
I do like a pattern, abstract, curves
Colours and shapes
All in a swirl
Like a pine cone
Or succulent
Fibonacci shaped
Helical twisting
Rainbow
Or window
Sweet.
New paintings and regular art updates.

I do like a pattern, abstract, curves
Colours and shapes
All in a swirl
Like a pine cone
Or succulent
Fibonacci shaped
Helical twisting
Rainbow
Or window
Sweet.

I’ve just been playing with a spiral, like a pine cone. I added light and shade using the eraser tool on my Artrage app, this is the last one which went funny when I edited it on Instagram but looks OK now. There are about five variations using Artrage, photodirector and Instagram to et to this. #bandofsketchers prompt was light.

Just doodling, keeping my hands busy. I might find something to paint but I’m going to give up my studio at Spode as I can no longer afford it. I’m sad because it feels like quitting and I don’t want to but you can only do what you can do. I’m going to try and find a cheaper studio. In the meantime I have a lot of art work that I hope I can get sold. It’s time I had a sale. We will see what happens.

Artrage oils drawing from several years ago. This is the free version of the app. You only have the oil pen tools but it certainly can be used to create interesting effects. I like this a lot, I used the metallic option to give it this sheen. If you tone down the metallic effect the colours become paler and you can draw over the darker parts (where I have outlined the bird) as it seems to be more opaque and covers over the darker areas.

It didn’t happen
No rose
No wine
No sweet kiss
Just your presence
Missed.

This #bandofsketchers prompt was collection. Well I tried to remember my old glass marble collection! I still have some somewhere. In a bowl I think. Drawn in my sketchbook app, I used a stylus, but I’m very shaky today so the lines are a bit wobbly. Do you have a collection?

Another digital portrait I did on the Sketchfu site. I’m quite pleased that I could use simple tools and create images like this it’s sketchy round the edges because you could only use set sizes of pens, there was no sliding scale of thickness. But there was a good pallette, opacity and transparency tools so I could blend colours to some extent. This is based on a photo of Frodo from the Lord of the Rings film. He is holding his sword Sting.

Just a sketch of a dragon using Artrage app. I tried to use metallic paints to give it a sheen. I have to say it didn’t turn out as neat as I would have liked but I’m using a stylus instead of my finger. It’s controllable but in fact I’m not used to using it that often. Anyway enjoy Chinese new year. X

I used to draw at a website called Sketchfu before it closed. It had simple tools to draw with, no complicated applets, and consequently it was open to a large number of people.
Eventually it became a massive site and the owners lost interest in it. I was a moderator and had to deal with a lot of problems over the years I was there. I won’t go into details but it included bullying and inappropriate language and messages. There were a few of us that were allowed to remove inappropriate content but it was hard work. (I also moderated another site but did not disclose my role). When someone draws the same rude or racist image over, and over again for hours, but you are there deleting them as they appear, they eventually get fed up and stop. But if you admit you are a moderator you get a lot of stick, so I kept quiet. At one stage I was working in a full time job and coming home and doing four or five hours moderating!
Anyway I loved creating digital drawings, including portraits. I loved doing challenges. Someone would post a photo and we had to try and copy it. I’ve just found some of my old pieces so I might post a few of them over the next few days.

Trying this as my image for woken #bandofsketchers prompt … Digital drawing of a snowdrop woken up in the spring. I have several weeks of prompts to catch up with.