A legend died this month. When I was a child, every role he had made me teary with laughter. As I grew up and saw his more serious roles, my fondness for his warmth only grew. Mrs.Doubtfire, Patch Adams, the Birdcage, Aladdin's Genie... the loss of this wonderful actor and human being is heart-wrenching.
"What's right is what's left if you do everything else wrong."
I actually didn't draw this on the fourth, because I (stupidly) Googled conjoined twins and came across many sad stories and pictures. In the end, I decided to make Dolly the Lamb, if she had blended with Darcy to become a conjoined lamb twin.
I chose Charlie & the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl as my book cover redesign. I think I could have done more with it - added a background for one. I find that I shy away from backgrounds, opting instead for the single, striking character. I may revisit this one later.
I drew this (rather cartoony) self-portrait based on a photo taken by my husband over the weekend. I was going for a different style than I normally do, much more idealized and angelic. I'm not sure how I feel about the results - I think it's a pretty image of someone who looks nothing like me (aside from the hair). It might be a good direction in terms of character illustration, and I think that if I were to rework this digitally, I could really build it up into something new.
Since I started my job as a full-time graphic designer, I feel I've neglected my illustration and fine art practice. Now is the time to challenge myself, to loosen those elbows and really work at some new techniques.
I'm going in this with three main goals:
1) To make art-making a daily practice, moreso than it already is.
2) To broaden my colour pallette.
3) To improve my composition by not neglecting background elements.
I will try to post my results every day. Can I do it? Will I manage? I suppose we'll see!
If you care to join this challenge, do the same, and post a link to your progress in the comments.
Progress is being made on my as-of-yet-untitled painting... soon enough, it will be time to put on the final touches. This one has been slow going - I'm not as experienced with oil paint as I am with acrylic, so I still have to work on my timing. I do love the level of detail you can achieve and the smoothness of oils, though... very exciting! I think I will simply have to practice.
Everyone! Stop what you are doing, drop those useless, boring magazines you think you like. Pick this one up instead! Yes, this means what you think it means. I got the job at NRG Magazine. I am officially their graphic designer / desktop publisher! I only designed a few pages of this current issue while taking over from my predecessor, but I had a blast doing it. It's a wonderful publication about sustainable energy projects. Check out the most recent issue here:
Before you go "like" or "share" or "+1" an article, read it first. Many claim that research shows that something unexpected is actually, really, the very truth that they don't want you to know about. Reliable looking or not, be careful what you put your voice behind. It might be bad science.
Op zondag 13 april tussen 13:00-16:00 uur krijg je de mogelijkheid om deel te nemen aan de masterworkshop tekenen en op deze manier in de voetsporen te treden van alle grote meesters uit de kunstgeschiedenis. Met behulp van de Canadese kunstenares Ashley de Jong-Doucette zal je de verschillende technieken leren, die schuilen achter de grote kunstwerken in het Groninger Museum ! Deelname voor GM-Insiders is gratis en voor niet-leden 5 euro. Er is maar beperkte deelname mogelijk, dus geef je gauw op door te mailen naar: nvdgraaf@groningermuseum.nl!
On Sunday, 13 April from 13:00-16:00, join us in the Master Drawing Workshop and follow in the footsteps of the greatest artists in history. With the help of Canadian artist Ashley de Jong-Doucette (myself), you will learn different techniques that will help you learn how the artworks at the Groninger Museum were made. Participation is free for GM-Insiders and 5 euros for everyone else. To sign up, email nvdgraaf@groningermuseum.nl!
What happens when you stop believing in the possibility of forward motion? What becomes of you when you look around and begin to truly believe that those who "make it" have something in them that you don't possess? The "you" that is you begins to dissolve. Like the fairies in Peter Pan, you are killing something magical and true within yourself when you stop believing that you can achieve things.
One thing that I've learned when talking to "successful" people, and when hearing my heroes talk about their struggles on the podcasts I listen to, is that even the most fabled of superstars is a normal, anxious mess, who wears pyjamas and gets overworked, and frets and cries and loves like the rest of us. There will always be someone more talented than you.
So just get over it. Do what you do, and love every minute of it. Don't be afraid of the fear, stare it in the face, give it a nod, and continue on your way.
The proof days felt successful enough, though I have to wait until tomorrow to hear the results. What an awesome atmosphere that place has, though. High ceilings, big windows, a cappuccino maker, cool colleagues... I'm tied up in knots from the suspense of it all. If I don't get the job, I worry that I will crumble into a pile of sad-looking dust.
Something like this guy:
Yes, that's my poor, sick husband, curled up on the couch in front of an episode of "Arrow". Not only is the show bad, the temperature never feels right, the tea is too hot, and every part of his body is aching. The biggest downside of spring is the inevitable bout of bronchitis. Thankfully, it does mean that he stays still long enough for me to do some studies.
There is something cooking. There is something in the works. I just finished up the first of two "proof" days at a potential new workplace, working as lead graphic designer of a magazine. While I only hear this Friday whether I've got the position, I'm enjoying the excitement while it lasts. Of course, eager beaver that I am, I've been doing research at home on magazine designs, spreads, typography tips and tricks... pretty much any extra bit of information that might secure me the position.
In the process, I have come across some awesome tutorials and great sources of inspiration! Internet, you are fabulous. There are so many different ways to put together a dynamic spread. I managed to come across some awesome composition thumbnail sketches online, which I'm certain will be useful in my attempts to impress:
Out in the world of print publishing, there are many great ideas and great ways to bring those ideas across. I'm excited to try my hand at it! That is, of course, if I get the job.
The stone arrived in the mail, wrapped up in copious layers of bubble wrap, paper and tape. The poor delivery man was flustered and believed it to be an outboard motor or something, so heavy was it. 26.85 kg, to be precise. I was baffled that such a thing could be ordered so easily online! This one comes originally from somewhere in Asia.
The first step to tackling this beast was to saw off the foot so it could properly stand upright. From there, I could get something of a clear picture of what I was working with. I then smoothed out the rough edges and biggest flaws using my handy files and did a good deal more sawing.
Above you can see the array of files I used to accomplish this piece. Soapstone is a soft material (1-2 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness), which makes chiseling with a hammer a very bad idea. Saws, files and sandpaper all the way. The bag you see in the background is the first day's worth of soapstone dust (aka talc powder) that I managed to collect. One of its uses is as a filler in soap, which is how the stone gets its name.
The client's idea for this stone was to recreate a moai sculpture he and his wife had bought during a trip to Easter Island, which suffered the unfortunate fate of being smashed by careless airport workers and subsequently stolen. He wanted to surprise her with a unique work of art to commemorate their trip. After a number of sketches, we settled on the figure to the left.
To get myself back into the feel of sculpting, I made a few maquettes in clay. It allowed me a feel for the real physical shape of the figure.
I set to work. The process between the stone you see above and the rough figure you see here went undocumented, but I can assure you that a good deal of heartache and elbow grease was involved. Having the rough form, however, meant I could really get down to business on the details.
On the right, you can see the face beginning to form, and symmetry beginning to even out. Working with soft stone means that one can easily slip and file off an important sculptural feature, and I am very thankful that those lips remained when I maneuvered my way into the Moai's nostrils. His neck and body were another challenge, as taking such a large amount of stone away from the midsection took trust that I wouldn't somehow destroy everything. Thankfully, I didn't!
When the sculpting was finally done (including some detailed carving on the figure's back), I sanded the whole figure down with varying grades of wet sandpaper, then rubbed in Marpol and soapstone polish, finally revealing the subtleties of the marbled black and white stone underneath.
"The urban environment is anything but a static place. The fluctuations affecting the politics, economy, technology, and culture not only pull people into urban centres, but also forces them out. Moreover, the influence of such changes tends to be broad. Not only do they affect the physical and spatial character of the surroundings, they also play a role in what people notice and the ways in which they interact. Seeing the city as a continuously modulating weave that subsumes the enduring and the ephemeral, the remarkable and insignificant, the familiar and strange produces a fascinating impression of a place that can never be fully comprehended; that can only be experienced in fragments and always offers something more to see. It is this process of the city’s ongoing transformation and sense of incompleteness that imbued an invigorating pair of exhibitions this summer." - Laragh Pittman
