Dolls and girls and practice

I am still hooked up with drawing girls the Suzi Blu style.

As I said in my previous post, because I don't have the materials she is using I am trying to adjust the technique to what I have available.

First, I sketched and sketched and sketched. Non-stop, everywhere, as much as I could. On the bus, at the doctors' waiting room, waiting for my son during his swimming lessons, on the car while my man is driving us to places, on the bed, on the plane, at he playground, everywhere I'm telling you!

Then I coloured....

For some reason, I am not sure why, I enjoy a lot using colouring pencils! I feel like a kid every time I use them, maybe that's why. I have some Polychromos and Watercolour pencils. I   l o v e   my watercolour pencils, it's like magic, but I already used them to make a girl and this was not a success, (you might recall from my previous post). 

I enjoy colouring with my Polychromos as well, but I've never been pleased with the result and this time was no exception. I guess I have to learn on the techniques using colouring pencils, but this is another subject (I shouldn't forget this "note to shelf" though).

Here are some examples of the girls I created with Polychromos.

                                               

Then I decided I would like to try my India Ink PITT pens and my fingers. For this technique I need non-porous surface, therefore I applied mat medium over some of my sketches before I start colouring them. I was a little bit more pleased with this technique. I guess the coloured pencils require great skill which I don't have at all (cause I have seen some amazing art created with coloured pencils), on the other hand, colouring with the marker and then moving the ink around with the fingers to create shadows etc. I feel it's much more safer and appropriate for my level. Anyway, here's some of my girls coloured with my Pitt markers.

 

 

In her book, Suzi advices to practice a lot and only after practice you might end up sketching without measuring etc. She supports that anyone who wants to be an artist can be one, but practice is important. It makes sense. It's like everything else in life. Unless you are truly gifted with a talent, you need to practice to excel. Personally I love many things that require talent (drawing being one of them) but I don't have that much of it, so I figured, practicing a lot makes sense. I already see and feel the difference. My girls are much better now, I sketch them faster and I even personalize with things I am not that comfortable with, such as wearing hats, looking to other directions than straight ahead, holding things...

 

 

I am fairly pleased with the PITT technique but I think I will also give a go to use acrylics in the near future. If I do, I will update this post in time.

 

Stay tuned as my next post will be about making my mum into the fairy she is to me, as this years' mothers day gift.

 

Take Care!!!