Final faces for the 29 faces challenge

These are way overdue, I finished my 29 faces challenge a few days ago. I decided to practice with small faces, trying to focus just on the shadow shapes. It was challenging for me to work this size, because it forced me to look at shapes and I kept trying to go for details. A very good exercise though, it helps to teach observation and to work from large shapes to smaller ones.

 Faces 21-26

Faces 27-28

Face 29

I think I will keep doing this as warm ups as well as to teach my self to observe and have patience.

I really enjoyed this challenge, and I am planning to enter again next time. Click on the link above if you want to know more about it.

Growing in the imperfection

I have been having a hard time giving value and recognizing my quick and experimental sketches as something important and worth showing. Just because they don't fit the mental image I have of how I wanted it, doesn't mean they are not good. Nor the fact that I was just experimenting and playing around and things didn't work out as I thought they would.

Warm ups for figure drawing

 

 

Every little sketch, word, musical note, sculpture that is created, regardless of our opinion on it been successful or not, is worth something. It mark a step closer to our goal, to the final product, to something maybe even better than the first image we have of it in our heads.

Hand studies

  

That is the reason why I decided to start counting the faces I am making or struggling to make as part of the 29 faces challenge, regardless of how much they represent or not my best skills and art. This is not easy, I feel raw, exposed and vulnerable. Why? Because I want to show you my best, I want my art to touch you in the best way possible. And it is with that thought in mind that I am showing you the not so perfect, because I want to inspire you to practice and keep moving forward regardless what your art is; I want to grow in this artistic endeavor with you.

Faces #16 & #17 (Distress and Tombow watercolor markers)

Face #18 (Inktense blocks on Stillman & Bin Beta Series Sketchbook)

Face #19 (art journal page in progress)

Face #20 (Study for future painting)

Not everything is perfect, we are not perfect, but there is beauty in the imperfect and the possibility to grow. Looking at how we progresses in our respective arts is very rewarding and fill us we pride and even more motivation to continue honing our skills and craft.

Markers and more markers!!

The 29 faces challenge is almost over and I am still trying to catch up. This is a goal I set for myself, so I am really trying to finish all 29 faces, even if it is after the challenge ends. As with all of the other faces, I have been experimenting and practicing with a variety of media.

Face #14 is another alcohol marker (Copic markers) on Copic marker paper, this time, as you can see, with inked lines.

I have always admire those beautiful line and marker illustrations, so I decided to stop postponing it for a later time and start practicing. I am way far from where I want to be, however I am feeling more inspire to continue practicing and see how much I can improve. 

Face#15, the same approach as with face #4.

Here I tried to get a better blending. I really like how the face came out. It is fun and challenging at the same time, such an unforgiving but also liberating media. 

Finally, 13 is here!!!

Here is face #13 "Bold" for the 29 faces challenge.

 She went through many changes for the last 3 days ( 1 hour each day), and I wish I would have been able to make her eyelashes better, and that my glitter paint were in a better condition, even though I just opened it for this project. Another thing to my liking is that some of the paper shows and compliment the piece very nicely. 

In a way this is a good study for painting drapery, something I really need to practice. 

More and more faces and grounds to play with!!!!

Here trying to catch up. I stayed behind a bit again, because the grounds I am trying out needed 24 hours to dry before using them.

Face #10

This cute "Fae Princess" is a mixed media piece. I used Caran D'Ache gouache studio set, colored pencils, Sharpie paint marker and a bit of acrylic over a paper treated with Daniel Smith transparent watercolor ground. Here I used the gouache very diluted, making it transparent like watercolors.

I still don't know how I feel about this ground. I didn't find it to be too absorbent, although I did not use a very thick layer on the paper. I put two coats of this ground on the papers. It is indeed better than untreated paper; maybe some more experimentation, on other surfaces, is in order to give a final verdict about this. It does dry clear, which give you the advantage of using the substrate color to your advantage. It does comes with a white finish though. 

Face #11, "Forest Fae" was also created on paper treated with Daniel Smith transparent watercolor ground  but with this one I only used gouache. I really like her too, she looks innocent and sweet to me; maybe is that huge bright eye.

 Here I took advantage of the green of the paper, as it also inspired the color scheme. So the fact that the watercolor ground was transparent helped me here.

For face #12

The surface Martha Stewart stucco ground was used. I really enjoy working on textured surface. I feel it give a certain character and interest to the pieces. This ground too need 24 hrs to dry before using it.
I wish I would have applied it more uneven, an also used less concentrated acrylic so it has more dimension. Even though, I like the old weathered look it has. I will continue exploring this idea in other pieces.

Face 9/29 faces

Here is a 10 minutes sketch in graphite pencil for my face #9 of the 29 Faces challenge. Again, I prepared the paper with Acrylic ground for pastel from Golden.

I am thinking about exploring drawing facial hair more in depth.

Playing with acrylic grounds and mediums

Here are my faces #7 and #8. I fell behind and now I am trying to catch up. Still experimenting with my supplies.

Face #7 was done in acrylics over a red canvas fabric treated with clear gesso. I used Liquitex Slow-Dri Blending gel. I like how it helps me blend better, but I am still playing with the medium/paint ratio. I have some tackiness due to too much medium.

In the case of #8 I used acrylic grounds for pastel by Golden. It can be use with any drawing media plus they say also acrylics and oil. I did found difficult and almost impossible to erase the graphite from this, however it provided a nice texture to the smooth paper I have there.

"Prayer": face 6 of 29 faces challenge

Here is my face #6, titled "Prayer". I prepared the paper with two thin coats of clear gesso. I was going to do it in color but then decided to go for a grey monochromatic color scheme. I think I worked great because the hearts from the paper stand out a bit and direct the eye to her. Plus the blueish undertone of the paint symbolized the "feeling blue" sentiment. When I feel blue I pray and then I am back to color.

Hands are always a challenge for me, and at first I wasn't sure to add it or not, but it was asking for it. It didn't feel finish nor did it conveyed the emotion and story I wanted. So I decided to add it. Not the best hand, but it does help to make the picture complete.

Face #5 29 Faces challenge

For this one I decided to try a set of CretacoloR oil based colored pencils. It is a very limited color set as you can see, but I have had it for a few years and never use it. So I decided to give it a try. 

They smudged a bit and stained my hand, specifically the black one. However I think they might be good to use with watercolors, because I will not loose my sketch lines and it might provide a nice look. I guess I will be experimenting with them again. 

I tried to see if the white would look white on top of the others but it mostly blended and lightened the other colors, so I don't have the lightest lights in this one. But I think that my witch came out okay. I am having fun trying to create different expressions and perspectives. It has been a good practice. 

Face #4 29 faces challenge

Today was a busy day but things got accomplished. Falling asleep every now and then I mange to draw my fourth face. I lost the gesture I was looking for and since my challenge today was to sketch with markers first, I couldn't erase. I din't want to give up on her, so I just pushed it and ended up learning a few things.

I used alcohol markers, colored pencils and gel pens on Copic paper. I glued it in my journal.

Face 2 for 29 faces on september challenge

This face is not finished yet. I was playing on one of my journals, with black gesso and my prismacolor pencil. When I started it, I had no idea of what type of face was going to apper but here she is.

Finding inspiration and motivation to be creative

Hello everyone. Have it has happen to you that you have no motivation or inspiration to craft and do art? I has had happen to me, and lots of times. So I have look for different ways to keep myself motivated; for example taking classes of my interest over the web, search YouTube for inspirational videos, re-visit my previous creations and looking for challenges where I can find motivation and inspiration.

Now, I now that taking classes require some investment (time and money wise) that cannot be afford all the time, at least I can't. That leaves me with the other options, which are free! This past few weeks have been weird for me; I kind of want to do something crafty and artistic but had no motivation or inspiration at all. Then I saw the 29 facces on September challenge on Ayala Art, Mixed Media Paintings, ACEOS  blog and saw the light at the end of the tunnel ;).

The great thing about this kind of challenge is that other people are with you on it, it cost you no money and you can invest the time you want/can to. Also, they are great sources of inspiration and motivation, as well as, a great way to keep you practicing and improving your skills.

So here I am, with my first face for the 29 faces challenge; I know I'm 4 days "behind" schedule but it doesn't worries me. Why? Because I can create more than one face a day, they don't have to be a master piece or even a completed project. For me any face doodling counts as I am practicing techniques and improving my skills.

Here is a sketch I made in my handmade pocket sketch book, just for the fun of it and to practice some pencil blending using Gamsol (I'm new at it ;)).

So go ahead and find your source of inspiration and motivation, whether it is a class, challenge or video; don't stop yourself, hop on the adventure and  have fun.