Sunday, 28 February 2016

366 Daily sketch challenge was an epic fail...

...considering we are now nearing the end of February. 

However, I have a darned good reason,  
Something that was out of my control.
More on that further down...

That said, I AM very happy that I did complete 
31 portraits for January! 

The last two January portraits below....

30/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
BIC Cristal ballpoint pen
Highlights are done with a POSCA white acrylic pen

31/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
BIC Cristal ballpoint pen
Highlights are done with a POSCA white acrylic pen 


I'm linking up with Sunday Sketches this week.
You can check out the other participants HERE.

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My big excuse for stopping the challenge so early....

I had carpal tunnel release surgery on Feb 4th
on my right/dominant hand. 
The theatre nurse only called me less than a week prior 
so I knew that February would be out of the question 
as far as my sketching and other hands-on activities went.

I came out of surgery with a bright pink hand and forearm right up to my elbow.
It's the solution they paint your hand/arm with before the procedure.
I had open surgery done with local anaesthetic using a tourniquet block.
It felt SO weird being awake for it all.
Thankfully they covered me with a tent so I wouldn't have to see it.
Watching a procedure done on YouTube was enough to turn my stomach.

Day 9 after the surgery
That bruising mid-forearm was actually individual finger marks
that were merging into one big bruise.
I'm not surprised because I could feel my arm
being forcefully pushed and pulled around
during the procedure.
It looked pretty gruesome under that dressing
so I've spared you the photo.

I was able to drive again at two weeks thanks to power-steering,
however, sharp turns and reverse-parking can be a little awkward
as my hand is still healing.
The surgeon said it can take up to three months
for it to be fully healed.
I've read some horror stories on the net
where some people are still not healed after seven months.

The stitches came out at the two week mark and
a couple of them were very painful. OUCH!
Obviously, a lot of healing still going on under the skin.

I'm now just past the three week mark and things are going pretty good.
I can touch-type again and I can write,
both for short periods of time.
I can't lift anything heavy though,
nor can I do things like open heavy doors
that require pushing or pulling.
My hand lets me know when it's had enough.
It feels very tight at the suture site
and the surgeon said that will be due to
the healing and scarring process.

I am also on the waiting list to have my left hand done next.
It was actually worse than the right for carpal tunnel syndrome
but I noticed the right hand more being that it was the dominant hand.

At least, I'll know what to expect now
so I'll be better prepared at home
by making some freezer meals prior to surgery.

SO!

In light of the fact that my 366 Daily Sketch challenge
was abruptly interrupted by hand surgery,
I have decided to just go month-by-month
as far as challenges go.
I'm hoping to kick it off in March,
my birthday month.

On another note, I was so limited and bored while waiting for my hand to heal,
I bided a lot of time in the first two weeks watching YouTube videos.
 I came across some great home organisation channels and caught the bug!
I've been crazy busy following through with some of the ideas/tips
so will share more on that in a later post too.

Stay tuned.....

Sunday, 31 January 2016

366 Daily Sketch challenge - more portraits

What a week! 
It's been unbearably hot and humid 
which makes me feel like a badly wilted flower. 
We don't have air-con so we make do with ceiling fans. 

Weather aside, I have continued to sketch daily.

To pick up where I left off, 
here is the lovely daughter of a Facebook art friend. 
Reference photo used with permission.  

24/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Graphite and watercolours 
Highlights are done with Art Spectrum gouache


A couple of process images 


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Next up is Sktchy artist/user, Katya Khodyacheva. 
In the original image, Katya had a scarf wrapped around her head and face 
but I instantly saw long hair billowing in the wind. 



25/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Graphite, watercolours, and Lamy water-soluble ink. 

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For the following portrait, 
I used another of Ashley Goeltz's images.
I have done a few of sketches of Ashley via Sktchy.
She has a unique style which makes for an interesting model.

To start with, a simple graphite sketch
and a splash of watercolour.


More watercolour

a couple more layers and the final result
26/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Graphite, watercolours, acrylic gouache, and Lamy water-soluble ink. 

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Day 27 and another Sktchy subject - iam ALVA. 
The image speaks of love and trust to me.
It was adorable so I just had to sketch it.
It makes me think of the relationship
I have with my own fur-kid, Cody.

Early stage 

and finished 
27/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Graphite, watercolours, acrylic gouache, and Lamy water-soluble ink. 

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I only had time for a very quick pen sketch on Thursday. 
You guessed it...another Sktchy artist/user. 
This one is Jonathan Kalema. 
28/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
BIC ballpoint pen in black

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And last one for today's post anyways... 
Sktchy artist/user - Jessica Aguirre 

29/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
graphite and watercolours

I'm linking up with Sunday Sketches again this week. 
You can check out the other participants HERE.

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Apparently, there will be no relief from the heat
over the next few days.
Instead, it's going to get even hotter....NICE!
As if I'm not melting enough already.
Winter can't come soon enough for me.
I'm definitely a cold weather gal.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Monday, 25 January 2016

366 Daily Sketch challenge - more portraits

It's nearly 5am on Monday morning 
which is my usual time for waking up  
and I realised I'd forgotten to do my Sunday post. YIKES!!!

Better late than never, I guess.

My sketches so far....

For the record, I normally sketch directly with pen/ink 
unless I want soft edges in a particular piece. 
I will then use a graphite pencil. 

Week 3 - male portraits

I'd like to thank all the Skchy artist/users 
who put up images via the app for us to sketch.

First for this post is Sktchy artist/user - Thyago PLAY 

18/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Sketched with Platinum Carbon pen and watercolours. 
White highlights are done with Art Spectrum gouache.


The following one was a little embarrassing/confusing for me. 
The Sktchy user is Esther Michelle and 
I thought this was a case of her putting a pic 
of a boyfriend or male relative up on Sktchy. 
I did the sketch but,
after reading a comment by another artist, 
who also sketched the same image,
I am now thinking that this 
could possibly be a female subject 
...sporting a very short hairstyle.
The suit threw me off a little too.
If that is the case, my sincerest apologies to Esther Michelle 
for her ending up in my 'male' portrait week.

19/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Sketched with Platinum Carbon pen and Lamy water-soluble ink. 
I then used white acrylic gouache to tone down the ink which I had gone 
a little heavy with on the face.


Next up is Sktchy artist/user, Martin Rodriguez. 

20/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Sketched with graphite, Prismacolours, 
and BIC Cristal Pocket Scents ballpoints pens. 
Highlights are done with Art Spectrum white gouache.


Next up is Sktchy artist/user, Eden Suoth. 

21/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Sketched with a ZIG Millennium 005 ink pen 
and Faber-Castell PITT pens for the solid blacks.

And so ends the seven days of male portraits.
The next seven days will be a mix.

The following sketch is Sktchy artist/user, Fancy DRAW.
Sorry for the poor lighting in this one. 
I love dreadlocks so just had to try my hand at sketching them. 
Boy, were they tricky! 

22/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Sketched with a ZIG Millennium 005 ink pen and LAMY water-soluble ink.


Last up is a dear artist friend from Facebook, Chelle Mayer
who gave me permission to sketch one of her photos. 

First layer of watercolour

Final layer

23/366 daily sketch
Hahnemuhle D & S sketch journal - A5 size, 140gsm, landscape format 
Graphite and watercolours 
Highlights are done with Art Spectrum gouache

I'm a little late with Sunday Sketches but thanks to time-zones 
I can sneak in the back door before anyone notices. hehe 
You can check out this week's participants HERE.

I'll be back with more soon....

I hope you all had a beautiful Sunday!