! Honestly, it sounds a lot more daunting written than it actually is. And I’m kind of neurotic about my view of my own artwork, so I may not be the best judge of “comfort” exactly. Change and improvement just sort of happen over time as you create. As months turned to years, I started to see really significant changes in how things looked. It’s one of the many things I’ve liked about blogging – there’s a place where you can get a clear view of your older stuff.
So, how far into your drawing journey are you, Omar? I really thought I was following your blog already, but I’ve corrected that oversight now. Anyhow, I did some browsing to see if I can get a sense of your progression – I think you’re improving even over the course of the last couple of months. I think as long as you feel like you’re growing and learning, that’s the important thing!
That’s a terrific tool. So logical when you realise how to use it. Not having had painting tuition myself I haven;t come across it before. Thanks for the video.
Hello Claire – I’m glad the video was useful! It’s so funny that I finally learned about such a useful tool just when I’m trying to improve my freehand painting skills. It was actually kind of tough to force myself to put it down…but I do think it’s probably going to be something I go back to often.
It’s so weird how sometimes a cheap little thing can become a major difference maker. Anyhow, hope everything is good with you!
Jon, Digitalising paintings is fraught with issues. You’ve mentioned some, fluorescing colours dont help ( an issue I have with chalk pastels). I just use a panasonic lumix set at 14mpx. It’s better done in an area lit by northern light and a tripod will help. Sometimes you just have to compromise over colour balance, though you can play around with it on the computer. I just keep an image for my reference
As for selling prints. I am not sure whether it is cost effective. There is expense getting it done well enough to sell and time taken packaging – backing card and cellophane. Depends what you are doing it for. I just want to paint. Everything else just makes it into a job and I dont think the rewards are worth it. Unless that is, you are selling most of your painted output and the demand is such that you cant keep up with it. Yes, then consider the print option. Unfortunately I havent reached that stage.
Greetings Graham – that does sound like quite a process in terms of creating and selling prints. It’s something I want to try, mostly just to explore something I’ve never done, but the entire thing is fairly intimidating due to all the extras you mentioned. I completely understand your thoughts there though – the “I just want to paint” sentiment. That’s exactly why I’ve fallen so far behind on writing blog posts. I like to write too, but I like to paint even more…so painting just keeps winning the free time battle.
Thanks for the tips on northern light and camera set up. Now that I read your comment and I’m thinking about it…I’ve been photographing in light coming form the south. That’s at least one thing I can try that doesn’t cost money!
Best of luck Jon. On your painting writing dilemna; you might need to chose or do both unsatisfactorily. I have given up quite a few hobbies after deciding how much time is available and putting aside time for what I must do. Then making a choice over what it is I would most prefer to do and going with that. Life’s a bitch.
Isn’t it amazing how there never seems to be enough time to fit everything in? That is indeed life, but it seems like the best course of action is to just pick what makes you happiest. If I’m loving painting, I should paint.
Well, I could do that…or just not sleep anymore. Haha that could probably work right?
Hi Jon
I Hope you don’t mind the following suggestion:
Consider using less black in painting as shadows have color! Also you can mix a basic dark shade almost black with ultramarine blue and burnt umber… but I’d suggest trying to paint without using black at all or very sparingly. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.
I don’t mind at all! In fact, getting tips from experienced artists is one of my most favorite things about blogging. Comments and other peoples’ posts are huge sources of information for me. Haha I like to say I got art degrees from WordPress University and YouTube College
I think color mixing is a major deficit area for me right now – I’ve watched a few videos on it centered around skin tones, which really brought home how much I don’t know. That is a great tip though, thanks Phoebe! So, on that topic, do you think black is more reflective and that touches on the challenges I’ve had photographing paintings? Or do I just need to be more patient about letting these things dry?
Also, I’m curious how you typically digitize your works? Do you sell prints or do you stick to originals?
lol, my backlog is getting unmanagable. I still have half of my 2022 photos to edit. I went on some nice trips this year. But these will be great inspiration photos for my artwork in the next few years.
I hear that, sometimes I legitimately feel like sharing artwork is a full time job in and of itself. If only I could figure out how to actually make it pay like a full time job, eh? Maybe someday…like when I retire haha
I really appreciate the comment! Although the event was small, the topic/subject matter are bigger than most of what I work on with this hobby. I really wanted to show I was up to the task, so it means a lot to hear such feedback
I’m with you there – although I am finding oil paint to be more flexible than colored pencil in terms of fixing mistakes, the other side of that coin is that this mysterious shifts in position seem to happen to me more often. Like, some placements I thought I had well in hand slowly move ever so slightly out of place. Then either it just looks “off”, or I ended up with multiple small shifts that added to a big one!
I LOVE the grandfather’s face, (whether it looks like Falk or not doesn’t matter to me). You got the nose with the glasses just right, and that’s not easy. Also the mustache is very good and the cheeks too! How big a canvas or paper do you work on? If you work on small canvases (less than 9” by 12”) you might try reducing your subject to just the old man’s face and shoulders, which would make a very interesting portrait even if not a recognizable scene from the movie. In any event, there are no failures, just paintings we learn more from than others. Best wishes,
Phoebe Wagner
Hello Phoebe – thank you for that! Definitely appreciate your perspective on this one. My usual size is 9″ x 12″ paper just for ease of storage. And I think that’s great advice about going with the head and shoulders view. It really is my favorite perspective and gives me the best opportunity to practice features.
I regard you as a pretty adventurous and experienced artist – do you vary your sizing often? Or do you also have a favorite size/material that you typically return to? It seems like I’ve seen many different mediums, approaches, and techniques in the artwork you share, so I was just curious if you mix up sizes drastically as well?
The likenesses and especially the facial expressions are great in the pencil drawings!
I have the opposite problem: I am happy to sketch in oils with a brush (even if things go wrong), but not great with pencils. It seems like too much control, if that makes sense.
Thanks for the comment Tommi – yes, that does make sense! That’s very interesting because I’ve had some similar thoughts lately about the greater flexibility/adaptability of paint. Recently, I started trying these paintings without any sort of pencil sketch – basically just doing an underpainting as my outline. Some other artists I’ve been trying to learn from on YouTube talk about “molding/shaping” the paint, which is definitely not flexibility pencils give you.
I wonder if that’s at the heart of why I’ve been loving paint so much? It feels less rigid in some ways – a very different experience I think
I appreciate that Kelly! I am still painting and still learning as I go – I am a bit behind in terms of actually writing blog posts about everything though. Hopefully I can catch up at some point
Thanks for checking out the artwork and for the kind comment!
Nice painting, you are really going out of your element by painting landscapes. Your painting really has some interesting texture.
I like the sharply angled peeks, and golden green colours in the foreground. I have never used a palette knife before, I know you can use them for Acrylic too, they are just too unpredictable for me to trust.
Thanks Shawn! I’m really trying to push myself – I think I need some additional materials before I try another landscape, but it was fun to try.
At this point, I’m really just trying to get practice in and learn. I’ve got miles under me when it comes to drawing, but I’m still so green when it comes to painting. But I really feel like I’ve gotten something out of every painting so far, so it feels encouraging!
I dont think that was the one I saw, John. What I saw was a straight, pretty objective, documentary about his life story and how he built up the business and how he got the programmes aired.
I do about 5 or 6 a year, but it does seem to be building up – maybe there’s a high mortality rate amongst demonstrators and I’m the last man standing.
A problem with paper will be oil soaking through and degrading the paper itself. I’ve primed paper and boards, old canvasses too, with gesso, tinted with a small amount of a nearly neutral mix of acrylic paint. It gives a nice painting surface and is quick (don’t let it dry out on brushes!). Having a neutral – warm or cool as appropriate – ground makes it much easier to get tones balanced and can add an interesting underpainting effect too.
You’ve got me curious about his show now…
Best wishes.
The drawing paper I’ve been using is fairly thick so I haven’t experienced any soak through yet. But I do prefer Strathmore’s linen paper that’s made for oils…I haven’t used it for everything though, because it’s definitely more expensive per sheet than the other. I guess that’s life with painting though eh?
That does make me wonder though – are there long term issues with using drawing paper with oils? Even if it’s not apparent right now. Perhaps yellowing? Paper degrading over time?
The show is pretty funny if you like surreal/bizarre comedy – it’s also definitely NSFW (if you have anyone around sensitive to that sort of thing). There have been times when I was so taken by surprise by what was happening I couldn’t even catch my breath from laughing. The first time I saw a sketch called “Bird Up” was like that. Just a moment of “what in the world is happening here.” It’s definitely niche though!
By the way, I love that House on Cherry Street painting you’ve done – I really appreciated the texture and color variations. Now that I’m painting, I feel like I’m examining other works in a different way to see if I can figure out how it’s done. This one has such great use of small color differences for shadows. Very nicely done
I think that magic white allowed him some lovely techniques. They recently reshowed his programmes in the UK. Unlike you, John, (and many others) I wasnt calmed. Half way through I am yelling at him to stop. Just leave it there Bob – walk away.
Some lovely atmospheric starts which he seemed to trivialise.
I keep meaning to buy some of this magic white and have a go myself. Though I always find it is difficult to pick up someone else’s technique; but if you persist a bit you come through.
I actually know exactly what you mean! Although I do obviously love the shows and find them relaxing, towards the end sometimes he’ll plop something right in the middle that just wrecks it for me. I’m thinking of some with a massive pine tree that just dominates what was a beautiful scene. To be fair, him knocking those out so quickly and timed for a show is quite a feat from my view. Also, I should give him further credit for being so brave about that. I’m cautious to a fault when it comes to art I think, so that’s something I admire.
This is probably a basic question, but consider it’s coming from someone so new to all this – what is the effect that magic white is supposed to give you? Is it just really effective or smooth blending and color mixing directly on the canvass? It would be really cool to see what an experienced artist like yourself can do with it
There was also a programme over here, about Bob and the making of his videos. He is actually copying a pre-prepared version which is out of camera shot. So when he says; let’s go crazy – well he isnt. To be fair, you have to do it that way. To do that time after time seamlessly, is almost impossible. I did a pastel demo for a painting group last night and I had practised the painting beforehand – otherwise people would lose interest as you bumbled about. You’d probably complete the painting, but the audience might not be any the wiser.
I think the magic white allows easier application of paint with the palette knife and smooth transitions of tone and colour which results in those great starts. Then, as you say he plonks a bloody great pine in, or worse still – that log cabin.
Haha oh those log cabins, he sure did love those things!
Is that from the Netflix documentary – Happy Accidents Betrayal and Greed? Or a different one? If you haven’t seen that one, it’s a pretty solid watch. Definitely told from one perspective and could be a bit dramatized for impact, but still quite a few interesting aspects to it.
I think you’re right about practicing ahead of time. I’ve never done such a thing (public demo), but I imagine if I ever did, I would feel like I had to practice it a few times just for piece of mind. Do you do a lot of those demos for art groups?
I love when you can start to detect real results over time. I think that’s one of my favorite things about blogging – being able to look at your progress over time and see how you’ve developed
Haha thanks man! For real though, those poor colored pencils might start to collect dust because painting is just too enjoyable. I’ve been trying to be better about conserving paint and not letting it dry/go to waste. As someone who’s experienced with paints, do you have any tips for a rookie on that aspect? I did buy an “air tight” (so it claims) box to keep my palette in, but I’m not sure if it’s actually doing anything.
Let them dry out, go back a decade later and you can still re-wet the palette and start where you left off.
However, for the acrylics I also put out too much paint. I’m getting better though and judging a bit better.
I also made a palette from a Chinese food container. It’s a good size, just have several layers of soaking wet tissue paper, then a couple of layers of tracing paper on top of that for the paint to sit on. Once the lid is on then it’s airtight and creating it’s own watery eco-system for the paint to not dry out.
In your case however, you’d need water-based oil paints (that concept messes with my head) to do the same.
Well played indeed! Haha, yes I was sort of holding out hope there was some way to “revive” old paints…but it doesn’t seem to be reality in the case of oils. And I guess acrylics are similar in that way? Ah, so much yet to learn. Maybe I really should try watercolors – I love the look too, but it would certainly be more cost effective.
And…water based oil paints? Man, you just blew my mind! I think I need to get back to some googling…I didn’t even know such a thing existed.
Have you ever done like an instructional run down of your painting set up? It sounds like you’ve had the benefit of experience to find what works for your set up. It would be interesting to read about (and see photos) of stuff like your palette solution and so forth.
I haven’t done any instructional run down, or a post on my set-up. And the main reason for that is that I still consider myself as a newbie to painting – though I guess that I’m now a few years into it and have done enough of it now that people want to part with their hard earned cash to hang some of my stuff on the wall.
It’s strange, I hadn’t even considered it that I guess I could consider myself a painter until you just mentioned it… It’s like it’s crept up on me 🫢
I don’t think anyone could (or should) learn anything that useful from my methods as I don’t consider myself to know much but if I can I’ll add some more detail to the process on my posts. I used to take progress shots but haven’t done it so much…
Look out for a “dog painting” post coming up, I’ll include as much detail as I can remember and also how I changed the whole look of it after I’d considered it finished and signed off only to be told “it’s the wrong colour”. Watch this space 😁
Perspective is such a strange beast. From this end of things, I consider you an expert on several mediums (including acrylic paints). More specifically, if I wanted to explore paintings of cars/bikes/other vehicles, Steve Kidd is a name that would pop into my mind right away. And plus, by definition you are a professional artist – as you said, people buy your artwork!
I will definitely keep my eye out for this dog painting! Looking forward to it for sure
This turned out so great, Steve! The painting itself, but also the details of the post are excellent! I’ll comment more directly on your site, but absolutely fantastic
Nice painting of the girls. You really captured them well. This is an amazing piece that is consistant with your style, in a totally new medium for you. Oil Paint
Thank you Shawn! I really appreciate it – I’m still trying to find my way in this medium, but I am definitely enjoying the learning process. It’s also nice to hear that the style has remained somewhat consistent too. I guess some habits follow you through anything, eh?
It’s wonderful to hear how you got lost in painting and didn’t keep track of time spent! That’s the whole point to me, to love and enjoy doing something so much you get immersed and lose track of time. So happy to see you are making this transition and your painting progresses by leaps and bounds!
Thank you Phoebe, it’s quite a fun sensation isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy drawing a lot. But I don’t recall ever getting quite so swept up in a pencil drawing the way I seem to with painting. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but lately I’ve just wanted to just spend all day doing it. A pleasant surprise for sure!
Much appreciated Claire! I’m glad to hear that there’s something recognizable there – that was actually something I was curious about, whether it would look drastically different than the pencil drawings from a style standpoint. I mean, first I didn’t even know if I could paint something that looks like a recognizable person. But then, would I have quirks that I fall into that carry over? So many unknowns about this, and I’m very much enjoying seeing how it all falls into place!
Hello Claire, much appreciated! I’m glad I got the hair to look wild – in theory, this is a guy who just finished playing basketball, so messy is definitely good in my book.
Just catching up on your most recent posts as well. I have to say, I love the paintings you’ve been up to! I still have a few more posts to read through, but really enjoying them.
First off – congratulations for getting that monkey off your back. My paints languished unused in the drawer for several months (potentially over a year) before I decided to paint something other than a colour test card.
Now to this painting, I love how it’s still recognisably one of your works despite the different medium and method.
And of course, why not start at the hardest subject – oil portrait painting. You removed the armbands and rather than getting in the shallow end you headed for the diving board. Well done.
Three hours is amazingly quick as well. I often do 1-2 hours slots and there’s no way I’d be looking at something like that within two sessions… King Procrastinator here.
I am amazed. Impressed. Inspired. Encouraged. Well done Jon 😀
Man…I’m really flattered and humbled that you’d say that. Coming from someone like you who is skilled in so many mediums and subject types, that made my day. Really, thanks for that!
So, would you consider oils harder to work with than watercolors? I had thought about both, but watching videos of watercolor artists, for some reason I couldn’t wrap my head around some aspects of it. Like, how do you control the looseness of the paint? It seems so wild – but maybe that’s the fun of it too, eh? Although oil paints vastly exceeded my prediction for how messy they would be, I still felt some degree of control in terms of how I could apply them
I’m curious, what was your first painting? Although I’ve been following your art for a long time, I don’t recall ever seeing you as a beginner in any area
Well that’s very kind of you to say – made my day that you said that about me as well 😀
I’ve never done oils so I can’t comment on whether it’s harder than watercolour.
In fact, for some reason I’d got it in my head early on that watercolours was the easiest medium. After all, that’s what the kids use right?
Turns out I was wrong about that, or in fact I’m not sure if “harder” should be the right term. It’s different and because there’s no Undo feature you need to maybe have a bit more planning going on before making a mark.
From my watercolour world I hadn’t looked at acrylics or oils because I considered that was for the serious guys and I’d need to stock up on various bottles of solvents, piles of rags, etc. I’d dismissed it as a possibility. It was only a chance comment that someone mentioned acrylics were water-based and I was like “wait, what did you say?”. I had my order in before the day was out I reckon 😁
As mentioned, despite getting the paints and doing a colour test card straight away I think I found the prospect a bit scary and so they went in the drawer whilst I made up excuses and got back to my comfort zone. Now I’d say that the acrylics are my main medium, it seems to suit the car art better than watercolour generally though I will still be using watercolour frequently. I do like the permanence of acrylic on canvas – plus there is some potential for that “Undo” feature so it’s ironic that my comfort zone has shifted now.
I don’t really have a clue what I’m talking about on this topic, but I have this notion that all types of painting might be more difficult than drawing with pencils. Although I’m surprised so many skills/habits seemed to translation from pencil to paint, it just seems like there’s so many more pieces to account for with painting. I’m only two paintings in at this point (finished another this weekend), but what you said definitely seems right to me about having to plan.
So, acrylics are water based? Haha I’m learning more every day. You like it because it’s a little more flexible maybe, and that you can more easily fix mistakes? I’m going to spend more time getting used to oils, but I definitely want to keep learning about other types.
Man, that Notorious BIG is great! What a first painting you had there. How in the world did you get such detail in a small area like that? Now that I’ve tried to paint, I see how hard it is to capture finer details…that perspective makes this tiny art you did that much more impressive.
Ahhh, okay interesting. I’ve been trying to study up a bit more (via youtube painters) on mixing different types of paints. So, do you ever combine acrylic with other types? This guy Alpay Efe uses acrylic when he needs a fast drying base layer, then goes over it with oil: https://youtu.be/m34FhB1tXyw?t=354
Thanks a lot, Sharmla! I gave it my best shot – I was definitely worried in the early stages, but fortunately the paint was forgiving enough to get by as I learned some basics.
Thank you! I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, but I hope that what you say is true. It feels a little strange to say, because I do enjoy drawing…but I just had so much fun painting. It’s like another level of enjoyment or something. Maybe I was just in a good mood that day? I suppose I just need to paint some more to see if that continues
Well done and keep going! I’ll try to reply on some specific points later, on the early bus to work just now. If solvent is an issue, have you looked at water-mixable oils? Windsor and Newton make them, likely others in US too? Best wishes.
I appreciate that! One of my favorite things about WordPress is the incredibly helpful community of artists that share techniques and advice. I got so many great tips when I was learning to draw, I’m excited to try things from experienced painters!
Jon, I just noticed – watch that the tilt of the eyes and mouth match. In yours they’re going in opposite directions. It may be the case, but it’s not normal.
You have got a good eye! I didn’t even notice that until now – yes there is definitely some, to use a highly technical term, wonkiness going on. I tried to watch the video I recorded to see where that tilt was introduced, but unfortunately the camera angle and poor focus prevent a good view. I think perhaps the sketch was okay, and then as I painted I gradually moved the position somehow.
Definitely a good overall balance/composition thing to keep an eye out for it, thanks for the heads-up!
Also, I’m unfortunately quite behind on my blog reading. As I caught up on your site, I’m so sorry to read about your brother. My condolences to your family. The tributes you’ve done are wonderful, sharing those moments. Take care – Jon
Hi Jon, yes painting is great, and it goes so much quicker than colored pencils, which I too used almost exclusively for years. Glad to see you are breaking away from these and out of your comfort zone, and trying new mediums! Take care,
Phoebe
That’s really good to hear – I can definitely see how, once you get familiar/comfortable, painting would go more quickly. I feel like a lot of the time with this first painting was consumed just trying to figure out how to mix colors and get used to everything
Thanks Christine! I am very much a “comfort zone” type of person, so I’m surprised I tried a somewhat complex expression for a first ever painting. But I think it conveyed in this painting somehow!
“ultimately knocked a couple thousand off the originally booked price”
Wow, it doesn’t matter how annoying you were – that is some discount !! I’d really like to visit Ajaccio – for no real reason other than it featured several times in the curriculum when I was learning French 😁
Greetings Steve! Yes, I was a bit surprised to be honest – I’d have to compare the original booking to the final tally, but I think it was in the range of $1500-2000 or so. I’m not completely sure about other cruise lines, but I found Norwegian’s pricing to be fairly hard to gauge. They almost always have varying promotions and so forth (i.e. 40% off), but they also change the baseline prices to compensate. And rooms change price based on availability. So it becomes hard to tell if you’re actually getting a good deal. But I basically just called their customer service every once in a while and asked them to price the same trip for me, let me know if it was a lower final cost. I did this while I was still in my cancellation period, so that was my back up plan if they weren’t willing to play ball for some reason. But NCL’s customer service was always good about things.
Oh man, definite thumbs up for Ajaccio by the way! Although it’s hard to choose a favorite out of all the destinations on this trip, I do think Corsica overall is up there at the top. Really just a cool vibe to the place; must more relaxed than some other destinations.
Hello Shawn! Yes indeed, I found the buildings fascinating there. Really unique, even compared to the other Italian cities we visited. Florence is definitely a place I wished we had more time to roam around
Great cruise round-up Jon. My husband & I enjoyed a trip to Italy, some of the same sites as you, 3 years ago. Spectacular. We (living in Australia) have recently returned from a cruise around the North West coast of Australia which was stunning. I totally agree about a balcony, if you can afford one get it as it was a delight to sip wine sitting on our outdoor chairs watching the scenery go by. Excursions, in our case, were all organised by the ship as we were a small vessel of 99 passengers and tenders moved us around and onto shore easily. No towns nearby but plenty of crocodile warnings, and viewing of very, very old Aboriginal rock art, mangroves, crocodiles, sea turtles and so on.
You really feel renewed when you get home, don’t you? They’re trips worth remembering, both in your mind and with photos.
Hello Claire! Italy sure is incredible, isn’t it? I really thought American pizza would mostly hold up against Italian, but I have to admit I was incorrect. I mean, of course there’s much more to it than the food, but that aspect really was remarkable.
That sounds quite nice traveling with a smaller ship – the mobility would have been a tremendous advantage. Is this a commercially available option, perhaps a company you would recommend traveling through? We used Norwegian Cruise Lines, which was quite good, but I’m always interested in recommendations. And was your European voyage also a smaller vessel?
Haha although your crocodile warnings sound quite terrifying, that does sound like a great trip!
I appreciate that! He has definitely become a go-to travel resource for us. I’m still amazed it took so long for me to hear about him, where have I been all this time?
Sorry about the delayed response, Kirsten! I should be able to remove or delete the incorrect email. The only challenge is that this website has an anti-spam filter that may not allow a full email address in a comment. Can you give me the email without tying an “at” sign? That should get around the anti-spam.
Aside from remove the incorrect email, you should be able to just add the correct one in if you still want to try for the portrait prize!
It’s so weird reading this post now. Luka turned into one of the best players in the league! I almost can’t believe that I didn’t overhype him – the man is a legit MVP candidate every year. And Brunson turned out to be a pretty excellent player in his own right…but for the New York Knicks (boooo). And Dennis Smith Jr is on the outside looking in currently, trying to find a roster spot. I’m still rooting for DSJ, I hope he lands somewhere and plays well.
I’m a self-admitted “skimmer” here, I have no shame in saying that I’m look at the blogs I follow and the social media channels purely to look at the art. Sometimes I will take the time to give a proper read (I did with this one actually even though it’s not about a portrait :\ )
For me, WordPress blogging is pretty much a dead duck. I started in the same year as you, I was seeing a steady increase in subscribers, comments, etc.
Then I switched over from wordpress .com to .org – a managed wordpress service, purely because I thought it was the more professional thing to do. Even though it was alleged that my WP follows would still be there it was clear that something had happened, likes and comments fell off a cliff.
After a year or so (I think) I switched back again from a paid plan to the free wp com blog that I had before but it’s never recovered. For most posts I’m pretty sure that no-one ever sees them. I’m at the stage now where I’m only noting things down for my own benefit to export to some other platform one day.
Unless I’m misremembering the timing, I believe your experience moving from WP.com to .org is one of the factors that kept me from trying the same thing. I still wanted to experiment with .org though to see how it’s different, and ended up building a totally separate site (https://armdogreviews.com/). It’s okay and the price is nice, but .org (first through bluehost, then siteground) feels a bit more unwieldy at times. I do wish WP.com plans were cheaper, but I guess you have to pay for the cohesiveness, support options, and the WP Reader.
Haha I know at least one person who sees the posts on your website – me! I’m a dinosaur though, stubbornly hoping blogging someday becomes “big” again. Although I admit, I do often end up browsing in batches rather than as they happen.
Also, your comment about us starting blogging the same year got my pondering other sites from that time. It seems like a lot of my favorites have dropped off over time. I tried to come up with a list of sites I enjoy that were around in my earlier blogging days, back when we both started, but I can only think of a handful that are still pretty active:
I feel like I might be missing some artists from back then, but their names aren’t coming to me. I’ll put it this way – there was an even higher number I remembered that I just searched, but their blogs are either gone now or haven’t been updated in years.
Yes Jon, I sacrificed my once-successful WP site over to org and it’s been downhill ever since, even after switching back to com.
Mine is now on a free subscription so no doubt my pages are plastered with ads but after spending loads on a hosted plan and an additional hefty subscription for Shopify for a very short while I vowed to try and keep everything as cost-free as possible.
Maybe one day if the “one and only Steve Kidd Art” (catchy title, thank you) starts to make a profit then I’ll look at upgrading to a packaged site but so far it’s only ever been a loss-making venture. Considering I was aiming for a retirement plan (not there yet) I may have to re-think.
As it happens, I’m far from being the one and only Steve Kidd – but it was a surprise to find that there is another Steve Kidd Art on Instagram. I wonder if that one bumped into my name when setting up and had to change his intended name tag.
I’ve had a look at your other site, I like the look of the cinnamon granola bars.
Actually, your site isn’t too bad in terms of ads. Just browsing through, it seems like the most heavy location is at the bottom of blog posts. But for the most part, areas like your galleries and other pages seem to have a single, unobtrusive ad at the end. Of course, I’ve never understood how WP determines placement and whatnot – is it dependent on your site’s theme/layout? Anyhow, I don’t think it’s distracting or anything.
Man, I hear you on the whole “turning a profit” thing. My goal has always been to find a break-even point with the two websites, but in all honesty, I’m not even at that modest goal! Even if I include book-related sales and so forth.
Now you’ve got me curious, so I did some googling – apparently there’s also a Steve Kidd who is a photographer? And there was a deceased American illustrator named Steve Kidd. So technically there are some others. But maybe just talking about you being “The One and Only Steve Kidd, Artist” will trigger some Google algorithm magic!
Thanks Christine! Also, congratulations to you on your book and the major scholarly accomplishments! I am trying to catch up on some blog post reading, and just now saw some of your springtime news. That’s so awesome
I can understand that, keeps things interesting! On the publishing topic, have you considered self-publishing? If you don’t have any philosophical objections to Amazon, their KDP program makes the process fairly easy. You basically download MS Word templates and copy/paste your book’s materials in. I’ve also done IngramSpark for self publishing, which is a bit less intuitive, but still not too bad.
I appreciate you saying so, thanks! I’m always a bit nervous when a project is going to be given to someone, so I’m glad to hear from others about how it turned out.
That’s pretty cool, I wonder how they came across the drawing? I’m honestly a bit honored someone thought it was good enough to share (haha that’s probably a bit dramatic, but still). Though it is probably my favorite of the multiple Elden Ring sketches I did.
That was interesting! I must admit, I mostly look at your pictures, but skim the written material, too. I write and paint, and I can tell by feedback that sometimes my readers like the writing and other times the paintings. Like you, I keep on because I enjoy it (weekly, since 1998)
Wow, you’ve kept your blogging streak up since 1998?! That is indeed impressive, definitely something to be proud of. I hope to stay on that track over time as well, although I do have a ways to go to match that writing level!
And honestly, I’m right there with you about blog-reading habits. There’s just so much great artwork out there, even just within the WordPress blogging realm. It’s sometimes a challenge to keep up with everything, so I also find myself skimming text and focusing on the images. I try to read more closely when something seems instructional, because it’s always my hope to learn something from the more experienced artists out there.
But I certainly agree with you – the best thing is to go with what you enjoy, and this has been a great outlet for channeling some creative energies, both in terms of writing and drawing.
It’s hilarious to look back at this now. So many of these cryptocurrencies are either gone or close to zero. Interestingly enough, my overall portfolio is pretty much right where it was when I started four years ago – I’m actually up $15 from my initial cash outlay. The big coins that are still around that I have are Bitcoin, ADA, XRP, BAT, XLM, WAVES, and Ethereum. And apparently Dogecoin, which is pretty funny.
I’ve considered doing another post about this, but I’m not sure that I have enough to even talk about for a full write-up. I guess NFTs are a new thing I haven’t discussed, which could be relevant in some ways since I’m an artist. But I don’t think much of them, so it probably wouldn’t be a very positive take. Essentially, I think it’s a grift that is chocked full of people blatantly stealing intellectual property with (so far) no repercussions. I made an account on one of the big platforms so I could explore it firsthand…for the most part, I saw a bunch of repetitive, uninteresting clip art.
Anyhow, maybe I’ll write more about that at some point. Particularly if companies like Nintendo and Disney start going after their IPs on these platforms.
That’s much appreciated Shawn! Although sometimes I can’t muster the patience to layer the colors as much as I should, I think this time it worked out!
The thing I like most about this post is that you are taking a critical look at your work, identifying areas of improvement, acting on it, etc.
This is a master class in how the process should be in my opinion. Well done.
As for the blogging, I can related. A few months ago I realised that there were 2-3 pieces I’d done that I hadn’t even mentioned on WP.
As much as I have a love/hate relationship with Instagram there’s no doubt that it gets faaaaaaaaaaaar more visibility than any WP post so it tends to get forgotten about for me.
Thanks Steve! I really do try to dive into the good and bad with every writeup. I’m honestly not trying to roast myself or anything like that, although I admit sometimes it may seem that way. I feel like every single piece is another learning experience, so it helps me to try to take a lesson from each one wherever possible. Even if it seems like the lessons are pretty repetitive! For example, my noted weaknesses with scenery, clothing, and objects comes up a lot in these.
That’s so funny you mention that about Instagram vs WP visibility – I was just pondering that the other day. I wonder what the next “thing” is going to be? Blogging had its revenue generation hay day, then social media took all clicks. I’m sure it’s something we can’t even fathom (or if you do, go ahead and invest, right?). Maybe the video-centered platforms (Tik Tok, YouTube) will bury the others? Or will virtual reality (Meta) finally become a thing? I doubt that last one, but I’ve been wrong many many times when it comes to tech.
I’m glad you stopped by though Steve, it reminds me I need to swing by your Instagram and catch up on your work! Haha
Yeah, swing on by to Insta – if you’ve been exceptionally observant you may see that my follower count has dropped from over 1,500 to about 700. They didn’t abandon me, I’ve been deliberately deleting them. Apparently I had a lot of “ghost” followers… that’s not something I thought about on wordpress though I fear if I did the same on WP then I’d be left with you and two others. For real !!
Every painting is a learning experience, fine words !!
Wow that is wild! I figured there were always some bots floating around, but that’s surprising there were so many once you weeded them out. 700 is still quite a lot though from my perspective, especially if you feel better about them being actual people interested in artwork.
I would guess I have a similar number of ghost followers. I know for sure there have been some on WordPress, although I’m not sure quite how many. Whenever someone subscribes, I try to look at their stuff too (particularly if they’re an artist). But there have been times where I click the user and it just says something like “this site no longer exists.” It’s not frequent, but it’s definitely been more than once.
By the way, speaking of your Instagram – so @moospeed is also yours? But just dedicated to car paintings right? I’ve got both followed now, but I just wanted to make sure I’m on the right track there.
Thanks very much Judith! They really are time consuming, I am with you there – it’s been a long time since I really dove into one like I did with Elden Ring. I’m glad I did, but I definitely need a break from such an all-consuming thing like open world RPGs now
I haven’t tried that, but I used to have a neighbor who seemed to have a great time with his friends. This was probably 20 years ago though, so I’m not sure if they’re still about it. I always wondered if they sort of ad-lib the events, or if it was more like a Dungeons and Dragons session, with a carefully planned scenario?
Agreed Shawn, I think From Software and all the people behind Elden Ring did an absolutely amazing job! Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin in my opinion really made a fascinating world full of compelling characters
So much life in this drawing, Jon. What a lovely tribute and something tangible you and your wife can hold on to when remembering her father. He looks like such a happy friendly person. You’ve done him proud.
A little note on one of the characters I’ve tried to depict; Black Knife Tiche is actually a bit more involved in an important plotline than I realized. You can read more about some events she helped kick off in this post (Warning: Heavy spoilers are behind this URL): https://jonamdall.com/2022/04/11/elden-ring-malenia-radahn-artwork/
She was still sort of a minor character, but was involved in something pretty big.
Also, a small side note that I found interesting. One of the Spirit Ash summons I drew in another sketch, Black Knife Tiche, is actually one of the assassins who took down Godwyn the Golden. So, she’s actually one of the people responsible for kicking off all this chaos! I’m not sure if the game delves into this at all, since I haven’t reached the end, but I wonder who was pulling the strings? What’s the motivation and who really wanted to shatter the Elden Ring? Hmmm…
I just realized I made a small mistake – looking at those Reddit family trees, I think Radahn and Malenia might actually be half-siblings rather than cousins. Since they share the same father and all. I guess my first hint should have been that distinctive red hair!
Interesting drawing, it must have taken a lot of research to get the armor and costumes so good in your painting. I know there are a lot of extra challenges to creating period specific artwork pieces.
Much appreciated Shawn! In all honesty, it wasn’t too bad figuring out the armor and so forth. For the most part, I leaned heavily on styles within the game. I took detours regarding some of the details, partially because I couldn’t figure out exactly how to replicate clothing details that aren’t really in color within Elden Ring.
Overall though, it was fun to try to adapt to what I had in my head!
Well, looks like I had another Elden Ring drawing in me after all. A full blog post coming soon, but for now I’ll link the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u4UxJGrehs
Much appreciated Shawn! As do you, I really like your pointillism nature scenes especially. Appreciate you commenting – it gave me a chance to see your artwork as well.
Thanks Shawn, it’s something I’m glad I attempted! Sometimes I have to talk myself into trying something new, so it’s good branching out worked out in this case
Thanks Claire! While I was working on that one I wasn’t sure about it, but it really grew on me. I was surprised to find I liked the final result much more than I thought I would. Isn’t it a nice surprise when that happens?
It’s a nice lesson that perhaps I should see things through even when I’m not sure. It’s interesting timing because just before this, I tried doing a portrait of Donnie Yen from the Ip Man movies, but I abandoned it because I just couldn’t capture his likeness. Maybe it’s time to loop back around to that again?
You’d think it would be a double challenge as you’ve effectively got to draw two people, without a photo reference I think you’d have to be exceptionally skilled to imagine the side and back of someone’s head in perspective.
My daughter is doing a media course at the moment and it’s surprising the lengths they go to when filming mirror scenes, to the extent of filming it twice and ignoring the fact there’s a cameraman in the reflection.
Then you get tricks like this one I drew last year. Obviously I used two reference images for it but even with that in mind it was harder than I expected it to be. The hand for instance is reflected normally.
Oh man, yes I can’t even imagine trying to do it without a reference. I would have no clue! It might be interesting to try, but I have a feeling my version may look like an insane dream or something.
That’s a cool one you linked, very well done there indeed. The techniques you used almost makes it feel like there’s motion in the piece to some extent.
Also, that’s quite interesting about filming mirror scenes – I figured they used some cool trickery, but I just filed it away in my brain as “movie magic” and left it there. Of course, that’s assuming it’s not a low budget flick set for MST3K or Rifftrax, then they are very likely not to even care
It amazes me just how much time and effort goes into film making, it’s no wonder the list of credits is more like a phone directory these days rather than a readable list.
So true – not to mention money! I truly don’t understand the economics of the whole enterprise. It seems impossible to recover how much money they spend on some of these movies
Thank you. Yes, I took a break from social media and WordPress during February to fully concentrate on skilling up further with the art so I’m only just back and catching up.
I’ve my fingers crossed for you Jon, hope you get to see your work displayed. This is a great piece and your elder daughter is super-concentrated on what she’s doing. After following you for so long I’d recognise your family if I met them in the street!
Somewhat spurred on by your lead and needing to make a firm commitment to myself re my printmaking I’ve just joined an exhibiting group. I submitted my portfolio for review and was accepted into their ranks. I find there’s something about collectives, groups and associations of like-minded people that generates energy and enthusiasm to explore, create and work to a deadline instead of my normal practice of doing too much thinking and not enough doing. I can’t wait to meet them all soon.
I’m thrilled to see my on-line profile is already live at https://southernprintmakersassociation.com/artist-profiles-2/
Thank you Claire! Haha yes that’s true, I certainly have drawn them quite a few times. One thing I wonder sometimes is what the kids will think of all this when they’re older. I’m planning on giving them all these drawings someday – will they think it’s crazy that there are so many? Will they have favorites?
That is very cool about the printmaking group! I did some browsing around the site you linked, it sounds like a really great opportunity to collaborate and interact with other experts. I like the profile write up and connected site too, quite nice. Well done and congrats – looking forward to seeing/reading more on the group exhibitions if you post about them on your blog!
Good luck, man! Also, a great way to make connections in the art community is to look for life drawing sessions in your area, or portrait sessions. Both usually have groups of regulars that attend.
Much appreciated! This is a really great idea – I’ll have to keep an eye out on some of the art centers I followed when I was looking for art shows to enter. I don’t have much experience in this realm though, where else would you look for sessions like that? Perhaps colleges or libraries host them? I’ll have to do a bit of googling
Anyhow, hope you’re doing well! Great to see your most recent post, and l look forward to seeing more from the print exhibit you’re featured in
Thanks Hilda! I have no clue if it’s something they might be interested in, but my thought is – this was free to submit a piece of art, so I had nothing to lose by giving it a try. We’ll see how it goes!
If this exhibition interests anyone out there, and you happen to live in Texas, the deadline for entry is two days (Saturday, February 5th) at 6pm. There is no entry fee, and you can submit your artwork online! So it’s nice and easy.
Oh, actually I guess the Dallas Office of Arts and Culture did say exactly when they’ll notify of the results. I didn’t see it initially, but the list of artists will be posted on March 12th here: https://art214.dallasculture.org/notifications/
Nice Jon! I can see YOU have been busy in the months that I have been absent from blogland!!! Please send me a small cupful of YOUR energy and enthusiasm to help me get my own blog restarted!!!! Happy New Year! I really hope 2022 is going to be a GOOD one!!!!
Hello there Hilda, great to see you in the blog world again! I just saw the new post on your site, which I will also comment on – but thank you for stopping by here to say hello.
There are a couple of artists I follow that have taken a bit of a pandemic-era break who I’ve been wondering about and hoping they’re doing well. Yours has indeed been a noteworthy absence! I hope everything is good, and definitely looking forward to seeing more of your great portraits and landscapes at some point in the future.
nice collection! I like this as a GROUP. And the use of color is a bonus — I realize now that is your “older” style, but I like it and maybe somewhere in between is where it will all eventually land..
Thank you for that great observation and the kind words! I really didn’t have a good appreciation for that fact until looking back after reading your comment, but the use of color is quite different. I have certainly fallen into a “how about some more gray” mode, haven’t I? I like the idea you’ve mentioned though, trying to find an in-between zone to land.
The advantage here as an observer is that I don’t know any of the shows or characters you are referring to – so I can admire these for what they are to me… portraits.
And jolly decent ones at that, I particularly admire that side profile and the expression on the forward facing chap. Nicely done.
This is a great point Steve, I don’t often consider these things from that perspective. Sometimes I do try to imagine from an overall usability standpoint how visitors to this blog might experience the homepage, navigating, and all that. But I should try to view individual posts that way too sometimes.
I did some browsing of some random posts just now, trying to imagine them completely at face value as a neutral person. It made me appreciate how I need to work on eyes and eyelids more. Haha some of my portraits have straight up crazy eyes, like that Nicholas Cage “you don’t say” meme.
I’ve been fighting with my style of printmaking versus other printmakers of a similar standard to myself for quite a while. Their work seems more interesting, some aspects more refined and subject matter that can’t help to attract. I discussed my lack of confidence with my husband as he’s a good sounding board for me to analyse my achievements.
Several thoughts came from this but one thing stood out: when we work on a piece it becomes familiar to us, like a piece of our old furniture – comfortable, safe, known and reliable. But when we initially see another person’s art if seems fresh, spontaneous, different, alluring and that’s because we haven’t had the experience of living with it over time while it develops, as we have with our own pieces. So is it realistic to compare our (familiar) work with others and find ourselves wanting?
I think my prints are quite good, relatively speaking, and I’m trying to stop looking at other work and thinking “what a great idea, I wish I worked like that” because I’ve realised that my way IS my way and the prints that appear from my hands are going to be exactly that – what my hands can produce and from the place my mind is at at the time.
I’ve had printmakers compliment me on finished prints and ask my process. WHAT? Really? As I speak with them, Jon, I can see they have exactly the same insecurities as I do. They enjoy my work because it’s new and fresh to them, the same reason I like theirs.
I think you’re doing brilliantly and if you’re working on subject matters that you like and you’re realistic enough to see where you can improve, or change something next time, then that’s a winner.
Oh, super-cute squirrel by the way and I love the bike.
Wow, thank you Claire for this thoughtful comment – this is the type of insight into other artists’ thoughts on the matter I was hoping to hear! My work life is all about analysis and data, so sadly that creative side of my brain doesn’t get to play as much as it wants to. Most of my connectivity to other people also interested in art comes from reading blogs, so sometimes I can’t tell for sure if I’ve got “normal” art thoughts/insecurities churning. Haha I really should get out more…er, as pandemics allow anyway.
It is reassuring to hear you’ve had some similar thoughts, but also kind of surprising. I don’t know a ton about printmaking, but I’ve followed your blog for quite a while now, and you seem to be at the advanced levels of the craft. For example, I had to browse a bit to find them again, but the Trees Book Project and “In Isolation” – being able to make something like these, it is no surprise at all to me that other printmakers would be complimentary
You know, it’s funny you mention your husband as a sounding board. My wife has also been great in the same way – and she thinks I’m out of my mind the way I pick apart these drawings. But I think you are really onto something about familiarity. You spend a good amount of time making something, it does become common to you in a way that fresh creations from someone else aren’t.
I appreciate your insight on this! Happy new year to you!
Thank you, I do wish there was more time for it! Life always seems to have a line it wants me to go wait in. It’s always good to get back into the swing of things though.
I should mention, I ended up shutting this Discussion Forum down. It was a fun idea and the plugin worked really well. But ultimately, it was mostly just me posting random nonsense. And I figured I should focus my writing energy on normal posts.
Maybe I’ll bring it back some day just for fun, but for now the plug is pulled!
I like the timeline images. The latest drawing looks a little softer in line work than the others and, as I’ve mentioned in the past, you’ve a great eye for hair. Great image.
I also like the size and angle of the cup which appears to be white porcelain to me. Cute cats!
Hello Claire! Much appreciated, agreed it definitely looks softer than the others. It seems to me like there is even a gradual change of hard lines to much softer throughout all of them. It wasn’t an intentional change, but just sort of happened. Perhaps more aggressive color layering is factor?
I love those cat coffee mugs, I think they’re some of my favorites. Perfect slightly larger size, hilarious cat faces. My mom has two of them and I have yet to find them in stores – but I won’t give up!
Are looking in a mirror or is this drawn from a photo reference ? All in all great work, I dig all of them. Video would’ve been a hoot had the actual artist turned to face the camera with cat mug in hand.
Greetings Matt, appreciate that! It’s from looking at a photo – I am really not very good at drawing from life, even if it’s myself in a mirror. I think that’s probably a good future avenue for practice though!
Haha yes that would have been really funny to have a clip at the end of me actually holding that mug – have the video flip based on the mug moving toward or away from the camera. Then maybe even have a cat jump onto the table or something – next time, cat mania!
You know Matt, if you are good with it, I would include your name and link your site as well! Sad to admit, I never even thought to ask previous winners if they had a website, youtube, or some other project they wanted me to promote. I really like that idea
Another thing that just came to mind, what if I selected multiple winners? I have the ability to select multiple randomized winners…I wonder if that would be biting off more than I could chew? Hmmm
Thank you! Haha actually I’m already starting to wonder if the little guy understands what the pecking order is supposed to be…sometimes his meows seem to be a list of issues he has with our customer service!
I think I’m seeing a tone of “dejected” as well, it sounds a very hard project to capture.
I do remember a fellow artist commenting on one of my dog portraits. She said “wow, how did you manage to really capture the soul of the dog like that?”. I had to answer, “I just tried to copy the shapes and colours”. I think it was more her interpretation than anything on my side, I didn’t even like the picture much.
Overthinking… choose that for the next expression 😀
Hey there Steve! Although it’s not quite what I was going for, “dejected” is at least somewhat in the ballpark. I’ll take it as a partial win! Ha – at least I wasn’t going for a downbeat type emotion and ended up with her looking happy or something.
I’m going to have to hunt down this dog portrait, was this a somewhat recent one? I’m very certain I’m not at a place where I can capture a soul, but that’s certainly something to shoot for!
It was a private commission so I probably didn’t post it up.
Probably one of the more recent ones to look at would be my Colobus monkey painting a few posts back as an example as it’s just fur and eyes. But the eyes were just shapes and colours, nothing fancy, but at a distance they look good enough to imagine they belong to something living 🐒
I’ve just watched the video from Kirsty Partridge. Wow, I had no idea but I guess if you want the realism you have to take the time. The part using the craft knife was fascinating, and what a difference to the result.
I actually tried that craft knife thing! I just wasn’t able to get anywhere close to that effect though. It does appear that she’s vastly more patient with her layering…not that I’m saying I’m lazy. But yeah, maybe in comparison I am! Haha
Hi Jon, I read her expression as either apprehension or dejected. The hunched over position (which I love) leads me to dejected. The mouth is really good, but I’m not quite comfortable with the focus of the eyes. Even though they are on the same level as the guys it doesn’t seem like she is focusing quite highly enough to be looking into his eyes, which might give a more assessing or appraising expression.
I like the gifs although this format allows us to enjoy your little ‘helpers’!
Hello Claire! That is so true, I do have some helpers that like to make cameos. I do enjoy when the kids pop in, but I’m not so sure the cat is helping too much. I think the next one, which is a portrait of the kids, has quite an extensive helper section!
I definitely have to agree with you on the eyes – the line of site isn’t quite where it should be. That’s actually a third aspect that I find very challenging. First, making sure the eyes actually align in the same direction, and also that they’re looking at what they are supposed to. It’s interesting, there are some areas that I can refine and rework, like the nose or mouth. But I feel like with the eyes, if there’s too much pencil traffic, sometimes it’s hard to save it.
Thanks Claire, that is really good to hear! It definitely feels like a struggle when I’m working on it, more so than so many other aspects. I think it’s some combination of me needing to be more patient, plus probably needing some more practice. I was watching this video by Kirsty Partridge, who I mentioned in the write-up, realizing how much I can still learn about hair techniques: https://youtu.be/GMjdCIYnqjQ?t=286
Always astounded when he has a beautiful landscape on the canvas and he takes a knife full of almost black paint and obliterates a whole section, only for 5 minutes later that dark patch is now a path leading into the scene with ripples on a lake and seemingly endless detail. I don’t do landscapes but I am tempted to follow along with one of those demonstrations one day. 😁
For real man! I have the similar thoughts watching him…like here he goes with that knife, and I’m thinking there’s no way this is going to work out. And of course, it looks fantastic at the end. If I ever get more adventurous and try paint, it sure would be fun to try to “Bob Ross” (a verb) something like that
Wish he’d done portraits and made it look that easy… did you see the one with his son taking over the show? Most definitely a chip off the old block, wonder what he’s doing now.
Me too! I would have loved to see some portraits done in a similar easy-to-follow style. I’ve only seen him paint a person one time on the show, and it was basically a somewhat obscured silhouette. This was the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5bXkI0-pEg
From what I understand about Bob Ross’ son Steve, he might still do those painting classes! He doesn’t seem to publicize much, but I read something about him doing a demonstration within the last couple of years. I actually do like Steve Ross’ guest hosting episodes too – even though they follow the same overall techniques, the son seems to have his own unique take on it. Plus he had some pretty funny comments; I think one was, “I pulled a little sneaky on you” or something like that.
Much appreciated Christine! I love all his little phrases too – like when he says “let’s get crazy.” Yes Bob, please let’s get crazy and paint this mountain
Terrific post! I too love Bob Ross. Years ago I discovered the added bonus of observing my feisty toddler suddenly calm and drift into a nap while watching an episode. Great news about Roku as well! Enjoyed this!
Thanks Liza! Really glad you enjoyed it. That’s so funny, I wish I’d thought to try watching Bob Ross when my kiddos were younger! Might have really helped with naps time.
The Roku thing is so great – I really can’t figure out how they’re able to give so many channels for free. I guess I should enjoy it while it lasts though, because surely they’ll monetize it more heavily at some point right?
Oops, sorry about that! I noticed that earlier too, but I thought maybe it was just on my end. It looks like it was a new plugin I was trying – I’ve removed it now. Hopefully things are back to normal functionality
I hope you’re doing well Christine, I appreciate the heads up on that!
I’ve never bothered with adding advertising on my site but last year I switched back from paying for a hosted WordPress.Org to a free WP site as it didn’t make any sense to keep paying out. It was eating into any of the money I’d sold any artwork for.
I realised that I’d effectively given away several artworks just to keep my website alive for (realistically) not many followers. It was at that point I decided to move to a free site and let WordPress get revenue from their advertising if they want it.
I’ve also changed my main URL to point straight to my Etsy shop in the hope that I can make some sales to get into the green 😀
Hey there Steve! I do remember reading about your journey moving to and from .org, it was a learning experience for you I’m sure, but also for people who follow your site. At one point, I thought about trying to port this site over to .org, but I remember reading about what happened to your followers and other issues and it scared me away from doing it. I ended up making a completely new/unrelated site via .org just to try it out without messing with my current setup.
That balancing act is really tricky, man. My goal has always been to approach “revenue neutral” with the art hobby if possible, but I’m still not there. Even considering the affiliate links, book sales, or anything else. I really don’t think I could do it with paid web hosting! So I totally get the move you made connecting to Etsy.
Yes, the heyday for me on WordPress seems to be the first 18 months after setting it up.
After that, despite the art being better, the format being more professional and the posts being more informative – the fact is that the stats took a nosedive.
Now I think of it just being as much a reference for myself as much as anyone else. I’m not a stats driven person at all so it doesn’t bother me if I’m writing to myself.
I wanted to keep the stevekiddart.com domain name so it made sense to point it to Etsy for now and then change it back to a ‘proper site’ when I’m rich and famous 😜
That’s very interesting, I always wonder the “whys” of site traffic. Sometimes, things just take hold and people check stuff out. But then some topics or posts that I think are quite interesting don’t go anywhere at all. I’ve never been able to figure it out, to be honest. Like, my all-time most popular post on WordPress is a basic thing that just lists Excel functions that I use the most. It was never featured anywhere in particular that I’m aware of – it’s just consistently stumbled upon via Google apparently.
That’s very true about your art though. I can see a real difference between the pieces from when I first started following your old site way back when. I had to do a doubletake on one of the recent cars you had on Instagram – I thought it was a photo at first, but then I realized it wasn’t! By the way, what is the current best path to your latest stuff? Is it Instagram or via that Etsy/stevekiddart.com portal?
Thanks for compliment and interest. Instagram and WordPress will have the latest stuff posted.
Etsy is just the shop so only features a small subsection of what I create, ie. no sketches, or other rubbish that isn’t worth selling 😉
Though as with the stats there’s no apparent logic as to what people want to buy. Instagram stats are odd as well, my most popular post was neatly deleted at one point when I was doing a tidy up 🤷♂️
Ahh I gotcha, yes that makes sense. Although, in keeping with what we’ve been talking about with traffic/online interest being unpredictable, I wonder if some of your informal stuff would sell too? Like the casual sketches and whatnot? Haha, you never know eh?
Thanks for this, I’ve been meaning to set something up on my page that makes transactions more easy and you’ve give me some really helpful pointers here!
I hope your ecommerce experiments go well. As I said in a previous comment, I’m definitely no expert, but please feel free to post again if you want some feedback or brainstorming. It’s always interesting to see how others approach things as well
That’s awesome, I’m glad to hear you found it useful!
I’m by no means an expert at this, but if you want to bounce anything off of another person who has experimented with this stuff, feel free to pop in. I’m always glad to brainstorm with another art blogger!
I do appreciate you checking out the site…but I don’t typically allow links in comments unless it’s a blogger I’ve interacted with a bit. I’ve removed your link but left the comment text as is.
Okay, I see what you’ve done here. You’re copying and pasting text from my posts as comments, trying to imbed a link. I guess this is for search engine optimization or something?
As I said in the other post, I don’t usually allow links in comments unless I know them from prior interactions. I’m removing the hyperlink, but I’ll let the comment text stay as is. I do appreciate you checking out the site.
As I said in your other comments, I don’t usually allow links unless I know the person from previous interactions. I’m removing the hyperlink, but I’ll let the comment text stay as is. I do appreciate you checking out the site.
As I said in your other comments, I don’t usually allow links unless I know the person from previous interactions. I’m removing the hyperlink, but I’ll let the comment text stay as is. I do appreciate you checking out the site.
I’ve noticed that you self criticize a lot. I actually like the drawing posted, it’s got a nice flow to it. I don’t much care for realism ya know…This drawing has a real manga feel to it.
Hey Matt, I appreciate it! Yes, that’s true I am sometimes a bit critical of myself. I try not to overdo it, but I find it helpful to write about what I was trying to do versus how it actually ends up. It sort of lets me know what I need to practice. Haha hopefully that’s actually a productive thing. Can’t forget about the positives though, keep it a balanced look right?
As far as I know every master artist I’ve read about creates from some form of reference. To pluck images out of your head without any reference at all is a whole other skillset 🙂
Hey Steve! Thank you man, I appreciate that. I definitely don’t have that skillset! It’s so weird, because I’ve always thought of myself as having a decent imagination, but apparently not when it comes to this hobby.
Hope you have a great holiday season/Christmas/New years, etc as well!
I think you can still have a decent imagination but not be able to get it down on paper in art form.
That’s where written works are easier (or would be for me) to pluck out of that imagination.
Not sure if you’ve seen The Mandalorian series, or the Dinotopia artwork? Both are examples of where the writing and artwork have developed at the same time, one bouncing ideas off another and most importantly, going through many iterations before settling on the one we actually get to see. And also in both, life references were used.
That’s a good point, it’s certainly not a given that the pencil will cooperate with what goes on in someone’s head. I should make practicing that my New Year’s resolution maybe – it’s certainly something I’ve wanted to work on for a couple of years now.
I haven’t, but I keep hearing good things about the Mandalorian. I’ll have to check out Dinotopia as well! I’ve always been a big fan of dinosaurs.
If you didn’t already read it at the top, since writing this review, I was inspired to create a separate website for product reviews. They really don’t make sense to have on Amdall Gallery, since this is more about artwork. The new site is here: https://armdogreviews.com/
Thank you Laura! That is good to know, I really wasn’t sure if that was common. I was imagining people clicking through and thinking, “this dude is either crazy or lazy”
How did i miss your reply? Sorry about that! Yes, I have to agree with you – I can see the progression from the posts on your site. It’s so fun to see how artists change over time, one of my favorite thing about WP and following other peoples’ sites.
This is excellent! you have made such an improvement in that short space of time! Dark Tower is also my favourite series. I’ve just received delivery this morning of Dark Tower: Beginnings graphic novel. My own art is improving, but not as fast as yours. Nice one!
I appreciate it, Steve! How is that graphic novel? I could always go for some more Dark Tower content. In fact, maybe it’s time for another series read through for me – maybe Roland finally figured out the right path this time!
Do you ever share any artwork to your site? It would be cool to check it out – I love seeing people’s varied interpretations of the Dark Tower characters. It’s always interesting to see how different they can be
I agree that if the person you did it for is happy then that’s the most important thing. However, I enjoy your analysis as it brings more knowledge to the outcome than just the visual image, and it teaches me something.
The eyes are very good; clear, distinctive and alert. These people are looking right out at us. I also really like the grey jeans on the other image, the guy second from the right, as they are definitely ‘worn-in’ and comfy looking. Great movement in the clothing and the focus is definitely on the people not the land/seascape.
Thank you Claire – I’m sure I’ve type this somewhere in comments before, so apologies if I’m repeating myself. But, small impacts mean a lot to me. Sometimes I wonder if I write too much/go overkill on some of these artwork posts, but then occasionally someone will say they actually got something from it. It probably sounds silly, but knowing there was that little ripple for someone validates it! It makes me feel like I’m part of a little art knowledge swap or something, because I’ve gained the same from other artist sites like yours.
Jon your illustrative style isn’t completely realist to begin with, being too hard on yourself. Beautiful drawings, the fact that you made someone happy with them should be what’s most important. I get it though we as artists will always only see the flaws, but sometimes you really got to relish is that other persons happiness 🙂
Thank you Matt, you’re probably right about that – I am such an easy target for myself though! Haha, only sort of kidding there. I try not to dwell and beat myself up too much, but at the same time I like to be honest about my thoughts on these things. A tricky balancing act I think.
But it’s true, by far the most important thing is that the person it was for liked the result. That’s definitely the biggest win and I’m thankful for it for sure.
Still use the grid method often, can’t see a need to ever drop that having seen extremely professional artists continuing to use it. Funny to think that something I’d tried as a four-year old would be picked up again at ten times that age 😀
That’s pretty encouraging, man! I’ve continued to wonder about other people using grids and little proportion strategies. I really have to lean on measuring tricks when it’s something important, like a request or gift. Granted, most of my stuff is nonsense that just goes in a portfolio. But you want to get those requests/gifts right, you know? A drawing of The Witcher doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but I want to give a portrait for my mom for example the best effort possible.
That’s smart, definitely no need to waste time marking grids for areas that are empty! I like to think of myself as a fan of “lazy grids” – not perfectly measured or even complete, but at least good enough to not have wildly terrible proportions. Even just measuring and marking distances, I think the ruler is my friend. Now, why don’t I ever use it to help with straight lines?!
I’ve posted up a few videos for years under my alter-ego for car related stuff.
For the art stuff I’ve only done a couple, as you say it’s awkward enough creating the art without the added challenge of doing it around and out the way of a lense.
What I have intended to do though is keep the video really quite short because I’m aware that most of the viewing public have the attention span of a goldfish and will move on within seconds. However there’s definitely a good few that will sit through something longer, and quite often be better off for it.
Is your channel something you’d be okay publicly divulging as a Steve Kidd project? I’d love to check it out and see how you’ve done things. Recording video is still super awkward for me…have you found a workable position? I’m using a pretty basic tripod, but the best position so far is unfortunately right in front of me while drawing. And I still haven’t figured out the lighting situation – I already have difficulty with lighting just trying to photograph things, video is even more noticeable.
Honestly, I’m a bit worried this YouTube project is becoming an abandoned project…I started off like a tornado with the videos, but I haven’t done one in a few weeks. I need to get back on it next time I draw!
I don’t really have a workable position as the only videos I’ve done were completely ad-hoc and unplanned. I don’t have any intention of creating a channel as such, got enough on my plate already 😁
I think this is the art one, it says No Content but then there’s a few videos under Videos section. I always thought that YouTube was for videos so not sure what content it’s referring to 😕 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFxq8roSa5xyPPvhdtG2W8Q
It really is a well-done soundtrack, Toss a Coin to Your Witcher is super catchy. We often find ourselves saying to the kids, “Hey why don’t you toss a coin to your dad/mom?”
Also, thanks for saying so about the hair – I’m satisfied with it too I think. At first, I was a bit worried about diverging so far from the video game version’s hair color. I am definitely not the best at the creative side of drawing, but I do think the more natural red worked here. Being able to diverge from source material is something I’ve tried to work on, but I never know how it’s going to go!
Regarding armour looking like cloth? I think I noticed you had drawn lots of parallel lines.? If you look at reflections in metal they tend to be more block shaped, with maybe one or two fringes of lines around them? Does this make sense?
Ahhh, that’s a good idea – definitely worth a shot next time! That does make sense; it sort of shapes itself by how the light hits it I guess? I feel like this is something I need a fair amount of practice on if I want to really get it down. Have you done any metal-heavy drawings on your site I could take a peak at?
No not really, but when I ain’t scenery I have to do things like metal lamps or other things (sorry that’s a bit vague), metal is similar to glass, the reflections in it follow its curves, so partly it depends what’s being reflected. Look at any shiny surface and you will see what I mean. Your armour looks scratched and scored, maybe following many fights. You can also add dents and broken edges. X
I’m definitely going to need to study some reflective surfaces a bit more. Do you ever use pencil to depict metal or glass? If so, how do you blend it? Like sort of in that square pattern you mentioned? Just curious if there were some tricks to it
Awesome to watch you work! My two cents on the video format is that both were great (digging the music too, lol), and I think both have a place on YouTube, if you specify the purpose in the title (and/or video description)—so someone seeking out a longer, tutorial-style video to watch would find that one, and others could enjoy the sped-up “look how cool this is, watching a drawing come together” version. I personally would love to see your initial outline-sketching phase, perhaps even in its own video, sort of a different type of tutorial. Hope this helps, good luck with your channel!!
This is fantastic feedback, I really appreciate it! Coming up with a good title and description was harder than I thought it would be. I just changed the title and description a bit, hopefully it’s a little more descriptive now.
Next time, I’ll add the graphite sketch portion too – I wasn’t sure if that was useful, so that’s good to hear it would be interesting to see. Thanks for checking it out, Anna!
Thanks Claire – I’m really starting to enjoy drawing pets, I might try to do it a bit more. Fur is an interesting challenge that I’m still trying to get the hang of, but I think I see an improvement
I always love seeing how you start your sketches—it looks so different from how I do it so that’s really cool to me. I’m not sure exactly what it is that distinguishes our styles of sketching, but you seem to have a good way of capturing the “necessary” elements to the drawing before you flesh the whole thing out (pun sort of intended).
Well played on the pun! Thanks Anna, that’s one of the things I’ve most loved about WordPress – getting a peak into other peoples’ processes and approaches. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say I don’t think I would have seen the same improvement over the last few years without that learning element. For example, I first learned of thick colored pencil layering/heavy burnishing from your Drawing Through site and Luisina Juliete’s YouTube videos. And I’ve picked up so much from artist bloggers like Steve Kidd, Hilda Rogers, and others.
I believe we do both start with outlines typically, right? After that, I tend to fall into the same flow: 1) base layers, 2) shadows, 3) blending, 4) detail, 5) more blending. Do you tend to follow consistent patterns or does it just depend on the subject? I was looking through some of your Drawing Through pieces, and it looks like on “The Eye” you went with details first and skin color towards the end. But the portriat of Bodo The Dog actually seemed really similar to how I approached the few pets I’ve drawn.
It’s funny, I am generally a super neat and organized perfectionist, but often when it comes to drawing, especially using color, I seem to approach things at random! I noticed that when I do a fully monochrome pencil sketch, I will jump around even more, adding shadows before the general outline is done, whereas the nature of colored pencil leads me to be more precise—erasing is not really an option, so there is more planning and intentionality involved, and the initial sketch must leave out details I would otherwise include, in order to avoid the pencil marks showing through in the final piece. Thanks for listening to my TED talk. 😉 I’m curious about how you see your approach to colored pencil drawing differ from your previous pencil-sketching style—maybe a post idea if you run out at some point? I don’t recall your book going into that specific comparison (if I even worded that in a way that makes sense…) Do my overly lengthy replies hint at the current quarantine? Haha
Hey I guess that’s the spirit of art though right? Going where the pencil takes you, not fighting that creative part of your brain. That’s a fair point about erasing though, I feel like I’ve definitely gotten into trouble in the past with un-fixable mistakes.
Also, fantastic idea on writing about the differences between colored pencil and the graphite approach! Although I’ve certain explored colored pencil changes over time, I really don’t think I’ve touched on that at all. In hindsight, it’s kind of a “why didn’t I think of that” moment – it would have been a great thing to talk about in in some detail in the book! Because it is definitely a different approach. I’d have to ponder it a bit more, but I think my graphite approach was more similar to yours with a lot of jumping around.
Eventually I guess this will need a sequel, since the kiddos are all about that Goofy Faced Life too. It’s near impossible to get a photo of all four of us without someone doing something ridiculous
Nice! I always find it hard to retry drawings—the reason why I don’t think I could be an illustrator; the character would vastly differ on each page. You’ve managed to make improvements while maintaining the features of the original drawing. Have you heard of the colored pencil trick of layering Dark Umber and Indigo Blue to create a more natural-looking black? At least I think there were the shades 🙂 I’ve had some success with trying it (regarding your comment about the sides of the guy’s mouth)
Oh me too, I totally get that. I put together a little kid’s book a few weeks ago, that’s what I kept running into. It’s about a family of robots, and I kept making the dad robot’s body change drastically from page to page. Like in one page he’d be super wide, in another his head would be bigger, etc. Illustrators who can maintain consistency have a really underrated skill! I hadn’t even really consider it much before.
Also, thank you for that tip. I had never heard it before, but I just tried some experiments with blended indigo and dark umber. It looks really good! Like you said, a natural shade of black. It’s almost like just regular Prismacolor black is slightly shiny or has a “brightness” to it (maybe that’s not the right word). But this blend seems more muted, like it wouldn’t distract next to other colors. Thanks!
What a difference! Much more drama and life in these now – the benefit of 2 more years of practice and experience. The dress in particular has so much movement in it.
Thanks Claire! It’s so wild to think about how much artwork can change over the course of a year or two.
After posting this update, I was thinking about how I could show progression on a larger scale – comparing two pieces isn’t too hard, but I wonder if there’s some tool I could use to visualize like 10+ drawings and how they change. Maybe there’s a plugin or widget out there?
Just came across your art blog (thank you for the mention!) and it’s awesome to see how you developed your style with the pencils! Love the ones from March 19th and April 17th this year. Amazing style !
That really means a lot, Luisina! Your YouTube videos were such a tremendous help when I was trying to learn how to use colored pencils. I must have watched that Emma Watson portrait dozens of times (this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQrMDFFcX0Q). Before seeing your tutorial, I had no idea the white pencil could be used to blend! That was a game-changer for sure, particularly trying to move from that scratchy light coloring to a more paint-like blending.
It’s really cool to have an artist whose work I’ve admired compliment my progress. Thank you for that, definitely made my day
Haha, isn’t another way to say that “yes, I am kind of lazy”
Seriously though, I do have a bad habit of kind of messing up drawings I spend too much time changing. I’m trying to protect these portraits from myself!
True story! There are several drawings that I had layered so much pencil on, it was just slick with wax. Just sort of a muddy puddle of pencils. Not optimal when it’s supposed to be a face I think
Hi Jon. Thanks for stopping by my site recently and it’s great to explore your site. This post in particular resonates with my own ongoing experiences and I hope, as I do, that you can take some comfort from knowing that you’re not alone with these feelings! I don’t have any answers beyond what others have already said I’m afraid but it looks to me as if you know how to ‘manage’ this! All the best
Hello there John, and thank you as well for checking this one out! As an art-viewer, watercolor is one of my favorite mediums, so I’m quite glad to have stumbled across your artwork via the WP Reader. The scenes you paint are quite excellent, particularly the city paintings with people out and about (that’s not just because of COVID-19)
It is actually pretty reassuring to hear that is something other people experience too. This probably sounds illogical, but it’s hits home even more when it comes from talented artists like yourself and others I’ve come across in this blogging ecosystem. This made me of one of your posts I just read today “Am I an Artist?” I’ve definitely asked myself the same question. I guess it’s hard to really judge your own work sometimes. (for what it’s worth, l vote yes – you are an artist for sure)
Hi Jon and many thanks for such kind and generous comments – I really appreciate them. I suppose we’re all in our own way riddled with doubt (and I daresay I’d distrust anyone that said they weren’t!). It’s often really helpful in so many ways to hear how others view or perceive your work and abilities – especially at times when you may find yourself at a low ebb! Anyway – I’m really grateful for your comments and for you spending the time on looking and commenting! Look forward to seeing more of your work now I’m also following you.
I hear that, it can be a bit difficult to put your artwork out there at times. Especially since I’m probably the worst judge of my own stuff. It’s easy for me to forget that the viewer doesn’t always experience things the same way the creator does. Like some little detail might drive me crazy, but 99% of people who see the portrait may not notice or care.
Anyhow, definitely looking forward to seeing more of your fantastic paintings!
Like you, Jon, I’ve looked back at much of what I’ve photographed in the past and reviewed my seemingly ongoing struggle to get even light across a whole composition. To add to it, I’m also often photographing 3 dimensional objects and books.
At the beginning of this year I finally purchased a large (80cm square) portable photo booth with adjustable lighting, various ‘portholes’ to aim through and 3 different colour backgrounds. It’s been a Godsend. I can’t say that I’ve wrinkled out all my issues as I’m still coming to grips with it but my pictures are much improved. I use a small easel to stand items upright and have just started experimenting with vignettes laid flat.
An online course I’ve just started recommends using an iphone and certain apps which manipulate and improve photos but the struggles I see people experiencing keeps me with my wonderful Canon camera firmly in hand. I download and manipulate as little as possible (if at all if I’ve used the photo booth) in Photoshop, mainly resizing for web use.
I’ve also found a huge difference in the 2 computer screens I toggle between. Both the same brand and size, settings the same but oriented at different angles on my corner desk. I really have to ensure I’m looking at the right angle for each because imagery can seem very different if you’re not fully head on in front of the screen.
It’s no longer just about the art, is it? We’ve moved into the complexity of displaying the art, and I find that can take just about as long as producing the piece in the first place sometimes.
This is quite a timely comment – I’ve been trying to figure out the “ins and outs” of just such a thing. I’m not a photographer by any means, so all of this stuff takes some effort to wrap my brain around.
If you don’t mind sharing, what brand/model of photo booth/light box did you buy? It sounds like it’s been great, so you would recommend the one you’re using? Honestly, looking over options is a bit daunting because 1) I don’t actually know how to judge them and 2) the price seems to vary wildly. By way of example, here are two I was looking at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GIL6EU4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0798DMM35
Is the $141 so much better than the $65 one? I have no clue! There are reviews of course, but when they’re both a mixed back, I’m back to square one.
You are sure right about the complexity of displaying art though. Since most of the audience are viewing what we create digitally, it’s pretty much vital to present it well. Definitely not something I expected to be such a core component of the process!
“does look less cartoony than the originals” – the originals of these characters and of those in Tangled have crazy proportions. Yours are more lifelike probably due to the proportions I reckon…
Hey there Steve, happy Friday to you! Yes they do indeed, their eyes seem especially bizarre. When I was looking over the Frozen characters, I couldn’t help but notice how hilariously large they are.
Also, it’s funny you mentioned Tangled…that is suddenly becoming very popular with the kids. Not quite at the level of replacing Frozen (as long as my kids call themselves Anna and Elsa, its status as champ is safe), but they are consuming all available Tangled content on Disney+. Ha – might be a matter of time before I get recruited to sketch draw those folks too
Man that is absolutely hilarious, that’s exactly what my wife kept talking about when we were watching it the other day. At the beginning, when she’s cooking a ton and bored out of her mind…”hmmm does this look familiar at all?!”
Thanks for the info, Jon. I shall try some better blending when I get to Day 18 of my ‘Jack’ drawing challenge which needs to be soon. I see you’ve been following my progress – all critiquing accepted!
Glad to know that self-isolation hasn’t cramped your creative spirit.
You bet! I’m not sure if this helps or not, but I got a lot out of watching videos by an artist named Luisina Juliete. I watched this video a few times specifically: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQrMDFFcX0Q. She’s really quite good at blending and pulling together different colors using white. It’s taken some time for me to figure out, but pushing harder than I was accustomed to with the white pencil was sort of a game-changer.
I’ll keep an eye out on the continued Jack portrait adventures!
Jon, I’m very interested in Elsa’s blue bodice. From the gif I see you made the small rectangular shapes first then overlaid more colour so ‘blurring’ and unifying the first layers into the whole. Is it all done with pencil or do you use water-colour or similar? Some of the areas are beautifully smooth, more painterly than I ever get using coloured pencils.
It is actually all done using colored pencils. I started with a bunch of squares in turquoise and blue, most were outlines with some solid. Then, I layered some dark blue and grey into the areas I wanted to shade, and some lightly colored turquoise over the lighter non-shaded areas. The last touch was to go in with a white pencil and blend everything together.
I was a bit worried about that last blending step because I didn’t want to push the colors into an unnatural looking direction. I actually lost more of the dark blue in the blending than I thought I would, but I think it worked out in the end. So, short version – layers and heavy blending. These are Prismacolor pencils, by the way (if that helps)
Also, if you haven’t played Witcher 3: Wild Hunt yet and want to check it out, it’s on sale both on Steam and GOG for 70% off. So you can pick your favorite game distributor and go for it!
Thanks man – that’s true, at least I did convey action! Although it’s not quite what I hoped it’d become, there are some positives here. And it does sort of align with the art style of the game itself.
I hope you’re doing well during the current pandemic insanity, Steve. Weird times for sure.
Glad to hear you’re doing well, and that’s true – global pandemic aside, so far no alien invasion or anything like that. And I haven’t had to fight anyone in a post-apocalyptic Thunderdome yet, which is nice!
Education
Want to feed your brain with something other than constant coronavirus updates? The eight Ivy League schools are offering hundreds of online courses to the public for free.
Dhawal Shah, founder of the online course aggregator Class Central, compiled a list of more than 400 classes that are available in subjects as varied as Machine Learning for Data Science and Analytics from Columbia University; HOPE: Human Odyssey to Political Existentialism from Princeton University; The Science of Well-Being from Yale; and Gamification from the University of Pennsylvania.
The educational publishing company Scholastic announced it has a digital learning hub for free that’s intended to “support virtual learning plans.” It says the curriculum covers English language arts, STEM, social studies and social-emotional learning.
Not interested in stimulating your brain? How about your body? Many gym chains across the country have shuttered but are offering online classes for free.
Peloton is offering new users a 90-day trial on its app. This news comes as the company announced the closing of its showrooms until at least March 29. It added that this week it began producing content from its new studios in New York, “but it will be entirely closed to the public until further notice.”
Golds Gym is offering free access to its app, Goldsamp, until the end of May, where more than 600 audio and video workouts along with DJ mixes get you ready to work up a sweat. Planet Fitness is offering “Home Work-Ins” streamed live at 7 p.m. ET daily on its Facebook page.
If you are looking for something to offer strength and maybe a little stress relief, there are some paid yoga sites that are now providing some online classes for free, including Core Power Yoga and Down Dog.
With all the major sports leagues shut down, some of the leagues are dropping their subscription fees to their paid streaming services. While sports fans may not be able to get their live-action fix, at least they can relive (or perhaps experience for the first time) some classic games and rivalries.
Starting Friday, the National Hockey League is making all games played during the suspended 2019-2020 regular season available to stream on demand. Additionally the league launched “NHL Pause Binge” on its website and YouTube channel, allowing fans to view documentaries and “full-length classic NHL games dating from the 1950s to present day.”
The NBA and NFL are providing similar offerings through NBA League Pass and NFL Game Pass.
If it’s sports history you crave, PBS announced that it is making the 1994 Ken Burns documentary Baseball available to be streamed for free.
The piece really comes together between the last two gif shots! Thanks for explaining the curve thing/ graph, too—I think that will help explain it to someone reading that didn’t quite get it before
I think so too, I definitely felt like her face was a bit smudgy and didn’t really have much definition until the end. Also, I’m glad you found the graphs useful – there’s an overload of information out right now about this, so I tried to stick to the high points. Anyhow, I hope you are doing well!
Thanks Anna! That’s exactly what I hoped, that people might at least be able to recognize the actors/characters. And yes, if you are a Stranger Things fan (especially of one particular character), I think you’ll really get a kick out of it. I know it made me happy – I celebrated like I just won the Super Bowl or something
It’s been a while now since I went through this process, but seeing your comment reminded me of some things I’ve found since writing the post. First, I didn’t even think about libraries, but they also have access to the Ingram catalog – my local parish (county) library actually bought a couple copies! Also, although it wasn’t a big seller in the grand scheme of things, it did somehow end up on a couple “popular new book” lists I found online. And it was surprisingly sold online in the U.K. and Australia.
Another interesting thing is that I found out my book was being pirated. Occasionally, I google the book to see if it’s discussed anywhere. One of these searches showed a forum where someone was sharing a free hosted download link. I didn’t do anything about it, but it seems to be gone now. This is kind of a weird thought, but I was actually kind of honored that someone thought it was worth stealing. I mean, if they wanted it badly enough to risk viruses on some sketchy download, that’s on them.
I also wanted to mention how effective having an eBook through Amazon’s KDP Select is for getting attention for your book. KDP Select is controversial because it grants exclusivity to Amazon for your eBook, effectively give them even more market power. But it does generate a ton of attention, and even helps your paperback/hardcover sales.
Anyhow, that was an unnecessarily long answer, but thanks for reading and stopping by the site
I was just thinking about this again the other day. First, I do have my doubts that the book was actually being pirated. I wonder if it was just a bait link chocked full of viruses with no actual book content. I can’t figure out how they would have gotten a pirated version, since I’ve only ever had it available on Kindle, and a Kindle hack/exploit would probably have gotten a lot of attention right? Anyhow, it seems unlikely in hindsight that it was the actual book.
Hey Steve, happy holidays to you! Man, you aren’t lying about horses. Trying to draw a horse face feels a lot like trying to sketch a weird brown alien.
Have you tried any of the Amazfit smartwatches? I ask because you talk about the battery life being a “game changer” on this, while the Amazfit smartwatches offer better battery life along with more features (AMOLED, touchscreen, GPS, more sensors, etc.) and at a lower price.
Actually, the Amazfit Bip was one I almost pulled the trigger on multiple times. The price and feature set (and the incredible battery life, as you said) is really appealing. The thing that always held me back was the unknown integration with Google Fit. I know Amazfit has their own app, but I could never figure out if they operated like FitBit in their own ecosystem, or if there was some sort of data push to Google Fit. Without knowing for sure, I never could quite convince myself to hit the buy button.
Once the rumors of this Fossil Collider started, and I saw how watch-like they looked, I was hooked. The e-ink/e-paper thing, combined with the overall aesthetic, was enough to get me to bite. I still may try an Amazfit someday though, because the brand’s offerings remain appealing.
If you’ve used the Bip (or even one of their other watches), what’s your experience with their app? Does it connect to other things, like Google Fit? If so, is it pretty seamless?
Update: I’ve run into something that sort of seems minor, but from a practicality standpoint, it’s been a somewhat significant negative. I’ve been running at dusk lately, and had trouble trying to see my mileage and stats. It’s that point in the evening when it’s too dark to see without the backlight. The problem is either that the backlight is too weak to see at dusk, or that it’s just really hard to activate while I’m running. Once it’s actually dark towards the end, when I’m walking, I can see it.
I still love the watch, but this is certainly an inconvenience…and probably will be until it starts getting dark later again.
I’ve run into another issue that’s sort of a big deal. I lost one entire day of tracking (HR, steps, exercise, sleep). I opened a ticket with Fossil, they can’t seem to figure out why. It only happened once – the data just disappeared as I was syncing the watch to the app in the evening. If it happens again, this issue may actually be a deal-breaker for me. I just can’t be losing tracking data. I used FitBits for years and never had something like that happen.
I keep the watch connected via bluetooth pretty much all the time, and it disconnects from the app about once a week. Don’t know if that’s related to the above issue or not. To fix, I have to turn off bluetooth, close the app, turn on bluetooth, reopen the app, tap connect. Fossil support, which I had always heard was pretty good, appears to have given up on my issue. I can’t reproduce it, and they closed my ticket with a “if it happens again” message.
Also, just circle back on the supported notifications thing. Android Police (a tech site, not robot cops) did a review on this smartwatch. It’s an interesting review to me, because it seemed like the had positive overall impressions, but really gave it a bad score (6/10). Apparently, they care A LOT about app notifications, because that was the main point they hammered. Anyhow, Android Police contacted Fossil and got a list of additional apps supported with their next update:
Airbnb
American Airlines
Badoo
Bank of America
Calendar
Capital One
Citibank
Delta
ESPN
Facetime
Flickr
Foursquare
Google Inbox
Google+
Grubhub
Hipchat
Kik
Line
LinkedIn
Lyft
Mint
Outlook
Pandora
Paypal
Pinterest
Postmates
Seamless
Shazam
Sina Weibo
Skype
Skype for Business
Slack
Spotify
Square Cash
Swarm
Telegram
Tinder
Tom Skype
Tumblr
Uber
United Airlines
Venmo
Viadeo
Viber
Still quite a few that I’d like to see, like WordPress and perhaps Reddit. And it’s sort of odd that they’re included some apps that don’t exist anymore like Google+. But it’s good that they’re working on that aspect.
Battery life update: I’m at the 10.5 day mark now, and it’s got 20% battery left. Unless I’m totally failing at math (which definitely happens), I could probably squeeze another 3 days out of it. That would land me just short of the 14 day mark. I’ve got device charge anxiety though, so I went ahead and plugged in tonight.
Sounds like a good plan to me. You might consider trying the Google Photo option first, it’s definitely a shorter process. You can’t really control how fast the images go, but it’s a good introduction I think
Well there you go, I’ve been using Google photos since they invented it and I’ve never tried the animation feature. Learnt something new.
Makes me feel a bit so sloppy on my posts. I don’t put any thought into the majority of them. “Here’s my picture” and then if I’ve got the time, and the inclination, then I’ll add “and here’s how I did it”. 😳
It’s definitely Gif G G G all the way. Jif is a brand of floor cleaner.
Isn’t that cool? I do wish Google Photos allowed you to create .gifs out of videos, but right now it’s just still frames. Despite the fact that the app will randomly automatically make looped .gifs from videos for you.
Dude, there is nothing wrong with that! Sometimes I wonder if I’m going waaaaaay overkill on these posts. Like people open them and say, “settled down guy, I’m just scrolling to the picture anyway.”
Thanks Christine, glad someone aside from me enjoys them! I would really like to try an actual video of the full process sometime, posting a sped up version here. These .gifs are so much easier though. One of these days I’ll give it the video shot (hopefully)
I’ve got you covered on that! I’ve wanted to write up how to make .gifs for a while, mostly because I think it’s a handy trick. But you’ve given me just the nudge I needed to get it done. Should be posted tonight (I hope)
Nice review. Definitely pushing me toward getting this one despite the limited notifications that are mirrored on the watch.
Just one thing about the review though: in your battery life analysis, you mention that extrapolating 6.6% per day equates to 100% battery drain in 27 days. My calculations show 100% battery drain will happen in 15 days.
Wow, where was my brain on that one? Thank you Jason, I appreciate you catching that. I updated the post with that correction, plus some more recent feedback on the battery drain now that I’m over the 4 day mark. For me so far, I seem to average losing between 6-7% per day.
I’m glad you found the review useful! The notification app list is pretty limited unfortunately, but I guess I lucked out because most of the big ones I use are there. Android/Google messages, Gmail, and phone notifications are the most frequent for me apparently. I also get some use out of Twitter and Instagram. I hope they expand it a bit over time.
I realize now I didn’t list all the apps I see available in the notifications section. If you’re curious, here’s what I see in app list:
– Calendar
– Fit
– Gmail
– Instagram
– Snapchat
– Twitter
– Hangouts
– Facebook Messenger
– WhatsApp
– WeChat
– Weibo
– Line
You can also set it to allow calls/texts from all contacts, only favorites, or no one. And Google Fit and Under Armour Record are listed as “connected apps” in a totally separate section, which I guess implies those are more in-depth links?
I recently bought a book “The Art of Atari” which is a real trip down memory lane, even though we never actually owned one as we couldn’t afford it. My friend had one which I got to play on, in one way I wonder if that lack of availability made it an even more special experience.
I don’t treasure many physical items gained over the years, but they will have to prise my ZX Spectrum from my cold dead hands. That’ll never be sold or scrapped 😉
I do think there’s something to that – only getting to play something occasionally making it more special. I had a similar experience with the original NES. Our family did get one eventually, which really set me on a video game heavy path. Ha, when I was a kid, I even subscribed to Nintendo Power magazine – if I wasn’t playing it, I wanted to be reading about it!
I have to admit, I had to google the ZX Spectrum. That is awesome! No wonder you treasure that one. Does it still work?
No, unfortunately it’s been a long time dead and unfixable. There are good emulators on a lot of platforms though and they’ve even re-released a modern version.
Likewise on reading about it. There were a few magazines at the time with program code in the back pages which I’d religiously type in.
The artwork on the front of the tapes of games was quite noteworthy.
Oh man, that’s a real bummer! I mean, emulators are cool and all, but there’s just something about dusting off an old cartridge and popping it into a dinosaur of a machine. That’s pretty awesome that they re-released a modern version – have you been able to check the new one out?
Interestingly enough, I actually just this year go my hands on all of our old NES, SNES, and GameBoy stuff. My mom had it sitting in a barn in plastic bins, and somehow the games and system survived a couple decades of Texas summers! I’m not sure how that’s possible, but it’s pretty sweet.
Man, I do miss the days of video game magazines. I just remember being so excited when the end of the month came and I knew I had a new edition of Nintendo Power waiting for me. I used to try to mimic some of the artwork in there, particularly for the RPGs. I threw them all away at some point, and I’m honestly not sure why.
This is really well written Article on the pros and cons. Jon clearly went through the ups and downs to get his book published and did plenty of research. Well done.
Much appreciated, Michael! I’m glad to hear you got something out of it. To me, it’s hard to really get a handle on the self-publishing world without just rolling up my sleeves and trying it. But I figured maybe a write-up like this could be somewhat useful as someone tries to navigate the ins-and-outs.
Absolutely – thank you for checking out the post! One of the things I love most about this WordPress ecosystem is seeing ideas and inspiration flow around. I’ve learned so much from other blogs, it makes me quite glad to hear if something I shared might be useful to someone.
Thanks Steve! Have you experimented with using figures/models as a learning tool at all? Just curious if you’ve found some good ones that you could recommend. I mean, I do like these but clearly they have their weaknesses. It’s just so convenient to have an immediate reference at hand.
No, I’ve looked at the basic cheap ones that are in every art shop and wondered if that was more of a novelty thing. I did see adverts for fully poseable ones but the price of those decided I didn’t need them.
Like I said, I definitely suspect it’s not a genuine Figma brand model. But it shipped from China to Louisiana surprisingly fast (for free) and was pretty inexpensive overall.
On the other hand…I would avoid any listings by eBay seller yalonl_0. That order never even shipped, and I couldn’t get the seller to respond to me at all. I had to submit a ticket with eBay to get a refund. It wasn’t a cumbersome process, but it did waste a couple of weeks of waiting.
Interesting. I have always been tempted to get a model. These seem a little “tense”, over-musculated, but I’ll bet they are mostly used in cartooning, where superheroes are always ready to strike. I think you did well with them.
I’m with you about how exaggerated their musculature is – I was actually trying to find something that was closer to an average person, but surprisingly this was one of the least extreme I found. This type of model is apparently very popular, but they do trend more towards animated or comic book style builds. From what I gather, people do use them for art, but collectors also take these basic gray or peach models and paint them into action figures. Like there are YouTube videos of people creating movie characters and so forth from them.
Have you come across any similar figures that are a bit more realistic or at least less superhero-ish? I might even consider not being a total cheap skate if I could find something great that other artists vouch for. If you do ever opt to try one, I’d be curious to see what you pick and how you like it!
Dude I would 100% buy poseable figures of different body types if I could find them. For a guy with my skillset (i.e. poor artistic imagination) I need some reference to help me along. The Jon “Body by Pizza” Amdall edition wouldnt be a best seller, but I’d use it!
Will just have to get yourself standing in that superhero pose and have someone take your picture for reference. Maybe holding aloft a pizza slice in triumph.
I’d go for a ‘asleep in front of the telly, mouth agape, perhaps starting to drool’ 😂
Thank Claire, I like the figures too – I really was on the fence about them at first, but I think they’ll be pretty useful. While I was sketching I had a moment where I thought, “Oh wow did I mean to make them so surly?” And then, “Yes. Yes I did, let’s make them highly displeased with this situation.”
It all makes sense because my oldest daughter was helping me pose them and one of their legs kept falling off. That would sure make me irritated as well, so I empathize!
Nice drawing! Do you know from which show you grabbed the first audio track? I’d really like to identify the show. There’s a female guest that pops in briefly starting around 0:42. If you can id the guest, I can probably find it.
Hello there Martin, thanks for commenting and for checking out the artwork. Man, I really wish I could be of assistance there. It was so very long ago, I can’t recall who that guess was. Listening to the clip again, I get the impression this was an actress promoting some movie that came out during early 2000s, but I just can’t nail down who it is. Sorry about that!
Thanks man! I think the “dude with the phone” could be interesting as well – honestly I’m not even sure why I didn’t finish it. It may have been one that I started, had to leave town, then it probably sort of passed out of my mind. Sadly that happens sometimes
A nice side effect of doing this post on the ninja turtles is that I got to listen to the soundtrack from the original movie again. I had forgotten about it, but what a great thing to listen to while writing about those radical dudes. This was a fun one!
I like this new idea! and although small, don’t discount the idea of drawing old “tin” soldiers — some of those are quite elaborate and historically accurate
Oh I like that idea too! Any thoughts on good places to get something like that? I imagine eBay might have some, but I wonder about any brick and mortar stores – maybe something like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s in the U.S.? I’ve been so focused on sources like family photos, I never even gave much thought to tools artists have probably been using forever. Rookie mistake!
Thank you! That slight smile/smirk was definitely interesting to try…I did a fair amount of tweaking it, and feel fortunate that it worked out. I worry about wrecking the integrity of the paper with too much of that sort of thing
A good comparison, I still like the old style as well – there’s something lively about the visible line work.
Re-doing an old picture without referencing the original sounds a good exercise. I feel that it’s something I’ve done but I can’t remember what one it is now. Will have to look at my own gallery haha 😂
Thank you Steve, it’s so interesting to hear someone else’s opinion on something like that. From my perspective, seeing those older drawings with more prominent outlines just reminds me of the hesitation and uncertainty I sometimes felt trying to capture the right look. I tend to associate lighter lines with feeling more confident from all this practice. But trying to look at it through a different lens, that older stuff definitely had it’s own look.
I’d certainly love to see if you have done something similar! Since I feel pretty familiar with your artwork at this point, it would be fascinating to see how your approaches might change. This all makes me want to go browse older posts for some of these sites I’ve been looking at often over the past 2-3 years
I remembered what it was now, I’d drawn a Christmas ornament three times over three Christmases but made a point of not looking at the previous drawing for reference, or even to see what pen or pencil I’d used.
Whilst there were small noticeable differences the main thing that caught my eye was that I’d picked a piece of paper twice as large for the later one. This would’ve been as I was trying to force myself to get away from the smaller drawings that beginners do. However the actual figure on the paper ended up exactly the same size, almost to the millimetre!!
Oh man, that sounds cool! Do you happen to have a link (if it’s been posted to your website)? That would be very interesting to see how your technique and view of it had changed.
That’s a good note about paper size too – it’s actually something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. Specifically, if it’s time for me to move up to larger paper. I’ve been using mostly 9 X 12, but find myself feeling cramped pretty often lately. What size do you usually use for the most part?
Oh yes, envy does show its ugly face from time to time. The discipline that I finally embraced was to stop comparing my work to theirs, to stop worrying if people would think I was copying my influences, and stop concerning myself with the opinions of others. I have no idea if I’m a great artist or not, but after almost 40 years of creation, I finally understood what so many artists have said before me: authentically make art you like and make it for yourself. That will be the only way to attract people who hear your true voice.
Finally, and you have already said this before and in this article, you need only compete with yourself. Let me make this simpler that your approach of aiming high and accepting only partial success; you only need to do better that you did the day before.
Ask yourself which feels better: “I didn’t achieve my goal, but I learned along the way”, or “That’s an improvement over the last sketch, now I’m one step closer to my goal.”
By the way, this works best if you eliminate the big hairy goal and focus on the learning journey.
In my opinion, art can have no real goal, because of its completely subjective nature. Art is about play, exploration, and expression much more than technique.
I always remind myself of something Picasso said in one of his last interviews. The interviewer witnessed a retrospectively his work spanning from the technical genius of his early years to the abstracts and simple lines drawing on pottery and with light at the end of his life. The interviewer related a comment on his later work from another spectator “a child could do that”, and asked Picasso how he felt about that.
The answer Picasso gave was something like, “When we are children we are not concerned about anything other than the joy we get from making art, because of this, we create pure art and pure expression. Society quickly erases that bliss with judgements they call needed learning.” Then he said the part of the quote that has guided me all my artistic life. “By the age of 12, I was recognized as a master of my art, able to copy El Greco, Velasquez and all the Masters perfectly. I’ve spent the next 70 years learning how to paint like a child again.”
I’ve come to understand this in my own way, and I believe one of the important points he was espousing was to focus on fun over form.
What do you get from it?
What an excellent, thought-provoking comment! I think what you’ve said here about authentically making art you like, and using your true voice, is spot on. I do believe people are interested in experiences that resonate in that way. I’m always more drawn to exploring a project someone is passionate about; it seems like you can often tell just from the way they write about it, or even the imagry itself.
Also, I really like that Picasso quote. It’s interesting to consider his perspective though, as someone having mastered multiple genres and styles (Picasso of course, not me). I’m by no means an expert on art theory and history, but it seems like by becoming technically proficient at so many core skills (like realistic portraits), he probably learned things he couldn’t help but have bolstered his future modern art with. It’s like his artwork was a journey that relied on everything he learned, even if you couldn’t see it explicitly. It would feel like cheating for someone like me to paint some shapes and say “see I can do that too.” Maybe not cheating exactly – actually, more inauthentic. Almost like I haven’t learned enough, haven’t crested that hill, to start making it simpler/purer for myself. I don’t have that same body of work and knowledge for that perspective to fit my mindset – it wouldn’t seem like an organically generated thing at this point in my learning process.
I may be totally wrong there though, because what you said about focusing on fun is a really important take away. And that may have been instead what he meant – if you aren’t enjoying creating, why are you even doing it, right? From that perspective, it sort of squashes what I just said above to some extent I think.
I can relate to that envy, when I first discovered Instagram I was doing the “wow that’s so good, follow them” and before you know it you’ve got so many inbound images that it’d take you most of the day to get through it – and certainly that time would be better utilised creating rather than looking at other art.
I’ve naturally fallen into the balance now of rarely changing the accounts I’m following. I’ve got a few arty friends of course, and I’d say several which are above and below (in my opinion) in terms of skill level but broadly similar. There’s a few which are mind-blowing but I’m realistic about the fact that they are full time artists, with studios and often having done it for a chunk of time. I don’t have any envy these days as there’s only one person you should really compare yourself with, and that’s the “you” from a year ago 😁👍
That is so true, Steve. There is definitely such a thing as social media follow overload, and I think I’m past that saturation point! It’s especially true for exactly the beast you mentioned; Instagram. I mean, it is really neat to see so many great artists. But I got to the point where I don’t even see friends or family’s stuff on there sometimes, because it gets drowned by everything else.
It’s sort of true for WordPress Reader too. As part of typing this comment, I went to the Reader to see exactly how many I follow now…I have 593 followed sites! I had no idea it was that many. I probably need to go back and filter out some impulse follows, because there can’t be more than 30-40 that I remember and specifically seek out (like Steve Kidd Art for example). I feel like I’m missing a lot of WP Reader content in the moment that I have to later hunt down for individual sites.
That’s good advice about comparing too – it’s sort of fun to gauge how you’ve changed over time. A bit surprising even!
Yes, I started off following everyone that followed me but soon discovered a bombardent of posts including pictures of people’s dinners, cats, posing at the beach – so all that had to go. Besides my IG has something like 1,500 follows now, there wouldn’t be enough hours in the day just to look at that lot 😆
I’ve had to make some tough decisions to stop following decent folk but decided that “Steve Kidd Art” as an online entity is purely for my art and nothing else. Harsh maybe, but essential.
By the way, thanks for the follow but more importantly, for posting up your artwork and thoughts – it’s *exactly* what I’m here for 👍
Haha, yes you would have to dedicate your life to intake and processing of Instagram posts! Although some people might enjoy that, it sounds like a good recipe for insanity for me. I think filtering social media down to art is a good call – it seems like a lot of content now is just clutter (spammed articles, politics disguised as news, mid-level marketing schemes, etc). It’s nice to make that feed into something more enjoyable wherever you can
And I remain flattered that people like you, talented and skillful folks, have some interest in these posts! It sounds cheesy, but I’m absolutely serious – having an interested audience, even if it’s just a handful of people, really makes writing about this worth it.
Thanks Hilda! I am indeed enjoying it, I’m even thinking about turning over a few photographs I’ve taken for use there. Nothing special, just a few scenery pics (like the beach in Oregon, the Red River in Louisiana, etc.). Might be a way to pay it forward!
Sorry Hilda, I meant to respond again to your last comment! I actually did upload a few photos to Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@amdallgallery
Just so I can in some way contribute to a resource that I’ve so much enjoyed using. The photos aren’t anything special, and aren’t even really something portrait artists could use – just some scenery. But maybe someone out in the world will use them.
Much appreciated Hilda – it’s really not bad at all. When you log in, there’s a button that says “submit a photo” pretty close to where you user profile picture is (top right corner). Load up the photos you want to share, then they’re out there for the world to use!
They give you some guidelines (5 MP size, clear image, you own the rights, etc), but I also took the step to tag the properties and file name. Basically, I went into Window Explorer/My Computer, right clicked on the image files, and clicked “Properties”. Then, I clicked on the “Details” tab and added my name/info to Title, Subject, Copyright, Author, and so on. Maybe not strictly necessary, but I thought it was good to be thorough!
It was well received! Honestly I was a bit nervous about it. Self-doubt in the corners of my brain kept peeking out, trying to feed me imagined scenarios where the recipient was like, “Oh, yeah. Ok. That’s…well, alright then.” In hindsight, that would have been unrealistic, and the guy never would have reacted like that anyway. But I was relieved that it made a positive impact.
I’m also glad to be back to analogue – digital is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there
From what you’ve posted here (but they never look the same onscreen as in real life) the lightbox looks perfect. My eye starts at the hair, travels down the face towards the right, meets the lightbox cord/bulb, travels down the light bulb towards the left and back up the arm to the face. So both compositionally and colourwise it works for me. Looking forward to seeing other comments and views.
Excellent, I’m glad it came across well! It’s always interesting when you try something new to see how others react. It’s tough for me sometimes to try viewing what I’ve done objectively. I guess that’s probably true for a lot of people though eh?
Really like this one Jon. She has a slight look of Cher about her; the same long narrow face and strong nose. Reminds me of Cher in Moonstruck, around 1990 I think. Love the addition of the lightbox.
Thank you Claire – I didn’t notice that when I was drawing, but you’re right on about the facial shape/nose combo
I’m glad the light box worked out, because I thought at first that might have been way out in left field with the yellow. I mean, this is supposed to be a light blub not the sun! It still may be too yellow, but at least it’s not completely out of control
I know this post is like two years old, but I feel like it’s worth pointing out that it’s probably incorrect. Based on my googling, it seems like it’s actually okay to wear a navy shirt/coat with black pants now.
Thank you Andy! I’ve always liked to share the earlier progression images of sketches, but found that just including all the images sometimes made posts too cluttered. Sharing a .gif of all of them seemed like a cleaner solution.
There are tons of sites/methods for making them, but if you need a recommendation, I’ve been using https://ezgif.com/maker. It’s easy to use and has lots of options (like changing the speed of each frame, autocropping, etc.).
This has been very interesting to read, though I must admit I’ve worked backwards through your posts on it.
You may have noticed my recent foray into digital drawing. I’m also an Android guy really but a deal came up on an iPad with iPencil so I ended up with that – and the same application though I’ve more recently been playing with Procreate which seems to be ‘The Tool For The Job’ when it comes to Apple.
It’s not overly easy is it? I must admit that whilst I bought it for drawing I’ve spent probably twenty times the hours on Netflix rather than drawing.
I find it so much more rewarding on real paper, and not just because I’m lousy digitally. I think it’s the feeling of drawing on glass with a biro possibly, no tactility to it 🙄
Anyways, this is a great portrait above. It’s better for the ‘unfinished’ bits, delete that bit of the write up and make out it’s artistic license. I think in terms of style, your self portrait was instantly recognisable as being one of yours.
This is good stuff, I feel more inspired to shut down the Netflix distraction and get busy with the pen again.
Hey Steve! So, it looks like I’ve missed a ton of new posts on your site. I’m not sure if I lost my subscription or something during your transition to a new host, but it looks like I’m good to go now. A silver lining to missing those is I have lots of good material to catch up on now.
Definitely have to agree with you about digital art. It’s a major learning experience, with all new rules to figure out. And that’s something I didn’t really consider either – with the tablet, it’s so easy to waste time browsing or watching Netflix instead of opening that drawing app! Distractions seem to multiply when they’re easy to access, don’t they?
I don’t think digital art could ever replace paper for me. As you said, there’s just a special tactile feeling to paper that can’t be beat!
Hi Jon, you’ve amassed a great amount of work, which is great to see. You’re not afraid to try new things.
I recently posted a ‘tutorial’ on how I went about doing a self portrait sketch in in pencil, which might interest you. It’s good to be in touch.
Haha, see I’ve got you fooled there! I feel like I have a hard time trying new things. I think it took me like 6 months to get the courage to even try color! But I do try to push myself out of my comfort zone sometimes, because getting back into the art hobby after being away from it for like a decade has been all about learning.
Hi Jon, I see that you’ve ‘liked’ my latest blog, thanks for that. I have had a quick look through some of your posts, and you have created an impressive list. As an artist (in many drawing mediums), and lover of people to draw, I’ve enjoyed looking at your approach to the portrait. I recently did a self portrait, and have noted my approach to this sketch on the post. Nice to be in touch, Vivienne (New Zealand).
Hello there Vivienne – I always love coming across new art blogs (well, new to me anyway). I’ve learned a ton just from following other artists who run WordPress sites, so it’s great to find more people to follow. I’ll have to check out the self portrait and some of your other works as well.
Gosh, these make me think about getting a digital set up… really pretty good, but I miss a bit the “pencil-ness” some of your other work has (could that be line weight? maybe) I am clearing out my store of paintings and cataloging them — we’ve over 500 at this house, and again as much in storage…. digital,digital
Wow, you have over 1000 paintings? That is some prolific art creation! I guess they do add up over time eh? I’m only a couple years into this hobby really, but already I can see how storage could be an issue with my small amount of art.
So, have you done any experimenting with digital painting/artwork in the past? For me it’s been really hit-or-miss; that first time I completely lost interest in it, but strangely now it’s working out better. I wonder if picking a tablet/operating system/program is as specific to an artist’s taste as his/her favorite medium is?
Wow, well I’d have to say almost 70 is still quite a great accomplishment! I mean, that’s really a huge amount of artwork. How did you approach generating ideas for what to draw for that project?
Aw Jon! Thanks for the mention! I really appreciate support from artists such as yourself while I am doing this crazy challenge! Happy to spread the inspiration in your direction also! I have noticed on Unsplash that there are a couple of large and wonderful collections’ under the subject of “humanity” that you might enjoy…it is a great resource and I am really having fun with it!
I’m happy to, Hilda! As I mentioned before, it’s such a fun idea and you’re getting some great results. Definitely something worth checking out, in my opinion.
Also, I’ll have to search “humanity” and some other specific terms on Unsplash. Although I’ve found some cool ideas, I know I’m not using it to its full potential. My Unsplash searches have been totally haphazard and random, mostly guided by whatever their algorithms tell me I’d like. I know I’m looking for people, so why not actually target that in searches!
I hear you, Jon! That’s why I spent a couple of weeks picking my references before I started THIS challenge – to try and stop my head spinning from trying to decide which one to choose each time!
Nice one Jon, and a good point with regards to the model release part of these ‘free’ sites. For something commercial I’d probably be inclined to use either my own photos or create something drastically altered from someone else’s photo. Or possibly even… (scary thought) use my imagination.
Well done on the phrase “perpetual mediocrity” and the gif build up.
Haha, thanks Steve – if only my imagination was more functional going from brain to paper. It’s funny, I’ve always thought of myself as a creative type of dude, but honestly that is a real struggle for me most of the time. It’s frustrating, because when I really want to practice art, the limiting factor is usually that I can’t figure out anything interesting to draw!
That makes sites like Unsplash such a remarkable gift. And WordPress too, because reading about how/where other folks come up with things is like a gold mine. Ha – also thanks for the kudos on my Dallas Cowboys diss. I can never pass up a chance to bad-mouth the team that I both love and hate.
Going from brain to paper is what you and I are both doing anyway, it’s just that we’re taking in that optical input as the source. Using the imagination to generate that initial image must be like a holy grail. I use visual references 100% of the time, well maybe 99.65%.
I’d say that since I started drawing 6 years ago I’ve just been copying for the most part, learning how to use the tools. Only in the past year have I started to ‘create’ something new but even so it’s started with an image reference.
Dude, you are sure right about that – definitely the holy grail of drawing. I am being totally literal when I say I’m in awe of the creative talent some artists have. Some people really have a gift!
Lovely job, Jon! Good to see some fresh work from YOU btw! I think the jewelry works just fine, especially as it is the second thing that draws the eye, the first being her EYES! In case you did not notice, I am using Unsplash almost exclusively for my Face A Day May challenge,this year, so I was very interested to hear your thoughts on it in regards to copywrite. I always credit the photographers because I think they should have credit for their work and exposure, even though they are posting their work up with no strings attached – to me it’s the right thing to do and I, as a portrait and figurative artist am truly grateful that these websites exist to give me such a broad segment of humanity to reference!
Much appreciated Hilda – it always feels good to get back into some familiar territory! Although I’ve really only been blogging for about two years, it’s comfortable to be in the draw-and-write-about-it flow.
I’ve been meaning to check into your Face A Day May challenge and see how it’s going. I’ve only read a couple of the posts so far, but already I’m seeing great things. I only just found out about Unsplash; what a wealth of ideas! I read your reference to Pixabay too, which I will definitely check out. You’re so right about the “broad segment of humanity” to reference, it’s so valuable to artists who are thirsty for practice.
I love the prompt to your readers to participate in the Face A Day challenge by submitting ideas or photos, by the way. It sounds fun – I’m going to ponder a bit, see if I can come up with something good before the challenge gets too far along.
Looks like you came back and read a whole lot more of my Face A Day posts, Jon! Hope you are finding them entertaining! The thing I like about Unsplash is that you can make a ‘collection’ and then it’s just a case of opening your collection each time and picking from what you already pre-selected – so it really cuts down on decision making. The other thing I noticed is that Unsplash will then suggest other people’s collections that you might like (and I am getting ones on the subject of “humanity”, which then gives me further interesting face-fuel!!)
Glad you like my idea to get my readers involved (so far it has inspired two people to submit …which is wonderful, fun and really inspires me to put forth my best effort for their benefit) I hope YOU do come up with ‘something good’ that would be awesome….tick tock, clocks ticking and the $’s just creep up…….(THAT aspect was also inspired by something I heard another artist did to inspire audience participation!)
Oh yes, I really enjoyed what I’ve seen so far! This is such a cool idea, I love unique challenges like this one. I can’t remember if I was around and blogging for your first two Face A Day Mays (you’ve had three now right?), but it’s very fun. I’m excited to see what the rest of May brings.
Unsplash really is a cool site. I hadn’t even made a profile yet, but I went ahead and did that tonight so I could take advantage of some of their features. The photo suggestions so far have been surprisingly solid too, and keep leading to more ideas. At this rate, I’m going to need some more paper for all these planned sketches!
This is a great outcome and the jewellery adds another dimension, drawing the eye in. I think you’ve captured the light in the gemstones very well and, yes, capturing gold settings must be very hard. My favourite parts of this sketch are definitely the hair and the gem stones.
Thank you Claire – in hindsight I’m actually a little surprised about the necklace. As I was working on it, I thought the entire piece of jewelry was a bust. But the stones actually look decent! Gold is apparently tricky for me because it seemed in this case to have both bright/shiny and dark qualities. That part was a bit confounding. I’m glad the hair and necklace left an impression! That’s great to hear.
I’m always glad to hear from you actually, because it reminds me I need to go catch up on your posts. You are such a prolific artist, it’s easy to miss fascinating new creations if I’m away even a couple weeks!
Wow!! So that’s three actual real authors I know now… I wish you every success with the book. It’ll be interesting to see how it pans out, books must surely outlive blog posts by a factor of thousands !!
And I see you mentioned me in the “artist thanks”, I don’t even consider myself an artist yet so I’m well chuffed to be mentioned. Thank you 😀
Thanks Steve! It’s weird to think of myself as a “real author” but I guess I have to admit that’s true now.
But along those same “am-I-really” lines, you are indeed an artist! Quite a skilled one in fact. But the biggest impact to me has been your knowledge base and the feedback you share. People like you and the others I referred to are what makes WP so valuable for artists (especially people just starting out). Slightly cheesy, but very true.
Many-months-later update to this…I removed all the ads from Amdall Gallery. I received a pop-up advertisement, which wasn’t something I wanted or set up…it was extremely annoying. Basically, the straw that broke the camel’s back. So, they’re gone! Not worth the $2 per month to damage the user experience like that.
Thanks Dana! Dogs are definitely outside of my comfort zone, but it’s probably good to practice new things. I was actually a bit excited when the giveaway winner chose her dog because I knew it’d be something fresh
Much appreciated Anna! I’m glad the cover looks okay, that was something I wasn’t sure about. I liked it, but I can never tell if my aesthetic choices actually translate well for other people. I kept comparing it to other art-related books on Amazon and waffling back and forth between “yeah it fits in” versus “not professional enough.” I’m obviously not a professional graphic artist, but hopefully it’s not too out of place
So, I read the book and it was really fun to see your art progress over time and learn about the process you use now. I think it’s great to have a book like this out there, and I hope others get the same enjoyment from reading it that I did!
That really means a lot, thank you! I’m anxious to hear/read feedback, and very glad to hear it was overall a positive from your perspective.
I’ve only seen one review on Amazon so far, so outside of my family, I wasn’t sure what people were thinking. Honestly, much like when I started this blog, I really couldn’t figure out how the content would be received. But, I decided if even a few people read it and think “hmmm okay interesting” then I’ll call that a success!
Thank you! I’m still pumped up about it, but now what? I guess I need to Google “what to do after publishing” to see if there’s anything else I’m supposed to be doing. Since I’m totally new to it, I have no clue if I’m supposed to request/submit/work on anything else for this thing
Thank you! That is really flattering to hear, that a skilled artist takes something away from my ramblings. It’s always my hope that writing about what/how I learned might be useful to someone, but it’s hard to tell if that is actually true.
I’ve recently revisited some of my older pen sketches to add colour as I only started with paint last year. The difference there made for a decent ‘upgrade’ but not as much as what you’ve achieved here. As you say, that portrait practice must’ve skilled you up, keep it up and good luck with the book – that sounds challenging in itself.
Thank you Steve – and I have to say, I like what I see on your “revisited old sketches” post. I have always had bad luck trying to add color to the old originals. It seems like I pretty much have to start fresh (like the Dark Tower piece from this post). But what you’ve done with the cathedral sketch and the girl by the tree actually works very well. The color adds quite a bit to the original. I wonder if pen lends itself to later additions better than pencil?
Nice drawings – great that you can draw so well from imagination – something I have never been able to do. Good luck with the book! I like the Dark Tower series too – but never got past the first few books as I wasn’t able to buy the next one along! One day I plan to buy the whole lot and start again.
Thank you! I should say though, I didn’t just pop the images out of my head and onto paper. I also struggle mightily with drawing from imagination. Like with the billybumbler Oy, I had to look at tons of images of raccoons to try to get the right look. I also looked at some smaller dogs like dachshunds. And I browsed through quite a few images of actors I thought might fit my imagined look for Jake and Susannah. So I definitely needed some crutches to make it happen.
Well, obviously I am a fan, so I’d say it’s worth checking out again. Unfortunately, it seems like Stephen King’s books are rarely on sale on Amazon, so that makes it tough to get a good deal on the entire series. Do you have any larger used book stores where you live? Half Priced Books in Texas comes to mind as a place you might be able to round up all of the Dark Tower books at a good price.
Unfortunately the used book stores here are pretty hopeless – I live in the Philippines and though I’ve hunted around I’ve never been able to find any of the Dark Tower series
Oh dang, that’s too bad. I guess a lot of the books in the series are getting up there in age too – the finale was in the early 2000s I think. That probably makes getting a used paperback even harder
It’s definitely tricky knowing not only when to quit on a painting but also when to be bold and risk it all. Sorts the men from the boys. I’ll be off to play with my crayons now…
Thank you Steve, I appreciate it! Really, I feel like I always guess wrong about when to stop. Usually, I seem to err on the side of not being bold enough. I think I should try flipping the script more often.
How often do you feel like you get the “when to stop” part right? I’m curious how other artists feel about that aspect.
When to stop, probably a third of the time I think I’ve got it right – so that’s two thirds of everything I wish I’d stopped just before making it worse.
Nice work, Jon! You did well and I think what you are feeling about wanting to take it up a notch would be served if you darkened the background, except for the lamp light – there’s some really interesting things going on with the dark and light in this one! congrats too about the giveaway, that’s a HUGE result! Can’t wait to see what they request you to do!
Thanks Hilda! That would have been good…I mean honestly it’s not too late. But I know how I am, and I’m unlikely to go back now. Next time I need to just do it though! Be a little bolder, you know?
I’m excited about the giveaway portrait! The winner already got in touch with me, and it’s a cool idea that would be something sort of new for me. I can’t wait to get started on it
That’s the spirit, you can do it! I know what you mean though, we all get scared about ruining something we spent a lot of time on, especially something like a background that can’t be taken away again. Can’t wait to see the result of whatever the winner is asking you to do, you sound inspired by it!
Is it weird that it’s sort of fun when someone else picks what I draw? I felt nervous about it with the first couple of giveaways, but now it’s almost like a game.
You know, the more I look at this sketch, the more I think I messed up on the proportions. Ernie Hudson is a pretty big dude, and I think Brandon Lee was fairly average in size. Hudson looks smaller in my drawing, and it seems off. I think maybe my outline wasn’t very accurate this time.a
Edit: Actually, in watching the .gif again, maybe I’m wrong. Brandon Lee does seem to be taller. I don’t know what I’m talking about
Six hours left…and we’re at 987 entries! That’s by far the most I’ve ever had for one of these giveaways. Will it break 1000? I know it’s an arbitrary number, but that would be cool
Just another note on these ads. If anyone happens to come across an ad on this site that you really don’t like, there is some small text on the bottom right that says “report this ad.” Just click on it, and you shouldn’t have to see that text again. One example is that I kept seeing this ad with a big foot on my site…I wasn’t a fan, so I reported it and haven’t seen it again.
Looking good Jon… I think you’re doing a great job here.
Regarding the teeth, just a suggestion but in comparison to a reference photo are their teeth in the photo really whiter than everything else?
I found an improvement in doing teeth when I compared the colour again. It’s a shame to say but teeth are more often yellow/brown/grey, quite shaded. Muting them and making less defined seemed to work well as well.
I see lots of portraits on Instagram where each tooth is drawn out individually, pure white and well… looking very “toothy” and a bit scary.
Your portraits are way better in that respect but if you feel the teeth are letting you down then maybe something to think about?
Hey there Steve – thanks man! I appreciate these suggestions and I agree with you. When I really try to impartially assess teeth color, it shouldn’t be bright white like that. While it’s true my sister’s teeth are quite bright, mouths do have some shadowy areas. But it’s a big area in which, honestly, I’m a little afraid to be bold. Once I get to the teeth and mouth, I’m usually pretty far into the drawing, I don’t want to mess it up. At some point, I’m going to need to just get my courage up and experiment.
I really do think a “mouth study” would be good practice in that case – just trying a bunch of different mouths. That way I don’t have to worry about botching a larger portrait. Man, teeth are rough!
I used to struggle with the eyes so I started every portrait with the eyes and then if that didn’t work out I wasn’t so invested in it and thus less pressure.
Nowadays I think it’s more the nose shadows that trouble me so I make sure I do that early on. Probably more through habit now I do tend to start with the eyes still. I think it’s going to be an ever moving target though.
After 115 sittings for a portrait of Ambroise Vollard…
“I am not altogether displeased with the shirt-front.” – (Paul Cezanne)
Ha! I like that quote, it really sounds familiar. “Well I’m done…I guess the left eyebrow is adequate…”
I’ve really never mastered eyes; they’re in a “good enough” stage for me right now though, and I’ve got areas that need much more improvement (mouths and any non-human subject/object). I hear you on nose shadows too, they are so subtle. Just a couple slipped up spots and there might be real trouble!
This turned out great! The mouth actually looks quite believable to me, but I think it would still be fun (and informative) to see a “mouth study” post from you one of these days
Thank you Anna! I should give that a shot, it might really help to get that practice. I’ve thought about doing the same thing with eyes too – I don’t struggle with them quite as much, but it would be fun. I do think eyelashes are as tricky as the teeth-to-gum line area.
That would be a pretty scary collection of sketches though – eyes and teeth everywhere!
Fantastic post! Indeed, Pillars of Eternity II is another one of Obsidian’s masterpiece. The fact that Obsidian Entertainment has been working hard to make phenomenal RPG titles since Black Isle Studios, it doesn’t surprise me that they would pull it off with Pillars of Eternity II. And not to mention, some of the people working for this absolutely brilliant video game developer are experienced traditional Pen and Paper RPG and D&D players.
Much appreciated! I’m with you there, I would also call Pillars of Eternity II a masterpiece. With most games, I can’t really muster enough interest to return if I feel I’ve seen what it has to offer. But this one (and the first POE) is one of those rare games that I can come back to after a long break and getting totally immersed again.
Interesting read. Sunk a lot of time into the 1st game with a lot of inspiration from the original Baldurs Gate games. PoE felt like the game Dragon Age should have been. Have yet to delve into number 2 but seems a good sequel in its own right.
Pillars of Eternity II really is a good sequel and worth checking out in my opinion. It seems like Obsidian learned quite a bit from the first one; I especially love the character AI settings. It’s a shame they cut the party down from six to five members, but that’s probably my biggest complaint and it’s not too significant in the grand scheme of things.
Although I enjoyed all the Dragon Age games to varying extents, I have to agree with you. I wish Bioware/EA had moved Dragon Age II and Dragon Age Inquisition more towards POE-style combat rather than the action RPG direction they went in. It’s like they got stuck between two very different styles, and ended up with an inferior hybrid of both. Don’t get me wrong – I do love a few action RPGs (Dragon’s Dogma, Dark Souls). But considering the huge budgets they’ve had, that Dragon Age team left a lot of potential unfulfilled.
Thank you for that, Phoebe! I was a little nervous about doing these initially because I’m not used to drawing things for other people, but the first two were pretty fun. I’m hoping this one works out too, and can’t wait to see what the winner comes up with
Thanks Alunaria, happy new year to you as well! I can never resist an opportunity to bust out a chart, it’s almost as good as pizza (pizza of course being humanity’s greatest achievement to date)
Also, I have to say I like the happy thoughts experiment on your site – sometimes negativity on the internet can be draining, so your series is refreshing to see. A great idea to end one year and start the next!
Thanks Roshanda! I do like this one, but when I look at it I think “not quite there.” I almost captured a good Emmitt likeness, but there’s just something about the mouth and nose that makes me want to keep tweaking it. I don’t have a great track record going back to old artwork though – I tend to completely mess them up that way.
Thank you, Kanisha! I try to work on a couple sketches per month…some months I’m more productive thank others, but hopefully if you’re subscribed I can keep it flowing semi-regularly. I appreciate you checking things out!
This came out so nicely, Jon! You are really coming along on your art journey – I had a quick read down that long article, too, but I don’t have enough time to ponder on it, today! Personally I think the secret to making progress as an artist is to show up, often, and work as hard as you can, but have fun with it – diligent practice – the more you do it, the better your progress towards wherever you are going 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and yours, hope you have a good one and a happy, arty, New Year! 🙂
Hey Hilda, thank you! Actually, that’s pretty well in line with what the art critic said (in different words), to immerse yourself in art and practice practice. I think what you say is definitely true, it seems like even looking back two or three drawings, I can see how I’ve learned something or developed a bit. Small steps, but noticeable to me.
I hope everything is going well with you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Well done, portraiture is hard to get so that it feels as well as looks objectively “right”. Your self-portrait looks to me to have something “right” about it. My own efforts over the years have varied a lot and this has raised interesting questions and potential lines of enquiry. It is a very worthwhile thing to do. Good effort and best wishes for Christmas and new year.
You are right about that, self-portraits are deceptively hard. You’d think it would be really easy to draw your own face right? I mean, you see it everyday. But it’s pretty tricky. What sort of variations have you come across when you’ve tried it? Development of different styles?
Thanks for the comment, and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year to you!
Hi Jon, your self portrait is very nice. Also thanks for sharing the article with advice for artists. I ll have at look at it now. Surely, it will give me some ideas for the new year! Merry Christmas!
I appreciate that Iasonas! It’s definitely an interesting read, and I like that it’s sort of in a long checklist format. It actually just randomly popped up on my Google “Discover” (formerly “Google Now”) feed, I guess because I’ve been browsing similar stuff. Happy holidays to you as well, have a great start to 2019!
Hello! I wonder if most people use their phones to browse WP sites? I do too, actually – the WP Reader is definitely a frequent app for me. I should have added another survey/poll!
More bonus points for the WP Reader for sure, that we don’t get bombarded with advertising.
I’m fairly engrossed in your posts usually and don’t notice the ads much but I take your point about ads that sit right at the base of your post being annoying. My free WordPress site has those and I’m not keen. As per Suzy, ads in the middle of posts are very intrusive and I submit articles for our business to a magazine site and constantly pray that people don’t think the masses of advertising throughout our writing is anything to do with us!
Thanks Claire, I’m actually really glad to hear so many people experience these ads similarly. It makes me feel better, that I’m not being strange about it. I’m becoming more certain that these middle-of-the-post ads are not worth it at all. I’ve removed those, and am gravitating towards zapping more. I share the same worry you have – that someone is going to see some weird ad and think it’s associated with me or this site!
It’s so funny to watch. Once these two get each other going, sometimes they can’t stop! Often we can’t even figure out why they started – one gets rolling and it’s a full on laughing fit for both of them
So, the comments section on this post is pretty much just me talking to myself, but there are a couple things I want to add now that we’re 1/4 of the way into the NBA season. First, I think I undersold Harrison Barnes and possibly oversold Dennis Smith Jr (at least at this stage). Harrison Barnes is an excellent shot-creator, and has some nice moves getting to the basket. He showed his scoring ability last year, but I discounted that somewhat because it was a bad team. But this seems to be a better Mavs team, and when the Mavs really need a shot, Barnes can deliver. I shouldn’t have tried to place Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews in the same bucket, because they are very different players. Also, regarding DSJ…he’s very fast and very athletic, but the court vision isn’t all the way there yet. When you watch a veteran like JJ Barea control the point, that becomes more clear. I’m not saying DSJ won’t get there, but point guards can take a few years to develop (see: Kemba Walker).
And as for Doncic? Despite the hype, he has somehow exceeded expectations. In my opinion, he’s already entering legitimate star player territory, and his rookie averages at this stage of the season are on par with some of the greats. I’m not the only one who thinks this way! Check out this montage of ESPN personalities discussing Doncic at the 1/4 mark of the season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_92bP48yyQ
I sure do love that WP Reader, it’s nice sometimes to be able to view a wide variety of websites as a unified format. Were you able to see the poll and choices in the Reader? I had some trouble on that end, and I’m curious if everyone else did too
In this case, that might be true. But sometimes the Reader works better! There are a couple themes that for whatever reason I have issues viewing, but if I do, I can just jump into the Reader and see it no problem.
I’m not keen on ads and I try and ignore them. I tried to go for the “meh” I’m not bothered option but couldn’t get the options big enough so hit the ad blocker option by mistake, sorry
It’s all good Christine, I just appreciate you participating in that little survey. I’ve had some difficulty with the formatting on these polls…apparently WordPress’s go-to poll/survey partner PollDaddy has become a new company called CrowdSignal. It looks like the same interface (my old polls are there), but it has some new quirks. Interestingly, I can’t even see the vote buttons when I view it through WordPress Reader! So that’s a little buggy
I find these posts quite interesting. Personally I don’t use an ad blocker (I probably should) because I surf mostly on my phone. I see the ads in the middle of the content as really annoying but you don’t have any. Those at the bottom of post are next. The ones on the side bar and bottom of the screen don’t show unless I keep scrolling after the post and it’s comments
Very cool, I’m glad it caught your interest! I certainly agree with you there – ads right in the middle of content are highly annoying. The bottom post ads were getting a little too close to the same level for me, so I finally decided to give them the boot.
Honestly, I pretty much always use an ad blocker, even on mobile (via Firefox add-on). I know there’s an argument that without advertising, a free internet can’t exist. But I’m of the belief that so many companies don’t push their ads to consumers responsibly; they throw out weird, inappropriate, and/or extremely invasive marketing. And it’s not just the annoyance factor! Some ads are security risks and can spread malware. I can see both sides of that argument, but I think a good compromise is to “white list” (allow ads) for sites that aren’t too bad about their ads, while blocking the worst offenders.
I personally use adblock and I can’t see the ads on your website. In general though I find that ads ruin the aesthetics of a website unless they are designed to suit its palette, layout and content. You spent time and effort to arrange things nicely, upload good content and good quality images…and then random ads pop up everywhere. I currently have the free plan of WordPress (no option of removing the ads) but I am seriously considering to move to the personal paid plan where you can get rid of them. Also, as you said the amount of money you earn through ads is not massive anyway so I am not quiet sure if it is worth having your site looking like an ads board.
Hey Iasonas, that’s a really good point. That’s probably true for most of us! We all spend so much time uploading, arranging, tweaking, and sharing…only to suddenly throw random abrasive clickbait on there. Thinking about it like that, it’s kind of odd for an artist (focusing on visual concepts) to let someone mess up your arrangement.
I think the “personal” plan removes ads right? For like $4 a month? That could be worth it for you…but then again, so many people use ad blockers anyway. When I was browsing your site today, it almost slipped my mind that I was blocking ads as well – I have the blocker on so often, I forget it’s even there sometimes.
This is excellent work, and such a coincidence as I literally just posted up a drawing using… Pinterest… as the source.
I wasn’t aware of that Board so will take a look.
It sounds a bit like an App I had on my work phone, it’s an iPhone and the app is called Sktchy and was pretty good. I say “was” because as mentioned it was the work phone, so not really for me to start loading random apps onto. My own phone is Android and for some reason they don’t have a version of it for that.
However Pinterest I do have and I quite like, in some ways I’d say that it’s probably my favourite of the social media bunch (well, least disliked 😉)
Anyways, well done again. These portrait drawings are very good, they remind me of drawings you’d see in a book, or leaflets on how to administer medical assistance, etc.
Ohhh yes Sktchy – I think I’ve heard of this before, possibly from your website? I can’t remember, but I feel like it may have been from you. I’ve got an Android phone, so I recall being disappointed that it doesn’t exist on that platform. Actually, that reminds me; have you ever heard of the sub-Reddit “RedditGetsDrawn” (https://www.reddit.com/r/redditgetsdrawn/). At some point, as I was looking for decent Sktchy alternatives, I came across that. I’d like to try a prompt, but I’ve had some less than enjoyable interactions on Reddit. Just curious if you’ve ever had any experiences drawing from there.
Do you have a Pinterest board (or page? Am I getting terminology mixed up?)? I’d like to follow you on there if I can find you. Sometimes I try to find WordPress artists on other platforms too, but haven’t had much luck. By the way, speaking of your art – I love the Simpsons mash-ups you’ve been doing! They’re really entertaining, man. You’ve got a knack for Bart…wait, are you a Matt Groening pen name?
And, thank you for saying so about these sketches! I don’t feel professional, but that’s good to hear that I can sometimes do a reasonable imitation.
Yes, I did the same of registering on every platform I could think of after coming up with the cunningly stunningly imaginatively titled “Steve Kidd Art” – Pinterest included. (Wish I’d gone for “Steve K Artworks” incidentally) 🙄
I don’t know anything about Reddit though, that one’s slipped me by.
Bart was just for Inktober, as it culminated in him karate chopping my pencil in half he won’t be back in a hurry. Never say never though, he was quite fun to do as an aside from the attempts at serious art making.
Yes, I think in terms of imitation your drawings are spot on. In terms of recognisable artworks they’re distinctively yours, no-one is going to recognise a “Kidd” but I’d be 90% sure of an “Amdall Artwork” (another good name 😛)
I appreciate your comments on the sketches! I’ve always had a goal in mind to be as true-to-life as I could manage – I’m not all the way there, but I do feel like I’m getting closer to that goal. If I came upon a style, it was definitely by accident! I happened to read something on https://drawingthrough.com/ about “colored pencil painting”, and decided to give it a shot. As I figured out how to make thick/heavy pencil work for me, I guess it came to look a certain way.
Speaking of that, I do think you have a recognizable style too. Leaving aside the actual cartoon sketches (Simpsons mashups), some of your drawings have almost a cell-shaded look with deep shadows. Like “My Precious”/Gollum, the Vegan Boxer, etc. You can mix it up too (Gandhi scribble style), but there are commonalities in your work! I wonder if all artists naturally develop a distinctive style, whether they intend to or not? I think most of the WordPress artists that I check out the most I could probably recognize in a blind art test (am I overestimating my Artistic Eye? ha ha)
Nice post as always! I like when people draw from reality as opposed to copying photos.
I don’t like Pinterest, I am still on it because it’s an automatic link, just like FB or Twitter.
Pinterest allows other people to literally steal art.
I was wondering how do you to implement these transitions onto an image without it being a video, at least that’s what it seems to be.
Thanks Inese! Yes, it seems like digital art theft is probably rampant, especially for the really popular stuff. Based on what I’ve seen from Pinterest, it seems like that site in particular is built to make it easy to share other peoples’ creations. No big deal if it’s properly attributed, but how easy it would be for someone not to do that.
I do usually draw from photos actually, although I wish I was better at capturing from life. I’ve got a ton of respect for people who work with live subjects, because I find it really challenging. I’m still very much an amateur, but hopefully I can work up to bigger art challenges as I continue learning
As for the image transitions, you are right on – it’s not a video. Those progressions are actually .gif image files. Basically, I take photos of artwork as I draw (aiming for 4-5 if I can remember), then upload the still images to https://ezgif.com/maker. Click the blue “upload and make a GIF” button, then you can set the number of milliseconds delay for each slide. Once I’ve downloaded what it creates, I can just add that .gif image file to my post. It’s really useful, I think.
Thanks Jon,
Such a very insightful response which I really appreciate.
About Pinterest: it is not that the maker of art is visible regardless of their watermarks, etc. Sharing makes the author disappear. When people notified me that somebody was selling prints of my art, which was quite a few times, I believe that was because of Pinterest, therefore, I was sharing less and less with it.
I am originally from Europe, that is why I was only drawing from life and real things up to recently. I did not even have a camera until 2005. It comes from the assumption that real art is created from observation and imagination rather than a photo. When I arrived to Canada, I was very surprised that it was ok for people to use photos.
To be honest, drawing from reality is easier if one has trained eye. One can skip numerous steps, like editing a photo or enhancing it and trying different compositions and so on because you implement that all as you draw.
I love drawing and it comes very easy to me, that is why I am not doing it too much since there is no challenge, however, looking at your beautiful works makes me feel I should draw more, too.
I am so grateful you advised on image progressions. I have many moments when I would need exactly that. I am not paying for premium features, so, I can only insert video as a link, therefore, it would be great relief to use something like that. I had shown the progress previously only as still photos.
I have tried videos of my work, but as you are saying, one can forget that once they have inspiration, and, basically, when art is more complex, video would become abnormally long.
I find also that without help of somebody else, these videos very of bad quality.
I think I will use this feature in the future.
Portraits from life might take a while to practice, just like anything else, but it is as if learning to write, over time your eyes notice everything what you need and you already have the basic knowledge of face anatomy. There are certainly tricks, too.
I definitely enjoy watching progress of your art, it is a great way to display it, as well. Your approach is extra efficient, especially for such art and it looks excellent.
Thanks so much for your help and suggestions! I hope you have a wonderful day!
Thanks for the link Jon, it answered the question I’d also been meaning to ask 👍🏻
Regarding the copying of my art, it’s only ever low resolution versions of my work that’s up on any social media – that way people can copy what they want, look at it where they want but when it comes to actually trying to create a decent print then it’s Game Over.
I’ve actually offered digital downloads on my Etsy shop, full high resolution scans which are pre-cropped into common formats. The idea being that people can print it however they want, get a mug made up, get it tattooed on their forehead or whatever.
That would open it up to the fraudsters but due to the extremely low volume of sales (a total of 1) it’d be obvious who was making prints. Added to which I’d probably applaud them as they’d be doing better than me at selling my stuff 😂
You bet, Inese and Steve! I’m glad that helped on the animated .gif images. I think I might do a “how-to” post on .gifs, because they’re actually pretty flexible and useful tools. A short guide on easily creating animations from still images, and how to make a .gif image from an actual video.
I’ve thought about how I would feel if someone copied my sketches and tried to claim credit. To my knowledge, it hasn’t happened…but the internet is so vast, there’s no way I could know for sure. I think I’d be irritated, especially if they made any money. But, then again I’d also feel slightly validated, maybe bizarrely proud that someone thought any of this crazy stuff was worth stealing. That’s a weird thought probably. Like I said though, I’m not a professional…and for someone making a living as an artist, stealing their art is like taking from their wallets. Good idea on the smaller resolutions though Steve! I hadn’t thought about that, but maybe I should.
That is really interesting about the differences in norms, photos versus reality, in Europe and North America. I wonder if it’s rooted at all in the longer art tradition, old masters and such in Europe. I don’t know much about the formal art community, but I imagine American or Canadian artists might go more for alternative or nontraditional methods or something. Also, thanks for those encouraging words Inese! That always means a lot coming from those with significant artistic backgrounds and skills.
I appreciate that! I’m still not as fluent as I’d like to be on all the social networking sites, but it does seem like Pinterest and Instagram align themselves well to artists. The WordPress Reader/ecosystem is still my personal favorite, but it’s interesting to see how others are sharing what they create.
Much appreciate Steve – isn’t it strange how people sometimes have such specific things they can draw? Like, for the life of me, I can’t sketch a good tree. I mean, I can draw a stick with green things on it, but a realistic woodsy background? Only in my dreams.
Trees used to be my nemesis, now it’s cars. More specifically, car wheels. I’ve drawn hundreds of ellipses as practice but still struggle with the wheels.
I’m pretty stubborn about these things though so will do a hundred more. One day I might get it. I did the same with trees and whilst I’m no expert they’re at least “acceptable” now.
Practice practice practice. And when you’re done, practice some more 🤓
You are so right about that, practice really is everything. It seems like there aren’t shortcuts to drawing; there’s a path to get better, and it just comes with learning through repetition. Well, that’s how it’s been for me anyway.
And oh yeah…cars…I’m definitely not good at those either. Or buildings. I guess there are quite a few things I could stand to get some practice with!
Haha, that would be tremendous wouldnt it! My sketching blog is here: sketchingonthetrain.wordpress.com thought it would be linked from my comment maybe I need to change something in WordPress
Ah there it is, thanks for linking it. I commented on your site’s Einstein sketch too, but that one is really great. I’m very impressed how you’re able to get varied depths of shadow from ink. That seems like it’s quite challenging!
Ha ha, thanks Christine – I shouldn’t beat myself up, but sometimes I do think, “shouldn’t I be able to draw a straight line? Here we go…nope, that’s a spaghetti noodle”
I am with you there! It seems to take a fair amount of time for me to see it, but I believe I’ve gotten better (or at least more comfortable). That change over time is really fun to see
Ghostbusters – such a vivid memory from my youth, Jon! Thanks for the reminder and awesome illustration of those guys….Peter Venkman has always been my fave character! 🙂
Thanks Hilda! I’ve always been a big fan of him too. Ha ha, even though I was probably more of an Egon when I was a kid, I always wanted to be a Venkman. I had similar conversations with my sister when we were little – I wanted to be the orange “party guy” Ninja Turtle, but she said, “no…you are definitely the purple nerd turtle.”
I think it’s a good way to be – if you think of it in Ghostbusters terms, who was the only member of the team who had a good job at the beginning of Ghostbusters 2? Well, that would be our nerdy friend Egon Spengler, who still managed to lead psychology research team, while the other fellas were throwing birthday parties and whatnot.*
* Honorable mention to Ray, who owned a small book store. But he was pretty nerdy too.
Thanks Alunaria! She’s only doing half days right now. It’s Pre-Kindergarten, so the second half of the day is mostly naps and lunch. We figured she can do that at home. Next year though is all day!
I’ve been wondering where you are … and I sympathize. Creative drive is a tricky thing – mine goes up and down (down-down-down) all the time. I think it’s a good idea to put aside time to draw, even if just to keep your hand in. Nice portraits.
Thank you, I appreciate that. It is pretty difficult for me to understand sometimes. Like I’ll think to myself, “Man, just get comfortable, turn on some music and draw. No big deal.” I know I can replicate the setup and situation, but for whatever reason my brain doesn’t say let’s go.
I just keep working – even if it’s only to rework something I did before. I get what you mean about not managing to get into a zone – when I’m in a slump I’m pretty unconnected with the pen or pencil in my hand (it feels like I’m agitated) and I’m not working with much thought, observation or detail. But I still try to see what comes out (hence the Dead Man Standing post). Oh, and if I had one tip to give, I’d say look at other people’s work – I go to my public library – to the art section (where I’m always the only one) – and get out books with lots of colour plates. The quality, spirit, imagination and innovation of artists throughout history is mind-boggling and kind of gets me going.
I like that, pushing forward to try to see what comes out. With that Dead Man Standing post, even if it wasn’t what you expected, it still turned into a really interesting piece. That’s a good advertisement for diving in and doing something, even if that person doesn’t feel like it. The results can be something worth having done!
Also that’s a good tip about checking out other people’s work to get a spark. I’ve really been meaning to catch up on my followed WP sites, and it could be refreshing to browse artwork. I think I’m up to date on yours and a few others, but I’m way behind on most
That would be pretty fun for me! I’ve actually been trying to figure out generally how I could help someone who wants to do something like this. I had considered making my spreadsheet downloadable, but there are some website details and admin stuff I wouldn’t want to publicly share, so I’d need to scrub it a bit. Also, I’m not all that certain my spreadsheet thought process is organized enough to follow! So it might need some cleaning up on that front, too.
Would a more detailed run down of how I did it interest you at all? I wonder if a step-by-step guide would be useful
Ah yeah I see, that makes sense. Oh, that would be very useful! Perhaps a short one, to get started on. I’m scared to mess around in my Dashboard, in case I break something, hah /blush.
I can understand that! It’s pretty easy to accidentally click some random setting and forget about it…then realize later something is different. But what did you click? It’s a mystery
I love experimenting with the site, but I have to admit that scenario has definitely happened to me
Thank you! I’m always fascinated to see what data tells me about the site, especially the traffic referrers. I still can’t figure out why Bing sends so much more my way than Google!
It is really strange. Most of the Bing results appear to be image searches. I guess a few of the .gifs I’ve posted somehow became (relatively) highly placed search results for them.
Another weird anomaly is Google Ads. I created an ad campaign and a bunch of keywords, then set the budget at $.01. It never charges me that 1 cent, but still somehow sent me 29 referrals recently. Not very much granted, but it’s weird that you can do that.
Thanks Kenpo, I definitely agree about Karate Kid being a fun movie. I watched the original again recently, followed by bits and pieces of the second…just reminded me how solid the first one was. It’s fun, well-paced, with strong performances from everyone. By comparison, the sequel just seems so cheesy.
I like other more grounded martial arts films too, but they don’t quite have a charm Karate Kid does.
That daily attempt seems buggy on my end, but maybe it’s just me? I keep getting a “You’ve done it already” kind of message, wait – first it was 23, now it’s down to 17 hours, and I check back daily.
Hmmm, that’s interesting. I wonder what the deal is? It brings up an interesting point – I’m actually not sure if it works by counting 24 hours from your last entry, or if it resets each day at a certain time.
I have done digital art before myself on a drawing pad. Like you said in your post it is a challenge especially if your doing it for the first time. It is also time consuming compared to drawing by hand on paper but digital drawing definitely gives you a lot more to work with and allows for more errors. For this being your first that is a very assume job you did because you seem like your very experienced with digital drawing. But its good you shared this because I remember going through this too and its a heads up for artist that its sometimes going to be hard doing something new. Thanks for the good post and your drawing is good! I love it!
Those are some great points, and thank you for saying that about my digital sketches! Honestly, I haven’t tried it again since this post, mostly for the reasons you mentioned. It is pretty time consuming, and I feel much more comfortable with pencil and paper. I love the ability to hit undo, and some of the other digital tricks, but it sure does have a learning curve
Superb! Many hours were spent in my childhood with my younger brother and his plastic toy dinosaurs. To hide one from him if he was being horrible was a great game. The next time the box was opened I always got my revenge. I must have been a horror older sister!
Hey Claire, thank you! That’s pretty funny, my sister played a similar game with my GI Joe figures when we were kids. She even flushed one of my favorites down the toilet! My parents weren’t too happy about that particular strategy
I hear you about straight lines – jitters are definitely a thing in digital art! Of the programs I’ve tried thus far, Manga Studio (now Clip Studio Paint) has the best line stabilization – and I’ve heard lots of others also say it’s the best for line art, which makes sense since it’s designed for creating comics. I use it for almost everything though – it’s incredibly flexible. I think you can download free trials? It’s a one time purchase, not a subscription, if you choose to go that route.
Personally, I think these are pretty good for a first effort! Thanks so much for sharing these and writing about this!
Thanks Akire – do you use tablets often? I haven’t ever gone back to digital/tablet drawing since I tried it in June. I really should give it another shot, because it’s so clear and bright when viewed on a website.
I might have to give the trial version of Clip Studio Paint/Manga Studio a try! Maybe another software program would help me get acclimated. Thank you for the comment, and for checking out the post!
Looking back at this one, I really like how it turned out. That’s not always the case, sometimes a fresh look isn’t so good. I actually managed to end up with no one making a weird face, which I count as a win!
Fantastic drawings Jon. It’s good to dig memories and redraw stuff that excited you as a kid. The amount of work you mentioned is quite impressive actually considering that requires loads of commitment from a kid!
Thanks Jasonas, you’re right about that! Little nostalgia trips can be pretty enjoyable.
From what I remember, it was a pretty big project. I have to admit though, coming from a little kid, I’ll bet there were a ton of duplicates and errors. And I think I was little fantastical with how I depicted some of them; wild colors, exaggerated horns, etc. I really hope I can find it, so I can get a good look at it from a grown-up perspective.
Hah, this post got recommended to me, and it made me visit it again. Now I know exactly what that drawing is, Jon. There was this Turtles episode with these little weird creatures, that would grow to enormous size when they got put in the microwave. THAT is what you have drawn! Well, almost…
Lol, “armchair paleontology internet research” So pro! 😀
These look absolutely fantastic. Our son loves dinosaurs! (surprise) That pose of the stegosaur is great. I used to dream about dinos when I was a child. I once watched the news and saw some scientist trying to recreate dinosaurs, and I remember that moment. I felt as if the world was magical.
Oh, that gif. I feel as if you skipped a few steps for me, I wanted to copy it and show our son. Either way, great results.
Ha ha, that’s a wise kid, liking dinosaurs! What’s his favorite one?
I did skip some steps in that .gif, it’s true. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos during most of the drawing. And it was a relatively quick one, compared to people portraits, so it’s kind of sparse on the stages.
Uh uh, another portrait give away /makes 100 fake emails to participate with 😉
Kidding 😀 Slowly back. What a great result. Those facial expressions, especially yours. Your family must be so happy you are drawing. Well done on that red hair. Not easy to capture it’s multiple ways of shining.
Ha! You know all jokes aside, I actually think it would be good to give you a portrait. You’ve been enthusiastic about each contest – would that be cheating to give you an automatic win? Are you still interested in one of your in-game character?
Do you have any specific screen capture you’re interested in, or would you prefer some improvisation? Last time I drew a Warcraft character, I just used the model viewer on a site to help me.
Also – thanks for the kind words about the post sketch!
Schhh, nobody will find out, Jon. Just host another contest, and limit who can participate. Like, they HAVE to be Night Elf, for example. And have a blog. And in real life they have to be good at jumping on a trampoline. You know, the usual stuff… 😀
Oh, my, good question. I have not thought about that, since I’ve not won. I’d love my Night Elf, with her exact facial expression. I’ll find some screenshots of her to send over to you, perhaps by email, if I win 🙂
Thank you! I’m definitely with you on smiles, I’ve definitely been struggling with the teeth aspect of them lately. I find it very hard to have a distinct outline for a tooth without it looking kind of bad. I really need to study how other people do it
Hey Jon, thank you again for the nomination 🙂 Fun to see my site amongst artists! Very grateful I am.
I like the idea with the questions, I cherish getting to know more about the person behind the blog 🙂 And I can basically recommend questions to those I want to nominate, to find out more about them too, sneaky sneaky 😉
You crack me up, hah, “Terrible website”, nope, that’s not what t means. And I sit here imagining a Liebster Police right now. You should totally draw that. In the old Tenage Mutant Ninja Turtles style you did a while ago 😀
Anyway. I’m hibernating on and off during July and August, so my absence is only caused by that, and nothing else, i hope to be back at full speed soon, lots of catching up to do too 🙂 Thanks again!
Absolutely! You are quite welcome. I was really glad to have the chance to participate in something like this, and glad to share some cool sites. I’ve enjoyed the wide variety of screen captures, adventure, and interesting scenes from your site. I hope this gets a couple new people over there to check it out!
Ha ha, I’m glad you got a kick out of the translation, and those pesky Liebster Police. I’ve been waiting for them to bust into my house any minute and force me to delete it from my site.
Thanks a lot for saying. It is a passion of mine, so if someone else finds joy in visiting my site, it’s win win too 🙂
Hah yeah. I was not kidding, you should totally draw it! 😀 Uh, uh, and once the Liebster Police finds you, you run away, with the Benny Hill style-theme playing! Gosh, this heat is getting to my head, sorry!
That’s what it’s all about for a lot of us in the blogging realm I’ll bet! Writing about and sharing something you have a passion for. Even if my reach is pretty small, it’s still exciting when it seems a visitor has gained something. Based on the comments from posts on your site, I’m certain your community finds a lot of value there!
Wow, that would actually be an interesting drawing. I struggle with drawing from imagination, so it would be an interesting test! “Liebster Police, everybody freeze and drop your awards!”
Absolutely Christine, and thank you again for nominating me! It was a really fun thing to participate in, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to do that write up.
Good to see something of your development process in the gifs, good idea, though remembering to take the photos is, as you say, tricky when you are in the flow.
I know what you mean about drawing people who are close to you. I find it takes an effort to change how I am looking at and observing the sitter, from seeing them as friend or family with whom I have an emotional attachment and relationship to a more detached, objective way of seeing. This can feel disconcerting at first, as if I am switching off something in myself that feels a fundamental part of my self-definition. It’s close to a meditation experience I find, bringing a clarity of view that is also quite relaxing and allows the process of drawing to capture some of the things that help define the sitter.
I don’t know how much you work from photos compared to direct observations but for myself I find it helpful to do both, spending time noticing how people move and are animated.
This gives me an idea for a blog post so you may see this again !
I hope this helps and best wishes, thanks for the ‘like’!
Good work Jon, it is tricky doing portraits of people you’re not familiar with.
I’m part way through a project to do 100 portraits (allegedly in 100 days) and finding it easier doing the celebrities. Oddly, even when getting it wrong they still look kinda right, in fact I don’t think I’ve got any totally right yet (subjective I know) but they seem to be well received.
However, I’m also painting one of my parents and it’s been hidden away for months now. Not sure why but I think the extra pressure of getting it right on people I’m very familiar with is having the reverse effect of being able to paint from a crappy little photo. Boosting faces from 1cm faded 80’s photo to about 20-25 times the size 🙁
Whilst I have done a few commissions none have been for portraits, I think it’s something that could be extremely tricky in many ways – the drawing/painting process being the least of them.
Much appreciated, Steve! I have to agree with you about celebrities, it definitely feels easier to draw faces that are familiar. As long as you get the most defining characteristics down, people can usually pick up on it.
Man, whenever I put pressure on myself for a portrait, the entire thing usually falls apart. I’ve learned I am at my best when I keep things as loose as possible. That’s definitely an added challenge. Plus this 100 portraits in (roughly) 100 days challenge, you are basically in artwork bootcamp! Are the 100 portraits all the most recent posts on your site? Or are there more you haven’t shared yet? I love that Edward Scissorhands, by the way – they’re all good, but that one is very cool
Thanks Jon, yeah they’re pretty much all the most recent posts.
That Edward I wasn’t overly happy with but the Sheeran version I thought came out OK. You’re right, it is a bit of a bootcamp but I’m never going to make the 100 days so I’ve accepted that.
Very good post. Excellent sketch work 🙂 The director of Karate Kid and Rocky I was John Avildsen, he did very well on underdog movies. Years ago I was at University and wrote a piece for Karate Kid for my blog. I was surprised that John actually attended many Karate tournaments in LA, looking for someone to add to KKI, so he found Daryl Vidal, the one that “created” the crane kick (he was the one practicing at the beach, that’s the reason is a long shot scene) and also he played at the KK tournament but “lost” fighting Johny.
Wow, I had no idea there was actually a real “crane kick” guy…and he lost the real match? That crane kick really wasn’t all that unbeatable, was it. So, in your research, who was the good guy – the “real” Johnny or the “real” Daniel? This all makes me think about that YouTube video about how Daniel was the real bully and that Johnny was the victim. That new series actually covers some of that same ground, looking at it from Johnny’s perspective.
It’s been a few weeks since this post, and interestingly enough it has become one of my most viewed of all time on this site. It received a ton of traction via Facebook and Twitter, with the website post itself receiving over 1600 views. It didn’t get a ton of WordPress likes, and no comments (aside from me), but social media activity was a different story. On Twitter, it had 5200 impressions, 1300 engagements, and 30 likes (plus a cool subtweet from Mike Fisher, a Dallas sports reporter). On Facebook, it reached over 18000 people, almost 1300 clicks, and 97 likes!
For more popular websites, that’s probably no big deal. But for this one, that is pretty major traffic! I guess I’ll have to do more Luka Doncic posts in the future
The picture did turn out great – and yes, it’s a good practice to link back to the original photo or give a credit to the photographer (if that person is known). Copyright issues can be tricky – some people are specific about what kind of copyright they’re publishing under (i.e., share and use, but always give credit) and others don’t say anything, and then it’s hard to know.
I’m glad you commented, because it made me realize I needed to beef up the source description here. Just citing History Lovers Club really wasn’t enough, as they certainly weren’t the original source. Actually, that’s sort of funny and ironic, because the entire post is about “historical photo” spammers who don’t provide sources, and here I am providing incomplete sourcing!
I did some digging, and found a book the photo appeared in, and the name of the original photographer. Drawing scenes from movies is easy to source, but this was a bit trickier. Anyway – thank you, As Much Cake saves the day
Ha! Not al all! I’ve completely ignored copyright issues on my own site. I do notice that a fair number of bloggers use the copyright symbol, or describe the terms of copyright and use of their work. I guess that’s a good practice and I should probably figure something out for my site. Thanks for bringing the topic up in your post!
I guess that’s sort of an internal conflict for artists who share on their own websites. A large part of you just wants to draw/paint/etc., but then that website operator in you has to say, “whoa slow down, you’ve got administrative stuff to do”
I’m not sure if this helps you at all, but I have this little statement at the bottom of my site:
“All art featured on Amdall Gallery was made by Jon Amdall. Analysis in research articles was conducted by Jon, usually facilitated by Excel spreadsheets. Anything created with help from other sources is cited within the relevant post. Please do not use or distribute materials from this site without attribution to the author. Thanks for visiting!“
I am still in complete disbelief that the Mavericks were able to draft Doncic. So much had to happen, so many teams had to pass on him for it to work. Yet here he is, on the Mavs. You never really know how players will turn out, but I think he’s got a good chance to be a star. Or, at the very least, a very good player who makes guys around him better.
I like the way you share your failures as well as your successes- it gives the rest of us hope! Not that your drawing is a ‘failure’ by most people’s standards.
I appreciate that! I enjoy sharing the bad along with the good, and if I feel like something failed, talking about why and how. Just the act of exploring the difficulties through writing helps me learn.
And I like the idea that someone might relate to whatever challenge I shared, and it could help in some way.
I still can’t hear the name Mitchell without calling it out. Another one of my favorites is, “Manos: The Hands of Fate.” I also like the propaganda shorts like, “A Date with Your Family.” Great post!
Thanks Eduardo – I’m with you there, those are also classics! It’s honestly amazing that so many of those bad films got made. Makes me think I could be a (terrible) director too!
Once again, I love your explanation of your process. So totally refreshing that you let us see the steps along the way. I usually forget to take such photographs, but your blog inspires me! Thank you!
Nice drawing! I think the face and the hand are the best parts. Yay for charcoal! I love using charcoal because you can get a great range of value and it’s super blendable. One of the things you can do to make charcoal less messy is to use a stick of compressed charcoal, rub it back and forth on a sheet of scrap paper, and use a paint brush to gather the charcoal dust and paint it on the picture. As for what to do with the drawing, hairspray works, but it can cause yellowing or discoloration (depending on chemicals in the spray). I think a better alternative would be fixative spray from an art store.
Thanks for this advice! I scrapped that hairspray idea. I went to the store to look at this fixative stuff, but I got a little freaked out by the warnings on the cans! It didn’t just say flammable…it said “Extremely Flammable!” And instead of hinting at cancer risk, it said, “This product contains chemicals known to cause cancer.”
I’m probably being a bit crazy about it, but I’m just not sure my art space is ventilated enough. Ultimately, I decided to just by some clear sleeves. Maybe not the best solution, but a good idea for someone who doesn’t know what he’s doing!
So, as someone who uses charcoal a lot, how do you achieve finer details with it? I loved the deep color it has, but I struggled with accuracy
I usually use charcoal pencils for finer details. It is also essential to use a kneaded eraser when you use charcoal. You can shape it to a fine point or a skinny wedge to erase mistakes and pick up charcoal to make things more accurate. Another thing you can to to get bright whites is white charcoal (not really charcoal but more of a dense chalk). It makes the really dark areas pop and draws the eye to the highlights very well. One last technique I use a lot is doing the paint on thing I mentioned earlier for surrounding areas and then using the pencils for very fine parts. There is less charcoal dust that spreads around that way rather than using vine charcoal, compressed charcoal sticks, or charcoal pencils for the whole thing. Hope this helps!
Ahhh, that’s great information, thank you. I actually have a kneaded eraser, but I’ve never used it! At last, it has a purpose beyond my kids thinking it’s Playdoh. And I didn’t even know there was a white color of charcoal, so that would be helpful too if I try it again.
One of these days, I’m going to compile all of the great advice artists have provided into a post. I feel so many valuable little bits of wisdom from experience (like your comment) have been shared, it would be cool to organize them so others can reference if they want to.
I like the silhouettes! And yes, you got a great, solid black with the charcoal. I don’t use charcoal that much because it is messy! (you can use a fixative spray sold at art stores – not sure about hairspray … )
Thanks! I do like the solid and very dark quality to the black, but I’m with you – it’s really too messy to make a regular thing.
I actually went to Hobby Lobby this afternoon to figure out what to do about the drawing, and almost impulse purchased some pastels! I was thinking about what you and a couple other folks do with them, and it seems like a cool thing to try. But I talked myself out of it, because I hadn’t done any research at all. I need to go back and look at that post you did about pastels, maybe watch a couple YouTube videos first I think.
That sounds like a good idea – just fyi, I found pan pastels to be only marginally less messy than charcoal. (I tend to jump in and try things so my two cents almost always comes from a newbie perspective!)
These are great details about your process. I too love colored pencils, but use Caran D’Ache Luminance almost exclusively because they are lightfast and incredibly buttery…Extremely expensive too, so that is a really negative thing about them. But once I switched from Prismacolors to Luminance, there was no going back!
Wow those pencils sound like something I should never use, because I already think prismacolors are expensive! But “buttery” actually sounds quite awesome
Maybe I can float that idea for a birthday present or something…now I’m really curious about Luminance…
Hi Jon, yeah, in a really weird way it was the WORST thing I have ever done, letting myself experiment around with other pencils than my beloved Prismacolors. Luminance pencils eat a big chunk out of, well, everything! On the other hand, with certain colors, the pigment just lays down so deeply and beautifully with one or two layers…Okay, so the “buttery” is maybe over the top, but here’s a plug for drawing with sennelier oil pastels, if you are ever so inclined: drawing with those truly is buttery and like drawing with lipstick!!! (no not all the colors are that wonderful, I have trouble with prussian blue for instance, but all in all those oil pastels let you paint with a drawing feel to it. And like you (I think) I prefer drawing most of the time to painting with a brush…
Anyhow,that’s my little advertisement for the best oil pastels you can get, imho…but then again I could wax rather extreme in my singing the praises of oil pastels in general, which i think have been not taken as seriously as a medium as they should be. On the other, other hand, I admire your ability to stick with a medium and perfect it. I am MUCH too scattered to do that…alas. But I can see how you get better and better with each one…
That’s so funny, I guess you get what you pay for eh?
Yes, you are definitely right about my preference for drawing. In fact, it’s pretty much all I have experience with! I’m relatively new to drawing; I used to sketch a bit in high school, but until last fall I hadn’t drawn anything in at least a decade. So, I’m definitely a rookie still trying to learn the ropes. I love the way paint looks, but honestly I’m a bit intimidated by the technical and gear requirements. So for now, smooth pencils are fun until I get a bit braver.
Actually, you mentioned pastels – that might be the next thing I try. I almost bought a set today, in fact. How do you like working with pastels compared to using those top tier pencils (Luminance)?
This is freaking gorgeous. It feels like such a moment caught, and I find myself waiting for everyone to move! So expressive.
I actually like that you left the shirt white. My eyes are so drawn to the faces here, and the white helps with that in that it just fades into the background. It’s not an important detail to the story of this moment.
Just wow. I’m eager to get to my drawing desk now!
Thank you! This one is actually one of my favorites. I’ve got a few recently that I think might be an improvement from a technical standpoint, but I can’t help but love the scene here. I guess I’m a little biased towards the two little subjects!
I really love this post! And I totally know what you mean – sometimes drawings just don’t go the way we want. But I actually think this is really strong, especially because there’s a sense of movement here, of the characters being about to do something, and that draws me in.
Thanks so much for sharing this, and for writing about the process! I get so much out of hearing how other artists work, especially when things take an unexpected turn. Unexpected turns are a big part of the process for many of us, I think, and it’s fascinating and helpful to see how other folks handle it.
I appreciate that Akire! I’m glad you enjoyed the write-up and the sketch. As you said, sometimes these things take their own paths – I have an instinct to fight it, if it’s not the direction I intended. But, I’m trying to be better and more flexible about that, and just let drawings flow. I really do think sketches turn out better when I loosen up a bit.
Thanks for the comment and visiting – I look forward to seeing more from your site as well!
I find the paper-to-computer transfer to be so strange. I use the same phone camera, image cropping, room lighting…same everything to get these images for the website. But somehow, I can’t predict the quality, and how the digital version will look compared to the original. Sometimes the digital image looks better, but the drawing from this post actually looks worse.
I tried taking the photo at least a dozen times, probably more, but the best way I can describe it is the digital version looks flat. My wife even said the same thing when she saw it. The real paper version just looks more alive, which is sort of unusual for my drawings.
Ooh, very interesting. I have been considering to start that digital drawing, but I am so new at this, I had no idea where to begin, or what to purchase. But I have some kind of feeling, I would really cherish drawing on a tablet like that.
Haha, your comments though. “Hey that’s me, except I forgot how to draw lines and make normal shapes.” Lol, made me chuckle.
That poor dino though. Don’t critisize it too much. It reminds me of the old cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 😀
Hm, I see what you mean, you do not look relaxed at all. I guess a learning curve in creative work is not the best of combinations, unless one brings an emormous amount of patience. I think that’s what has kept me from trying. Well, that, and not sure which purchase to make. But maybe I should give it a go with that one you list 🙂
Well, I’m definitely no kind of expert, but I can at least share with you what I purchased. I put a few of the art supplies I use in here: https://jonamdall.com/shop/. I also added the digital tablet I used from this article, which I think is relatively inexpensive compared to other similar options. The links in the store go to Amazon, but I’m not sure if they have a presence in your country at all.
And actually, now that you mention it, that dinosaur does sort of have an old Ninja Turtles cartoon vibe, doesn’t he? I should have given the guy some nunchucks or something!
Oh, thanks a lot for the tips. Added to my Birthday wish list then 😀 I actually look forward to getting started! I’m sure I can track it down in my country.
Right!? You should totally add a couple of nunchucks and a head bandana!
Very cool! So, are you going to get into some digital drawing? I look forward to checking that out – hopefully you’ll share that to your site if you give it a try
It’s different and similar. It took me a good four months to feel like I could apply my traditional drawing skills to my digital art, and this seems like a pretty good first attempt for a tablet. I still can’t really use tablets. My friend has a dope cintiq with like no lag and a color display which I loved, but those things are crazy expensive. Mice have advantages too, like precision and the fact you need to manually adjust flow and opacity, so it forces you to think about things before you do them in a different kind of way.
So, what do you primarily use in those elaborate creations you make? Is that mostly using a mouse? I know you’ve got a lot of experience with digital art, so that’s interesting if you do prefer mouse over digital pen/tablet. I always suspected, but I can now officially vouch for how hard digital drawing/painting is to do
To answer your question, I own an Intuos 5 but only use it for rough sketchs and planning. I do outlines with the tablet but use my mouse for the finished pieces. Pads save time for rough sketches, but I prefer the precision of the mouse at this point. It definitely has limitations and smooth shading can be really hard without making masks constantly but for the stuff I’m working on it does the job XD
Most of what I do involves photomanipulation too, which is something Tablets are really clunky with in photoshop. The mouse has a big advantage for anything involving image transformations.
Haha, you bet! Well, they certainly are elaborate from my perspective; great contrasting light and dark, intricate patterns interspersed with the subject, etc. Of course, that’s coming from me, a person who has completely empty backgrounds on most drawings.
I can see how a tablet might not work well for that. I actually found myself search for my mouse somewhat regularly, like when I wanted to select a new color or click through some options. The digital pen is cool, but the mouse is still so much more intuitive to me.
Ohhh wow, ha ha…over a year, and it’s still awkward! I wonder if digital tablet drawing is something that, if you’re ever going to take to it, it happens quickly and naturally. And if it’s not a good fit, you can sort of tell right away.
Is any of the art featured on your site done via digital drawing/painting? Since you’ve been using a tablet for so long, I’m also curious which program you prefer to use. I’m a fan of free tools, but I’m certainly open to other ideas to make things smoother.
Oops, this slipped away on me – my apologies! I don’t have anything on my site that I drew digitally from beginning to end. I do touch ups with the tablet and sometimes add subtle backgrounds ( I change the opacity of layers I draw with the tablet so that they’re barely visible – for example, the shelving behind the shopkeeper): https://asmuchcake.com/2018/05/27/checking-in/
I prefer to draw by hand, photograph and then bring into my computer – completely low tech! I do use Photoshop to add washes of colour and to add layers when I want to draw in a background or some other detail. Not very inspiring, I’m afraid … that’s why I was really impressed with your first attempt!
It’s all good, it’s so easy to lose track of all the comments flying around!
I think I see what you mean on that sketch – hand drawing, then some digital fading or tweaks. That’s really great, I’ve got to learn how to do stuff like that too. I can see how it would be really helpful. So, you use Photoshop for the most part?
Hi Jon, what a coincidence as I bought a graphics tablet recently too! One idea I’m trying is to upload a scanned image of a hand-drawn picture I’ve done to the software, and then trace over the top to kind of calibrate my hand to working on the computer, if that makes sense? To try get a feel for my normal way of working in a different medium. I agree though, I think it does take a bit of getting used to.
So, which brand/model did you go with? And have you had a chance to draw with it yet?
That’s an interesting idea about scanning a hand drawn one to help you practice with the digital process. It sounds like it might be too much for my laziness to overcome, but I’d love to hear how it turns out. Are you going to write a post about it? I’m definitely interested in reading up on your experience.
I got a small Wacom Intuos Draw to get me started but I’m looking at maybe getting a big XP-Pen screen style one if I can get into the swing of it and save some pennies! I don’t think a bigger Wacom would be worth it based on some of the reviews I’ve seen.
Thanks for the feedback, I’ll look into making a post about it. I’ve got a picture I’m working on at the mo. Seems to work pretty well in terms of drawing an outline but need to experiment a bit with colours/patterns which seems a lot more difficult.
Your self-portrait seemed like a great first go! I can see how you translated your drawing process from your previous post with layering it up. Do you think you might give the tablet another go?
Awesome, I’ll keep an eye out for some digital stuff from you! I can’t wait to see how your idea turns out.
I’m sure I will give it a try again, but I need to come up with some practical game plan to improve. Even if it’s something small, I like having a plan. I was thinking about adjusting the sensitivity of the pen, and probably watching some YouTube videos. I got a lot of great ideas from artist YouTube videos early on when I started using colored pencils, so maybe lightning will strike twice.
I tend to just draw on my Samsung tablet with my finger, but I have a wacom bamboo tablet, and I had a bigger wacom tablet in the past. I have tried various drawing apps. At the moment I’m just using free ones. The quality of the drawing can vary a lot depending on the app and the stylus/tablet……
I’m not as happy just using my fingers …I had a stylus for this tablet but lost it. I find my finger often drags on the screen which makes the lines uneven. I need to go back to the wacom bamboo but using a tablet is so much more convenient than being attached to a pc.
Oh yeah, I can see how that would be really nice to have an independent tablet, so you could just sit anywhere and draw. Having to be connected to my computer isn’t too terrible, since I usually draw at the same desk. But it would be kind of nice to have the couch option.
Wow very nice breakdown. And thank you for the insight. I felt like a newb when I read the comment you are referring to! I was first like, what? OK language barrier. But what, does he use a psychic? No, that can’t be right… 😀
(The first thing I typed was “much appreciation much cake” which didn’t make any sense, and sort of cracked me up. When I read what I typed, it sounded like a cave man describing his birthday party or something)
I may have mentioned this at some point (I can’t remember), but I think the first place I read about this thick layering/pencil painting stuff was on your website. I’m glad you shared that! I’ve been really fortunate to come across so many people with valuable insights into art.
Thank you for the spoiler alert, appreciate that 🙂 That game looks very appealing. And so does the result, I’m very fond of the colours put together in both of them. 🙂 Is it easy to make those gifs?
(Silly question, is it one of those games, where you can turn off, is the term “gore”?)
It’s not hard at all! To make .gifs from images (like the drawing progressions), I upload the stills to ezgif.com. It’s the best online service I’ve used. To make .gifs directly from gameplay, I use something called Gifcam.exe. I open the game window in the smallest resolution it allows (for smaller file sizes), then open Gifcam on top of it. You hit record, then you can edit frames – it’s really awesome. If you download Gifcam, just make sure you get it from the creator (http://blog.bahraniapps.com/gifcam/). He/she allows you to just download the program by itself, but apparently other sites offer downloads along with adware.
I don’t think you can turn off blood effects in the game, but I’ll have to check the options menu. It’s not extremely graphic; probably similar to Elder Scrolls Skyrim in those terms. There are a couple of scenes that I wouldn’t want to have my kids around for though:
– At the beginning, the dragon steals your heart. It’s not as gross as you might think, but it does show an actual heart and there’s blood on your shirt
– At one point, one of the main villains impales a couple cronies. It’s pretty graphic
– There is a disturbing scene where the Duke is going to strangle his wife. The hero saves her, and there’s no blood, but it’s unsettling.
– I won’t add detailed spoilers because it’s important to the story, but there is a suicide in the game.
Aha, ok. Thank you for the in depth explanation, I might give it a go sometime 🙂 I always wanted to make WoW videos too…
Thank you for the tip. I really dislike adware.
Aha ok. Funny you should mention Skyrim. I tried that game (hubby has it) and I found it far too bloody. But found an AddOn to toggle it off. 🙂
Oh, alright, I understand why you wouldn’t want to have your kids around for those scenes.
I guess I am a bit too emotional for some of them too! Time to grow thicker skin 😉
I once played a game called…Oh what was it again. Contradictions? I think. Some kind of detective-solving game. I loved that, especially because it left a lot of things to the imagination!
WoW I think might be tough to make videos for, because the action never pauses. I can pause Dragon’s Dogma, so that gives me a chance to set up the .gif program. I think for Warcraft, you might need a better program…I don’t know much about them, but your video card manufacturer may have something. For example, I have an AMD card, and they offer a free game video thing called “Radeon ReLive.” So, if you have one of those graphics cards, you might consider trying that. Once you’ve captured video you can pause, then you could use the .gif maker I talked about.
So, did you like Skyrim once you got the bloody stuff turned down? I think it has one of the coolest game worlds/environments I’ve seen. The combat needed work, but the world was so facinating.
Man, I can’t believe it’s seven years since I posted this about the Mavs championship…seven years, and they haven’t been good since. Who would have thought?
Hah, same here, multipass! 😀 It turned out very well – without the name of the post I could easily see who you drew. I bet, I just did the same thing! Should watch that movie again. Gosh look at Bruce Willis…Is the movie really that old now…/Checks her own birthdate…
Thanks Alunaria! Yes, it’s crazy to think how old the movie is now. My first instinct is to say, “oh yeah Fifth Element came out like 10 years ago.” Then I realize it’s 20, and just shake my head. Where does the time go?
You will surely enjoy playing this intense game where one can use your imagination and
creativity possibly at one time enjoy and relax. If you think this is too difficult, nno less than you have to be acquainted with
the installer program tat permits you to automatically install the mods.
The game has created a lite of its, with merchandise, popuhlar culture
references, parodies, and even a convention of dedicated fans that iis well attended in recent
years.
All of my recent stuff is first outlined in graphite pencil, then I use Prismacolor Premier pencils for color. I lay down the color as thickly and heavily as possible, in multiple layers. The soft cores in the lead help with blending a lot.
You know, I really should either add that information to posts, or do one self-contained post that talks about materials. I appreciate your comment – it really got my wheels turning!
Working on these made me want to watch the movie again! I actually found myself taking breaks from writing the post, just so I could watch Fifth Element clips on Youtube
Did I miss the poll? I want that, sooo much! Participated 🙂 /Ponders to herself whether or not she should create a lot of fake emails, sneaky sneaky… :p
Well, I’m glad you were able to be back to see this one!
I also saw your one year celebration giveaway – congratulations, by the way. It’s a great milestone, and quite a generous giveaway. That’s really a massive collection of in-game stuff you’re giving out.
Great insightful post, thanks for posting up the details, I hadn’t heard of Gleam before. Good to see the stats and results.
I’ve done a couple of ‘free giveaways’ of art on Instagram in a shameless attempt to bump up audience figures. I’ve only got a small following so looked to boost it a bit to feel that I wasn’t just showing off artworks to a few family and friends (something I was doing before getting on the web).
One thing I found was that the giveaways that had some involvement such as “guess the animal – win the picture” seemed to get more response than the simple “tag a friend and hit follow” type posts. This surprised me as I figured because people are lazy and would rather do nothing for something, the reverse seemed to be the case.
Whilst I’ve done a few of them I decided the last would be my last, unless I came up with a better idea. It was linked up to an advert for a ridiculously low-priced item on my Etsy shop – a loss leader essentially. After a two week campaign it resulted in a grand total of zero sales and I think maybe 10 extra followers. Well, that certainly showed me!! Still count it as something worth trying because we live and learn eh?
Once again, thanks for this post – all the best and I really hope the prize chosen is the right one, $20 is soon spent, artwork is far longer lasting.
Hey Steve! So, how did you handle an Instagram giveaway? I really like Instagram because of its focus on images, but I wish it had more integration with WordPress. Do they have any built-in functionality for giveaways, or do you have to select your own winner? It sounds like you’ve gotten pretty creative with yours, which is cool because you’ve learned quite a lot from it.
As you said, I also figured people will go with the path of least resistance on things, so would be less likely to do detailed things. But you’re right, participants surprised with how many actions they’d take to enter.
If you ever decide to do another giveaway, I really liked Gleam. I used the free version, which only lets you set up basic stuff (Facebook, Twitter, a few others). But it’s a nice looking interface, and I feel like many who participated did so because they were familiar with Gleam already. Just browsing through the subreddit /r/giveaways, many are through Gleam, so it’s probably easy to get traction. Depending on which WordPress plan or platform you are using, you may be able to embed the giveaway right in your post (.org self hosted, or .com business, I think).
I also did a test run with Rafflecopter, which seemed to be extremely popular on WordPress. The free version is pretty similar to free Gleam, but I think Rafflecopter isn’t as slick looking. I do believe either of these services might increase participation, though. Then again, take what I say with a grain of salt, because this has been my only experience! This is all a trial-by-error process for me
Hey Richard, thanks for visiting and entering the giveaway…guess what? You won!
I’m going to write a post about it shortly, and send you a message via the Giveaway portal (Gleam). I think it will go to your email, but this is my first time to use this, so we’ll see. Congrats to you!
Yep, you can easily spend a couple of weeks just in London and not bother to visit the rest of the country….sometimes I go to London when I am over there, but not every time 😉
Love the drawing! I think that the head is the best part; the colors are bolder and the fur looks really good. What’s going on in the background? What is he sitting on and what is he looking at?
Thanks Kathy! That’s funny you mentioned that, it’s very typically of my drawing approach. I’m either sort of lazy or impatient (or maybe both), so when I’m sketching people, the heads are usually much better, then the bodies get really sloppy. I’ve gotten to where I often stick to heads and shoulders, and don’t even bother with more. I guess that carried over from people to cats!
And in the picture, Biscuit the Cat is sitting on a counter-top, and he’s looking at a candle.
I don’t know his face well enough to comment on the likeness too much (sorry, not a big sports fan, here, and British too! 🙂 ), but, I would say that if you are more satisfied with the initial sketch than the final result maybe you should try what your gut is telling you, Jon, monotone in graphite. My guess is that the color version is flattening his features out too much and that is what is throwing things off and doing tone only will make you more aware of where the darks and lights are and most importantly, HOW light or dark they should be! then you just have to translate that into color (a good trick with this problem is to turn the color picture black and white using photoshop or whatever) Keep up the good work, you’re doing Great!!! 🙂
Very insightful, Hilda! I think you’re right on the money – the color really did flatten the defining features too much. I didn’t even think about digitally removing the color, that’s a great idea! I’m going to do it, and see if that helps at all. Maybe some more contrast added through a program too?
Also, I didn’t know you were British! That’s very cool – I guess I’m talking about the wrong kind of football, eh?
That sounds like some pretty fun variety – I’ve only been to the UK once, but I really enjoyed it. My wife and I went to London as part of our honeymoon, and it was such a cool place
Awesome! Emmit Smith was one of the best running backs during a great time in football. The Cowboys dynasty was fantastic because of quarterback, defense and of course the superior running game. Awesome sketch!
Much appreciated! That awesome 90s Cowboys dynasty really came along at the perfect time to hook me for life. It makes me wonder if I’d be so crazy about them if they had been bad. Of course, I’m a big Mavs fan too, and the 1990s were defintely not kind to them!
Those really were fun teams though – Emmitt just might be my favorite of that era
Love the portraits! Good attention to detail, like the red hair with the ponytail, brown hair, and the blue eyes. A job well done, glad she was so proud 🙂 I hope she keeps drawing and never loses her love for art
Thanks Kathy! I’m just so impressed that she’s starting to progress beyond full scribble-mode. I mean, based on how she used to draw, it’s pretty cool to watch the change.
Err. Oops! Enter button! Feel free to edit my comment. Our son does that too, the attention to detail in his drawings. He sees and remembers things I do not!
I love that she was so proud. I cherish that about our son as well; he has no need for comparison; he just looks as his own piece of art and thinks he has done well. I hope it will last.
What a great way to “interfere” without interfering 🙂
That’s so awesome, I love that unfiltered joy kids get out of their accomplishments! I know exactly what you mean, as their parent you just hope that state of being lasts as long as possible. I know it won’t last forever – growing up does that I guess. But I sure enjoy seeing how excited she gets
That definitely looks like a sneeze- the expression is spot on! I think having both hands covering the mouth makes it look more like a sneeze than a yawn, and the furrow makes it look less like crying. I love the progressive photos too- it makes it very easy to see how outlines became a finished, colored drawing!
I’m glad you liked the progression photos – if people are interested, I like providing a view on how I approach things. I’ve gotten ideas to improve my own work from other artists’ sites, so my hope is that maybe someone else could pick something up here. You never know! Someone could pick up even some small notion, and that would be good.
The progressions are also helpful for me though, because I can more easily see where a sketch changed (for better or worse). That is sometimes hard to figure out after the fact. A good example is the Guardians of the Galaxy drawing; I knew something went wrong, but I couldn’t tell immediately how. The layers of the progression animation showed me where I messed up on the final version (the green guy’s head shape).
I drew him on a website called sketchfu. Sadly it closed a few years ago. I think I posted my digital drawing of him on here somewhere. I like your portrait of him.
Her eyes do seem sad, but I suppose sneezes are violent bursts of something that can look like grief for a moment. I think it looks great. The hands and arms are spot on alongside the expression and proportions. I glasses off to the side gave me more of a “I just learned something that made me cry” feel, but maybe that’s not a bad thing.
Then again I draw more sad and ambivalent poses than I should 😛
Thanks Blu – you know, I’d never thought much about how similar those grimace/facial contortions can be prior to this sketch. They sure are hard to differentiate.
That’s a good point about the glasses too. Maybe she checked her Bitcoin portfolio on that laptop, and took her glasses off for a good cry? Her CPA told her not to move her 401K into imaginary internet money, but she just wouldn’t listen
Perhaps you already do this but if not, could you share what media you use, on each portrait, and if pencils etc what brand you prefer? I think this would help a lot of readers…
HI there, I definitely thought, A sneeze is going on here, when i saw your sketch…Well before I read any words of self-doubt. It may be subtle, but I believe you have caught this involuntary behavior quite accurately. It does not look like she is crying, not with those above nose lines, and while yawn is, after the fact looking at the portrait, possible, I still immediately reacted to this as a sneezing woman. Them’s my two cents at any rate. Thank you for being my very first like at Arteveryday365.com
Hey there Pamela, that’s great! You never know how people are going to react and interpret things, so I’m glad this struck you as a sneeze. Subtle lines and impressions can be really challenging for me sometimes.
I love the progressive pictures. So hard to portray whether she is sneezing, yawning or crying. The only way I can see is to draw her in her pose a few seconds before this when she would have her hands further from her face and her mouth open – possibly not the most flattering though!
Thanks Claire – that’s a pretty good idea, and I think it would have been hilarious to capture that.
Maybe a series of pre-sneeze sketches? I’m not quite sure if I’d have the skill to do it, but just imagine the funny faces. I guess there’s another reason beyond germs we all cover up during a sneeze!
Thank you Nathan, that’s really kind of you to say.
I’m also glad you found the site because it gave me a chance to see your 3D/VR art. I had never even heard of Tilt Brush, but you’ve made some very cool art with it. Makes me wish I had a 3D device so I could check it out in the full environment!
I should mention, I was mostly talking about Witten’s contemporaries when mentioning players who have kept fans hopeful. Romo, Ware, those guys who were in their primes a few years ago. Of course, there is a crop of current young Dallas Cowboys who are very exciting; Dak Prescott, Zeke Elliot, that excellent offensive line, etc. We’ll see how they do over the next couple of years. They might end up on my list of all time favorites too.
I enter a lot of contests, and concerning your dilemma about Gleam vs Rafflecopter, they each have their strong and weak points. The best thing I like about both of them is the fact that they let you know if you have already entered the contest–very important if the contest shows up on several sites (maybe not an issue for you) AND allows only one entry!
I agree, that is pretty useful! I do wish they opened things up a bit more for the free version (like allowing email subscription entries), but I understand. They’ve got to make money somehow, because they are pretty cool services. If not for Gleam (and their competitors) existence, I probably would have had to install another plugin, which I try to do in moderation.
I’m back, slowly catching up. Gosh. My goodness, that is one amazing sketch. And from something I know. You captured all the feelings so well in Sam’s face. Hah, I like the one without the comic best, but I get why it’s fun 🙂
Thanks Alunaria – I’m glad you liked it! Also, I hope everything is okay with your family. You mentioned an emergency a couple weeks ago, so hopefully everything is going alright
Note to future self: Don’t try to “fix” old art. I applied heavier layers of color to this one, to make it more like the style in newer drawings. I really liked this one, and I pretty much ruined it. Lesson learned (I hope).
At least I still have the digital versions of the original sketch – thank you, website of mine. If not for keeping up with this site, I probably wouldn’t have gotten around to making a digital copy!
Actually, I am glad to report that I’m incorrect on the above statement! I have since done several tweaks and do-overs of old art, and some have turned out pretty well I think!
I think Gamora actually turned out looking really good. It’s always good to analyze the parts we don’t like though. And I mean you have four subjects! That’s a lot of room for error. This is far from embarrassing in my opinion.
Thanks Blu, I appreciate that. After letting this one marinate a bit, I think I’m okay with this Gamora too. I still don’t think it looks like the actual actress, but as a stand-alone fictional alien, she isn’t too bad. I’ve still got to give myself a thumbs-down on good ol’ Drax the Destroyer though.
Oh yeah, something I forgot to mention. No one may notice this, because it’s so small and insignificant, but on figure 7 (traffic referrers by total numbers), there’s one that says “127.0.0.1:8888/orange.html.” If anyone has ever seen that on their own site and wondered what it was, my understanding is that it’s Google’s web crawler robot. Basically, it seems that is Google indexing your pages for the search engine.
On further examination, I think I’m starting to see how Dave Bautista became The Rock. I made his face way too long, and the top of his head is too sharp. That was the biggest difference between the pencil outline and the final color product. I also think I added too much shadow to the eyes, but I was trying to combat the dark green and make the eyes stand out.
Hi Jon! Thank you for visiting my site. I just love your “Dad and the girls”! I’m also a Star Trek fan, so I really enjoyed Captain Picard. I’ve tried to find where Amdall Gallery is located, but I can’t find the country or city listed anywhere? I presume you are in the USA and I read your acesters are fromNorway, that’s where I live.
Keep on drawing… Sincerely Eva Newermann
Hi Eva, sure thing! I really like your paintings. Is the art used on your book covers also done by you?
I’ve always wanted to visit Norway, hopefully someday I’ll get a chance to go. It seems like a really cool place to live. Where would you recommend a first time visitor travel to?
Hi! Yes, all the paintings are done by me. One of my favorite is the astronaut,Bruce McCandless who in 1984 did the first spacewalk( EVA) with a MMU on his back.He just died recently. I found this image on the NASA webside. Just mindblowing! I would recommend the westcoast of Norway. If you see Tom Cruise larest Mission movie he is climbing up a mountain called the Pulpit ( more info on utube) There you will see the beautiful fjords. To walk to the Pulpit takes about 2 hrs ,it has been made an easy path by Sheapers from Tibet who has built steps stone by stone. If you bring your family this will be something they will rememger for ever.
That’s great, I really like the outer space theme; it makes for interesting subject matter. And Norway seems like a beautiful place. I would guess the summer is the best time though, right? Especially if we’re not used to real snow.
Also, RE: your follow up comment – not to worry! Your comments are coming through just fine through the WordPress Viewer and the main website. Sometimes it takes a few minutes though, that might be why you weren’t seeing it immediately.
I love all these throw-back character portraits. Always preferred Picard, my dad likes Kirk, bu that’s probably because he has the same name XD
The hand, expression, and complexion are all beautifully done. For your rendering style, I’d suggest experimenting with microns or some sort of archival ink pen to texture or shade clothing. The hyper-refined look of the skin is clashing with the bolder reds and blacks in the clothing here. I think the cleaner lines of a small nib (microns specifically are sold in other colors) could contrast really well with your approach to processing the facial and skin textures.
Thanks Blu – yeah I definitely like Picard over Kirk. Even back when I was a kid, being the Captain of a spaceship seemed like a stressful job. I just figured the person who did that would have a pretty serious personality, kind of like Picard. Kirk seemed too irresponsible to me, as if he would have a mutiny or the ship would explode on his first week in space.
I think I’m going to have to do some Googling on the micron, nib, and archival pen things. Is Micron a brand of special ink pen? Much like so many art mediums, I don’t think I’ve ever used pen before. Sounds kind of intimidating actually, not being able to erase! High stakes art, right there.
Microns are a specific style of archival pen (a brand, but they have unique pen styles, the brush nib is particularly great for clothing).
Pens are intimidating, you’re right, but they are one of the cleanest mediums. They do exactly what you tell them to, which makes them great for texture or stylized clothing/backgrounds. That said, colored pencils and pastels aren’t always the easiest to erase without ruining the paper.
Anyway, might be fun to experiment with. I think what you’re doing is already really dope but trying new things can really pay off when you find a new effect or style you can incorporate into your other works XD
Actually, that’s a really good point. I was so focused on the permanence of pen/ink, but it’s definitely true that these Prismacolor pencils are not really erasable. They really mess up the paper if you try to erase once a thick layer is down.
Ha – I’m such a creature of habit. I really would like to try some new things, I just have to break myself out of this mold. I’m honestly amazed that I was able to even get myself to try colored pencil!
Whilst living in Japan in the 1990s, with limited access to English speaking TV, Star Trek: The Next Generation was our lifesaver. We tuned in religiously every week and watched every episode ever produced. I watch the reruns on occasion and think back fondly to just how important it was to us at that time. A bit of familiarity in a very different phase of our lives.
That’s awesome! I can see how that would be pretty comforting. I think a lot of my fondness for the show is rooted in a similar feeling; I didn’t move across the globe or anything, but the memories tied to the show are good.
I wonder what sort of experiences or even shows my kids might have similar feelings about? I suppose it could be anything, but wouldn’t that be funny if it was also Star Trek the Next Generation?
The match was forgettable. I actually and excitedly went to see Dick the Bulldog Brower, and Mighty Igor.
We still have four of our children at home, so I’m used to noise too, I just can’t seem to perform detail work like drawing, painting, writing or even reading very well with a lot of noise. I mostly find the time to work at night or when everyone’s out of the house. I do have a roomy wooden workbench in the garage that I hand built, a nice easel, and a comfortable chair that allows me those quiet moments. But it is brutal hot in the summer, so that only works well in winter, autumn and spring.
Ha ha, yeah I’ll bet it is hard to focus with four children! It sounds like you have a pretty good setup for pleasant weather out there, though. What do you do when it gets hot? Do you move your art gear inside?
Wow, thanks for the memories of Andre The Giant. I actually went to see him wrestle as a kid in the late 1970s in a little arena in North Carolina. – Sometimes like you, I don’t draw or paint for weeks, maybe months at a time. I think about it, have visions in my head, but I’m the type that needs solitude when drawing/painting, and if I don’t have it for a couple of hours uninterrupted, I know my attempts will end in frustration. Great drawing by the way!
That’s awesome, how was the match? I only knew his wrestling career from when he was the “bad guy” against Hulk Hogan in the late 80s, but I think it would have been cool to see him then in a different role. From what I’ve read, he had some epic winning streak that lasted for years during his time as a good guy.
I always find it interesting how people set up their best artistic environments. I’m actually sort of the opposite when it comes to noise; I’m used to having my kids playing near me while I draw, sometimes right in my desk space. I’m actually shocked something hasn’t gotten food/water/stray marks on it yet! And when the kiddos are asleep, I even like to have background talk show noise (nothing political though, that’s too distracting). What sort of physical environment do you utilize when you paint?
The more I look at this drawing, the less I think it looks like Hendrix. I’m usually fairly self-critical in general about art, but this time I think I’m being realistic. This is a solid sketch of a person, but it’s not a good representation of Jimi Hendrix.
Oh well, that’s alright. As I’ve said before, sometimes art doesn’t work out exactly how you’d hoped.
Ahhh, the great challenge…maybe I’m being too cautious, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet. I think that’s a mark of real pros, who can create art from real life subjects. I have this notion that I need to be better and more confident before I make that leap.
So, I’ve seen some of your paintings have people in motion (ex. people in front of a building, one is riding a bike). This may seem like kind of a silly question, but how do handle changing positions as people move? I’m so used to static subjects, I always know the perspective. Do you just remember the angles and shapes, or do you make them up?
Much appreciated! It’s really encouraging to see tangible improvement, which I think I can see over the last few months.
Hopefully I can keep learning – I see lots of ways I could improve (simulating light, patience coloring clothing, FINALLY trying to work on backgrounds, etc)
That’s always the payoff with art for me. It’s easy to get demoralized sometimes, but looking back at old things to see how far you’ve come is a good way to keep things in perspective.
And you already are identifying how to improve, which is actually the hardest part of improving in my opinion, so stay the course! 🙂
That’s so right Blu, and a fun bonus with posting your art to a blog/website. It’s fun to scroll through and watch the progress.
I wonder if there is some sort of widget or tool that can easily display progression over time? Maybe I would have to edit the image manually, but I’m thinking like a timeline of faces, through maybe 30 drawings. It might be a fun at-a-glance way to see how things have changed
Thanks Jennifer, I’m glad you enjoyed the progression thing. So, how did your kiddo like the movie?
Mine are still toddlers, so they aren’t quite ready for that yet. But I’m excited to start sharing movies I love with them, when they’re ready to move on from Peppa Pig.
I did some browsing in the WordPress Reader for keywords like “giveaway” and “contest,” and it looks like most people (at least in WordPress) have been using Rafflecopter for stuff like this. Oops. Hopefully, that doesn’t make this too high of a barrier for people. It does seem pretty easy to enter this Gleam contest (type a name and email), but you never know. The more clicks something takes, the less likely people will do something.
Well, I did know this was a learning experience going into it. Glad to see some activity so far, though!
“decently” is an understandment, I think, it turned out really well. Those progression photos are such a help for those who are just starting out. I know nothing of the effect of shadows etc. for example.
Haha, don’t panic – I think it added some dimension to it, that little background 🙂
That’s kind of you to say, thanks! And I’m glad some people like the progression photos. Sometimes stuff I think is cool isn’t all that interesting to everyone.
Sorry for the late response, family emergency, so I won’t be online for some time. 🙁 But yes, it’s an inspiration with those progression photos, it makes it a lot easier to see how it all comes together 🙂
It’s such a classic. I’ve got a handful of movies I watch pretty much any time I come across them, like Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, Caddyshack, the original Batman…Princess Bride is definitely one of those. It’s really one of the most quotable movies of all time, too.
Sad to see that Art Bell passed away yesterday (Friday the 13th, strangely enough). Rest in peace Art, and condolences to his family. The radio world certainly lost one of the greats.
Wow, that must have taken very long to analyze. I admire your dedication. I find it fascinating! I didn’t even know WordPress provided all those statistics – it might be fun to look into for my own site too 🙂
Peculiar how it varies, depending on Art of Analysis.:)
I do the same; it’s always nice to get a response if you make a comment.
Where did your Poll link go? I voted, but can’t find it now – wanted to take a peek at what others wanted, heh. 🙂
Hm, can one even see at which time/date one gets the most “trafic” on their site? Sometimes it seems as if timing matters a great deal.
I absolutely love doing stuff like that – I feel like I owe whoever invented the spreadsheet a debt of gratitude!
I’m not 100% sure about the poll, but on my end, under the vote button you can click where it says “view results” if you’ve already voted. Although, I’m not sure if that’s there just because I created the poll…but, I can tell you right now we’ve got 80% (4 votes) who would want a portrait/drawing, and 20% (one vote) who would want art supplies.
As for when you get the most traffic, with the basic WordPress plans you can see dates you get the most traffic. Just click “My Sites” and click “Stats.” The Traffic button should show your daily views and visitors, which you can change to daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly views. You can also click Insights, which will show you an all-time view graphic. If you are upgraded to the Business plan, you can associate your WordPress site with Google Analytics, which will show you hourly data!
Oh, you can? I should look into the whole WordPress behind the scenes- thing. Sounds as if there is a lot of info to be gained there. Thank you for the explanation 🙂
Also thanks for compiling all these other art-blogs, I love looking through them and getting art-related updates but haven’t found that many on my own, so this is really helpful.
Absolutely! You’re definitely one of those people who’s given me so much feedback and so many tips, I had to give a shout-out. Plus, you’re a fantastic artist, and that’s another good thing to share.
I’m really glad this post seemed to have worked out. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be completely coherent, or accurately pass along my appreciation. It could have been a rambling jumble of nonsense paragraphs! But yeah – much respect to all of you folks
I’m blown away by your generous post! It’s lovely to hear how inspirational and informative you find blogging. I sometimes question the time it takes up, but you’ve reminded me just how much inspiration it gives that can’t be replicated elsewhere. On a very grey day here, you have truly brightened my day! I love your description too. It’s interesting to read someone else’s thoughts on what is basically a pile of paper in my loft! There are one or two sites that are new to me that I will hasten to have a look at. Thank you Jon. Have a good day and keep posting.
Thanks for saying so – I’m glad that brightened a few days, certainly you folks deserve attention pointed towards your blogs. I know many of you have tons of subscribers already, but if even a few more people can get enjoyment from great art sites, then I’m satisfied. As I’ve said, I have gotten something from many artists even in this short time, and who knows? Maybe someone else will come across an artist that’s new to them and teaches them something! Inspiration can sure come from unexpected places sometimes
Yes, congratulations on your following! And thanks for including me on this list (which has some of my own favourites, like Outside Authority)! It was a treat to look through them all!
Thank you, and of course I had to include the site that encourages me to eat cake! I love your story-based pieces, where you have these expressive subjects with short scene descriptions. They’re so interesting and unique – I’ve definitely enjoyed getting to see them. I’m also excited to check out more portraits, if you decide to do some.
Isn’t it funny how people come across the same sites in their browsing? It seems like some of these great artists would appear on lots of favorite lists. I’m glad you got a kick out of this list!
Thanks so much for the comments, Jon – much appreciated! Yes, I’m starting to notice connections in this corner of the blogging world. I really like being part of this community – find it really inspiring and am learning a lot!
Congrats on your expanding following! The timing of this post is coincidental in that I happen to be linking your blog in tomorrow’s post, which is a pencil sketch of me and my husband. Fingers crossed that it comes out even one third as good as the ones you do! Thanks for the mention; it feels great to know that I may have played some tiny part in inspiring the way you go about using color.
Thanks for that Anna! That sounds like a great subject (obviously I’m partial to family sketches), I can’t wait to see how it turned out!
I tried to mention artists who had some sort of impact on what I was doing, whether that be technique or inspiration. Early in my colored pencil learning process, I realized the results were way too light. I can’t remember exactly when, but I think some time in January I came across your blog. I saw how you were laying down colored pencil much thicker, and I liked that much better! As you described it in that post later on, “colored pencil painting” looks very cool in my opinion.
AW, Thank You, Jon! It is an honour to be mentioned here on your blog – you are very kind! I am really glad to have YOU in my blogging community – your boundless enthusiasm and willingness to learn will take you far, I think! Not to mention the support and enthusiasm you have for other artists and their work! Awesome, job, sir!! So many in the art community feel kind of yucked out by the social media side of things, and we all need people such as your good self who work so hard at their art BUT also at COMMUNICATING about it! I might just have to plug YOU a little on my own blog…….Oh and btw, Thanks, too, for the mentions of the other artists….I will be sure to investigate those who I do not already ‘follow’ 🙂
Absolutely, Hilda! After all the feedback and supportive words you’ve passed along over the last few months, I was very glad to do it. As I’ve said before, that’s been one of the pleasant surprises from coming back to this site. I had no idea there was a loose interconnection of artists floating around on WordPress sites that helped novices like me learn, and gave advice from their experiences. It’s really awesome, and I just wanted to do something to “pay it forward” in some way.
Congratulations 🙂 It’s never about the quantity. That’s where I like the blogging community; I think very few follow “just for the sake of it”. They are genuinely interested.
I really cherish the WordPress Reader – and especially the suggestion field – that’s where I first saw a post from you. I started blogging about World of Warcraft and followed others who do the same, but now I follow so many others unrelated to that – it’s so neat.
Gosh, color portrait by you – no doubt! Get ready to sketch a Night Elf… 😛
Thank you for the recommendations on the other blogs – it must have taken quite a while to put together 🙂
Much appreciated Alunaria! I absolutely love the WordPress Reader, it’s such an underrated bonus with this blogging ecosystem. I’m the same as you; I follow so many sites that are interesting, and a lot have nothing to do with art. It’s great how you can just randomly come across something fascinating. It’s really become one of my go to goofing-around-on-the-internet tools
I think I mentioned somewhere, either this post or one of the drafts, you probably have a good chance of winning once I post the giveaway. I’ll bet it gets a dozen or so entries, so that Night Elf portrait might be coming soon!
Yes, exactly. 🙂 I do try to follow a few outside of WordPress, but having it all together in the Reader just makes it so convenient – together with the suggestion field.
Oooh, my, /gets excited and starts to think about certain poses that’d be suitable, hah 😀 You never know 🙂
I don’t think we have. Then again, I have not been following the scene for a few years on that. Some are far too, is the English word, monotone? I need a little passion to get hooked on listening. It’s contagious 🙂
I think the expression in yours is amazing, and could easily be on a cover.
First of all congrats for reaching such a number of subscribers. As you say it might not be massive compared to other websites but it is a good amount of people listening to what you have to say!
Also, this post is a great idea to express how thankfull you are to all of them. Subscribers are equally important to the content of our blogs itself…without anyone listening i dont think there is much scope talking anyway!
I am looking forward to the next couple of posts which will complete this very kind act of acknowledgement of your followers’ importance! I am really interested in how you will organise your giveaway and see your stats.
Finally thanks for mentioning these artists and their beautiful work. I already follow some of them and i will definitelycheck the others!
Thanks Jasonas! I really wanted to figure out some way to show my appreciation, not just for being subscribers and checking it out, but also for the comments and interactions. There’s been so much valuable advice that’s come through, it’s hard to really return the favor effectively since I’m not a professional artist. Saying thank you is good, but I thought a small giveaway might also be nice! I’ve never done one before though…so hopefully it goes smoothly
Thanks for the response, it reminded me to check back here 🙂 I had the chance to look up the cover you mentioned. He should have bought this drawing of yours instead 🙂 I guess I missed out on alot, not being an American, living in Denmark under my own little rock! Thank you for widening the horison a tad 🙂
I’m glad you found it interesting! Do you have any similar shows in Denmark? I’ve come across a couple aside from Art Bell here, but none as entertaining as his.
Also, thank you for saying so about the cover – I mean, mine isn’t amazing, but that cover with him standing outside, wearing a suit, and smoking? I do think I’ve got that one beat
I don’t think we have. Then again, I have not been following the scene for a few years on that. Some are far too, is the English word, monotone? I need a little passion to get hooked on listening. It’s contagious 🙂
I think the expression in yours is amazing, and could easily be on a cover.
Oops, sorry about that Alunaria – I thought I already responded to this one. It sure doesn’t look like I did!
Yes, that’s true about some radio shows. They get a little bit monotonous, and it can probably lose people’s attention. I guess that’s why radio as a whole isn’t exactly a booming business nowadays? Sadly, even the good shows like the two I used to enjoy aren’t even on anymore.
I wonder if it’s flattering to celebrities when people draw/paint portraits of them. I’ve tried to imagine if I were famous, would I think it’s neat, or would I find it sort of creepy? I suppose it would depend somewhat on whether the portrait was any good. I copied them on the auto-post to Twitter, which they probably won’t see…but I can just imagine Adam Carolla saying, “hey Drew, did you see that weird picture someone did of us?”
That was interesting, I’m not really familiar with Art Bell although I’ve heard him mentioned from time to time. I listened to the excerpts you uploaded and I can see why he was popular. Anyway, nice sketch – I like your idea of animating your progress.
It’s definitely an interesting show! And I get the feeling that Art Bell had many types of listeners. I’m sure that a lot were true believers in the paranormal, supernatural, and conspiracy theories. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were quite a few listeners who tuned in for entertainment purposes like I did. The same reasons people watched the X-Files back in the day; to imagine “what if” for a couple hours, be a little spooked by strange stories, and be entertained by something wild that you don’t normally hear about.
If you’re ever interested in listening to full shows, I know they’re all over YouTube and various fan sites. Since Art was on the air for like 15 years, there’s also a wide range of topics to choose from. Even some from mainstream people! George Carlin was on once, and he’s had legit scientists like Michio Kaku and Neil Degrasse Tyson.
Interesting post and great portrait – yes, the foreshortening and arms/hands are good! I’m wondering if you’d enjoy using another medium to colour larger areas like clothes. I sometimes use pan pastels with a small sponge to add colour – it goes on fast and smooth – then I just shade in the creases/folds with a pencil.
Thank you! You know, I really should try that sometime. When I get into adding color to something dark like a shirt, I think it takes away from the drawing a bit. Plus, shirts are huge and they eat up a ton of pencil! I would probably really like something smoother and easier to apply. So, pastels are your medium of choice when you’re going for large areas? Do you find the look is pretty compatible with the rest of your pieces?
The pastel sticks aren’t really compatible, but the pans might be. I’ve been finding they’re pretty subtle and versatile. (I just bought a single colour about a year ago and have been experimenting with using it to colour backgrounds): http://www.panpastel.com/about.html
Just so I can get a feel for how it looks, have you used either the sticks or pans in any of the recent art on your site? The post “The Parts I Like” says it has some, but I have an untrained eye for mediums other than pencil. Does “Impolite Society” use pastels on the clothing?
For some reason, I can’t find the end of this thread so hope this reply finds its way to the right place! So as far as using pan pastels – yes, I used them for the backgrounds in some of the “Parts I like” paintings (then added paint and drew over or shaded the images with pencil and charcoal… probably too mixed media to be helpful as an example …since I can’t send attachments, I just did a quick pencil/pan pastel sketch and posted it to my blog so you see what I mean (keeping in mind that my technique is pretty basic – I just dab in the pastel pot and wipe on). I also erased part of the pan pastel for highlights … just fyi.
Wow, I’m always really impressed when people can successfully mix mediums like that. Paint + Pastel + Pencil + Charcoal, that’s a ton of different nuances to account for, but it worked out well. I saw the demo you posted – thank you for that! I replied to it on your site.
Wow! Comparing this with some of your earlier work you’ve made some serious improvement. I think you were already good at capturing the likenesses of people but the much improved blending really makes a difference.
I appreciate you saying that! I wasn’t really sure if practice would make much of a difference, but I really think it has. I’m still fairly slopping at drawing, but the colored pencils have gotten easier to use.
Nice work, Jon! Those skin tones are coming along amazingly! Or actually I think it is the combination of tones and graduated blending…there is a really strong sense of convincing rounded masses, now, on all your figures! Yes, I do think you have to be very aware of the centrality of the pupils – if the eyes are even a fraction off it distracts from the whole figure – the pupil MUST be central to the iris, always!! Sometimes it helps to pencil in the complete circle of the iris and put the pupil in that,dead center and erase the parts that belong under the lids….get it in the right place, in pencil, and then add the colour (don’t do someone’s portrait with their eyes even a little squiffy, they’ll probably be really upset about it!! – even though they might not be able to put their finger on what’s bothering them! 😉 )
Very cool, Hilda! That’s exactly what I’d hoped, adding a sense of shape that wasn’t quite there before. Those little touches sometimes have such a powerful effect, don’t they?
That’s a really good pointer (semi-accidental pencil pun) on iris placement. And you’re definitely right about getting it exactly in the correct spot. I’ve had a couple of sketches where it’s even slightly off, and it bothers me to no end! I’ve even had to go back multiple times, and then eventually just let it go, for fear of destroying the paper from erasing too much. And if it bothers ME that much, I can imagine it would drive the subject crazy.
I have only done portraits for family members (as gifts, based mainly on my own photographic references) so I can’t comment on any experience with commissioned portraits via an internet source and a stranger…. I will be interested to hear about your own experiences though 🙂
Looking good! I think what you do with the white in the skin tones is working really well. And honestly, I like the look of the “laziness.” I think it looks unique and gives a little bit of an illustration style, while the rest of the piece still looks super realistic. I know what you mean about the pupils–I have always had so much trouble getting eyes to look at something specific (for me usually in animal drawings). I think you’d do great at portrait commissions, and yeah getting criticized sucks, but sometimes you can take it with a grain of salt and other times it’s actually useful. Enter at your own risk 😉
I think I need to be careful not to overdo it with the whitening; I want to simulate light, but I don’t want to make their faces too shiny. The one I did a few posts ago went a bit too far, and one of the guys almost looks like his face is made of peach-colored metal! But I do like the effect, I think it’s adding a nice touch to these recent ones.
Also, thank you for saying portrait commissions would be in the realm of possibilities – that would be pretty fun! Really though, at this point I’d probably do some portraits for free rather than expecting a commission. I think it’d be great practice, and I feel like I’m always short of ideas.
You really nailed the complexions and the light refracting off the foreheads in this one. Children are hard to draw because they have muted features, so good stuff!
For what it’s worth:
From my perspective, your drawings are mechanically well done. Group scenes are hard and a lot of things can go wrong. Sure there is a sketchy sort of quality (lines in the hair or random things) but that’s not really a bad thing, more of a style. You’re also good at likenesses (I can’t draw people, I have a way of making them look pretty or more attractive then they are because of the way I learned to draw) which is a valuable skill.
In terms of submitting to various sites, you’re right. I don’t really share much of what I do in many places aside from my portfolio and a few pieces on my blog. I have a couple things on deviant art, but I don’t have time or the ability to keep up with the social aspects of that platform. For me, an introvert who stutters around people she isn’t comfortable with, it’s nerve wracking.
I think a good place to start, and where I kinda started, is to just approach places like dick blik (they regularly shuffle around artist submissions in their shops) or coffee shops and see if they would be willing to sell anything or even just hang it. Less stressful than cold-calling, would be to simply submit things for various galleries in you area. They tend to draw a different sort of crowd, one that’s a little better for critiquing and figuring out how to improve. And I believe a lot of galleries or events would take a lot of the stuff you’ve been posting. I can’t say for sure and it’s subjective to theme and event or the gallery in general, but I’ve seen things in galleries a lot less advanced than your sketches and portraits.
When you do get featured in a gallery, a funny trick it to pretend you aren’t an artist and are just there to look. Stand around your stuff and you’ll get pretty honest opinions.
I appreciate that! Kids are definitely a challenge sometimes. I’ve only ever drawn my kids, which I think is probably the easiest child to draw since I’m so familiar with their defining features. Without that, I have a feeling it would be a struggle to capture traits that make them recognizable
I have to say though, I beg to differ when you say you can’t draw people. The art featuring people I’ve seen on your site is extremely detailed and life-like. Just my opinion, but you’ve made some very fantastical and abstract backgrounds/scenes feature people that somehow seem quite realistic. That being said, I consider it a big compliment when someone with skills like yours says my drawings are mechanically sound. I don’t always think that, so it’s really appreciated to hear in your comment!
As for forum sharing, I think I’m a bit reluctant because early on when I started drawing again (around August-Sept last year), I posted something to some sub-Reddit for feedback. They absolutely tore it to pieces! To be fair, I did ask for feedback…but they were merciless, and it was so brutal I actually deleted the thread. Ha ha, I’m still not sure if I’m ready for a lion’s den like that, even though the idea of an entire thread full of people requesting portraits is sort of enticing.
I like that idea about pretending you aren’t an artist at your own gallery. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people do that!
Well I can draw people…just not real people, if that makes sense? Like I’ve tried drawing friends and family and then it ends up looking like I gave them a makeover lol. My sister does the family portraits, needless to say XD
Thank you though 🙂
I’m better at shading and processing images than necessarily creating contour and having good proportions. I focus a lot on texture and lighting which is equally important to the contour and line-work. That’s why I do a lot of portraits or closeups where I can focus on smaller details.
But I totally understand. That was honestly brave (or one of the many variants of brave 😛 ) of you to submit to a sub-Reddit, those fellers are especially vicious. I have trouble even putting things on the blog. The more I like a piece the harder it becomes to share, it seems. Don’t know why.
I think that’s pretty natural though. If you’re really invested in something you’ve made (through time, energy, or you just really like it), that’s pretty normal to be more reluctant to share it. Some critiques are tough to take, but a few have really made me laugh. I remember one of these Reddit guys who was especially bombastic said something along the lines of, “you need to learn that lines are an illusion, and until you can draw without lines, you will be an amateur.” I mean, I AM an amateur…but, am I sketching stuff, or are we training to be the Dalai Lama?!
A good place to start with innovation and coming up with new ways to frame things are backgrounds and lighting. Some of my favorite tricks that I like universally apply to drawings have come from making a weird mark or texture in a background. Who knows, it might give you some ideas, even starting with light shade backgrounds. You can do some cool light source or reverse shading stuff with a really dark background too.
Anyway, I can definitely see the improvement. The draping on the clothes is very well done here. That’s something I really struggle with (clothes in general but also how they fall on the body). So keep it up! 🙂
Is that technique how some of your work starts? I’m always curious about your process – you come up with such imaginative things, it’s fascinating how it starts and progresses. I’ve got a lot of respect for people who can naturally create art just from their brains. As I’ve said often, that’s really hard for me to do. It’s probably good practice though, like lifting weights for the right side of your brain!
This might not really apply, but in digital drawings specifically I always mess around with the background until something pops into my head and I’m like “yeah…that would be cool” and then I roll with it.
Other times I already have an idea (like a scene from my writing or some of the recent cover art I did for hard-copies of the books) and I start with the subject, then draw the background to complement it.
I guess the main thing backgrounds really help you internalize is lighting. When I say lighting it’s kind of an extension of shading, but more referring to the overall balance of shading. The highlights draw the eye while the shadows convey depth. A darker background, for instance, can make the mid tones and highlights look really dramatic.
As for projects in general, I tend to try to keep it fluid. Focusing too much on one aspect for me has thrown things off balance. I’m sure it’s not this way for everyone, but I generally need to do things like horizontally flip my drawings to make sure my proportions look the way I think they do (a helpful trick for assessing how something looks without bias).
And yeah, I wouldn’t ever say it’s “easy” to make art or compositions. I feel like most of my progression has come from simply getting better at visualization rather than mechanical skills. It is like a muscle, the more you do it the better it gets. I wouldn’t ever say easier, though. I still struggle with a lot of things, but I’m glad I do because it keeps it interesting. The challenge is half the fun.
“Highlights draw the eye, while shadows convey depth.” Well said, that’s something to file away. I may use that one some day to make myself sound like I know what I’m doing!
I’m actually going to make a Google Keep entry to collect some of these pieces of advice, because you’ve dropped several very useful ones just in this comment. It’s good to hear that so much of your progression came from visualization improvements rather than mechanical skills. I feel like more practice can still improve my visualizations, but my hands are stubborn.
Also, that’s funny you say that about horizontally flipping sketches! That’s sort of what I do sometimes – I like to check them out in a mirror, see if the entire thing holds up in mirror image. I have no idea if it makes sense to do that, but it is a fresh perspective
Much appreciated, Planet Metal Head – I’ve always enjoyed seeing that on other blogs too. Artists have such different processes, it’s fun to see how others approach things. Especially when it comes to different mediums that I don’t have experience with!
Yes, images online can look pretty different than the hard copy. It’s funny, I didn’t notice the highlights until I watched the progressive shots and then they stood out. Really great portraits!
You know, I’d really like to figure out a way to get the best fidelity between real life and photos. How do you upload your artwork on your site? I just use my smartphone camera, but I’ve read some people actually use a scanner.
I use my phone or a little point and shoot camera too. If I were doing something for print, I’d definitely scan, but right now I don’t feel it’s worth buying a scanner for posting low-res images online. (Never say never though – I think scanners are getting better and more compact!)
Actually, now that I’ve spent some more time looking at this drawing, I do have one major criticism. I think I went a bit overkill on the erasing to simulate light reflection on their faces. There was some significant indoor lighting that caused almost a white color, and I might have been better served by keeping it almost white to begin with, rather than erasing. It just looks a bit strange.
Interestingly, it seems less noticeable in real life. But once I snapped a photo and uploaded it, the erasing seemed much more noticeable.
Nice work here, Jon! It does not surprise me how much progress you are making in a short time – you’re pretty productive as an artist and the more practice you get the better your process and the more you learn! Haha, I had to laugh about what you said about that lady with her 12 coloured pencils….I’m NOT surprised that she can achieve awe inspiring results with that kind of limeted palette (mind you, if she was a painter, she’d probably do it with only 6!!!!) 😉
I am continually amazed by the skill level of some of the folks I’ve come across since I kick-started my sketching again. Luisina Juliete to me is like MacGyver with her dozen pencil arsenal. And I include you and Bluebeard (who also commented above) as some of those expert-level talents. It’s really great interacting with you all, partially because I get to encounter so much fascinating art through your sites. But, also because so many pros are willing to give advice and feedback. It’s very cool! Quite an unexpected bonus
Jon, it’s what I really love about the blogging community, The giving and taking of advice and feedback! You’re right, it IS really cool and it’s very lovely of you to say I am an expert – It makes me feel that I must have actually learned SOMETHING in my journey of self taught art. I am always glad to share whatever I learn to anyone who will listen and it is very awesome to think that some of it is useful to others such as your good self. I also really love how we can all individually tailor our art learning to exactly what we want to know, using the internet…wow, how did we ever manage without it!! 🙂
That’s a good point – how DID artists easily share feedback, tips, and form little communities (like WordPress, various forums, etc) before the internet? I mean, I guess they probably interacted at art shows or some sort of club? But this is so convenient, and we can touch base with people from different states and countries without a second thought. It must have been orders of magnitude harder getting your stuff out into the world
Your faces are very expressive and it looks like you got the likeness down (something I struggle with, I tend to make people look perfect or more attractive by accident which is a bad habit). Focusing the shading on the faces works well in this case given the complicated figure dynamics, it would be easy to spend a lot of time on their bodies when that isn’t the focus of the drawing, sometimes less is more, so good job!
I really appreciate that Blu. I’ve got a big pile of weaknesses as an artist, but I like to think that faces and expressions are things I’ve done a decent job with. I should practice on the things I’m not as skilled with though; I’d like to keep improving if possible, and practice seems to be the the right path. But in this case, I think you’re right! Less was more here, and these corny ad people worked out
Reading this reminds me of me when I look back parts of drawings that didn’t go well. I think I said something like “Simply spending two minutes with a compass would have saved hours of corrective work to fix the two-point perspective, but I was lazy and free-handed it”.
Looking back realizing what could have made something easier or work better is an important part of improving. It can feel harsh but that feedback loop is valuable. You’ve definitely improved. Your contour was always expressive and strong, but your rendering in color now which is a whole different beast. Colored pencils are not easy or simple tools. They require subtlety and predictive blending. I’m not good at either so I stick to watercolor in traditional drawings XD.
One thing I noticed, and I’m not sure what you’re using to blend, is that in the video she uses a rolled blending stick. Those are very good for high tooth papers and larger drawings. If you’re on a non-heavy stock paper, a light synthetic or watercolor brush can actually be better for blending without damaging the papers tooth (a definite worry for layered shading like you’ve been developing).
Anyway I’m super excited to see how you develop and where you take it. Keep up the good work!
Thanks man! It’s funny, I literally have a ruler sitting right next to my art supplies. All I would need to do is bend down and grab it, and I could whip up a million straight lines. But do I ever? Naahhhhh
I know exactly what you mean by predictive blending. Sometimes it’s really hard to figure out what’s going to happen when I try to combine to different colors to achieve a shade. And I’ve even got this huge selection of over a hundred pencils. I’m really amazed by people like the woman who’s video I linked; she made that brilliant artwork with only 12 pencils! Mind-blowing to me.
I’m actually not sure about roll blending sticks, I don’t think I’ve ever used one. I’ve got a couple of these colorless soft core pencils, which I read somewhere were good for blending dark colors. Maybe I should check the rolled sticks out too, because my paper is medium surface. I don’t want to damage anything
Right? I don’t know. Maybe it’s that sometimes the ruler takes the fun or character out of the line. Sometimes smooth and quickly drawn lines end up carrying more weight. But there are definitely times where I just need to use drafting tools and I don’t.
Like those can really smooth out pencil shading. She’s using one of those (except unrolled which you can do to prolong the lifespan or create different blending surfaces) after mixing a lot of colors to create a very complex complexion in the face, which isn’t an easy thing to do. It is definitely easy to go overboard with blending stumps, and I used to use them like a crutch to avoid texture work (they can drown out fine details by making things too smooth).
The other main downside, like I mentioned before is they can tear the tooth out of paper. Using a heavy stock will make that irrelevant, but that kind of paper is like x5 as expensive (like eight bucks for a 12 page notebook of really good watercolor or heavy stock). It’s definitely worth upgrading if you wanna get really into layer shading, though. Also stick to untextured heavy stock if possible for colored pencils and powdery mediums (charcoal/graphite/pastel/colored pencils/etc).
But yeah, another thing about colored pencils is that you can mix the colors and they will combine to make different shades. Not as efficiently as like acryllic or oil paints, but they can if you blend them.
Anyway, end rant. I get really into talking about how to create effects and combining different stuff lol. Hopefully some of that is helpful/constructive XD
Eight bucks for a 12 page notebook?! Whew…that’s a little higher than I’m used to. Do you find that there’s a big difference in terms of how art turns out with that heavy stock? Versus medium weight, less expensive stuff (like a Strathmore pad)
As always, your detailed feedback is very welcome! I love hearing from skillful artists on how they do things. I’m very much a novice, so one of my favorite things about WordPress has been hearing from what I consider to be pros.
Whereas these early posts on the topic of mass shootings were primarily explanations of data, in the two more recent, I’ve also provided recommendations and possible solutions. Naturally, this drifts into politics and my personal opinion on the matter, but I felt it was necessary. I’m a firearm owner, but still believe violent felon/mental health purchase restrictions, loophole closures, and universal background checks are common sense solutions that should have been implemented yesterday.
Whereas these early posts on the topic of mass shootings were primarily explanations of data, in the two more recent, I’ve also provided recommendations and possible solutions. Naturally, this drifts into politics and my personal opinion on the matter, but I felt it was necessary. I’m a firearm owner, but still believe violent felon/mental health purchase restrictions, loophole closures, and universal background checks are common sense solutions that should have been implemented yesterday.
I always find that it’s so hard to get the black part of the smile that surrounds the teeth. If you don’t do it correctly, they turn out like jack o’lanterns. Your drawing reminds me of the pics of ladies laughing while eating salads. The guy on the left seems the most genuine bc his eyes are squinty.
Definitely agree, Kerbey! It’s tough to get that black part around the smile, towards the edges of the mouth. It requires such precision, and even small variations can have a huge impact on how the entire expression is interpreted. I also sometimes have difficulty figuring out if I need to blend in some pink for the tongue, or how much of the gums I should show.
I’d say that entire mouth package (teeth, gums, tongue, deep shadows) is one of two areas I find myself really having to focus for – the other being the eyes, if it’s a close sketch.
It’s great to hear that’s what comes across! Ha – that makes me wish even more that I had planned it better, and managed to get her within the page too. I guess it’s corny, but it was an extremely grin-filled day
This is so strange, but part of me is actually starting to root against my own investment here. The crypto market is still relatively low; slightly above where it was when I started the experiment, but waaaaay down from those crazy December 2017 levels. I’d kind of like to be able to nostalgically say, “hey remember how crazy Bitcoin was for a while, and how it exploded the graphic card market?”
The problem is, cryptocurrencies are still high enough to keep cards at very expensive price levels. I don’t currently need a graphics card, but will I later this year? Or next year? The chances are decent…and I don’t want to be forced to spend a $1000 just to play current PC games when that time does come.
Rather than have my portfolio rise a bit, fall, rise, fall, etc for all of 2018, I’d almost rather just see it fizzle out. See crypto as a novelty again, and get back to a world where a decent graphics card can be had for $300-400. As I’m fond of saying in these articles, “we’ll see what happens.” It’s still fun to watch, but I’m going to think it’s less fun if I find myself graphics card shopping any time soon.
Another update – my collection of coins just passed my initial investment amount. For the first time since I started in August, the collective value is below what I started with…I’m down about $20 right now. I think this particular decrease is because Google just announced it would be blocking all ads that feature cryptocurrency.
You know, now that I’m thinking about the leaning though, I really should have drawn a table there or something. I mean, what in the world is he leaning on?
Uh oh, that’s a good point…now I can’t figure out who’s tallest – maybe it all evens out? I have to admit, perspective wrapped me in circles on this one
Fascinating! Perhaps you are right about number 3 being the most satisfactory, but unless you carry on working on it you don’t know where it will lead. Where to stop I find is a really difficult decision. Well done.
Yeah you’re sure right about that Andy. If I stop, how will I know if it’ll be better or worse? This time it turned out okay, but I really though it was a disaster at one point! Thanks, man
Most of the comments I’ve read (mostly from angry gamers) are highly critical of manufacturers for not producing graphics cards specifically geared toward mining. I imagine by now crypto prices have regained even more ground. Of course, I suppose retail outlets could flex their capitalist muscle a little less so that gamers stop taking it in the shorts.
You know, I think everyone except for the original consumers are happy. Stores sell out of all their graphics cards, manufacturers can’t make enough, while people who like PC gaming having to sit around playing Mario Kart on their old SNES.
setting it up and getting it running is no small feat… thanks. I am going to try to participate (when I am not just trying to get my own sites up and running).
Sounds good! I’d love to see you pop in if you have something to share.
Although my expectations are low for the forums, the best case scenario I imagine is that some of the amazing artists and site-builders I’ve come across through the WordPress ecosystem feel comfortable enough to occasionally post there. It would be really cool to see people bouncing website ideas off each other, art techniques/preferences/tools, etc.
I love the art on your site by the way. I’d actually seen your paintings in the Reader before, and thought I was already following you. That mistake has been corrected!
Thanks again, although I’m not sure about mastering coloring. I do think I’m getting better though! Especially compared to my first attempt. My best lesson learned? Using purplish colors to shade around the eyes makes people look like zombies
I agree, that gif is super cool, gives a great insight into the process 🙂 Well mastered, too. Still, the drawing furthest to the left makes me smile instantly. Captured so well.
Hey Jon – As far as what you are saying about how hard it is to get a likeness of those we love and know the best – I think THAT would be dependent on who you ask the question to about if you are getting a good likeness of your wife. From MY standpoint, not knowing your wife at all, I would say that you MUST be getting a fair likeness of her simply because, looking back over your work I can totally pick her out in each one she is in! You, on the other hand, know her so well that if even one thing is slightly off, it will make you feel as if she is not recognizable (this is also a problem when doing a portrait of someone as they themselves have a very intimate and detailed idea of what they should look like!) I think the best judges of such things are probably those who know the person well, but not really intimately and those who are quite good at recognizing people. Anyway, that’s just me pontificating because the subject interests me – this is nice, keep up the good work! 🙂
Hey Hilda, you know that’s a pretty great point! Now that you say it like that, even the one that I was most critical of is actually recognizable as her. I think you’re right about the best person to judge, too. Her mom might not think it looks exactly right, but maybe someone she worked with a couple years ago would have different feedback.
Have you run into this too? Where you’ve done a series of a bunch of art featuring one person you know well, and you just don’t like one of them? You can’t figure out what’s wrong with it, but it just doesn’t look right?
I know I mentioned the colored pencil painting technique as a possible option for you (because you had expressed interest in painting but were more comfortable with drawing) but I just want to say I really like the way you are using the pencils. The way you lay down the lines seems loose and free to me yet results in precision/accuracy in the final piece. Rather than treating the sketch like a coloring book, you seem to be applying color as an extension of your drawing style, and I think that is a really great approach.
Wow, thank you Anna I appreciate you saying that. I guess your style follows you everywhere, even to other mediums!
Also, I really like that colored pencil painting, but I question whether I have the patience/ability to lay color down like that. I checked out Alyona Nickelsen’s website, and her art really blew me away. It’s so incredible that she can create images like that using pencils.
I do still want to try painting someday, but I’d also like to try layering pencil for that paint effect. That butterfly example you did certainly got my wheels turning. I just have to try to nudge myself out of my comfort zone – I’m really quick to settle into a mode, even though I know it’s good to branch out
Excellent presentation of the statistics. I agree the response to the problem of mass shootings in the USA must be multifaceted. Since pharmaceutical prescriptions to teens for the treatment of depression and ADHD have consistently increased over the past 2 decades, we should also be examining possible links between drugs and violence. Thanks for taking the time to provide this information in an easily-digestible format.
There are so many possible contributing factors, it’s hard to nail down. I hate to admit this, since I’m a consumer of it as much as anyone, but it’s also possible that the proliferation of violent media over the last couple of decades weighs in. If an angry, emotionally disturbed person has access to guns and has become desensitized to violence, that’s a recipe for disaster. It’s certainly only a piece, and I disagree with using it as a lone scapegoat (and as a way to deflect from gun control). Research doesn’t show a direct link between violent media and gun violence, but I believe they have shown a correlation with increased aggressive behavior.
I still think the incredible proliferation of firearms in this country is the chief cause, though, even if there are other contributors. I’ve mentioned in other posts that I’m a firearm owner myself, so I’m not anti-gun. But, this idea of making it your identity, and becoming obsessed over weapons, doesn’t seem healthy to me.
Anywho, I’m rambling at this point. Thanks for the comment, and I hope the CDC is unleashed to look at all possible factors, including those you mentioned.
Just to clarify my above comment a bit; there is no demonstrated causation between violent media/games and shootings. Playing video games doesn’t make people into mass shooters. But there is a fantasy element involved for people who commit these atrocities, and for emotionally/mental disturbed people, games or movies may help fuel them. We can’t look at this problem in terms of isolated factors; it’s complicated. It requires us to step back and examine what sort of societal incubator we’ve built that is so conducive to creating people like this.
Faces are super hard to draw (especially when you’re trying to capture a specific person), and I’m impressed by the realism of your sketches AND the way you infuse character and expression into each face. Also, the .gif is a super cool idea! First time I’ve seen it used in this way.
I appreciate that, Anna! I think I’m okay at sketching people mostly because it’s always what I’ve focused on. Unfortunately, any mild skill I have doesn’t translate at all to landscapes, buildings, inanimate objects…actually, anything other than people. Ha ha, really a one-trick-pony.
The .gif thing is kind of fun, if I can remember to take photos throughout the process. I often forget though, even when I mean to from the start. If you want to try it, I usually use Google Photos (Create -> Animation) for a basic one, or EZGif (https://ezgif.com/maker) if I want more robust options.
These posts are always so well organized and do a great job of breaking down the trends. They also hit me kinda hard. Really sad stuff.
Personally I find the argument that eighteen year olds are too young to talk about gun violence to be ludicrous, since they can legally obtain an AR-15 in two days. Hopefully congress will stop playing games sometime in the foreseeable future.
All the solutions you listed are reasonable and would be effective. I don’t understand why everyone is making reform so hard.
I agree, it can be really hard to think about this stuff, especially when it’s a school. I just can’t fathom being so against even minor inconveniences like a waiting period. Even if it means one less shooting, it’s worth it. Obviously what we’re currently doing isn’t working, so why not swing the pendulum back to some regulation?
And you’re right, 18 year olds are definitely not too young to talk about it. In fact, they might be the perfect people to do it. They aren’t yet numbed by politicians’ slogans and TV talking points, and can speak from painful first-hand experience. I’ve been impressed with those kids from the Parkland high school, I’m glad they’re speaking up.
My goal originally with this was to share what I found, where I found it, and how those resources differ on this topic. But after doing a few posts on it, I realized I was just complaining about a problem and offering nothing else. I had a boss many years ago who talked about being “solution oriented,” and I kept hearing his voice as I thought about this. So, hopefully adding ideas to fix the problem won’t turn away people who otherwise might be affected by/interested in this data
Yes, the solutions were good to read. The subject came up at work and some colleagues asked to read your post so I sent them the link (they’re not on WP).
Does it seem to you like the national dialogue is a bit different following this shooting? The tone seems a bit more urgent, or like more people are ready to take some action to address the issue. I hope that’s true, and it’s not just me being overly-optimistic
I realized the “per state raw victim” totals from GVA data were not correct. In my Excel sheet, I had that Pivot Table set to “count” instead of “sum.” I removed that chart from this post. If you want the updated numbers for that, see the most recent post here: https://jonamdall.com/2018/02/21/mass-shooting-data-update-ideas-to-reverse-the-trend/
The adjusted/per capita numbers were fine, so I’ve left them as is.
Does she look about right to you? I really was going for something scarier and more serious, but the sketch turned out looking sort of like a cartoon villain.
I think I’m just not very good at depicting “scary.” I had the same issues when I was trying to draw the antagonists from the Dark Tower series.
I think your assessment is correct. Overall I like the drawing and her proportions make her look exactly like Sylvanas. But if you’re going for a more thematic and scary depiction, the color pallete is too bright. The skulls look menacing for sure. I wouldn’t say cartoonish, though. If you want it to be more menacing or scary, going in with some darker shadows is probably necessary. Grittier styles usually shift the balance of highlight and shadow towards the shadow side. Scratchy markmaking and textures also accomplish a grittier effect.
A dark background with a forward facing light source is a good template when thinking about an imposing figure, like this dark thing coming from the darkness and infecting the light if that makes sense. Darkening the purple from royal to a more muted tone would help a lot. Same goes for the skin and brown leather portions of the armor. Rendering over the pencil in some ink on the skulls and feathers would also give a more menacing impression because it accentuates the spookier parts of the armor.
Kind of rambling, hope some of that made sense or was helpful lol.
Yeah you’re right on point there, I think. Shadows, scratchiness/texture, and less vibrant colors are probably the ticket to getting that to be more menacing. That lighter purple I used was too bright for the mood I was going for. In hindsight, it was really a Barney the Dinosaur purple, which is scary in a different way than I was going for
Thanks for reminding me of that great movie! I am going to show my daughter Willow tonight! I love your drawing of Val. How did your youngest respond to her portrait in chalk 🙂
Thanks! Such great characters in that movie. I’m actually surprised it never got a sequel, particularly after Lord of the Rings showed that fantasy genre movies can bring in the cash. Maybe they could set one up with an old Willow and Madmartigan, adventuring with a now grown-up princess what’s-her-name. (I’m choosing to ignore that there was an apparently terrible sequel book that opened by killing off all the characters from the movie).
As for the chalk thing, I’m pretty sure it just made her more grumpy! I don’t think she wanted to be outside…too much nature, not enough cartoons.
Just leaving an update here. I have made some text modifications recently to this article, to include more concrete ideas on how to address this issue. Basically some gun control measures that I think, when taken together, would help overall.
My motivation for this clarification was the mass shooting at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida on February 14th. 17 people were killed, and it seems to have initiated more conversation about gun control than most mass shootings do. I think because the kids have been so vocal. I really hope something comes of it.
I haven’t updated the data for more recent shooting victim numbers. I only added a couple graphs, and the section with ideas for gun control.
Also, I realized the “per state raw victim” totals from GVA data were not correct. In my Excel sheet, I had that Pivot Table set to “count” instead of “sum.” I removed that chart from this post. If you want the updated numbers for that, see the most recent post here: https://jonamdall.com/2018/02/21/mass-shooting-data-update-ideas-to-reverse-the-trend/
Thanks for the book recommendation – it’s always good to see some real experts in action, and to read advice from them. Some of these folks do truly amazing things with colored pencils. It’s almost unbelievable the realism they can coax from these things.
If you’re interested in diving into a bigger Prismacolor set, the 132 pencil pack is $50 on Amazon right now! It’s crazy seeing how inexpensive they can be in bulk like that, when places like Hobby Lobby sell them for $2-3 per pencil.
Jon – I’ve been reading countless reviews, going back and forth between these 3 phones. Your review with the side by side pics is awesome. I’ve not seen that done before – we’ll done! It helped me rule out the xl due to my small hands and fear of dropping! Had an S7 before, now using IPhone 8. I miss Android, so probably heading back to the S7. Thanks!
Hey Bob, it’s good to hear that it helped! I actually spent quite a bit of time with the Pixel XL; I held onto it until the refund period was almost over. It’s a great phone, but I just couldn’t make it work ergonomically. The Pixel 2 phones actually have a cool feature where you can swipe down on the fingerprint sensor to bring down the notification tray, which could have helped me deal with the increased size. But, I actually didn’t learn about that until I had returned the XL and gone with the regular Pixel!
The S7 is a great phone too, but I really couldn’t handle the Samsung bloatware. If you don’t mind the Samsung additions, you might consider the Galaxy S9 which is coming out in about a month I think. The S8 made a ton of improvements over the S7, but had a really terrible fingerprint sensor placement (right next to the camera lens for some reason). The S9 takes all that great hardware, and adjusts the fingerprint sensor to a better location, close to where the Pixel 2’s sensor is. And the same awesome edge-to-edge screen from the S8 is coming to the S8, which gives you a small phone size with maximum screen real estate.
I recently made the transition to color as well, also with Prismacolors. On the one hand I’m glad I started with the set of 72 because yes, it was slightly less overwhelming. But on the other, I’m jealous of all those colors you have! I am definitely beginning to feel limited by the smaller selection. You’re doing well with it so far, keep it up! Also, consider checking out the book Colored Pencil Painting Bible by Alyona Nickelsen, which is about colored pencil drawing that looks like painting. It’s pretty cool, and I’ve been happy with my results when working with her advice.
Isn’t that something? Make a post that sounds like I let the Gap corporate office write it, then somehow escape looking commercial in the drawings. Just call me colored pencil Houdini!
Thanks! That first draft was hilariously weird…when I re-read it, I thought, “what in the world did I just write?”
I really think I’m getting more comfortable with color, though. When I first started, I was hesitant to press hard and really mix it up. Now that I know how a lot of these colors behave, it’s a bit easier.
I wonder if we’ll start to see a return to normalcy in the PC components market. It’s weird seeing video cards skyrocket in price and stores continually out of stock. I’ve seen photos of some of the massive cryptomining operations and it’s mind-blowing.
You know Jason, I’ve said before I wish I’d invested in Bitcoin years ago. Maybe I should be saying instead I wish I’d invested in AMD and Nvidia! Three years ago, Nvidia was less than $20 on NASDAQ, and now it’s almost $230.
Unfortunately/fortunately (depending on your perspective), it looks like crypto prices are starting to edge back up again. I feel like these manufacturers need to do something to protect gamers, because I don’t think this issue is going to go away completely on its own. I don’t really know what the answer is, but if they’re committed to actually selling to people who care about…you know…GRAPHICS from their graphics cards, they need to brainstorm.
Maybe they could do a price discount/subsidy program, where you agree to periodically share what games you’ve played? Or some technical solution? I guess the problem with automatic checking (or whatever smart thing they figure out) is that it’s invasive, and people don’t like software bogging stuff down in the background. Or, maybe there’s a way they could just make graphics cards not work well for blockchain crunching. I guess another approach, they could just freaking make a ton of cards that are specifically optimized for crypto mining!
It’s been a few days since this post, and the bottom is still falling out of the crypto market! As I type this, my portfolio is edging closer and closer to the initial investment amount, tracking back to August 2017. That’s quite a reset. I’m wondering now though; is this just a normal annual dip? Or are we looking at something more serious, where significant value is permanently lost? Every time I think we’ve reached the bottom, I open Blockfolio and see how wrong I was.
Regardless, it should be an interesting next couple of months. Fortunately, I have stuck to my cardinal rule for this experiment: Don’t put in more than I’m willing to completely lose. Really, this is starting to feel like taking X dollars to a casino, expecting to lose it all, and being pleasantly surprised if I come away with anything. Cryptocurrency definitely feels more like a trip to Vegas than passing money into a 401K.
Hi Jon, Just picked up that you’ve liked my drawing on my blog. Thought I’d drop by and see what you do. Of course, now I’m daunted as your drawings of the band are stunning. I need to be more daring!
Don’t know if you’ve ever gotten into the Fire Emblem series, but I feel like you’d like those games based upon your commentary here and in the final fantasy sketch post. The art, music, and tactical rpg elements in FE rival FF and CT in my opinion despite the major game-play differences.
I have actually played one Fire Emblem game, but I can’t remember which one. It was quite a long time ago, but I do remember enjoying it. I want to say it was a male protagonist, maybe an orphan or something? I think I recall it being pretty difficult, but having a well-done system for battles.
Man, there’s just something about these classic RPGs and their music and art, I just love it. My wife things I’m crazy, but it’s so great.
Hard to say from that, I’ve played twelve of them XD. Might have been one of the remakes of the first one or sacred stones. They are definitely hard games though.
Gah! Your rendition of Kain gave me chills. Great job on the helmet! Rydia is also really well done, the proportions are excellent.
I played four forever ago on GBA as my first FF, so I’m partial to four’s cast. Also really fond of ten, twelve, nine, and seven (even though I have yet to beat it lol).
Thanks man! I tried to make sure Kain looked especially grim, what with all his backstabbing and betrayals. Definitely have to give credit to Amano though for his original concept art. All of these are based on his ideas for these characters. The guy was a genius when it comes to interesting designs.
You pretty much listed most of my favorite Final Fantasy games, too. I actually just started playing that new remake of Final Fantasy XII on Steam; it’s fantastic. I had forgotten how good that one was. Have you played Final Fantasy VI? If not, I highly recommend it! It’s one of my favorites of all time, right at the top with Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana.
You’re right about FF IV’s cast though, they are really memorable. That was the first game that I remember having an epic, movie-like story
I have six, but haven’t got around to really giving it a fair go yet. I really want to, especially since Kefka’s supposed to be one of the best villain’s of all time.
But yeah, that game got me into RPG’s as a kid. The characters are amazing and the world is so engaging.
I actually took a risk with that first one. I was going to have him holding something, mostly likely a lantern…but I hadn’t planned to try the actual light effects. I’d never done something like that before, so it was very experimental. I was a bit surprised, it turned out better than I expected. I really thought I was going to wreck the thing!
Thanks Alunaria! I guess it’s different for everyone, but the hardest thing for me is drawing backgrounds and scenery. The vast majority of my sketches have either minimal or no background around the subjects, mostly because I’m just not that good at it. I should probably work at that, to be honest. Practice might help!
Me and scenery are sort of a chicken and egg thing, I think. Do I avoid backgrounds because I’m not good at them, or am I not good at backgrounds because I never practice at them?
Oooh, ok. I did not think of backgrounds as “missing” in your drawings at all, quite the opposite.
Well maybe a few lines here and there would bring more depth to the whole thing, but they can also distract our eye from the focus, if one can say that.
Maybe one time one could start on a few background, and keep at it, without adding anything else in the foreground 🙂 That way, you won’t risk anything and it might be easier, since you wouldn’t have to “tailor” the background to the motive in question, if that makes sense. 🙂
Ahhhh, you mean work out some background sketches without any specific human subject, that way I could get some practice? That’s a pretty good idea! Maybe I could get more comfortable through repetition, since I have such sparse experience with it
Hmmmm…it looks like I have an unfinished thought here. I started a new paragraph with “I”…but I have no idea what I was intending on saying. I hope it wasn’t important!
Oh no, I’m definitely not a “only this way” kind of sketcher. I’m just pretty inexperienced, and haven’t been working with color very long. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about mixing in other things!
They’re very fun to work with. Soft pastels are like chalk, you just blend the colours with your fingers, directly on paper. You can get some nice gradients that way.
Sounds pretty cool, thanks for the advice. I definitely want to branch out more, try some new things. Hopefully it won’t take me as long to try paint or pastels as it did going from plain graphite pencils to colored pencils! (It was only 15 years, give or take…ha ha)
Nice work, Jon! I too have a gap of 10 or 15 years when I didn’t do much art – but I know I did ‘some’ during that time, or else I was doing other creative pursuits – did you really never even do a tiny bit of art in all that time?? What made you decide to get back to it?:-)
Weird right? After about age 21 or so, I really didn’t. I can think of only two exceptions. I drew a picture of my wife and I as a gift back when we were dating, and then later I drew a picture of her as part of my proposal (sketched her holding out her hand with a ring on her finger, asked her what she thought, then popped the question). But I believe that’s it! Two in 15 years, crazily enough.
I used to work for a software company where I designed user interfaces/forms, so in a sense that was sort of creative. But I think my “right brain” has been neglected for a long time!
Oh yeah, I forgot – what made me get back to it. I’m honestly not 100% sure. Part of it may have come from wanting something my kids can see when they grow up, a chronicle of sketches many of which feature them. It might be a cool thing for them to look back on. Sort of a “hey here’s us 10 years ago” or “wow, Dad sure loved pizza back then; nothing’s changed.” Or maybe it won’t be interesting at all to them! But, just in case, there will be a bunch of sketches of them with me and their mom, and all these blog posts with my various thoughts on things.
I also created gmail accounts for them, and I’ve been throwing every photo I ever take in there too. When they are old enough, I’ll turn that all over to them, and they’ll have a lifetime of photos already. They may not care about that either, who knows? I mean really, maybe Google won’t exist by then and it won’t even matter! But, maybe these will be cool surprises in another decade or two.
Wouldn’t that be something? I do wonder what sort of hobbies they’ll enjoy. Our oldest already likes to sit with me and draw, although I’m not sure if it’s because she like drawing or just because she wants to do what Dad is doing.
Actually, I sort of misspoke; I really meant google accounts. The photo collections for the kiddos are in “Google Photos,” which if you’ve never used it, is really incredible. Google has a handful of apps/products that I consider indispensable, and Photos is one of them (along with Gmail, Keep, Maps, and Drive). Photos lets me back up my images from everywhere (phone, computer, etc), then share to the girls’ accounts and easily download to their libraries. It’s pretty smooth…I just hope it continues to exist for a couple decades!
These are really great, Jon! Your ability to capture expression is so good (also like the dog and cat – when a picture makes you smile, that’s a good thing)!
That’s always good to hear, that a sketch brought out a smile
I’ve always said my main goal with this site is accomplished if even a couple people find a graph interesting or enjoy seeing a sketch. That, and the $2 per month I make from the ads! Ha ha
This is interesting! I think i might do some research and photo/anatomy studies myself. i think its allways fun and really beneficial to try new things and try to learn.
The more I look at this sketch, the less I think that actually looks like my wife. I mean, there’s a resemblance…but it’s just not quite right. Something is off, maybe the mouth and teeth?
Actually, our girls don’t look quite right either. Not true to life, anyway. I might have to chalk this one up as only a decent drawing. I may need to try a different one of these three.
You know, I’ve always been sort of an impatient sketcher, and I can see that even back then. There’s so many that I didn’t even finish, even if they were coming along fine!
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all folks you really recognise what you are speaking about! Bookmarked. Please also seek advice from my site =). We could have a link trade agreement between us!
Sure thing Elma. I tried clicking your user name, but it doesn’t seem to be linked to Gravatar, WordPress, or anything else. Do you have a site through WordPress, or some other platform? I’m not sure what a link trade agreement is, but it’s a possibility
It’s actually a cool and useful piece of information. I am glad that you just shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
whoah this blog is fantastic i love reading your articles. Stay up the good work! You understand, lots of people are hunting round for this information, you could aid them greatly.
Hey there Saket, unfortunately not. I found an embedded Google+ badge, but not one for Local Guides as I was hoping. The G+ badge is here: https://developers.google.com/+/web/badge/
Wow, awesome weblog format! How lengthy have you been blogging for? you make blogging glance easy. The entire glance of your web site is excellent, let alone the content material!
Hey thanks Alex. I haven’t been doing this for very long. I actually started this site in 2011, but just sort of messed around and then abandoned it. I picked it back up in August 2017, and have been really into it since then
I’m now not positive where you are getting your info, however great topic. I needs to spend a while studying more or working out more. Thank you for fantastic info I used to be on the lookout for this info for my mission.
Nice blog right here! Also your website loads up very fast! What web host are you the use of? Can I get your affiliate link for your host? I want my website loaded up as fast as yours lol
It’s all hosted through WordPress. I’ve been pretty impressed with them.
I’ve considered moving things over and getting my own hosting (I think they recommend Bluehost), but this is just so convenient and functional. I’m not sure if it’s useful, since this was so long ago…but years past I had a site hosted through GoDaddy, and it was solid.
Thanks for this write up i have a nexus 6 and haven’t decided which phone to upgrade to, until this article. The nexus is huge at 6 inch screen size but still a powerful phone thats everything but 64 bit. And the low light camera is terrible. I want a smaller phone and better camera so I believe the pixel 2 has my name all over it.
Thanks Diana – it’s definitely harder than drawing my kids, but it’s pretty fun too
Ha ha, maybe someday soon my Dark Tower fixation will end and I’ll draw some different stuff. But for now, I might as well rename this website “Dark Tower Gallery”
It’s great to work with. Some watercolourists use it for markmaking, and extend their range of textures but you can blend colours by running in water with a brush. You can also shave or grate the leads and add to wet paper to get other textures. I use it to augment my watercolours but some people use them as simply sources of colour, like watercolour pans. Another trick I do is to wet the leads and get them soft which again gives different marks, which can again be different depending if you work them on wet or dry paper. You can then get a soft damp brush and mix up further.
If you are uncertain about painting it could be a way to go and if you take the full plunge with watercolour you can still use them in your painting at a later date. I just buy odd colours that I need, one or two at a time. Hope that is of use.
This is really great advice, thanks for passing it along. That’s definitely at use, because I am uncertain about painting. I really love the way it looks, but it’s so foreign to me and I’m not sure how it would go. And it sounds like there are so many techniques to master that are unique to the medium.
When I see other art blogs like yours though, it gets me fired up thinking maybe I should try it. Water soluble pencils sound like an excellent bridge, if I get brave enough!
Two months later status report: this Pixel 2 (the smaller one) is the best phone I’ve ever owned. The camera is insanely good, especially in low light. Everything in the OS is so smooth. The fingerprint unlock is instant and almost never fails. There are quite a few little things I never considered, too. For example, if you downswipe on the fingerprint sensor while the phone is unlocked, it pulls down the notification tray…it’s so awesome. A small thing, but I use it constantly.
My original concern was the lost screen real estate compared to the Galaxy S7 (due to missing capacitive buttons), but after the last two months, I’ve completely forgotten about it. It’s become a total non-issue. I do have two issues now though, but they are more software related than specific to this phone (I think). One is Google Now; they changed the style/interface and moved appointment/travel stuff to a sub-menu, which is truly awful. There’s a ton of wasted real estate, too…definitely changes for the worse. The second thing is that I never get Google Opinion Rewards surveys anymore, and I have no clue why. My wife still gets them all the time.
That sounds pretty awesome. I think I’d read about something like that, or maybe seen it on someone else’s blog, but I don’t know much about it. Is it challenging to work with? Does does the end result look pretty similar to watercolor paint?
Thank you! I actually managed to avoid making us look like extremely tired zombies in this one, unlike that first attempt.
I really can’t figure out why she doesn’t smile for photos – we really have to trick her to get that to happen. Either she’s just fascinated by phones, or she’s defiant! Her sister was pretty defiant at that age too, so maybe it’s a bit of both
Your previous commentor has given you lots of excellent advice. Just to add to it, it’s exciting that you want color in your art at this stage! What you might enjoy is an art instructor’s demo of the various color options for drawing. I found each one quite different in what it delivered. And realize, wanting color is really a rather different itch to scratch from wanting to draw well in monochrome. Be patient with yourself. Get some useful instruction. Go for it!
Much appreciated Carol! Yeah, I think I could stand to watch some more artists to learn from experience. I’m glad we’re in such a time where I can just hop onto YouTube and choose from thousands of videos
Well done, Jon – taking on color is a BIG leap and you have done well with your first attempt. Colored pencils sound like a good choice, for you, coming from graphite – who knows, they could be a bridge to either watercolor (via watercolor colored pencils) or other dry media (pastel pencils, conte, nupastel, etc?) It’s really fun seeing how different artists evolve their media over time! If you do end up feeling overwhelmed with so many color choices, might I recommend that you limit your palette for a while to cut down on that effect? (I actually found it really helpful to use only red, black and white on a mid toned brown paper, for portraits, when I was starting out in color and it really cut out some frustration and improved the enjoyment level, for me :-)) Best wishes on this new phase of your art journey! 🙂
Thanks Hilda! I hope I stick with it, and that does lead to watercolor. Paint has such a cool look, but I think it’s going to be hard to learn.
That’s a good idea about limiting the palette too. I think it might help me focus on learning techniques rather than worrying about which of the 30 blues I need to use
You are most welcome! I don’t know about you, but if I get too overwhelmed when I start something new, I know it can easily lead to me giving up on it….wouldn’t want you to end up shoving that lovely, huge set of colored pencils in a drawer somewhere!! 🙂
That’s definitely true for me as well. Fortunately, I was able to push through that initial feeling of “whoa what did I get myself into.” Actually, I even moved forward with another sketch using the colored pencils! I wanted to use what I learned from this one, while it was fresh in my mind. I’ll post it pretty soon, but I think it does look a little more natural
Much appreciated! I was also a big fan of that Patton sketch you did last month, it was great.
Always fun to see Patton pop up in random places. I’m still amazed he and FNM both are not more well-known, as incredible as they are. After all, I would put the FNM catalogue up against any more famous band.
Regarding my speculation about Roland having taken 19 trips to the Tower…I just realized that idea probably doesn’t hold water. I think the “Keystone World” (our world) is associated with the number 19. Ka’s numbering system, or something like that. So, 19 appearing everywhere probably had more to do with that.
Okay, so I updated the post a bit. I guess you could consider this comment a change log. I added a note about the above 19 Trips vs. World 19 business, and made a few other minor text edits to make my thoughts more clear. I also did a little re-sketching of the Roland drawing, because his pants were too big. Roland looked sort of like he was wearing MC Hammer pants, so I had to clean that up.
I think VH1 is still a thing, but I have no idea if they play music videos anymore. Yeah, I would image it’s difficult to find one song from each album that best represents what that particular album was all about. Edge of the World and From out of Nowhere off of The Real Thing are pretty far from one another on the spectrum. I think you’re spot-on about Digging the Grave and Midlife Crisis being the most commercially successful songs from their respective albums.
I’ve always wanted to make a mix tape introduction to FNM, but I have the worst time trying to figure out which songs would be best for it. Also the number of songs to include… I guess 20 songs might be a little much for a mix tape, ha ha. I would probably have to make several different mix tapes for someone to fully explore their greatness.
Hmmm, yeah picking just 20 songs would be really tough. Just songs from albums, or can we include rare stuff and covers? I think I’d go with these:
As the Worm Turns (Patton Version)
Chinese Arithmetic (Patton Version)
Introduce Yourself (Patton Version)
The Real Thing
Woodpecker from Mars
Midlife Crisis
A Small Victory
Everything’s Ruined
The Perfect Crime
Das Schutzenfest
The Cowboy Song
Highway Star
The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
Evidence
Star A.D.
Take This Bottle
I Started a Joke
Stripsearch
Last Cup of Sorrow
Mouth to Mouth
Wait, is that 20 already? Doh! I didn’t even address the newest album. Honestly, I could probably include every song from Angel Dust and King for a Day as “favorites,” probably the same for Album of the Year.
I would say anything FNM performed would be acceptable. That’s an excellent list of songs, sir. It’s funny… looking at your list of songs reminds me how long it has been since I’ve revisited the FNM catalog. I love some of the deep cuts, many of which you listed above. If I had to choose 20 FNM songs, I would go with these:
Anne’s Song (I love the Chuck Mosley version for some reason, ha ha. RIP Chuck Mosley)
From Out of Nowhere
Zombie Eaters
The Real Thing
Falling to Pieces
I Started a Joke
A Small Victory
Kindergarten
Midlife Crisis
The Last to Know
Just a Man
Evidence
Stripsearch
Last Cup of Sorrow
Pristina
Helpless
MotherEffer (trying to be family friendly)
Matador
This Guy’s In Love With You
Ashes to Ashes
Yeah, it’s hard to pick just 20 songs. I’m glad you made this post, Jon. Its sparked a renewed interest in one of my all-time favorite bands. Sadly, I only have a few of their songs on my ipod at the moment and its been that way for some time now. However, I’ve been sitting here listening to the songs I just listed and will add most (if not all) to it. Hell, I’ll probably add every album I own and purchase the few I’ve managed to lose over the years, ha ha.
Thanks for this link – I think we might try it with our Twitter account at work – it will be interesting to see how our work jargon gets assessed in tweets by sentiment!
Sure thing! I think the more activity you have, and interactions from other users (likes, retweets, etc), the more interesting the data is. My accounts don’t have much activity, but I had fun running some more popular users like politicians, celebrities, etc.
I think for a work Twitter account, it might actually have some real utility beyond just being interesting. You could really get a feel for how the business’s messaging is reaching audiences, which tweets are most effective, etc.
Thanks Linda, I’m glad you found it interesting. Bitcoin is certainly popular; I believe I read somewhere it was the 2nd most searched term on Google in 2017.
My biggest rule of thumb on all this cryptocurrency stuff is, don’t invest anything you aren’t willing to completely lose. It’s so volatile, you just never know what’s going to happen with it. Some of these coins have increased by 1000% or more just this year, which is completely insane!
Angel Dust was my first Faith No More album, too. I do remember watching the videos for Epic and Falling to Pieces on MTV prior to ever picking up on of their albums. Definitely one of the most musically versatile bands ever! You picked some great examples from their catalog. All four of the tunes are in my list of favorite FNM songs.
Ahhh yes, those long gone days of MTV actually playing music videos. Is VH1 still a channel too?
Man, it was pretty hard to pick just one song per album, and I didn’t even cover the new one (I don’t have it ripped, I guess I’m lazy). Just too many great ones to choose from, and how can just one best define the entire album? It might have made sense to pick the most commercially successful song on each, but I honestly couldn’t remember which was the biggest hit from King for a Day or Angel Dust. Was it Digging the Grave? And maybe Midlife Crisis?
Just to add a little commentary to this, it seems like we’re due for a dip. Not a crash, not a “bubble burst,” but for some coins to level out or drop somewhat. As exciting as all of this growth is, it just wouldn’t make sense for it to continue nonstop. But, as I’ve said in previous articles on this, my goal with this experiment is a long term hold. So I will definitely ride out any dips, dives, crashes, etc.
Hey Jon. You’ve done well with your spread so far and have some nice returns with Einsteinium and Monacoin. What made you choose certain coins over others? Picking a half dozen coins and sticking to a couple of high market cap coins like ETH or DASH is probably the best way to diversify, but thats no fun! And I see that you plan to hold long term, so your smaller market cap projects will eventually catch up once they’e good projects. I did a similar experiment with a trivial amount of cash to start with. Even though the fiat value of my portfolio is up 130%, holding bitcoin instead would have seen my return closer to 240% over last 5 months.
Hey there Cathal – yes, there have definitely been some nice returns on a few of these previously lower market cap coins! And you’re right, that’s where the real fun is, I think. Buying coins that have already become huge probably gets you something more reliable, but it’s fun seeing some random altcoin come from nowhere. I have to admit though, some of these small cap coins that I’ve bought have done pretty much nothing, like LBRY Credits, Gulden, and a few others.
As for how I picked them, that has changed over time. At first (in August), I was picking coins mostly based on whether they were available in Coinomi and were cheap. As the experiment progressed though, I focused more on finding altcoins receiving lots of positive buzz on forums; primarily on bitcointalk.org, several large subreddits, and NeoGAF (before it imploded…after, some on ResetERA). That has been a MUCH more effective method! I wish I’d done the forum research from the start.
Ha ha, yes they sure have been saying the bubble will burst “any day now” for quite a while. I guess I’m bullish on crypto overall, so I don’t really think it’s necessarily a bubble in the conventional sense. Since currency has no intrinsic value (like a home or a company does), it’s hard to nail down when it’s really overvalued. Should a Bitcoin be worth $20,000? Should it be worth $.005? Who really knows! I honestly didn’t think Bitcoin had staying power a couple years ago, but it’s still picking up steam. Of course, I thought the iPad was a stupid idea too, so it shows what I know.
I appreciate all your comments! Good to see an active blog like yours that’s writing meaningful articles about this trend. Your content is great, which I can’t say for some other Bitcoin/altcoin focused blogs out there that seem to just regurgitate news articles.
Oh, and probably no need to check out NeoGAF at this point. The site is basically a ghost town now; mostly I think because the owner had some assault or harassment allegations against him. The majority of their active user base migrated to another site called ResetERA. It’s not as active as old NeoGAF, but it’s a decent forum for a wide variety of topics.
Just replying to my original comment up top…and here is the large drop! This is why it’s best not to look too much at long term holds, because corrections can be scary. Literally hundreds of dollars in value wiped over two days. On the flip side, of anyone wanted to start with cryptocurrency, now is probably the time, as prices have fallen for almost all coins
I haven’t done too many surveys/polls, but this one is clearly the most popular I’ve ever been responsible for! 23 replies for favorite captain, and 18 for favorite TNG character. Clearly Picard is objectively the best captain (nevermind the small sample size)! It’s interesting that Data is running away with favorite character though, I thought Picard would also be closer in that race.
I wouldn’t know Dak from Warren – lol. I guess since I don’t watch football, it’s the kinetic representation that I like and the faces are secondary. Must have been really hard to draw behind a helmet – I don’t know how I’d go about it, but I might try slightly exaggerating some features in Dak’s face- almost like making a caricature, but not quite. It’s a tricky one!
Ahhh, that’s an excellent idea! I wish I’d thought of that. I was trying to be subtle, and ended up losing the thread in terms of features that make Dak look like Dak. You’re right, I’ll bet some feature exaggeration would have helped – I’m going to file that one away for later
Looking back at this, there are a couple things I’d like to add. First, I want to give a special shout-out to a couple functions with extremely high utility; I’m talking VLOOKUP and IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH.
VLOOKUP will let you build out a table of data, then search and reference other tabs, tables, or pieces of data you’re interested in. VLOOKUP is a tool I find myself reaching for very often; it’s like that trusty screwdriver that’s just the right size for most jobs. If you learn how to leverage VLOOKUP, you open up a world of possibilities in Excel.
Next, this nested IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH function. It’s deceptively great, and I wish I could credit who turned me on to this…unfortunately I can’t remember. So, if you’ve got something like this: IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH(“Document”,V2)),T2,V2), this bad boy will search cell V2 for the word “document”, and then will return what’s in T2 or V2 depending on whether that text is found. This is so great, because it allows you to merge columns from a data set automatically. Like I said, deceptively great and so useful to have access to.
Also, honorable mention to the LEFT and RIGHT text reference functions. See the above article for the nitty-gritty, but I go back to it often. If you want to split a city from “city, state”, or you want to break up “last name, first name,” and so many other situations. Very handy!
There you go! Although tiny art was fun to try, I don’t think I’m going to make it a habit. Much like tiny houses, I think tiny art is mostly out of my comfort zone. Like the old George Carlin bit goes, I’m worried about a “Place for My Stuff”
Actually, you bring up a great point – I should have linked the original post about it. I included a progression drawing in there, that would have been helpful to see. I’ll try to update the post, but in the meantime, here’s the actual sketch I entered:
I used my finger for the shading; unfortunately my techniques aren’t too sophisticated. What do you use when you work in pencil? I’ve read that some people use shading or blending things (sticks?), But I haven’t explored that yet
I’ve tried blending sticks with mixed results. Sometimes it looks great, sometimes it gets muddy. Personally, I’ve found that they work a little better with high b pencils used lightly. The graphite is looser and blends more evenly, but if you use like a 6b too harshly it’ll stain or wreck the papers tooth (the reason I always use watercolor paper lol).
To be honest, what you did there actually worked really well. The only downside to using fingers is that the oils can interact with some types of paper or paints (watercolors or gouaches can coagulate where you did it).
The only real pencil shading trick I know is that you can layer ink or a heavy b (6+) behind a 2h or hb for deeper shadows. I’ve struggled a lot with highlights and shadows in pencil work. Putting the lighter pencil shading in up front can make the drawing reflect a little more, that depends on the paper too, though.
Wow, you’ve got some great insight and knowledge on the craft of creating art. Is this a hobby, or are you a full-time professional artist? The quality of the stuff on your site certainly seems at the Pro-Level, and you’ve referenced commissions on there.
Either way, I appreciate the info. I’ve mentioned in other comments, this is one of my favorite things about WordPress; the fact that highly skilled artists are actually willing to give me advice! I have no clue of any other venue where I could have come across that.
I really appreciate you saying that, and I love discussing various techniques and ideas surrounding traditional mediums. Talking about art is sometimes even more enjoyable (and far less stressful) than creating, in my opinion.
I’m actually a chemistry BA (senior this year) undergrad at the University of Iowa, but I’ve always had a major passion for drawing and writing. I’ve only recently been commissioned, and only by two people. My hope is that I can have a career that supports my hobbies (writing and drawing) so I can continue to develop them and maybe one day they could be full time things.
I was actually a Biology major myself, so thumbs up for science!
I think that’s an excellent goal, to build a career that supports a hobby, then let the hobby take over if things line up that way. You’ve certainly got the raw talent in making art, in my opinion
Ha, yeah that’s what it sure seems like. I wonder when they’re going to start stacking passengers like firewood? Actual chairs reserved for Business Class.
I don’t think drawing from photos is ‘cheating’, Jon! Necessity is the mother of invention and you are right, small kids don’t hold still for more than a few seconds. Take lots of photos and learn what makes a great photo to work from – candid shots in awesome light are THE BEST!! ~ BUT (and it has taken me a long time to even really notice this, us modern people are very oblivious to the limitations of our camera phones, for sure!) do be aware of photographic distortion and the fact that the range of colors is more limeted than in real life….and how do you do that? become aware of these things – draw from life as much as you can, it’s hard, really hard, but the benefits are HUGE…..go into your childs room and draw them sleeping, if you have too!! 😉 Keep up the good work! 🙂
Thank you for saying so, I was glad to get that group on paper finally
Actually, looking at the drawings on your site, you seem skilled to me! Your animal sketches have a really unique style – lots of personality and diverse, natural poses/movement. Novice or no, I’ve enjoyed your sketches!
Great! I like the way your eldest is looking back at your Granny in her sunglasses, brings a unity to the picture. A really nice grouping. It doesn’t matter I don’t think that your sister is partly obscured. Again she is looking back at the others and is a nice “side-wall” on the right hand side. (She probably won’t like me calling her that – sorry!) – Andy
Thanks man, I think the arrangement turned out better than I expected. The only thing I’m not wild about is granny’s hand; I couldn’t quite get it right, and I didn’t want to mess the whole thing up by erasing too much
Thanks Dana! I hope the girls can look back at this site when they’re older and check out all the drawings of them. It might be a fun thing for them to see
Thanks! It was really fun going through it, definitely a new experience for me. There were some really amazing pieces in the show, I still can’t believe the detail they were able to get into some really tiny spaces.
Sometimes, slight smiles are tough for me. I want to make it apparent there’s a smile, but if I push it too much it makes them look insane! Like the joker or something
You’re doing great! It’s not easy to let things be loose, but this is a wonderful sketch. Keep on watching and listening to the advice of a few artists you admire and you’ll find your style. Btw, you have a nice family!
Hello,
You are a lovely family.
About the grid, I understand the concept and how it helps with accuracy but I find them so boring that I much prefer the loose sketch.
Yours is very dynamic for a static pause. Bravo.
After thinking a bit more about Edgar and Sabin from Final Fantasy III (VI), I realized I made a mistake…I may leave the post as-is, but I’ll correct myself with some details here. I initially said, “Figaro is destroyed by the main villain” because I was remembering Edgar leaving and the castle on fire. Actually though, the castle survived! It was technologically sophisticated, and the entire thing tunneled underground into the desert. So, Edgar did escape at that time, but he later went back. Because the castle was underground, I believe it even survived the cataclysm towards the end of the game.
Also, something I forgot about Edgar and Sabin is that they were supposed to rule Figaro together, but Sabin didn’t like everyone’s fixation with who would be king. He wanted to leave, so Edgar proposed a coin flip to decide who would leave. Edgar rigged it with a double-headed coin to ensure Sabin would be able to leave freely.
More details can be found here: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Figaro_Castle. It just goes to show the detailed and compelling story in these games, which was sort of unusual in the early 90s.
Thanks Dave! Yeah, it’s probably like this with most kids, but with mine it’s not even always that they want to play with me specifically; they just want constant close proximity. Don’t even think about going in another room!
I’m not familiar with the books or story, but the drawing is interesting on its own to me. The subjects appear happy at that moment despite some hardships (missing body parts…needing to camp just outside a city in ruins). From the arrangement, the younger two are being cared for by the people at the far left and right. The person on the right (tending the fire) has a major role as protector.
Thanks Eduardo! I have to say, that’s very insightful of you – the fact that you aren’t familiar with the Dark Tower, yet essentially pieced together the exact situation and relationships is impressive.
I probably should have drawn the lady (Susannah) to look a bit older though I think, because she’s supposed to be older than the guy on the left (Eddie) in the books. That aside, Roland on the right is definitely their leader, and they all look to him for guidance. And in that scene, I was going for a similar vibe to a time when they were telling each other riddles by the campfire. Major trials in the middle of a journey, but some time for comradery.
Hi Jon, I liked the phrase “the pencil went where it wanted to go…” I’ve often had the same feeling and sometimes I’m pleased with the result – Did I do that?
I didn’t notice the buildings slightly on the slant before until you mentioned it, but I think it enhances it, not detracts – leave it as it is I say. By lifting up the left hand side of the picture then things do subconsciously roll down towards the right. In this case this increases the impression of the 3 people on the left looking towards Roland on the right. These happy accidents in art I think make it so much better than merely taking photos. Go ahead and enjoy it for what it is.
I am actually pleased with how the characters themselves turned out (where the pencil decided to go) overall! As I mentioned, two of them aren’t how I imagined while reading, but I wonder if this drawing will slightly change how I visualize the characters moving forward? It’s possible this interpretation will shape my imagination a bit for the rest of the series. Old Eddie Dean, say hello to new Eddie Dean.
That’s a good point about eye flow and happy accidents, I never thought of it that way. Thank you for pointing that out! Definitely great to see other perspectives, and happy accidents do make art enjoyable.
You know, looking at the final picture more and more…I really think I messed up when drawing the background city. As that hill rises towards Eddie on the left, the city buildings slant as if they’re ON the hill, when they are supposed to be behind it.
We’ll see if my OCD allows that to stand as is. Something tells me eventually I’ll have to grab an eraser and tilt those buildings vertically, because I won’t be able to look at it without noticing.
Drawing celeb faces is a great way to improve technical skills – John – This one is really nice! Maybe you’ll be inspired to do more…I have a book that I planned to do 100 faces of famous people in – so far I am at about 84 or so (I keep being distracted by other ideas and projects!) but, the really interesting thing is how much my technique has improved from page to page 🙂
Great idea, Jon, thanks! I should do a post on this! My faves are some of the characters from The Lord of the Rings movie and also a series of 3 I did of Tom Baker (Dr Who, 4th Dr) aged 20, 40 and 80…fascinating doing the same face at different ages 🙂
Looks awesome so far! I’m excited to see the evolution here. Your commentary on drawing from life/pics versus imagination was interesting, because I’m the opposite. I have a much easier time drawing from imagination than real life, always been that way. Never did well with still lives or art class for that reason.
Thanks! I definitely admire people who can put what they see in their brains to paper. A great example is that blood hound painting you posted to your site yesterday – it’s incredible!
I’m not sure if you’ve read the Dark Tower, but in terms of drawing, I think I’m sort of like Roland. Not especially creative, but capable of being technically proficient.
Thanks! I always say the same thing about people who can draw what they see and interpret it on the paper. My trick is to think of a concept then study images that may fit into that concept and then try to combine them. So for fox, roadkill would be applicable, as gross as that is.
I’m a huge King fan, but I have yet to read Dark Tower. I’m currently about 3/4ths of the way through It and near finished with The Shining.
As to the creativity vs proficiency vs technicality, they all culminate into a finished and unique product. I think they aren’t static, either, so you can always work towards improving different aspects of your work. My biggest weakness in terms of drawing is definitely my technical line-work and perspective placement. I’ve gotten good at hiding mistakes with my (heavy) shading.
I’m taking a few of my first hard labs this semester and have had to become literate in excel very quickly, so these kinda of tutorials are very helpful. A lot of excel tutorials are overly technical but you break it down in a very matter of fact way.
Excellent! I’m glad this helped someone a bit. That’s exactly what I was aiming for too; approachable text with less jargon/confusion.
If want to bounce any spreadsheet ideas off someone as you progress through your semester, feel free to pop back in. If it wasn’t painfully obvious already, I love Excel shop talk.
I have another article coming tomorrow you may be interested in, if you have an undying love for Excel like most people do. Most normal people, anyway.
This is very well put together, the pie-charts, especially, do a good job illustrating who’s actually doing the shooting. I agree with you points on registration, too. I don’t think guns need to be completely taken off the market (that’ll just give gun-runners and drug-lords more money) but simply tightening the qualifications to own a gun should help screen out people who are unfit to own them. Gun ownership should be a privilege, not a given.
Thanks Bluebeard, I agree with you. The Bill of Rights is part of the DNA of this country; although case law has provided some exceptions* for certain amendments, I’m against wholesale tossing entire amendments of the Bill of Rights out (such as the 2nd). People in this debate seem to often characterize it as all or nothing; either no guns period, or totally unrestricted firearms. There are reasonable steps that can be taken that don’t involve hyperbole!
(* Like the 1st’s unprotected speech exceptions incitement/defamation/obscenity/fighting words, the 4th’s “right of the people” not applying to criminals, minors, non-USPERs, etc.)
I should note, there are actually two mass shooting events that were in Mother Jones data a few months ago, but are for some reason not currently listed. One was the shooting in Washington, DC targeting GOP Members of Congress playing softball. I’m not sure why they were removed, but because the two events fit the definition of a mass shooting, I left them in my spreadsheet.
That blacks are being killed “more than others because of their race” isn’t the authors’ opinion. It’s the charge made explicitly by Black Lives Matter (see paragraph three of the introduction) and with which the data is inconsistent. Shane et al., like you and I, are agnostic on this matter.
Shane and co-authors paraphrase what they term to be the popular rhetoric
as “portrayals that Blacks are killed by police in epidemic proportions
compared to other racial groups, or that young, unarmed males are killed
because of their race and without justification” in the introduction, and
give six cites. But I grant you that this characterization is not universal.
However, I see them making no claims as to motivation or intent. They say the
data doesn’t support claims of bias, but neither do they assert finding lack
of bias. Inconclusive, in my view. (Typical of researchers, they recommend
further study and, undoubtedly, more funding.)
Be that as it may, my main concern is trying to figure out what’s going on
with Table 3. I’d also thought, at first glance, that the “mean fatality base
rate” was fatalities per 100,000 population. But it cannot be so. On Table 3,
for example, 82 female deaths divided by 0.766 and multiplied by 100,000 gives
us a female population of an absurd 10.7 million. Table 1 gives accurate state
population when fatalities are divided by Base Rate (M) and multiplied by 100,000.
But the numbers on Table 3 don’t work the same way at all! So I’m thinking there
must be some difference between “Base Rate” and “Base Mean Fatality Rate.”
I am really stumped by this! I’ve searched the internet high and low for rebuttal
or commentary on this paper, but can find nothing. One would think it would’ve
made more of a splash, being authored by Ph.Ds and published in a peer-
reviewed scholarly journal.
When I say motivation/intent, I’m talking about the phrase from the abstract where they say, “…more than others because of their race.” You can see that shootings occurred often because of a threat, but that doesn’t necessary exclude race as a factor (it also doesn’t mean it was a factor necessarily). That “because” (the why of shootings) seems like the authors’ opinion more than something the Post data supports. That’s just my view of it, anyway.
Wow, that’s strange about Table 3…I wonder if they made some sort of mistake that somehow didn’t get caught in the peer review process? This may be inappropriate, but do you think the authors would be open to someone randomly contacting them to ask for an explanation? If they’re affiliated with a university, you might be able to find an email or something. You never know; they might be excited someone is looking at their work!
I had thought of writing them and the email, I think, is right there in the article. That might be my next move, if I can edit to state the question succinctly. Thanks, and I’ll take another look at that phrasing.
Thanks for your response. I’m hoping the second link will work for you. My knowledge of statistics is rusty. I’m seeking to understand the calculations used to produce the “mean fatality base rate” column in Table 3, and of course any comment you may have. (It appears they may have used a different set of state census figures than you did.)
Thanks for posting! That link did work, and it was the same article. I think when they say “mean fatality base rate,” they’re referring to the average fatalities per 100,000 people.
I pulled my state population numbers directly from census.gov, but my data was their 2015 population estimates, and it looks like the article you linked uses 2016 estimates. So it makes sense they’re a bit different; hopefully they aren’t too radically different though.
I’ll have to take some time to go over the article in a bit more detail, but a cursory review left me with the same conclusions I indicated above. In my opinion, you can’t derive any conclusion one way or another about police intent or motivation from the Washington Post’s database. 8% of those killed were unarmed (a significant potential threat indicator), and I see how they jumped from that to intent/motivation; I just think that jump involves some big assumptions. I don’t see a data point in the Post’s database that would let someone extrapolate that specific conclusion (although much of the paper does seems accurate). And, as I mentioned, their comments on “national rhetoric” seem misleading to me, because their are two significantly different messages bouncing off of each other in the media.
If that’s the right article, I certainly agree with the conclusion section; that sort of data should be tracked nationally, and research should focus on situational context. However, I don’t agree with the lead sentence under the results section; it says “patterns are not consistent with national rhetoric that police are killing black people because of their race…”. First, the national rhetoric is quite divided on the topic; there isn’t one specific theme being pushed (two completely different ones at least). The topic is divisive because there are multiple narratives clashing.
Secondly, the Washington Post data simply doesn’t address motivation, only raw numbers. The conclusion as to whether police are or are not killing anyone because of any reason cannot be made with this data. It does show black people are killed disproportionately relative to their population, though (which can only be concluded by supplementing census.gov data) I only read the abstract, so maybe there’s more detail in the full research, but I’m not sure how the authors arrived at that very specific conclusion from the Washington Posts database alone.
Thank you! Yeah I have to admit I did cheat a bit and look at photos…these girls don’t care what their dad says, they don’t want to stand still for more than like 5 seconds
They will treasure this. I love it. You really capture their essence here. I know what you mean. Even a ‘finished’ piece will call to me to add a touch here or there if I don’t lock it behind glass or give it away! 😉Keep sketching.
Thanks for saying so! I hope they do want these sketches when they get older. As long as Dad can keep himself from re-sketching until the paper falls apart
Nice Jon! and best of luck with this! Make sure to get your kids to pose for you a lot whilst they are young, because, they are only small and cute for so long, and then, they become sour faced teenages who would sooner eat their own arm than pose for an artistic parent!! at least, THAT is my experience! 🙂
I think drawing figures on a small scale is really, really challenging – I have tried doing them on ATC’s (Artist Trading Cards – 4″x2 1/2″ – Basically tiny works of art that are traded in various ways between artists, or sometimes sold – called ACEO’S) But, to me they are not the best subject for that! If you are needing to achieve a likeness, I think the best way to go is to go big, not small, because it’s so much easier to be accurate about the features…if you go small, every dot and line is important and significant in suggesting the reality of that person. But that’s just my 10 cents!
Ahhhhh, so THAT’s what ATC stands for! Very interesting, I had no idea that even existed. I think I’ve got a lot to learn about the art world, thank you for that insight.
I certainly agree with you though – I prefer larger workspace
Don’t feel bad, I only discovered their existence earlier this year when an online art forum I belong to decided to do an atc exchange. I had no idea about them before then, google the subject, there are whole huge websites devoted to the trading of ATC’s! 🙂
I climbed back on this horse back in about 2009 – Jon and I have to say, with technical skills and drawing, it’s all about practice, practice, practice….nice work and welcome back to your art journey! 🙂
Aw, thanks Jon, it’s all about showing up regularly and putting in the hours…. If you love doing something, you carve out the time for it as often as you can and, after a while, you look back at where you started and you realize…..you actually DID make progress! 🙂
Honestly though, based on the fantastic paintings I’ve seen on your site, that would really surprise me. Something tells me if you dive into it, you’re better than you realize
You’re good. Go with the first sketch. Keep it loose. Gestural. While there’s a lot of things I like about the second one… the expression you’ve captured on the little’s ones face, I really dig the simple contours of the first one just as well. Good Luck!
What Jake says – that’s exactly what I was thinking, too. You have a sensitive touch with the figures, and even though it’s contour only, the lines speak clearly. (if you do go with the first “rough draft” you might consider varying the line weights for interest. I’ve entered small works shows and they’re fun. Good luck.
Thanks for that – I’d like try a few drawings where I don’t bother with the detail, and just flow with some basic contours. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing some of the other tiny art in this show!
I happened upon an interesting article on the illustrations of Arthur Rackham. When I looked at his B&W sketches I immediately thought of you. You may enjoy looking at it and maybe you’ll observe something from the great artist. https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/arthur-rackham-alice-in-wonderland/
Wow those are great, I had never seen them before. That’s kind of you to say there’s any similarity between those and my sketches, but I’m definitely nowhere near that guy’s level. You are sure right about him being a great artist, thanks for linking that. I really like them, especially that one with the Cheshire Cat in the tree. Very cool.
What an interesting idea for an art show!! I love drawing and painting ATCs… much smaller than 5×5 (x5). I think drawing BIG is important for learning… but drawing small definitely teaches you things, too… what lines are REALLY important, that art can be created fairly quickly, etc. definitely go for it… maybe cut several 3 inch pieces or paper and just go for it next week. Choose the one you love the best!
You speak the truth on that for sure; this has been a crash course in which lines would accurately represent a person. Like, which precise mark will make my little ones actually look like themselves?
Thanks for the encouragement! By the way, this might be a dumb question, but what does ATC stand for? (ex. “painting ATCs”)
“Artist Trading Cards”… I belong to a group of women (and men, but really… it’s just women) who are very creative and love to make, trade, or just give these tiny pieces of art. The only rule really is that is HAS to be 2 1/2×3 1/2 inches. And can’t be sold (then it is an ACEO, Art Card Original and Edition) but can be traded or used almost like a business card. It can be drawn, painted, collaged, doodled, whatever. 🙂 It makes painting on a 4×5 page feel luxuriously large haha!
Wow, that is really cool. So, where do you trade them? Just whenever you meet other artists at exhibits, or are there trade shows or something for different disciplines?
I think I mentioned in another comment, but I seriously had no idea such a unique thing existed in the art world. It’s fascinating!
This is good stuff, very interesting, I love technique type process photos and stories, and glimpses into the thought process. Thank you for documenting, and getting back into Art. I hope you STAY in!
As a follow up to all this, I should point out again…DO NOT STORE CURRENCY IN EXCHANGES! I’m reading lots of articles lately about North Korea’s efforts to obtain Bitcoin and Ethereum through hacking; these hacking activities target exchanges (where you swap currencies). You should always store cryptocurrencies on a separate wallet with private keys owned by you. These exchanges will let you store your balances in the site/service’s wallet, but the exchange almost always maintains those keys. Since the keys are stored in bulk with the exchange, the currency exchanges themselves become appealing hacking targets.
Also, I’m considering another follow up article, because cryptocurrency values have crashed over the last week or so! It’s interesting to see which have tanked; the big ones (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin) have dropped, and several altcoins have fallen as well. But, a few are still holding relatively strong, like Syscoin, Verge, Vertcoin, and Pinkcoin. Overall though, my investment has dropped from a 52% increase down to 18.7% increase.
I can’t believe I misspelled San Francisco almost everywhere in this article. Way to go, Amdall! The question is…do I want to reimport and reinsert all of the pivot tables? The answer…is nope (sorry San Francisco).
I would never have become an artist if I hadn’t learned to grid. It’s a tool like any other and if it helps get the proportions right, why not use it? The viewer looks at the finished work, not how you get there ☺️
Isn’t putting pencil marks into the shape of a person pretty much the opposite of entropy? I don’t really understand your comment, but thanks for checking out the blog.
Thanks a bunch! This article is top-notch, and I’m planning to toss it onto my Instagram for my buddies to dive into. Also, don’t miss the inside scoop on the MKBHD Smartphone Awards; it’s a solid piece.
I appreciate you checking it out!
Fantastic painting, I’m liking your style.
I appreciate you checking it out! Sorry about the delayed response, I’m really bad about keeping up with the blog. Sometimes it takes a major backseat to youtube and instagram unfortunately.
Oh me too. There’s always so much to do.
Definitely amazing. How many paintings a week are you doing?
I appreciate it! Over the last year or so, I’ve averaged about 2-3 paintings per week. But lately the last couple weeks, I’ve had to slow it down. We’ve had the flu bouncing around our house, so it put me out of commission a bit. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things!
Also, I’m massively behind on my wp reader feed, so just catching up on some of your latest – looks like you’re off to a great start to 2024
Love this one, especially the eyes, and I enjoyed watching the video as it developed. Super result.
Thanks Claire! It was a fun one – I felt like this one just flowed. It doesn’t always happen, but I love when it feels natural like that. Hope everything is good with you in the textile and printing world!
Always learning and, hopefully, improving my skills.
That looks comprehensive for a blog post anyway, the links to not only the videos but to the supplies along with little icons and colour swatches – very snazzy.
I can’t imagine where you’re storing all these, even if they are a smaller size that’s a helluva lot of pictures. You could set up an Amdall Gallery shop in your hometown and be well stocked up.
Haha thanks Steve – I have to admit though, I definitely took a lazy approach here. Lots of copying and pasting (from my previous posts, instagram, and YouTube). Trying to work smarter rather than harder maybe?
Also you are so right about storage…it’s definitely a struggle. I’ve got a bunch of drying racks that I’ve purchased from various places when I’ve found a good deal. One from Ikea, another from Amazon, and even bought a rack that was a store display front that a craft shop was trying to get rid of. Even with all that, all the racks are full! I’m going to have to start migrating to other rooms, which I’m sure the family will love!
Actually, the storage question sounds like a solid blog post
I will visit your site every day. Regards Real Estate in Abu Dhabi I’m exhilarated I have taken the time to see this. It is not enough;
This is so much better now! However, it looks like you are using black to create shadows, am I correct? If so maybe this video or others like it will help… shadows on faces are colored, darker than lit areas but not grayed, not with black blended in. https://youtu.be/3cgXG00o8sQ?si=AX6hW_frXYQoy51Q
Hello there! Hope you’re doing well and happy new year to you. That’s actually tough to answer, since this painting was so long ago now – it was actually from May, about 110 paintings ago. So it’s really hard to remember exactly.
I can tell you that at some point around that time, I did stop using true blacks and instead worked on blending them from umbers and ultramarine blue. And actually, I feel like that suggestion may have originated from a suggestion from you (or another WordPress artist). It was a great tip! I find I like it much better.
I’m still trying to figure out what to do about how far behind this blog is, but in the meantime, if you were interested I do have my latest painting on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa2XyGk00Ww . With this one, I think it might be easier to get a sense of how I shadow and use darker colors.
Hi John, it’s Phoebe from WAGblog. I just watched most of that video you suggested and wow, that was quite a challenge you set yourself and you acquitted yourself quite well. When I say don’t use black to create shadows, I mean not even a mixed black as shadows are not black. Once I did a self portrait in which I set myself the rule to only use greens and reds and yellows, no brown no white and no black. It taught me a lot about how to achieve shadows using just colors. By the way, I love that you sketch your portraits on canvas using thinned paint! I still sketch in pencil and seal the sketch under 2 layers of matte medium, at least when Im painting with oils on paper.
What an interesting challenge! It reminds me of one of my favorite artists over on instagram – have you seen any of Andrew Cadima’s paintings? He’s got some fantastic two color value studies that are so fun to watch. He did one that was basically just two different types of blacks, really impressive!
I appreciate the comments and you checking the post out! Hope the start of 2024 is great for you
110!! I wonder if I’ve ever even done 110 paintings, thanks for making me feel so much better about infrequently updating WordPress. Happy new year and all the best to you and the family.
Haha Steve do I win the “slackers of WordPress” championship this year?! I’ve been trying to figure out how to recapture that old mania behind updating the site, but I just can’t find it anymore. Just not enough hours in the day, you know? Happy new year to you and yours as well! Cheers to a great one for you
Good to hear it hadn’t degraded, it was a nice one.
I did a “monster” painting once, way back before getting stuck on doing the cars. It was in a folder for about 6 months and I happened to see it one day and the ink had faded into the paper quite badly.
It was cheap (and smelly) ink and on photocopier paper so I probably shouldn’t have expected much but considering it wasn’t even out in the daylight I was surprised. Since then I’ve been mindful about the lightfastness and quality of the materials I use, especially if it’s something I might plan on selling. I still use cheap stuff for my own sketching and the posh stuff for anyone else :o)
Sorry Steve, I am shamefully behind on the blog! I have such a hard time figuring out how art supply quality will show itself, it’s odd. Some of the extremely cheap paints I bought on Amazon do not hold up well at all, but the lowest student grade of Gamblin and Utrecht have really stood the test of time. Some are like a year old and haven’t faded (to my great surprise)! I guess I just need to stick to brands I’m familiar with eh?
Hi Jon I know you have progressed past this but I rather like this portrait. You have successfully captured the faraway look in the woman’s eyes as she’s chatting on the phone and not truly attending to her surroundings. Nicely done !
Thanks Phoebe! She definitely has a faraway look of someone not totally engaged, although I have to admit I don’t know if that was even intentional. Hope everything is good with you!
Watch the painting process in action:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Crq7f-puD98/
Pingback: A Sad Expression, Portrait Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A Sad Expression, Portrait Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A Sad Expression, Portrait Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Beautiful
Thanks very much!
Pingback: Portrait of Lady in a Dark Room - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Jon Amdall Self Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Jon Amdall Self Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Jon Amdall Self Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Lady with Sunflowers Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Portraits take a while to master. This one looks good! I’m afraid to try painting one myself.
Thanks Jennifer! I definitely agree – my expectation is that it might take me a couple of years to really feel confident about it.
I just checked out your blog and appreciate your post about overcoming your art-related fears. I empathize with and understand that sort of fear, and it’s reassuring to hear that others feel similarly sometimes. Best of luck to you on your future art endevours!
Well done, I liked watching the video too, in fact I thought it showed the painting slightly better in terms of contrast than the photo for some reason. Pushing out beyond the comfort zone is always a challenge but necessary, good to see. Keep going! Best wishes!
That is an interesting observation – I have to say, I have wondered that for a while about the videos vs. photos. I feel like so many of the videos depict these various paintings in a much more accurate way in terms of color and overall presentation. Honestly, I think I’m just really bad at photography (and using my scanner).
I appreciate the comment, Surfsensei – hope all is well!
Wonderful. It has feeling, personality beyond a photo. Keep on!
Thank you! I appreciate that, I will keep after it for sure. I hope everything is good with you!
Pingback: Lady with Sunflowers Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Lady with Sunflowers Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Wonderful. Congrats. FNM !
Thank you! Yes, go FNM! What a band, eh?
Yeah, man. Mike’s own stuff is also remarkable.
For sure! He is really a one of a kind talent. Definitely my favorite all time musician, spanning all of his many projects
Pingback: Mike Patton Portrait Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mike Patton Portrait Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mike Patton Portrait Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Nice job. I agree that the hair came out looking good, well done. John Singer Sargent also my favorite and apparently of many portraitists too!
Thanks Omar! I get the same sense about Sargent being a favorite of many portrait artists now. I watch a lot of painting videos on youtube to learn how all this stuff works, and he referenced quite a lot. Definitely someone worthy of emulating!
Pingback: Not Quite Taylor Swift, a Portrait Attempt - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Not Quite Taylor Swift, a Portrait Attempt - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Dua Lipa Portrait Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Dua Lipa Portrait Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Dua Lipa Portrait Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Really good portraits, as always.
Thanks for the kind words Shawn!
Pingback: Oil Painting Blog Catch Up - Two Paths - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Contributing to Online Ecosystems You Value - Amdall Gallery
It’s amazing how much work you’re putting into this, of course though it’s work and not a chore all the time you’re enjoying it.
One thing I would say is that despite the aim to fit into rules, human faces don’t fit into the rule book. They aren’t symmetrical. They do have wonky features. I’ll be honest, I can’t see a lot wrong with the one with the wrong angle above but I’ve not spent hours poring over it as you have. Artists are definitely their own worst critics 🤣
It’s better than a Picasso with the nose above the eye and ear way away….
To be honest Steve, I’m a bit surprised I’m still pushing so much on this. My expectation was that I’d paint a bunch for a couple months, then settle back into my old drawing rhythm. But it’s been 6 months and I’m still wanting to dive in all the time!
That’s a good point about faces too – they should have tilts and asymmetries. When I did a self portrait not too long ago, I surely noticed that! Haha, a nice lopsided face to practice on
Becoming an artist has it’s downsides. As my observation skills improved the more I noticed my ears aren’t level.
Here’s a funny thing, I thought of you a few days ago. As you know I’ve been painting for a couple of years, I just ordered a set of pencils earlier this week. I feel we could’ve done a swapsie 🙂
Haha that’s awesome, so I’m expecting to see some insanely detailed and realistic cars that can’t possibly be pencil, yet somehow are!
What brand of pencils are you going with? I feel like maybe I saw some pencil artwork from you really early on, back when I first found your site years ago…is that accurate, or am I totally imagining things?
Ha! I’ll give it a go. Any realism is usually just a by product.
I bought some Polychromos, as we mentioned something that will take heavy handed gorilla colouring without snapping.
I did do some coloured pencil drawings before but they were watercolour pencils which I didn’t really get on with to be honest. I nearly always ended up painting over them and was a waste of time having coloured beforehand.
I saw the latest drawing on Instagram, its looking good! How’s the material when it hits paper, pretty smooth?
Haha realistic as always! Looking forward to seeing more
I haven’t used them yet.
Was it the Mini on IG? That’s just regular graphite pencil on sketch paper. Something to re-awaken those drawing skills a bit.
Plus… in my opinion if you can’t draw in monochrome then you are only ever going to be masking that with adding colour. There’s a saying which I’m probably going to misquote “value does all the work, but colour gets all the credit”.
It’ll be a couple of weeks away for the polychromos but I’ve got a few projects in mind which I’m keen to try out.
Well done for pushing out the comfort zone! I like the way you’re putting more backgrounds and context to the subjects.
Much appreciated! Im trying to keep rolling on that path as much as possible. I do value repetition because it can be enjoyable to do familiar things, and also it helps from a practice standpoint. But I also want to grow and improve, so definitely have to get out of the comfort zone for that!
Beautiful
I appreciate that, thank you!
Pingback: Hiring Portrait Models for Art Reference Photos - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Hiring Portrait Models for Art Reference Photos - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Initial Structure Importance Despite Oil Paint’s Flexibility - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Initial Structure Importance Despite Oil Paint’s Flexibility - Amdall Gallery
Revivify – what a word !!
As an alternative to revivifying the face, as you’d noted it was good before? How about dullifying the greens? I’m thinking a very thin layer of cool grey to mute those tones behind, something towards the bluer end would have the reverse effect of the face becoming pale and perhaps introduce more depth to the overall piece?
Composition – grab a coffee and start reading about golden ratio and why 1.618 is an important number. It’s a rabbit hole worth falling down, though I confess to doing the most basic of composition checks when planning layouts. For a quick check I sometimes take a photo and then flip it horizontally to see if it still looks right.
Haha yes I’ve been hitting up my thesaurus! And man, that’s outside the box thinking on the background. I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t try that first, it might have been easier. The only thing I can think of is maybe since I’m so weak on backgrounds that I was afraid to change that at all.
On that golden ratio situation, I have come across that before. But to be totally honest, I didn’t really understand it! I figured I better not even try to discuss that here, since literally the only take away I had was that the little overlay seems to look like a seashell. Do you happen to have any good resources or recommendations on the subject?
I find that most guides, even those in books, seem to try to find a connection between paintings and the composition lines, often to the extent of shifting the lines around to meet the painting. To my mind I could take almost any picture and find and force composition lines to fit, to me proof needs to be exact which is how they portray it but is factually incorrect.
In other words, it’s not something I’m going to get hung up on. But I still have it in mind for when I’m being a bit more creative.
I find it easier to think of that seashell in its box form like on the link below. And even easier to think of it as a variation on the rule of thirds with thinner boxes rather than an even split.
https://drawpaintacademy.com/golden-ratio-in-art/
That makes sense, I think I’m in that same mode. Maybe it would be cool if I could get to the point where I could keep that stuff in mind as I make something. But I could never see myself actually changing a painting or drawing to fit something like this.
It’s all very interesting and I do enjoy learning more about it. But man, it can get so complicated! I really just want to have fun painting, you know?
I appreciate the discussion of “failures” or as we called them at work, lessons leant. I have 5 efforts to the one that I eventually post. Great stuff.
Thanks Omar, I’m glad to hear it was a useful thing to read about! Like most people probably do, I struggle a bit on whether to share the failures and rough patches along with what I’m proud of. I try to share the learning experiences as much as possible, but there have definitely been some that I just had to trash and move on from. I guess that’s part of the whole experience, eh?
Pingback: Fixing Mistakes and Redoing Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Fixing Mistakes and Redoing Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Comparing Art Video Time-Lapse Lengths and Styles - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Fixing Mistakes and Redoing Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Great post, Jon, and I understand your dilemma re what and when to post. I decided a while ago to shorten my text when blogging to give me more time to create. Then I realised writing is actually a way of consolidating my art process in my own mind and I needed it. It performs a brain-sorting exercise; a clarifying and reminding of what I wanted to achieve, what I tried, how it progressed and what the outcome was. I now feel it’s as valuable a tool as the making because it’s a permanent record I can refer back to when I’m trying a similar thing again and it lets me know if I’m stagnating or improving.
Love both of the images above and I’ve watched both time-lapse videos. The amount of work in those faces is amazing. You’ve transitioned from pencils to oils seamlessly.
Enjoying following your journey, so don’t stop blogging!!
Hi Jon,
Glad to see you are trying to mix blacks! If you are interested, here’s a blog post on the varied ways to mix cooler or warmer blacks. https://artstudiolife.com/how-to-make-black/
I think it’s a good idea to look at shadows on faces more closely. Or shadows on snow, or on other surfaces. Shadows are colorful, yes! especially on faces — and using black for shadows there works less well than a darker shade of the flesh tone you are using. Trying adding a blue instead of black for your shadows, or even mixing your flesh tone with some darker green. Early on, frustrated by my attempts at natural self-portraits, I did a one in colored pencil, using only red, yellow and a dark green. All the shadows were rendered in green and green mixed with red to make a brown, and all the lighter areas in yellow or yellowed reds. I was very pleased with the results and to this day it’s one of my favorite self portraits. This exercise taught me an important lesson, that any color can work as a shadow color as long as it’s darker than the main tone. And much darker than the light-colored highlights. It was fun too, to try to limit my palette colors to just three. I highly recommend trying this, and no black allowed!
That’s quite a useful post, thanks for sharing that Phoebe! This really has been such a learning experience, which is definitely going to be an ongoing journey. I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone though and tried painting, because I can take these same lessons back to colored pencil (if I ever find the time for it haha). I really appreciate your suggestion from December about that same topic – I feel like it had a great impact. Since I’m so far behind sharing paintings, this one doesn’t really reflect it, but hopefully within a few points I’ll catch up to some that feature more color blending.
Color mixing is such an incredible learning curve – I really feel like this might be one of the aspects that takes the longest to get the hang of. Measured in years instead of months it seems!
Great project and nice paint
Thank you Janice, I really appreciate it!
Pingback: Comparing Art Video Time-Lapse Lengths and Styles - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Comparing Art Video Time-Lapse Lengths and Styles - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Catching Up on Blog Posts, Thoughts on Priorities - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: New Years 2023 Portrait Painting Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: New Years 2023 Portrait Painting Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: New Years 2023 Portrait Painting Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: New Years 2023 Portrait Painting Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Beautiful writing
Sorry about the delayed response – thanks very much!
You’re welcome
Nice paintings, you are really good at these mideval characters. I like how you used like selective primaries in your characters, one cyan the other magenta, etc.
Thanks Shawn! I’ve really got so much to learn when it comes to composition, I’m definitely a rookie there. But I’m trying to find my way to using colors in a creative way sometimes.
And I definitely enjoy the fantasy/medieval themed characters – it’s so fun to me to draw or paint from things within that realm. Actually, that even goes back to when I was a kid! It’s always been so fun.
Ouch 150 drawings to get comfortable?! Man o man do I have a long road ahead of me. I’m enjoying reading about someone deep in learning mode balances out watching the YouTube experts. Good work!
I appreciate that! Honestly, it sounds a lot more daunting written than it actually is. And I’m kind of neurotic about my view of my own artwork, so I may not be the best judge of “comfort” exactly. Change and improvement just sort of happen over time as you create. As months turned to years, I started to see really significant changes in how things looked. It’s one of the many things I’ve liked about blogging – there’s a place where you can get a clear view of your older stuff.
So, how far into your drawing journey are you, Omar? I really thought I was following your blog already, but I’ve corrected that oversight now. Anyhow, I did some browsing to see if I can get a sense of your progression – I think you’re improving even over the course of the last couple of months. I think as long as you feel like you’re growing and learning, that’s the important thing!
Beautiful work and thought provoking subjects.
That’s really kind of you Claire, thanks for that. I hope I did them justice!
That’s a terrific tool. So logical when you realise how to use it. Not having had painting tuition myself I haven;t come across it before. Thanks for the video.
Hello Claire – I’m glad the video was useful! It’s so funny that I finally learned about such a useful tool just when I’m trying to improve my freehand painting skills. It was actually kind of tough to force myself to put it down…but I do think it’s probably going to be something I go back to often.
It’s so weird how sometimes a cheap little thing can become a major difference maker. Anyhow, hope everything is good with you!
Pingback: Melina Elden Ring Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Melina Elden Ring Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Proportional Divider for Facial Feature Positioning - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Melina Elden Ring Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Just ordered the proportion tool – thank you for the recommendation!
Awesome, I hope you enjoy it! Clearly I’ve become a big fan of the thing, such a useful yet simple tool
Pingback: Proportional Divider for Facial Feature Positioning - Amdall Gallery
Jon, Digitalising paintings is fraught with issues. You’ve mentioned some, fluorescing colours dont help ( an issue I have with chalk pastels). I just use a panasonic lumix set at 14mpx. It’s better done in an area lit by northern light and a tripod will help. Sometimes you just have to compromise over colour balance, though you can play around with it on the computer. I just keep an image for my reference
As for selling prints. I am not sure whether it is cost effective. There is expense getting it done well enough to sell and time taken packaging – backing card and cellophane. Depends what you are doing it for. I just want to paint. Everything else just makes it into a job and I dont think the rewards are worth it. Unless that is, you are selling most of your painted output and the demand is such that you cant keep up with it. Yes, then consider the print option. Unfortunately I havent reached that stage.
Greetings Graham – that does sound like quite a process in terms of creating and selling prints. It’s something I want to try, mostly just to explore something I’ve never done, but the entire thing is fairly intimidating due to all the extras you mentioned. I completely understand your thoughts there though – the “I just want to paint” sentiment. That’s exactly why I’ve fallen so far behind on writing blog posts. I like to write too, but I like to paint even more…so painting just keeps winning the free time battle.
Thanks for the tips on northern light and camera set up. Now that I read your comment and I’m thinking about it…I’ve been photographing in light coming form the south. That’s at least one thing I can try that doesn’t cost money!
Best of luck Jon. On your painting writing dilemna; you might need to chose or do both unsatisfactorily. I have given up quite a few hobbies after deciding how much time is available and putting aside time for what I must do. Then making a choice over what it is I would most prefer to do and going with that. Life’s a bitch.
Isn’t it amazing how there never seems to be enough time to fit everything in? That is indeed life, but it seems like the best course of action is to just pick what makes you happiest. If I’m loving painting, I should paint.
Well, I could do that…or just not sleep anymore. Haha that could probably work right?
Hi Jon
I Hope you don’t mind the following suggestion:
Consider using less black in painting as shadows have color! Also you can mix a basic dark shade almost black with ultramarine blue and burnt umber… but I’d suggest trying to paint without using black at all or very sparingly. You will be amazed at the difference it makes.
I don’t mind at all! In fact, getting tips from experienced artists is one of my most favorite things about blogging. Comments and other peoples’ posts are huge sources of information for me. Haha I like to say I got art degrees from WordPress University and YouTube College
I think color mixing is a major deficit area for me right now – I’ve watched a few videos on it centered around skin tones, which really brought home how much I don’t know. That is a great tip though, thanks Phoebe! So, on that topic, do you think black is more reflective and that touches on the challenges I’ve had photographing paintings? Or do I just need to be more patient about letting these things dry?
Also, I’m curious how you typically digitize your works? Do you sell prints or do you stick to originals?
Pingback: Poll: How do you digitize your artwork? - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Poll: How do you digitize your artwork? - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Poll: How do you digitize your artwork? - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Poll: How do you digitize your artwork? - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Poll: How do you digitize your artwork? - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Oil Painting Portrait of My Wife - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Oil Painting Portrait of My Wife - Amdall Gallery
Nice portrait.
Thanks Shawn! Just catching up on your blog, I see you have been a bit backlogged just like me. Good to see your summer 2022 works, they look great
lol, my backlog is getting unmanagable. I still have half of my 2022 photos to edit. I went on some nice trips this year. But these will be great inspiration photos for my artwork in the next few years.
I hear that, sometimes I legitimately feel like sharing artwork is a full time job in and of itself. If only I could figure out how to actually make it pay like a full time job, eh? Maybe someday…like when I retire haha
Pingback: Portrait of Morrigan from Dragon Age - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Portrait of Morrigan from Dragon Age - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Portrait of Morrigan from Dragon Age - Amdall Gallery
I was extremely moved by these portraits, thank you for sharing them
I really appreciate the comment! Although the event was small, the topic/subject matter are bigger than most of what I work on with this hobby. I really wanted to show I was up to the task, so it means a lot to hear such feedback
My mantra: “Placement is everything.”
I’m with you there – although I am finding oil paint to be more flexible than colored pencil in terms of fixing mistakes, the other side of that coin is that this mysterious shifts in position seem to happen to me more often. Like, some placements I thought I had well in hand slowly move ever so slightly out of place. Then either it just looks “off”, or I ended up with multiple small shifts that added to a big one!
Pingback: Underpainting Practice - Andre the Giant - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Underpainting Practice - Andre the Giant - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Freehand Painting Goals - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Freehand Painting Goals - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Freehand Painting Goals - Amdall Gallery
Lovely portraits and a fitting tribute – thanks for sharing.
Thank you, I appreciate the comment! It really was a great experience, I’m grateful I got to participate
Pingback: Dirk Nowitzki Portrait with Trophy – Game History YT Studio
Pingback: One Month of Oil Painting - A Self Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: One Month of Oil Painting - A Self Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: One Month of Oil Painting - A Self Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Hi Jon,
I LOVE the grandfather’s face, (whether it looks like Falk or not doesn’t matter to me). You got the nose with the glasses just right, and that’s not easy. Also the mustache is very good and the cheeks too! How big a canvas or paper do you work on? If you work on small canvases (less than 9” by 12”) you might try reducing your subject to just the old man’s face and shoulders, which would make a very interesting portrait even if not a recognizable scene from the movie. In any event, there are no failures, just paintings we learn more from than others. Best wishes,
Phoebe Wagner
Hello Phoebe – thank you for that! Definitely appreciate your perspective on this one. My usual size is 9″ x 12″ paper just for ease of storage. And I think that’s great advice about going with the head and shoulders view. It really is my favorite perspective and gives me the best opportunity to practice features.
I regard you as a pretty adventurous and experienced artist – do you vary your sizing often? Or do you also have a favorite size/material that you typically return to? It seems like I’ve seen many different mediums, approaches, and techniques in the artwork you share, so I was just curious if you mix up sizes drastically as well?
The likenesses and especially the facial expressions are great in the pencil drawings!
I have the opposite problem: I am happy to sketch in oils with a brush (even if things go wrong), but not great with pencils. It seems like too much control, if that makes sense.
Thanks for the comment Tommi – yes, that does make sense! That’s very interesting because I’ve had some similar thoughts lately about the greater flexibility/adaptability of paint. Recently, I started trying these paintings without any sort of pencil sketch – basically just doing an underpainting as my outline. Some other artists I’ve been trying to learn from on YouTube talk about “molding/shaping” the paint, which is definitely not flexibility pencils give you.
I wonder if that’s at the heart of why I’ve been loving paint so much? It feels less rigid in some ways – a very different experience I think
Pingback: Size Constraints on a Princess Bride Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Size Constraints on a Princess Bride Painting - Amdall Gallery
I hope you’re still painting. I love the look and feel of your self portrait. Beautiful!
I appreciate that Kelly! I am still painting and still learning as I go – I am a bit behind in terms of actually writing blog posts about everything though. Hopefully I can catch up at some point
Thanks for checking out the artwork and for the kind comment!
Pingback: High Contrast Challenge - Antje Traue Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: High Contrast Challenge - Antje Traue Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: High Contrast Challenge - Antje Traue Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: High Contrast Challenge - Antje Traue Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: High Contrast Challenge - Antje Traue Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Nice painting, you are really going out of your element by painting landscapes. Your painting really has some interesting texture.
I like the sharply angled peeks, and golden green colours in the foreground. I have never used a palette knife before, I know you can use them for Acrylic too, they are just too unpredictable for me to trust.
Thanks Shawn! I’m really trying to push myself – I think I need some additional materials before I try another landscape, but it was fun to try.
At this point, I’m really just trying to get practice in and learn. I’ve got miles under me when it comes to drawing, but I’m still so green when it comes to painting. But I really feel like I’ve gotten something out of every painting so far, so it feels encouraging!
I dont think that was the one I saw, John. What I saw was a straight, pretty objective, documentary about his life story and how he built up the business and how he got the programmes aired.
I do about 5 or 6 a year, but it does seem to be building up – maybe there’s a high mortality rate amongst demonstrators and I’m the last man standing.
Haha I sure hope not – I’m sure those art students can get rowdy, but let’s not take it out on the demonstrators!
A problem with paper will be oil soaking through and degrading the paper itself. I’ve primed paper and boards, old canvasses too, with gesso, tinted with a small amount of a nearly neutral mix of acrylic paint. It gives a nice painting surface and is quick (don’t let it dry out on brushes!). Having a neutral – warm or cool as appropriate – ground makes it much easier to get tones balanced and can add an interesting underpainting effect too.
You’ve got me curious about his show now…
Best wishes.
The drawing paper I’ve been using is fairly thick so I haven’t experienced any soak through yet. But I do prefer Strathmore’s linen paper that’s made for oils…I haven’t used it for everything though, because it’s definitely more expensive per sheet than the other. I guess that’s life with painting though eh?
That does make me wonder though – are there long term issues with using drawing paper with oils? Even if it’s not apparent right now. Perhaps yellowing? Paper degrading over time?
The show is pretty funny if you like surreal/bizarre comedy – it’s also definitely NSFW (if you have anyone around sensitive to that sort of thing). There have been times when I was so taken by surprise by what was happening I couldn’t even catch my breath from laughing. The first time I saw a sketch called “Bird Up” was like that. Just a moment of “what in the world is happening here.” It’s definitely niche though!
Great job!
Thank you Phoebe!
By the way, I love that House on Cherry Street painting you’ve done – I really appreciated the texture and color variations. Now that I’m painting, I feel like I’m examining other works in a different way to see if I can figure out how it’s done. This one has such great use of small color differences for shadows. Very nicely done
Pingback: Portrait of Comedian Eric Andre - Amdall Gallery
I think that magic white allowed him some lovely techniques. They recently reshowed his programmes in the UK. Unlike you, John, (and many others) I wasnt calmed. Half way through I am yelling at him to stop. Just leave it there Bob – walk away.
Some lovely atmospheric starts which he seemed to trivialise.
I keep meaning to buy some of this magic white and have a go myself. Though I always find it is difficult to pick up someone else’s technique; but if you persist a bit you come through.
I actually know exactly what you mean! Although I do obviously love the shows and find them relaxing, towards the end sometimes he’ll plop something right in the middle that just wrecks it for me. I’m thinking of some with a massive pine tree that just dominates what was a beautiful scene. To be fair, him knocking those out so quickly and timed for a show is quite a feat from my view. Also, I should give him further credit for being so brave about that. I’m cautious to a fault when it comes to art I think, so that’s something I admire.
This is probably a basic question, but consider it’s coming from someone so new to all this – what is the effect that magic white is supposed to give you? Is it just really effective or smooth blending and color mixing directly on the canvass? It would be really cool to see what an experienced artist like yourself can do with it
There was also a programme over here, about Bob and the making of his videos. He is actually copying a pre-prepared version which is out of camera shot. So when he says; let’s go crazy – well he isnt. To be fair, you have to do it that way. To do that time after time seamlessly, is almost impossible. I did a pastel demo for a painting group last night and I had practised the painting beforehand – otherwise people would lose interest as you bumbled about. You’d probably complete the painting, but the audience might not be any the wiser.
I think the magic white allows easier application of paint with the palette knife and smooth transitions of tone and colour which results in those great starts. Then, as you say he plonks a bloody great pine in, or worse still – that log cabin.
Haha oh those log cabins, he sure did love those things!
Is that from the Netflix documentary – Happy Accidents Betrayal and Greed? Or a different one? If you haven’t seen that one, it’s a pretty solid watch. Definitely told from one perspective and could be a bit dramatized for impact, but still quite a few interesting aspects to it.
I think you’re right about practicing ahead of time. I’ve never done such a thing (public demo), but I imagine if I ever did, I would feel like I had to practice it a few times just for piece of mind. Do you do a lot of those demos for art groups?
Pingback: Bob Ross Style Landscape Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Bob Ross Style Landscape Painting - Amdall Gallery
Looks pretty good
Thanks Janice! It’s all a learning process, but I feel like I’m slowly showing improvements as I get more practice.
Thats True, it’s a learning process. And it’s all about practicing. 😉
I love when you can start to detect real results over time. I think that’s one of my favorite things about blogging – being able to look at your progress over time and see how you’ve developed
Very nice.
Much appreciated! Thanks for checking out the post
Pingback: Oil Painting Portrait of My Wife - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Oil Painting Portrait of My Wife - Amdall Gallery
Chuck those pencils out, those portraits were great but these latest ones with the paint, even the scrap leftover paint – bloody fantastic !!
Both of those were tricky angles to capture by the way, let alone the fact the face lighting is superb. You’re continuing to impress 😀
Haha thanks man! For real though, those poor colored pencils might start to collect dust because painting is just too enjoyable. I’ve been trying to be better about conserving paint and not letting it dry/go to waste. As someone who’s experienced with paints, do you have any tips for a rookie on that aspect? I did buy an “air tight” (so it claims) box to keep my palette in, but I’m not sure if it’s actually doing anything.
Best advice to prevent wastage? Watercolour 😹
Let them dry out, go back a decade later and you can still re-wet the palette and start where you left off.
However, for the acrylics I also put out too much paint. I’m getting better though and judging a bit better.
I also made a palette from a Chinese food container. It’s a good size, just have several layers of soaking wet tissue paper, then a couple of layers of tracing paper on top of that for the paint to sit on. Once the lid is on then it’s airtight and creating it’s own watery eco-system for the paint to not dry out.
In your case however, you’d need water-based oil paints (that concept messes with my head) to do the same.
Well played indeed! Haha, yes I was sort of holding out hope there was some way to “revive” old paints…but it doesn’t seem to be reality in the case of oils. And I guess acrylics are similar in that way? Ah, so much yet to learn. Maybe I really should try watercolors – I love the look too, but it would certainly be more cost effective.
And…water based oil paints? Man, you just blew my mind! I think I need to get back to some googling…I didn’t even know such a thing existed.
Have you ever done like an instructional run down of your painting set up? It sounds like you’ve had the benefit of experience to find what works for your set up. It would be interesting to read about (and see photos) of stuff like your palette solution and so forth.
I haven’t done any instructional run down, or a post on my set-up. And the main reason for that is that I still consider myself as a newbie to painting – though I guess that I’m now a few years into it and have done enough of it now that people want to part with their hard earned cash to hang some of my stuff on the wall.
It’s strange, I hadn’t even considered it that I guess I could consider myself a painter until you just mentioned it… It’s like it’s crept up on me 🫢
I don’t think anyone could (or should) learn anything that useful from my methods as I don’t consider myself to know much but if I can I’ll add some more detail to the process on my posts. I used to take progress shots but haven’t done it so much…
Look out for a “dog painting” post coming up, I’ll include as much detail as I can remember and also how I changed the whole look of it after I’d considered it finished and signed off only to be told “it’s the wrong colour”. Watch this space 😁
Perspective is such a strange beast. From this end of things, I consider you an expert on several mediums (including acrylic paints). More specifically, if I wanted to explore paintings of cars/bikes/other vehicles, Steve Kidd is a name that would pop into my mind right away. And plus, by definition you are a professional artist – as you said, people buy your artwork!
I will definitely keep my eye out for this dog painting! Looking forward to it for sure
Here you go, I hadn’t planned to post anything on this just yet – and certainly not in any level of detail but as you asked so nicely…
https://stevekiddart.wordpress.com/2022/11/01/how-to-mess-up-and-fix-a-dog-painting/
This turned out so great, Steve! The painting itself, but also the details of the post are excellent! I’ll comment more directly on your site, but absolutely fantastic
Nice painting of the girls. You really captured them well. This is an amazing piece that is consistant with your style, in a totally new medium for you. Oil Paint
Thank you Shawn! I really appreciate it – I’m still trying to find my way in this medium, but I am definitely enjoying the learning process. It’s also nice to hear that the style has remained somewhat consistent too. I guess some habits follow you through anything, eh?
Pingback: Painting Without Planning - Using Up Leftovers - Amdall Gallery
Hi Jon
It’s wonderful to hear how you got lost in painting and didn’t keep track of time spent! That’s the whole point to me, to love and enjoy doing something so much you get immersed and lose track of time. So happy to see you are making this transition and your painting progresses by leaps and bounds!
Best wishes
Phoebe of Wagblog
Thank you Phoebe, it’s quite a fun sensation isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy drawing a lot. But I don’t recall ever getting quite so swept up in a pencil drawing the way I seem to with painting. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but lately I’ve just wanted to just spend all day doing it. A pleasant surprise for sure!
Wow, what a successful transition between media, Jon. Your style still comes through with the oil paints and the girls are instantly recognisable.
Much appreciated Claire! I’m glad to hear that there’s something recognizable there – that was actually something I was curious about, whether it would look drastically different than the pencil drawings from a style standpoint. I mean, first I didn’t even know if I could paint something that looks like a recognizable person. But then, would I have quirks that I fall into that carry over? So many unknowns about this, and I’m very much enjoying seeing how it all falls into place!
Pingback: Amdall Girls Painting - First Solvent Use - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing from Stock Photos and Memes - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing from Stock Photos and Memes - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing from Stock Photos and Memes - Amdall Gallery
Love this one; the movement in the t-shirt and the mussed up hair and, of course, the place I always look first – the eyes.
Hello Claire, much appreciated! I’m glad I got the hair to look wild – in theory, this is a guy who just finished playing basketball, so messy is definitely good in my book.
Just catching up on your most recent posts as well. I have to say, I love the paintings you’ve been up to! I still have a few more posts to read through, but really enjoying them.
Pingback: Dirk Nowitzki Portrait with Trophy - Amdall Gallery
First off – congratulations for getting that monkey off your back. My paints languished unused in the drawer for several months (potentially over a year) before I decided to paint something other than a colour test card.
Now to this painting, I love how it’s still recognisably one of your works despite the different medium and method.
And of course, why not start at the hardest subject – oil portrait painting. You removed the armbands and rather than getting in the shallow end you headed for the diving board. Well done.
Three hours is amazingly quick as well. I often do 1-2 hours slots and there’s no way I’d be looking at something like that within two sessions… King Procrastinator here.
I am amazed. Impressed. Inspired. Encouraged. Well done Jon 😀
Man…I’m really flattered and humbled that you’d say that. Coming from someone like you who is skilled in so many mediums and subject types, that made my day. Really, thanks for that!
So, would you consider oils harder to work with than watercolors? I had thought about both, but watching videos of watercolor artists, for some reason I couldn’t wrap my head around some aspects of it. Like, how do you control the looseness of the paint? It seems so wild – but maybe that’s the fun of it too, eh? Although oil paints vastly exceeded my prediction for how messy they would be, I still felt some degree of control in terms of how I could apply them
I’m curious, what was your first painting? Although I’ve been following your art for a long time, I don’t recall ever seeing you as a beginner in any area
Well that’s very kind of you to say – made my day that you said that about me as well 😀
I’ve never done oils so I can’t comment on whether it’s harder than watercolour.
In fact, for some reason I’d got it in my head early on that watercolours was the easiest medium. After all, that’s what the kids use right?
Turns out I was wrong about that, or in fact I’m not sure if “harder” should be the right term. It’s different and because there’s no Undo feature you need to maybe have a bit more planning going on before making a mark.
From my watercolour world I hadn’t looked at acrylics or oils because I considered that was for the serious guys and I’d need to stock up on various bottles of solvents, piles of rags, etc. I’d dismissed it as a possibility. It was only a chance comment that someone mentioned acrylics were water-based and I was like “wait, what did you say?”. I had my order in before the day was out I reckon 😁
As mentioned, despite getting the paints and doing a colour test card straight away I think I found the prospect a bit scary and so they went in the drawer whilst I made up excuses and got back to my comfort zone. Now I’d say that the acrylics are my main medium, it seems to suit the car art better than watercolour generally though I will still be using watercolour frequently. I do like the permanence of acrylic on canvas – plus there is some potential for that “Undo” feature so it’s ironic that my comfort zone has shifted now.
As you asked, this was my first https://stevekiddart.wordpress.com/2020/03/25/the-notorious-s-m-a-l-l/ from March 2020. I still have that tiny painting on the shelf right next to me, it watches over my art desk constantly.
I don’t really have a clue what I’m talking about on this topic, but I have this notion that all types of painting might be more difficult than drawing with pencils. Although I’m surprised so many skills/habits seemed to translation from pencil to paint, it just seems like there’s so many more pieces to account for with painting. I’m only two paintings in at this point (finished another this weekend), but what you said definitely seems right to me about having to plan.
So, acrylics are water based? Haha I’m learning more every day. You like it because it’s a little more flexible maybe, and that you can more easily fix mistakes? I’m going to spend more time getting used to oils, but I definitely want to keep learning about other types.
Man, that Notorious BIG is great! What a first painting you had there. How in the world did you get such detail in a small area like that? Now that I’ve tried to paint, I see how hard it is to capture finer details…that perspective makes this tiny art you did that much more impressive.
Ahhh, okay interesting. I’ve been trying to study up a bit more (via youtube painters) on mixing different types of paints. So, do you ever combine acrylic with other types? This guy Alpay Efe uses acrylic when he needs a fast drying base layer, then goes over it with oil: https://youtu.be/m34FhB1tXyw?t=354
Interesting strategy!
It’s a lovely artwork Jon…. You have put your full heart and soul in it and it comes across beautifully 😍
Thanks a lot, Sharmla! I gave it my best shot – I was definitely worried in the early stages, but fortunately the paint was forgiving enough to get by as I learned some basics.
Congratulations! You should be proud! That’s a very nice portrait and it captures depth of the features. Great job.☺️
I appreciate the kind words, thank you!
Pingback: Drawing Friends, Another Yearly Comparison - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Unfinished Art and an Unposed Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Poseable Drawing Figure Research and Testing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Museum Scenes - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Updating a Wedding Present Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Continuing Through The Backlog - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: More Stranger Things Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Meme Art, Sergeant Mittens is Ready - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Healthcare Worker Portrait Request - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing with the Kids - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Weekend Relaxation and Unfamiliar Movies - Pandorum Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Thoughts on Portrait Requests - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Sharing Multiple Drawings - Another Geralt and Ciri - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Stargate SG-1 and Original Movie Discussion - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Show Entry, Dallas OAC ART214 Exhibition - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Tarnished, Maiden, and Grace - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Millicent, Hewg, Alexander, and Turtle Pope - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A Longtime Friend's Wedding Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Working Through Artistic Envy - Amdall Gallery
This is great!!! it has much feeling, looks terrific — it may be your new medium!
Thank you! I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, but I hope that what you say is true. It feels a little strange to say, because I do enjoy drawing…but I just had so much fun painting. It’s like another level of enjoyment or something. Maybe I was just in a good mood that day? I suppose I just need to paint some more to see if that continues
Well done and keep going! I’ll try to reply on some specific points later, on the early bus to work just now. If solvent is an issue, have you looked at water-mixable oils? Windsor and Newton make them, likely others in US too? Best wishes.
I appreciate that! One of my favorite things about WordPress is the incredibly helpful community of artists that share techniques and advice. I got so many great tips when I was learning to draw, I’m excited to try things from experienced painters!
Great first try, Jon. I’d be happy with it – certainly happier than your subject.
I appreciate it, Graham! Haha yes as long as the look on my face is more satisfied than this subject’s, then I think it’s a good state to be in!
Jon, I just noticed – watch that the tilt of the eyes and mouth match. In yours they’re going in opposite directions. It may be the case, but it’s not normal.
You have got a good eye! I didn’t even notice that until now – yes there is definitely some, to use a highly technical term, wonkiness going on. I tried to watch the video I recorded to see where that tilt was introduced, but unfortunately the camera angle and poor focus prevent a good view. I think perhaps the sketch was okay, and then as I painted I gradually moved the position somehow.
Definitely a good overall balance/composition thing to keep an eye out for it, thanks for the heads-up!
Good job! Keep up the good work.
Jack
Thanks much Jack, I appreciate it!
Also, I’m unfortunately quite behind on my blog reading. As I caught up on your site, I’m so sorry to read about your brother. My condolences to your family. The tributes you’ve done are wonderful, sharing those moments. Take care – Jon
Wonderful first portrait. Keep it up!
Thanks Phoebe! I still can’t believe how fun painting is, I’m so glad I finally tried it. I definitely plan to keep at it!
Hi Jon, yes painting is great, and it goes so much quicker than colored pencils, which I too used almost exclusively for years. Glad to see you are breaking away from these and out of your comfort zone, and trying new mediums! Take care,
Phoebe
That’s really good to hear – I can definitely see how, once you get familiar/comfortable, painting would go more quickly. I feel like a lot of the time with this first painting was consumed just trying to figure out how to mix colors and get used to everything
Thanks for the comments, hope everything’s good!
Very expressive!
Thanks Christine! I am very much a “comfort zone” type of person, so I’m surprised I tried a somewhat complex expression for a first ever painting. But I think it conveyed in this painting somehow!
Yes it did! Bravo
That’s great to hear – sometimes it’s hard to tell on your own work, you know? I’ve enjoyed catching up on your blog, good stuff!
Cheers Jon x
Looks good. Keep on going
Much appreciated, I’m excited to keep rolling! Haha I’ve even got my next two paintings in mind already
Can’t wait to see them
Pingback: First Attempt at Oil Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Sharing Multiple Drawings - Another Geralt and Ciri - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art from Stranger Things Season 4 - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art from Stranger Things Season 4 - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art from Stranger Things Season 4 - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art from Stranger Things Season 4 - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art from Stranger Things Season 4 - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art from Stranger Things Season 4 - Amdall Gallery
“ultimately knocked a couple thousand off the originally booked price”
Wow, it doesn’t matter how annoying you were – that is some discount !! I’d really like to visit Ajaccio – for no real reason other than it featured several times in the curriculum when I was learning French 😁
Greetings Steve! Yes, I was a bit surprised to be honest – I’d have to compare the original booking to the final tally, but I think it was in the range of $1500-2000 or so. I’m not completely sure about other cruise lines, but I found Norwegian’s pricing to be fairly hard to gauge. They almost always have varying promotions and so forth (i.e. 40% off), but they also change the baseline prices to compensate. And rooms change price based on availability. So it becomes hard to tell if you’re actually getting a good deal. But I basically just called their customer service every once in a while and asked them to price the same trip for me, let me know if it was a lower final cost. I did this while I was still in my cancellation period, so that was my back up plan if they weren’t willing to play ball for some reason. But NCL’s customer service was always good about things.
Oh man, definite thumbs up for Ajaccio by the way! Although it’s hard to choose a favorite out of all the destinations on this trip, I do think Corsica overall is up there at the top. Really just a cool vibe to the place; must more relaxed than some other destinations.
Really interesting building in Florence Italy!!
Hello Shawn! Yes indeed, I found the buildings fascinating there. Really unique, even compared to the other Italian cities we visited. Florence is definitely a place I wished we had more time to roam around
Excellent Photos of the Mediterraininan Cruise.
Thanks Shawn, I’m glad you like them!
Great cruise round-up Jon. My husband & I enjoyed a trip to Italy, some of the same sites as you, 3 years ago. Spectacular. We (living in Australia) have recently returned from a cruise around the North West coast of Australia which was stunning. I totally agree about a balcony, if you can afford one get it as it was a delight to sip wine sitting on our outdoor chairs watching the scenery go by. Excursions, in our case, were all organised by the ship as we were a small vessel of 99 passengers and tenders moved us around and onto shore easily. No towns nearby but plenty of crocodile warnings, and viewing of very, very old Aboriginal rock art, mangroves, crocodiles, sea turtles and so on.
You really feel renewed when you get home, don’t you? They’re trips worth remembering, both in your mind and with photos.
Hello Claire! Italy sure is incredible, isn’t it? I really thought American pizza would mostly hold up against Italian, but I have to admit I was incorrect. I mean, of course there’s much more to it than the food, but that aspect really was remarkable.
That sounds quite nice traveling with a smaller ship – the mobility would have been a tremendous advantage. Is this a commercially available option, perhaps a company you would recommend traveling through? We used Norwegian Cruise Lines, which was quite good, but I’m always interested in recommendations. And was your European voyage also a smaller vessel?
Haha although your crocodile warnings sound quite terrifying, that does sound like a great trip!
Pingback: European Travel via Mediterranean Cruise - Tips and Thoughts - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: European Travel via Mediterranean Cruise - Tips and Thoughts - Amdall Gallery
I enjoyed your post and your drawing. Rick Steves is a favorite! 🙂
I appreciate that! He has definitely become a go-to travel resource for us. I’m still amazed it took so long for me to hear about him, where have I been all this time?
Pingback: Author and Travel Show Host Rick Steves - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Author and Travel Show Host Rick Steves - Amdall Gallery
lyonkirsten2
Good deal, I’ll jump into the giveaway dashboard and check it out! Thanks for entering!
Oops I input the wrong e-mail!!!
Sorry about the delayed response, Kirsten! I should be able to remove or delete the incorrect email. The only challenge is that this website has an anti-spam filter that may not allow a full email address in a comment. Can you give me the email without tying an “at” sign? That should get around the anti-spam.
Aside from remove the incorrect email, you should be able to just add the correct one in if you still want to try for the portrait prize!
lyonkirsten2
Pingback: Custom Portrait Artwork Giveaway - Giveaway Frenzy
Pingback: Summer 2022 Portrait Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Summer 2022 Portrait Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Summer 2022 Portrait Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
It’s so weird reading this post now. Luka turned into one of the best players in the league! I almost can’t believe that I didn’t overhype him – the man is a legit MVP candidate every year. And Brunson turned out to be a pretty excellent player in his own right…but for the New York Knicks (boooo). And Dennis Smith Jr is on the outside looking in currently, trying to find a roster spot. I’m still rooting for DSJ, I hope he lands somewhere and plays well.
I’m a self-admitted “skimmer” here, I have no shame in saying that I’m look at the blogs I follow and the social media channels purely to look at the art. Sometimes I will take the time to give a proper read (I did with this one actually even though it’s not about a portrait :\ )
For me, WordPress blogging is pretty much a dead duck. I started in the same year as you, I was seeing a steady increase in subscribers, comments, etc.
Then I switched over from wordpress .com to .org – a managed wordpress service, purely because I thought it was the more professional thing to do. Even though it was alleged that my WP follows would still be there it was clear that something had happened, likes and comments fell off a cliff.
After a year or so (I think) I switched back again from a paid plan to the free wp com blog that I had before but it’s never recovered. For most posts I’m pretty sure that no-one ever sees them. I’m at the stage now where I’m only noting things down for my own benefit to export to some other platform one day.
Unless I’m misremembering the timing, I believe your experience moving from WP.com to .org is one of the factors that kept me from trying the same thing. I still wanted to experiment with .org though to see how it’s different, and ended up building a totally separate site (https://armdogreviews.com/). It’s okay and the price is nice, but .org (first through bluehost, then siteground) feels a bit more unwieldy at times. I do wish WP.com plans were cheaper, but I guess you have to pay for the cohesiveness, support options, and the WP Reader.
Haha I know at least one person who sees the posts on your website – me! I’m a dinosaur though, stubbornly hoping blogging someday becomes “big” again. Although I admit, I do often end up browsing in batches rather than as they happen.
Also, your comment about us starting blogging the same year got my pondering other sites from that time. It seems like a lot of my favorites have dropped off over time. I tried to come up with a list of sites I enjoy that were around in my earlier blogging days, back when we both started, but I can only think of a handful that are still pretty active:
The one and only Steve Kidd: https://stevekiddart.wordpress.com/
Lemanshots: https://lemanshots.wordpress.com/
Outside Authority: https://outsideauthor.wordpress.com/
Hilda Rogers: https://hilda5462.wordpress.com/
Tactual Textiles: https://tactualtextiles.wordpress.com/
Art Chap Enjoin: https://artchapenjoin.com/
Craig Ford Fine Art: https://craigfordfineart.com/
Christine Mallaband-Brown: https://mallabandbrown.com/
Pessemier Painting: https://pessemierworkshops.com/
I feel like I might be missing some artists from back then, but their names aren’t coming to me. I’ll put it this way – there was an even higher number I remembered that I just searched, but their blogs are either gone now or haven’t been updated in years.
Yes Jon, I sacrificed my once-successful WP site over to org and it’s been downhill ever since, even after switching back to com.
Mine is now on a free subscription so no doubt my pages are plastered with ads but after spending loads on a hosted plan and an additional hefty subscription for Shopify for a very short while I vowed to try and keep everything as cost-free as possible.
Maybe one day if the “one and only Steve Kidd Art” (catchy title, thank you) starts to make a profit then I’ll look at upgrading to a packaged site but so far it’s only ever been a loss-making venture. Considering I was aiming for a retirement plan (not there yet) I may have to re-think.
As it happens, I’m far from being the one and only Steve Kidd – but it was a surprise to find that there is another Steve Kidd Art on Instagram. I wonder if that one bumped into my name when setting up and had to change his intended name tag.
I’ve had a look at your other site, I like the look of the cinnamon granola bars.
Actually, your site isn’t too bad in terms of ads. Just browsing through, it seems like the most heavy location is at the bottom of blog posts. But for the most part, areas like your galleries and other pages seem to have a single, unobtrusive ad at the end. Of course, I’ve never understood how WP determines placement and whatnot – is it dependent on your site’s theme/layout? Anyhow, I don’t think it’s distracting or anything.
Man, I hear you on the whole “turning a profit” thing. My goal has always been to find a break-even point with the two websites, but in all honesty, I’m not even at that modest goal! Even if I include book-related sales and so forth.
Now you’ve got me curious, so I did some googling – apparently there’s also a Steve Kidd who is a photographer? And there was a deceased American illustrator named Steve Kidd. So technically there are some others. But maybe just talking about you being “The One and Only Steve Kidd, Artist” will trigger some Google algorithm magic!
Ha ! Let’s hope, I’ll let you know when I’m “trending” and cut you in on the millions 👍
I like this plan! Haha
Nice portrait paintings, you really captured the people well!!
Thank you Shawn, I appreciate it!
Love them
Thanks Christine! Also, congratulations to you on your book and the major scholarly accomplishments! I am trying to catch up on some blog post reading, and just now saw some of your springtime news. That’s so awesome
You are very kind! I now need to try and find a small publisher. But I also want to get on with new ideas. X
I can understand that, keeps things interesting! On the publishing topic, have you considered self-publishing? If you don’t have any philosophical objections to Amazon, their KDP program makes the process fairly easy. You basically download MS Word templates and copy/paste your book’s materials in. I’ve also done IngramSpark for self publishing, which is a bit less intuitive, but still not too bad.
It’s not exactly a comprehensive guide or anything, but I did talk more about the pros and cons here: https://jonamdall.com/2019/04/20/publishing-on-amazons-kdp-and-ingramspark/
Wow, these are very beautiful and authentic paintings. I like them
I appreciate you saying so, thanks! I’m always a bit nervous when a project is going to be given to someone, so I’m glad to hear from others about how it turned out.
This is so beautifully done…..love it!!
Yeah, your paints are beautiful done. 👌
Thanks so much to both of you, Sharmla Karri Paintings and Janice TV!
Pingback: Delayed Portrait Giveaway Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Delayed Portrait Giveaway Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Wow, looks like someone shared this drawing to Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Eldenring/comments/ui9m5d/tarnisheds_respite_by_jon_amdall/
That’s pretty cool, I wonder how they came across the drawing? I’m honestly a bit honored someone thought it was good enough to share (haha that’s probably a bit dramatic, but still). Though it is probably my favorite of the multiple Elden Ring sketches I did.
Pingback: Blog Post Length and Total Views Comparison - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Blog Post Length and Total Views Comparison - Amdall Gallery
That was interesting! I must admit, I mostly look at your pictures, but skim the written material, too. I write and paint, and I can tell by feedback that sometimes my readers like the writing and other times the paintings. Like you, I keep on because I enjoy it (weekly, since 1998)
Wow, you’ve kept your blogging streak up since 1998?! That is indeed impressive, definitely something to be proud of. I hope to stay on that track over time as well, although I do have a ways to go to match that writing level!
And honestly, I’m right there with you about blog-reading habits. There’s just so much great artwork out there, even just within the WordPress blogging realm. It’s sometimes a challenge to keep up with everything, so I also find myself skimming text and focusing on the images. I try to read more closely when something seems instructional, because it’s always my hope to learn something from the more experienced artists out there.
But I certainly agree with you – the best thing is to go with what you enjoy, and this has been a great outlet for channeling some creative energies, both in terms of writing and drawing.
Pingback: Blog Post Length and Total Views Comparison - Amdall Gallery
It’s hilarious to look back at this now. So many of these cryptocurrencies are either gone or close to zero. Interestingly enough, my overall portfolio is pretty much right where it was when I started four years ago – I’m actually up $15 from my initial cash outlay. The big coins that are still around that I have are Bitcoin, ADA, XRP, BAT, XLM, WAVES, and Ethereum. And apparently Dogecoin, which is pretty funny.
I’ve considered doing another post about this, but I’m not sure that I have enough to even talk about for a full write-up. I guess NFTs are a new thing I haven’t discussed, which could be relevant in some ways since I’m an artist. But I don’t think much of them, so it probably wouldn’t be a very positive take. Essentially, I think it’s a grift that is chocked full of people blatantly stealing intellectual property with (so far) no repercussions. I made an account on one of the big platforms so I could explore it firsthand…for the most part, I saw a bunch of repetitive, uninteresting clip art.
Anyhow, maybe I’ll write more about that at some point. Particularly if companies like Nintendo and Disney start going after their IPs on these platforms.
Pingback: A Longtime Friend's Wedding Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Nice painting from the wedding, you really captured the couple well. I really like how you got the texture on their skin!!
That’s much appreciated Shawn! Although sometimes I can’t muster the patience to layer the colors as much as I should, I think this time it worked out!
The thing I like most about this post is that you are taking a critical look at your work, identifying areas of improvement, acting on it, etc.
This is a master class in how the process should be in my opinion. Well done.
As for the blogging, I can related. A few months ago I realised that there were 2-3 pieces I’d done that I hadn’t even mentioned on WP.
As much as I have a love/hate relationship with Instagram there’s no doubt that it gets faaaaaaaaaaaar more visibility than any WP post so it tends to get forgotten about for me.
Thanks Steve! I really do try to dive into the good and bad with every writeup. I’m honestly not trying to roast myself or anything like that, although I admit sometimes it may seem that way. I feel like every single piece is another learning experience, so it helps me to try to take a lesson from each one wherever possible. Even if it seems like the lessons are pretty repetitive! For example, my noted weaknesses with scenery, clothing, and objects comes up a lot in these.
That’s so funny you mention that about Instagram vs WP visibility – I was just pondering that the other day. I wonder what the next “thing” is going to be? Blogging had its revenue generation hay day, then social media took all clicks. I’m sure it’s something we can’t even fathom (or if you do, go ahead and invest, right?). Maybe the video-centered platforms (Tik Tok, YouTube) will bury the others? Or will virtual reality (Meta) finally become a thing? I doubt that last one, but I’ve been wrong many many times when it comes to tech.
I’m glad you stopped by though Steve, it reminds me I need to swing by your Instagram and catch up on your work! Haha
Yeah, swing on by to Insta – if you’ve been exceptionally observant you may see that my follower count has dropped from over 1,500 to about 700. They didn’t abandon me, I’ve been deliberately deleting them. Apparently I had a lot of “ghost” followers… that’s not something I thought about on wordpress though I fear if I did the same on WP then I’d be left with you and two others. For real !!
Every painting is a learning experience, fine words !!
Wow that is wild! I figured there were always some bots floating around, but that’s surprising there were so many once you weeded them out. 700 is still quite a lot though from my perspective, especially if you feel better about them being actual people interested in artwork.
I would guess I have a similar number of ghost followers. I know for sure there have been some on WordPress, although I’m not sure quite how many. Whenever someone subscribes, I try to look at their stuff too (particularly if they’re an artist). But there have been times where I click the user and it just says something like “this site no longer exists.” It’s not frequent, but it’s definitely been more than once.
By the way, speaking of your Instagram – so @moospeed is also yours? But just dedicated to car paintings right? I’ve got both followed now, but I just wanted to make sure I’m on the right track there.
Love how you have done the progression. Very skilled and beautiful.
I really appreciate that, thank you!
Pingback: A Longtime Friend's Wedding Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A Longtime Friend's Wedding Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Love these character sketches! I used to enjoy RPG… never see to have enough time these days to fully get into it.
Thanks very much Judith! They really are time consuming, I am with you there – it’s been a long time since I really dove into one like I did with Elden Ring. I’m glad I did, but I definitely need a break from such an all-consuming thing like open world RPGs now
Have you done Live action? I enjoyed LARP-ing back in the day… not sure how much of a “thing” it is now.
I haven’t tried that, but I used to have a neighbor who seemed to have a great time with his friends. This was probably 20 years ago though, so I’m not sure if they’re still about it. I always wondered if they sort of ad-lib the events, or if it was more like a Dungeons and Dragons session, with a carefully planned scenario?
Very interesting character designs!!
Agreed Shawn, I think From Software and all the people behind Elden Ring did an absolutely amazing job! Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin in my opinion really made a fascinating world full of compelling characters
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Ranni the Witch, Blaidd, and Iji - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Ranni the Witch, Blaidd, and Iji - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Ranni the Witch, Blaidd, and Iji - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Millicent, Hewg, Alexander, and Turtle Pope - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Millicent, Hewg, Alexander, and Turtle Pope - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Travel Art - Drawing on an Airplane - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Travel Art - Drawing on an Airplane - Amdall Gallery
So much life in this drawing, Jon. What a lovely tribute and something tangible you and your wife can hold on to when remembering her father. He looks like such a happy friendly person. You’ve done him proud.
Thanks so much Claire for the kind words. He really was a such friendly person, you could see him just light up when he interacted with people
beautiful memorial, in drawing and in writing.
I really appreciate that – I found it difficult to write about, but I hope it’s a fitting tribute to him
A little note on one of the characters I’ve tried to depict; Black Knife Tiche is actually a bit more involved in an important plotline than I realized. You can read more about some events she helped kick off in this post (Warning: Heavy spoilers are behind this URL): https://jonamdall.com/2022/04/11/elden-ring-malenia-radahn-artwork/
She was still sort of a minor character, but was involved in something pretty big.
Also, a small side note that I found interesting. One of the Spirit Ash summons I drew in another sketch, Black Knife Tiche, is actually one of the assassins who took down Godwyn the Golden. So, she’s actually one of the people responsible for kicking off all this chaos! I’m not sure if the game delves into this at all, since I haven’t reached the end, but I wonder who was pulling the strings? What’s the motivation and who really wanted to shatter the Elden Ring? Hmmm…
More on Tiche’s background here: https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Black+Knife+Tiche+Ashes
I just realized I made a small mistake – looking at those Reddit family trees, I think Radahn and Malenia might actually be half-siblings rather than cousins. Since they share the same father and all. I guess my first hint should have been that distinctive red hair!
Pingback: Elden Ring Malenia Radahn Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Malenia Radahn Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Malenia Radahn Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Malenia Radahn Artwork - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Spirit Ash Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Spirit Ash Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Interesting drawing, it must have taken a lot of research to get the armor and costumes so good in your painting. I know there are a lot of extra challenges to creating period specific artwork pieces.
Much appreciated Shawn! In all honesty, it wasn’t too bad figuring out the armor and so forth. For the most part, I leaned heavily on styles within the game. I took detours regarding some of the details, partially because I couldn’t figure out exactly how to replicate clothing details that aren’t really in color within Elden Ring.
Overall though, it was fun to try to adapt to what I had in my head!
Pingback: Elden Ring Spirit Ash Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Spirit Ash Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Well, looks like I had another Elden Ring drawing in me after all. A full blog post coming soon, but for now I’ll link the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u4UxJGrehs
Nice drawings, you really have a distinctive style to your portraits.
Much appreciated Shawn! As do you, I really like your pointillism nature scenes especially. Appreciate you commenting – it gave me a chance to see your artwork as well.
Interesting drawing of your subject reflected in the mirror!!
Thanks Shawn, it’s something I’m glad I attempted! Sometimes I have to talk myself into trying something new, so it’s good branching out worked out in this case
I particularly like the image of Finger Reader and Tarnished. There’s such an energy coming through from the directional line work.
Thanks Claire! While I was working on that one I wasn’t sure about it, but it really grew on me. I was surprised to find I liked the final result much more than I thought I would. Isn’t it a nice surprise when that happens?
It’s a nice lesson that perhaps I should see things through even when I’m not sure. It’s interesting timing because just before this, I tried doing a portrait of Donnie Yen from the Ip Man movies, but I abandoned it because I just couldn’t capture his likeness. Maybe it’s time to loop back around to that again?
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Tarnished, Maiden, and Grace - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Tarnished, Maiden, and Grace - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Tarnished, Maiden, and Grace - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Tarnished, Maiden, and Grace - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing a Mirror's Reflection - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Elden Ring Art - Tarnished, Maiden, and Grace - Amdall Gallery
You’d think it would be a double challenge as you’ve effectively got to draw two people, without a photo reference I think you’d have to be exceptionally skilled to imagine the side and back of someone’s head in perspective.
My daughter is doing a media course at the moment and it’s surprising the lengths they go to when filming mirror scenes, to the extent of filming it twice and ignoring the fact there’s a cameraman in the reflection.
Then you get tricks like this one I drew last year. Obviously I used two reference images for it but even with that in mind it was harder than I expected it to be. The hand for instance is reflected normally.
https://stevekiddart.wordpress.com/2021/05/19/peace-and-mischief/
Oh man, yes I can’t even imagine trying to do it without a reference. I would have no clue! It might be interesting to try, but I have a feeling my version may look like an insane dream or something.
That’s a cool one you linked, very well done there indeed. The techniques you used almost makes it feel like there’s motion in the piece to some extent.
Also, that’s quite interesting about filming mirror scenes – I figured they used some cool trickery, but I just filed it away in my brain as “movie magic” and left it there. Of course, that’s assuming it’s not a low budget flick set for MST3K or Rifftrax, then they are very likely not to even care
It amazes me just how much time and effort goes into film making, it’s no wonder the list of credits is more like a phone directory these days rather than a readable list.
So true – not to mention money! I truly don’t understand the economics of the whole enterprise. It seems impossible to recover how much money they spend on some of these movies
Pingback: Drawing a Mirror's Reflection - Amdall Gallery
Excellent work, good luck 🤞
Much appreciated Steve, hope things are good with you!
Thank you. Yes, I took a break from social media and WordPress during February to fully concentrate on skilling up further with the art so I’m only just back and catching up.
Your kitchen drawing captures the moment so well.
You were already on point with the realism – definitely looking forward to the results from your February activity!
I’ve my fingers crossed for you Jon, hope you get to see your work displayed. This is a great piece and your elder daughter is super-concentrated on what she’s doing. After following you for so long I’d recognise your family if I met them in the street!
Somewhat spurred on by your lead and needing to make a firm commitment to myself re my printmaking I’ve just joined an exhibiting group. I submitted my portfolio for review and was accepted into their ranks. I find there’s something about collectives, groups and associations of like-minded people that generates energy and enthusiasm to explore, create and work to a deadline instead of my normal practice of doing too much thinking and not enough doing. I can’t wait to meet them all soon.
I’m thrilled to see my on-line profile is already live at https://southernprintmakersassociation.com/artist-profiles-2/
Thank you Claire! Haha yes that’s true, I certainly have drawn them quite a few times. One thing I wonder sometimes is what the kids will think of all this when they’re older. I’m planning on giving them all these drawings someday – will they think it’s crazy that there are so many? Will they have favorites?
That is very cool about the printmaking group! I did some browsing around the site you linked, it sounds like a really great opportunity to collaborate and interact with other experts. I like the profile write up and connected site too, quite nice. Well done and congrats – looking forward to seeing/reading more on the group exhibitions if you post about them on your blog!
Pingback: Poll: Best Drawing Time-Lapse Method? - Amdall Gallery
Good luck, man! Also, a great way to make connections in the art community is to look for life drawing sessions in your area, or portrait sessions. Both usually have groups of regulars that attend.
Much appreciated! This is a really great idea – I’ll have to keep an eye out on some of the art centers I followed when I was looking for art shows to enter. I don’t have much experience in this realm though, where else would you look for sessions like that? Perhaps colleges or libraries host them? I’ll have to do a bit of googling
Anyhow, hope you’re doing well! Great to see your most recent post, and l look forward to seeing more from the print exhibit you’re featured in
Just visited your site SiverBlack. Loving your printing especially the screen-printing experimentation.
Aren’t those Galveston prints cool? I really liked those as well
Best of luck to you, Jon, you’re on the right track !
Many thanks Ronald! Glad to have come across your site – I’m really enjoying the recent sketchbook posts
Wishing you all the best with this, Jon!
Thanks Hilda! I have no clue if it’s something they might be interested in, but my thought is – this was free to submit a piece of art, so I had nothing to lose by giving it a try. We’ll see how it goes!
Doesn’t hurt to try, Jon!
I am with you there! In fact, I’m already of a mind to try another exhibition (with perhaps a different drawing) if this one doesn’t work out
If this exhibition interests anyone out there, and you happen to live in Texas, the deadline for entry is two days (Saturday, February 5th) at 6pm. There is no entry fee, and you can submit your artwork online! So it’s nice and easy.
Oh, actually I guess the Dallas Office of Arts and Culture did say exactly when they’ll notify of the results. I didn’t see it initially, but the list of artists will be posted on March 12th here: https://art214.dallasculture.org/notifications/
Pingback: Art Show Entry, Dallas OAC ART214 Exhibition - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Show Entry, Dallas OAC ART214 Exhibition - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Show Entry, Dallas OAC ART214 Exhibition - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Show Entry, Dallas OAC ART214 Exhibition - Amdall Gallery
Nice Jon! I can see YOU have been busy in the months that I have been absent from blogland!!! Please send me a small cupful of YOUR energy and enthusiasm to help me get my own blog restarted!!!! Happy New Year! I really hope 2022 is going to be a GOOD one!!!!
Hello there Hilda, great to see you in the blog world again! I just saw the new post on your site, which I will also comment on – but thank you for stopping by here to say hello.
There are a couple of artists I follow that have taken a bit of a pandemic-era break who I’ve been wondering about and hoping they’re doing well. Yours has indeed been a noteworthy absence! I hope everything is good, and definitely looking forward to seeing more of your great portraits and landscapes at some point in the future.
Cheers to a great 2022!
nice collection! I like this as a GROUP. And the use of color is a bonus — I realize now that is your “older” style, but I like it and maybe somewhere in between is where it will all eventually land..
Thank you for that great observation and the kind words! I really didn’t have a good appreciation for that fact until looking back after reading your comment, but the use of color is quite different. I have certainly fallen into a “how about some more gray” mode, haven’t I? I like the idea you’ve mentioned though, trying to find an in-between zone to land.
Pingback: Yennefer Artwork, The Witcher Show and Game - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Yennefer Artwork, The Witcher Show and Game - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Yennefer Artwork, The Witcher Show and Game - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Yennefer Artwork, The Witcher Show and Game - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Stargate SG-1 and Original Movie Discussion - Amdall Gallery
The advantage here as an observer is that I don’t know any of the shows or characters you are referring to – so I can admire these for what they are to me… portraits.
And jolly decent ones at that, I particularly admire that side profile and the expression on the forward facing chap. Nicely done.
This is a great point Steve, I don’t often consider these things from that perspective. Sometimes I do try to imagine from an overall usability standpoint how visitors to this blog might experience the homepage, navigating, and all that. But I should try to view individual posts that way too sometimes.
I did some browsing of some random posts just now, trying to imagine them completely at face value as a neutral person. It made me appreciate how I need to work on eyes and eyelids more. Haha some of my portraits have straight up crazy eyes, like that Nicholas Cage “you don’t say” meme.
Thanks for the kind words about the drawing!
Pingback: Geralt and Ciri Art From The Witcher Netflix Show - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Sharing Multiple Drawings - Another Geralt and Ciri - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Sharing Multiple Drawings - Another Geralt and Ciri - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Sharing Multiple Drawings - Another Geralt and Ciri - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Sharing Multiple Drawings - Another Geralt and Ciri - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Sharing Multiple Drawings - Another Geralt and Ciri - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Sharing Multiple Drawings - Another Geralt and Ciri - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Geralt and Ciri Art From The Witcher Netflix Show - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Geralt and Ciri Art From The Witcher Netflix Show - Amdall Gallery
I’ve been fighting with my style of printmaking versus other printmakers of a similar standard to myself for quite a while. Their work seems more interesting, some aspects more refined and subject matter that can’t help to attract. I discussed my lack of confidence with my husband as he’s a good sounding board for me to analyse my achievements.
Several thoughts came from this but one thing stood out: when we work on a piece it becomes familiar to us, like a piece of our old furniture – comfortable, safe, known and reliable. But when we initially see another person’s art if seems fresh, spontaneous, different, alluring and that’s because we haven’t had the experience of living with it over time while it develops, as we have with our own pieces. So is it realistic to compare our (familiar) work with others and find ourselves wanting?
I think my prints are quite good, relatively speaking, and I’m trying to stop looking at other work and thinking “what a great idea, I wish I worked like that” because I’ve realised that my way IS my way and the prints that appear from my hands are going to be exactly that – what my hands can produce and from the place my mind is at at the time.
I’ve had printmakers compliment me on finished prints and ask my process. WHAT? Really? As I speak with them, Jon, I can see they have exactly the same insecurities as I do. They enjoy my work because it’s new and fresh to them, the same reason I like theirs.
I think you’re doing brilliantly and if you’re working on subject matters that you like and you’re realistic enough to see where you can improve, or change something next time, then that’s a winner.
Oh, super-cute squirrel by the way and I love the bike.
Wow, thank you Claire for this thoughtful comment – this is the type of insight into other artists’ thoughts on the matter I was hoping to hear! My work life is all about analysis and data, so sadly that creative side of my brain doesn’t get to play as much as it wants to. Most of my connectivity to other people also interested in art comes from reading blogs, so sometimes I can’t tell for sure if I’ve got “normal” art thoughts/insecurities churning. Haha I really should get out more…er, as pandemics allow anyway.
It is reassuring to hear you’ve had some similar thoughts, but also kind of surprising. I don’t know a ton about printmaking, but I’ve followed your blog for quite a while now, and you seem to be at the advanced levels of the craft. For example, I had to browse a bit to find them again, but the Trees Book Project and “In Isolation” – being able to make something like these, it is no surprise at all to me that other printmakers would be complimentary
You know, it’s funny you mention your husband as a sounding board. My wife has also been great in the same way – and she thinks I’m out of my mind the way I pick apart these drawings. But I think you are really onto something about familiarity. You spend a good amount of time making something, it does become common to you in a way that fresh creations from someone else aren’t.
I appreciate your insight on this! Happy new year to you!
Pingback: Geralt and Ciri Art From The Witcher Netflix Show - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Sketch Inspired by Kenshi - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Sketch Inspired by Kenshi - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Thoughts on Portrait Requests - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Thoughts on Portrait Requests - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: New Family Pet, a Ragamuffin Cat - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Fall 2021 Portrait Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Fall 2021 Portrait Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
good to see you drawing!!!
Thank you, I do wish there was more time for it! Life always seems to have a line it wants me to go wait in. It’s always good to get back into the swing of things though.
Pingback: Weekend Relaxation and Unfamiliar Movies - Pandorum Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Weekend Relaxation and Unfamiliar Movies - Pandorum Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back in Time Part 3 - Last Batch Before the Long Break - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Working on More Realism in Family Portraits - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Three-Quarters of the Ghostbusters - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Three-Quarters of the Ghostbusters - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Prompts from Pinterest Part 2 - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: The Laundry Basket Girls - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Long Term Goals and Sketch Impulsivity - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A Dark Tower Redo, One Year Comparison - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back to Paper for a Coworker Request - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Poseable Drawing Figure Research and Testing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Holiday Portrait Gift - Amdall Gallery
I should mention, I ended up shutting this Discussion Forum down. It was a fun idea and the plugin worked really well. But ultimately, it was mostly just me posting random nonsense. And I figured I should focus my writing energy on normal posts.
Maybe I’ll bring it back some day just for fun, but for now the plug is pulled!
I like the timeline images. The latest drawing looks a little softer in line work than the others and, as I’ve mentioned in the past, you’ve a great eye for hair. Great image.
I also like the size and angle of the cup which appears to be white porcelain to me. Cute cats!
Hello Claire! Much appreciated, agreed it definitely looks softer than the others. It seems to me like there is even a gradual change of hard lines to much softer throughout all of them. It wasn’t an intentional change, but just sort of happened. Perhaps more aggressive color layering is factor?
I love those cat coffee mugs, I think they’re some of my favorites. Perfect slightly larger size, hilarious cat faces. My mom has two of them and I have yet to find them in stores – but I won’t give up!
Are looking in a mirror or is this drawn from a photo reference ? All in all great work, I dig all of them. Video would’ve been a hoot had the actual artist turned to face the camera with cat mug in hand.
Greetings Matt, appreciate that! It’s from looking at a photo – I am really not very good at drawing from life, even if it’s myself in a mirror. I think that’s probably a good future avenue for practice though!
Haha yes that would have been really funny to have a clip at the end of me actually holding that mug – have the video flip based on the mug moving toward or away from the camera. Then maybe even have a cat jump onto the table or something – next time, cat mania!
Pingback: Self Portrait Comparisons - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Self Portrait Comparisons - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Self Portrait Comparisons - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Self Portrait Comparisons - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Self Portrait Comparisons - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Amdall Fall Custom Portrait Giveaway | jonamdall.com
Pingback: Win Free Custom Portrait from Amdall | jonamdall.com
Pingback: Sweepstakes, Contests & Giveaways Mega List For 10/21/2021 - Yo! Free Samples
Pingback: Amdall Gallery - Custom Portrait Giveaway - Giveaway Frenzy
If I won, I wouldn’t have a problem with you saying it’s a drawing of me Jon 😁
You know Matt, if you are good with it, I would include your name and link your site as well! Sad to admit, I never even thought to ask previous winners if they had a website, youtube, or some other project they wanted me to promote. I really like that idea
Good luck to you on the raffle!
That would be perfect bro 🙂 hell maybe you and I should cross promote each other, I could draw something for you you for me in general, if ya want
Man, you’ve got the good ideas flowing!
Another thing that just came to mind, what if I selected multiple winners? I have the ability to select multiple randomized winners…I wonder if that would be biting off more than I could chew? Hmmm
Pingback: Fall 2021 Portrait Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Backlog Thoughts and Cousins Hanging Out - Amdall Gallery
good work!
Much appreciated, hope everything is good with you!
Pingback: Art Backlog Thoughts and Cousins Hanging Out - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Backlog Thoughts and Cousins Hanging Out - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Backlog Thoughts and Cousins Hanging Out - Amdall Gallery
Good stuff, used to have a Persian which looked not dissimilar 😸
Appreciate it Steve! I’m curious, how are Persians in terms of temperament? Are they fairly mild-mannered cats?
nice work! and your children will benefit from having a pet…its always nice to have someone to talk to lower down on the totem pole!
Thank you! Haha actually I’m already starting to wonder if the little guy understands what the pecking order is supposed to be…sometimes his meows seem to be a list of issues he has with our customer service!
Congratulations on the newest family member!
Much appreciated Dana! The little dude sure has made himself at home
Pingback: New Family Pet, a Ragamuffin Cat - Amdall Gallery
Wow, I can’t believe those links still work and aren’t broken. It’s been 10 years!
Whew…boy did we ever not “flatten the curve.” It’s weird to look at this post a year and half later. Weird, and honestly pretty dang sad.
I should probably also link the more recent drawing I did of Mike Patton: https://jonamdall.com/2020/04/26/musical-virtuoso-mike-patton/
Definitely interesting to see how much my artwork has changed!
An excellent idea, the perfect accompaniment to the drawing video!
Thanks man, I’m really excited I got to match up his music to the drawing! That was really fun.
And basically any time I sat down to write, I ended up getting distracted through various musical rabbit holes. But it was a good time indeed!
Still pretty decent brother
Appreciate it Matt, I hope you’re doing well!
Best as I can Jon, Al! I can do
That sure sounds about right, same on this end
Pingback: Drawing with the Kids - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Three-Quarters of the Ghostbusters - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A Dark Tower Redo, One Year Comparison - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Welcome to Flavortown - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Working Through a Misfire by way of the Backlog - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: By Request, Frozen's Anna and Elsa - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Musical Virtuoso Mike Patton - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Meme Art, Sergeant Mittens is Ready - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing with the Kids - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing with the Kids - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing with the Kids - Amdall Gallery
I think I’m seeing a tone of “dejected” as well, it sounds a very hard project to capture.
I do remember a fellow artist commenting on one of my dog portraits. She said “wow, how did you manage to really capture the soul of the dog like that?”. I had to answer, “I just tried to copy the shapes and colours”. I think it was more her interpretation than anything on my side, I didn’t even like the picture much.
Overthinking… choose that for the next expression 😀
Hey there Steve! Although it’s not quite what I was going for, “dejected” is at least somewhat in the ballpark. I’ll take it as a partial win! Ha – at least I wasn’t going for a downbeat type emotion and ended up with her looking happy or something.
I’m going to have to hunt down this dog portrait, was this a somewhat recent one? I’m very certain I’m not at a place where I can capture a soul, but that’s certainly something to shoot for!
It was a private commission so I probably didn’t post it up.
Probably one of the more recent ones to look at would be my Colobus monkey painting a few posts back as an example as it’s just fur and eyes. But the eyes were just shapes and colours, nothing fancy, but at a distance they look good enough to imagine they belong to something living 🐒
I commented on your site too, but that monkey really is excellent. The eyes are so alive!
Also, how in the world did you get the monkey emoji in your URL? https://stevekiddart.wordpress.com/2021/06/25/colobus-monkey-%f0%9f%90%92/comment-page-1/#comment-1870
I can’t get it to paste here, but I looked up at the Chrome bar, and sure enough…there’s a little monkey! I got a kick out of that
I’ve just watched the video from Kirsty Partridge. Wow, I had no idea but I guess if you want the realism you have to take the time. The part using the craft knife was fascinating, and what a difference to the result.
I actually tried that craft knife thing! I just wasn’t able to get anywhere close to that effect though. It does appear that she’s vastly more patient with her layering…not that I’m saying I’m lazy. But yeah, maybe in comparison I am! Haha
Hi Jon, I read her expression as either apprehension or dejected. The hunched over position (which I love) leads me to dejected. The mouth is really good, but I’m not quite comfortable with the focus of the eyes. Even though they are on the same level as the guys it doesn’t seem like she is focusing quite highly enough to be looking into his eyes, which might give a more assessing or appraising expression.
I like the gifs although this format allows us to enjoy your little ‘helpers’!
Hello Claire! That is so true, I do have some helpers that like to make cameos. I do enjoy when the kids pop in, but I’m not so sure the cat is helping too much. I think the next one, which is a portrait of the kids, has quite an extensive helper section!
I definitely have to agree with you on the eyes – the line of site isn’t quite where it should be. That’s actually a third aspect that I find very challenging. First, making sure the eyes actually align in the same direction, and also that they’re looking at what they are supposed to. It’s interesting, there are some areas that I can refine and rework, like the nose or mouth. But I feel like with the eyes, if there’s too much pencil traffic, sometimes it’s hard to save it.
Anyhow, I appreciate the thoughts on this one!
I forgot to mention the hair and your challenge with it. Honestly I don’t see it, because I’ve always thought the hair to be really well rendered.
Thanks Claire, that is really good to hear! It definitely feels like a struggle when I’m working on it, more so than so many other aspects. I think it’s some combination of me needing to be more patient, plus probably needing some more practice. I was watching this video by Kirsty Partridge, who I mentioned in the write-up, realizing how much I can still learn about hair techniques: https://youtu.be/GMjdCIYnqjQ?t=286
Always astounded when he has a beautiful landscape on the canvas and he takes a knife full of almost black paint and obliterates a whole section, only for 5 minutes later that dark patch is now a path leading into the scene with ripples on a lake and seemingly endless detail. I don’t do landscapes but I am tempted to follow along with one of those demonstrations one day. 😁
For real man! I have the similar thoughts watching him…like here he goes with that knife, and I’m thinking there’s no way this is going to work out. And of course, it looks fantastic at the end. If I ever get more adventurous and try paint, it sure would be fun to try to “Bob Ross” (a verb) something like that
Wish he’d done portraits and made it look that easy… did you see the one with his son taking over the show? Most definitely a chip off the old block, wonder what he’s doing now.
Me too! I would have loved to see some portraits done in a similar easy-to-follow style. I’ve only seen him paint a person one time on the show, and it was basically a somewhat obscured silhouette. This was the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5bXkI0-pEg
From what I understand about Bob Ross’ son Steve, he might still do those painting classes! He doesn’t seem to publicize much, but I read something about him doing a demonstration within the last couple of years. I actually do like Steve Ross’ guest hosting episodes too – even though they follow the same overall techniques, the son seems to have his own unique take on it. Plus he had some pretty funny comments; I think one was, “I pulled a little sneaky on you” or something like that.
Ahh, this is the article I read about him. He was teaching/demonstrating at a library: https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/the-son-of-bob-ross-answers-questions-about-art-late-father/article_b92e852c-7286-5cf4-bb0c-13d00a62f51e.html
Pingback: Kenshi Sandbox RPG Review and Artwork – Armdog Experiments
Pingback: Dragons Dogma Review and Artwork – Armdog Experiments
Love your creative style.
Judi thanks for checking out the site, and for the kind words!
Love it! I like Bob with his ‘doers’ and happy little accidents. Lovely portrait x
Much appreciated Christine! I love all his little phrases too – like when he says “let’s get crazy.” Yes Bob, please let’s get crazy and paint this mountain
Yes, such a great character x
Terrific post! I too love Bob Ross. Years ago I discovered the added bonus of observing my feisty toddler suddenly calm and drift into a nap while watching an episode. Great news about Roku as well! Enjoyed this!
Thanks Liza! Really glad you enjoyed it. That’s so funny, I wish I’d thought to try watching Bob Ross when my kiddos were younger! Might have really helped with naps time.
The Roku thing is so great – I really can’t figure out how they’re able to give so many channels for free. I guess I should enjoy it while it lasts though, because surely they’ll monetize it more heavily at some point right?
Pingback: Non-Stop Bob Ross and The Joy of Painting - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment - New Set of Coins, End of Year Update - Amdall Gallery - موزیک 98
Pingback: Finished Portraits from the April Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Princess Bride Part 3 - Westley and Buttercup in the Fireswamp - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Princess Bride Part 3 - Westley and Buttercup in the Fireswamp - Amdall Gallery
I wanted to click like but the button didn’t load x
Oops, sorry about that! I noticed that earlier too, but I thought maybe it was just on my end. It looks like it was a new plugin I was trying – I’ve removed it now. Hopefully things are back to normal functionality
I hope you’re doing well Christine, I appreciate the heads up on that!
Cheers, I’m OK, been a little under the weather this week.
Hope you feel better soon Christine – thanks again for your tech support assistance!
Pingback: Princess Bride Series Part 2 - Fezzik, Inigo, and Westley - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Experimenting with Light Sources - Amdall Gallery
Interesting post Jon.
I’ve never bothered with adding advertising on my site but last year I switched back from paying for a hosted WordPress.Org to a free WP site as it didn’t make any sense to keep paying out. It was eating into any of the money I’d sold any artwork for.
I realised that I’d effectively given away several artworks just to keep my website alive for (realistically) not many followers. It was at that point I decided to move to a free site and let WordPress get revenue from their advertising if they want it.
I’ve also changed my main URL to point straight to my Etsy shop in the hope that I can make some sales to get into the green 😀
Hey there Steve! I do remember reading about your journey moving to and from .org, it was a learning experience for you I’m sure, but also for people who follow your site. At one point, I thought about trying to port this site over to .org, but I remember reading about what happened to your followers and other issues and it scared me away from doing it. I ended up making a completely new/unrelated site via .org just to try it out without messing with my current setup.
That balancing act is really tricky, man. My goal has always been to approach “revenue neutral” with the art hobby if possible, but I’m still not there. Even considering the affiliate links, book sales, or anything else. I really don’t think I could do it with paid web hosting! So I totally get the move you made connecting to Etsy.
It’s quite a balancing act, isn’t it?
Yes, the heyday for me on WordPress seems to be the first 18 months after setting it up.
After that, despite the art being better, the format being more professional and the posts being more informative – the fact is that the stats took a nosedive.
Now I think of it just being as much a reference for myself as much as anyone else. I’m not a stats driven person at all so it doesn’t bother me if I’m writing to myself.
I wanted to keep the stevekiddart.com domain name so it made sense to point it to Etsy for now and then change it back to a ‘proper site’ when I’m rich and famous 😜
That’s very interesting, I always wonder the “whys” of site traffic. Sometimes, things just take hold and people check stuff out. But then some topics or posts that I think are quite interesting don’t go anywhere at all. I’ve never been able to figure it out, to be honest. Like, my all-time most popular post on WordPress is a basic thing that just lists Excel functions that I use the most. It was never featured anywhere in particular that I’m aware of – it’s just consistently stumbled upon via Google apparently.
That’s very true about your art though. I can see a real difference between the pieces from when I first started following your old site way back when. I had to do a doubletake on one of the recent cars you had on Instagram – I thought it was a photo at first, but then I realized it wasn’t! By the way, what is the current best path to your latest stuff? Is it Instagram or via that Etsy/stevekiddart.com portal?
Thanks for compliment and interest. Instagram and WordPress will have the latest stuff posted.
Etsy is just the shop so only features a small subsection of what I create, ie. no sketches, or other rubbish that isn’t worth selling 😉
Though as with the stats there’s no apparent logic as to what people want to buy. Instagram stats are odd as well, my most popular post was neatly deleted at one point when I was doing a tidy up 🤷♂️
Ahh I gotcha, yes that makes sense. Although, in keeping with what we’ve been talking about with traffic/online interest being unpredictable, I wonder if some of your informal stuff would sell too? Like the casual sketches and whatnot? Haha, you never know eh?
Love to follow your work and your progress. Your portraits are beautiful
Thank you for that Viviane, I appreciate it!
Thanks for this, I’ve been meaning to set something up on my page that makes transactions more easy and you’ve give me some really helpful pointers here!
Excellent! Quite glad this is useful!
I hope your ecommerce experiments go well. As I said in a previous comment, I’m definitely no expert, but please feel free to post again if you want some feedback or brainstorming. It’s always interesting to see how others approach things as well
Your topic is exactly what has been on my mind for the past two days! Thank you very much for giving so much useful information!
That’s awesome, I’m glad to hear you found it useful!
I’m by no means an expert at this, but if you want to bounce anything off of another person who has experimented with this stuff, feel free to pop in. I’m always glad to brainstorm with another art blogger!
Pingback: Thoughts on Website Monetization And Affiliate Links - Amdall Gallery
In terms of design, I had in mind a sort of exhausted Santa taking a break from his delivery job to eat some cookies.
I do appreciate you checking out the site…but I don’t typically allow links in comments unless it’s a blogger I’ve interacted with a bit. I’ve removed your link but left the comment text as is.
Of those major traffic sources, online-sweepstakes com, contestgirl com, and various Facebook raffle groups are easily the heaviest hitters.
Okay, I see what you’ve done here. You’re copying and pasting text from my posts as comments, trying to imbed a link. I guess this is for search engine optimization or something?
As I said in the other post, I don’t usually allow links in comments unless I know them from prior interactions. I’m removing the hyperlink, but I’ll let the comment text stay as is. I do appreciate you checking out the site.
Of course, the most significant thing was simply the fact that these aren’t people.
As I said in your other comments, I don’t usually allow links unless I know the person from previous interactions. I’m removing the hyperlink, but I’ll let the comment text stay as is. I do appreciate you checking out the site.
In a couple of ways, I consider this post to be somewhat of a do-over.
As I said in your other comments, I don’t usually allow links unless I know the person from previous interactions. I’m removing the hyperlink, but I’ll let the comment text stay as is. I do appreciate you checking out the site.
I’ve noticed that you self criticize a lot. I actually like the drawing posted, it’s got a nice flow to it. I don’t much care for realism ya know…This drawing has a real manga feel to it.
Hey Matt, I appreciate it! Yes, that’s true I am sometimes a bit critical of myself. I try not to overdo it, but I find it helpful to write about what I was trying to do versus how it actually ends up. It sort of lets me know what I need to practice. Haha hopefully that’s actually a productive thing. Can’t forget about the positives though, keep it a balanced look right?
I hope you’re doing well!
Doing great brother 😁
Pingback: Practicing Scenery Through Video Game Art - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Practicing Scenery Through Video Game Art - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Full Portrait Walkthrough YouTube Video - Amdall Gallery
I couldn’t fit all of my supplies in the links at the bottom of the post, so I’ll paste the full list here. Also, happy new year!
Materials used:
Prismacolor colored pencils: https://amzn.to/2Xcv7xd
Graphite pencils: https://amzn.to/2XEuZpa
Strathmore 9 x 12 paper: https://amzn.to/2MgI9Dn
Pencil extenders: https://amzn.to/2Aj0GML
Eraser: https://amzn.to/2MbG3Vr
Sharpener: https://amzn.to/2ZQG5ds
Camera: https://amzn.to/3eAGk0b
Tripod: https://amzn.to/3etYYHc
Adjustable arm: https://amzn.to/3lCrN8u
Pingback: Full Portrait Walkthrough YouTube Video - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Portrait Giveaway While We're Social Distancing - Amdall Gallery
Nice one !!
As far as I know every master artist I’ve read about creates from some form of reference. To pluck images out of your head without any reference at all is a whole other skillset 🙂
Happy Christmas to you and yours Jon, keep safe.
Hey Steve! Thank you man, I appreciate that. I definitely don’t have that skillset! It’s so weird, because I’ve always thought of myself as having a decent imagination, but apparently not when it comes to this hobby.
Hope you have a great holiday season/Christmas/New years, etc as well!
I think you can still have a decent imagination but not be able to get it down on paper in art form.
That’s where written works are easier (or would be for me) to pluck out of that imagination.
Not sure if you’ve seen The Mandalorian series, or the Dinotopia artwork? Both are examples of where the writing and artwork have developed at the same time, one bouncing ideas off another and most importantly, going through many iterations before settling on the one we actually get to see. And also in both, life references were used.
Have a good one Jon, see you next year 🙂
That’s a good point, it’s certainly not a given that the pencil will cooperate with what goes on in someone’s head. I should make practicing that my New Year’s resolution maybe – it’s certainly something I’ve wanted to work on for a couple of years now.
I haven’t, but I keep hearing good things about the Mandalorian. I’ll have to check out Dinotopia as well! I’ve always been a big fan of dinosaurs.
You too man, see you in 2021!
Pingback: Drawing from Unsplash Photos - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Working Through Artistic Envy - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Working Through Artistic Envy - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: New Product and Game Review Site 'Armdog Reviews' - Amdall Gallery
If you didn’t already read it at the top, since writing this review, I was inspired to create a separate website for product reviews. They really don’t make sense to have on Amdall Gallery, since this is more about artwork. The new site is here: https://armdogreviews.com/
I also reviewed the Fossil Hybrid Collider there. https://armdogreviews.com/fossil-hybrid-smartwatch-hr-collider/
Pingback: New Product and Game Review Site 'Armdog Reviews' - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Continuing Through The Backlog - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Updating a Wedding Present Portrait - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Working Through a Misfire by way of the Backlog - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Scenes from a Mr. Bungle Concert - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Sketch Inspired by Kenshi - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Artwork and Website Spring Cleaning - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Healthcare Worker Portrait Request - Amdall Gallery
I made an updated outline/planning/measuring video that I think is a bit better than this one. The new video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCIS6o6grKs
Pingback: By Request, Frozen's Anna and Elsa - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: By Request, Frozen's Anna and Elsa - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Santa Taking a Cookie Break Christmas Eve - Amdall Gallery
This is fun! I think re-using music tracks is fine. Other U-tube artists do it.
Thank you Laura! That is good to know, I really wasn’t sure if that was common. I was imagining people clicking through and thinking, “this dude is either crazy or lazy”
Its lovely to watch the sketch come alive🤩
I appreciate you saying so – thanks for checking it out!
This is one of your best, I think. Really well done!
I appreciate that!
Also, I have to say I love your artwork. The chicken illustrations are so expressive, they’re very well done.
Thank you so much! They have improved over time. The first sketches were just on sticky notes at work!
How did i miss your reply? Sorry about that! Yes, I have to agree with you – I can see the progression from the posts on your site. It’s so fun to see how artists change over time, one of my favorite thing about WP and following other peoples’ sites.
Pingback: Giveaway Winner - The Boo Crew Puppy Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Giveaway Winner - The Boo Crew Puppy Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Giveaway Winner - The Boo Crew Puppy Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Second Healthcare Worker Drawing - Amdall Gallery
This is excellent! you have made such an improvement in that short space of time! Dark Tower is also my favourite series. I’ve just received delivery this morning of Dark Tower: Beginnings graphic novel. My own art is improving, but not as fast as yours. Nice one!
I appreciate it, Steve! How is that graphic novel? I could always go for some more Dark Tower content. In fact, maybe it’s time for another series read through for me – maybe Roland finally figured out the right path this time!
Do you ever share any artwork to your site? It would be cool to check it out – I love seeing people’s varied interpretations of the Dark Tower characters. It’s always interesting to see how different they can be
Pingback: Youtuber Art Series, Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Youtuber Art Series, Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Crowded Restaurant Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: The Witcher Art, Geralt of Rivia - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Crowded Restaurant Drawing - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Best Blog Contests for Canada - List of 2020 Blogger Giveaways
Pingback: End of Summer 2020 Portrait Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: End of Summer 2020 Portrait Giveaway - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing of New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern - Amdall Gallery
I agree that if the person you did it for is happy then that’s the most important thing. However, I enjoy your analysis as it brings more knowledge to the outcome than just the visual image, and it teaches me something.
The eyes are very good; clear, distinctive and alert. These people are looking right out at us. I also really like the grey jeans on the other image, the guy second from the right, as they are definitely ‘worn-in’ and comfy looking. Great movement in the clothing and the focus is definitely on the people not the land/seascape.
Thank you Claire – I’m sure I’ve type this somewhere in comments before, so apologies if I’m repeating myself. But, small impacts mean a lot to me. Sometimes I wonder if I write too much/go overkill on some of these artwork posts, but then occasionally someone will say they actually got something from it. It probably sounds silly, but knowing there was that little ripple for someone validates it! It makes me feel like I’m part of a little art knowledge swap or something, because I’ve gained the same from other artist sites like yours.
Jon your illustrative style isn’t completely realist to begin with, being too hard on yourself. Beautiful drawings, the fact that you made someone happy with them should be what’s most important. I get it though we as artists will always only see the flaws, but sometimes you really got to relish is that other persons happiness 🙂
Thank you Matt, you’re probably right about that – I am such an easy target for myself though! Haha, only sort of kidding there. I try not to dwell and beat myself up too much, but at the same time I like to be honest about my thoughts on these things. A tricky balancing act I think.
But it’s true, by far the most important thing is that the person it was for liked the result. That’s definitely the biggest win and I’m thankful for it for sure.
Pingback: New Gadget Fun - Fossil Hybrid HR Collider - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: New Gadget Fun - Fossil Hybrid HR Collider - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: More from the Witcher, Ciri of Cintra - Amdall Gallery
Pingback: More from the Witcher, Ciri of Cintra - Amdall Gallery
Still use the grid method often, can’t see a need to ever drop that having seen extremely professional artists continuing to use it. Funny to think that something I’d tried as a four-year old would be picked up again at ten times that age 😀
That’s pretty encouraging, man! I’ve continued to wonder about other people using grids and little proportion strategies. I really have to lean on measuring tricks when it’s something important, like a request or gift. Granted, most of my stuff is nonsense that just goes in a portfolio. But you want to get those requests/gifts right, you know? A drawing of The Witcher doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but I want to give a portrait for my mom for example the best effort possible.
Absolutely, if it’s anything other than a quick sketch then I usually do something to check the proportions and stuff.
One thing I have learnt is that you don’t need to grid the whole paper, just the bits of detail and maybe some larger blocks for general spacing.
That’s smart, definitely no need to waste time marking grids for areas that are empty! I like to think of myself as a fan of “lazy grids” – not perfectly measured or even complete, but at least good enough to not have wildly terrible proportions. Even just measuring and marking distances, I think the ruler is my friend. Now, why don’t I ever use it to help with straight lines?!
Wishing you success with this Jon.
I’ve posted up a few videos for years under my alter-ego for car related stuff.
For the art stuff I’ve only done a couple, as you say it’s awkward enough creating the art without the added challenge of doing it around and out the way of a lense.
What I have intended to do though is keep the video really quite short because I’m aware that most of the viewing public have the attention span of a goldfish and will move on within seconds. However there’s definitely a good few that will sit through something longer, and quite often be better off for it.
Is your channel something you’d be okay publicly divulging as a Steve Kidd project? I’d love to check it out and see how you’ve done things. Recording video is still super awkward for me…have you found a workable position? I’m using a pretty basic tripod, but the best position so far is unfortunately right in front of me while drawing. And I still haven’t figured out the lighting situation – I already have difficulty with lighting just trying to photograph things, video is even more noticeable.
Honestly, I’m a bit worried this YouTube project is becoming an abandoned project…I started off like a tornado with the videos, but I haven’t done one in a few weeks. I need to get back on it next time I draw!
I don’t really have a workable position as the only videos I’ve done were completely ad-hoc and unplanned. I don’t have any intention of creating a channel as such, got enough on my plate already 😁
I think this is the art one, it says No Content but then there’s a few videos under Videos section. I always thought that YouTube was for videos so not sure what content it’s referring to 😕
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFxq8roSa5xyPPvhdtG2W8Q
Nice work… could you see my works
Thanks man, I appreciate it. I really like that Iron Man you did, well done. Pretty smooth color on the others, what sort of pencils do you use?
Welcome… thank u for the compliment… I used Charcoal pencils for Iron Man
Keep up the good work! And thanks for checking out the site
Love the soundtrack you’ve included. Adding that to my playlist. I think Triss’s hair is particularly good.
It really is a well-done soundtrack, Toss a Coin to Your Witcher is super catchy. We often find ourselves saying to the kids, “Hey why don’t you toss a coin to your dad/mom?”
Also, thanks for saying so about the hair – I’m satisfied with it too I think. At first, I was a bit worried about diverging so far from the video game version’s hair color. I am definitely not the best at the creative side of drawing, but I do think the more natural red worked here. Being able to diverge from source material is something I’ve tried to work on, but I never know how it’s going to go!
Regarding armour looking like cloth? I think I noticed you had drawn lots of parallel lines.? If you look at reflections in metal they tend to be more block shaped, with maybe one or two fringes of lines around them? Does this make sense?
Ahhh, that’s a good idea – definitely worth a shot next time! That does make sense; it sort of shapes itself by how the light hits it I guess? I feel like this is something I need a fair amount of practice on if I want to really get it down. Have you done any metal-heavy drawings on your site I could take a peak at?
No not really, but when I ain’t scenery I have to do things like metal lamps or other things (sorry that’s a bit vague), metal is similar to glass, the reflections in it follow its curves, so partly it depends what’s being reflected. Look at any shiny surface and you will see what I mean. Your armour looks scratched and scored, maybe following many fights. You can also add dents and broken edges. X
I’m definitely going to need to study some reflective surfaces a bit more. Do you ever use pencil to depict metal or glass? If so, how do you blend it? Like sort of in that square pattern you mentioned? Just curious if there were some tricks to it
Pingback: Initial Sketch Outline Discussion | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Dark Tower Villain Improvements | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Meme Art, Sergeant Mittens is Ready | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Initial Sketch Outline Discussion | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Publishing on Amazon’s KDP and IngramSpark | Amdall Gallery
Awesome to watch you work! My two cents on the video format is that both were great (digging the music too, lol), and I think both have a place on YouTube, if you specify the purpose in the title (and/or video description)—so someone seeking out a longer, tutorial-style video to watch would find that one, and others could enjoy the sped-up “look how cool this is, watching a drawing come together” version. I personally would love to see your initial outline-sketching phase, perhaps even in its own video, sort of a different type of tutorial. Hope this helps, good luck with your channel!!
This is fantastic feedback, I really appreciate it! Coming up with a good title and description was harder than I thought it would be. I just changed the title and description a bit, hopefully it’s a little more descriptive now.
Next time, I’ll add the graphite sketch portion too – I wasn’t sure if that was useful, so that’s good to hear it would be interesting to see. Thanks for checking it out, Anna!
Nice portrait!
Thank you Viviane, I’m glad you liked it!
Pingback: YouTube Channel for Amdall Gallery | Amdall Gallery
Thank you . Super helpful !!
That’s awesome to hear, I’m glad you liked it Karen!
these are great sketches
Much appreciated! I’m glad this one worked out, sometimes it’s hard to keep the pencils going where I want them to
Pingback: Mother’s Day Portrait | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mother’s Day Portrait | Amdall Gallery
Thanks for creative works!!!!!! Hopefully for a posssible sweeps win!!!!!! Happy Mother’s Day
Hi there Sarah, thanks for saying so! Good luck to you on the current contest/giveaway and take care
I like the minimalist background. It keeps the eye on the main subjects. Terrific portrait and, as I’m such a dog lover, especially love the dog.
Thanks Claire – I’m really starting to enjoy drawing pets, I might try to do it a bit more. Fur is an interesting challenge that I’m still trying to get the hang of, but I think I see an improvement
Pingback: Guy Fieri Admiring Some Fries – Shared Posts
Pingback: Portrait Giveaway at Amdall Gallery – Shared Posts
Pingback: River Oaks Tiny Art Show 2019 | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: What I drew in Quarantine | Ben Leander Design + Text
I always love seeing how you start your sketches—it looks so different from how I do it so that’s really cool to me. I’m not sure exactly what it is that distinguishes our styles of sketching, but you seem to have a good way of capturing the “necessary” elements to the drawing before you flesh the whole thing out (pun sort of intended).
Well played on the pun! Thanks Anna, that’s one of the things I’ve most loved about WordPress – getting a peak into other peoples’ processes and approaches. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say I don’t think I would have seen the same improvement over the last few years without that learning element. For example, I first learned of thick colored pencil layering/heavy burnishing from your Drawing Through site and Luisina Juliete’s YouTube videos. And I’ve picked up so much from artist bloggers like Steve Kidd, Hilda Rogers, and others.
I believe we do both start with outlines typically, right? After that, I tend to fall into the same flow: 1) base layers, 2) shadows, 3) blending, 4) detail, 5) more blending. Do you tend to follow consistent patterns or does it just depend on the subject? I was looking through some of your Drawing Through pieces, and it looks like on “The Eye” you went with details first and skin color towards the end. But the portriat of Bodo The Dog actually seemed really similar to how I approached the few pets I’ve drawn.
It’s funny, I am generally a super neat and organized perfectionist, but often when it comes to drawing, especially using color, I seem to approach things at random! I noticed that when I do a fully monochrome pencil sketch, I will jump around even more, adding shadows before the general outline is done, whereas the nature of colored pencil leads me to be more precise—erasing is not really an option, so there is more planning and intentionality involved, and the initial sketch must leave out details I would otherwise include, in order to avoid the pencil marks showing through in the final piece. Thanks for listening to my TED talk. 😉 I’m curious about how you see your approach to colored pencil drawing differ from your previous pencil-sketching style—maybe a post idea if you run out at some point? I don’t recall your book going into that specific comparison (if I even worded that in a way that makes sense…) Do my overly lengthy replies hint at the current quarantine? Haha
Hey I guess that’s the spirit of art though right? Going where the pencil takes you, not fighting that creative part of your brain. That’s a fair point about erasing though, I feel like I’ve definitely gotten into trouble in the past with un-fixable mistakes.
Also, fantastic idea on writing about the differences between colored pencil and the graphite approach! Although I’ve certain explored colored pencil changes over time, I really don’t think I’ve touched on that at all. In hindsight, it’s kind of a “why didn’t I think of that” moment – it would have been a great thing to talk about in in some detail in the book! Because it is definitely a different approach. I’d have to ponder it a bit more, but I think my graphite approach was more similar to yours with a lot of jumping around.
(100% there too on quarantine stuff by the way)
Great gift
Appreciate that Patricia – good luck to you if you entered!
very cool jon
Thanks Matt, I appreciate it!
Just for my own future reference, I’m going to use this comment to track some of the other places I shared this giveaway:
Your wife’s expression is perfect! Well done 👍
Thank you, man!
Eventually I guess this will need a sequel, since the kiddos are all about that Goofy Faced Life too. It’s near impossible to get a photo of all four of us without someone doing something ridiculous
Nice! I always find it hard to retry drawings—the reason why I don’t think I could be an illustrator; the character would vastly differ on each page. You’ve managed to make improvements while maintaining the features of the original drawing. Have you heard of the colored pencil trick of layering Dark Umber and Indigo Blue to create a more natural-looking black? At least I think there were the shades 🙂 I’ve had some success with trying it (regarding your comment about the sides of the guy’s mouth)
Oh me too, I totally get that. I put together a little kid’s book a few weeks ago, that’s what I kept running into. It’s about a family of robots, and I kept making the dad robot’s body change drastically from page to page. Like in one page he’d be super wide, in another his head would be bigger, etc. Illustrators who can maintain consistency have a really underrated skill! I hadn’t even really consider it much before.
Also, thank you for that tip. I had never heard it before, but I just tried some experiments with blended indigo and dark umber. It looks really good! Like you said, a natural shade of black. It’s almost like just regular Prismacolor black is slightly shiny or has a “brightness” to it (maybe that’s not the right word). But this blend seems more muted, like it wouldn’t distract next to other colors. Thanks!
What a difference! Much more drama and life in these now – the benefit of 2 more years of practice and experience. The dress in particular has so much movement in it.
Thanks Claire! It’s so wild to think about how much artwork can change over the course of a year or two.
After posting this update, I was thinking about how I could show progression on a larger scale – comparing two pieces isn’t too hard, but I wonder if there’s some tool I could use to visualize like 10+ drawings and how they change. Maybe there’s a plugin or widget out there?
Just came across your art blog (thank you for the mention!) and it’s awesome to see how you developed your style with the pencils! Love the ones from March 19th and April 17th this year. Amazing style !
That really means a lot, Luisina! Your YouTube videos were such a tremendous help when I was trying to learn how to use colored pencils. I must have watched that Emma Watson portrait dozens of times (this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQrMDFFcX0Q). Before seeing your tutorial, I had no idea the white pencil could be used to blend! That was a game-changer for sure, particularly trying to move from that scratchy light coloring to a more paint-like blending.
It’s really cool to have an artist whose work I’ve admired compliment my progress. Thank you for that, definitely made my day
“if I were a perfectionist it would probably be an issue” 😂
Haha, isn’t another way to say that “yes, I am kind of lazy”
Seriously though, I do have a bad habit of kind of messing up drawings I spend too much time changing. I’m trying to protect these portraits from myself!
It can be hard to know when to stop working on something!
True story! There are several drawings that I had layered so much pencil on, it was just slick with wax. Just sort of a muddy puddle of pencils. Not optimal when it’s supposed to be a face I think
Hi Jon. Thanks for stopping by my site recently and it’s great to explore your site. This post in particular resonates with my own ongoing experiences and I hope, as I do, that you can take some comfort from knowing that you’re not alone with these feelings! I don’t have any answers beyond what others have already said I’m afraid but it looks to me as if you know how to ‘manage’ this! All the best
Hello there John, and thank you as well for checking this one out! As an art-viewer, watercolor is one of my favorite mediums, so I’m quite glad to have stumbled across your artwork via the WP Reader. The scenes you paint are quite excellent, particularly the city paintings with people out and about (that’s not just because of COVID-19)
It is actually pretty reassuring to hear that is something other people experience too. This probably sounds illogical, but it’s hits home even more when it comes from talented artists like yourself and others I’ve come across in this blogging ecosystem. This made me of one of your posts I just read today “Am I an Artist?” I’ve definitely asked myself the same question. I guess it’s hard to really judge your own work sometimes. (for what it’s worth, l vote yes – you are an artist for sure)
Hi Jon and many thanks for such kind and generous comments – I really appreciate them. I suppose we’re all in our own way riddled with doubt (and I daresay I’d distrust anyone that said they weren’t!). It’s often really helpful in so many ways to hear how others view or perceive your work and abilities – especially at times when you may find yourself at a low ebb! Anyway – I’m really grateful for your comments and for you spending the time on looking and commenting! Look forward to seeing more of your work now I’m also following you.
I hear that, it can be a bit difficult to put your artwork out there at times. Especially since I’m probably the worst judge of my own stuff. It’s easy for me to forget that the viewer doesn’t always experience things the same way the creator does. Like some little detail might drive me crazy, but 99% of people who see the portrait may not notice or care.
Anyhow, definitely looking forward to seeing more of your fantastic paintings!
Like you, Jon, I’ve looked back at much of what I’ve photographed in the past and reviewed my seemingly ongoing struggle to get even light across a whole composition. To add to it, I’m also often photographing 3 dimensional objects and books.
At the beginning of this year I finally purchased a large (80cm square) portable photo booth with adjustable lighting, various ‘portholes’ to aim through and 3 different colour backgrounds. It’s been a Godsend. I can’t say that I’ve wrinkled out all my issues as I’m still coming to grips with it but my pictures are much improved. I use a small easel to stand items upright and have just started experimenting with vignettes laid flat.
An online course I’ve just started recommends using an iphone and certain apps which manipulate and improve photos but the struggles I see people experiencing keeps me with my wonderful Canon camera firmly in hand. I download and manipulate as little as possible (if at all if I’ve used the photo booth) in Photoshop, mainly resizing for web use.
I’ve also found a huge difference in the 2 computer screens I toggle between. Both the same brand and size, settings the same but oriented at different angles on my corner desk. I really have to ensure I’m looking at the right angle for each because imagery can seem very different if you’re not fully head on in front of the screen.
It’s no longer just about the art, is it? We’ve moved into the complexity of displaying the art, and I find that can take just about as long as producing the piece in the first place sometimes.
This is quite a timely comment – I’ve been trying to figure out the “ins and outs” of just such a thing. I’m not a photographer by any means, so all of this stuff takes some effort to wrap my brain around.
If you don’t mind sharing, what brand/model of photo booth/light box did you buy? It sounds like it’s been great, so you would recommend the one you’re using? Honestly, looking over options is a bit daunting because 1) I don’t actually know how to judge them and 2) the price seems to vary wildly. By way of example, here are two I was looking at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GIL6EU4
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0798DMM35
Is the $141 so much better than the $65 one? I have no clue! There are reviews of course, but when they’re both a mixed back, I’m back to square one.
You are sure right about the complexity of displaying art though. Since most of the audience are viewing what we create digitally, it’s pretty much vital to present it well. Definitely not something I expected to be such a core component of the process!
Definitely recognisable!!
“does look less cartoony than the originals” – the originals of these characters and of those in Tangled have crazy proportions. Yours are more lifelike probably due to the proportions I reckon…
Hey there Steve, happy Friday to you! Yes they do indeed, their eyes seem especially bizarre. When I was looking over the Frozen characters, I couldn’t help but notice how hilariously large they are.
Also, it’s funny you mentioned Tangled…that is suddenly becoming very popular with the kids. Not quite at the level of replacing Frozen (as long as my kids call themselves Anna and Elsa, its status as champ is safe), but they are consuming all available Tangled content on Disney+. Ha – might be a matter of time before I get recruited to sketch draw those folks too
Ah yes Tangled. Something topical about that at the moment.
Rapunzel locked away from the world and her Kingdom. Isolated you could say… The name of the kingdom? Corona!!
Man that is absolutely hilarious, that’s exactly what my wife kept talking about when we were watching it the other day. At the beginning, when she’s cooking a ton and bored out of her mind…”hmmm does this look familiar at all?!”
Wishing you all the best with the book Jon 👍
Sorry Steve, somehow I missed this comment – I really appreciate it!
😁👍
Thanks for the info, Jon. I shall try some better blending when I get to Day 18 of my ‘Jack’ drawing challenge which needs to be soon. I see you’ve been following my progress – all critiquing accepted!
Glad to know that self-isolation hasn’t cramped your creative spirit.
You bet! I’m not sure if this helps or not, but I got a lot out of watching videos by an artist named Luisina Juliete. I watched this video a few times specifically: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQrMDFFcX0Q. She’s really quite good at blending and pulling together different colors using white. It’s taken some time for me to figure out, but pushing harder than I was accustomed to with the white pencil was sort of a game-changer.
I’ll keep an eye out on the continued Jack portrait adventures!
Jon, I’m very interested in Elsa’s blue bodice. From the gif I see you made the small rectangular shapes first then overlaid more colour so ‘blurring’ and unifying the first layers into the whole. Is it all done with pencil or do you use water-colour or similar? Some of the areas are beautifully smooth, more painterly than I ever get using coloured pencils.
Hey there, Claire – I hope you are doing well!
It is actually all done using colored pencils. I started with a bunch of squares in turquoise and blue, most were outlines with some solid. Then, I layered some dark blue and grey into the areas I wanted to shade, and some lightly colored turquoise over the lighter non-shaded areas. The last touch was to go in with a white pencil and blend everything together.
I was a bit worried about that last blending step because I didn’t want to push the colors into an unnatural looking direction. I actually lost more of the dark blue in the blending than I thought I would, but I think it worked out in the end. So, short version – layers and heavy blending. These are Prismacolor pencils, by the way (if that helps)
Pingback: New Kids Book ‘Robot Family Adventures’ | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: New Kids Book ‘Robot Family Adventures’ | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Experimenting with Light Sources | Amdall Gallery
If you’re a video game fan there are a ton of games on sale right now.
First, GOG has a ton of free games available for download: https://www.gog.com/partner/stay_at_home.
Also, if you haven’t played Witcher 3: Wild Hunt yet and want to check it out, it’s on sale both on Steam and GOG for 70% off. So you can pick your favorite game distributor and go for it!
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/292030/The_Witcher_3_Wild_Hunt/
GOG: https://www.gog.com/game/the_witcher_3_wild_hunt
The drawing has action in it, which is in itself a success.
Thanks man – that’s true, at least I did convey action! Although it’s not quite what I hoped it’d become, there are some positives here. And it does sort of align with the art style of the game itself.
I hope you’re doing well during the current pandemic insanity, Steve. Weird times for sure.
Doing as well as can be expected I think. Various disasters occurring buy could be massively worse of course!!
Glad to hear you’re doing well, and that’s true – global pandemic aside, so far no alien invasion or anything like that. And I haven’t had to fight anyone in a post-apocalyptic Thunderdome yet, which is nice!
Free access to ABC Mouse for the kiddos: https://slickdeals.net/f/13919663-online-education-programs-for-kids-pre-k-8th-grade-free
ABC Mouse: Early Learning Academy (for Kids Preschool Through 2nd Grade) Free
Apply promo code AOFLUNICEF
Reading IQ: (for Kids in Preschool through 6th Grade) Free
Apply promo code AOFLUNICEF
Academic Adventures: (for Kids in 3rd Grade through 8th Grade) Free
Apply promo code SCHOOL7771
I’m going to also use the comments section of this post to share some free stuff to do during downtime at home. First up, a list from NPR of stuff that’s free now that wasn’t before: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/20/818670715/getting-bored-heres-a-list-of-free-things-that-werent-free-before-coronavirus
Education
Want to feed your brain with something other than constant coronavirus updates? The eight Ivy League schools are offering hundreds of online courses to the public for free.
Dhawal Shah, founder of the online course aggregator Class Central, compiled a list of more than 400 classes that are available in subjects as varied as Machine Learning for Data Science and Analytics from Columbia University; HOPE: Human Odyssey to Political Existentialism from Princeton University; The Science of Well-Being from Yale; and Gamification from the University of Pennsylvania.
The educational publishing company Scholastic announced it has a digital learning hub for free that’s intended to “support virtual learning plans.” It says the curriculum covers English language arts, STEM, social studies and social-emotional learning.
Fitness
Not interested in stimulating your brain? How about your body? Many gym chains across the country have shuttered but are offering online classes for free.
Peloton is offering new users a 90-day trial on its app. This news comes as the company announced the closing of its showrooms until at least March 29. It added that this week it began producing content from its new studios in New York, “but it will be entirely closed to the public until further notice.”
Golds Gym is offering free access to its app, Goldsamp, until the end of May, where more than 600 audio and video workouts along with DJ mixes get you ready to work up a sweat. Planet Fitness is offering “Home Work-Ins” streamed live at 7 p.m. ET daily on its Facebook page.
If you are looking for something to offer strength and maybe a little stress relief, there are some paid yoga sites that are now providing some online classes for free, including Core Power Yoga and Down Dog.
Classic sports streaming
With all the major sports leagues shut down, some of the leagues are dropping their subscription fees to their paid streaming services. While sports fans may not be able to get their live-action fix, at least they can relive (or perhaps experience for the first time) some classic games and rivalries.
Starting Friday, the National Hockey League is making all games played during the suspended 2019-2020 regular season available to stream on demand. Additionally the league launched “NHL Pause Binge” on its website and YouTube channel, allowing fans to view documentaries and “full-length classic NHL games dating from the 1950s to present day.”
The NBA and NFL are providing similar offerings through NBA League Pass and NFL Game Pass.
If it’s sports history you crave, PBS announced that it is making the 1994 Ken Burns documentary Baseball available to be streamed for free.
The piece really comes together between the last two gif shots! Thanks for explaining the curve thing/ graph, too—I think that will help explain it to someone reading that didn’t quite get it before
I think so too, I definitely felt like her face was a bit smudgy and didn’t really have much definition until the end. Also, I’m glad you found the graphs useful – there’s an overload of information out right now about this, so I tried to stick to the high points. Anyhow, I hope you are doing well!
Thanks, you too!
Informative commentary on your process. I like that. It’s needed. You inspire me and no doubt many others.
Stay safe.
Jason
Thank you Jason, I definitely appreciate the kind words!
Solid likenesses. Recognized them right away! I’ll have to go check out the new trailer now…
Thanks Anna! That’s exactly what I hoped, that people might at least be able to recognize the actors/characters. And yes, if you are a Stranger Things fan (especially of one particular character), I think you’ll really get a kick out of it. I know it made me happy – I celebrated like I just won the Super Bowl or something
One of the clearest articles on this topic. Thank you!
Absolutely, I’m glad you found it useful!
It’s been a while now since I went through this process, but seeing your comment reminded me of some things I’ve found since writing the post. First, I didn’t even think about libraries, but they also have access to the Ingram catalog – my local parish (county) library actually bought a couple copies! Also, although it wasn’t a big seller in the grand scheme of things, it did somehow end up on a couple “popular new book” lists I found online. And it was surprisingly sold online in the U.K. and Australia.
Another interesting thing is that I found out my book was being pirated. Occasionally, I google the book to see if it’s discussed anywhere. One of these searches showed a forum where someone was sharing a free hosted download link. I didn’t do anything about it, but it seems to be gone now. This is kind of a weird thought, but I was actually kind of honored that someone thought it was worth stealing. I mean, if they wanted it badly enough to risk viruses on some sketchy download, that’s on them.
I also wanted to mention how effective having an eBook through Amazon’s KDP Select is for getting attention for your book. KDP Select is controversial because it grants exclusivity to Amazon for your eBook, effectively give them even more market power. But it does generate a ton of attention, and even helps your paperback/hardcover sales.
Anyhow, that was an unnecessarily long answer, but thanks for reading and stopping by the site
I was just thinking about this again the other day. First, I do have my doubts that the book was actually being pirated. I wonder if it was just a bait link chocked full of viruses with no actual book content. I can’t figure out how they would have gotten a pirated version, since I’ve only ever had it available on Kindle, and a Kindle hack/exploit would probably have gotten a lot of attention right? Anyhow, it seems unlikely in hindsight that it was the actual book.
Nice presents, well done on doing the horses.
I’ve seen very experienced artists fall apart doing horses, especially face on.
Hey Steve, happy holidays to you! Man, you aren’t lying about horses. Trying to draw a horse face feels a lot like trying to sketch a weird brown alien.
Pingback: Holiday Portrait Gift | Amdall Gallery
Have you tried any of the Amazfit smartwatches? I ask because you talk about the battery life being a “game changer” on this, while the Amazfit smartwatches offer better battery life along with more features (AMOLED, touchscreen, GPS, more sensors, etc.) and at a lower price.
Actually, the Amazfit Bip was one I almost pulled the trigger on multiple times. The price and feature set (and the incredible battery life, as you said) is really appealing. The thing that always held me back was the unknown integration with Google Fit. I know Amazfit has their own app, but I could never figure out if they operated like FitBit in their own ecosystem, or if there was some sort of data push to Google Fit. Without knowing for sure, I never could quite convince myself to hit the buy button.
Once the rumors of this Fossil Collider started, and I saw how watch-like they looked, I was hooked. The e-ink/e-paper thing, combined with the overall aesthetic, was enough to get me to bite. I still may try an Amazfit someday though, because the brand’s offerings remain appealing.
If you’ve used the Bip (or even one of their other watches), what’s your experience with their app? Does it connect to other things, like Google Fit? If so, is it pretty seamless?
I really idolized all your works Jon! 🙂
Man, thank you for saying so! I appreciate it, Crismar
Update: I’ve run into something that sort of seems minor, but from a practicality standpoint, it’s been a somewhat significant negative. I’ve been running at dusk lately, and had trouble trying to see my mileage and stats. It’s that point in the evening when it’s too dark to see without the backlight. The problem is either that the backlight is too weak to see at dusk, or that it’s just really hard to activate while I’m running. Once it’s actually dark towards the end, when I’m walking, I can see it.
I still love the watch, but this is certainly an inconvenience…and probably will be until it starts getting dark later again.
I’ve run into another issue that’s sort of a big deal. I lost one entire day of tracking (HR, steps, exercise, sleep). I opened a ticket with Fossil, they can’t seem to figure out why. It only happened once – the data just disappeared as I was syncing the watch to the app in the evening. If it happens again, this issue may actually be a deal-breaker for me. I just can’t be losing tracking data. I used FitBits for years and never had something like that happen.
I keep the watch connected via bluetooth pretty much all the time, and it disconnects from the app about once a week. Don’t know if that’s related to the above issue or not. To fix, I have to turn off bluetooth, close the app, turn on bluetooth, reopen the app, tap connect. Fossil support, which I had always heard was pretty good, appears to have given up on my issue. I can’t reproduce it, and they closed my ticket with a “if it happens again” message.
Also, just circle back on the supported notifications thing. Android Police (a tech site, not robot cops) did a review on this smartwatch. It’s an interesting review to me, because it seemed like the had positive overall impressions, but really gave it a bad score (6/10). Apparently, they care A LOT about app notifications, because that was the main point they hammered. Anyhow, Android Police contacted Fossil and got a list of additional apps supported with their next update:
Airbnb
American Airlines
Badoo
Bank of America
Calendar
Capital One
Citibank
Delta
ESPN
Facetime
Flickr
Foursquare
Google Inbox
Google+
Grubhub
Hipchat
Kik
Line
LinkedIn
Lyft
Mint
Outlook
Pandora
Paypal
Pinterest
Postmates
Seamless
Shazam
Sina Weibo
Skype
Skype for Business
Slack
Spotify
Square Cash
Swarm
Telegram
Tinder
Tom Skype
Tumblr
Uber
United Airlines
Venmo
Viadeo
Viber
Still quite a few that I’d like to see, like WordPress and perhaps Reddit. And it’s sort of odd that they’re included some apps that don’t exist anymore like Google+. But it’s good that they’re working on that aspect.
Battery life update: I’m at the 10.5 day mark now, and it’s got 20% battery left. Unless I’m totally failing at math (which definitely happens), I could probably squeeze another 3 days out of it. That would land me just short of the 14 day mark. I’ve got device charge anxiety though, so I went ahead and plugged in tonight.
Thank you! I’m keeping this ost so I can try and create a gif. It will take me a while but it’s very useful. Thanks again!
Awesome! Always glad to help – if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’m no expert, but I do enjoy messing around with stuff like this
I’ll have to write it down so I can follow it…
Sounds like a good plan to me. You might consider trying the Google Photo option first, it’s definitely a shorter process. You can’t really control how fast the images go, but it’s a good introduction I think
Well there you go, I’ve been using Google photos since they invented it and I’ve never tried the animation feature. Learnt something new.
Makes me feel a bit so sloppy on my posts. I don’t put any thought into the majority of them. “Here’s my picture” and then if I’ve got the time, and the inclination, then I’ll add “and here’s how I did it”. 😳
It’s definitely Gif G G G all the way. Jif is a brand of floor cleaner.
Isn’t that cool? I do wish Google Photos allowed you to create .gifs out of videos, but right now it’s just still frames. Despite the fact that the app will randomly automatically make looped .gifs from videos for you.
Dude, there is nothing wrong with that! Sometimes I wonder if I’m going waaaaaay overkill on these posts. Like people open them and say, “settled down guy, I’m just scrolling to the picture anyway.”
I do like your progression gifs. Helps see how you tackle shading.
Thanks Christine, glad someone aside from me enjoys them! I would really like to try an actual video of the full process sometime, posting a sped up version here. These .gifs are so much easier though. One of these days I’ll give it the video shot (hopefully)
I wouldn’t know how to produce a gif!
I’ve got you covered on that! I’ve wanted to write up how to make .gifs for a while, mostly because I think it’s a handy trick. But you’ve given me just the nudge I needed to get it done. Should be posted tonight (I hope)
The how-to post is live! https://jonamdall.com/2019/11/15/how-to-make-progression-gif-images/
Nice review. Definitely pushing me toward getting this one despite the limited notifications that are mirrored on the watch.
Just one thing about the review though: in your battery life analysis, you mention that extrapolating 6.6% per day equates to 100% battery drain in 27 days. My calculations show 100% battery drain will happen in 15 days.
Wow, where was my brain on that one? Thank you Jason, I appreciate you catching that. I updated the post with that correction, plus some more recent feedback on the battery drain now that I’m over the 4 day mark. For me so far, I seem to average losing between 6-7% per day.
I’m glad you found the review useful! The notification app list is pretty limited unfortunately, but I guess I lucked out because most of the big ones I use are there. Android/Google messages, Gmail, and phone notifications are the most frequent for me apparently. I also get some use out of Twitter and Instagram. I hope they expand it a bit over time.
I realize now I didn’t list all the apps I see available in the notifications section. If you’re curious, here’s what I see in app list:
– Calendar
– Fit
– Gmail
– Instagram
– Snapchat
– Twitter
– Hangouts
– Facebook Messenger
– WhatsApp
– WeChat
– Weibo
– Line
You can also set it to allow calls/texts from all contacts, only favorites, or no one. And Google Fit and Under Armour Record are listed as “connected apps” in a totally separate section, which I guess implies those are more in-depth links?
Sounds a great place to visit.
I recently bought a book “The Art of Atari” which is a real trip down memory lane, even though we never actually owned one as we couldn’t afford it. My friend had one which I got to play on, in one way I wonder if that lack of availability made it an even more special experience.
I don’t treasure many physical items gained over the years, but they will have to prise my ZX Spectrum from my cold dead hands. That’ll never be sold or scrapped 😉
I do think there’s something to that – only getting to play something occasionally making it more special. I had a similar experience with the original NES. Our family did get one eventually, which really set me on a video game heavy path. Ha, when I was a kid, I even subscribed to Nintendo Power magazine – if I wasn’t playing it, I wanted to be reading about it!
I have to admit, I had to google the ZX Spectrum. That is awesome! No wonder you treasure that one. Does it still work?
No, unfortunately it’s been a long time dead and unfixable. There are good emulators on a lot of platforms though and they’ve even re-released a modern version.
Likewise on reading about it. There were a few magazines at the time with program code in the back pages which I’d religiously type in.
The artwork on the front of the tapes of games was quite noteworthy.
Oh man, that’s a real bummer! I mean, emulators are cool and all, but there’s just something about dusting off an old cartridge and popping it into a dinosaur of a machine. That’s pretty awesome that they re-released a modern version – have you been able to check the new one out?
Interestingly enough, I actually just this year go my hands on all of our old NES, SNES, and GameBoy stuff. My mom had it sitting in a barn in plastic bins, and somehow the games and system survived a couple decades of Texas summers! I’m not sure how that’s possible, but it’s pretty sweet.
Man, I do miss the days of video game magazines. I just remember being so excited when the end of the month came and I knew I had a new edition of Nintendo Power waiting for me. I used to try to mimic some of the artwork in there, particularly for the RPGs. I threw them all away at some point, and I’m honestly not sure why.
This is really well written Article on the pros and cons. Jon clearly went through the ups and downs to get his book published and did plenty of research. Well done.
Much appreciated, Michael! I’m glad to hear you got something out of it. To me, it’s hard to really get a handle on the self-publishing world without just rolling up my sleeves and trying it. But I figured maybe a write-up like this could be somewhat useful as someone tries to navigate the ins-and-outs.
Thanks so much for sharing. This gave me a lot of ideas
Absolutely – thank you for checking out the post! One of the things I love most about this WordPress ecosystem is seeing ideas and inspiration flow around. I’ve learned so much from other blogs, it makes me quite glad to hear if something I shared might be useful to someone.
I really like what you’ve done here, I’ve never seen the results of these really being used other than the ‘ideal world’ promotional promises.
Good stuff 😀
Thanks Steve! Have you experimented with using figures/models as a learning tool at all? Just curious if you’ve found some good ones that you could recommend. I mean, I do like these but clearly they have their weaknesses. It’s just so convenient to have an immediate reference at hand.
No, I’ve looked at the basic cheap ones that are in every art shop and wondered if that was more of a novelty thing. I did see adverts for fully poseable ones but the price of those decided I didn’t need them.
Your eBay ones sound reasonable though…
Yeah I hear that, man. The full retail price is pretty steep I think. But the eBay may-be-a-knockoff listing isn’t really bad for $10 each!
Passing this link is by no means an endorsement, but here’s the one I bought that actually showed up in my mailbox:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Figma-Archetype-Next-He-She-Action-Figure-Collection-Anime-Model-Body-Toys-Doll/152996838139
Like I said, I definitely suspect it’s not a genuine Figma brand model. But it shipped from China to Louisiana surprisingly fast (for free) and was pretty inexpensive overall.
On the other hand…I would avoid any listings by eBay seller yalonl_0. That order never even shipped, and I couldn’t get the seller to respond to me at all. I had to submit a ticket with eBay to get a refund. It wasn’t a cumbersome process, but it did waste a couple of weeks of waiting.
Interesting. I have always been tempted to get a model. These seem a little “tense”, over-musculated, but I’ll bet they are mostly used in cartooning, where superheroes are always ready to strike. I think you did well with them.
I’m with you about how exaggerated their musculature is – I was actually trying to find something that was closer to an average person, but surprisingly this was one of the least extreme I found. This type of model is apparently very popular, but they do trend more towards animated or comic book style builds. From what I gather, people do use them for art, but collectors also take these basic gray or peach models and paint them into action figures. Like there are YouTube videos of people creating movie characters and so forth from them.
Have you come across any similar figures that are a bit more realistic or at least less superhero-ish? I might even consider not being a total cheap skate if I could find something great that other artists vouch for. If you do ever opt to try one, I’d be curious to see what you pick and how you like it!
Did they do the larger donut eating couch potato model?
Mr Potato Head represents the real world figure.
Dude I would 100% buy poseable figures of different body types if I could find them. For a guy with my skillset (i.e. poor artistic imagination) I need some reference to help me along. The Jon “Body by Pizza” Amdall edition wouldnt be a best seller, but I’d use it!
Will just have to get yourself standing in that superhero pose and have someone take your picture for reference. Maybe holding aloft a pizza slice in triumph.
I’d go for a ‘asleep in front of the telly, mouth agape, perhaps starting to drool’ 😂
This is an idea whose time has come! I wonder if I would be able to get my wife to stop laughing long enough to snap this photo?
I like these figures. I think the female looks cheesed-off and the guy seems expectant, as if he’s about to get up or lean further forward.
Thank Claire, I like the figures too – I really was on the fence about them at first, but I think they’ll be pretty useful. While I was sketching I had a moment where I thought, “Oh wow did I mean to make them so surly?” And then, “Yes. Yes I did, let’s make them highly displeased with this situation.”
It all makes sense because my oldest daughter was helping me pose them and one of their legs kept falling off. That would sure make me irritated as well, so I empathize!
Pingback: Unfinished Art and an Unposed Portrait — Amdall Gallery – EverydayVibes
Also, really liked the last clip as well. It’s of similar theme to the first one. Can you please help me ID the show?
Nice drawing! Do you know from which show you grabbed the first audio track? I’d really like to identify the show. There’s a female guest that pops in briefly starting around 0:42. If you can id the guest, I can probably find it.
Hello there Martin, thanks for commenting and for checking out the artwork. Man, I really wish I could be of assistance there. It was so very long ago, I can’t recall who that guess was. Listening to the clip again, I get the impression this was an actress promoting some movie that came out during early 2000s, but I just can’t nail down who it is. Sorry about that!
This is really beautiful. You nailed the perspective.
Thank you Alison – by the way, glad to see a new post on your site! It’s a good one, I like what you’ve done with watercolor
That’s a tricky perspective to work with, I’d definitely count that as a victory – well done.
Oh, and you really must do that “dude with phone”, that’s the most interesting to my eyes 🤓
Thanks man! I think the “dude with the phone” could be interesting as well – honestly I’m not even sure why I didn’t finish it. It may have been one that I started, had to leave town, then it probably sort of passed out of my mind. Sadly that happens sometimes
I had a mission last year to finish off all my part-dones before 2019, start off the year with a blank canvas metaphorically and literally.
Still got some kicking around 🙄
Haha oh no, how many did you end up with at the end of the year?
Heroes in a half shell – great job!
Turtle Power! Ha ha, thank you I appreciate that!
A nice side effect of doing this post on the ninja turtles is that I got to listen to the soundtrack from the original movie again. I had forgotten about it, but what a great thing to listen to while writing about those radical dudes. This was a fun one!
It does sound like great fun!
I like this new idea! and although small, don’t discount the idea of drawing old “tin” soldiers — some of those are quite elaborate and historically accurate
Oh I like that idea too! Any thoughts on good places to get something like that? I imagine eBay might have some, but I wonder about any brick and mortar stores – maybe something like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s in the U.S.? I’ve been so focused on sources like family photos, I never even gave much thought to tools artists have probably been using forever. Rookie mistake!
Another important element to art/expression. Good job
Thank you! That slight smile/smirk was definitely interesting to try…I did a fair amount of tweaking it, and feel fortunate that it worked out. I worry about wrecking the integrity of the paper with too much of that sort of thing
great art works… keep it up
I appreciate that, thanks!
Pingback: The Push and Pull of Artistic Envy | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Jon Stewart Getting Things Done | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Improving with the Tablet and Sketchbook App | Amdall Gallery
A good comparison, I still like the old style as well – there’s something lively about the visible line work.
Re-doing an old picture without referencing the original sounds a good exercise. I feel that it’s something I’ve done but I can’t remember what one it is now. Will have to look at my own gallery haha 😂
Good stuff, keep it up 🙂👍
Thank you Steve, it’s so interesting to hear someone else’s opinion on something like that. From my perspective, seeing those older drawings with more prominent outlines just reminds me of the hesitation and uncertainty I sometimes felt trying to capture the right look. I tend to associate lighter lines with feeling more confident from all this practice. But trying to look at it through a different lens, that older stuff definitely had it’s own look.
I’d certainly love to see if you have done something similar! Since I feel pretty familiar with your artwork at this point, it would be fascinating to see how your approaches might change. This all makes me want to go browse older posts for some of these sites I’ve been looking at often over the past 2-3 years
I remembered what it was now, I’d drawn a Christmas ornament three times over three Christmases but made a point of not looking at the previous drawing for reference, or even to see what pen or pencil I’d used.
Whilst there were small noticeable differences the main thing that caught my eye was that I’d picked a piece of paper twice as large for the later one. This would’ve been as I was trying to force myself to get away from the smaller drawings that beginners do. However the actual figure on the paper ended up exactly the same size, almost to the millimetre!!
Oh man, that sounds cool! Do you happen to have a link (if it’s been posted to your website)? That would be very interesting to see how your technique and view of it had changed.
That’s a good note about paper size too – it’s actually something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. Specifically, if it’s time for me to move up to larger paper. I’ve been using mostly 9 X 12, but find myself feeling cramped pretty often lately. What size do you usually use for the most part?
Nice job! Great books.
Thank you! They really are; I almost want to read the entire series again even though it wasn’t more than two years ago that I read the books
You will discover even more the 2nd time around.
Pingback: Drawing Friends, Another Yearly Comparison | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing Friends, Another Yearly Comparison | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing Friends, Another Yearly Comparison | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Drawing Friends, Another Yearly Comparison | Amdall Gallery
Oh yes, envy does show its ugly face from time to time. The discipline that I finally embraced was to stop comparing my work to theirs, to stop worrying if people would think I was copying my influences, and stop concerning myself with the opinions of others. I have no idea if I’m a great artist or not, but after almost 40 years of creation, I finally understood what so many artists have said before me: authentically make art you like and make it for yourself. That will be the only way to attract people who hear your true voice.
Finally, and you have already said this before and in this article, you need only compete with yourself. Let me make this simpler that your approach of aiming high and accepting only partial success; you only need to do better that you did the day before.
Ask yourself which feels better: “I didn’t achieve my goal, but I learned along the way”, or “That’s an improvement over the last sketch, now I’m one step closer to my goal.”
By the way, this works best if you eliminate the big hairy goal and focus on the learning journey.
In my opinion, art can have no real goal, because of its completely subjective nature. Art is about play, exploration, and expression much more than technique.
I always remind myself of something Picasso said in one of his last interviews. The interviewer witnessed a retrospectively his work spanning from the technical genius of his early years to the abstracts and simple lines drawing on pottery and with light at the end of his life. The interviewer related a comment on his later work from another spectator “a child could do that”, and asked Picasso how he felt about that.
The answer Picasso gave was something like, “When we are children we are not concerned about anything other than the joy we get from making art, because of this, we create pure art and pure expression. Society quickly erases that bliss with judgements they call needed learning.” Then he said the part of the quote that has guided me all my artistic life. “By the age of 12, I was recognized as a master of my art, able to copy El Greco, Velasquez and all the Masters perfectly. I’ve spent the next 70 years learning how to paint like a child again.”
I’ve come to understand this in my own way, and I believe one of the important points he was espousing was to focus on fun over form.
What do you get from it?
What an excellent, thought-provoking comment! I think what you’ve said here about authentically making art you like, and using your true voice, is spot on. I do believe people are interested in experiences that resonate in that way. I’m always more drawn to exploring a project someone is passionate about; it seems like you can often tell just from the way they write about it, or even the imagry itself.
Also, I really like that Picasso quote. It’s interesting to consider his perspective though, as someone having mastered multiple genres and styles (Picasso of course, not me). I’m by no means an expert on art theory and history, but it seems like by becoming technically proficient at so many core skills (like realistic portraits), he probably learned things he couldn’t help but have bolstered his future modern art with. It’s like his artwork was a journey that relied on everything he learned, even if you couldn’t see it explicitly. It would feel like cheating for someone like me to paint some shapes and say “see I can do that too.” Maybe not cheating exactly – actually, more inauthentic. Almost like I haven’t learned enough, haven’t crested that hill, to start making it simpler/purer for myself. I don’t have that same body of work and knowledge for that perspective to fit my mindset – it wouldn’t seem like an organically generated thing at this point in my learning process.
I may be totally wrong there though, because what you said about focusing on fun is a really important take away. And that may have been instead what he meant – if you aren’t enjoying creating, why are you even doing it, right? From that perspective, it sort of squashes what I just said above to some extent I think.
Bang on!
I can relate to that envy, when I first discovered Instagram I was doing the “wow that’s so good, follow them” and before you know it you’ve got so many inbound images that it’d take you most of the day to get through it – and certainly that time would be better utilised creating rather than looking at other art.
I’ve naturally fallen into the balance now of rarely changing the accounts I’m following. I’ve got a few arty friends of course, and I’d say several which are above and below (in my opinion) in terms of skill level but broadly similar. There’s a few which are mind-blowing but I’m realistic about the fact that they are full time artists, with studios and often having done it for a chunk of time. I don’t have any envy these days as there’s only one person you should really compare yourself with, and that’s the “you” from a year ago 😁👍
That is so true, Steve. There is definitely such a thing as social media follow overload, and I think I’m past that saturation point! It’s especially true for exactly the beast you mentioned; Instagram. I mean, it is really neat to see so many great artists. But I got to the point where I don’t even see friends or family’s stuff on there sometimes, because it gets drowned by everything else.
It’s sort of true for WordPress Reader too. As part of typing this comment, I went to the Reader to see exactly how many I follow now…I have 593 followed sites! I had no idea it was that many. I probably need to go back and filter out some impulse follows, because there can’t be more than 30-40 that I remember and specifically seek out (like Steve Kidd Art for example). I feel like I’m missing a lot of WP Reader content in the moment that I have to later hunt down for individual sites.
That’s good advice about comparing too – it’s sort of fun to gauge how you’ve changed over time. A bit surprising even!
Yes, I started off following everyone that followed me but soon discovered a bombardent of posts including pictures of people’s dinners, cats, posing at the beach – so all that had to go. Besides my IG has something like 1,500 follows now, there wouldn’t be enough hours in the day just to look at that lot 😆
I’ve had to make some tough decisions to stop following decent folk but decided that “Steve Kidd Art” as an online entity is purely for my art and nothing else. Harsh maybe, but essential.
By the way, thanks for the follow but more importantly, for posting up your artwork and thoughts – it’s *exactly* what I’m here for 👍
Haha, yes you would have to dedicate your life to intake and processing of Instagram posts! Although some people might enjoy that, it sounds like a good recipe for insanity for me. I think filtering social media down to art is a good call – it seems like a lot of content now is just clutter (spammed articles, politics disguised as news, mid-level marketing schemes, etc). It’s nice to make that feed into something more enjoyable wherever you can
And I remain flattered that people like you, talented and skillful folks, have some interest in these posts! It sounds cheesy, but I’m absolutely serious – having an interested audience, even if it’s just a handful of people, really makes writing about this worth it.
Glad to hear you are enjoying Unsplash so much, Jon! You got a great result from this one 🙂
Thanks Hilda! I am indeed enjoying it, I’m even thinking about turning over a few photographs I’ve taken for use there. Nothing special, just a few scenery pics (like the beach in Oregon, the Red River in Louisiana, etc.). Might be a way to pay it forward!
that’s a great idea, Jon!
Sorry Hilda, I meant to respond again to your last comment! I actually did upload a few photos to Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@amdallgallery
Just so I can in some way contribute to a resource that I’ve so much enjoyed using. The photos aren’t anything special, and aren’t even really something portrait artists could use – just some scenery. But maybe someone out in the world will use them.
Well Done, Jon! – I really like your attitude! Is it easy to load up photos to unsplash? Maybe I should be having a go at doing it myself! 🙂
Much appreciated Hilda – it’s really not bad at all. When you log in, there’s a button that says “submit a photo” pretty close to where you user profile picture is (top right corner). Load up the photos you want to share, then they’re out there for the world to use!
They give you some guidelines (5 MP size, clear image, you own the rights, etc), but I also took the step to tag the properties and file name. Basically, I went into Window Explorer/My Computer, right clicked on the image files, and clicked “Properties”. Then, I clicked on the “Details” tab and added my name/info to Title, Subject, Copyright, Author, and so on. Maybe not strictly necessary, but I thought it was good to be thorough!
How was it received? Hope they liked it – glad you went analogue for this one ☝️
It was well received! Honestly I was a bit nervous about it. Self-doubt in the corners of my brain kept peeking out, trying to feed me imagined scenarios where the recipient was like, “Oh, yeah. Ok. That’s…well, alright then.” In hindsight, that would have been unrealistic, and the guy never would have reacted like that anyway. But I was relieved that it made a positive impact.
I’m also glad to be back to analogue – digital is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there
Haha, very well said, I agree totally.
From what you’ve posted here (but they never look the same onscreen as in real life) the lightbox looks perfect. My eye starts at the hair, travels down the face towards the right, meets the lightbox cord/bulb, travels down the light bulb towards the left and back up the arm to the face. So both compositionally and colourwise it works for me. Looking forward to seeing other comments and views.
Excellent, I’m glad it came across well! It’s always interesting when you try something new to see how others react. It’s tough for me sometimes to try viewing what I’ve done objectively. I guess that’s probably true for a lot of people though eh?
Really like this one Jon. She has a slight look of Cher about her; the same long narrow face and strong nose. Reminds me of Cher in Moonstruck, around 1990 I think. Love the addition of the lightbox.
Thank you Claire – I didn’t notice that when I was drawing, but you’re right on about the facial shape/nose combo
I’m glad the light box worked out, because I thought at first that might have been way out in left field with the yellow. I mean, this is supposed to be a light blub not the sun! It still may be too yellow, but at least it’s not completely out of control
Pingback: Did You Miss Me?!…. – Hilda Rogers ~ Artist
I know this post is like two years old, but I feel like it’s worth pointing out that it’s probably incorrect. Based on my googling, it seems like it’s actually okay to wear a navy shirt/coat with black pants now.
Nice artwork, also love the progression gif idea, will certainly be copying that!
Thank you Andy! I’ve always liked to share the earlier progression images of sketches, but found that just including all the images sometimes made posts too cluttered. Sharing a .gif of all of them seemed like a cleaner solution.
There are tons of sites/methods for making them, but if you need a recommendation, I’ve been using https://ezgif.com/maker. It’s easy to use and has lots of options (like changing the speed of each frame, autocropping, etc.).
Jon I’ll take a look thank you
This has been very interesting to read, though I must admit I’ve worked backwards through your posts on it.
You may have noticed my recent foray into digital drawing. I’m also an Android guy really but a deal came up on an iPad with iPencil so I ended up with that – and the same application though I’ve more recently been playing with Procreate which seems to be ‘The Tool For The Job’ when it comes to Apple.
It’s not overly easy is it? I must admit that whilst I bought it for drawing I’ve spent probably twenty times the hours on Netflix rather than drawing.
I find it so much more rewarding on real paper, and not just because I’m lousy digitally. I think it’s the feeling of drawing on glass with a biro possibly, no tactility to it 🙄
Anyways, this is a great portrait above. It’s better for the ‘unfinished’ bits, delete that bit of the write up and make out it’s artistic license. I think in terms of style, your self portrait was instantly recognisable as being one of yours.
This is good stuff, I feel more inspired to shut down the Netflix distraction and get busy with the pen again.
Hey Steve! So, it looks like I’ve missed a ton of new posts on your site. I’m not sure if I lost my subscription or something during your transition to a new host, but it looks like I’m good to go now. A silver lining to missing those is I have lots of good material to catch up on now.
Definitely have to agree with you about digital art. It’s a major learning experience, with all new rules to figure out. And that’s something I didn’t really consider either – with the tablet, it’s so easy to waste time browsing or watching Netflix instead of opening that drawing app! Distractions seem to multiply when they’re easy to access, don’t they?
I don’t think digital art could ever replace paper for me. As you said, there’s just a special tactile feeling to paper that can’t be beat!
Hi Jon, you’ve amassed a great amount of work, which is great to see. You’re not afraid to try new things.
I recently posted a ‘tutorial’ on how I went about doing a self portrait sketch in in pencil, which might interest you. It’s good to be in touch.
Haha, see I’ve got you fooled there! I feel like I have a hard time trying new things. I think it took me like 6 months to get the courage to even try color! But I do try to push myself out of my comfort zone sometimes, because getting back into the art hobby after being away from it for like a decade has been all about learning.
Hi Jon, I see that you’ve ‘liked’ my latest blog, thanks for that. I have had a quick look through some of your posts, and you have created an impressive list. As an artist (in many drawing mediums), and lover of people to draw, I’ve enjoyed looking at your approach to the portrait. I recently did a self portrait, and have noted my approach to this sketch on the post. Nice to be in touch, Vivienne (New Zealand).
Hello there Vivienne – I always love coming across new art blogs (well, new to me anyway). I’ve learned a ton just from following other artists who run WordPress sites, so it’s great to find more people to follow. I’ll have to check out the self portrait and some of your other works as well.
Thanks for checking out this site!
I like the “unfinished” bits, as well, because it leaves some space for the viewer.
I’m with you there, it’s kind of cool to have some unfinished spaces!
great job!
Much appreciated! This one was pretty satisfying – I like that the happiness seemed to convey in the subject’s face
Gosh, these make me think about getting a digital set up… really pretty good, but I miss a bit the “pencil-ness” some of your other work has (could that be line weight? maybe) I am clearing out my store of paintings and cataloging them — we’ve over 500 at this house, and again as much in storage…. digital,digital
Wow, you have over 1000 paintings? That is some prolific art creation! I guess they do add up over time eh? I’m only a couple years into this hobby really, but already I can see how storage could be an issue with my small amount of art.
So, have you done any experimenting with digital painting/artwork in the past? For me it’s been really hit-or-miss; that first time I completely lost interest in it, but strangely now it’s working out better. I wonder if picking a tablet/operating system/program is as specific to an artist’s taste as his/her favorite medium is?
Wow! this is awesome 🙂
Thanks for saying so, and for checking out the post!
I had a go at 100 portraits 100 days last year and it was H.A.R.D
I think I got to 68-69 by the 100th day but nevertheless I’d have to say it was educational.
Wow, well I’d have to say almost 70 is still quite a great accomplishment! I mean, that’s really a huge amount of artwork. How did you approach generating ideas for what to draw for that project?
Aw Jon! Thanks for the mention! I really appreciate support from artists such as yourself while I am doing this crazy challenge! Happy to spread the inspiration in your direction also! I have noticed on Unsplash that there are a couple of large and wonderful collections’ under the subject of “humanity” that you might enjoy…it is a great resource and I am really having fun with it!
I’m happy to, Hilda! As I mentioned before, it’s such a fun idea and you’re getting some great results. Definitely something worth checking out, in my opinion.
Also, I’ll have to search “humanity” and some other specific terms on Unsplash. Although I’ve found some cool ideas, I know I’m not using it to its full potential. My Unsplash searches have been totally haphazard and random, mostly guided by whatever their algorithms tell me I’d like. I know I’m looking for people, so why not actually target that in searches!
I’m looking forward to seeing the results of what YOU find, Jon! 🙂
Haha where to even start though! I guess the thing to do is just point at one and dive in
I hear you, Jon! That’s why I spent a couple of weeks picking my references before I started THIS challenge – to try and stop my head spinning from trying to decide which one to choose each time!
Nice one Jon, and a good point with regards to the model release part of these ‘free’ sites. For something commercial I’d probably be inclined to use either my own photos or create something drastically altered from someone else’s photo. Or possibly even… (scary thought) use my imagination.
Well done on the phrase “perpetual mediocrity” and the gif build up.
Haha, thanks Steve – if only my imagination was more functional going from brain to paper. It’s funny, I’ve always thought of myself as a creative type of dude, but honestly that is a real struggle for me most of the time. It’s frustrating, because when I really want to practice art, the limiting factor is usually that I can’t figure out anything interesting to draw!
That makes sites like Unsplash such a remarkable gift. And WordPress too, because reading about how/where other folks come up with things is like a gold mine. Ha – also thanks for the kudos on my Dallas Cowboys diss. I can never pass up a chance to bad-mouth the team that I both love and hate.
Going from brain to paper is what you and I are both doing anyway, it’s just that we’re taking in that optical input as the source. Using the imagination to generate that initial image must be like a holy grail. I use visual references 100% of the time, well maybe 99.65%.
I’d say that since I started drawing 6 years ago I’ve just been copying for the most part, learning how to use the tools. Only in the past year have I started to ‘create’ something new but even so it’s started with an image reference.
Dude, you are sure right about that – definitely the holy grail of drawing. I am being totally literal when I say I’m in awe of the creative talent some artists have. Some people really have a gift!
Lovely job, Jon! Good to see some fresh work from YOU btw! I think the jewelry works just fine, especially as it is the second thing that draws the eye, the first being her EYES! In case you did not notice, I am using Unsplash almost exclusively for my Face A Day May challenge,this year, so I was very interested to hear your thoughts on it in regards to copywrite. I always credit the photographers because I think they should have credit for their work and exposure, even though they are posting their work up with no strings attached – to me it’s the right thing to do and I, as a portrait and figurative artist am truly grateful that these websites exist to give me such a broad segment of humanity to reference!
Much appreciated Hilda – it always feels good to get back into some familiar territory! Although I’ve really only been blogging for about two years, it’s comfortable to be in the draw-and-write-about-it flow.
I’ve been meaning to check into your Face A Day May challenge and see how it’s going. I’ve only read a couple of the posts so far, but already I’m seeing great things. I only just found out about Unsplash; what a wealth of ideas! I read your reference to Pixabay too, which I will definitely check out. You’re so right about the “broad segment of humanity” to reference, it’s so valuable to artists who are thirsty for practice.
I love the prompt to your readers to participate in the Face A Day challenge by submitting ideas or photos, by the way. It sounds fun – I’m going to ponder a bit, see if I can come up with something good before the challenge gets too far along.
Looks like you came back and read a whole lot more of my Face A Day posts, Jon! Hope you are finding them entertaining! The thing I like about Unsplash is that you can make a ‘collection’ and then it’s just a case of opening your collection each time and picking from what you already pre-selected – so it really cuts down on decision making. The other thing I noticed is that Unsplash will then suggest other people’s collections that you might like (and I am getting ones on the subject of “humanity”, which then gives me further interesting face-fuel!!)
Glad you like my idea to get my readers involved (so far it has inspired two people to submit …which is wonderful, fun and really inspires me to put forth my best effort for their benefit) I hope YOU do come up with ‘something good’ that would be awesome….tick tock, clocks ticking and the $’s just creep up…….(THAT aspect was also inspired by something I heard another artist did to inspire audience participation!)
Oh yes, I really enjoyed what I’ve seen so far! This is such a cool idea, I love unique challenges like this one. I can’t remember if I was around and blogging for your first two Face A Day Mays (you’ve had three now right?), but it’s very fun. I’m excited to see what the rest of May brings.
Unsplash really is a cool site. I hadn’t even made a profile yet, but I went ahead and did that tonight so I could take advantage of some of their features. The photo suggestions so far have been surprisingly solid too, and keep leading to more ideas. At this rate, I’m going to need some more paper for all these planned sketches!
This is a great outcome and the jewellery adds another dimension, drawing the eye in. I think you’ve captured the light in the gemstones very well and, yes, capturing gold settings must be very hard. My favourite parts of this sketch are definitely the hair and the gem stones.
Thank you Claire – in hindsight I’m actually a little surprised about the necklace. As I was working on it, I thought the entire piece of jewelry was a bust. But the stones actually look decent! Gold is apparently tricky for me because it seemed in this case to have both bright/shiny and dark qualities. That part was a bit confounding. I’m glad the hair and necklace left an impression! That’s great to hear.
Pingback: Publishing on Amazon’s KDP and IngramSpark — Amdall Gallery – Stefan Xhunga
Wow, I’m really impressed Jon!
I appreciate that OutsideAuthority!
I’m always glad to hear from you actually, because it reminds me I need to go catch up on your posts. You are such a prolific artist, it’s easy to miss fascinating new creations if I’m away even a couple weeks!
Wow!! So that’s three actual real authors I know now… I wish you every success with the book. It’ll be interesting to see how it pans out, books must surely outlive blog posts by a factor of thousands !!
And I see you mentioned me in the “artist thanks”, I don’t even consider myself an artist yet so I’m well chuffed to be mentioned. Thank you 😀
Thanks Steve! It’s weird to think of myself as a “real author” but I guess I have to admit that’s true now.
But along those same “am-I-really” lines, you are indeed an artist! Quite a skilled one in fact. But the biggest impact to me has been your knowledge base and the feedback you share. People like you and the others I referred to are what makes WP so valuable for artists (especially people just starting out). Slightly cheesy, but very true.
Ha! Well I’m very glad if I’ve been of service 😊
Many-months-later update to this…I removed all the ads from Amdall Gallery. I received a pop-up advertisement, which wasn’t something I wanted or set up…it was extremely annoying. Basically, the straw that broke the camel’s back. So, they’re gone! Not worth the $2 per month to damage the user experience like that.
I love this one. You did an amazing job.
Thanks Dana! Dogs are definitely outside of my comfort zone, but it’s probably good to practice new things. I was actually a bit excited when the giveaway winner chose her dog because I knew it’d be something fresh
Congrats! Cover looks great. I look forward to reading 🙂
Much appreciated Anna! I’m glad the cover looks okay, that was something I wasn’t sure about. I liked it, but I can never tell if my aesthetic choices actually translate well for other people. I kept comparing it to other art-related books on Amazon and waffling back and forth between “yeah it fits in” versus “not professional enough.” I’m obviously not a professional graphic artist, but hopefully it’s not too out of place
So, I read the book and it was really fun to see your art progress over time and learn about the process you use now. I think it’s great to have a book like this out there, and I hope others get the same enjoyment from reading it that I did!
That really means a lot, thank you! I’m anxious to hear/read feedback, and very glad to hear it was overall a positive from your perspective.
I’ve only seen one review on Amazon so far, so outside of my family, I wasn’t sure what people were thinking. Honestly, much like when I started this blog, I really couldn’t figure out how the content would be received. But, I decided if even a few people read it and think “hmmm okay interesting” then I’ll call that a success!
I’ll be sure to leave a review on Amazon for you 🙂
That would be very cool! And really, the idea that I now know at least two people liked it just makes my day
Congratulations well done!
Thanks Alison! It’s a strange feeling to have actually finished, I wasn’t entirely sure that was going to happen
Wow! That’s great. Congratulations!
Thank you! I’m still pumped up about it, but now what? I guess I need to Google “what to do after publishing” to see if there’s anything else I’m supposed to be doing. Since I’m totally new to it, I have no clue if I’m supposed to request/submit/work on anything else for this thing
Pingback: Art on a Shopping Cart | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Self Portrait, Shadow and Contrast Struggles | Amdall Gallery
Congratulations – hope it sells well!
I appreciate that! It was a fun experience even just in a vacuum, but I’ll admit a few sales here and there would be nice icing on the cake
Pingback: ‘Pencils and Process’ Book is Out Now | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: ‘Pencils and Process’ Book is Out Now | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Three-Quarters of the Ghostbusters | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: ‘Pencils and Process’ Book is Out Now | Amdall Gallery
That’s quite instructive!
Much appreciated – I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I am glad you’re back! our work is different, but I learn a lot from your blog.
Thank you! That is really flattering to hear, that a skilled artist takes something away from my ramblings. It’s always my hope that writing about what/how I learned might be useful to someone, but it’s hard to tell if that is actually true.
Pingback: Book Status, January Giveaway Portrait | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Book Status, January Giveaway Portrait | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Three-Quarters of the Ghostbusters | Amdall Gallery
That difference is quite remarkable Jon.
I’ve recently revisited some of my older pen sketches to add colour as I only started with paint last year. The difference there made for a decent ‘upgrade’ but not as much as what you’ve achieved here. As you say, that portrait practice must’ve skilled you up, keep it up and good luck with the book – that sounds challenging in itself.
Thank you Steve – and I have to say, I like what I see on your “revisited old sketches” post. I have always had bad luck trying to add color to the old originals. It seems like I pretty much have to start fresh (like the Dark Tower piece from this post). But what you’ve done with the cathedral sketch and the girl by the tree actually works very well. The color adds quite a bit to the original. I wonder if pen lends itself to later additions better than pencil?
Thank you Jon.
I’m not sure, I’ll pick one of the pencil sketches to paint over and see how it turns out. I’ll post it up even if it goes wrong 😊
Pingback: A Dark Tower Redo, One Year Comparison | Amdall Gallery
Nice drawings – great that you can draw so well from imagination – something I have never been able to do. Good luck with the book! I like the Dark Tower series too – but never got past the first few books as I wasn’t able to buy the next one along! One day I plan to buy the whole lot and start again.
Thank you! I should say though, I didn’t just pop the images out of my head and onto paper. I also struggle mightily with drawing from imagination. Like with the billybumbler Oy, I had to look at tons of images of raccoons to try to get the right look. I also looked at some smaller dogs like dachshunds. And I browsed through quite a few images of actors I thought might fit my imagined look for Jake and Susannah. So I definitely needed some crutches to make it happen.
Well, obviously I am a fan, so I’d say it’s worth checking out again. Unfortunately, it seems like Stephen King’s books are rarely on sale on Amazon, so that makes it tough to get a good deal on the entire series. Do you have any larger used book stores where you live? Half Priced Books in Texas comes to mind as a place you might be able to round up all of the Dark Tower books at a good price.
Unfortunately the used book stores here are pretty hopeless – I live in the Philippines and though I’ve hunted around I’ve never been able to find any of the Dark Tower series
Oh dang, that’s too bad. I guess a lot of the books in the series are getting up there in age too – the finale was in the early 2000s I think. That probably makes getting a used paperback even harder
Pingback: A Dark Tower Redo, One Year Comparison | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A Dark Tower Redo, One Year Comparison | Amdall Gallery
Another great descriptive and interesting post.
It’s definitely tricky knowing not only when to quit on a painting but also when to be bold and risk it all. Sorts the men from the boys. I’ll be off to play with my crayons now…
Thank you Steve, I appreciate it! Really, I feel like I always guess wrong about when to stop. Usually, I seem to err on the side of not being bold enough. I think I should try flipping the script more often.
How often do you feel like you get the “when to stop” part right? I’m curious how other artists feel about that aspect.
When to stop, probably a third of the time I think I’ve got it right – so that’s two thirds of everything I wish I’d stopped just before making it worse.
Might sound bad but it’s an improvement!!
That actually sounds like a pretty good rate to me! Are there any particular recent ones on your site that made you feel that way?
Nice work, Jon! You did well and I think what you are feeling about wanting to take it up a notch would be served if you darkened the background, except for the lamp light – there’s some really interesting things going on with the dark and light in this one! congrats too about the giveaway, that’s a HUGE result! Can’t wait to see what they request you to do!
Thanks Hilda! That would have been good…I mean honestly it’s not too late. But I know how I am, and I’m unlikely to go back now. Next time I need to just do it though! Be a little bolder, you know?
I’m excited about the giveaway portrait! The winner already got in touch with me, and it’s a cool idea that would be something sort of new for me. I can’t wait to get started on it
That’s the spirit, you can do it! I know what you mean though, we all get scared about ruining something we spent a lot of time on, especially something like a background that can’t be taken away again. Can’t wait to see the result of whatever the winner is asking you to do, you sound inspired by it!
Is it weird that it’s sort of fun when someone else picks what I draw? I felt nervous about it with the first couple of giveaways, but now it’s almost like a game.
Pingback: Ernie Hudson and The Crow | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Ernie Hudson and The Crow | Amdall Gallery
You know, the more I look at this sketch, the more I think I messed up on the proportions. Ernie Hudson is a pretty big dude, and I think Brandon Lee was fairly average in size. Hudson looks smaller in my drawing, and it seems off. I think maybe my outline wasn’t very accurate this time.a
Edit: Actually, in watching the .gif again, maybe I’m wrong. Brandon Lee does seem to be taller. I don’t know what I’m talking about
Pingback: Ernie Hudson and The Crow | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Long Term Goals and Sketch Impulsivity | Amdall Gallery
Six hours left…and we’re at 987 entries! That’s by far the most I’ve ever had for one of these giveaways. Will it break 1000? I know it’s an arbitrary number, but that would be cool
This is such an awesome prize. If I win, I am going to choose a portrait of my daughter dressed in her girl scout uniform.
Sounds like a pretty good idea – best of luck to you Andrina! That reminds me, I need to load up on some Thin Mints. Isn’t it Girl Scout Cookie time?
Just another note on these ads. If anyone happens to come across an ad on this site that you really don’t like, there is some small text on the bottom right that says “report this ad.” Just click on it, and you shouldn’t have to see that text again. One example is that I kept seeing this ad with a big foot on my site…I wasn’t a fan, so I reported it and haven’t seen it again.
Looking good Jon… I think you’re doing a great job here.
Regarding the teeth, just a suggestion but in comparison to a reference photo are their teeth in the photo really whiter than everything else?
I found an improvement in doing teeth when I compared the colour again. It’s a shame to say but teeth are more often yellow/brown/grey, quite shaded. Muting them and making less defined seemed to work well as well.
I see lots of portraits on Instagram where each tooth is drawn out individually, pure white and well… looking very “toothy” and a bit scary.
Your portraits are way better in that respect but if you feel the teeth are letting you down then maybe something to think about?
Hey there Steve – thanks man! I appreciate these suggestions and I agree with you. When I really try to impartially assess teeth color, it shouldn’t be bright white like that. While it’s true my sister’s teeth are quite bright, mouths do have some shadowy areas. But it’s a big area in which, honestly, I’m a little afraid to be bold. Once I get to the teeth and mouth, I’m usually pretty far into the drawing, I don’t want to mess it up. At some point, I’m going to need to just get my courage up and experiment.
I really do think a “mouth study” would be good practice in that case – just trying a bunch of different mouths. That way I don’t have to worry about botching a larger portrait. Man, teeth are rough!
They are indeed.
I used to struggle with the eyes so I started every portrait with the eyes and then if that didn’t work out I wasn’t so invested in it and thus less pressure.
Nowadays I think it’s more the nose shadows that trouble me so I make sure I do that early on. Probably more through habit now I do tend to start with the eyes still. I think it’s going to be an ever moving target though.
After 115 sittings for a portrait of Ambroise Vollard…
“I am not altogether displeased with the shirt-front.” – (Paul Cezanne)
Ha! I like that quote, it really sounds familiar. “Well I’m done…I guess the left eyebrow is adequate…”
I’ve really never mastered eyes; they’re in a “good enough” stage for me right now though, and I’ve got areas that need much more improvement (mouths and any non-human subject/object). I hear you on nose shadows too, they are so subtle. Just a couple slipped up spots and there might be real trouble!
Pingback: Long Term Goals and Drawing Impulsivity | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Long Term Goals and Impulsivity | Amdall Gallery
This turned out great! The mouth actually looks quite believable to me, but I think it would still be fun (and informative) to see a “mouth study” post from you one of these days
Thank you Anna! I should give that a shot, it might really help to get that practice. I’ve thought about doing the same thing with eyes too – I don’t struggle with them quite as much, but it would be fun. I do think eyelashes are as tricky as the teeth-to-gum line area.
That would be a pretty scary collection of sketches though – eyes and teeth everywhere!
Pingback: Art on a Shopping Cart | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art on a Shopping Cart | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: More Parks and Recreation Art – Leslie Knope | Amdall Gallery
Fantastic post! Indeed, Pillars of Eternity II is another one of Obsidian’s masterpiece. The fact that Obsidian Entertainment has been working hard to make phenomenal RPG titles since Black Isle Studios, it doesn’t surprise me that they would pull it off with Pillars of Eternity II. And not to mention, some of the people working for this absolutely brilliant video game developer are experienced traditional Pen and Paper RPG and D&D players.
Much appreciated! I’m with you there, I would also call Pillars of Eternity II a masterpiece. With most games, I can’t really muster enough interest to return if I feel I’ve seen what it has to offer. But this one (and the first POE) is one of those rare games that I can come back to after a long break and getting totally immersed again.
Pingback: Portrait Giveaway by Amdall Gallery - Giveaway Frenzy
Interesting read. Sunk a lot of time into the 1st game with a lot of inspiration from the original Baldurs Gate games. PoE felt like the game Dragon Age should have been. Have yet to delve into number 2 but seems a good sequel in its own right.
Pillars of Eternity II really is a good sequel and worth checking out in my opinion. It seems like Obsidian learned quite a bit from the first one; I especially love the character AI settings. It’s a shame they cut the party down from six to five members, but that’s probably my biggest complaint and it’s not too significant in the grand scheme of things.
Although I enjoyed all the Dragon Age games to varying extents, I have to agree with you. I wish Bioware/EA had moved Dragon Age II and Dragon Age Inquisition more towards POE-style combat rather than the action RPG direction they went in. It’s like they got stuck between two very different styles, and ended up with an inferior hybrid of both. Don’t get me wrong – I do love a few action RPGs (Dragon’s Dogma, Dark Souls). But considering the huge budgets they’ve had, that Dragon Age team left a lot of potential unfulfilled.
Great work! I think you did very well with your background
Thanks Anna! It really is my greatest struggle art-wise. It’s tough, but I need to do it more often if I ever want to get better
Pingback: Video Game Art, Pillars of Eternity Group | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Art, My Pillars of Eternity Group | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Art, My Pillars of Eternity Group | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Art, My Pillars of Eternity Group | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Art, My Pillars of Eternity Group | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Art, My Pillars of Eternity Group | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Art, My Pillars of Eternity Group | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Video Game Art, My Pillars of Eternity Group | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Starting 2019 with a Portrait Giveaway | Amdall Gallery
I also posted this offer on Facebook! Hope it ieads to lots of subscribers !
Thank you for that, Phoebe! I was a little nervous about doing these initially because I’m not used to drawing things for other people, but the first two were pretty fun. I’m hoping this one works out too, and can’t wait to see what the winner comes up with
What a great idea! I hope you have lots of entries!!!
Pingback: Starting 2019 with a Portrait Giveaway | Amdall Gallery
Happy New Year, Jon 🙂 And these drawings are absolutely wonderful; it must be such a joy to have you paint them.
What a fun idea for a chart too 🙂
Thanks Alunaria, happy new year to you as well! I can never resist an opportunity to bust out a chart, it’s almost as good as pizza (pizza of course being humanity’s greatest achievement to date)
Also, I have to say I like the happy thoughts experiment on your site – sometimes negativity on the internet can be draining, so your series is refreshing to see. A great idea to end one year and start the next!
Hehe, I bet.
Thank you, it has helped me out way more than I thought 🙂
Pingback: Subject Counts and Wife Solo Portraits | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Subject Counts and Wife Solo Portraits | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Subject Counts and Wife Solo Portraits | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: The Laundry Basket Girls | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A 2018 Liebster Award for Amdall Gallery | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A 2018 Liebster Award for Amdall Gallery | Amdall Gallery
Nice drawing. Good likeness.
Thanks Roshanda! I do like this one, but when I look at it I think “not quite there.” I almost captured a good Emmitt likeness, but there’s just something about the mouth and nose that makes me want to keep tweaking it. I don’t have a great track record going back to old artwork though – I tend to completely mess them up that way.
Wow!! Really impressed by your work! Would love to see more! 😊
Thank you, Kanisha! I try to work on a couple sketches per month…some months I’m more productive thank others, but hopefully if you’re subscribed I can keep it flowing semi-regularly. I appreciate you checking things out!
Wow, Jon nicely done.
Thank you Dana, Merry (almost) Christmas to you!
Lovely self portrait – very well done!
I appreciate that! I hope you have a happy holidays, Jo
This came out so nicely, Jon! You are really coming along on your art journey – I had a quick read down that long article, too, but I don’t have enough time to ponder on it, today! Personally I think the secret to making progress as an artist is to show up, often, and work as hard as you can, but have fun with it – diligent practice – the more you do it, the better your progress towards wherever you are going 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and yours, hope you have a good one and a happy, arty, New Year! 🙂
Hey Hilda, thank you! Actually, that’s pretty well in line with what the art critic said (in different words), to immerse yourself in art and practice practice. I think what you say is definitely true, it seems like even looking back two or three drawings, I can see how I’ve learned something or developed a bit. Small steps, but noticeable to me.
I hope everything is going well with you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Well done, portraiture is hard to get so that it feels as well as looks objectively “right”. Your self-portrait looks to me to have something “right” about it. My own efforts over the years have varied a lot and this has raised interesting questions and potential lines of enquiry. It is a very worthwhile thing to do. Good effort and best wishes for Christmas and new year.
You are right about that, self-portraits are deceptively hard. You’d think it would be really easy to draw your own face right? I mean, you see it everyday. But it’s pretty tricky. What sort of variations have you come across when you’ve tried it? Development of different styles?
Thanks for the comment, and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year to you!
Hi Jon, your self portrait is very nice. Also thanks for sharing the article with advice for artists. I ll have at look at it now. Surely, it will give me some ideas for the new year! Merry Christmas!
I appreciate that Iasonas! It’s definitely an interesting read, and I like that it’s sort of in a long checklist format. It actually just randomly popped up on my Google “Discover” (formerly “Google Now”) feed, I guess because I’ve been browsing similar stuff. Happy holidays to you as well, have a great start to 2019!
Pingback: Self Portrait, Shadow and Contrast Struggles | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Self Portrait, Shadow and Contrast Struggles | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: New Phone Quest Returns – Pixel 3 vs Pixel 2 | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back to Basics, Paper Sketch of the Kiddos | Amdall Gallery
Hi Jon. I use my phone too, so either the ads aren’t there or I don’t notice them
Hello! I wonder if most people use their phones to browse WP sites? I do too, actually – the WP Reader is definitely a frequent app for me. I should have added another survey/poll!
More bonus points for the WP Reader for sure, that we don’t get bombarded with advertising.
I’m fairly engrossed in your posts usually and don’t notice the ads much but I take your point about ads that sit right at the base of your post being annoying. My free WordPress site has those and I’m not keen. As per Suzy, ads in the middle of posts are very intrusive and I submit articles for our business to a magazine site and constantly pray that people don’t think the masses of advertising throughout our writing is anything to do with us!
Thanks Claire, I’m actually really glad to hear so many people experience these ads similarly. It makes me feel better, that I’m not being strange about it. I’m becoming more certain that these middle-of-the-post ads are not worth it at all. I’ve removed those, and am gravitating towards zapping more. I share the same worry you have – that someone is going to see some weird ad and think it’s associated with me or this site!
That’s a real belly laugh coming from your older daughter!
It’s so funny to watch. Once these two get each other going, sometimes they can’t stop! Often we can’t even figure out why they started – one gets rolling and it’s a full on laughing fit for both of them
Pingback: The Laundry Basket Girls | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: The Laundry Basket Girls | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: The Laundry Basket Girls | Amdall Gallery
Interesting data 👍
Thanks Virgilio! It was really fun to crunch those numbers
So, the comments section on this post is pretty much just me talking to myself, but there are a couple things I want to add now that we’re 1/4 of the way into the NBA season. First, I think I undersold Harrison Barnes and possibly oversold Dennis Smith Jr (at least at this stage). Harrison Barnes is an excellent shot-creator, and has some nice moves getting to the basket. He showed his scoring ability last year, but I discounted that somewhat because it was a bad team. But this seems to be a better Mavs team, and when the Mavs really need a shot, Barnes can deliver. I shouldn’t have tried to place Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews in the same bucket, because they are very different players. Also, regarding DSJ…he’s very fast and very athletic, but the court vision isn’t all the way there yet. When you watch a veteran like JJ Barea control the point, that becomes more clear. I’m not saying DSJ won’t get there, but point guards can take a few years to develop (see: Kemba Walker).
And as for Doncic? Despite the hype, he has somehow exceeded expectations. In my opinion, he’s already entering legitimate star player territory, and his rookie averages at this stage of the season are on par with some of the greats. I’m not the only one who thinks this way! Check out this montage of ESPN personalities discussing Doncic at the 1/4 mark of the season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_92bP48yyQ
Most of the time, I hardly see any adds, since Im in the WordPress Reader, and manually select the pictures I want to see 🙂
I sure do love that WP Reader, it’s nice sometimes to be able to view a wide variety of websites as a unified format. Were you able to see the poll and choices in the Reader? I had some trouble on that end, and I’m curious if everyone else did too
Oh, I did not see that at all, actually! I guess the Reader does not work as well as visiting the site directly.
In this case, that might be true. But sometimes the Reader works better! There are a couple themes that for whatever reason I have issues viewing, but if I do, I can just jump into the Reader and see it no problem.
I’m not keen on ads and I try and ignore them. I tried to go for the “meh” I’m not bothered option but couldn’t get the options big enough so hit the ad blocker option by mistake, sorry
It’s all good Christine, I just appreciate you participating in that little survey. I’ve had some difficulty with the formatting on these polls…apparently WordPress’s go-to poll/survey partner PollDaddy has become a new company called CrowdSignal. It looks like the same interface (my old polls are there), but it has some new quirks. Interestingly, I can’t even see the vote buttons when I view it through WordPress Reader! So that’s a little buggy
It was very very small… Hard to click on the box….
I’m actually impressed you were able to click any of them – I can’t even see the boxes on my phone!
I find these posts quite interesting. Personally I don’t use an ad blocker (I probably should) because I surf mostly on my phone. I see the ads in the middle of the content as really annoying but you don’t have any. Those at the bottom of post are next. The ones on the side bar and bottom of the screen don’t show unless I keep scrolling after the post and it’s comments
Very cool, I’m glad it caught your interest! I certainly agree with you there – ads right in the middle of content are highly annoying. The bottom post ads were getting a little too close to the same level for me, so I finally decided to give them the boot.
Honestly, I pretty much always use an ad blocker, even on mobile (via Firefox add-on). I know there’s an argument that without advertising, a free internet can’t exist. But I’m of the belief that so many companies don’t push their ads to consumers responsibly; they throw out weird, inappropriate, and/or extremely invasive marketing. And it’s not just the annoyance factor! Some ads are security risks and can spread malware. I can see both sides of that argument, but I think a good compromise is to “white list” (allow ads) for sites that aren’t too bad about their ads, while blocking the worst offenders.
Hi Jon,
I personally use adblock and I can’t see the ads on your website. In general though I find that ads ruin the aesthetics of a website unless they are designed to suit its palette, layout and content. You spent time and effort to arrange things nicely, upload good content and good quality images…and then random ads pop up everywhere. I currently have the free plan of WordPress (no option of removing the ads) but I am seriously considering to move to the personal paid plan where you can get rid of them. Also, as you said the amount of money you earn through ads is not massive anyway so I am not quiet sure if it is worth having your site looking like an ads board.
Hey Iasonas, that’s a really good point. That’s probably true for most of us! We all spend so much time uploading, arranging, tweaking, and sharing…only to suddenly throw random abrasive clickbait on there. Thinking about it like that, it’s kind of odd for an artist (focusing on visual concepts) to let someone mess up your arrangement.
I think the “personal” plan removes ads right? For like $4 a month? That could be worth it for you…but then again, so many people use ad blockers anyway. When I was browsing your site today, it almost slipped my mind that I was blocking ads as well – I have the blocker on so often, I forget it’s even there sometimes.
What a lovely portrait of your family. The laughing eyes just jump out of the painting.
Thanks Magny! Sorry about the delayed response – I appreciate the kind words
This is excellent work, and such a coincidence as I literally just posted up a drawing using… Pinterest… as the source.
I wasn’t aware of that Board so will take a look.
It sounds a bit like an App I had on my work phone, it’s an iPhone and the app is called Sktchy and was pretty good. I say “was” because as mentioned it was the work phone, so not really for me to start loading random apps onto. My own phone is Android and for some reason they don’t have a version of it for that.
However Pinterest I do have and I quite like, in some ways I’d say that it’s probably my favourite of the social media bunch (well, least disliked 😉)
Anyways, well done again. These portrait drawings are very good, they remind me of drawings you’d see in a book, or leaflets on how to administer medical assistance, etc.
In other words, professional 🤓
Ohhh yes Sktchy – I think I’ve heard of this before, possibly from your website? I can’t remember, but I feel like it may have been from you. I’ve got an Android phone, so I recall being disappointed that it doesn’t exist on that platform. Actually, that reminds me; have you ever heard of the sub-Reddit “RedditGetsDrawn” (https://www.reddit.com/r/redditgetsdrawn/). At some point, as I was looking for decent Sktchy alternatives, I came across that. I’d like to try a prompt, but I’ve had some less than enjoyable interactions on Reddit. Just curious if you’ve ever had any experiences drawing from there.
Do you have a Pinterest board (or page? Am I getting terminology mixed up?)? I’d like to follow you on there if I can find you. Sometimes I try to find WordPress artists on other platforms too, but haven’t had much luck. By the way, speaking of your art – I love the Simpsons mash-ups you’ve been doing! They’re really entertaining, man. You’ve got a knack for Bart…wait, are you a Matt Groening pen name?
And, thank you for saying so about these sketches! I don’t feel professional, but that’s good to hear that I can sometimes do a reasonable imitation.
Yes, I did the same of registering on every platform I could think of after coming up with the cunningly stunningly imaginatively titled “Steve Kidd Art” – Pinterest included. (Wish I’d gone for “Steve K Artworks” incidentally) 🙄
I don’t know anything about Reddit though, that one’s slipped me by.
Bart was just for Inktober, as it culminated in him karate chopping my pencil in half he won’t be back in a hurry. Never say never though, he was quite fun to do as an aside from the attempts at serious art making.
Yes, I think in terms of imitation your drawings are spot on. In terms of recognisable artworks they’re distinctively yours, no-one is going to recognise a “Kidd” but I’d be 90% sure of an “Amdall Artwork” (another good name 😛)
I appreciate your comments on the sketches! I’ve always had a goal in mind to be as true-to-life as I could manage – I’m not all the way there, but I do feel like I’m getting closer to that goal. If I came upon a style, it was definitely by accident! I happened to read something on https://drawingthrough.com/ about “colored pencil painting”, and decided to give it a shot. As I figured out how to make thick/heavy pencil work for me, I guess it came to look a certain way.
Speaking of that, I do think you have a recognizable style too. Leaving aside the actual cartoon sketches (Simpsons mashups), some of your drawings have almost a cell-shaded look with deep shadows. Like “My Precious”/Gollum, the Vegan Boxer, etc. You can mix it up too (Gandhi scribble style), but there are commonalities in your work! I wonder if all artists naturally develop a distinctive style, whether they intend to or not? I think most of the WordPress artists that I check out the most I could probably recognize in a blind art test (am I overestimating my Artistic Eye? ha ha)
It turned out really well because you can see emotions and faces are alive. Great works!
Nice post as always! I like when people draw from reality as opposed to copying photos.
I don’t like Pinterest, I am still on it because it’s an automatic link, just like FB or Twitter.
Pinterest allows other people to literally steal art.
I was wondering how do you to implement these transitions onto an image without it being a video, at least that’s what it seems to be.
Thanks Inese! Yes, it seems like digital art theft is probably rampant, especially for the really popular stuff. Based on what I’ve seen from Pinterest, it seems like that site in particular is built to make it easy to share other peoples’ creations. No big deal if it’s properly attributed, but how easy it would be for someone not to do that.
I do usually draw from photos actually, although I wish I was better at capturing from life. I’ve got a ton of respect for people who work with live subjects, because I find it really challenging. I’m still very much an amateur, but hopefully I can work up to bigger art challenges as I continue learning
As for the image transitions, you are right on – it’s not a video. Those progressions are actually .gif image files. Basically, I take photos of artwork as I draw (aiming for 4-5 if I can remember), then upload the still images to https://ezgif.com/maker. Click the blue “upload and make a GIF” button, then you can set the number of milliseconds delay for each slide. Once I’ve downloaded what it creates, I can just add that .gif image file to my post. It’s really useful, I think.
Thanks Jon,
Such a very insightful response which I really appreciate.
About Pinterest: it is not that the maker of art is visible regardless of their watermarks, etc. Sharing makes the author disappear. When people notified me that somebody was selling prints of my art, which was quite a few times, I believe that was because of Pinterest, therefore, I was sharing less and less with it.
I am originally from Europe, that is why I was only drawing from life and real things up to recently. I did not even have a camera until 2005. It comes from the assumption that real art is created from observation and imagination rather than a photo. When I arrived to Canada, I was very surprised that it was ok for people to use photos.
To be honest, drawing from reality is easier if one has trained eye. One can skip numerous steps, like editing a photo or enhancing it and trying different compositions and so on because you implement that all as you draw.
I love drawing and it comes very easy to me, that is why I am not doing it too much since there is no challenge, however, looking at your beautiful works makes me feel I should draw more, too.
I am so grateful you advised on image progressions. I have many moments when I would need exactly that. I am not paying for premium features, so, I can only insert video as a link, therefore, it would be great relief to use something like that. I had shown the progress previously only as still photos.
I have tried videos of my work, but as you are saying, one can forget that once they have inspiration, and, basically, when art is more complex, video would become abnormally long.
I find also that without help of somebody else, these videos very of bad quality.
I think I will use this feature in the future.
Portraits from life might take a while to practice, just like anything else, but it is as if learning to write, over time your eyes notice everything what you need and you already have the basic knowledge of face anatomy. There are certainly tricks, too.
I definitely enjoy watching progress of your art, it is a great way to display it, as well. Your approach is extra efficient, especially for such art and it looks excellent.
Thanks so much for your help and suggestions! I hope you have a wonderful day!
Thanks for the link Jon, it answered the question I’d also been meaning to ask 👍🏻
Regarding the copying of my art, it’s only ever low resolution versions of my work that’s up on any social media – that way people can copy what they want, look at it where they want but when it comes to actually trying to create a decent print then it’s Game Over.
I’ve actually offered digital downloads on my Etsy shop, full high resolution scans which are pre-cropped into common formats. The idea being that people can print it however they want, get a mug made up, get it tattooed on their forehead or whatever.
That would open it up to the fraudsters but due to the extremely low volume of sales (a total of 1) it’d be obvious who was making prints. Added to which I’d probably applaud them as they’d be doing better than me at selling my stuff 😂
You bet, Inese and Steve! I’m glad that helped on the animated .gif images. I think I might do a “how-to” post on .gifs, because they’re actually pretty flexible and useful tools. A short guide on easily creating animations from still images, and how to make a .gif image from an actual video.
I’ve thought about how I would feel if someone copied my sketches and tried to claim credit. To my knowledge, it hasn’t happened…but the internet is so vast, there’s no way I could know for sure. I think I’d be irritated, especially if they made any money. But, then again I’d also feel slightly validated, maybe bizarrely proud that someone thought any of this crazy stuff was worth stealing. That’s a weird thought probably. Like I said though, I’m not a professional…and for someone making a living as an artist, stealing their art is like taking from their wallets. Good idea on the smaller resolutions though Steve! I hadn’t thought about that, but maybe I should.
That is really interesting about the differences in norms, photos versus reality, in Europe and North America. I wonder if it’s rooted at all in the longer art tradition, old masters and such in Europe. I don’t know much about the formal art community, but I imagine American or Canadian artists might go more for alternative or nontraditional methods or something. Also, thanks for those encouraging words Inese! That always means a lot coming from those with significant artistic backgrounds and skills.
Terrific post! Very interesting and instructive. I may look st the Pinterest page too!
I appreciate that! I’m still not as fluent as I’d like to be on all the social networking sites, but it does seem like Pinterest and Instagram align themselves well to artists. The WordPress Reader/ecosystem is still my personal favorite, but it’s interesting to see how others are sharing what they create.
Pingback: Art Prompts from Pinterest Part 2 | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Prompts from Pinterest Part 2 | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Prompts from Pinterest Part 2 | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Art Prompts from Pinterest Part 2 | Amdall Gallery
You’re good at capturing those head tilt angles Jon, it looks deceptively simple to those that have never tried. Well done 🙂
Much appreciate Steve – isn’t it strange how people sometimes have such specific things they can draw? Like, for the life of me, I can’t sketch a good tree. I mean, I can draw a stick with green things on it, but a realistic woodsy background? Only in my dreams.
Trees used to be my nemesis, now it’s cars. More specifically, car wheels. I’ve drawn hundreds of ellipses as practice but still struggle with the wheels.
I’m pretty stubborn about these things though so will do a hundred more. One day I might get it. I did the same with trees and whilst I’m no expert they’re at least “acceptable” now.
Practice practice practice. And when you’re done, practice some more 🤓
You are so right about that, practice really is everything. It seems like there aren’t shortcuts to drawing; there’s a path to get better, and it just comes with learning through repetition. Well, that’s how it’s been for me anyway.
And oh yeah…cars…I’m definitely not good at those either. Or buildings. I guess there are quite a few things I could stand to get some practice with!
Wow. Look at you go. What a progress you have made. Those eyes. Well done 🙂
Thanks for saying so Alunaria – I’ve felt like I have seen progress, but it’s encouraging to hear from someone else too
Kindly follow back for likes comments and traffic exchange.
This is great. Weirdly I posted an Einstein portrait this week too 😂 great minds think alike apparently
Thanks Suzy! Maybe some Einstein genius rubs off on people who draw him? Ha ha, I think I’ll just pretend that’s true
I tried to find your Einstein portrait, but I haven’t had any luck. Is it on your Underwater Photography site?
Haha, that would be tremendous wouldnt it! My sketching blog is here: sketchingonthetrain.wordpress.com thought it would be linked from my comment maybe I need to change something in WordPress
Ah there it is, thanks for linking it. I commented on your site’s Einstein sketch too, but that one is really great. I’m very impressed how you’re able to get varied depths of shadow from ink. That seems like it’s quite challenging!
Pingback: Well, I’m no Albert Einstein | Amdall Gallery
Love it, the whole subject and your drawing is top. Good stuff, well done 😀
Much appreciated Steve! I do get a kick out of memes, so it was pretty fun to write about
Your drawing made me laugh a second time (the photo being the first). I would call that success. Well done.
That’s awesome, I’m glad it did Eduardo!
You’ve captured an excellent likenesses of them – great job!
I appreciate that!
You are a real artist!
Ha ha, thanks Christine – I shouldn’t beat myself up, but sometimes I do think, “shouldn’t I be able to draw a straight line? Here we go…nope, that’s a spaghetti noodle”
As long as you want to improve… I always think I can do better x
I am with you there! It seems to take a fair amount of time for me to see it, but I believe I’ve gotten better (or at least more comfortable). That change over time is really fun to see
Pingback: Art from Odd Internet Memes | Amdall Gallery
Ghostbusters – such a vivid memory from my youth, Jon! Thanks for the reminder and awesome illustration of those guys….Peter Venkman has always been my fave character! 🙂
Thanks Hilda! I’ve always been a big fan of him too. Ha ha, even though I was probably more of an Egon when I was a kid, I always wanted to be a Venkman. I had similar conversations with my sister when we were little – I wanted to be the orange “party guy” Ninja Turtle, but she said, “no…you are definitely the purple nerd turtle.”
Lol, Jon! 🙂 Me too, little nerdy girl 🙂
I think it’s a good way to be – if you think of it in Ghostbusters terms, who was the only member of the team who had a good job at the beginning of Ghostbusters 2? Well, that would be our nerdy friend Egon Spengler, who still managed to lead psychology research team, while the other fellas were throwing birthday parties and whatnot.*
* Honorable mention to Ray, who owned a small book store. But he was pretty nerdy too.
Pingback: Three-Quarters of the Ghostbusters | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Three-Quarters of the Ghostbusters | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Three-Quarters of the Ghostbusters | Amdall Gallery
This is so good 🤓
Thank you Steve! It’s a weird looking apple, and it seems I forgot to draw the bottom part of the core…but I think the kiddo turned out decently
What a wonderful drawing and story behind it. I am glad she is settling down well in school. 🙂 How long days do children have in your country?
Thanks Alunaria! She’s only doing half days right now. It’s Pre-Kindergarten, so the second half of the day is mostly naps and lunch. We figured she can do that at home. Next year though is all day!
Pingback: Big Kid and Her Apple | Amdall Gallery
wow. you really are amazing!
That’s kind of you, thank you Crismar!
I’ve been wondering where you are … and I sympathize. Creative drive is a tricky thing – mine goes up and down (down-down-down) all the time. I think it’s a good idea to put aside time to draw, even if just to keep your hand in. Nice portraits.
Thank you, I appreciate that. It is pretty difficult for me to understand sometimes. Like I’ll think to myself, “Man, just get comfortable, turn on some music and draw. No big deal.” I know I can replicate the setup and situation, but for whatever reason my brain doesn’t say let’s go.
How do you push through that? Any pro tips?
I just keep working – even if it’s only to rework something I did before. I get what you mean about not managing to get into a zone – when I’m in a slump I’m pretty unconnected with the pen or pencil in my hand (it feels like I’m agitated) and I’m not working with much thought, observation or detail. But I still try to see what comes out (hence the Dead Man Standing post). Oh, and if I had one tip to give, I’d say look at other people’s work – I go to my public library – to the art section (where I’m always the only one) – and get out books with lots of colour plates. The quality, spirit, imagination and innovation of artists throughout history is mind-boggling and kind of gets me going.
I like that, pushing forward to try to see what comes out. With that Dead Man Standing post, even if it wasn’t what you expected, it still turned into a really interesting piece. That’s a good advertisement for diving in and doing something, even if that person doesn’t feel like it. The results can be something worth having done!
Also that’s a good tip about checking out other people’s work to get a spark. I’ve really been meaning to catch up on my followed WP sites, and it could be refreshing to browse artwork. I think I’m up to date on yours and a few others, but I’m way behind on most
Pingback: Portrait from the August Giveaway | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Portrait from the August Giveaway | Amdall Gallery
Congratulations to you and Isaac A 🙂
I wish I could hire you to do that kind of techy techy math on my site, it’s so fascinating!
That would be pretty fun for me! I’ve actually been trying to figure out generally how I could help someone who wants to do something like this. I had considered making my spreadsheet downloadable, but there are some website details and admin stuff I wouldn’t want to publicly share, so I’d need to scrub it a bit. Also, I’m not all that certain my spreadsheet thought process is organized enough to follow! So it might need some cleaning up on that front, too.
Would a more detailed run down of how I did it interest you at all? I wonder if a step-by-step guide would be useful
Ah yeah I see, that makes sense. Oh, that would be very useful! Perhaps a short one, to get started on. I’m scared to mess around in my Dashboard, in case I break something, hah /blush.
I can understand that! It’s pretty easy to accidentally click some random setting and forget about it…then realize later something is different. But what did you click? It’s a mystery
I love experimenting with the site, but I have to admit that scenario has definitely happened to me
I know, exactly! It’s my inability to backtrack and problemsolve that gets me.
Congratulations on the anniversary! Interesting to see the breakdown of your data. Look forward to more! 🙂
Thank you! I’m always fascinated to see what data tells me about the site, especially the traffic referrers. I still can’t figure out why Bing sends so much more my way than Google!
Interesting about the Bing/ Google thing. (Bing never shows up in my stats as a referrer.)
It is really strange. Most of the Bing results appear to be image searches. I guess a few of the .gifs I’ve posted somehow became (relatively) highly placed search results for them.
Another weird anomaly is Google Ads. I created an ad campaign and a bunch of keywords, then set the budget at $.01. It never charges me that 1 cent, but still somehow sent me 29 referrals recently. Not very much granted, but it’s weird that you can do that.
Pingback: One Year Site Anniversary | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: One Year Site Anniversary | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: One Year Site Anniversary | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: One Year Site Anniversary | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: One Year Reboot Anniversary | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: One Year Reboot Anniversary | Amdall Gallery
I love this! It is so life like.
Thank you Doris! I appreciate that
Pretty good drawing. One of the fun karate flicks.
Thanks Kenpo, I definitely agree about Karate Kid being a fun movie. I watched the original again recently, followed by bits and pieces of the second…just reminded me how solid the first one was. It’s fun, well-paced, with strong performances from everyone. By comparison, the sequel just seems so cheesy.
I like other more grounded martial arts films too, but they don’t quite have a charm Karate Kid does.
That daily attempt seems buggy on my end, but maybe it’s just me? I keep getting a “You’ve done it already” kind of message, wait – first it was 23, now it’s down to 17 hours, and I check back daily.
Hmmm, that’s interesting. I wonder what the deal is? It brings up an interesting point – I’m actually not sure if it works by counting 24 hours from your last entry, or if it resets each day at a certain time.
Were you able to get it to work again?
You know, that does seem to be the case. It feels almost as a countdown. Every daily visit makes the timer move around an hour. So weird.
What an in depth guide. High techy techy!
Thanks – I had way too much fun making it, you’d think I would get tired of building search forms…but nope!
Pingback: Access and VBA Cheat Sheet | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Access and VBA Cheat Sheet | Amdall Gallery
So much this
https://media.giphy.com/media/kLk1Qa8mrYdQA/giphy.gif
😀
Ha, there you go! Good luck!
Thanks! Bookmarked it already for daily attempt!
Pingback: Portrait Giveaway, Round Three | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Portrait Giveaway, Round Three | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Portrait Giveaway, Round Three | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Digital Drawing is Really Hard — Amdall Gallery – brownscomicart
I have done digital art before myself on a drawing pad. Like you said in your post it is a challenge especially if your doing it for the first time. It is also time consuming compared to drawing by hand on paper but digital drawing definitely gives you a lot more to work with and allows for more errors. For this being your first that is a very assume job you did because you seem like your very experienced with digital drawing. But its good you shared this because I remember going through this too and its a heads up for artist that its sometimes going to be hard doing something new. Thanks for the good post and your drawing is good! I love it!
Those are some great points, and thank you for saying that about my digital sketches! Honestly, I haven’t tried it again since this post, mostly for the reasons you mentioned. It is pretty time consuming, and I feel much more comfortable with pencil and paper. I love the ability to hit undo, and some of the other digital tricks, but it sure does have a learning curve
Superb! Many hours were spent in my childhood with my younger brother and his plastic toy dinosaurs. To hide one from him if he was being horrible was a great game. The next time the box was opened I always got my revenge. I must have been a horror older sister!
Hey Claire, thank you! That’s pretty funny, my sister played a similar game with my GI Joe figures when we were kids. She even flushed one of my favorites down the toilet! My parents weren’t too happy about that particular strategy
I hear you about straight lines – jitters are definitely a thing in digital art! Of the programs I’ve tried thus far, Manga Studio (now Clip Studio Paint) has the best line stabilization – and I’ve heard lots of others also say it’s the best for line art, which makes sense since it’s designed for creating comics. I use it for almost everything though – it’s incredibly flexible. I think you can download free trials? It’s a one time purchase, not a subscription, if you choose to go that route.
Personally, I think these are pretty good for a first effort! Thanks so much for sharing these and writing about this!
Thanks Akire – do you use tablets often? I haven’t ever gone back to digital/tablet drawing since I tried it in June. I really should give it another shot, because it’s so clear and bright when viewed on a website.
I might have to give the trial version of Clip Studio Paint/Manga Studio a try! Maybe another software program would help me get acclimated. Thank you for the comment, and for checking out the post!
Pingback: Nominated for the Liebster Award 2018 – Alunaria's Avenue
Pingback: 2018 Liebster Award… – Adaptable Ed
I love it. It’s like a controlled something. It brings a lot of interest to their faces.
I appreciate that, Kenzie!
Looking back at this one, I really like how it turned out. That’s not always the case, sometimes a fresh look isn’t so good. I actually managed to end up with no one making a weird face, which I count as a win!
Fantastic drawings Jon. It’s good to dig memories and redraw stuff that excited you as a kid. The amount of work you mentioned is quite impressive actually considering that requires loads of commitment from a kid!
Thanks Jasonas, you’re right about that! Little nostalgia trips can be pretty enjoyable.
From what I remember, it was a pretty big project. I have to admit though, coming from a little kid, I’ll bet there were a ton of duplicates and errors. And I think I was little fantastical with how I depicted some of them; wild colors, exaggerated horns, etc. I really hope I can find it, so I can get a good look at it from a grown-up perspective.
Hah, this post got recommended to me, and it made me visit it again. Now I know exactly what that drawing is, Jon. There was this Turtles episode with these little weird creatures, that would grow to enormous size when they got put in the microwave. THAT is what you have drawn! Well, almost…
Ha! That’s wild, I don’t think I ever saw that episode. Is this the original cartoon from the late 80s/early 90s? I used to love that show
Lol, “armchair paleontology internet research” So pro! 😀
These look absolutely fantastic. Our son loves dinosaurs! (surprise) That pose of the stegosaur is great. I used to dream about dinos when I was a child. I once watched the news and saw some scientist trying to recreate dinosaurs, and I remember that moment. I felt as if the world was magical.
Oh, that gif. I feel as if you skipped a few steps for me, I wanted to copy it and show our son. Either way, great results.
Ha ha, that’s a wise kid, liking dinosaurs! What’s his favorite one?
I did skip some steps in that .gif, it’s true. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos during most of the drawing. And it was a relatively quick one, compared to people portraits, so it’s kind of sparse on the stages.
Oh, I missed this response from you, Jon, sorry about that. I guess it is no surprise, that a T rex is his favorite, heh 🙂 Aha, I spotted that!
No surprise there, I think most kids love ol’ T-Rex and his tiny little arms!
Pingback: Tribute to Art Bell, Radio Legend – Shared Posts
Pingback: Tribute to Dragon’s Dogma – Shared Posts
Uh uh, another portrait give away /makes 100 fake emails to participate with 😉
Kidding 😀 Slowly back. What a great result. Those facial expressions, especially yours. Your family must be so happy you are drawing. Well done on that red hair. Not easy to capture it’s multiple ways of shining.
Again, those gifs are so neat.
Ha! You know all jokes aside, I actually think it would be good to give you a portrait. You’ve been enthusiastic about each contest – would that be cheating to give you an automatic win? Are you still interested in one of your in-game character?
Do you have any specific screen capture you’re interested in, or would you prefer some improvisation? Last time I drew a Warcraft character, I just used the model viewer on a site to help me.
Also – thanks for the kind words about the post sketch!
Schhh, nobody will find out, Jon. Just host another contest, and limit who can participate. Like, they HAVE to be Night Elf, for example. And have a blog. And in real life they have to be good at jumping on a trampoline. You know, the usual stuff… 😀
Oh, my, good question. I have not thought about that, since I’ve not won. I’d love my Night Elf, with her exact facial expression. I’ll find some screenshots of her to send over to you, perhaps by email, if I win 🙂
Np at all!
This is a flawless plan! Yes please do let me know if you find a screenshot you like, I’d be glad to sketch something out.
This is excellent! You really captured a nice energy. (I have a hard time drawing smiling faces so I’m always fascinated when I see it done well).
Thank you! I’m definitely with you on smiles, I’ve definitely been struggling with the teeth aspect of them lately. I find it very hard to have a distinct outline for a tooth without it looking kind of bad. I really need to study how other people do it
Congratulations! 🙂
Much appreciated! This is my first blogging award thing, so it was fun to participate in
Hey Jon, thank you again for the nomination 🙂 Fun to see my site amongst artists! Very grateful I am.
I like the idea with the questions, I cherish getting to know more about the person behind the blog 🙂 And I can basically recommend questions to those I want to nominate, to find out more about them too, sneaky sneaky 😉
You crack me up, hah, “Terrible website”, nope, that’s not what t means. And I sit here imagining a Liebster Police right now. You should totally draw that. In the old Tenage Mutant Ninja Turtles style you did a while ago 😀
Anyway. I’m hibernating on and off during July and August, so my absence is only caused by that, and nothing else, i hope to be back at full speed soon, lots of catching up to do too 🙂 Thanks again!
Absolutely! You are quite welcome. I was really glad to have the chance to participate in something like this, and glad to share some cool sites. I’ve enjoyed the wide variety of screen captures, adventure, and interesting scenes from your site. I hope this gets a couple new people over there to check it out!
Ha ha, I’m glad you got a kick out of the translation, and those pesky Liebster Police. I’ve been waiting for them to bust into my house any minute and force me to delete it from my site.
I imagine that 🙂 It sounds fun to participate in.
Thanks a lot for saying. It is a passion of mine, so if someone else finds joy in visiting my site, it’s win win too 🙂
Hah yeah. I was not kidding, you should totally draw it! 😀 Uh, uh, and once the Liebster Police finds you, you run away, with the Benny Hill style-theme playing! Gosh, this heat is getting to my head, sorry!
That’s what it’s all about for a lot of us in the blogging realm I’ll bet! Writing about and sharing something you have a passion for. Even if my reach is pretty small, it’s still exciting when it seems a visitor has gained something. Based on the comments from posts on your site, I’m certain your community finds a lot of value there!
Wow, that would actually be an interesting drawing. I struggle with drawing from imagination, so it would be an interesting test! “Liebster Police, everybody freeze and drop your awards!”
Pingback: A 2018 Liebster Award for Amdall Gallery | Amdall Gallery
thank you for answering my questions…and adding more..very interesting, and thank you for the information about the award.
Absolutely Christine, and thank you again for nominating me! It was a really fun thing to participate in, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to do that write up.
Cheers John….
Good to see something of your development process in the gifs, good idea, though remembering to take the photos is, as you say, tricky when you are in the flow.
I know what you mean about drawing people who are close to you. I find it takes an effort to change how I am looking at and observing the sitter, from seeing them as friend or family with whom I have an emotional attachment and relationship to a more detached, objective way of seeing. This can feel disconcerting at first, as if I am switching off something in myself that feels a fundamental part of my self-definition. It’s close to a meditation experience I find, bringing a clarity of view that is also quite relaxing and allows the process of drawing to capture some of the things that help define the sitter.
I don’t know how much you work from photos compared to direct observations but for myself I find it helpful to do both, spending time noticing how people move and are animated.
This gives me an idea for a blog post so you may see this again !
I hope this helps and best wishes, thanks for the ‘like’!
Congratulations on your award Jon. Well deserved.
Thank you Andy, I appreciate that!
Pingback: A 2018 Liebster Award for Amdall Gallery | Amdall Gallery
Good work Jon, it is tricky doing portraits of people you’re not familiar with.
I’m part way through a project to do 100 portraits (allegedly in 100 days) and finding it easier doing the celebrities. Oddly, even when getting it wrong they still look kinda right, in fact I don’t think I’ve got any totally right yet (subjective I know) but they seem to be well received.
However, I’m also painting one of my parents and it’s been hidden away for months now. Not sure why but I think the extra pressure of getting it right on people I’m very familiar with is having the reverse effect of being able to paint from a crappy little photo. Boosting faces from 1cm faded 80’s photo to about 20-25 times the size 🙁
Whilst I have done a few commissions none have been for portraits, I think it’s something that could be extremely tricky in many ways – the drawing/painting process being the least of them.
Much appreciated, Steve! I have to agree with you about celebrities, it definitely feels easier to draw faces that are familiar. As long as you get the most defining characteristics down, people can usually pick up on it.
Man, whenever I put pressure on myself for a portrait, the entire thing usually falls apart. I’ve learned I am at my best when I keep things as loose as possible. That’s definitely an added challenge. Plus this 100 portraits in (roughly) 100 days challenge, you are basically in artwork bootcamp! Are the 100 portraits all the most recent posts on your site? Or are there more you haven’t shared yet? I love that Edward Scissorhands, by the way – they’re all good, but that one is very cool
Thanks Jon, yeah they’re pretty much all the most recent posts.
That Edward I wasn’t overly happy with but the Sheeran version I thought came out OK. You’re right, it is a bit of a bootcamp but I’m never going to make the 100 days so I’ve accepted that.
Oh yes, I had to take another look at the Sheeran. That one turned out really well!
Wow
Thanks Ravish
Hi , I’ve nominated you for the Leibster Award for blogs with less than 1000 followers. I think it’s to try and get blogs more recognised. See https://artbychristinemallabandbrown.com/2018/07/16/liebster-award/ hope you dont mind
Wow, that’s really cool! Thank you for that, Christine!
Pingback: June Portrait Giveaway, the Resulting Artwork | Amdall Gallery
Very good post. Excellent sketch work 🙂 The director of Karate Kid and Rocky I was John Avildsen, he did very well on underdog movies. Years ago I was at University and wrote a piece for Karate Kid for my blog. I was surprised that John actually attended many Karate tournaments in LA, looking for someone to add to KKI, so he found Daryl Vidal, the one that “created” the crane kick (he was the one practicing at the beach, that’s the reason is a long shot scene) and also he played at the KK tournament but “lost” fighting Johny.
Much appreciated!
Wow, I had no idea there was actually a real “crane kick” guy…and he lost the real match? That crane kick really wasn’t all that unbeatable, was it. So, in your research, who was the good guy – the “real” Johnny or the “real” Daniel? This all makes me think about that YouTube video about how Daniel was the real bully and that Johnny was the victim. That new series actually covers some of that same ground, looking at it from Johnny’s perspective.
Thanks for the insights!
It’s been a few weeks since this post, and interestingly enough it has become one of my most viewed of all time on this site. It received a ton of traction via Facebook and Twitter, with the website post itself receiving over 1600 views. It didn’t get a ton of WordPress likes, and no comments (aside from me), but social media activity was a different story. On Twitter, it had 5200 impressions, 1300 engagements, and 30 likes (plus a cool subtweet from Mike Fisher, a Dallas sports reporter). On Facebook, it reached over 18000 people, almost 1300 clicks, and 97 likes!
For more popular websites, that’s probably no big deal. But for this one, that is pretty major traffic! I guess I’ll have to do more Luka Doncic posts in the future
Pingback: Gift Sketch of Nana and the Grandkids | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Gift Sketch of Nana and the Grandkids | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Gift Sketch of Nana and the Grandkids | Amdall Gallery
Oh, so lucky! Congratulations to Michelle! 🙂 And to you, Jon, for the high activity and interest! I look forward to see the results 🙂
Thanks Alunaria! I won’t be able to start working on it for a couple weeks, but I’m excited to see what happens for sure
Great drawing!
Thank you, Mel!
Pingback: Custom Portrait Giveaway Winner | Amdall Gallery
Very Nice work!!!
I think I’d love a picture of my beloved bulldog who passed away in April. He was twelve years old and had a long life. But he is so missed.
My condolences about your bulldog, that’s a really hard thing losing a pet. After such a long time, they sure do become like part of the family.
Best of luck to you on the contest – it should be closing in just a couple hours
Hi, Thanks!
Hi Sand, thank you for visiting!
You are work is amazing, really wonderful.
Thank you for the kind words Vikki! Good luck to you
Love your Artwork 🙂
Much appreciated Michelle, best of luck on the contest!
Your work looks amazing! Thanks for the chance!
Thanks Donna – good luck!
The picture did turn out great – and yes, it’s a good practice to link back to the original photo or give a credit to the photographer (if that person is known). Copyright issues can be tricky – some people are specific about what kind of copyright they’re publishing under (i.e., share and use, but always give credit) and others don’t say anything, and then it’s hard to know.
I’m glad you commented, because it made me realize I needed to beef up the source description here. Just citing History Lovers Club really wasn’t enough, as they certainly weren’t the original source. Actually, that’s sort of funny and ironic, because the entire post is about “historical photo” spammers who don’t provide sources, and here I am providing incomplete sourcing!
I did some digging, and found a book the photo appeared in, and the name of the original photographer. Drawing scenes from movies is easy to source, but this was a bit trickier. Anyway – thank you, As Much Cake saves the day
Ha! Not al all! I’ve completely ignored copyright issues on my own site. I do notice that a fair number of bloggers use the copyright symbol, or describe the terms of copyright and use of their work. I guess that’s a good practice and I should probably figure something out for my site. Thanks for bringing the topic up in your post!
I guess that’s sort of an internal conflict for artists who share on their own websites. A large part of you just wants to draw/paint/etc., but then that website operator in you has to say, “whoa slow down, you’ve got administrative stuff to do”
I’m not sure if this helps you at all, but I have this little statement at the bottom of my site:
“All art featured on Amdall Gallery was made by Jon Amdall. Analysis in research articles was conducted by Jon, usually facilitated by Excel spreadsheets. Anything created with help from other sources is cited within the relevant post. Please do not use or distribute materials from this site without attribution to the author. Thanks for visiting!“
Thanks so much for doing this giveaway. I love the idea of doing a Custom Portrait.
Absolutely! And thank you for entering, best of luck to you Brigitte
Hope I win
Good luck Rose!
Photo of me and my BFF
If you win, you got it! Good luck Isaac
You are such a gifted artist.
Thank you Laurie – good luck on the contest!
Pingback: More Throwback Practice Art | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: More Throwback Practice Art | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: More Throwback Practice Art | Amdall Gallery
I am still in complete disbelief that the Mavericks were able to draft Doncic. So much had to happen, so many teams had to pass on him for it to work. Yet here he is, on the Mavs. You never really know how players will turn out, but I think he’s got a good chance to be a star. Or, at the very least, a very good player who makes guys around him better.
Thanks for the chance
Sure thing! Good luck to you
Pingback: Drafting Doncic – The Mavericks’ Future is Bright | Amdall Gallery
I like the way you share your failures as well as your successes- it gives the rest of us hope! Not that your drawing is a ‘failure’ by most people’s standards.
I appreciate that! I enjoy sharing the bad along with the good, and if I feel like something failed, talking about why and how. Just the act of exploring the difficulties through writing helps me learn.
And I like the idea that someone might relate to whatever challenge I shared, and it could help in some way.
adorable
Much appreciated, Fia
I still can’t hear the name Mitchell without calling it out. Another one of my favorites is, “Manos: The Hands of Fate.” I also like the propaganda shorts like, “A Date with Your Family.” Great post!
Thanks Eduardo – I’m with you there, those are also classics! It’s honestly amazing that so many of those bad films got made. Makes me think I could be a (terrible) director too!
Once again, I love your explanation of your process. So totally refreshing that you let us see the steps along the way. I usually forget to take such photographs, but your blog inspires me! Thank you!
Pamela
Thanks Pamela, that’s really kind of you! At first I wasn’t entirely sure if people liked seeing it, so that’s great to hear.
Nice drawing! I think the face and the hand are the best parts. Yay for charcoal! I love using charcoal because you can get a great range of value and it’s super blendable. One of the things you can do to make charcoal less messy is to use a stick of compressed charcoal, rub it back and forth on a sheet of scrap paper, and use a paint brush to gather the charcoal dust and paint it on the picture. As for what to do with the drawing, hairspray works, but it can cause yellowing or discoloration (depending on chemicals in the spray). I think a better alternative would be fixative spray from an art store.
Thanks for this advice! I scrapped that hairspray idea. I went to the store to look at this fixative stuff, but I got a little freaked out by the warnings on the cans! It didn’t just say flammable…it said “Extremely Flammable!” And instead of hinting at cancer risk, it said, “This product contains chemicals known to cause cancer.”
I’m probably being a bit crazy about it, but I’m just not sure my art space is ventilated enough. Ultimately, I decided to just by some clear sleeves. Maybe not the best solution, but a good idea for someone who doesn’t know what he’s doing!
So, as someone who uses charcoal a lot, how do you achieve finer details with it? I loved the deep color it has, but I struggled with accuracy
I usually use charcoal pencils for finer details. It is also essential to use a kneaded eraser when you use charcoal. You can shape it to a fine point or a skinny wedge to erase mistakes and pick up charcoal to make things more accurate. Another thing you can to to get bright whites is white charcoal (not really charcoal but more of a dense chalk). It makes the really dark areas pop and draws the eye to the highlights very well. One last technique I use a lot is doing the paint on thing I mentioned earlier for surrounding areas and then using the pencils for very fine parts. There is less charcoal dust that spreads around that way rather than using vine charcoal, compressed charcoal sticks, or charcoal pencils for the whole thing. Hope this helps!
Ahhh, that’s great information, thank you. I actually have a kneaded eraser, but I’ve never used it! At last, it has a purpose beyond my kids thinking it’s Playdoh. And I didn’t even know there was a white color of charcoal, so that would be helpful too if I try it again.
One of these days, I’m going to compile all of the great advice artists have provided into a post. I feel so many valuable little bits of wisdom from experience (like your comment) have been shared, it would be cool to organize them so others can reference if they want to.
I like the silhouettes! And yes, you got a great, solid black with the charcoal. I don’t use charcoal that much because it is messy! (you can use a fixative spray sold at art stores – not sure about hairspray … )
Thanks! I do like the solid and very dark quality to the black, but I’m with you – it’s really too messy to make a regular thing.
I actually went to Hobby Lobby this afternoon to figure out what to do about the drawing, and almost impulse purchased some pastels! I was thinking about what you and a couple other folks do with them, and it seems like a cool thing to try. But I talked myself out of it, because I hadn’t done any research at all. I need to go back and look at that post you did about pastels, maybe watch a couple YouTube videos first I think.
That sounds like a good idea – just fyi, I found pan pastels to be only marginally less messy than charcoal. (I tend to jump in and try things so my two cents almost always comes from a newbie perspective!)
Uh oh, thanks for that warning – I’ll take some precautions (kids asleep, clothes that can get messy, etc)
These are great details about your process. I too love colored pencils, but use Caran D’Ache Luminance almost exclusively because they are lightfast and incredibly buttery…Extremely expensive too, so that is a really negative thing about them. But once I switched from Prismacolors to Luminance, there was no going back!
Wow those pencils sound like something I should never use, because I already think prismacolors are expensive! But “buttery” actually sounds quite awesome
Maybe I can float that idea for a birthday present or something…now I’m really curious about Luminance…
Hi Jon, yeah, in a really weird way it was the WORST thing I have ever done, letting myself experiment around with other pencils than my beloved Prismacolors. Luminance pencils eat a big chunk out of, well, everything! On the other hand, with certain colors, the pigment just lays down so deeply and beautifully with one or two layers…Okay, so the “buttery” is maybe over the top, but here’s a plug for drawing with sennelier oil pastels, if you are ever so inclined: drawing with those truly is buttery and like drawing with lipstick!!! (no not all the colors are that wonderful, I have trouble with prussian blue for instance, but all in all those oil pastels let you paint with a drawing feel to it. And like you (I think) I prefer drawing most of the time to painting with a brush…
Anyhow,that’s my little advertisement for the best oil pastels you can get, imho…but then again I could wax rather extreme in my singing the praises of oil pastels in general, which i think have been not taken as seriously as a medium as they should be. On the other, other hand, I admire your ability to stick with a medium and perfect it. I am MUCH too scattered to do that…alas. But I can see how you get better and better with each one…
Best wishes,
Pamela
That’s so funny, I guess you get what you pay for eh?
Yes, you are definitely right about my preference for drawing. In fact, it’s pretty much all I have experience with! I’m relatively new to drawing; I used to sketch a bit in high school, but until last fall I hadn’t drawn anything in at least a decade. So, I’m definitely a rookie still trying to learn the ropes. I love the way paint looks, but honestly I’m a bit intimidated by the technical and gear requirements. So for now, smooth pencils are fun until I get a bit braver.
Actually, you mentioned pastels – that might be the next thing I try. I almost bought a set today, in fact. How do you like working with pastels compared to using those top tier pencils (Luminance)?
This is freaking gorgeous. It feels like such a moment caught, and I find myself waiting for everyone to move! So expressive.
I actually like that you left the shirt white. My eyes are so drawn to the faces here, and the white helps with that in that it just fades into the background. It’s not an important detail to the story of this moment.
Just wow. I’m eager to get to my drawing desk now!
Thank you! This one is actually one of my favorites. I’ve got a few recently that I think might be an improvement from a technical standpoint, but I can’t help but love the scene here. I guess I’m a little biased towards the two little subjects!
I really love this post! And I totally know what you mean – sometimes drawings just don’t go the way we want. But I actually think this is really strong, especially because there’s a sense of movement here, of the characters being about to do something, and that draws me in.
Thanks so much for sharing this, and for writing about the process! I get so much out of hearing how other artists work, especially when things take an unexpected turn. Unexpected turns are a big part of the process for many of us, I think, and it’s fascinating and helpful to see how other folks handle it.
Well done, sir! 😀
I appreciate that Akire! I’m glad you enjoyed the write-up and the sketch. As you said, sometimes these things take their own paths – I have an instinct to fight it, if it’s not the direction I intended. But, I’m trying to be better and more flexible about that, and just let drawings flow. I really do think sketches turn out better when I loosen up a bit.
Thanks for the comment and visiting – I look forward to seeing more from your site as well!
I find the paper-to-computer transfer to be so strange. I use the same phone camera, image cropping, room lighting…same everything to get these images for the website. But somehow, I can’t predict the quality, and how the digital version will look compared to the original. Sometimes the digital image looks better, but the drawing from this post actually looks worse.
I tried taking the photo at least a dozen times, probably more, but the best way I can describe it is the digital version looks flat. My wife even said the same thing when she saw it. The real paper version just looks more alive, which is sort of unusual for my drawings.
Ooh, very interesting. I have been considering to start that digital drawing, but I am so new at this, I had no idea where to begin, or what to purchase. But I have some kind of feeling, I would really cherish drawing on a tablet like that.
Haha, your comments though. “Hey that’s me, except I forgot how to draw lines and make normal shapes.” Lol, made me chuckle.
That poor dino though. Don’t critisize it too much. It reminds me of the old cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 😀
Hm, I see what you mean, you do not look relaxed at all. I guess a learning curve in creative work is not the best of combinations, unless one brings an emormous amount of patience. I think that’s what has kept me from trying. Well, that, and not sure which purchase to make. But maybe I should give it a go with that one you list 🙂
Well, I’m definitely no kind of expert, but I can at least share with you what I purchased. I put a few of the art supplies I use in here: https://jonamdall.com/shop/. I also added the digital tablet I used from this article, which I think is relatively inexpensive compared to other similar options. The links in the store go to Amazon, but I’m not sure if they have a presence in your country at all.
And actually, now that you mention it, that dinosaur does sort of have an old Ninja Turtles cartoon vibe, doesn’t he? I should have given the guy some nunchucks or something!
Oh, thanks a lot for the tips. Added to my Birthday wish list then 😀 I actually look forward to getting started! I’m sure I can track it down in my country.
Right!? You should totally add a couple of nunchucks and a head bandana!
Very cool! So, are you going to get into some digital drawing? I look forward to checking that out – hopefully you’ll share that to your site if you give it a try
It’s different and similar. It took me a good four months to feel like I could apply my traditional drawing skills to my digital art, and this seems like a pretty good first attempt for a tablet. I still can’t really use tablets. My friend has a dope cintiq with like no lag and a color display which I loved, but those things are crazy expensive. Mice have advantages too, like precision and the fact you need to manually adjust flow and opacity, so it forces you to think about things before you do them in a different kind of way.
Anyway, I think it’s cool you gave it a go!
So, what do you primarily use in those elaborate creations you make? Is that mostly using a mouse? I know you’ve got a lot of experience with digital art, so that’s interesting if you do prefer mouse over digital pen/tablet. I always suspected, but I can now officially vouch for how hard digital drawing/painting is to do
First off, thanks for calling them elaborate : )
To answer your question, I own an Intuos 5 but only use it for rough sketchs and planning. I do outlines with the tablet but use my mouse for the finished pieces. Pads save time for rough sketches, but I prefer the precision of the mouse at this point. It definitely has limitations and smooth shading can be really hard without making masks constantly but for the stuff I’m working on it does the job XD
Most of what I do involves photomanipulation too, which is something Tablets are really clunky with in photoshop. The mouse has a big advantage for anything involving image transformations.
Haha, you bet! Well, they certainly are elaborate from my perspective; great contrasting light and dark, intricate patterns interspersed with the subject, etc. Of course, that’s coming from me, a person who has completely empty backgrounds on most drawings.
I can see how a tablet might not work well for that. I actually found myself search for my mouse somewhat regularly, like when I wanted to select a new color or click through some options. The digital pen is cool, but the mouse is still so much more intuitive to me.
Great first go at digital drawing! I’ve been using a tablet for more than a year and still find it ridiculously awkward.
Ohhh wow, ha ha…over a year, and it’s still awkward! I wonder if digital tablet drawing is something that, if you’re ever going to take to it, it happens quickly and naturally. And if it’s not a good fit, you can sort of tell right away.
Is any of the art featured on your site done via digital drawing/painting? Since you’ve been using a tablet for so long, I’m also curious which program you prefer to use. I’m a fan of free tools, but I’m certainly open to other ideas to make things smoother.
Oops, this slipped away on me – my apologies! I don’t have anything on my site that I drew digitally from beginning to end. I do touch ups with the tablet and sometimes add subtle backgrounds ( I change the opacity of layers I draw with the tablet so that they’re barely visible – for example, the shelving behind the shopkeeper): https://asmuchcake.com/2018/05/27/checking-in/
I prefer to draw by hand, photograph and then bring into my computer – completely low tech! I do use Photoshop to add washes of colour and to add layers when I want to draw in a background or some other detail. Not very inspiring, I’m afraid … that’s why I was really impressed with your first attempt!
It’s all good, it’s so easy to lose track of all the comments flying around!
I think I see what you mean on that sketch – hand drawing, then some digital fading or tweaks. That’s really great, I’ve got to learn how to do stuff like that too. I can see how it would be really helpful. So, you use Photoshop for the most part?
Hi Jon, what a coincidence as I bought a graphics tablet recently too! One idea I’m trying is to upload a scanned image of a hand-drawn picture I’ve done to the software, and then trace over the top to kind of calibrate my hand to working on the computer, if that makes sense? To try get a feel for my normal way of working in a different medium. I agree though, I think it does take a bit of getting used to.
So, which brand/model did you go with? And have you had a chance to draw with it yet?
That’s an interesting idea about scanning a hand drawn one to help you practice with the digital process. It sounds like it might be too much for my laziness to overcome, but I’d love to hear how it turns out. Are you going to write a post about it? I’m definitely interested in reading up on your experience.
I got a small Wacom Intuos Draw to get me started but I’m looking at maybe getting a big XP-Pen screen style one if I can get into the swing of it and save some pennies! I don’t think a bigger Wacom would be worth it based on some of the reviews I’ve seen.
Thanks for the feedback, I’ll look into making a post about it. I’ve got a picture I’m working on at the mo. Seems to work pretty well in terms of drawing an outline but need to experiment a bit with colours/patterns which seems a lot more difficult.
Your self-portrait seemed like a great first go! I can see how you translated your drawing process from your previous post with layering it up. Do you think you might give the tablet another go?
Awesome, I’ll keep an eye out for some digital stuff from you! I can’t wait to see how your idea turns out.
I’m sure I will give it a try again, but I need to come up with some practical game plan to improve. Even if it’s something small, I like having a plan. I was thinking about adjusting the sensitivity of the pen, and probably watching some YouTube videos. I got a lot of great ideas from artist YouTube videos early on when I started using colored pencils, so maybe lightning will strike twice.
Pingback: Back to Basics, Paper Sketch of the Kiddos | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back to Basics, Paper Sketch of the Kiddos | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back to Basics, Paper Sketch of the Kiddos | Amdall Gallery
I tend to just draw on my Samsung tablet with my finger, but I have a wacom bamboo tablet, and I had a bigger wacom tablet in the past. I have tried various drawing apps. At the moment I’m just using free ones. The quality of the drawing can vary a lot depending on the app and the stylus/tablet……
With your fingers, no kidding? Do you feel like that gives you enough precision when you draw on your tablet?
I’m not as happy just using my fingers …I had a stylus for this tablet but lost it. I find my finger often drags on the screen which makes the lines uneven. I need to go back to the wacom bamboo but using a tablet is so much more convenient than being attached to a pc.
Oh yeah, I can see how that would be really nice to have an independent tablet, so you could just sit anywhere and draw. Having to be connected to my computer isn’t too terrible, since I usually draw at the same desk. But it would be kind of nice to have the couch option.
Love the sketch. Great work.
Thanks Dana!
Love your work!
Much appreciated, thanks for stopping by!
Wow very nice breakdown. And thank you for the insight. I felt like a newb when I read the comment you are referring to! I was first like, what? OK language barrier. But what, does he use a psychic? No, that can’t be right… 😀
Ha ha, and if I did use a psychic, then we might be talking about what medium my medium likes?
Hahaha!
Fantastic step-by-step and the image is great!
I appreciate that, As Much Cake!
(The first thing I typed was “much appreciation much cake” which didn’t make any sense, and sort of cracked me up. When I read what I typed, it sounded like a cave man describing his birthday party or something)
Too funny! I’d be happy to get that as a comment:-).
Hi Jon, your artwork is pretty awesome. Love your style!
Thank you Viviane!
“… you really can’t tell if she’s sneezing, crying, or yawning.” That is what is so intriguing about this drawing. Very well done.
Thank you David, I appreciate that!
These are amazing!
Thank you! There’s just something about drawing video game stuff, it’s very fun
Fun to see your process, and interesting where our approaches differ. Great post !
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the process stuff!
I may have mentioned this at some point (I can’t remember), but I think the first place I read about this thick layering/pencil painting stuff was on your website. I’m glad you shared that! I’ve been really fortunate to come across so many people with valuable insights into art.
It’s a good technique, thanks for sharing x
Absolutely! And thank you as well, Christine
Pingback: My Medium, Process, and Frequently Used Colors | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: My Medium, Process, and Frequently Used Colors | Amdall Gallery
Thank you for the spoiler alert, appreciate that 🙂 That game looks very appealing. And so does the result, I’m very fond of the colours put together in both of them. 🙂 Is it easy to make those gifs?
(Silly question, is it one of those games, where you can turn off, is the term “gore”?)
It’s not hard at all! To make .gifs from images (like the drawing progressions), I upload the stills to ezgif.com. It’s the best online service I’ve used. To make .gifs directly from gameplay, I use something called Gifcam.exe. I open the game window in the smallest resolution it allows (for smaller file sizes), then open Gifcam on top of it. You hit record, then you can edit frames – it’s really awesome. If you download Gifcam, just make sure you get it from the creator (http://blog.bahraniapps.com/gifcam/). He/she allows you to just download the program by itself, but apparently other sites offer downloads along with adware.
I don’t think you can turn off blood effects in the game, but I’ll have to check the options menu. It’s not extremely graphic; probably similar to Elder Scrolls Skyrim in those terms. There are a couple of scenes that I wouldn’t want to have my kids around for though:
– At the beginning, the dragon steals your heart. It’s not as gross as you might think, but it does show an actual heart and there’s blood on your shirt
– At one point, one of the main villains impales a couple cronies. It’s pretty graphic
– There is a disturbing scene where the Duke is going to strangle his wife. The hero saves her, and there’s no blood, but it’s unsettling.
– I won’t add detailed spoilers because it’s important to the story, but there is a suicide in the game.
Aha, ok. Thank you for the in depth explanation, I might give it a go sometime 🙂 I always wanted to make WoW videos too…
Thank you for the tip. I really dislike adware.
Aha ok. Funny you should mention Skyrim. I tried that game (hubby has it) and I found it far too bloody. But found an AddOn to toggle it off. 🙂
Oh, alright, I understand why you wouldn’t want to have your kids around for those scenes.
I guess I am a bit too emotional for some of them too! Time to grow thicker skin 😉
I once played a game called…Oh what was it again. Contradictions? I think. Some kind of detective-solving game. I loved that, especially because it left a lot of things to the imagination!
WoW I think might be tough to make videos for, because the action never pauses. I can pause Dragon’s Dogma, so that gives me a chance to set up the .gif program. I think for Warcraft, you might need a better program…I don’t know much about them, but your video card manufacturer may have something. For example, I have an AMD card, and they offer a free game video thing called “Radeon ReLive.” So, if you have one of those graphics cards, you might consider trying that. Once you’ve captured video you can pause, then you could use the .gif maker I talked about.
So, did you like Skyrim once you got the bloody stuff turned down? I think it has one of the coolest game worlds/environments I’ve seen. The combat needed work, but the world was so facinating.
Man, I can’t believe it’s seven years since I posted this about the Mavs championship…seven years, and they haven’t been good since. Who would have thought?
That’s alright, I still love them.
Hah, same here, multipass! 😀 It turned out very well – without the name of the post I could easily see who you drew. I bet, I just did the same thing! Should watch that movie again. Gosh look at Bruce Willis…Is the movie really that old now…/Checks her own birthdate…
Thanks Alunaria! Yes, it’s crazy to think how old the movie is now. My first instinct is to say, “oh yeah Fifth Element came out like 10 years ago.” Then I realize it’s 20, and just shake my head. Where does the time go?
I know!
No problem, I am always interested to see what other artists are using!
You will surely enjoy playing this intense game where one can use your imagination and
creativity possibly at one time enjoy and relax. If you think this is too difficult, nno less than you have to be acquainted with
the installer program tat permits you to automatically install the mods.
The game has created a lite of its, with merchandise, popuhlar culture
references, parodies, and even a convention of dedicated fans that iis well attended in recent
years.
Say what? Hmmm…so…you are going to buy the million dollar drawing then? That’s really nice of you, thanks for your business
I love it, what is your medium?
All of my recent stuff is first outlined in graphite pencil, then I use Prismacolor Premier pencils for color. I lay down the color as thickly and heavily as possible, in multiple layers. The soft cores in the lead help with blending a lot.
You know, I really should either add that information to posts, or do one self-contained post that talks about materials. I appreciate your comment – it really got my wheels turning!
Thanks for dropping by my blog today 🌼🌼
Likewise to you! I love the detail in your plant artwork, very good stuff.
Makes a great gift for a loved one – good work
Thanks Richard, good luck!
One of my favourite scenes too 😍
Working on these made me want to watch the movie again! I actually found myself taking breaks from writing the post, just so I could watch Fifth Element clips on Youtube
Good portrait!
Thanks Christine!
☺
Pingback: The Fifth Element – Gary Oldman’s Zorg | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: The Fifth Element – Leeloo Dallas Multipass | Amdall Gallery
I LOVE THE PET DRAWINGS!! THIS WOULD MAKE A GEAT ADDITION TO OUR HOUSE
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed – good luck on the contest!
Awesome artistic ability!
Thanks Abigail! Good luck to you
Did I miss the poll? I want that, sooo much! Participated 🙂 /Ponders to herself whether or not she should create a lot of fake emails, sneaky sneaky… :p
Ha ha, that sounds like a flawless strategy!
Thanks for joining in the fun, good luck to you on this one – you never know how the contest algorithm gods will decide
Aww, that gleam thing happened right when I had my family emergency, so I didn’t get to participate. 🙁 Joy for another around 🙂
What a fascinating breakdown you can do, it’s great with that kind of insight.
Well, I’m glad you were able to be back to see this one!
I also saw your one year celebration giveaway – congratulations, by the way. It’s a great milestone, and quite a generous giveaway. That’s really a massive collection of in-game stuff you’re giving out.
I like your works
Thanks Matt, I appreciate you saying so – good luck
Pingback: Custom Portrait Giveaway | Amdall Gallery
Hi Jon
Great insightful post, thanks for posting up the details, I hadn’t heard of Gleam before. Good to see the stats and results.
I’ve done a couple of ‘free giveaways’ of art on Instagram in a shameless attempt to bump up audience figures. I’ve only got a small following so looked to boost it a bit to feel that I wasn’t just showing off artworks to a few family and friends (something I was doing before getting on the web).
One thing I found was that the giveaways that had some involvement such as “guess the animal – win the picture” seemed to get more response than the simple “tag a friend and hit follow” type posts. This surprised me as I figured because people are lazy and would rather do nothing for something, the reverse seemed to be the case.
Whilst I’ve done a few of them I decided the last would be my last, unless I came up with a better idea. It was linked up to an advert for a ridiculously low-priced item on my Etsy shop – a loss leader essentially. After a two week campaign it resulted in a grand total of zero sales and I think maybe 10 extra followers. Well, that certainly showed me!! Still count it as something worth trying because we live and learn eh?
Once again, thanks for this post – all the best and I really hope the prize chosen is the right one, $20 is soon spent, artwork is far longer lasting.
Cheers
Steve
Hey Steve! So, how did you handle an Instagram giveaway? I really like Instagram because of its focus on images, but I wish it had more integration with WordPress. Do they have any built-in functionality for giveaways, or do you have to select your own winner? It sounds like you’ve gotten pretty creative with yours, which is cool because you’ve learned quite a lot from it.
As you said, I also figured people will go with the path of least resistance on things, so would be less likely to do detailed things. But you’re right, participants surprised with how many actions they’d take to enter.
If you ever decide to do another giveaway, I really liked Gleam. I used the free version, which only lets you set up basic stuff (Facebook, Twitter, a few others). But it’s a nice looking interface, and I feel like many who participated did so because they were familiar with Gleam already. Just browsing through the subreddit /r/giveaways, many are through Gleam, so it’s probably easy to get traction. Depending on which WordPress plan or platform you are using, you may be able to embed the giveaway right in your post (.org self hosted, or .com business, I think).
I also did a test run with Rafflecopter, which seemed to be extremely popular on WordPress. The free version is pretty similar to free Gleam, but I think Rafflecopter isn’t as slick looking. I do believe either of these services might increase participation, though. Then again, take what I say with a grain of salt, because this has been my only experience! This is all a trial-by-error process for me
Pingback: Subscriber Giveaway Winner | Amdall Gallery
I hope you are feeling better! Your sketch looks almost identic with the movie. I see almost no room for improvement at all, it’s so well done!
Thank you Alunaria, I am finally feeling better…whew, that was not a fun illness. My kiddos both got sick too, but they are also feeling better.
Also, thanks for saying so about the sketch!
Thanks for having the giveaway!
Hey Richard, thanks for visiting and entering the giveaway…guess what? You won!
I’m going to write a post about it shortly, and send you a message via the Giveaway portal (Gleam). I think it will go to your email, but this is my first time to use this, so we’ll see. Congrats to you!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Sure thing Sand – thanks for visiting
Thank you for this chance. Amazing giveaway
You’re welcome, and thank you for coming by
Hello! Thank you so much for the chance and have a great week!!
Absolutely – thank you for visiting!
Good Sweepstakes.
Thanks Joseph!
Hi! This is my first time on your site.
Hello to you, and welcome!
You are such a gifted artist!
Thank you Laurie, and thanks for visiting!
I love how you’ve captured their expressions!
Thank you! Even though Daniel doesn’t look quite right, I think I at least captured that “I’m scared and don’t want to be here” face
Yes, you really did!
Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
Absolutely! You caught it right in the nick of time, too – two days left
Pingback: Mr. Miyagi and Daniel from the Karate Kid | Amdall Gallery
Loved your drawings ♥ keep going and sharing!
You can also check mine on my blog.
Thank you, and likewise to your drawings – you’ve got some great detail work
Yep, you can easily spend a couple of weeks just in London and not bother to visit the rest of the country….sometimes I go to London when I am over there, but not every time 😉
Turned out well!
Much appreciated – I’m sort of surprised, I had no idea how a cat would go. Animals are definitely not in my wheelhouse!
Love the drawing! I think that the head is the best part; the colors are bolder and the fur looks really good. What’s going on in the background? What is he sitting on and what is he looking at?
Thanks Kathy! That’s funny you mentioned that, it’s very typically of my drawing approach. I’m either sort of lazy or impatient (or maybe both), so when I’m sketching people, the heads are usually much better, then the bodies get really sloppy. I’ve gotten to where I often stick to heads and shoulders, and don’t even bother with more. I guess that carried over from people to cats!
And in the picture, Biscuit the Cat is sitting on a counter-top, and he’s looking at a candle.
Whoa, this was my 100th published post! Sweet!
Also, looking at poor Biscuit the Cat…he’s a bit wobbly. I don’t think I drew his feet/body position in a very natural way.
Pingback: A New Type of Subject – My Sister’s Cat | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: A New Type of Subject – My Sister’s Cat | Amdall Gallery
Thanks for the chance.
You are quite welcome – good luck to you
I don’t know his face well enough to comment on the likeness too much (sorry, not a big sports fan, here, and British too! 🙂 ), but, I would say that if you are more satisfied with the initial sketch than the final result maybe you should try what your gut is telling you, Jon, monotone in graphite. My guess is that the color version is flattening his features out too much and that is what is throwing things off and doing tone only will make you more aware of where the darks and lights are and most importantly, HOW light or dark they should be! then you just have to translate that into color (a good trick with this problem is to turn the color picture black and white using photoshop or whatever) Keep up the good work, you’re doing Great!!! 🙂
Very insightful, Hilda! I think you’re right on the money – the color really did flatten the defining features too much. I didn’t even think about digitally removing the color, that’s a great idea! I’m going to do it, and see if that helps at all. Maybe some more contrast added through a program too?
Also, I didn’t know you were British! That’s very cool – I guess I’m talking about the wrong kind of football, eh?
Yep, I have lived almost half my life in the US and half in the UK, at this point (born in UK, married to an American, lived here ever since 😉 )
That sounds like some pretty fun variety – I’ve only been to the UK once, but I really enjoyed it. My wife and I went to London as part of our honeymoon, and it was such a cool place
Awesome! Emmit Smith was one of the best running backs during a great time in football. The Cowboys dynasty was fantastic because of quarterback, defense and of course the superior running game. Awesome sketch!
Much appreciated! That awesome 90s Cowboys dynasty really came along at the perfect time to hook me for life. It makes me wonder if I’d be so crazy about them if they had been bad. Of course, I’m a big Mavs fan too, and the 1990s were defintely not kind to them!
Those really were fun teams though – Emmitt just might be my favorite of that era
Pingback: My Attempted Tribute to Emmitt Smith | Amdall Gallery
Love the portraits! Good attention to detail, like the red hair with the ponytail, brown hair, and the blue eyes. A job well done, glad she was so proud 🙂 I hope she keeps drawing and never loses her love for art
Thanks Kathy! I’m just so impressed that she’s starting to progress beyond full scribble-mode. I mean, based on how she used to draw, it’s pretty cool to watch the change.
Err. Oops! Enter button! Feel free to edit my comment. Our son does that too, the attention to detail in his drawings. He sees and remembers things I do not!
I love that she was so proud. I cherish that about our son as well; he has no need for comparison; he just looks as his own piece of art and thinks he has done well. I hope it will last.
What a great way to “interfere” without interfering 🙂
I would love to see more of these!
That’s so awesome, I love that unfiltered joy kids get out of their accomplishments! I know exactly what you mean, as their parent you just hope that state of being lasts as long as possible. I know it won’t last forever – growing up does that I guess. But I sure enjoy seeing how excited she gets
Thank you so much!! It’s much appreciated!
Sure thing Tracy, thanks for visiting!
They are lovely portraits. Tell her well done!
Thank you! We are so proud of our little artist
Pingback: Inspiration from Twitter, Historical Photo Drawing – Shared Posts
Pingback: Lord of the Rings – Sam Carrying Frodo – Shared Posts
Pingback: Giveaway on Amdall Gallery – Shared Posts
That definitely looks like a sneeze- the expression is spot on! I think having both hands covering the mouth makes it look more like a sneeze than a yawn, and the furrow makes it look less like crying. I love the progressive photos too- it makes it very easy to see how outlines became a finished, colored drawing!
Much appreciated Kathy!
I’m glad you liked the progression photos – if people are interested, I like providing a view on how I approach things. I’ve gotten ideas to improve my own work from other artists’ sites, so my hope is that maybe someone else could pick something up here. You never know! Someone could pick up even some small notion, and that would be good.
The progressions are also helpful for me though, because I can more easily see where a sketch changed (for better or worse). That is sometimes hard to figure out after the fact. A good example is the Guardians of the Galaxy drawing; I knew something went wrong, but I couldn’t tell immediately how. The layers of the progression animation showed me where I messed up on the final version (the green guy’s head shape).
Pingback: Hometown Series, the Unfinished One | Amdall Gallery
I drew him on a website called sketchfu. Sadly it closed a few years ago. I think I posted my digital drawing of him on here somewhere. I like your portrait of him.
Thank you Christine. I’d love to see your Captain Picard art, which category on your site is it under?
Probably Digital Art. I will have to have a look…
Its actually http://artbychristinemallabandbrown.com/22/04/2018/digital-portraits
Wow, excellent! Thanks for sharing that – I’ll comment further on your site, but I like it.
Great portrait, Jon – the posture, expression, everything!
Thank you, I appreciate that!
Sometimes I really like how these random ones turn out – they don’t always work, but I’m glad I gave “the sneeze” a try
Her eyes do seem sad, but I suppose sneezes are violent bursts of something that can look like grief for a moment. I think it looks great. The hands and arms are spot on alongside the expression and proportions. I glasses off to the side gave me more of a “I just learned something that made me cry” feel, but maybe that’s not a bad thing.
Then again I draw more sad and ambivalent poses than I should 😛
Anyway, keep it up!
Thanks Blu – you know, I’d never thought much about how similar those grimace/facial contortions can be prior to this sketch. They sure are hard to differentiate.
That’s a good point about the glasses too. Maybe she checked her Bitcoin portfolio on that laptop, and took her glasses off for a good cry? Her CPA told her not to move her 401K into imaginary internet money, but she just wouldn’t listen
Haha XD, now I feel even worse for her.
I enjoyed seeing your blog entries, and wanted to thank you for being the first to visit my new website, Arteveryday365.com
Glad to find your site!
I enjoyed your sites as well – thanks for visiting, Pamela!
Perhaps you already do this but if not, could you share what media you use, on each portrait, and if pencils etc what brand you prefer? I think this would help a lot of readers…
best wishes from Arteveryday365.com
Pamela Spiro Wagner
HI there, I definitely thought, A sneeze is going on here, when i saw your sketch…Well before I read any words of self-doubt. It may be subtle, but I believe you have caught this involuntary behavior quite accurately. It does not look like she is crying, not with those above nose lines, and while yawn is, after the fact looking at the portrait, possible, I still immediately reacted to this as a sneezing woman. Them’s my two cents at any rate. Thank you for being my very first like at Arteveryday365.com
Best wishes,
Pamela Spiro Wagner
Hey there Pamela, that’s great! You never know how people are going to react and interpret things, so I’m glad this struck you as a sneeze. Subtle lines and impressions can be really challenging for me sometimes.
I love the progressive pictures. So hard to portray whether she is sneezing, yawning or crying. The only way I can see is to draw her in her pose a few seconds before this when she would have her hands further from her face and her mouth open – possibly not the most flattering though!
Thanks Claire – that’s a pretty good idea, and I think it would have been hilarious to capture that.
Maybe a series of pre-sneeze sketches? I’m not quite sure if I’d have the skill to do it, but just imagine the funny faces. I guess there’s another reason beyond germs we all cover up during a sneeze!
Hi Jon-
Your sketches are beautiful and delicate. The line work has a nice balance of loose and precise marks.
Thank you Nathan, that’s really kind of you to say.
I’m also glad you found the site because it gave me a chance to see your 3D/VR art. I had never even heard of Tilt Brush, but you’ve made some very cool art with it. Makes me wish I had a 3D device so I could check it out in the full environment!
I should mention, I was mostly talking about Witten’s contemporaries when mentioning players who have kept fans hopeful. Romo, Ware, those guys who were in their primes a few years ago. Of course, there is a crop of current young Dallas Cowboys who are very exciting; Dak Prescott, Zeke Elliot, that excellent offensive line, etc. We’ll see how they do over the next couple of years. They might end up on my list of all time favorites too.
Pingback: Jason Witten’s Retirement – The Secret is in the Dirt | Amdall Gallery
I enter a lot of contests, and concerning your dilemma about Gleam vs Rafflecopter, they each have their strong and weak points. The best thing I like about both of them is the fact that they let you know if you have already entered the contest–very important if the contest shows up on several sites (maybe not an issue for you) AND allows only one entry!
I agree, that is pretty useful! I do wish they opened things up a bit more for the free version (like allowing email subscription entries), but I understand. They’ve got to make money somehow, because they are pretty cool services. If not for Gleam (and their competitors) existence, I probably would have had to install another plugin, which I try to do in moderation.
I’m back, slowly catching up. Gosh. My goodness, that is one amazing sketch. And from something I know. You captured all the feelings so well in Sam’s face. Hah, I like the one without the comic best, but I get why it’s fun 🙂
Thanks Alunaria – I’m glad you liked it! Also, I hope everything is okay with your family. You mentioned an emergency a couple weeks ago, so hopefully everything is going alright
Oh, thank you a lot, yes, things are slowly improving here 🙂
Note to future self: Don’t try to “fix” old art. I applied heavier layers of color to this one, to make it more like the style in newer drawings. I really liked this one, and I pretty much ruined it. Lesson learned (I hope).
At least I still have the digital versions of the original sketch – thank you, website of mine. If not for keeping up with this site, I probably wouldn’t have gotten around to making a digital copy!
Actually, I am glad to report that I’m incorrect on the above statement! I have since done several tweaks and do-overs of old art, and some have turned out pretty well I think!
Here are a couple of examples: https://jonamdall.com/2019/02/23/a-dark-tower-redo-one-year-comparison/
https://jonamdall.com/2020/04/18/dark-tower-villain-improvements/
This is such an awesome giveaway. Thanks for the chance!
Thank you – good luck to you on the contest!
I think Gamora actually turned out looking really good. It’s always good to analyze the parts we don’t like though. And I mean you have four subjects! That’s a lot of room for error. This is far from embarrassing in my opinion.
Thanks Blu, I appreciate that. After letting this one marinate a bit, I think I’m okay with this Gamora too. I still don’t think it looks like the actual actress, but as a stand-alone fictional alien, she isn’t too bad. I’ve still got to give myself a thumbs-down on good ol’ Drax the Destroyer though.
Hi now
Hi there Alex
Oh yeah, something I forgot to mention. No one may notice this, because it’s so small and insignificant, but on figure 7 (traffic referrers by total numbers), there’s one that says “127.0.0.1:8888/orange.html.” If anyone has ever seen that on their own site and wondered what it was, my understanding is that it’s Google’s web crawler robot. Basically, it seems that is Google indexing your pages for the search engine.
On further examination, I think I’m starting to see how Dave Bautista became The Rock. I made his face way too long, and the top of his head is too sharp. That was the biggest difference between the pencil outline and the final color product. I also think I added too much shadow to the eyes, but I was trying to combat the dark green and make the eyes stand out.
Pingback: Messing Up a Guardians of the Galaxy Drawing | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Messing Up a Guardians of the Galaxy Drawing | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Messing Up a Guardians of the Galaxy Drawing | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Messing Up a Guardians of the Galaxy Drawing | Amdall Gallery
Hi Jon! Thank you for visiting my site. I just love your “Dad and the girls”! I’m also a Star Trek fan, so I really enjoyed Captain Picard. I’ve tried to find where Amdall Gallery is located, but I can’t find the country or city listed anywhere? I presume you are in the USA and I read your acesters are fromNorway, that’s where I live.
Keep on drawing… Sincerely Eva Newermann
Hi Eva, sure thing! I really like your paintings. Is the art used on your book covers also done by you?
I’ve always wanted to visit Norway, hopefully someday I’ll get a chance to go. It seems like a really cool place to live. Where would you recommend a first time visitor travel to?
Hi! Yes, all the paintings are done by me. One of my favorite is the astronaut,Bruce McCandless who in 1984 did the first spacewalk( EVA) with a MMU on his back.He just died recently. I found this image on the NASA webside. Just mindblowing! I would recommend the westcoast of Norway. If you see Tom Cruise larest Mission movie he is climbing up a mountain called the Pulpit ( more info on utube) There you will see the beautiful fjords. To walk to the Pulpit takes about 2 hrs ,it has been made an easy path by Sheapers from Tibet who has built steps stone by stone. If you bring your family this will be something they will rememger for ever.
That’s great, I really like the outer space theme; it makes for interesting subject matter. And Norway seems like a beautiful place. I would guess the summer is the best time though, right? Especially if we’re not used to real snow.
Also, RE: your follow up comment – not to worry! Your comments are coming through just fine through the WordPress Viewer and the main website. Sometimes it takes a few minutes though, that might be why you weren’t seeing it immediately.
I love all these throw-back character portraits. Always preferred Picard, my dad likes Kirk, bu that’s probably because he has the same name XD
The hand, expression, and complexion are all beautifully done. For your rendering style, I’d suggest experimenting with microns or some sort of archival ink pen to texture or shade clothing. The hyper-refined look of the skin is clashing with the bolder reds and blacks in the clothing here. I think the cleaner lines of a small nib (microns specifically are sold in other colors) could contrast really well with your approach to processing the facial and skin textures.
Anyway, keep it up!
Thanks Blu – yeah I definitely like Picard over Kirk. Even back when I was a kid, being the Captain of a spaceship seemed like a stressful job. I just figured the person who did that would have a pretty serious personality, kind of like Picard. Kirk seemed too irresponsible to me, as if he would have a mutiny or the ship would explode on his first week in space.
I think I’m going to have to do some Googling on the micron, nib, and archival pen things. Is Micron a brand of special ink pen? Much like so many art mediums, I don’t think I’ve ever used pen before. Sounds kind of intimidating actually, not being able to erase! High stakes art, right there.
Microns are a specific style of archival pen (a brand, but they have unique pen styles, the brush nib is particularly great for clothing).
Pens are intimidating, you’re right, but they are one of the cleanest mediums. They do exactly what you tell them to, which makes them great for texture or stylized clothing/backgrounds. That said, colored pencils and pastels aren’t always the easiest to erase without ruining the paper.
Anyway, might be fun to experiment with. I think what you’re doing is already really dope but trying new things can really pay off when you find a new effect or style you can incorporate into your other works XD
Actually, that’s a really good point. I was so focused on the permanence of pen/ink, but it’s definitely true that these Prismacolor pencils are not really erasable. They really mess up the paper if you try to erase once a thick layer is down.
Ha – I’m such a creature of habit. I really would like to try some new things, I just have to break myself out of this mold. I’m honestly amazed that I was able to even get myself to try colored pencil!
Whilst living in Japan in the 1990s, with limited access to English speaking TV, Star Trek: The Next Generation was our lifesaver. We tuned in religiously every week and watched every episode ever produced. I watch the reruns on occasion and think back fondly to just how important it was to us at that time. A bit of familiarity in a very different phase of our lives.
That’s awesome! I can see how that would be pretty comforting. I think a lot of my fondness for the show is rooted in a similar feeling; I didn’t move across the globe or anything, but the memories tied to the show are good.
I wonder what sort of experiences or even shows my kids might have similar feelings about? I suppose it could be anything, but wouldn’t that be funny if it was also Star Trek the Next Generation?
Pingback: Star Trek’s Captain Picard, This Time in Color | Amdall Gallery
Hello! Cool drawings, and thanks for the opportunity!
Thanks Clem! Good luck on the contest
The match was forgettable. I actually and excitedly went to see Dick the Bulldog Brower, and Mighty Igor.
We still have four of our children at home, so I’m used to noise too, I just can’t seem to perform detail work like drawing, painting, writing or even reading very well with a lot of noise. I mostly find the time to work at night or when everyone’s out of the house. I do have a roomy wooden workbench in the garage that I hand built, a nice easel, and a comfortable chair that allows me those quiet moments. But it is brutal hot in the summer, so that only works well in winter, autumn and spring.
Ha ha, yeah I’ll bet it is hard to focus with four children! It sounds like you have a pretty good setup for pleasant weather out there, though. What do you do when it gets hot? Do you move your art gear inside?
Wow, thanks for the memories of Andre The Giant. I actually went to see him wrestle as a kid in the late 1970s in a little arena in North Carolina. – Sometimes like you, I don’t draw or paint for weeks, maybe months at a time. I think about it, have visions in my head, but I’m the type that needs solitude when drawing/painting, and if I don’t have it for a couple of hours uninterrupted, I know my attempts will end in frustration. Great drawing by the way!
That’s awesome, how was the match? I only knew his wrestling career from when he was the “bad guy” against Hulk Hogan in the late 80s, but I think it would have been cool to see him then in a different role. From what I’ve read, he had some epic winning streak that lasted for years during his time as a good guy.
I always find it interesting how people set up their best artistic environments. I’m actually sort of the opposite when it comes to noise; I’m used to having my kids playing near me while I draw, sometimes right in my desk space. I’m actually shocked something hasn’t gotten food/water/stray marks on it yet! And when the kiddos are asleep, I even like to have background talk show noise (nothing political though, that’s too distracting). What sort of physical environment do you utilize when you paint?
The more I look at this drawing, the less I think it looks like Hendrix. I’m usually fairly self-critical in general about art, but this time I think I’m being realistic. This is a solid sketch of a person, but it’s not a good representation of Jimi Hendrix.
Oh well, that’s alright. As I’ve said before, sometimes art doesn’t work out exactly how you’d hoped.
Great dialogue! 😀
Thanks! In my head, that’s mostly what he said in the movie
You should try painting from life. It is challenging and ever so rewarding. Mistakes hang out there with a life of their own. Drawing without the net
Ahhh, the great challenge…maybe I’m being too cautious, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet. I think that’s a mark of real pros, who can create art from real life subjects. I have this notion that I need to be better and more confident before I make that leap.
So, I’ve seen some of your paintings have people in motion (ex. people in front of a building, one is riding a bike). This may seem like kind of a silly question, but how do handle changing positions as people move? I’m so used to static subjects, I always know the perspective. Do you just remember the angles and shapes, or do you make them up?
I’m a Jimi Hendrix fan and I think your drawing is ace!
Excellent, thank you Sahara! If a Hendrix fan gives a thumbs-up, that’s a win in my book
Hello, I like this site!
Thanks Susan!
You’re really getting good at those skin textures and complexion work! Hands are really well done too, those fingers are hard to shade.
Much appreciated! It’s really encouraging to see tangible improvement, which I think I can see over the last few months.
Hopefully I can keep learning – I see lots of ways I could improve (simulating light, patience coloring clothing, FINALLY trying to work on backgrounds, etc)
That’s always the payoff with art for me. It’s easy to get demoralized sometimes, but looking back at old things to see how far you’ve come is a good way to keep things in perspective.
And you already are identifying how to improve, which is actually the hardest part of improving in my opinion, so stay the course! 🙂
That’s so right Blu, and a fun bonus with posting your art to a blog/website. It’s fun to scroll through and watch the progress.
I wonder if there is some sort of widget or tool that can easily display progression over time? Maybe I would have to edit the image manually, but I’m thinking like a timeline of faces, through maybe 30 drawings. It might be a fun at-a-glance way to see how things have changed
This turned out great! Everything about it – the expression, the dynamics, the hands(!). I guess requests (and near requests) are inspiring:-).
Thank you! Ha ha, I’ll take the Near-Requests, Almost-Requests, and even some Imaginary-Requests
Thanks for the chance to win!
You’re quite welcome, thanks for visiting – best of luck!
Hello, and thank you for the giveaway.
Hello! Thanks for stopping by, and good luck
Hi! I would love to win a portrait/drawing!
Excellent, best of luck to you!
Pingback: Almost a Sketch Request, Sam Carrying Frodo | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Almost a Sketch Request, Sam Carrying Frodo | Amdall Gallery
Hello
Hello to you, thanks for visiting
We just watched that movie with my oldest for the first time this past weekend! 🙂 I agree with the previous poster; I love progressions.
Thanks Jennifer, I’m glad you enjoyed the progression thing. So, how did your kiddo like the movie?
Mine are still toddlers, so they aren’t quite ready for that yet. But I’m excited to start sharing movies I love with them, when they’re ready to move on from Peppa Pig.
I did some browsing in the WordPress Reader for keywords like “giveaway” and “contest,” and it looks like most people (at least in WordPress) have been using Rafflecopter for stuff like this. Oops. Hopefully, that doesn’t make this too high of a barrier for people. It does seem pretty easy to enter this Gleam contest (type a name and email), but you never know. The more clicks something takes, the less likely people will do something.
Well, I did know this was a learning experience going into it. Glad to see some activity so far, though!
Pingback: Subscriber Appreciation Giveaway | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Subscriber Thanks, Some Artist Site Favorites | Amdall Gallery
Never knew of that 🙂
“decently” is an understandment, I think, it turned out really well. Those progression photos are such a help for those who are just starting out. I know nothing of the effect of shadows etc. for example.
Haha, don’t panic – I think it added some dimension to it, that little background 🙂
That’s kind of you to say, thanks! And I’m glad some people like the progression photos. Sometimes stuff I think is cool isn’t all that interesting to everyone.
Sorry for the late response, family emergency, so I won’t be online for some time. 🙁 But yes, it’s an inspiration with those progression photos, it makes it a lot easier to see how it all comes together 🙂
Uh oh, I’m sorry to hear that Alunaria – I hope everything is okay
Pingback: Subscriber Appreciation Giveaway | Amdall Gallery
In the great words of Fezzik (a la Andre the Giant), “My way”s not very sportsmanlike.
Ha ha, you got to love Fezzik
“No more rhymes now…I mean it.”
“Anybody want a peanut?”
My dad and I watched that movie at least fifty times over the years. It’s so good.
It’s such a classic. I’ve got a handful of movies I watch pretty much any time I come across them, like Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, Caddyshack, the original Batman…Princess Bride is definitely one of those. It’s really one of the most quotable movies of all time, too.
Pingback: Fezzik and Inigo from the Princess Bride, A Warm-Up | Amdall Gallery
Sad to see that Art Bell passed away yesterday (Friday the 13th, strangely enough). Rest in peace Art, and condolences to his family. The radio world certainly lost one of the greats.
These are so good! I enjoy your use of color!
Wow, that must have taken very long to analyze. I admire your dedication. I find it fascinating! I didn’t even know WordPress provided all those statistics – it might be fun to look into for my own site too 🙂
Peculiar how it varies, depending on Art of Analysis.:)
I do the same; it’s always nice to get a response if you make a comment.
Where did your Poll link go? I voted, but can’t find it now – wanted to take a peek at what others wanted, heh. 🙂
Hm, can one even see at which time/date one gets the most “trafic” on their site? Sometimes it seems as if timing matters a great deal.
Maybe you’ll reach 300 while making these posts 🙂
I absolutely love doing stuff like that – I feel like I owe whoever invented the spreadsheet a debt of gratitude!
I’m not 100% sure about the poll, but on my end, under the vote button you can click where it says “view results” if you’ve already voted. Although, I’m not sure if that’s there just because I created the poll…but, I can tell you right now we’ve got 80% (4 votes) who would want a portrait/drawing, and 20% (one vote) who would want art supplies.
As for when you get the most traffic, with the basic WordPress plans you can see dates you get the most traffic. Just click “My Sites” and click “Stats.” The Traffic button should show your daily views and visitors, which you can change to daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly views. You can also click Insights, which will show you an all-time view graphic. If you are upgraded to the Business plan, you can associate your WordPress site with Google Analytics, which will show you hourly data!
I understand – I wish I had the brain to do it!
Aha, I see, thank you for the insight 🙂
Oh, you can? I should look into the whole WordPress behind the scenes- thing. Sounds as if there is a lot of info to be gained there. Thank you for the explanation 🙂
You are quite welcome – I’m always glad to discuss data and stats!
Thank you for your kind words Jon! 😊 I appreciate your encouragement.
Sure thing Ganga!
Pingback: Milestone Statistics, Unnecessarily Detailed Data | Amdall Gallery
Aw thanks for the shout-out John!
You made my day 🙂
And three-hundred seems like a big number to me, so feel good about that!
Also thanks for compiling all these other art-blogs, I love looking through them and getting art-related updates but haven’t found that many on my own, so this is really helpful.
Absolutely! You’re definitely one of those people who’s given me so much feedback and so many tips, I had to give a shout-out. Plus, you’re a fantastic artist, and that’s another good thing to share.
I’m really glad this post seemed to have worked out. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be completely coherent, or accurately pass along my appreciation. It could have been a rambling jumble of nonsense paragraphs! But yeah – much respect to all of you folks
I’m blown away by your generous post! It’s lovely to hear how inspirational and informative you find blogging. I sometimes question the time it takes up, but you’ve reminded me just how much inspiration it gives that can’t be replicated elsewhere. On a very grey day here, you have truly brightened my day! I love your description too. It’s interesting to read someone else’s thoughts on what is basically a pile of paper in my loft! There are one or two sites that are new to me that I will hasten to have a look at. Thank you Jon. Have a good day and keep posting.
Thanks for saying so – I’m glad that brightened a few days, certainly you folks deserve attention pointed towards your blogs. I know many of you have tons of subscribers already, but if even a few more people can get enjoyment from great art sites, then I’m satisfied. As I’ve said, I have gotten something from many artists even in this short time, and who knows? Maybe someone else will come across an artist that’s new to them and teaches them something! Inspiration can sure come from unexpected places sometimes
So true. Thank you again 🙂
Yes, congratulations on your following! And thanks for including me on this list (which has some of my own favourites, like Outside Authority)! It was a treat to look through them all!
Thank you, and of course I had to include the site that encourages me to eat cake! I love your story-based pieces, where you have these expressive subjects with short scene descriptions. They’re so interesting and unique – I’ve definitely enjoyed getting to see them. I’m also excited to check out more portraits, if you decide to do some.
Isn’t it funny how people come across the same sites in their browsing? It seems like some of these great artists would appear on lots of favorite lists. I’m glad you got a kick out of this list!
Thanks so much for the comments, Jon – much appreciated! Yes, I’m starting to notice connections in this corner of the blogging world. I really like being part of this community – find it really inspiring and am learning a lot!
Congrats on your expanding following! The timing of this post is coincidental in that I happen to be linking your blog in tomorrow’s post, which is a pencil sketch of me and my husband. Fingers crossed that it comes out even one third as good as the ones you do! Thanks for the mention; it feels great to know that I may have played some tiny part in inspiring the way you go about using color.
Thanks for that Anna! That sounds like a great subject (obviously I’m partial to family sketches), I can’t wait to see how it turned out!
I tried to mention artists who had some sort of impact on what I was doing, whether that be technique or inspiration. Early in my colored pencil learning process, I realized the results were way too light. I can’t remember exactly when, but I think some time in January I came across your blog. I saw how you were laying down colored pencil much thicker, and I liked that much better! As you described it in that post later on, “colored pencil painting” looks very cool in my opinion.
AW, Thank You, Jon! It is an honour to be mentioned here on your blog – you are very kind! I am really glad to have YOU in my blogging community – your boundless enthusiasm and willingness to learn will take you far, I think! Not to mention the support and enthusiasm you have for other artists and their work! Awesome, job, sir!! So many in the art community feel kind of yucked out by the social media side of things, and we all need people such as your good self who work so hard at their art BUT also at COMMUNICATING about it! I might just have to plug YOU a little on my own blog…….Oh and btw, Thanks, too, for the mentions of the other artists….I will be sure to investigate those who I do not already ‘follow’ 🙂
Absolutely, Hilda! After all the feedback and supportive words you’ve passed along over the last few months, I was very glad to do it. As I’ve said before, that’s been one of the pleasant surprises from coming back to this site. I had no idea there was a loose interconnection of artists floating around on WordPress sites that helped novices like me learn, and gave advice from their experiences. It’s really awesome, and I just wanted to do something to “pay it forward” in some way.
Congratulations 🙂 It’s never about the quantity. That’s where I like the blogging community; I think very few follow “just for the sake of it”. They are genuinely interested.
I really cherish the WordPress Reader – and especially the suggestion field – that’s where I first saw a post from you. I started blogging about World of Warcraft and followed others who do the same, but now I follow so many others unrelated to that – it’s so neat.
Gosh, color portrait by you – no doubt! Get ready to sketch a Night Elf… 😛
Thank you for the recommendations on the other blogs – it must have taken quite a while to put together 🙂
Much appreciated Alunaria! I absolutely love the WordPress Reader, it’s such an underrated bonus with this blogging ecosystem. I’m the same as you; I follow so many sites that are interesting, and a lot have nothing to do with art. It’s great how you can just randomly come across something fascinating. It’s really become one of my go to goofing-around-on-the-internet tools
I think I mentioned somewhere, either this post or one of the drafts, you probably have a good chance of winning once I post the giveaway. I’ll bet it gets a dozen or so entries, so that Night Elf portrait might be coming soon!
Yes, exactly. 🙂 I do try to follow a few outside of WordPress, but having it all together in the Reader just makes it so convenient – together with the suggestion field.
Oooh, my, /gets excited and starts to think about certain poses that’d be suitable, hah 😀 You never know 🙂
Oops, sorry. Posted from phone resulted in double!
I don’t think we have. Then again, I have not been following the scene for a few years on that. Some are far too, is the English word, monotone? I need a little passion to get hooked on listening. It’s contagious 🙂
I think the expression in yours is amazing, and could easily be on a cover.
First of all congrats for reaching such a number of subscribers. As you say it might not be massive compared to other websites but it is a good amount of people listening to what you have to say!
Also, this post is a great idea to express how thankfull you are to all of them. Subscribers are equally important to the content of our blogs itself…without anyone listening i dont think there is much scope talking anyway!
I am looking forward to the next couple of posts which will complete this very kind act of acknowledgement of your followers’ importance! I am really interested in how you will organise your giveaway and see your stats.
Finally thanks for mentioning these artists and their beautiful work. I already follow some of them and i will definitelycheck the others!
Have a great day!!
Jasonas
Thanks Jasonas! I really wanted to figure out some way to show my appreciation, not just for being subscribers and checking it out, but also for the comments and interactions. There’s been so much valuable advice that’s come through, it’s hard to really return the favor effectively since I’m not a professional artist. Saying thank you is good, but I thought a small giveaway might also be nice! I’ve never done one before though…so hopefully it goes smoothly
Love this style
I appreciate that, thanks!
Thanks for the response, it reminded me to check back here 🙂 I had the chance to look up the cover you mentioned. He should have bought this drawing of yours instead 🙂 I guess I missed out on alot, not being an American, living in Denmark under my own little rock! Thank you for widening the horison a tad 🙂
I’m glad you found it interesting! Do you have any similar shows in Denmark? I’ve come across a couple aside from Art Bell here, but none as entertaining as his.
Also, thank you for saying so about the cover – I mean, mine isn’t amazing, but that cover with him standing outside, wearing a suit, and smoking? I do think I’ve got that one beat
I don’t think we have. Then again, I have not been following the scene for a few years on that. Some are far too, is the English word, monotone? I need a little passion to get hooked on listening. It’s contagious 🙂
I think the expression in yours is amazing, and could easily be on a cover.
Oops, sorry about that Alunaria – I thought I already responded to this one. It sure doesn’t look like I did!
Yes, that’s true about some radio shows. They get a little bit monotonous, and it can probably lose people’s attention. I guess that’s why radio as a whole isn’t exactly a booming business nowadays? Sadly, even the good shows like the two I used to enjoy aren’t even on anymore.
I wonder if it’s flattering to celebrities when people draw/paint portraits of them. I’ve tried to imagine if I were famous, would I think it’s neat, or would I find it sort of creepy? I suppose it would depend somewhat on whether the portrait was any good. I copied them on the auto-post to Twitter, which they probably won’t see…but I can just imagine Adam Carolla saying, “hey Drew, did you see that weird picture someone did of us?”
Wow, Dr. Drew actually liked the post of this sketch on Instagram! That was some cool surprise
Oh, my. Very nice and alive sketch there 🙂
Thanks Alunaria! Quite the topic eh?
Pingback: Radio Favorites – Loveline with Adam and Dr. Drew | Amdall Gallery
That was interesting, I’m not really familiar with Art Bell although I’ve heard him mentioned from time to time. I listened to the excerpts you uploaded and I can see why he was popular. Anyway, nice sketch – I like your idea of animating your progress.
It’s definitely an interesting show! And I get the feeling that Art Bell had many types of listeners. I’m sure that a lot were true believers in the paranormal, supernatural, and conspiracy theories. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were quite a few listeners who tuned in for entertainment purposes like I did. The same reasons people watched the X-Files back in the day; to imagine “what if” for a couple hours, be a little spooked by strange stories, and be entertained by something wild that you don’t normally hear about.
If you’re ever interested in listening to full shows, I know they’re all over YouTube and various fan sites. Since Art was on the air for like 15 years, there’s also a wide range of topics to choose from. Even some from mainstream people! George Carlin was on once, and he’s had legit scientists like Michio Kaku and Neil Degrasse Tyson.
Interesting post and great portrait – yes, the foreshortening and arms/hands are good! I’m wondering if you’d enjoy using another medium to colour larger areas like clothes. I sometimes use pan pastels with a small sponge to add colour – it goes on fast and smooth – then I just shade in the creases/folds with a pencil.
Thank you! You know, I really should try that sometime. When I get into adding color to something dark like a shirt, I think it takes away from the drawing a bit. Plus, shirts are huge and they eat up a ton of pencil! I would probably really like something smoother and easier to apply. So, pastels are your medium of choice when you’re going for large areas? Do you find the look is pretty compatible with the rest of your pieces?
The pastel sticks aren’t really compatible, but the pans might be. I’ve been finding they’re pretty subtle and versatile. (I just bought a single colour about a year ago and have been experimenting with using it to colour backgrounds): http://www.panpastel.com/about.html
Just so I can get a feel for how it looks, have you used either the sticks or pans in any of the recent art on your site? The post “The Parts I Like” says it has some, but I have an untrained eye for mediums other than pencil. Does “Impolite Society” use pastels on the clothing?
For some reason, I can’t find the end of this thread so hope this reply finds its way to the right place! So as far as using pan pastels – yes, I used them for the backgrounds in some of the “Parts I like” paintings (then added paint and drew over or shaded the images with pencil and charcoal… probably too mixed media to be helpful as an example …since I can’t send attachments, I just did a quick pencil/pan pastel sketch and posted it to my blog so you see what I mean (keeping in mind that my technique is pretty basic – I just dab in the pastel pot and wipe on). I also erased part of the pan pastel for highlights … just fyi.
Yep, it landed in the right place!
Wow, I’m always really impressed when people can successfully mix mediums like that. Paint + Pastel + Pencil + Charcoal, that’s a ton of different nuances to account for, but it worked out well. I saw the demo you posted – thank you for that! I replied to it on your site.
Wow! Comparing this with some of your earlier work you’ve made some serious improvement. I think you were already good at capturing the likenesses of people but the much improved blending really makes a difference.
I appreciate you saying that! I wasn’t really sure if practice would make much of a difference, but I really think it has. I’m still fairly slopping at drawing, but the colored pencils have gotten easier to use.
Nice work, Jon! Those skin tones are coming along amazingly! Or actually I think it is the combination of tones and graduated blending…there is a really strong sense of convincing rounded masses, now, on all your figures! Yes, I do think you have to be very aware of the centrality of the pupils – if the eyes are even a fraction off it distracts from the whole figure – the pupil MUST be central to the iris, always!! Sometimes it helps to pencil in the complete circle of the iris and put the pupil in that,dead center and erase the parts that belong under the lids….get it in the right place, in pencil, and then add the colour (don’t do someone’s portrait with their eyes even a little squiffy, they’ll probably be really upset about it!! – even though they might not be able to put their finger on what’s bothering them! 😉 )
Very cool, Hilda! That’s exactly what I’d hoped, adding a sense of shape that wasn’t quite there before. Those little touches sometimes have such a powerful effect, don’t they?
That’s a really good pointer (semi-accidental pencil pun) on iris placement. And you’re definitely right about getting it exactly in the correct spot. I’ve had a couple of sketches where it’s even slightly off, and it bothers me to no end! I’ve even had to go back multiple times, and then eventually just let it go, for fear of destroying the paper from erasing too much. And if it bothers ME that much, I can imagine it would drive the subject crazy.
I have only done portraits for family members (as gifts, based mainly on my own photographic references) so I can’t comment on any experience with commissioned portraits via an internet source and a stranger…. I will be interested to hear about your own experiences though 🙂
Ha ha, well we’ll see if I actually step up to that challenge or not. I will definitely write about it though, if I do!
Looking good! I think what you do with the white in the skin tones is working really well. And honestly, I like the look of the “laziness.” I think it looks unique and gives a little bit of an illustration style, while the rest of the piece still looks super realistic. I know what you mean about the pupils–I have always had so much trouble getting eyes to look at something specific (for me usually in animal drawings). I think you’d do great at portrait commissions, and yeah getting criticized sucks, but sometimes you can take it with a grain of salt and other times it’s actually useful. Enter at your own risk 😉
I think I need to be careful not to overdo it with the whitening; I want to simulate light, but I don’t want to make their faces too shiny. The one I did a few posts ago went a bit too far, and one of the guys almost looks like his face is made of peach-colored metal! But I do like the effect, I think it’s adding a nice touch to these recent ones.
Also, thank you for saying portrait commissions would be in the realm of possibilities – that would be pretty fun! Really though, at this point I’d probably do some portraits for free rather than expecting a commission. I think it’d be great practice, and I feel like I’m always short of ideas.
You really nailed the complexions and the light refracting off the foreheads in this one. Children are hard to draw because they have muted features, so good stuff!
For what it’s worth:
From my perspective, your drawings are mechanically well done. Group scenes are hard and a lot of things can go wrong. Sure there is a sketchy sort of quality (lines in the hair or random things) but that’s not really a bad thing, more of a style. You’re also good at likenesses (I can’t draw people, I have a way of making them look pretty or more attractive then they are because of the way I learned to draw) which is a valuable skill.
In terms of submitting to various sites, you’re right. I don’t really share much of what I do in many places aside from my portfolio and a few pieces on my blog. I have a couple things on deviant art, but I don’t have time or the ability to keep up with the social aspects of that platform. For me, an introvert who stutters around people she isn’t comfortable with, it’s nerve wracking.
I think a good place to start, and where I kinda started, is to just approach places like dick blik (they regularly shuffle around artist submissions in their shops) or coffee shops and see if they would be willing to sell anything or even just hang it. Less stressful than cold-calling, would be to simply submit things for various galleries in you area. They tend to draw a different sort of crowd, one that’s a little better for critiquing and figuring out how to improve. And I believe a lot of galleries or events would take a lot of the stuff you’ve been posting. I can’t say for sure and it’s subjective to theme and event or the gallery in general, but I’ve seen things in galleries a lot less advanced than your sketches and portraits.
When you do get featured in a gallery, a funny trick it to pretend you aren’t an artist and are just there to look. Stand around your stuff and you’ll get pretty honest opinions.
I appreciate that! Kids are definitely a challenge sometimes. I’ve only ever drawn my kids, which I think is probably the easiest child to draw since I’m so familiar with their defining features. Without that, I have a feeling it would be a struggle to capture traits that make them recognizable
I have to say though, I beg to differ when you say you can’t draw people. The art featuring people I’ve seen on your site is extremely detailed and life-like. Just my opinion, but you’ve made some very fantastical and abstract backgrounds/scenes feature people that somehow seem quite realistic. That being said, I consider it a big compliment when someone with skills like yours says my drawings are mechanically sound. I don’t always think that, so it’s really appreciated to hear in your comment!
As for forum sharing, I think I’m a bit reluctant because early on when I started drawing again (around August-Sept last year), I posted something to some sub-Reddit for feedback. They absolutely tore it to pieces! To be fair, I did ask for feedback…but they were merciless, and it was so brutal I actually deleted the thread. Ha ha, I’m still not sure if I’m ready for a lion’s den like that, even though the idea of an entire thread full of people requesting portraits is sort of enticing.
I like that idea about pretending you aren’t an artist at your own gallery. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people do that!
Well I can draw people…just not real people, if that makes sense? Like I’ve tried drawing friends and family and then it ends up looking like I gave them a makeover lol. My sister does the family portraits, needless to say XD
Thank you though 🙂
I’m better at shading and processing images than necessarily creating contour and having good proportions. I focus a lot on texture and lighting which is equally important to the contour and line-work. That’s why I do a lot of portraits or closeups where I can focus on smaller details.
But I totally understand. That was honestly brave (or one of the many variants of brave 😛 ) of you to submit to a sub-Reddit, those fellers are especially vicious. I have trouble even putting things on the blog. The more I like a piece the harder it becomes to share, it seems. Don’t know why.
I think that’s pretty natural though. If you’re really invested in something you’ve made (through time, energy, or you just really like it), that’s pretty normal to be more reluctant to share it. Some critiques are tough to take, but a few have really made me laugh. I remember one of these Reddit guys who was especially bombastic said something along the lines of, “you need to learn that lines are an illusion, and until you can draw without lines, you will be an amateur.” I mean, I AM an amateur…but, am I sketching stuff, or are we training to be the Dalai Lama?!
Wonderful 🙂
Thanks, man!
Pingback: Two Concurrent Sketches, Dad and the Girls | Amdall Gallery
A good place to start with innovation and coming up with new ways to frame things are backgrounds and lighting. Some of my favorite tricks that I like universally apply to drawings have come from making a weird mark or texture in a background. Who knows, it might give you some ideas, even starting with light shade backgrounds. You can do some cool light source or reverse shading stuff with a really dark background too.
Anyway, I can definitely see the improvement. The draping on the clothes is very well done here. That’s something I really struggle with (clothes in general but also how they fall on the body). So keep it up! 🙂
Is that technique how some of your work starts? I’m always curious about your process – you come up with such imaginative things, it’s fascinating how it starts and progresses. I’ve got a lot of respect for people who can naturally create art just from their brains. As I’ve said often, that’s really hard for me to do. It’s probably good practice though, like lifting weights for the right side of your brain!
This might not really apply, but in digital drawings specifically I always mess around with the background until something pops into my head and I’m like “yeah…that would be cool” and then I roll with it.
Other times I already have an idea (like a scene from my writing or some of the recent cover art I did for hard-copies of the books) and I start with the subject, then draw the background to complement it.
I guess the main thing backgrounds really help you internalize is lighting. When I say lighting it’s kind of an extension of shading, but more referring to the overall balance of shading. The highlights draw the eye while the shadows convey depth. A darker background, for instance, can make the mid tones and highlights look really dramatic.
As for projects in general, I tend to try to keep it fluid. Focusing too much on one aspect for me has thrown things off balance. I’m sure it’s not this way for everyone, but I generally need to do things like horizontally flip my drawings to make sure my proportions look the way I think they do (a helpful trick for assessing how something looks without bias).
And yeah, I wouldn’t ever say it’s “easy” to make art or compositions. I feel like most of my progression has come from simply getting better at visualization rather than mechanical skills. It is like a muscle, the more you do it the better it gets. I wouldn’t ever say easier, though. I still struggle with a lot of things, but I’m glad I do because it keeps it interesting. The challenge is half the fun.
“Highlights draw the eye, while shadows convey depth.” Well said, that’s something to file away. I may use that one some day to make myself sound like I know what I’m doing!
I’m actually going to make a Google Keep entry to collect some of these pieces of advice, because you’ve dropped several very useful ones just in this comment. It’s good to hear that so much of your progression came from visualization improvements rather than mechanical skills. I feel like more practice can still improve my visualizations, but my hands are stubborn.
Also, that’s funny you say that about horizontally flipping sketches! That’s sort of what I do sometimes – I like to check them out in a mirror, see if the entire thing holds up in mirror image. I have no idea if it makes sense to do that, but it is a fresh perspective
Nice work, I love to see the process other artists take to get the end product!
Much appreciated, Planet Metal Head – I’ve always enjoyed seeing that on other blogs too. Artists have such different processes, it’s fun to see how others approach things. Especially when it comes to different mediums that I don’t have experience with!
Pingback: Working on More Realism in Family Portraits | Amdall Gallery
Yes, images online can look pretty different than the hard copy. It’s funny, I didn’t notice the highlights until I watched the progressive shots and then they stood out. Really great portraits!
Thank you!
You know, I’d really like to figure out a way to get the best fidelity between real life and photos. How do you upload your artwork on your site? I just use my smartphone camera, but I’ve read some people actually use a scanner.
I use my phone or a little point and shoot camera too. If I were doing something for print, I’d definitely scan, but right now I don’t feel it’s worth buying a scanner for posting low-res images online. (Never say never though – I think scanners are getting better and more compact!)
Actually, now that I’ve spent some more time looking at this drawing, I do have one major criticism. I think I went a bit overkill on the erasing to simulate light reflection on their faces. There was some significant indoor lighting that caused almost a white color, and I might have been better served by keeping it almost white to begin with, rather than erasing. It just looks a bit strange.
Interestingly, it seems less noticeable in real life. But once I snapped a photo and uploaded it, the erasing seemed much more noticeable.
Pingback: Hometown Series, the Unfinished One | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Hometown Series, the Unfinished One | Amdall Gallery
Nice work here, Jon! It does not surprise me how much progress you are making in a short time – you’re pretty productive as an artist and the more practice you get the better your process and the more you learn! Haha, I had to laugh about what you said about that lady with her 12 coloured pencils….I’m NOT surprised that she can achieve awe inspiring results with that kind of limeted palette (mind you, if she was a painter, she’d probably do it with only 6!!!!) 😉
Hey there Hilda, thank you!
I am continually amazed by the skill level of some of the folks I’ve come across since I kick-started my sketching again. Luisina Juliete to me is like MacGyver with her dozen pencil arsenal. And I include you and Bluebeard (who also commented above) as some of those expert-level talents. It’s really great interacting with you all, partially because I get to encounter so much fascinating art through your sites. But, also because so many pros are willing to give advice and feedback. It’s very cool! Quite an unexpected bonus
Jon, it’s what I really love about the blogging community, The giving and taking of advice and feedback! You’re right, it IS really cool and it’s very lovely of you to say I am an expert – It makes me feel that I must have actually learned SOMETHING in my journey of self taught art. I am always glad to share whatever I learn to anyone who will listen and it is very awesome to think that some of it is useful to others such as your good self. I also really love how we can all individually tailor our art learning to exactly what we want to know, using the internet…wow, how did we ever manage without it!! 🙂
That’s a good point – how DID artists easily share feedback, tips, and form little communities (like WordPress, various forums, etc) before the internet? I mean, I guess they probably interacted at art shows or some sort of club? But this is so convenient, and we can touch base with people from different states and countries without a second thought. It must have been orders of magnitude harder getting your stuff out into the world
Your faces are very expressive and it looks like you got the likeness down (something I struggle with, I tend to make people look perfect or more attractive by accident which is a bad habit). Focusing the shading on the faces works well in this case given the complicated figure dynamics, it would be easy to spend a lot of time on their bodies when that isn’t the focus of the drawing, sometimes less is more, so good job!
I really appreciate that Blu. I’ve got a big pile of weaknesses as an artist, but I like to think that faces and expressions are things I’ve done a decent job with. I should practice on the things I’m not as skilled with though; I’d like to keep improving if possible, and practice seems to be the the right path. But in this case, I think you’re right! Less was more here, and these corny ad people worked out
Reading this reminds me of me when I look back parts of drawings that didn’t go well. I think I said something like “Simply spending two minutes with a compass would have saved hours of corrective work to fix the two-point perspective, but I was lazy and free-handed it”.
Looking back realizing what could have made something easier or work better is an important part of improving. It can feel harsh but that feedback loop is valuable. You’ve definitely improved. Your contour was always expressive and strong, but your rendering in color now which is a whole different beast. Colored pencils are not easy or simple tools. They require subtlety and predictive blending. I’m not good at either so I stick to watercolor in traditional drawings XD.
One thing I noticed, and I’m not sure what you’re using to blend, is that in the video she uses a rolled blending stick. Those are very good for high tooth papers and larger drawings. If you’re on a non-heavy stock paper, a light synthetic or watercolor brush can actually be better for blending without damaging the papers tooth (a definite worry for layered shading like you’ve been developing).
Anyway I’m super excited to see how you develop and where you take it. Keep up the good work!
Thanks man! It’s funny, I literally have a ruler sitting right next to my art supplies. All I would need to do is bend down and grab it, and I could whip up a million straight lines. But do I ever? Naahhhhh
I know exactly what you mean by predictive blending. Sometimes it’s really hard to figure out what’s going to happen when I try to combine to different colors to achieve a shade. And I’ve even got this huge selection of over a hundred pencils. I’m really amazed by people like the woman who’s video I linked; she made that brilliant artwork with only 12 pencils! Mind-blowing to me.
I’m actually not sure about roll blending sticks, I don’t think I’ve ever used one. I’ve got a couple of these colorless soft core pencils, which I read somewhere were good for blending dark colors. Maybe I should check the rolled sticks out too, because my paper is medium surface. I don’t want to damage anything
Right? I don’t know. Maybe it’s that sometimes the ruler takes the fun or character out of the line. Sometimes smooth and quickly drawn lines end up carrying more weight. But there are definitely times where I just need to use drafting tools and I don’t.
But yeah, I’m not sure entirely what you mean about soft core pencils, but even simple blending stumps: https://www.dickblick.com/products/gray-paper-stumps/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=22943-1212&gclid=CjwKCAjw7tfVBRB0EiwAiSYGM5FmLpPzzjDsVf4vUbZeeWFvBeZp6-qiA9Jv0iOzwDjKqJEH4BKcGBoCGZUQAvD_BwE
Like those can really smooth out pencil shading. She’s using one of those (except unrolled which you can do to prolong the lifespan or create different blending surfaces) after mixing a lot of colors to create a very complex complexion in the face, which isn’t an easy thing to do. It is definitely easy to go overboard with blending stumps, and I used to use them like a crutch to avoid texture work (they can drown out fine details by making things too smooth).
The other main downside, like I mentioned before is they can tear the tooth out of paper. Using a heavy stock will make that irrelevant, but that kind of paper is like x5 as expensive (like eight bucks for a 12 page notebook of really good watercolor or heavy stock). It’s definitely worth upgrading if you wanna get really into layer shading, though. Also stick to untextured heavy stock if possible for colored pencils and powdery mediums (charcoal/graphite/pastel/colored pencils/etc).
But yeah, another thing about colored pencils is that you can mix the colors and they will combine to make different shades. Not as efficiently as like acryllic or oil paints, but they can if you blend them.
Anyway, end rant. I get really into talking about how to create effects and combining different stuff lol. Hopefully some of that is helpful/constructive XD
cheers,
-Blu
Eight bucks for a 12 page notebook?! Whew…that’s a little higher than I’m used to. Do you find that there’s a big difference in terms of how art turns out with that heavy stock? Versus medium weight, less expensive stuff (like a Strathmore pad)
As always, your detailed feedback is very welcome! I love hearing from skillful artists on how they do things. I’m very much a novice, so one of my favorite things about WordPress has been hearing from what I consider to be pros.
If you’re interested in the latest information I’ve put together on this topic, check out the most recent post: https://jonamdall.com/2018/02/21/mass-shooting-data-update-ideas-to-reverse-the-trend/
Whereas these early posts on the topic of mass shootings were primarily explanations of data, in the two more recent, I’ve also provided recommendations and possible solutions. Naturally, this drifts into politics and my personal opinion on the matter, but I felt it was necessary. I’m a firearm owner, but still believe violent felon/mental health purchase restrictions, loophole closures, and universal background checks are common sense solutions that should have been implemented yesterday.
If you’re interested in the latest information I’ve put together on this topic, check out the most recent post: https://jonamdall.com/2018/02/21/mass-shooting-data-update-ideas-to-reverse-the-trend/
Whereas these early posts on the topic of mass shootings were primarily explanations of data, in the two more recent, I’ve also provided recommendations and possible solutions. Naturally, this drifts into politics and my personal opinion on the matter, but I felt it was necessary. I’m a firearm owner, but still believe violent felon/mental health purchase restrictions, loophole closures, and universal background checks are common sense solutions that should have been implemented yesterday.
I always find that it’s so hard to get the black part of the smile that surrounds the teeth. If you don’t do it correctly, they turn out like jack o’lanterns. Your drawing reminds me of the pics of ladies laughing while eating salads. The guy on the left seems the most genuine bc his eyes are squinty.
Definitely agree, Kerbey! It’s tough to get that black part around the smile, towards the edges of the mouth. It requires such precision, and even small variations can have a huge impact on how the entire expression is interpreted. I also sometimes have difficulty figuring out if I need to blend in some pink for the tongue, or how much of the gums I should show.
I’d say that entire mouth package (teeth, gums, tongue, deep shadows) is one of two areas I find myself really having to focus for – the other being the eyes, if it’s a close sketch.
You did a good job with expressions, particularly your own!
Much appreciated! I was trying to go for excited and happy, but also sort of nervous. With a touch of tired (I worked night shift in those days)
The expression I see is ‘beaming’, which is apt and really lovely considering that it’s your wife off page who you’re looking at.
It’s great to hear that’s what comes across! Ha – that makes me wish even more that I had planned it better, and managed to get her within the page too. I guess it’s corny, but it was an extremely grin-filled day
Pingback: Poor Planning Left Off Subjects, Turned Us Into Ghostbusters | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Poor Planning Left Off Subjects, Turned Us Into Ghostbusters | Amdall Gallery
This is so strange, but part of me is actually starting to root against my own investment here. The crypto market is still relatively low; slightly above where it was when I started the experiment, but waaaaay down from those crazy December 2017 levels. I’d kind of like to be able to nostalgically say, “hey remember how crazy Bitcoin was for a while, and how it exploded the graphic card market?”
The problem is, cryptocurrencies are still high enough to keep cards at very expensive price levels. I don’t currently need a graphics card, but will I later this year? Or next year? The chances are decent…and I don’t want to be forced to spend a $1000 just to play current PC games when that time does come.
Rather than have my portfolio rise a bit, fall, rise, fall, etc for all of 2018, I’d almost rather just see it fizzle out. See crypto as a novelty again, and get back to a world where a decent graphics card can be had for $300-400. As I’m fond of saying in these articles, “we’ll see what happens.” It’s still fun to watch, but I’m going to think it’s less fun if I find myself graphics card shopping any time soon.
Another update – my collection of coins just passed my initial investment amount. For the first time since I started in August, the collective value is below what I started with…I’m down about $20 right now. I think this particular decrease is because Google just announced it would be blocking all ads that feature cryptocurrency.
Well, will we keep going down?
Very nice leaning there too 🙂 A lot of life in it!
Much appreciated!
You know, now that I’m thinking about the leaning though, I really should have drawn a table there or something. I mean, what in the world is he leaning on?
Hey, that’s up to the viewer, I guess! A table, a rollercoaster, or a merry-go-round! The sky is the limit! 😀
I think you might be on to something there! If only there was enough room for him to be leaning up against a bear or something
I don’t have trouble with the height thing, because the guy on the left is leaning (it seems)…and if that is the kind he should be the tallest (haha).
Uh oh, that’s a good point…now I can’t figure out who’s tallest – maybe it all evens out? I have to admit, perspective wrapped me in circles on this one
Well done, sir. Those are a couple of wild and crazy guys you’ve drawn! I bet the one on the right is Scottish.
Thanks man!
Interestingly enough, that guy on the right is the current King of Scotland. You can’t see it, but he’s actually wearing a kilt
Pingback: Hometown Series, Distinguished Gentlemen Chatting | Amdall Gallery
Fascinating! Perhaps you are right about number 3 being the most satisfactory, but unless you carry on working on it you don’t know where it will lead. Where to stop I find is a really difficult decision. Well done.
Yeah you’re sure right about that Andy. If I stop, how will I know if it’ll be better or worse? This time it turned out okay, but I really though it was a disaster at one point! Thanks, man
Most of the comments I’ve read (mostly from angry gamers) are highly critical of manufacturers for not producing graphics cards specifically geared toward mining. I imagine by now crypto prices have regained even more ground. Of course, I suppose retail outlets could flex their capitalist muscle a little less so that gamers stop taking it in the shorts.
You know, I think everyone except for the original consumers are happy. Stores sell out of all their graphics cards, manufacturers can’t make enough, while people who like PC gaming having to sit around playing Mario Kart on their old SNES.
setting it up and getting it running is no small feat… thanks. I am going to try to participate (when I am not just trying to get my own sites up and running).
Sounds good! I’d love to see you pop in if you have something to share.
Although my expectations are low for the forums, the best case scenario I imagine is that some of the amazing artists and site-builders I’ve come across through the WordPress ecosystem feel comfortable enough to occasionally post there. It would be really cool to see people bouncing website ideas off each other, art techniques/preferences/tools, etc.
I love the art on your site by the way. I’d actually seen your paintings in the Reader before, and thought I was already following you. That mistake has been corrected!
You really mastered the coloring well there 🙂
Thanks again, although I’m not sure about mastering coloring. I do think I’m getting better though! Especially compared to my first attempt. My best lesson learned? Using purplish colors to shade around the eyes makes people look like zombies
Ah, I see a lot of progress at least, especially comparead to the other drawings in the past I saw 🙂
Hah, one should do a “best lessons learned” post and have things as that purple shade around eyes equals zombies included!
Ha ha, yes that sounds like a fun post. It could be “do’s and don’ts”
Do: Paint your family
Don’t: Paint your family to look like they’re extras in a George Romero movie
Exactly 🙂 Good fun!
I agree, that gif is super cool, gives a great insight into the process 🙂 Well mastered, too. Still, the drawing furthest to the left makes me smile instantly. Captured so well.
Thanks for that, Alunaria!
Hey Jon – As far as what you are saying about how hard it is to get a likeness of those we love and know the best – I think THAT would be dependent on who you ask the question to about if you are getting a good likeness of your wife. From MY standpoint, not knowing your wife at all, I would say that you MUST be getting a fair likeness of her simply because, looking back over your work I can totally pick her out in each one she is in! You, on the other hand, know her so well that if even one thing is slightly off, it will make you feel as if she is not recognizable (this is also a problem when doing a portrait of someone as they themselves have a very intimate and detailed idea of what they should look like!) I think the best judges of such things are probably those who know the person well, but not really intimately and those who are quite good at recognizing people. Anyway, that’s just me pontificating because the subject interests me – this is nice, keep up the good work! 🙂
Hey Hilda, you know that’s a pretty great point! Now that you say it like that, even the one that I was most critical of is actually recognizable as her. I think you’re right about the best person to judge, too. Her mom might not think it looks exactly right, but maybe someone she worked with a couple years ago would have different feedback.
Have you run into this too? Where you’ve done a series of a bunch of art featuring one person you know well, and you just don’t like one of them? You can’t figure out what’s wrong with it, but it just doesn’t look right?
I know I mentioned the colored pencil painting technique as a possible option for you (because you had expressed interest in painting but were more comfortable with drawing) but I just want to say I really like the way you are using the pencils. The way you lay down the lines seems loose and free to me yet results in precision/accuracy in the final piece. Rather than treating the sketch like a coloring book, you seem to be applying color as an extension of your drawing style, and I think that is a really great approach.
Wow, thank you Anna I appreciate you saying that. I guess your style follows you everywhere, even to other mediums!
Also, I really like that colored pencil painting, but I question whether I have the patience/ability to lay color down like that. I checked out Alyona Nickelsen’s website, and her art really blew me away. It’s so incredible that she can create images like that using pencils.
I do still want to try painting someday, but I’d also like to try layering pencil for that paint effect. That butterfly example you did certainly got my wheels turning. I just have to try to nudge myself out of my comfort zone – I’m really quick to settle into a mode, even though I know it’s good to branch out
Pingback: Amdall Gallery - The Challenge of a Close-up Family Scene
Excellent presentation of the statistics. I agree the response to the problem of mass shootings in the USA must be multifaceted. Since pharmaceutical prescriptions to teens for the treatment of depression and ADHD have consistently increased over the past 2 decades, we should also be examining possible links between drugs and violence. Thanks for taking the time to provide this information in an easily-digestible format.
Thanks Henry, I appreciate that.
There are so many possible contributing factors, it’s hard to nail down. I hate to admit this, since I’m a consumer of it as much as anyone, but it’s also possible that the proliferation of violent media over the last couple of decades weighs in. If an angry, emotionally disturbed person has access to guns and has become desensitized to violence, that’s a recipe for disaster. It’s certainly only a piece, and I disagree with using it as a lone scapegoat (and as a way to deflect from gun control). Research doesn’t show a direct link between violent media and gun violence, but I believe they have shown a correlation with increased aggressive behavior.
I still think the incredible proliferation of firearms in this country is the chief cause, though, even if there are other contributors. I’ve mentioned in other posts that I’m a firearm owner myself, so I’m not anti-gun. But, this idea of making it your identity, and becoming obsessed over weapons, doesn’t seem healthy to me.
Anywho, I’m rambling at this point. Thanks for the comment, and I hope the CDC is unleashed to look at all possible factors, including those you mentioned.
Just to clarify my above comment a bit; there is no demonstrated causation between violent media/games and shootings. Playing video games doesn’t make people into mass shooters. But there is a fantasy element involved for people who commit these atrocities, and for emotionally/mental disturbed people, games or movies may help fuel them. We can’t look at this problem in terms of isolated factors; it’s complicated. It requires us to step back and examine what sort of societal incubator we’ve built that is so conducive to creating people like this.
Faces are super hard to draw (especially when you’re trying to capture a specific person), and I’m impressed by the realism of your sketches AND the way you infuse character and expression into each face. Also, the .gif is a super cool idea! First time I’ve seen it used in this way.
I appreciate that, Anna! I think I’m okay at sketching people mostly because it’s always what I’ve focused on. Unfortunately, any mild skill I have doesn’t translate at all to landscapes, buildings, inanimate objects…actually, anything other than people. Ha ha, really a one-trick-pony.
The .gif thing is kind of fun, if I can remember to take photos throughout the process. I often forget though, even when I mean to from the start. If you want to try it, I usually use Google Photos (Create -> Animation) for a basic one, or EZGif (https://ezgif.com/maker) if I want more robust options.
Pingback: Working on More Realism in Family Portraits | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Working on More Realism in Family Portraits | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Working on More Realism in Family Portraits | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Working on More Realism in Family Portraits | Amdall Gallery
I’m really enjoying your work!
Thanks Sahara! That’s seriously flattering to hear from someone with your background
Pingback: Is it Worth it to Wait? Analysis of Home Prices in Booming Markets — Amdall Gallery – 3130 Sustainable Bookkeeping & Landlord Support
These posts are always so well organized and do a great job of breaking down the trends. They also hit me kinda hard. Really sad stuff.
Personally I find the argument that eighteen year olds are too young to talk about gun violence to be ludicrous, since they can legally obtain an AR-15 in two days. Hopefully congress will stop playing games sometime in the foreseeable future.
All the solutions you listed are reasonable and would be effective. I don’t understand why everyone is making reform so hard.
I agree, it can be really hard to think about this stuff, especially when it’s a school. I just can’t fathom being so against even minor inconveniences like a waiting period. Even if it means one less shooting, it’s worth it. Obviously what we’re currently doing isn’t working, so why not swing the pendulum back to some regulation?
And you’re right, 18 year olds are definitely not too young to talk about it. In fact, they might be the perfect people to do it. They aren’t yet numbed by politicians’ slogans and TV talking points, and can speak from painful first-hand experience. I’ve been impressed with those kids from the Parkland high school, I’m glad they’re speaking up.
Really informative – thank you!
Absolutely, I’m glad someone found it useful!
My goal originally with this was to share what I found, where I found it, and how those resources differ on this topic. But after doing a few posts on it, I realized I was just complaining about a problem and offering nothing else. I had a boss many years ago who talked about being “solution oriented,” and I kept hearing his voice as I thought about this. So, hopefully adding ideas to fix the problem won’t turn away people who otherwise might be affected by/interested in this data
Yes, the solutions were good to read. The subject came up at work and some colleagues asked to read your post so I sent them the link (they’re not on WP).
Does it seem to you like the national dialogue is a bit different following this shooting? The tone seems a bit more urgent, or like more people are ready to take some action to address the issue. I hope that’s true, and it’s not just me being overly-optimistic
I realized the “per state raw victim” totals from GVA data were not correct. In my Excel sheet, I had that Pivot Table set to “count” instead of “sum.” I removed that chart from this post. If you want the updated numbers for that, see the most recent post here: https://jonamdall.com/2018/02/21/mass-shooting-data-update-ideas-to-reverse-the-trend/
The adjusted/per capita numbers were fine, so I’ve left them as is.
Pingback: Mass Shooting Data Update, Ideas to Reverse the Trend | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mass Shooting Data Update, Ideas to Reverse the Trend | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mass Shooting Data Update, Ideas to Reverse the Trend | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mass Shooting Data Update, Ideas to Reverse the Trend | Amdall Gallery
War-chief Sylvanas! <3
Does she look about right to you? I really was going for something scarier and more serious, but the sketch turned out looking sort of like a cartoon villain.
I think I’m just not very good at depicting “scary.” I had the same issues when I was trying to draw the antagonists from the Dark Tower series.
I think your assessment is correct. Overall I like the drawing and her proportions make her look exactly like Sylvanas. But if you’re going for a more thematic and scary depiction, the color pallete is too bright. The skulls look menacing for sure. I wouldn’t say cartoonish, though. If you want it to be more menacing or scary, going in with some darker shadows is probably necessary. Grittier styles usually shift the balance of highlight and shadow towards the shadow side. Scratchy markmaking and textures also accomplish a grittier effect.
A dark background with a forward facing light source is a good template when thinking about an imposing figure, like this dark thing coming from the darkness and infecting the light if that makes sense. Darkening the purple from royal to a more muted tone would help a lot. Same goes for the skin and brown leather portions of the armor. Rendering over the pencil in some ink on the skulls and feathers would also give a more menacing impression because it accentuates the spookier parts of the armor.
Kind of rambling, hope some of that made sense or was helpful lol.
Yeah you’re right on point there, I think. Shadows, scratchiness/texture, and less vibrant colors are probably the ticket to getting that to be more menacing. That lighter purple I used was too bright for the mood I was going for. In hindsight, it was really a Barney the Dinosaur purple, which is scary in a different way than I was going for
Great feedback, as always! Thanks Bluebeard
Thanks for reminding me of that great movie! I am going to show my daughter Willow tonight! I love your drawing of Val. How did your youngest respond to her portrait in chalk 🙂
Thanks! Such great characters in that movie. I’m actually surprised it never got a sequel, particularly after Lord of the Rings showed that fantasy genre movies can bring in the cash. Maybe they could set one up with an old Willow and Madmartigan, adventuring with a now grown-up princess what’s-her-name. (I’m choosing to ignore that there was an apparently terrible sequel book that opened by killing off all the characters from the movie).
As for the chalk thing, I’m pretty sure it just made her more grumpy! I don’t think she wanted to be outside…too much nature, not enough cartoons.
Pingback: Mass Shooting Research Part 1; Mother Jones Data | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Random Art, Featuring Madmartigan from Willow | Amdall Gallery
Just leaving an update here. I have made some text modifications recently to this article, to include more concrete ideas on how to address this issue. Basically some gun control measures that I think, when taken together, would help overall.
My motivation for this clarification was the mass shooting at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida on February 14th. 17 people were killed, and it seems to have initiated more conversation about gun control than most mass shootings do. I think because the kids have been so vocal. I really hope something comes of it.
I haven’t updated the data for more recent shooting victim numbers. I only added a couple graphs, and the section with ideas for gun control.
Also, I realized the “per state raw victim” totals from GVA data were not correct. In my Excel sheet, I had that Pivot Table set to “count” instead of “sum.” I removed that chart from this post. If you want the updated numbers for that, see the most recent post here: https://jonamdall.com/2018/02/21/mass-shooting-data-update-ideas-to-reverse-the-trend/
Thanks for the book recommendation – it’s always good to see some real experts in action, and to read advice from them. Some of these folks do truly amazing things with colored pencils. It’s almost unbelievable the realism they can coax from these things.
If you’re interested in diving into a bigger Prismacolor set, the 132 pencil pack is $50 on Amazon right now! It’s crazy seeing how inexpensive they can be in bulk like that, when places like Hobby Lobby sell them for $2-3 per pencil.
Jon – I’ve been reading countless reviews, going back and forth between these 3 phones. Your review with the side by side pics is awesome. I’ve not seen that done before – we’ll done! It helped me rule out the xl due to my small hands and fear of dropping! Had an S7 before, now using IPhone 8. I miss Android, so probably heading back to the S7. Thanks!
Hey Bob, it’s good to hear that it helped! I actually spent quite a bit of time with the Pixel XL; I held onto it until the refund period was almost over. It’s a great phone, but I just couldn’t make it work ergonomically. The Pixel 2 phones actually have a cool feature where you can swipe down on the fingerprint sensor to bring down the notification tray, which could have helped me deal with the increased size. But, I actually didn’t learn about that until I had returned the XL and gone with the regular Pixel!
The S7 is a great phone too, but I really couldn’t handle the Samsung bloatware. If you don’t mind the Samsung additions, you might consider the Galaxy S9 which is coming out in about a month I think. The S8 made a ton of improvements over the S7, but had a really terrible fingerprint sensor placement (right next to the camera lens for some reason). The S9 takes all that great hardware, and adjusts the fingerprint sensor to a better location, close to where the Pixel 2’s sensor is. And the same awesome edge-to-edge screen from the S8 is coming to the S8, which gives you a small phone size with maximum screen real estate.
I recently made the transition to color as well, also with Prismacolors. On the one hand I’m glad I started with the set of 72 because yes, it was slightly less overwhelming. But on the other, I’m jealous of all those colors you have! I am definitely beginning to feel limited by the smaller selection. You’re doing well with it so far, keep it up! Also, consider checking out the book Colored Pencil Painting Bible by Alyona Nickelsen, which is about colored pencil drawing that looks like painting. It’s pretty cool, and I’ve been happy with my results when working with her advice.
You are the colored pencil Houdini! It’s what I aspire to be, that and the watercolor Houdini.:) I love that shade of yellow.
Ha ha, thanks Becca! I’m sure you’ve got some artistic Houdini going as well
Really good drawings, and a great idea to sketch from ads. The finished drawings don’t even look very commercial- how ironic!
Much appreciated!
Isn’t that something? Make a post that sounds like I let the Gap corporate office write it, then somehow escape looking commercial in the drawings. Just call me colored pencil Houdini!
These are great! I love the bold colour! (like the disclaimer too:-))
Thanks! That first draft was hilariously weird…when I re-read it, I thought, “what in the world did I just write?”
I really think I’m getting more comfortable with color, though. When I first started, I was hesitant to press hard and really mix it up. Now that I know how a lot of these colors behave, it’s a bit easier.
Pingback: Another Featuring Dirk Nowitzki | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Another Featuring Dirk Nowitzki | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Another Featuring Dirk Nowitzki | Amdall Gallery
I wonder if we’ll start to see a return to normalcy in the PC components market. It’s weird seeing video cards skyrocket in price and stores continually out of stock. I’ve seen photos of some of the massive cryptomining operations and it’s mind-blowing.
You know Jason, I’ve said before I wish I’d invested in Bitcoin years ago. Maybe I should be saying instead I wish I’d invested in AMD and Nvidia! Three years ago, Nvidia was less than $20 on NASDAQ, and now it’s almost $230.
Unfortunately/fortunately (depending on your perspective), it looks like crypto prices are starting to edge back up again. I feel like these manufacturers need to do something to protect gamers, because I don’t think this issue is going to go away completely on its own. I don’t really know what the answer is, but if they’re committed to actually selling to people who care about…you know…GRAPHICS from their graphics cards, they need to brainstorm.
Maybe they could do a price discount/subsidy program, where you agree to periodically share what games you’ve played? Or some technical solution? I guess the problem with automatic checking (or whatever smart thing they figure out) is that it’s invasive, and people don’t like software bogging stuff down in the background. Or, maybe there’s a way they could just make graphics cards not work well for blockchain crunching. I guess another approach, they could just freaking make a ton of cards that are specifically optimized for crypto mining!
Nice 😊 wish you all the best for learning new medium 👍
Much appreciated! With each new sketch, I’m feeling more and more confident with the colored pencils. I’m really glad I gave it a shot
It’s been a few days since this post, and the bottom is still falling out of the crypto market! As I type this, my portfolio is edging closer and closer to the initial investment amount, tracking back to August 2017. That’s quite a reset. I’m wondering now though; is this just a normal annual dip? Or are we looking at something more serious, where significant value is permanently lost? Every time I think we’ve reached the bottom, I open Blockfolio and see how wrong I was.
Regardless, it should be an interesting next couple of months. Fortunately, I have stuck to my cardinal rule for this experiment: Don’t put in more than I’m willing to completely lose. Really, this is starting to feel like taking X dollars to a casino, expecting to lose it all, and being pleasantly surprised if I come away with anything. Cryptocurrency definitely feels more like a trip to Vegas than passing money into a 401K.
There’s always a learning curve when we change subjects. Hope the time recharging (and exploring the new version) is fun!
You’re sure right about that! Those pesky learning curves
And time will tell if I actually do any recharging – I’ve already found myself thinking about what to draw next! Some break, eh?
🙂
Hi Jon, Just picked up that you’ve liked my drawing on my blog. Thought I’d drop by and see what you do. Of course, now I’m daunted as your drawings of the band are stunning. I need to be more daring!
Thanks for checking the site out, Claire! And for the kind words about this sketch
Don’t know if you’ve ever gotten into the Fire Emblem series, but I feel like you’d like those games based upon your commentary here and in the final fantasy sketch post. The art, music, and tactical rpg elements in FE rival FF and CT in my opinion despite the major game-play differences.
I have actually played one Fire Emblem game, but I can’t remember which one. It was quite a long time ago, but I do remember enjoying it. I want to say it was a male protagonist, maybe an orphan or something? I think I recall it being pretty difficult, but having a well-done system for battles.
Man, there’s just something about these classic RPGs and their music and art, I just love it. My wife things I’m crazy, but it’s so great.
Hard to say from that, I’ve played twelve of them XD. Might have been one of the remakes of the first one or sacred stones. They are definitely hard games though.
Ha ha, yeah I guess that’s kind of a generic description. Especially unhelpful if there are 12 of them! I didn’t realize there were so many
Gah! Your rendition of Kain gave me chills. Great job on the helmet! Rydia is also really well done, the proportions are excellent.
I played four forever ago on GBA as my first FF, so I’m partial to four’s cast. Also really fond of ten, twelve, nine, and seven (even though I have yet to beat it lol).
Thanks man! I tried to make sure Kain looked especially grim, what with all his backstabbing and betrayals. Definitely have to give credit to Amano though for his original concept art. All of these are based on his ideas for these characters. The guy was a genius when it comes to interesting designs.
You pretty much listed most of my favorite Final Fantasy games, too. I actually just started playing that new remake of Final Fantasy XII on Steam; it’s fantastic. I had forgotten how good that one was. Have you played Final Fantasy VI? If not, I highly recommend it! It’s one of my favorites of all time, right at the top with Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana.
You’re right about FF IV’s cast though, they are really memorable. That was the first game that I remember having an epic, movie-like story
I have six, but haven’t got around to really giving it a fair go yet. I really want to, especially since Kefka’s supposed to be one of the best villain’s of all time.
But yeah, that game got me into RPG’s as a kid. The characters are amazing and the world is so engaging.
Oh yeah, Kefka is a classic. He’s such an unhinged villain. I can’t recall another so psychopathic in the SNES era
Pingback: More Video Game Characters – Secret of Mana, Original SNES and New Remake | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: More Video Game Characters – Secret of Mana, Original SNES and New Remake | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: More Video Game Characters – Secret of Mana, Original SNES and New Remake | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: More Video Game Characters – Secret of Mana, Original SNES and New Remake | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment – the Inevitable Crash, 6 Month Update | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment – the Inevitable Crash, 6 Month Update | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment – the Inevitable Crash, 6 Month Update | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment – the Inevitable Crash, 6 Month Update | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment – the Inevitable Crash, 6 Month Update | Amdall Gallery
Super gorgeous lines! Love the first one in particular, with that effect from the lantern, what a clever way to highlight it 🙂
Much appreciated!
I actually took a risk with that first one. I was going to have him holding something, mostly likely a lantern…but I hadn’t planned to try the actual light effects. I’d never done something like that before, so it was very experimental. I was a bit surprised, it turned out better than I expected. I really thought I was going to wreck the thing!
Oh, I see. Cool with some background about the making in process 🙂 It did the exact opposite of wrecking it!
Thanks, I’m glad it seemed to work out! It gives me some confidence to try incorporating a light source in future sketches
Those are some fine, detailed, and very expressive drawings you have here 🙂 Drawing humans must be one of the hardest thing to do, I think. Nice 🙂
Thanks Alunaria! I guess it’s different for everyone, but the hardest thing for me is drawing backgrounds and scenery. The vast majority of my sketches have either minimal or no background around the subjects, mostly because I’m just not that good at it. I should probably work at that, to be honest. Practice might help!
Me and scenery are sort of a chicken and egg thing, I think. Do I avoid backgrounds because I’m not good at them, or am I not good at backgrounds because I never practice at them?
Oooh, ok. I did not think of backgrounds as “missing” in your drawings at all, quite the opposite.
Well maybe a few lines here and there would bring more depth to the whole thing, but they can also distract our eye from the focus, if one can say that.
Maybe one time one could start on a few background, and keep at it, without adding anything else in the foreground 🙂 That way, you won’t risk anything and it might be easier, since you wouldn’t have to “tailor” the background to the motive in question, if that makes sense. 🙂
Ahhhh, you mean work out some background sketches without any specific human subject, that way I could get some practice? That’s a pretty good idea! Maybe I could get more comfortable through repetition, since I have such sparse experience with it
I
Hmmmm…it looks like I have an unfinished thought here. I started a new paragraph with “I”…but I have no idea what I was intending on saying. I hope it wasn’t important!
Pingback: Getting Some Right-Side Brain Exercise, Sketching Fictional Characters | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Getting Some Right-Side Brain Exercise, Sketching Fictional Characters | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Getting Some Right-Side Brain Exercise, Sketching Fictional Characters | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Getting Some Right-Side Brain Exercise, Sketching Fictional Characters | Amdall Gallery
Can’t you try charcoal or pastels for the black? They blend in nicely. Unless you want to stick only to coloured pencils.
Oh no, I’m definitely not a “only this way” kind of sketcher. I’m just pretty inexperienced, and haven’t been working with color very long. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about mixing in other things!
Are pastels difficult to work with?
They’re very fun to work with. Soft pastels are like chalk, you just blend the colours with your fingers, directly on paper. You can get some nice gradients that way.
Sounds pretty cool, thanks for the advice. I definitely want to branch out more, try some new things. Hopefully it won’t take me as long to try paint or pastels as it did going from plain graphite pencils to colored pencils! (It was only 15 years, give or take…ha ha)
Nice work, Jon! I too have a gap of 10 or 15 years when I didn’t do much art – but I know I did ‘some’ during that time, or else I was doing other creative pursuits – did you really never even do a tiny bit of art in all that time?? What made you decide to get back to it?:-)
Weird right? After about age 21 or so, I really didn’t. I can think of only two exceptions. I drew a picture of my wife and I as a gift back when we were dating, and then later I drew a picture of her as part of my proposal (sketched her holding out her hand with a ring on her finger, asked her what she thought, then popped the question). But I believe that’s it! Two in 15 years, crazily enough.
I used to work for a software company where I designed user interfaces/forms, so in a sense that was sort of creative. But I think my “right brain” has been neglected for a long time!
🙂 That’s a cool story about how you proposed to your wife!
Oh yeah, I forgot – what made me get back to it. I’m honestly not 100% sure. Part of it may have come from wanting something my kids can see when they grow up, a chronicle of sketches many of which feature them. It might be a cool thing for them to look back on. Sort of a “hey here’s us 10 years ago” or “wow, Dad sure loved pizza back then; nothing’s changed.” Or maybe it won’t be interesting at all to them! But, just in case, there will be a bunch of sketches of them with me and their mom, and all these blog posts with my various thoughts on things.
I also created gmail accounts for them, and I’ve been throwing every photo I ever take in there too. When they are old enough, I’ll turn that all over to them, and they’ll have a lifetime of photos already. They may not care about that either, who knows? I mean really, maybe Google won’t exist by then and it won’t even matter! But, maybe these will be cool surprises in another decade or two.
🙂 Maybe you’ll inspire them to become artists! ….and that’s a nice idea about the gmail accounts – the modern world version of a photo album!
Wouldn’t that be something? I do wonder what sort of hobbies they’ll enjoy. Our oldest already likes to sit with me and draw, although I’m not sure if it’s because she like drawing or just because she wants to do what Dad is doing.
Actually, I sort of misspoke; I really meant google accounts. The photo collections for the kiddos are in “Google Photos,” which if you’ve never used it, is really incredible. Google has a handful of apps/products that I consider indispensable, and Photos is one of them (along with Gmail, Keep, Maps, and Drive). Photos lets me back up my images from everywhere (phone, computer, etc), then share to the girls’ accounts and easily download to their libraries. It’s pretty smooth…I just hope it continues to exist for a couple decades!
Wow
Thanks, Feelimnhunter
These are really great, Jon! Your ability to capture expression is so good (also like the dog and cat – when a picture makes you smile, that’s a good thing)!
That’s always good to hear, that a sketch brought out a smile
I’ve always said my main goal with this site is accomplished if even a couple people find a graph interesting or enjoy seeing a sketch. That, and the $2 per month I make from the ads! Ha ha
This is interesting! I think i might do some research and photo/anatomy studies myself. i think its allways fun and really beneficial to try new things and try to learn.
Sounds pretty good! I look forward to seeing them if you decide to go for it
Pingback: Back in Time Part 3 – Last Batch Before the Long Break | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back in Time Part 3 – Last Batch Before the Long Break | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back in Time Part 3 – Last Batch Before the Long Break | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back in Time Part 3 – Last Batch Before the Long Break | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back in Time Part 3 – Last Batch Before the Long Break | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back in Time Part 3 – Last Batch Before the Long Break | Amdall Gallery
These are really cool and very impressive! Finding and basking through old drawings is always fun 🙂
Thank you! I have definitely had fun with a little blast from the drawing past
these are great!
Thanks man, it was pretty fun browsing through the past. Old sketches definitely bring a flood of memories with them
The more I look at this sketch, the less I think that actually looks like my wife. I mean, there’s a resemblance…but it’s just not quite right. Something is off, maybe the mouth and teeth?
Actually, our girls don’t look quite right either. Not true to life, anyway. I might have to chalk this one up as only a decent drawing. I may need to try a different one of these three.
Wow! What an Aladdin’s cave you have. I like these.
Thanks Andy, that’s quite a unique and appreciated compliment!
These are lovely and some very touching ones too, a nice soft style. Waiting for the next posts….
I appreciate that! Should be rolling out part 2 and 3 pretty soon, maybe tonight or tomorrow
There are some beauties here! I can already see your style in these early sketches :-).
Much appreciated!
You know, I’ve always been sort of an impatient sketcher, and I can see that even back then. There’s so many that I didn’t even finish, even if they were coming along fine!
It’s interesting what our old work tells us (I’m working on slowing down when I draw too)!
That’s very true, it seems like it can tell you a lot about who you were and how you’ve changed. And how you haven’t changed, too
You’d think after all this time, I would have gained some patience! I wonder if a lot of people struggle to slow things down?
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all folks you really recognise what you are speaking about! Bookmarked. Please also seek advice from my site =). We could have a link trade agreement between us!
Sure thing Elma. I tried clicking your user name, but it doesn’t seem to be linked to Gravatar, WordPress, or anything else. Do you have a site through WordPress, or some other platform? I’m not sure what a link trade agreement is, but it’s a possibility
Reblogged this on Shared Posts and commented
Originally from https://jonamdall.com.
Reblogged this on Shared Posts and commented
Originally from https://jonamdall.com.
Pingback: Quiz time! | Amdall Gallery
Reblogged this on Shared Posts and commented
Originally from https://jonamdall.com.
It’s actually a cool and useful piece of information. I am glad that you just shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Priscilla – if you enjoyed this one, there are actually a few more Dark Tower posts I’ve done since this one. You might like those too
whoah this blog is fantastic i love reading your articles. Stay up the good work! You understand, lots of people are hunting round for this information, you could aid them greatly.
Much appreciated Lara, I’m glad you enjoyed it
Nice…I just realized I forgot to fill in color on that Fitbit and bracelet. Oops
Reblogged this on Shared Posts and commented
Originally from https://jonamdall.com.
So, finally. Did you find any useful widget for local guide.? I am also looking for one.
Hey there Saket, unfortunately not. I found an embedded Google+ badge, but not one for Local Guides as I was hoping. The G+ badge is here: https://developers.google.com/+/web/badge/
Wow, awesome weblog format! How lengthy have you been blogging for? you make blogging glance easy. The entire glance of your web site is excellent, let alone the content material!
Hey thanks Alex. I haven’t been doing this for very long. I actually started this site in 2011, but just sort of messed around and then abandoned it. I picked it back up in August 2017, and have been really into it since then
I’m now not positive where you are getting your info, however great topic. I needs to spend a while studying more or working out more. Thank you for fantastic info I used to be on the lookout for this info for my mission.
It’s all from the Dark Tower series of books by Stephen King. If you like fiction, you should check it out – it’s become one of my all-time favorites
Nice blog right here! Also your website loads up very fast! What web host are you the use of? Can I get your affiliate link for your host? I want my website loaded up as fast as yours lol
It’s all hosted through WordPress. I’ve been pretty impressed with them.
I’ve considered moving things over and getting my own hosting (I think they recommend Bluehost), but this is just so convenient and functional. I’m not sure if it’s useful, since this was so long ago…but years past I had a site hosted through GoDaddy, and it was solid.
Pingback: Back to the Dark Tower – Susannah, Jake, and Oy Drawing – Shared Posts
Pingback: My Experience Wearing a Fitness Tracker for a Year – Shared Posts
Pingback: My Experience Wearing a Fitness Tracker for a Year – Shared Posts
Thanks for this write up i have a nexus 6 and haven’t decided which phone to upgrade to, until this article. The nexus is huge at 6 inch screen size but still a powerful phone thats everything but 64 bit. And the low light camera is terrible. I want a smaller phone and better camera so I believe the pixel 2 has my name all over it.
Excellent! I’m glad you found the post helpful
I’ve been using the Pixel 2 for a couple months now, and I absolutely love it. If you want a good low light camera, this thing has you covered
The expression on your daughter’s face is the best!
She was so pumped up! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone so excited about snow
Pingback: The Dark Tower Villain Sketches | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: The Dark Tower Villain Sketches | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: The Dark Tower Villain Sketches | Amdall Gallery
Love the little animation. Nice job of creating plausible imaginary characters!
Thanks Diana – it’s definitely harder than drawing my kids, but it’s pretty fun too
Ha ha, maybe someday soon my Dark Tower fixation will end and I’ll draw some different stuff. But for now, I might as well rename this website “Dark Tower Gallery”
this is amazing ❤
Thank you Paula!
Pingback: Reflections on the Dark Tower Series (Spoilers Everywhere) | Amdall Gallery
Best of luck – at the end of the day it’s just a piece of paper.
Thanks man, that’s a good point. No need to be intimidated by a couple of office supplies
Pingback: Back to the Dark Tower – Susannah, Jake, and Oy Drawing | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Back to the Dark Tower – Susannah, Jake, and Oy Drawing | Amdall Gallery
It’s great to work with. Some watercolourists use it for markmaking, and extend their range of textures but you can blend colours by running in water with a brush. You can also shave or grate the leads and add to wet paper to get other textures. I use it to augment my watercolours but some people use them as simply sources of colour, like watercolour pans. Another trick I do is to wet the leads and get them soft which again gives different marks, which can again be different depending if you work them on wet or dry paper. You can then get a soft damp brush and mix up further.
If you are uncertain about painting it could be a way to go and if you take the full plunge with watercolour you can still use them in your painting at a later date. I just buy odd colours that I need, one or two at a time. Hope that is of use.
This is really great advice, thanks for passing it along. That’s definitely at use, because I am uncertain about painting. I really love the way it looks, but it’s so foreign to me and I’m not sure how it would go. And it sounds like there are so many techniques to master that are unique to the medium.
When I see other art blogs like yours though, it gets me fired up thinking maybe I should try it. Water soluble pencils sound like an excellent bridge, if I get brave enough!
Two months later status report: this Pixel 2 (the smaller one) is the best phone I’ve ever owned. The camera is insanely good, especially in low light. Everything in the OS is so smooth. The fingerprint unlock is instant and almost never fails. There are quite a few little things I never considered, too. For example, if you downswipe on the fingerprint sensor while the phone is unlocked, it pulls down the notification tray…it’s so awesome. A small thing, but I use it constantly.
My original concern was the lost screen real estate compared to the Galaxy S7 (due to missing capacitive buttons), but after the last two months, I’ve completely forgotten about it. It’s become a total non-issue. I do have two issues now though, but they are more software related than specific to this phone (I think). One is Google Now; they changed the style/interface and moved appointment/travel stuff to a sub-menu, which is truly awful. There’s a ton of wasted real estate, too…definitely changes for the worse. The second thing is that I never get Google Opinion Rewards surveys anymore, and I have no clue why. My wife still gets them all the time.
You can get watersoluble pencils which enable you spread their marks with a brush, leading you further down the path to paint.
That sounds pretty awesome. I think I’d read about something like that, or maybe seen it on someone else’s blog, but I don’t know much about it. Is it challenging to work with? Does does the end result look pretty similar to watercolor paint?
That might be a good thing to try next!
Pingback: Airline & Airplane Seat Comparisons | Amdall Gallery
Really great shading – such a leap from the first colour attempt! I love your daughter’s default photo expression – priceless:-).
Thank you! I actually managed to avoid making us look like extremely tired zombies in this one, unlike that first attempt.
I really can’t figure out why she doesn’t smile for photos – we really have to trick her to get that to happen. Either she’s just fascinated by phones, or she’s defiant! Her sister was pretty defiant at that age too, so maybe it’s a bit of both
Pingback: Round 2 Working with Color, Dad and Youngest Daughter | Amdall Gallery
Your previous commentor has given you lots of excellent advice. Just to add to it, it’s exciting that you want color in your art at this stage! What you might enjoy is an art instructor’s demo of the various color options for drawing. I found each one quite different in what it delivered. And realize, wanting color is really a rather different itch to scratch from wanting to draw well in monochrome. Be patient with yourself. Get some useful instruction. Go for it!
Much appreciated Carol! Yeah, I think I could stand to watch some more artists to learn from experience. I’m glad we’re in such a time where I can just hop onto YouTube and choose from thousands of videos
Well done, Jon – taking on color is a BIG leap and you have done well with your first attempt. Colored pencils sound like a good choice, for you, coming from graphite – who knows, they could be a bridge to either watercolor (via watercolor colored pencils) or other dry media (pastel pencils, conte, nupastel, etc?) It’s really fun seeing how different artists evolve their media over time! If you do end up feeling overwhelmed with so many color choices, might I recommend that you limit your palette for a while to cut down on that effect? (I actually found it really helpful to use only red, black and white on a mid toned brown paper, for portraits, when I was starting out in color and it really cut out some frustration and improved the enjoyment level, for me :-)) Best wishes on this new phase of your art journey! 🙂
Thanks Hilda! I hope I stick with it, and that does lead to watercolor. Paint has such a cool look, but I think it’s going to be hard to learn.
That’s a good idea about limiting the palette too. I think it might help me focus on learning techniques rather than worrying about which of the 30 blues I need to use
Thanks for the advice! Always good to hear
You are most welcome! I don’t know about you, but if I get too overwhelmed when I start something new, I know it can easily lead to me giving up on it….wouldn’t want you to end up shoving that lovely, huge set of colored pencils in a drawer somewhere!! 🙂
That’s definitely true for me as well. Fortunately, I was able to push through that initial feeling of “whoa what did I get myself into.” Actually, I even moved forward with another sketch using the colored pencils! I wanted to use what I learned from this one, while it was fresh in my mind. I’ll post it pretty soon, but I think it does look a little more natural
This has a good sense of balance and movement, nice!
Thanks!
Ha ha, we were sure moving alright…or is a better word “flailing?”
Hi Jon, thanks for following my blog! May the new year bring you blessings and peace.
Much appreciated, happy new year to you as well!
cool sketch, great poat and definitely a fantastic band!
Much appreciated! I was also a big fan of that Patton sketch you did last month, it was great.
Always fun to see Patton pop up in random places. I’m still amazed he and FNM both are not more well-known, as incredible as they are. After all, I would put the FNM catalogue up against any more famous band.
As always, great analysis Jon! I hope you and your family have great New Years!
I appreciate that! And happy new year to you, as well!
Pingback: Airline Fleet Totals, Leg Room Analysis Revisited | Amdall Gallery
Regarding my speculation about Roland having taken 19 trips to the Tower…I just realized that idea probably doesn’t hold water. I think the “Keystone World” (our world) is associated with the number 19. Ka’s numbering system, or something like that. So, 19 appearing everywhere probably had more to do with that.
Okay, so I updated the post a bit. I guess you could consider this comment a change log. I added a note about the above 19 Trips vs. World 19 business, and made a few other minor text edits to make my thoughts more clear. I also did a little re-sketching of the Roland drawing, because his pants were too big. Roland looked sort of like he was wearing MC Hammer pants, so I had to clean that up.
Pingback: Reflections on the Dark Tower Series (Spoilers Everywhere) | Amdall Gallery
Great portrait and LOVE the dancing!
Thanks! What I want to know is, where did she get her dancing skills from? Certainly not her dad
🙂
Reblogged this on Crypto Millionaire Mindset.
I think VH1 is still a thing, but I have no idea if they play music videos anymore. Yeah, I would image it’s difficult to find one song from each album that best represents what that particular album was all about. Edge of the World and From out of Nowhere off of The Real Thing are pretty far from one another on the spectrum. I think you’re spot-on about Digging the Grave and Midlife Crisis being the most commercially successful songs from their respective albums.
I’ve always wanted to make a mix tape introduction to FNM, but I have the worst time trying to figure out which songs would be best for it. Also the number of songs to include… I guess 20 songs might be a little much for a mix tape, ha ha. I would probably have to make several different mix tapes for someone to fully explore their greatness.
Hmmm, yeah picking just 20 songs would be really tough. Just songs from albums, or can we include rare stuff and covers? I think I’d go with these:
As the Worm Turns (Patton Version)
Chinese Arithmetic (Patton Version)
Introduce Yourself (Patton Version)
The Real Thing
Woodpecker from Mars
Midlife Crisis
A Small Victory
Everything’s Ruined
The Perfect Crime
Das Schutzenfest
The Cowboy Song
Highway Star
The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
Evidence
Star A.D.
Take This Bottle
I Started a Joke
Stripsearch
Last Cup of Sorrow
Mouth to Mouth
Wait, is that 20 already? Doh! I didn’t even address the newest album. Honestly, I could probably include every song from Angel Dust and King for a Day as “favorites,” probably the same for Album of the Year.
I would say anything FNM performed would be acceptable. That’s an excellent list of songs, sir. It’s funny… looking at your list of songs reminds me how long it has been since I’ve revisited the FNM catalog. I love some of the deep cuts, many of which you listed above. If I had to choose 20 FNM songs, I would go with these:
Anne’s Song (I love the Chuck Mosley version for some reason, ha ha. RIP Chuck Mosley)
From Out of Nowhere
Zombie Eaters
The Real Thing
Falling to Pieces
I Started a Joke
A Small Victory
Kindergarten
Midlife Crisis
The Last to Know
Just a Man
Evidence
Stripsearch
Last Cup of Sorrow
Pristina
Helpless
MotherEffer (trying to be family friendly)
Matador
This Guy’s In Love With You
Ashes to Ashes
Yeah, it’s hard to pick just 20 songs. I’m glad you made this post, Jon. Its sparked a renewed interest in one of my all-time favorite bands. Sadly, I only have a few of their songs on my ipod at the moment and its been that way for some time now. However, I’ve been sitting here listening to the songs I just listed and will add most (if not all) to it. Hell, I’ll probably add every album I own and purchase the few I’ve managed to lose over the years, ha ha.
All hail Patton!
Dude, I can’t believe I forgot Easy and This Guy’s in Love with You! Is it okay to do a “best of” list that’s like 100 songs long?
Jon,
The coin stats app is worth checking out, as an alternative to Blockfolio.
It’s a portfolio tracking tool that I really enjoy using.
Jon, I really like how you visually represent the % change in coin value.
Much appreciated! Credit to the mighty MS Excel for those graphs
Thanks for this link – I think we might try it with our Twitter account at work – it will be interesting to see how our work jargon gets assessed in tweets by sentiment!
Sure thing! I think the more activity you have, and interactions from other users (likes, retweets, etc), the more interesting the data is. My accounts don’t have much activity, but I had fun running some more popular users like politicians, celebrities, etc.
I think for a work Twitter account, it might actually have some real utility beyond just being interesting. You could really get a feel for how the business’s messaging is reaching audiences, which tweets are most effective, etc.
I tried it at work! Interestingly, the biggest finding was that we don’t tweet enough! Thanks for posting – always find the data stuff interesting.
Ha ha, very nice. It does seem like the twitter community has a pretty short attention span, doesn’t it?
Thanks for the tool recommendation. I’m definitely going to give it a try!
Absolutely! It’s pretty fun to play around with, the developers did a great job with it
Very interesting read Jon and an even more interesting experiment that you are running!
I hope it continues to go well for you, best of luck with it 👌
Much appreciated Matt! Thanks for checking it out
Very interesting. I’ve been hearing a lot about bitcoin recently. I do agree with your additional comment. Wishing you success and an enjoyable ride.
Thanks Linda, I’m glad you found it interesting. Bitcoin is certainly popular; I believe I read somewhere it was the 2nd most searched term on Google in 2017.
My biggest rule of thumb on all this cryptocurrency stuff is, don’t invest anything you aren’t willing to completely lose. It’s so volatile, you just never know what’s going to happen with it. Some of these coins have increased by 1000% or more just this year, which is completely insane!
Angel Dust was my first Faith No More album, too. I do remember watching the videos for Epic and Falling to Pieces on MTV prior to ever picking up on of their albums. Definitely one of the most musically versatile bands ever! You picked some great examples from their catalog. All four of the tunes are in my list of favorite FNM songs.
Ahhh yes, those long gone days of MTV actually playing music videos. Is VH1 still a channel too?
Man, it was pretty hard to pick just one song per album, and I didn’t even cover the new one (I don’t have it ripped, I guess I’m lazy). Just too many great ones to choose from, and how can just one best define the entire album? It might have made sense to pick the most commercially successful song on each, but I honestly couldn’t remember which was the biggest hit from King for a Day or Angel Dust. Was it Digging the Grave? And maybe Midlife Crisis?
Just to add a little commentary to this, it seems like we’re due for a dip. Not a crash, not a “bubble burst,” but for some coins to level out or drop somewhat. As exciting as all of this growth is, it just wouldn’t make sense for it to continue nonstop. But, as I’ve said in previous articles on this, my goal with this experiment is a long term hold. So I will definitely ride out any dips, dives, crashes, etc.
Hey Jon. You’ve done well with your spread so far and have some nice returns with Einsteinium and Monacoin. What made you choose certain coins over others? Picking a half dozen coins and sticking to a couple of high market cap coins like ETH or DASH is probably the best way to diversify, but thats no fun! And I see that you plan to hold long term, so your smaller market cap projects will eventually catch up once they’e good projects. I did a similar experiment with a trivial amount of cash to start with. Even though the fiat value of my portfolio is up 130%, holding bitcoin instead would have seen my return closer to 240% over last 5 months.
Hey there Cathal – yes, there have definitely been some nice returns on a few of these previously lower market cap coins! And you’re right, that’s where the real fun is, I think. Buying coins that have already become huge probably gets you something more reliable, but it’s fun seeing some random altcoin come from nowhere. I have to admit though, some of these small cap coins that I’ve bought have done pretty much nothing, like LBRY Credits, Gulden, and a few others.
As for how I picked them, that has changed over time. At first (in August), I was picking coins mostly based on whether they were available in Coinomi and were cheap. As the experiment progressed though, I focused more on finding altcoins receiving lots of positive buzz on forums; primarily on bitcointalk.org, several large subreddits, and NeoGAF (before it imploded…after, some on ResetERA). That has been a MUCH more effective method! I wish I’d done the forum research from the start.
Jon, the limitations of choosing only from coinomi or your chosen exchange, is one I can relate to.
LBRY is still a very promising coin. Stick with it long term.
Twitter and Reddit are super quick to feed crypto news and market events (I’ve never heard of NeoGAF but will look into it more)
I will be tracking your progress and wish you every success.
Do you have an exit strategy ready to go? My sentiment is that this bubble will burst soon.
Then again, they’ve been saying that for years!
Ha ha, yes they sure have been saying the bubble will burst “any day now” for quite a while. I guess I’m bullish on crypto overall, so I don’t really think it’s necessarily a bubble in the conventional sense. Since currency has no intrinsic value (like a home or a company does), it’s hard to nail down when it’s really overvalued. Should a Bitcoin be worth $20,000? Should it be worth $.005? Who really knows! I honestly didn’t think Bitcoin had staying power a couple years ago, but it’s still picking up steam. Of course, I thought the iPad was a stupid idea too, so it shows what I know.
I appreciate all your comments! Good to see an active blog like yours that’s writing meaningful articles about this trend. Your content is great, which I can’t say for some other Bitcoin/altcoin focused blogs out there that seem to just regurgitate news articles.
Oh, and probably no need to check out NeoGAF at this point. The site is basically a ghost town now; mostly I think because the owner had some assault or harassment allegations against him. The majority of their active user base migrated to another site called ResetERA. It’s not as active as old NeoGAF, but it’s a decent forum for a wide variety of topics.
Just replying to my original comment up top…and here is the large drop! This is why it’s best not to look too much at long term holds, because corrections can be scary. Literally hundreds of dollars in value wiped over two days. On the flip side, of anyone wanted to start with cryptocurrency, now is probably the time, as prices have fallen for almost all coins
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment – New Set of Coins, End of Year Update, BTC Nearing $20K | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment – New Set of Coins, End of Year Update, BTC Nearing $20K | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment – New Set of Coins, End of Year Update, BTC Nearing $20K | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment – New Set of Coins, End of Year Update, BTC Nearing $20K | Amdall Gallery
I haven’t done too many surveys/polls, but this one is clearly the most popular I’ve ever been responsible for! 23 replies for favorite captain, and 18 for favorite TNG character. Clearly Picard is objectively the best captain (nevermind the small sample size)! It’s interesting that Data is running away with favorite character though, I thought Picard would also be closer in that race.
Hey wow, looks like the post about my favorite band was my 50th! Sweet
You’ve captured the movement really well – that’s key in a scene like this!
Thanks!
It’s too bad I didn’t really capture Dak Prescott’s face very well. For some reason, he looks like Warren Moon to me in this drawing. Strange, right?
I wouldn’t know Dak from Warren – lol. I guess since I don’t watch football, it’s the kinetic representation that I like and the faces are secondary. Must have been really hard to draw behind a helmet – I don’t know how I’d go about it, but I might try slightly exaggerating some features in Dak’s face- almost like making a caricature, but not quite. It’s a tricky one!
Ahhh, that’s an excellent idea! I wish I’d thought of that. I was trying to be subtle, and ended up losing the thread in terms of features that make Dak look like Dak. You’re right, I’ll bet some feature exaggeration would have helped – I’m going to file that one away for later
Looking back at this, there are a couple things I’d like to add. First, I want to give a special shout-out to a couple functions with extremely high utility; I’m talking VLOOKUP and IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH.
VLOOKUP will let you build out a table of data, then search and reference other tabs, tables, or pieces of data you’re interested in. VLOOKUP is a tool I find myself reaching for very often; it’s like that trusty screwdriver that’s just the right size for most jobs. If you learn how to leverage VLOOKUP, you open up a world of possibilities in Excel.
Next, this nested IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH function. It’s deceptively great, and I wish I could credit who turned me on to this…unfortunately I can’t remember. So, if you’ve got something like this: IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH(“Document”,V2)),T2,V2), this bad boy will search cell V2 for the word “document”, and then will return what’s in T2 or V2 depending on whether that text is found. This is so great, because it allows you to merge columns from a data set automatically. Like I said, deceptively great and so useful to have access to.
Also, honorable mention to the LEFT and RIGHT text reference functions. See the above article for the nitty-gritty, but I go back to it often. If you want to split a city from “city, state”, or you want to break up “last name, first name,” and so many other situations. Very handy!
Why do you think that such a point of view was formed in the society (in the market, in the company, in forums, on the Internet)?
Which point of view? About tiny art? Sorry, I’m not quite following this one
Good for you Jon. I liked the piece and the concept appeal to me. Tiny art for tiny houses, perfect.
There you go! Although tiny art was fun to try, I don’t think I’m going to make it a habit. Much like tiny houses, I think tiny art is mostly out of my comfort zone. Like the old George Carlin bit goes, I’m worried about a “Place for My Stuff”
You’re being way too hard on yourself. This is amazing!
You’re too kind, thanks for that!
Ah, now I see the art that was shown in the competition. Nice! You are clearly able to capture peoples expressions well.
Thank you, it was definitely enjoyable!
Actually, you bring up a great point – I should have linked the original post about it. I included a progression drawing in there, that would have been helpful to see. I’ll try to update the post, but in the meantime, here’s the actual sketch I entered:
https://jonamdall.com/2017/09/08/contest-drawing-tiny-art/
Congratulations! Sounds like an all round positive experience. Would be great if we could see the work you submitted!
Great proportions! The eye is extra solid. The faces shading is subtle and looks molded, which creates a nice texture. What did you use to blend that?
Thanks for that, Bluebeard
I used my finger for the shading; unfortunately my techniques aren’t too sophisticated. What do you use when you work in pencil? I’ve read that some people use shading or blending things (sticks?), But I haven’t explored that yet
I’ve tried blending sticks with mixed results. Sometimes it looks great, sometimes it gets muddy. Personally, I’ve found that they work a little better with high b pencils used lightly. The graphite is looser and blends more evenly, but if you use like a 6b too harshly it’ll stain or wreck the papers tooth (the reason I always use watercolor paper lol).
To be honest, what you did there actually worked really well. The only downside to using fingers is that the oils can interact with some types of paper or paints (watercolors or gouaches can coagulate where you did it).
The only real pencil shading trick I know is that you can layer ink or a heavy b (6+) behind a 2h or hb for deeper shadows. I’ve struggled a lot with highlights and shadows in pencil work. Putting the lighter pencil shading in up front can make the drawing reflect a little more, that depends on the paper too, though.
Wow, you’ve got some great insight and knowledge on the craft of creating art. Is this a hobby, or are you a full-time professional artist? The quality of the stuff on your site certainly seems at the Pro-Level, and you’ve referenced commissions on there.
Either way, I appreciate the info. I’ve mentioned in other comments, this is one of my favorite things about WordPress; the fact that highly skilled artists are actually willing to give me advice! I have no clue of any other venue where I could have come across that.
I really appreciate you saying that, and I love discussing various techniques and ideas surrounding traditional mediums. Talking about art is sometimes even more enjoyable (and far less stressful) than creating, in my opinion.
I’m actually a chemistry BA (senior this year) undergrad at the University of Iowa, but I’ve always had a major passion for drawing and writing. I’ve only recently been commissioned, and only by two people. My hope is that I can have a career that supports my hobbies (writing and drawing) so I can continue to develop them and maybe one day they could be full time things.
I was actually a Biology major myself, so thumbs up for science!
I think that’s an excellent goal, to build a career that supports a hobby, then let the hobby take over if things line up that way. You’ve certainly got the raw talent in making art, in my opinion
I’ve been flying a lot this year and I can vouch that soon only the legless will be able to fit in the seats.
Ha, yeah that’s what it sure seems like. I wonder when they’re going to start stacking passengers like firewood? Actual chairs reserved for Business Class.
If I could only climb up into those overhead compartments. ..
** Premium Topview Comfort Pods, Now Available for a $499 Upgrade Fee! **
Wow, liking the lines. Full of life 🙂
Much appreciated Waseem!
This sketch conveys the simplicity of the humans happiness – to have a big family 🙂 . I really like it
Well said!
I think that happiness was on display for everyone…except our youngest kiddo! She was too busy trying to figure out how to get free
Still reads as a great sketch – you’ve got the expressions and body language!
Thanks! I should count my blessings – at least they do look like people. Not the people they’re supposed to look like, but still – small victories
Looking good. Group portraits are tough. Achieving a decent likeness is hard enough and here you have to do it 7 times!
That’s true, seven chances to mess up!
Imagine trying to sketch something with an actual crowd of people…I think it would take me like 10 years to do
I don’t think drawing from photos is ‘cheating’, Jon! Necessity is the mother of invention and you are right, small kids don’t hold still for more than a few seconds. Take lots of photos and learn what makes a great photo to work from – candid shots in awesome light are THE BEST!! ~ BUT (and it has taken me a long time to even really notice this, us modern people are very oblivious to the limitations of our camera phones, for sure!) do be aware of photographic distortion and the fact that the range of colors is more limeted than in real life….and how do you do that? become aware of these things – draw from life as much as you can, it’s hard, really hard, but the benefits are HUGE…..go into your childs room and draw them sleeping, if you have too!! 😉 Keep up the good work! 🙂
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment, Thanksgiving Update | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment, Thanksgiving Update | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment, Thanksgiving Update | Amdall Gallery
Really, really good. I am a total novice at drawing and I’m amazed at your portrait!
Thank you for saying so, I was glad to get that group on paper finally
Actually, looking at the drawings on your site, you seem skilled to me! Your animal sketches have a really unique style – lots of personality and diverse, natural poses/movement. Novice or no, I’ve enjoyed your sketches!
Lovely.. 🙂
Thank you!
Great! I like the way your eldest is looking back at your Granny in her sunglasses, brings a unity to the picture. A really nice grouping. It doesn’t matter I don’t think that your sister is partly obscured. Again she is looking back at the others and is a nice “side-wall” on the right hand side. (She probably won’t like me calling her that – sorry!) – Andy
Thanks man, I think the arrangement turned out better than I expected. The only thing I’m not wild about is granny’s hand; I couldn’t quite get it right, and I didn’t want to mess the whole thing up by erasing too much
I just love all your dad stories and drawings.
Thanks Dana! I hope the girls can look back at this site when they’re older and check out all the drawings of them. It might be a fun thing for them to see
Congratulations on taking the risk. And one accepted into the show, that’s fantastic!
Thanks! It was really fun going through it, definitely a new experience for me. There were some really amazing pieces in the show, I still can’t believe the detail they were able to get into some really tiny spaces.
Pingback: Tiny Art Show Opening at the River Oaks Arts Center | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Tiny Art Show Opening at the River Oaks Arts Center | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment, 3 Month Status Update | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Experiment, 3 Month Status Update | Amdall Gallery
I got the dad smirk! Nice job of capturing expression and gesture.
Ha ha, thanks for saying so
Sometimes, slight smiles are tough for me. I want to make it apparent there’s a smile, but if I push it too much it makes them look insane! Like the joker or something
Pingback: Another Sketch with my Oldest, Alternate Title “Tired Dad” | Amdall Gallery
This is so cool! I love all the emotion, you did an awesome job capturing it. I love your blog as a whole!
Thanks for saying so Natalia. Likewise for your blog! I especially like that sneaker drawing, tons of excellent detail. I look forward to seeing more
Of course!
Thanks so much, Jon! Means a lot! Can’t wait to share more, and I’m excited to see more of your work as well.
Pure joy!
Definitely joy, and also a dad who was completely out of breath
You’re doing great! It’s not easy to let things be loose, but this is a wonderful sketch. Keep on watching and listening to the advice of a few artists you admire and you’ll find your style. Btw, you have a nice family!
Thank you! The advice/commentary folks have passed has been gold – that alone makes me glad I got back into this site
Hello,
You are a lovely family.
About the grid, I understand the concept and how it helps with accuracy but I find them so boring that I much prefer the loose sketch.
Yours is very dynamic for a static pause. Bravo.
That’s kind of you to say! I wasn’t sure how it would work out – using a grid has been a bit of a crutch for me. But I think I’ll try more like this
Lovely family portrait – you’ve really captured the expressions and mood!
Much appreciated! As usual when I draw these kiddos, our littlest is quite a challenge. Kids under one are just not easy for me to accurately capture
After thinking a bit more about Edgar and Sabin from Final Fantasy III (VI), I realized I made a mistake…I may leave the post as-is, but I’ll correct myself with some details here. I initially said, “Figaro is destroyed by the main villain” because I was remembering Edgar leaving and the castle on fire. Actually though, the castle survived! It was technologically sophisticated, and the entire thing tunneled underground into the desert. So, Edgar did escape at that time, but he later went back. Because the castle was underground, I believe it even survived the cataclysm towards the end of the game.
Also, something I forgot about Edgar and Sabin is that they were supposed to rule Figaro together, but Sabin didn’t like everyone’s fixation with who would be king. He wanted to leave, so Edgar proposed a coin flip to decide who would leave. Edgar rigged it with a double-headed coin to ensure Sabin would be able to leave freely.
More details can be found here: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Figaro_Castle. It just goes to show the detailed and compelling story in these games, which was sort of unusual in the early 90s.
Great work. ❤ The Dark Tower
Thanks! I’m loving the series, I still can’t believe it took me so long to start it
Nice drawing! I also have two little ones (boys), so I know what you mean about being able to dedicate time to something!
Thanks Dave! Yeah, it’s probably like this with most kids, but with mine it’s not even always that they want to play with me specifically; they just want constant close proximity. Don’t even think about going in another room!
Yes, tell me about it! One day we’ll miss it.
I’m not familiar with the books or story, but the drawing is interesting on its own to me. The subjects appear happy at that moment despite some hardships (missing body parts…needing to camp just outside a city in ruins). From the arrangement, the younger two are being cared for by the people at the far left and right. The person on the right (tending the fire) has a major role as protector.
Thanks Eduardo! I have to say, that’s very insightful of you – the fact that you aren’t familiar with the Dark Tower, yet essentially pieced together the exact situation and relationships is impressive.
I probably should have drawn the lady (Susannah) to look a bit older though I think, because she’s supposed to be older than the guy on the left (Eddie) in the books. That aside, Roland on the right is definitely their leader, and they all look to him for guidance. And in that scene, I was going for a similar vibe to a time when they were telling each other riddles by the campfire. Major trials in the middle of a journey, but some time for comradery.
I would attribute my accurate interpretation to your skill as an artist and not my insight. Well done.
You’re too kind, sir – thank you
Hi Jon, I liked the phrase “the pencil went where it wanted to go…” I’ve often had the same feeling and sometimes I’m pleased with the result – Did I do that?
I didn’t notice the buildings slightly on the slant before until you mentioned it, but I think it enhances it, not detracts – leave it as it is I say. By lifting up the left hand side of the picture then things do subconsciously roll down towards the right. In this case this increases the impression of the 3 people on the left looking towards Roland on the right. These happy accidents in art I think make it so much better than merely taking photos. Go ahead and enjoy it for what it is.
I am actually pleased with how the characters themselves turned out (where the pencil decided to go) overall! As I mentioned, two of them aren’t how I imagined while reading, but I wonder if this drawing will slightly change how I visualize the characters moving forward? It’s possible this interpretation will shape my imagination a bit for the rest of the series. Old Eddie Dean, say hello to new Eddie Dean.
That’s a good point about eye flow and happy accidents, I never thought of it that way. Thank you for pointing that out! Definitely great to see other perspectives, and happy accidents do make art enjoyable.
You know, looking at the final picture more and more…I really think I messed up when drawing the background city. As that hill rises towards Eddie on the left, the city buildings slant as if they’re ON the hill, when they are supposed to be behind it.
We’ll see if my OCD allows that to stand as is. Something tells me eventually I’ll have to grab an eraser and tilt those buildings vertically, because I won’t be able to look at it without noticing.
Beautiful sketch. Keep sketching!!
Thank you!
Pingback: Dark Tower Drawing – Campfire Outside the City of Lud | Amdall Gallery
Drawing celeb faces is a great way to improve technical skills – John – This one is really nice! Maybe you’ll be inspired to do more…I have a book that I planned to do 100 faces of famous people in – so far I am at about 84 or so (I keep being distracted by other ideas and projects!) but, the really interesting thing is how much my technique has improved from page to page 🙂
Much appreciated, Hilda! Have you posted any of the 100 Famous Faces series to your site? I’d enjoy seeing those. Any particular favorites?
Great idea, Jon, thanks! I should do a post on this! My faves are some of the characters from The Lord of the Rings movie and also a series of 3 I did of Tom Baker (Dr Who, 4th Dr) aged 20, 40 and 80…fascinating doing the same face at different ages 🙂
I’ll definitely be looking forward to that post, it sounds awesome. I will keep an eye out!
Looks awesome so far! I’m excited to see the evolution here. Your commentary on drawing from life/pics versus imagination was interesting, because I’m the opposite. I have a much easier time drawing from imagination than real life, always been that way. Never did well with still lives or art class for that reason.
Thanks! I definitely admire people who can put what they see in their brains to paper. A great example is that blood hound painting you posted to your site yesterday – it’s incredible!
I’m not sure if you’ve read the Dark Tower, but in terms of drawing, I think I’m sort of like Roland. Not especially creative, but capable of being technically proficient.
Thanks! I always say the same thing about people who can draw what they see and interpret it on the paper. My trick is to think of a concept then study images that may fit into that concept and then try to combine them. So for fox, roadkill would be applicable, as gross as that is.
I’m a huge King fan, but I have yet to read Dark Tower. I’m currently about 3/4ths of the way through It and near finished with The Shining.
As to the creativity vs proficiency vs technicality, they all culminate into a finished and unique product. I think they aren’t static, either, so you can always work towards improving different aspects of your work. My biggest weakness in terms of drawing is definitely my technical line-work and perspective placement. I’ve gotten good at hiding mistakes with my (heavy) shading.
I’m taking a few of my first hard labs this semester and have had to become literate in excel very quickly, so these kinda of tutorials are very helpful. A lot of excel tutorials are overly technical but you break it down in a very matter of fact way.
Also the Pavlovian reference made me laugh!
Excellent! I’m glad this helped someone a bit. That’s exactly what I was aiming for too; approachable text with less jargon/confusion.
If want to bounce any spreadsheet ideas off someone as you progress through your semester, feel free to pop back in. If it wasn’t painfully obvious already, I love Excel shop talk.
Pingback: Excel Basics – Building Data, Using Pivot Tables | Amdall Gallery
Beautiful work! Congrats on getting back into art 🙂
Much appreciated! It helps having such great little subjects (maybe I’m biased just a bit, ha ha)
Congratulations Armdizzle!
Thank you, my friend.
I have another article coming tomorrow you may be interested in, if you have an undying love for Excel like most people do. Most normal people, anyway.
This is very well put together, the pie-charts, especially, do a good job illustrating who’s actually doing the shooting. I agree with you points on registration, too. I don’t think guns need to be completely taken off the market (that’ll just give gun-runners and drug-lords more money) but simply tightening the qualifications to own a gun should help screen out people who are unfit to own them. Gun ownership should be a privilege, not a given.
Thanks Bluebeard, I agree with you. The Bill of Rights is part of the DNA of this country; although case law has provided some exceptions* for certain amendments, I’m against wholesale tossing entire amendments of the Bill of Rights out (such as the 2nd). People in this debate seem to often characterize it as all or nothing; either no guns period, or totally unrestricted firearms. There are reasonable steps that can be taken that don’t involve hyperbole!
(* Like the 1st’s unprotected speech exceptions incitement/defamation/obscenity/fighting words, the 4th’s “right of the people” not applying to criminals, minors, non-USPERs, etc.)
I should note, there are actually two mass shooting events that were in Mother Jones data a few months ago, but are for some reason not currently listed. One was the shooting in Washington, DC targeting GOP Members of Congress playing softball. I’m not sure why they were removed, but because the two events fit the definition of a mass shooting, I left them in my spreadsheet.
Pingback: Mass Shooting Data Update, Post-Las Vegas Effects on Numbers from GVA, MJ | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mass Shooting Data Update, Post-Las Vegas Effects on Numbers from GVA, MJ | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mass Shooting Data Update, Post-Las Vegas Effects on Numbers from GVA, MJ | Amdall Gallery
In the wake of this horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas, just thought I’d update this with a couple direct links I neglected to include in the original article. Here is the Mother Jones data: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/. And here is the gunviolencearchive (GVA) mass shooting data: http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/mass-shooting. The Washington Post also has an excellent write-up on the topic, including some informative graphics and a discussion of different available datasets: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/mass-shootings-in-america/.
And of course I will let you know if anything comes of it!
Please excuse my pedantry, but…
That blacks are being killed “more than others because of their race” isn’t the authors’ opinion. It’s the charge made explicitly by Black Lives Matter (see paragraph three of the introduction) and with which the data is inconsistent. Shane et al., like you and I, are agnostic on this matter.
Shane and co-authors paraphrase what they term to be the popular rhetoric
as “portrayals that Blacks are killed by police in epidemic proportions
compared to other racial groups, or that young, unarmed males are killed
because of their race and without justification” in the introduction, and
give six cites. But I grant you that this characterization is not universal.
However, I see them making no claims as to motivation or intent. They say the
data doesn’t support claims of bias, but neither do they assert finding lack
of bias. Inconclusive, in my view. (Typical of researchers, they recommend
further study and, undoubtedly, more funding.)
Be that as it may, my main concern is trying to figure out what’s going on
with Table 3. I’d also thought, at first glance, that the “mean fatality base
rate” was fatalities per 100,000 population. But it cannot be so. On Table 3,
for example, 82 female deaths divided by 0.766 and multiplied by 100,000 gives
us a female population of an absurd 10.7 million. Table 1 gives accurate state
population when fatalities are divided by Base Rate (M) and multiplied by 100,000.
But the numbers on Table 3 don’t work the same way at all! So I’m thinking there
must be some difference between “Base Rate” and “Base Mean Fatality Rate.”
I am really stumped by this! I’ve searched the internet high and low for rebuttal
or commentary on this paper, but can find nothing. One would think it would’ve
made more of a splash, being authored by Ph.Ds and published in a peer-
reviewed scholarly journal.
When I say motivation/intent, I’m talking about the phrase from the abstract where they say, “…more than others because of their race.” You can see that shootings occurred often because of a threat, but that doesn’t necessary exclude race as a factor (it also doesn’t mean it was a factor necessarily). That “because” (the why of shootings) seems like the authors’ opinion more than something the Post data supports. That’s just my view of it, anyway.
Wow, that’s strange about Table 3…I wonder if they made some sort of mistake that somehow didn’t get caught in the peer review process? This may be inappropriate, but do you think the authors would be open to someone randomly contacting them to ask for an explanation? If they’re affiliated with a university, you might be able to find an email or something. You never know; they might be excited someone is looking at their work!
I had thought of writing them and the email, I think, is right there in the article. That might be my next move, if I can edit to state the question succinctly. Thanks, and I’ll take another look at that phrasing.
If you hear anything from them and you have a chance, I’d love to hear what they say
Amanzing sketch!
*Amazing… typo!
I appreciate that!
Thanks for your response. I’m hoping the second link will work for you. My knowledge of statistics is rusty. I’m seeking to understand the calculations used to produce the “mean fatality base rate” column in Table 3, and of course any comment you may have. (It appears they may have used a different set of state census figures than you did.)
Thanks for posting! That link did work, and it was the same article. I think when they say “mean fatality base rate,” they’re referring to the average fatalities per 100,000 people.
I pulled my state population numbers directly from census.gov, but my data was their 2015 population estimates, and it looks like the article you linked uses 2016 estimates. So it makes sense they’re a bit different; hopefully they aren’t too radically different though.
I’ll have to take some time to go over the article in a bit more detail, but a cursory review left me with the same conclusions I indicated above. In my opinion, you can’t derive any conclusion one way or another about police intent or motivation from the Washington Post’s database. 8% of those killed were unarmed (a significant potential threat indicator), and I see how they jumped from that to intent/motivation; I just think that jump involves some big assumptions. I don’t see a data point in the Post’s database that would let someone extrapolate that specific conclusion (although much of the paper does seems accurate). And, as I mentioned, their comments on “national rhetoric” seem misleading to me, because their are two significantly different messages bouncing off of each other in the media.
http://jonathanstray.com/papers/The%20prevalence%20of%20fatal%20police%20shootings%20by%20U.S.%20police%20%202015%E2%80%932016.pdf
Have you any comments regarding the paper by Shane, Lawton, and Swenson in the Journal of Criminal Justice using the same database?
https://www.bing.com/search?q=shane%20lawton%20swenson%20john%20jay&pc=cosp&ptag=C1AE89FD93123&form=CONBDF&conlogo=CT3210127
I wasn’t able to retrieve an article from your link for some reason, but I think this is what you’re talking about: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047235217301344
If that’s the right article, I certainly agree with the conclusion section; that sort of data should be tracked nationally, and research should focus on situational context. However, I don’t agree with the lead sentence under the results section; it says “patterns are not consistent with national rhetoric that police are killing black people because of their race…”. First, the national rhetoric is quite divided on the topic; there isn’t one specific theme being pushed (two completely different ones at least). The topic is divisive because there are multiple narratives clashing.
Secondly, the Washington Post data simply doesn’t address motivation, only raw numbers. The conclusion as to whether police are or are not killing anyone because of any reason cannot be made with this data. It does show black people are killed disproportionately relative to their population, though (which can only be concluded by supplementing census.gov data) I only read the abstract, so maybe there’s more detail in the full research, but I’m not sure how the authors arrived at that very specific conclusion from the Washington Posts database alone.
That’s a great question and a helpful way of looking at the answer.
Thanks Eduardo, I’m glad someone else actually found it useful
Thank you both – I think Granny is going to get a portrait soon.
Lovely drawing, definitely need to do one of your grandmother too.
nice
Keep it up, Jon. Glad to see you’re having fun.
Will do, thanks!
Very nice work! I’m convinced drawing from live models is the ultimate artist. I hope to do this when I grow up!☺️
Thank you! Yeah I have to admit I did cheat a bit and look at photos…these girls don’t care what their dad says, they don’t want to stand still for more than like 5 seconds
They will treasure this. I love it. You really capture their essence here. I know what you mean. Even a ‘finished’ piece will call to me to add a touch here or there if I don’t lock it behind glass or give it away! 😉Keep sketching.
Thanks for saying so! I hope they do want these sketches when they get older. As long as Dad can keep himself from re-sketching until the paper falls apart
Nice Jon! and best of luck with this! Make sure to get your kids to pose for you a lot whilst they are young, because, they are only small and cute for so long, and then, they become sour faced teenages who would sooner eat their own arm than pose for an artistic parent!! at least, THAT is my experience! 🙂
Ha! I hear that. My oldest is only three, and she already throws sass at us like a teenager
I think drawing figures on a small scale is really, really challenging – I have tried doing them on ATC’s (Artist Trading Cards – 4″x2 1/2″ – Basically tiny works of art that are traded in various ways between artists, or sometimes sold – called ACEO’S) But, to me they are not the best subject for that! If you are needing to achieve a likeness, I think the best way to go is to go big, not small, because it’s so much easier to be accurate about the features…if you go small, every dot and line is important and significant in suggesting the reality of that person. But that’s just my 10 cents!
Ahhhhh, so THAT’s what ATC stands for! Very interesting, I had no idea that even existed. I think I’ve got a lot to learn about the art world, thank you for that insight.
I certainly agree with you though – I prefer larger workspace
Don’t feel bad, I only discovered their existence earlier this year when an online art forum I belong to decided to do an atc exchange. I had no idea about them before then, google the subject, there are whole huge websites devoted to the trading of ATC’s! 🙂
I climbed back on this horse back in about 2009 – Jon and I have to say, with technical skills and drawing, it’s all about practice, practice, practice….nice work and welcome back to your art journey! 🙂
Coming from someone with the skills you have, I appreciate the encouragement! Thanks Hilda
Aw, thanks Jon, it’s all about showing up regularly and putting in the hours…. If you love doing something, you carve out the time for it as often as you can and, after a while, you look back at where you started and you realize…..you actually DID make progress! 🙂
Pingback: Tiny Art Show Update, Logistics and Another Drawing | Amdall Gallery
My drawing skills leave a lot to be desired. You have inspired me to head back to the drawing board (literally!)
Ha ha, well played
Honestly though, based on the fantastic paintings I’ve seen on your site, that would really surprise me. Something tells me if you dive into it, you’re better than you realize
You’re good. Go with the first sketch. Keep it loose. Gestural. While there’s a lot of things I like about the second one… the expression you’ve captured on the little’s ones face, I really dig the simple contours of the first one just as well. Good Luck!
Much appreciated! That’s good advice, keeping it loose. I was definitely struggling to do just that with the small size.
What Jake says – that’s exactly what I was thinking, too. You have a sensitive touch with the figures, and even though it’s contour only, the lines speak clearly. (if you do go with the first “rough draft” you might consider varying the line weights for interest. I’ve entered small works shows and they’re fun. Good luck.
Thanks for that – I’d like try a few drawings where I don’t bother with the detail, and just flow with some basic contours. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing some of the other tiny art in this show!
I happened upon an interesting article on the illustrations of Arthur Rackham. When I looked at his B&W sketches I immediately thought of you. You may enjoy looking at it and maybe you’ll observe something from the great artist. https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/arthur-rackham-alice-in-wonderland/
Wow those are great, I had never seen them before. That’s kind of you to say there’s any similarity between those and my sketches, but I’m definitely nowhere near that guy’s level. You are sure right about him being a great artist, thanks for linking that. I really like them, especially that one with the Cheshire Cat in the tree. Very cool.
What an interesting idea for an art show!! I love drawing and painting ATCs… much smaller than 5×5 (x5). I think drawing BIG is important for learning… but drawing small definitely teaches you things, too… what lines are REALLY important, that art can be created fairly quickly, etc. definitely go for it… maybe cut several 3 inch pieces or paper and just go for it next week. Choose the one you love the best!
You speak the truth on that for sure; this has been a crash course in which lines would accurately represent a person. Like, which precise mark will make my little ones actually look like themselves?
Thanks for the encouragement! By the way, this might be a dumb question, but what does ATC stand for? (ex. “painting ATCs”)
“Artist Trading Cards”… I belong to a group of women (and men, but really… it’s just women) who are very creative and love to make, trade, or just give these tiny pieces of art. The only rule really is that is HAS to be 2 1/2×3 1/2 inches. And can’t be sold (then it is an ACEO, Art Card Original and Edition) but can be traded or used almost like a business card. It can be drawn, painted, collaged, doodled, whatever. 🙂 It makes painting on a 4×5 page feel luxuriously large haha!
Wow, that is really cool. So, where do you trade them? Just whenever you meet other artists at exhibits, or are there trade shows or something for different disciplines?
I think I mentioned in another comment, but I seriously had no idea such a unique thing existed in the art world. It’s fascinating!
This is good stuff, very interesting, I love technique type process photos and stories, and glimpses into the thought process. Thank you for documenting, and getting back into Art. I hope you STAY in!
Much appreciated, Ted! I’m enjoying it for sure. I’ll try to keep rolling with the process photos too – it’s always fun looking back on those.
As a follow up to all this, I should point out again…DO NOT STORE CURRENCY IN EXCHANGES! I’m reading lots of articles lately about North Korea’s efforts to obtain Bitcoin and Ethereum through hacking; these hacking activities target exchanges (where you swap currencies). You should always store cryptocurrencies on a separate wallet with private keys owned by you. These exchanges will let you store your balances in the site/service’s wallet, but the exchange almost always maintains those keys. Since the keys are stored in bulk with the exchange, the currency exchanges themselves become appealing hacking targets.
Also, I’m considering another follow up article, because cryptocurrency values have crashed over the last week or so! It’s interesting to see which have tanked; the big ones (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin) have dropped, and several altcoins have fallen as well. But, a few are still holding relatively strong, like Syscoin, Verge, Vertcoin, and Pinkcoin. Overall though, my investment has dropped from a 52% increase down to 18.7% increase.
I can’t believe I misspelled San Francisco almost everywhere in this article. Way to go, Amdall! The question is…do I want to reimport and reinsert all of the pivot tables? The answer…is nope (sorry San Francisco).
Pingback: Proposal Drawing | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mass Shooting Research Part 1; Mother Jones Data | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mass Shooting Research Part 1; Mother Jones Data | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mass Shooting Research Part 3; State Comparisons, GVA Data | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Mass Shooting Research Part 3; State Comparisons, GVA Data | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Sports Salaries Part 1, Teams & Leagues | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: U.S. Sports Salaries Part 2, Positions & Players | Amdall Gallery
Pingback: Cryptocurrency Revisited (3-4 Weeks Later) | Amdall Gallery
I would never have become an artist if I hadn’t learned to grid. It’s a tool like any other and if it helps get the proportions right, why not use it? The viewer looks at the finished work, not how you get there ☺️
Thanks for that, I had no idea legit professional artists did it too. Do you still use grids at all?
Sorry Jon, I missed this question. Yes occasionally I do. Maybe I’ll write a blog about it!
Very cool. If you end up writing about that, I’ll definitely be interested to read it
Deference to article author , some good entropy. “If you don’t leap, you’ll never know what it’s like to fly.” by Guy Finley.
Isn’t putting pencil marks into the shape of a person pretty much the opposite of entropy? I don’t really understand your comment, but thanks for checking out the blog.