Keys, today’s challenge with #uskstoke

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Today’s #uskstoke challenge, day 18, keys.

Drew round the keys with a fibre tip ink pen. I then coloured in the different keys and fobs and the magazine and DIY instructions for  my wire fairy. Finally I added some thick black felt pen to the instructions and around the keys.

The keys do look a bit chunky, but overall I think it’s OK?

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Pen tops..

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Here are the permanent pens I’m using for my sketches.

I just thought I’d post a picture because I liked the bright colours. I’ve actually got another challenge I’ve been given to post black and white photos for seven days, so I could alter this…

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Of course you can use your photo editor to change the hue… _20200504_004437

Or create a negative image…. _20200504_004321

So what am I saying? If you have a smart phone, it’s fun to play with your phones photo software. You might be surprised what you can create.

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Colourful, today’s usk challenge.

Today’s challenge was to draw something colourful. My eyes fell on an owl sculpture by a blacksmith who works at a Forge at Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent. She’s called Charis Jones and her company is called Sculpted Steel.

Behind the owl is a plate that my hubby painted at the Gladstone pottery museum in Longton.

I started by drawing the outlines in black ink. I then filled in the colours with permanent ink markers and a few coloured pencils.

The colours are not all accurate, but as the brief was colourful I added some to the books and cds in the background while trying not to overdo it.

I’ve included a reference photo to give you an idea of what I was working from.

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Dance

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Green and red can really zing. It depends on the brightness and hue of the colours, here I used the sketcher app on my tablet to create a simple image of a dancer. You don’t have to be exact or realistic to create art….. Just have fun. Something will make you happy or sad, will surprise you. Art us learning, sometimes every day or month. You do art and it can move you. It grabs you and wants you to make more. It is a buzz….

Close-up

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I just thought I would show you a close-up of the apple I drew today, so you can see the effect of layering up pencil crayon and permanent marker, black ink pen, and charcoal pencil. I enjoyed using fine lines to define the shadows. I was going to leave a patch if white paper as a highlight on the apple, but when I looked at it, it was to white. So I used orange, red and pink permanent markers to try and make the apple stand out. Using different colours and textures is really exciting, it makes the image less flat. But I’m not trying to make it 3d either.

Playing games

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Oh, the things you find under the cupboard, covered in years of dust. I put it away ages ago because one of my old cats used to squirm under there and get stuck.

My chess set is glass. I hope to play a few games whilst things are locked down here. I’m not good at it, I can’t tell you how far ahead check mate is, and I’m never sure how or when to ‘Castle’.

I drew this because today’s sketching challenge from USK Stoke was playing games and I don’t know where my scrabble set has gone….. Day 24 of thirty. Drawn in pencil crayons and permanent markers.

I enjoyed using these colours, they may not be an exact match for the reality, but red and green are complementary colours, as are orange and blue. I thought they gave it some pizazz…!

 

Alphabet

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Late night doodling over a couple of nights. Staying up late, listening to the news and drawing at the same time. Used contrasting colours to try and bring out the letters, plus outlining things in black. It’s a pleasure to draw things.

I think this looks like an old fashioned sampler and could imagine it in embroidery on canvas or linen. One way of relaxing in these stressful times. Why not create your own?

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Tree spirits

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Four years ago. Tree spirit painting.

This is an idea I have painted a few times. I’m convinced that we need to do more to encourage tree planting. I guess I’m a bit of a tree hugger on the quiet!

I’ve painted trees with faces in them from spring, to autumn and winter. I’ve not done a summer one so far.

This went to a friend who really loves it. There are three faces in the painting as you can see. I did have a picture of it from the front but can’t find it. This came up on my Facebook page ( a useful way of recording my art). I was really pleased with the bright colours in this. I wanted it to look like a glowing sunset. The faces are mysterious and stare out at each other. I think it’s slightly surreal. I admire the movement but it probably needs more of a twist to it to actually be classed as surreal art. 

Cats dream

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Quick watercolour I did on a postcard for a blind auction for charity a few years ago. You had to submit pictures on cards so they could be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

I did a few and enjoyed doing it. Just creating off the cuff pieces. I don’t know how well they did, but I didn’t get any of them back..

Here are a few more, just quick, bright and cheerful.

Watch the birdie…

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These images are about four years old. Drawn in sketcher free, then altered in another app that I don’t have anymore after changing phones. I wanted to get a feeling of printing, maybe a monoprint or an etching. I like doing things in one app then playing about with it in another. That way you get more effects than using just one digital application. I want to do more with other filters. I’m thinking of downloading other art apps.