And this begins a series of posts of the sketches I’ve been doing before breakfast at the dining room table where I start the day with a cup of coffee, my journal and my iPad. I read a bit of email, journal a bit and sketch what’s on the table in front of me, pretty much as I find it. I don’t always have time to finish a sketch but it’s always a great way to start the day.
I had so much fun painting this hanging lemon and grandma’s candy dish and the previous hanging lemon oil study below. Also scroll down for the fun Procreate color studies and sketches and WIP photos. I know the candy dish is wonky but I decided I like the wavy distortions. I’m not sure which I prefer more, the iPad color study or this painting (which is available at my DPW gallery here.)
I’d love to know which you prefer: iPad painting or oil painting? And here is the little hanging lemon painting I did earlier:
This little painting came first; a fun experiment in composition and hanging things from the wall to paint. The painting is available at my DPW gallery here.
In some ways I prefer this chunky quick study more than the oil painting. I am working towards finding a way to apply what I’ve been doing on the iPad to my oil paintings. Next up on the blog are a series of more of these iPad sketches.
Sktchy app is such a great resource for finding people to draw. Here are a couple of gals drawn/painted in Procreate on the iPad.
More sketches inspired by the interesting characters who post their photos for artists to draw on the Sktchy app. Many of them are artists too. All done on Procreate on the iPad.
This was a fun two afternoon painting. Below are the steps in the work in progress and photo of the setup. This was painted about a year after my mother passed away. It’s poignant to be painting some of her special glassware.
I’ve been doing a lot of drawing practice to improve my people portrait drawing skills. Mouths and teeth are the most challenging I think of all the features. All done in Procreate on the iPad.
More mouths!
While my backyard and the entrance to my studio were inaccessible due to construction I did more drawing and painting on my iPad than on canvas. The 12.9″ iPad is just the right size for me and the Apple Pencil makes it just like drawing with a great pencil or pen except so much easier to erase or start over without fear of “wasting” paper. Here are a few of those sketches from TV and photos.
Thanks to Kaelin on Sktchy app for the twinkle in her eyes that inspired me to sketch her on my ancient Winnie the Pooh book’s last page map of Pooh Corners. Digital ink in Procreate.
Kaelin, digital ink in Procreate on iPad.
Here is the photo reference from Sktchy.
And here it is below in my sketchbook before adding color in Procreate.
Not sure which I prefer. I couldn’t finish the drawing since I ate half of a peach and a banana for breakfast and then needed to refrigerate the rest.
I really enjoyed making this painting of my friend’s grandson Toa. The biggest challenge was working from a cellphone photo taken in a carseat in the dark where his skin looked dark and bright orange. Fortunately I was able to see some other snapshots with better skin color.
I’ve been taking a new approach to painting; focusing on the joy of creating and letting go of the internal “committee” that demands perfection. I have accepted that my work will never be perfect and that perfect art bores me anyway. A bit of wonkiness, even in a portrait, is ok with me, if I feel I have captured the spark of the subject. I’m painting for myself; if it pleases someone else too that’s a bonus, but not at all a requirement. Giving myself this freedom has completely changed my life.
Below are my initial sketches, a picture of the setup with the photo, and an early stage in the painting.
Jana Bouc, Artist 