Cyclops, looking at you,
What does he see?
One stern eye facing you..
Checking you out?
Staring deep.
Into your eyes,
Dazzled by your smile,
Ancient sight
Blinded by your brilliance
Or your insolence.
Tag: Design
Baintree and Bocking station.
This is a drawing of a railway line plan my husband drew in 1969 when he was about 16. He has always loved railways and was on the last steam train to leave Manchester Victoria station to Rochdale in 1968. He tells me this was a Stanier black 5 steam engine 460 (which means 4 leading wheels, 6 driving wheels and no trailing wheels).
He actually made the minature railway layout , including bushes and trees, a signal box and a station building and railway tracks on Triang 00 guage.
He had a Jinty 060 number 47606 3F class, an 040 diesel and a GWR single, Lord of the Isles. I guess any railway enthusiasts out there will understand this, but others won’t.
A Jinty was a nickname for a particular type of engine that did shunting, banking, pilot duties and local freight. This was a small type of engine which had a short wheelbase and could get round curves easily. It was designed by Sir John Fowler.
47606 is just its running number which identifies it. 3F means its power classification (3 freight).
040 diesel is a small dock shunter used by the sea or rivers to carry freight from ships.
A GWR single has a 422 wheel configuration. It’s classed as XP, (express) and could travel at 80 Miles an hour. It could pull up to 400 tons of passanger coaches ( 6 coaches including the guard’s van).
He has so much knowledge but its locked up in his mind. when I asked him it all came out, how do people learn all this stuff!?
Collage
I did this a couple of years ago. A collage of the view outside the art group meeting hall. I did a small sketch and then drew out the tree on the back of wrapping paper. I built up layers of paper and glued them one on top of the other, starting with the background trees in a pale purple and two individual trees on top of that. I then did the chain link fence out of silver holographic paper. Finally I cut the tree out of a darker patterned Christmas paper. The blue peices of paper on either side are meant to represent curtains.
I think making things like collage is quite creative. My example is very simple but you can go into much more detail. All you need is a pencil, paper and a pair of scissors. Maybe something to do on a wet weekend?
Digital patterns
I’m a sucker for patterns. If I can’t think of any other art to do I will draw a pattern on my phone or tablet then play with it.
I do wonder where my ideas come from. I must be very visual. I never feel comfortable unless I’ve got something to look at. Minimalism is not for me.
I once had to live in a student residence while I was on placement somewhere. I had a room with a bed and a desk and chair. Blank walls. That dingey pale grey /blue /green that public buildings are painted. One kitchen between about 16 rooms and a toilet and shower block.
No home comforts and it was the start of November and I was based there for a months placement. I could only come home at weekends.
I went out and bought a couple of sheets of wrapping paper. A newspaper, a party bag made out of holographic shiny metallic paper. Also a few postcards and a sketch book.
By the end of the day I had 42 (honestly) pictures, photos, patterned paper, the beautiful wrapping paper all stuck up on the walls .. Then I felt much better… Its my visual brain you see…..
Pastel workshop
I was going to have a quiet day today. But I got up and there was a bit of a disaster in our kitchen. My hubby had decided to brew some beer. But he had added some extra sugar to the brew. Then he has put the bung in upside down. Beer had turned into volcano. Half the brew was all over the kitchen. It had hit the ceiling, there were puddles of ale on the cupboard tops, it was all over the cooker. Basically half the kitchen has been inundated with beer….
After about an hour of cleaning up I decided to go to the pastel workshop with the Orme art group. Basically to escape! The workshop was run by Sandra Orme (no relation).
It’s difficult to describe what we learnt, it was complicated. I’ve added a few photos of the two pictures I did. First you lay down colours in soft pastel on fine toothed pastel paper. Once you have enough pastel on you blend them together, then build up layers using smaller more intricate marks, gradually blending and adding. Sometimes only lightly pressing on the pastel, other times blending more. The direction of the marks can make a difference to how it looks. You can use the edge of your hands, your palms, your fingers or blending tools (like a brush but with the bristles replaced with a rubber tip).
Im pleased with the results. I’m even thinking of getting them framed….
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House sparrows
We saw some house sparrows in a hedge today “little brown jobbies” as I heard someone call them.
They were perched above us as I pulled the car into a car park. I wanted to get my phone to take a picture but its was on the back seat and the handle was caught in the rear door.
I carefully got out of the car, quietly shut my door and dragged my bag out. I got the phone, it was switched off! Help I had to switch it on and wait for it to warm up. Then a quick look. Four of the sparrows were still there…..
Camera on, click, click, click, (I took three incase of camera shake). Used the zoom option which pixelated them a bit but it was better than trying to creep towards them.
So when I got home I checked what I got. Not bad. I liked all the twigs and branches criss crossing and protecting the birds.
I decided to use the rainbow flood fill option in sketcher to make the sky more interesting. Like stained glass.
In the meantime I have a bad sore throat and feel rough.
I might not be around for a few days.
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Bit of a makeover
Things are changing on planet Mallaband-Brown so you might notice a few tweaks here and there thanks to my friend Mike from @staffsdesign.
I wanted to update my social media and make it easier for people to follow me. Being an artist has made me a lot happier and nows the time to try and make it work.
I didn’t realise amalgamating all my Web pages and sites would be so complicated and I’m so pleased to have had someone to sort everything out.
This is also a test to see whether it posts to my new Facebook page.
You should be able to follow me on the Internet at @mallabandbrown !
Wacom bamboo tablet
These are a set of drawings I found in my memories section on Facebook.
They were some of the first drawings I did on my Wacom Bamboo Tablet. I was drawing in photoshop.
I was trying different filters and tones (I only know because it was on captions underneath). This shows my enjoyment of morphing drawings. I like experimenting.
I was watching a programme about an Australian artist last night. (I can’t remember his name). He was recognised as one of their foremost abstract artists. At the end of his life he embraced digital art and there is a short section of film of him working with a technician who was using a quantel paintbox. This was the predecessor of photoshop. As I watched it I remembered using the same thing at a radiography conference. I was utterly amazed that it existed (this was in the early 1990’s.) I was enthralled by what you could draw. I guess that’s why I’m still drawing digitally now.
One line drawings.
When I used to draw at Youdraw.com I would do one line drawings. Basically you kept your cursor moving on the drawing area and didn’t lift it until you finished… Thats what I’ve done here … But then duplicated it and flood filled it. Sometimes it’s nice to lose black lines.
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I’m having a makeover on social media. I’m now @mallabandbrown on twitter… I will be using it more to post about paintings and other exploratory art that I’m planning over the next few months .
Pattern
Colours, shapes and texture make up this pattern. Using digital apps can create images that would not be easy to create on paper or canvas.
Once you have done that you could use another app to duplicate and twist the images. I love patterns and continue to create images like this.
It’s really not hard to do and it would be good to see more art being created in this way. Be brave! Have a go! You might surprise yourself.
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Mallaband-Brown 