Tag: Stoke-on trent

Doodles in apps

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A few years ago I started drawing on my computer. I used a Wacom tablet and went on various web sites to draw. I remember names like wet canvas, floating ginko, 2draw , but my favourite was a site called Youdraw where you could only use two black pens and two white pens. They aimed to collect 500000 drawings. And I contributed several thousand!

The drawings at the bottom of the page are mostly from Youdraw. I manipulated colours and patterns in Photoshop, and enjoyed the results.

There are many more of these drawings on my old computer…but its upstairs and covered in dust at the moment. I need to get it into my head to get it repaired.

Along came another site called sketchfu. It was fun to use as it had simple colour palettes and no need to create layers.  The drawing of a sphere broken up into sections was done there….

But then…I got a tablet a couple of years ago for Christmas. …

It doesn’t have many apps, or much memory. After adding an SD card I discovered it had enough memory to download some free apps.

I’m currently using sketcher for galaxy (the nude and picture of two women), then ArtRage oils which is another free app (pigeon) and sketcher free (dancing figure).

Each has its own characteristics, so it’s good to do different things on different ones. I found using a stylus helped with lines, but have lost it and need to get a new one.

I also manipulate images in a couple if other free apps…picsart which allows you to edit and filter pictures, and layout which is linked to instagram.

if anyone can recommend other interesting apps that are free and don’t take up too much memory let me know.

 

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Etruria Artists are opening up again tonight

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FB_IMG_1517207844064Now that we are through the worst if the winter weather  (hopefully) Etruria Artists are opening up the warehouse at Etruria Locks in Stoke on Trent again.

Situated in an old warehouse on the Trent and Mersey canal in Stoke on Trent, it is near to the Etruria Industrial museum, which sits on the junction of the Canal with the Caldon branch of it.

The sessions run from 7 to 9 pm on a Thursday evening and should run regularly except when people are on holiday. Situated along the canal towpath from the museum. Walk past the forge and a few yards further on the warehouse stands next to the summit lock (lock 40).  It can be quite dark along the path so its an idea to bring a torch. The warehouse should be lit up when you arrive. Come on in.

The idea is that you can come in and get into doing art. There us a pottery wheel and you can throw pots or hand build ceramics. There is usually paper and paints and pencils available with people from the group happy to help you create your own work.

A small charge of £5 a session is made to cover costs. So why not come along and enjoy a stress busting session at the warehouse?

EDIT: we are not meeting this week, 12.4.18 …but should be opening next week again….

Life drawing and all that…

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Tonight was time for another life drawing class.

The model is very good at interesting poses. I do not know how she could remain so still, but it certainly made drawing easier. We did a series of short poses, then a long one which lasted the rest of the session.

One of the things I love to do is try and draw fine detail in pencil and coloured pencil. The sketchbook I am using is only about tablet size so what the drawings lack in scale I can try and make up for by adding details.

They are by no means perfect, but that’s the reason for practicing.

I decided to take my tablet tonight which has a few drawing apps on it. I used sketcher for galaxy, (I think its called) to do a final drawing. It was  difficult as I lost my stylus and need to get another one. So I ended up doing a glorified finger painting.

I find I have to swap tools on the app to try and get close to what I would find far easier to do in crayon or conte. However it makes for a looser drawing, and I think the result was quite interesting. I even found the way to colour the background. No doubt there will be more to follow!

 

So close…and now it’s finished!

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After hours of work my willow pattern painting is finished.

I have finished working on it after having to have a rest .IMG_20180129_191216_656

I needed to add details in the reflection at the bottom of the painting , plus shading and highlights on the platter and behind it so it stands out more.

This is the third painting of ceramics I have done in this series.

this jug was the second acrylic on canvas I did.

and this is part way through the teapot painting, which was the first one I did. ..

Im not sure how many more I will paint.

Working to a deadline

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I’m still working on new paintings to sell at the new hotel at Spode, but I only have a few weeks to get them done. Working to a deadline means that I have to try and give myself enough time to do my pictures, but also time for other things. Staying up till 5.30 am is OK occasionally but I cant do it every night.

I started this new painting last night and hope to have it finished in the next couple of days. The details are hard to do when you are holding the canvas and your computer tablet in one hand, and the paintbrush in the other. That’s is because I need to look closely to see all the tiny details on the painting and the photo I’m working from.

The original picture is of a round plate. But I remember a large platter from my childhood so I am trying to fit everything onto a more oblong shape… it will make an interesting challenge…the border will have to be changed to fit the space. I also want to get some shadows and reflection into the background, so wish me luck!

I have 5 more paintings to do in time for the opening. These will be pictures of parts of the Spode site if I can get some interesting views. Hopefully the contrast of the industrial heritage of the potteries and the ceramics that was made here will make for an interesting show.

This took a while

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I have just finished this painting of Jessie Shirley’s Bone and Flint Mill.

The building is at Etruria in Stoke on Trent and has the last remaining steam engine which was used to grind bone and flint to use in bone china pottery. Its an impressive building and is quite complicated to paint. The mortar and bricks were  particularly difficult.

The steam engine is going to be working later in the year.

Its a small wide canvas to give a panoramic view. Acrylic paints help speed the drying and allowed me to paint clear details with fine brushes, I hope people like the result.20180122_020733

Anyone for tea (pot)?

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This is a current work in progress….

 

I’m working on a painting that might be a bit odd, but as I live in the Potteries its nice to do something that reflects that heritage.

The painting is a bit smaller than A2 in size, acrylic on canvas. Although I have looked at a couple of reference photos its mostly from my imagination. I decided on a dark background to make the teapot stand out more. I need to do more work on the background wood panelling and the pot. Bringing in more reflections and light.

Work in progress

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20180109_185901I’m trying to do some paintings of pottery. I know what I want to do in my minds eye, but getting it down on canvas is a different matter.

Do I copy directly from reference photos, imagine a peice of pottery or do a bit of both? In this case I have used a photo of a teapot shape, but have started to create a pattern based on a local pottery pattern, but not an exact copy. I am not sure what to do next but I’m considering adding butterflies or flowers…. I suppose I could add any additional object…. I just don’t want it looking too flat .

What else should I add?

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IMG_20171123_164836_191I have so many ideas to share. I intend to add a few more pages but I need to know how much memory it takes. I just tried adding another picture and my device came up with one of those “not enough memory to continue” messages. Does anyone else have a similar problem? (As you can see I have now worked it out).

It feels like a new door is opening for me, I hope I have the courage to go through it!

If I can resolve the issue I will be adding pages about animal portraits, sketching, life studies and photography.  Wish me luck!

Paintings at Spode visitor centre

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I was recently pleased to have some of my paintings at Spode visitor centre in Elanora Street , Stoke, Stoke on Trent in January 2018. I have also had a painting  in the Open Exhibition at the Brampton museum and art gallery in Newcastle-under-Lyme. This is on till 22 April 2018.

Various artists who are based at the studios at Spode  displayed there work in a start of the year sale. There is now a photography exhibition and other art will be exhibited at the visitor centre over the following months. The Spode Artists are having an Open day and Makers Market on 20 May 2018, at the Studios at Spode. If you want to come and browse through some of the pottery on sale in the centre, or indeed come and look at the work being exhibited at the studios, please feel free to do so.IMG_20171121_230721_495