Sktchy Guys
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.
A Family Tree of Noses and More Noses
More practice drawing features. Above my family tree of noses with various relatives. Do you see anything in common? Below random famous and not famous noses.
Eye Eye Eyes!
I took a class on Schoolism.com with Jason Seiler about drawing realistic portraits that was very helpful. This was part of the homework for the class, drawing lots of eyes. Above is one from Sktchy app and below are from photos from that class, the web and people I know. The next one below is my son Robin. All are done on the iPad in Procreate.
Robin’s eyes and an ear, Procreate on the iPad.
Eye, sketched in Procreate on the iPad
Eye, sketched in Procreate on the iPad
More Eyes, sketched in Procreate on the iPad
Working out comparative measurement
Sketching People on the iPad Pro
Lady in Red (from Sktchy)
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.
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- My niece Sophie and Grandbaby Madeleine iPad sketch
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- Sophie and Madeleine Photo
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- Lady in Blue (from Sktchy)
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- Broadchurch: Actress Olivia Colman
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- Uma Birthday Sketch in Procreate
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- Lady in Red (from Sktchy)
Portrait Sketch on Map of Pooh Corner
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.
Oil Portrait of Baby Toa; Painting with Joy and Freedom
Portrait of Baby Toa, oil on linen panel, 10×8 inches
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.
Toa Preliminary sketch on paper
Toa Preliminary sketch edited in Procreate
Toa, initial stage of painting
Painting on easel with reference photo on iPad
More Sketchy Sktchy Portraits
Nyla Rose, Watercolor
Sketching from Sktchy App photos (I explained it here) is a great warmup exercise and opportunity to practice drawing a wide variety of faces and expressions. Each week they offer a Weekend Art Exploration (#WAX) challenge and 3 of the drawings marked in the collage below were for WAX. All are in a 12×9″ sketchbook.
Collage of sketches and inspiration photos from Sktchy. (Click on image two times to enlarge.)
The challenge marked in the top row was to draw on text; mine is on a page of “Secrets of the Flesh: The Life of Collette.” The challenge in row two was to show your tools used to create the art so I put my colored pencils in front of “Crazy Eyes,” as she titled her photo. The bottom row challenge was to use the magic of art to transform a photo into something else (I combined Tweety Bird with the girl making a bird face). The last sketch above is from a photo I uploaded for others to draw. I did a better job on Millie than me.
Below are larger versions of a few from this batch (click to see larger):
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- Audrey Henry, Colored Pencil
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- Artist known as “Foggy 365” in the hospital, graphite and conte pencil
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- Henry Luis Alonso on Secrets of the Flesh
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- 4 views of “Moon Child Luna 2” in graphite
This weekend the challenge is to draw from the same photo twice, once with each hand. Wish me luck! I don’t think my left hand knows how to do anything except type.
