Painting at Emerald Hill

This post is 2 weeks late.

I started off rather nicely but didn't gather enough patience and time to work it out...so it ended up like this...ugly......

Half done...

After

I got another plant from Mr Ong again. A tree this time. To cover up my screwed up perspective and half done windows...life sux...my work sux...but I like the staircase...but the background still sux...

Happy Sweet 16th Samantha

This girl bugged me shamelessly at 12am..."Hehe...It's an important day now!"

Bloody hell...msg me at 12am in the middle of my rest. I didn't reply but I was inspired, to do a portrait of her! And so I got up and immediately did a sketch of her...

So here's what I did...

She's a pink princess wannabe so I thought a gown is what she wants...and party hat and cakes and etc...only thing was...I didn't have time to draw her a Prince Charming.

The revised version did have her fav cousins - Limmy and Junny...but again...I ran out of time so VIOLA~

Final Output

I am pretty amazed at how fast I worked this time...also partly cos I stole some elements from Illustrator de default symbol library...woohoo! I will probably spend sometime to improve my illustrator workflow and also to create some unique symbol on my own.

Tutorial - by renowned illustrator Charlene Chua

Watercolor Painting @ Danish Seaman Church

Our location last week was Danish Seaman Church on Mt Faber.

As my camera was down, and I rebuked my husband's suggestion to carry his D200...I have to paint the remaining based on my memory and imagination.

This isn't so bad because it actually allow me to spend more time to think about the shadow, shades and color mixing...instead of bothering about the accuracy of the landscape.

Before
After

I suppose I am getting better indeed...although I honestly don't felt so. Each painting is as much gabara-ing as before...I really need to spend time to understand my colors. Mr Ong added the coconut tree in front to break the monotonous layout. Nice touch...then other than enhancing the shadows...and darkening some of the windows...that's about it. The only thing that puzzled me was that...where I thought I've screwed up, Mr Ong thought its nice. Maybe its because the highlight, shadows and midtones are in place...I supposed.

I still think my painting looked kiddish...oh well...

Will make it a point to understand my colors and reorganise my palette this week!

My husband replaced my old G4 with a G5 iMac...its pretty cool. See how nice it goes with my iPod nano...tehehehe...he's in the spare room right now, clearing up the place so I can work with more proficiency.

After class today, we went into Art Friend...

To reward myself for completing 5 paintings, I bought a short-haired kolinsky brush from Straits (for better detailed shadow control), cartridge papers for watercolors(for illustration) and Windsor & Newton Indian Ink and Cobalt Ink(for illustration as well. Outline and color)

The actual reason why I am getting the ink is because of the bottle. I had one years back when I was a art student...it was really hard to search for and I really treasured this little bottle of Indian Ink. It was used up and dried out...RIP...

*My husband paid for the above items...to show his support...woohoo...

First Time Writer and Illustrator

I attended the First Time Writer and Illustrator workshop again this year...again...yes...I attended previous years as well. All the while being ambitious and wanting to write and illustrate a book on my own.

But...you know when you aren't determine enough...your deadline is forever. Just like 'asap'...means no deadline...so I never got around to doing it. This year however, is different...I actually told someone that I am an illustrator(though I kept thinking that I am not qualified for that title yet. Maybe illustrator apprentice will be more appropriate) and then I skipped the session the next day and viola~ someone mailed me on monday for a collabration.

And it happened!
I completed the work in time and hand-submitted today! Which is the deadline! I actually met the deadline!!! Oooohhh...super happy...I finally did it!

Showing the snapshot of the binded dummy book from my husband:

It was a pretty good joint venture and I am probably going to complete the book whether selected or not. Just to build my portfolio...hehehehe...

But I felt the accomplishment by submitting already. Thank you for the energy to work through the nights, God! AMEN!

Quote for the week

Marcos Chin - "I remember being a senior in art college and trying extremely hard to find a style that would get me more work; the thing that I didn’t realize at the time, was that my style would find me."

"And moving forward that is how I continue to approach my craft - I try my best to draw in a way that interests me, and to come up with ideas that move me - the moment I become bored or frustrated I focus on my process and just let the work that I am doing figure itself out. It’s a very non-linear way of thinking, but it works for me - putting myself metaphorically into a space that is uncomfortable and then blindly moving through it that helps to evolve my work (and style) on it’s own. Again, I don’t search for a style, the style finds me."

"Moreover, don’t worry so much about what others think about your work - hush those demons in your head that challenge your process and confidence while you are creating - this industry can be very difficult at times, and very hard to navigate through if you are constantly questioning yourself and your work - instead, just do the work, be prolific; over time your work will improve."

Excerpt from his interview with IllustrationFriday.
http://illustrationfriday.com/blog/2008/04/24/if-interview-marcos-chin/

Kelvin's Bday Present

I did a practise a couple of days before...which really sucks and I really did contemplated framing that first version instead...hahaha...

Am glad I didn't...part of the push was also because the size wouldn't fit the frame!
So I did this painting yesterday and surprised my husband this morning...hehehe...



Mixed media (color pencils for some shading)with what little time I have left after my watercolor class in the morning, shooing Kelvin out of the spare room(afternoon) and dinner with my in-laws. I am quite satisfied with the end result BUT...I think I screwed up a little with the lip area...but nonetheless, it is the first time I did a portrait in watercolor...so...have some mercy lah...