Just Drawing Dragons, Egad!

Yes, I found all these unbelievable drawings of dragons and thought," why not?" I'll just copy some of these dragons until I get the feel for their form and personality. Have you tried drawing a dragon? I don't know about you, but it takes me hours to draw one of these winged beauties.  Of course, I draw for a while and then go do stuff, but eventually make it back and pick up my pencil and go for it, again. Here is my first drawing:

 

The next day I started on this one:

 While I was world building for my fantasy story, I had someone make a wish at the magical Wish Falls for a red fire-breathing dragon. So today I finally started drawing Red Dragon and here is the first sketch:

 I thought it had possibilities, but I needed to add color to see. I hadn't noticed yet that I had forgotten Red Dragon's arms. Sheesh! Okay, but this is the first dragon that I created, not copied. I can add arms with the next sketch, right? So, I colored this sketch. Voila!

 My little Red Dragon needs work (besides the arms) but its a first draft and by coloring it, the changes I need to make become even clearer. I am going to walk away from this for a few days and work on the story and practice drawing people.

 So, in my story like I said there is a place where the inhabitants can make a wish (need special incantation and to get that you have to have your wish approved) and this one person wanted a red dragon. Can you imagine being able to make one wish and having it be for a red dragon? Not me, no way! Right now I would probably waste it on having someone besides me cleaning my kitchen. Just kidding. But its late, and the dirty dishes are calling my name. Hope you have a good evening. Night y'all

The Complexities of Writing a Story! Yikes!

 I have watched So Many YouTube tutorials about writing a story its ridiculous. And have learned a great deal, but have just scratched the surface so far. Some of the tutorials have a different take on how to start writing a book, but most suggest writing an outline, and it is sometimes determined by the question, "Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?" For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, a Plotter wants an outline and to have everything figured out before she sits down to write; where as, a Pantser just wants to write and just throw everything on the page. So what are you? What am I? 

Me? A Pantser, of course, as that is how I write this blog,too. To me this feels more real and it is how I communicate.  Even now, if I had to sit here and write an outline on this blog post, I would find writing an outline first would stifle spontaneity. But I do realize that Plotters have perhaps the same sort of beliefs about their writing. It is just whatever works for you is the right way. After watching 4 or 5 tutorials on how to start writing a story, I realized that most of them wanted me to do some kind of an outline. Sometimes when you are starting something for the first time, its good to get advice, but not always wise to follow it. Follow your gut and do you. 

Good news! My sketching ability has started to improve which is encouraging because I still have a long way to go. For example: here are two drawings that I did within a few minutes of each other. 

 The drawing (#1)on the left was a portal covered in vines, but I noticed it had no real structure. Then I started the drawing (#2) on the right and it felt like I was going in the right direction. The portal is going to be through a small stand of trees and into the side of the mountain. So, there will probably be several more drawings before I have an illustration for the book. 

I have had some college classes on writing, but they were several years ago and they were mostly on Poetry. I do know that I am a good student and will use all the tools that I am given to write a colorful and (hopefully) engaging story for my grandson. Fingers crossed!

Time to get back to work. Bye y'all 

Out of Control, Thank Goodness!

 All of this: writing a story, practicing drawing, and watching tutorials on YouTube did something I never expected. It awakened the mosaic artist in me and gave me a clarity I desperately needed. Every time I worked on this mosaic I could only get so far and then I would become frustrated and just walk away and think I'm done or maybe someday I'll finish it. But I could not see how I could do that. 

A week ago, I had this overwhelming desire to mosaic, but I could not get a real grasp on a new design. And then I realized that I wanted to finish this mosaic. I put it in front of me and decided where I would start and what I would do. Great! Got out my tools, started gathering glass, and sat down to go for it. But a strange thing happened instead of working on the top of the mosaic like I planned; I was working on the lower part and just cutting, gluing, laying glass down, and loving it. I had lost control and was listening to the mosaic tell me what it needed. 

I started thinking about how life can feel so out of control at times. I will have this belief that I want everything to be a certain way and will do all that I can to make it become or stay a certain way. Then life comes along and blows it up! And I think everything has run amok and is out of control. And I am so upset and try to figure out what I am going to do about it. Now I realize that my life was not out of control, but it was and is out of my control. Whether it is a good or a bad thing is irrelevant because it is a reality that us control freaks have to face, and learn to breathe into the unexpected chaos that is life. 

I want to make mosaics that make you feel engaged and deliver a little bit of wonder. Glass is such a mystical medium and I try to use that. If I let go of my expectations and let the part of me that just wants to play and love the glass, then I really enjoy the experience and the work I create.  Here is where I am at today with the mosaic.

 It is interesting how the camera catches the colors as opposed to how it looks when I look at it. That is the way with glass when light starts to reflect off of it and how I love the way it changes the look of the mosaic. Any way, now I can see that I can finish this mosaic, finally, and that excites me. New thoughts on color and design will just pop into my mind as I gaze at this mosaic. In case you didn't already know that this is an abstract entitled "Flying Apart".  

Too Many Options; Not Enough Time

I have been making myself crazy. Started off wanting to create a comic book for my grandson, but realized that I had to start practicing drawing things that I had never drawn before. Realized I needed help and would need to watch and participate in tutorials...many tutorials.

Looking at other comic books made me realize that my artistic style did not lean in that direction. However, I could do a story with illustrations. So now I have to write a story (which I have never done before) and create characters and dialogue. Suddenly the comic book story that I started out with is (POOF!) gone and it has inspired this other story.  

While I was thinking of all the things I was needing to do and learn to create this new project, I started watching these painting tutorials that popped up on YouTube. I became fascinated with painting, and drawings that you painted. I had a set of gouache paints that I bought a while back and started watching tutorials on that. Curious about painting on glass, I started watching tutorials on painting on glass with acrylic paints. Not to be outdone by drawings with technical pens. I could go on and on with all the fascinating choices for creating works of art that tempted me to watch tutorials on.

Yes, I fell down the Rabbit Hole and into this crazy-making land of creative options! I was watching a tutorial on feeling overwhelmed by art choices (I couldn't believe that I was not the only ditzy person to have this happen to them). The person in the tutorial had chosen an established and very talented artist's work to inspire her and lead her to her chosen artistic expression. Or, she said to find what you are passionate about and just start doing that one thing and see where that takes you.

 Okay, so I think I will be writing the story and practicing drawing what I will need to illustrate the story. I believe for the most part they will be pencil and ink drawings with perhaps a touch of watercolor (have to wait and see). But once that is done all bets are off, and it will be a smorgasbord of art projects! Hopefully, I will remember to choose just one and start focusing my energies on that and see where it takes me before I choose something else. That sounds right to me. 

It's like with the comic book choice that once I started focusing on creating one that I discovered that it wasn't what I wanted to do, and that it had no appeal to me as an artist to create. Don't get me wrong, I love comic books and go to comic book stores (for over 25 years) and really enjoy reading them. Just like so many art forms that I visually enjoy, but have no desire to participate in as an artist. 

I believe that I started writing tonight to share with you how addictive YouTube tutorials might be and to perhaps help someone else before you get overwhelmed by all the choices and make the mistakes I did. It feels good to share this with you, and it helps me to feel like I am making a good choice after putting it all down here in my blog (very cathartic). Enjoy the rest of your day. Night y'all.

 

 

Thank Goodness for YouTube

 This whole project to create a comic book that takes place in this imaginary place where there are mountains, cliffs, bridges, and a place that dragons inhabit is daunting. Oh, and don't forget the two teen boys that the story is about. Then we take a look at my skill set which up to now has been limited to drawings for mosaics which are mostly flowers, birds, a few trees, and insects. In the Art Book for my granddaughter, I did a few drawings but they were mostly in my comfort zone. I really love to draw which is good. But I NEED HELP! 

Whenever I needed to improve my drawing, mosaics, or whatever, I looked for places to take a class. I studied Mosaics at( IMA) Institute of Mosaic Art when it was on Fruitvale in Oakland, CA.  And I took art classes at Diablo Valley College (DVC).  And now I found a treasure chest full of tutorials on YouTube and I don't have to leave the house. No Traffic!  And it's Free! 

Trying to draw mountains was very frustrating for me and that is where I thought I would begin. Here are the results of my first two lessons:

My third lesson is very complex and the artist teaching the class took two (2) hours to complete the drawing. I started it today but will have to complete it tomorrow. The artists teaching these classes are so very talented. I found that if I watch the whole tutorial first and then start drawing with the artist, it's not so disjointed or as crazy-making.  Of the more complex drawing class, I also took pictures throughout to check that I am keeping up correctly. Good grief it's a lot to learn.

Yes, those are clouds in the sky. They're kinda wonky cause I just threw them up there while the artist was drawing them so fast it was a blur and there they were. Good News, there are cloud drawing tutorials!

So hopefully after the next drawing class, I can start drawing the village at the base of the mountains. Then I'll have the first page done.  maybe.

 Oh, I noticed that my stats show that people are actually reading my blog.  I started writing in my blog to keep a record of how this comic book all came together and show it to my grandchildren after the project is completed. I wanted them to see how much work was needed for me to make something that I wasn't sure I could do, and what a labor of love it was.  Knowing that I am also sharing it with you is an added pleasure. Thanks for checking out my blog. Appreciate it!  It's late, gotta go.  Night y'all.

A Comic Book, Me?

 I have been wanting to start this project for a couple of days, but my good friend, "procrastination", kept whispering in my ear that I should start later or tomorrow when I am really feeling the "vibe". Then I realized that time was getting away from me and I had started Nothing. And I realized that this illusive vibe didn't exist. That if I just start Something, then I will carve out time to make it happen. So, here are some pathetic drawings just a half hour before going to bed: 

 

 

 

This is going to be about two teen guys on a quest. 

This is nothing like what the finished drawings will be, but I Started! I have so much to decide on. I have to make drawings of my two adventurers in all kinds of poses, their clothes, names, everything.  And I have to decide on the story I want to tell and how to do this in pictures that I have to draw. Seriously, am I really doing this...This is very scary but exciting. What's the worse that can happen? I can't draw it and I end up using stickers, ha ha! Yikes! I have to get to bed. Night y'all.