IF: Contraption

This week's Illustration Friday was contraption.  I had an image of a magical drawing machine (a 'black box') that takes random pencil lines and creates a realistic drawing.  Here's my attempt at putting that image from my brain to paper.  I made a copy of a drawing I did when learning from Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain; cut it to be partially done by the drawing machine; pasted it in an acrylic painted "frame"; made the drawing machine from paper painted with acrylic; then added the pencil lines.  I kinda got what was in my head ... but best of all I actually enjoyed the process and didn't stress (well, not too much:).  Thanks for viewing and have a great day!

IF: Hibernate

I was totally lacking creative inspiration for 'hibernate' as the topic for Illustration Friday this week, so I decided to just sit and create something.  I was really stressing trying to do something really original, so instead I just played with different mediums.  Watercolor, acrylic, marker, tissue paper and modge podge (I LOVE modge podge!).  So this is what happened ... and after I stopped trying so hard, I just had fun with it.  It's still hard not to judge myself, but I know I won't learn or improve my skills if I don't just keep trying and sharing my work.  I am a beginner and that's OK!

So thanks for viewing and for 'listening' (free therapy is great!!).  And I apologize for the photo of my sketchbook page ... my scanner is not cooperating these days.  Hope to figure that out soon!

IF: Ferocious

A ferocious tornado for Illustration Friday.  This is my 2nd time playing with watercolors ... I like how it turned out, not too bad for a newbie.  Thank you to my friends Kris and Steve Loya for the instruction, supplies, inspiration and challenge to do this!  I like the trick with the salt - watercolor is fun!

IF: Soaked

This week's topic of soaked was perfect since it was pouring down rain when I started painting the background of this mixed media (I'm guessing on that label) project.  Acrylic paint on watercolor paper with a sketch I did enlarged on the copier.  I 'modge podged' it on my painted paper with a gold glittery glue (hard to see the effect in this photo but very cool when the sun shines on it!) then painted the hair, shirt and lips.  I am very happy with the fact that I was able to capture the image and feeling that was swirling around in my head ... progress!

PS - I painted this at the same time ... called Then Comes the Sun

IF: Lesson

My first Illustration Friday post!  I am not an artist, but I know there IS one in me ... so here goes!

This week's topic was 'Lesson' ... I sat with that for a few days and couldn't think of anything.  So today I just decided to draw something ... anything!  So an image of an 'L' came to me ... then the idea of a 'Lesson in Simplicity' ... then I just started filling in the L with 'L's' and 'S's'.  Simple lines.  Simple tools: sketch pad paper and a recycled newspaper pencil.  Lesson in Simplicity.

Let me know what you think, but please be kind - it's my first try:)  Thanks!