#30Faces30Days in Procreate with Sktchy

I posted my first ink drawing in April 2015, having heard about Sktchy through my friend Joan Martin.

 

Sktchy is an online community that fosters creativity with a particular focus on portraiture. Members upload photographs that are used as inspiration. It’s also a friendly supportive place to creations. The artwork is displayed alongside the inspiration post - revealed with a swipe to the right. 

In the beginning my portraits were all analogue, using ink and watercolour, as well as some in oil and a few in acrylic. I had one of the smaller iPads and used an Idonit stylus - one step up from the stubby black finger like cheapie stylus which covered most of the line one was drawing. Frustrating to say the least!

I started adding digital elements about August of that year as seen in this work with text added:

#WAXTIP 

and this digital collage:

#WAXCOLLAGE

In April 2018 my digital progress made a dramatic leap forward with the release of a smaller, more affordable iPad that supported an Apple Pencil. It was definitely a game changer to have a drawing tool that was touch sensitive and very responsive. 

I have done a number of online classes with Sktchy, with various artists who have contributed so much to my knowledge of digital art, and Procreate in particular - it’s the best art app by far. 

This brings me to the beginning of May and the start of #30Faces30Days. This online challenge features a daily full length video tutorial using a muse selected by the tutor and concentrating on their own unique style. Each day brings new approaches and ways of working in Procreate. It’s excellent value for money. I decided at the beginning that even if the days style/approach was not my ‘jam’ I would endeavour to complete something using the tutor’s techniques. 

So May is all about Procreate and a portrait every day. I’m very pleased that so far I have kept up and have finished a portrait every day. 

Here are the portraits up to Day 15.

Digital Portraits

Since the beginning of the year I have been trying to draw portraits more often. One of the easiest ways to make this happen is to do them digitally using the Procreate app. It’s so convenient to pick up an Apple Pencil and draw a few lines while waiting for something. And the clean up afterwards - well there’s none! 

Last year I upgraded my iPad Air to the  iPad 2018 and this, combined with the Apple Pencil, really is a game-changer. Previously I had been using a Jot Pro stylus which was alright but still quite difficult to use. When I look at some of these earlier portraits I can see the struggle. 

I also took a couple of online courses through Sktchy with Lisa Fillion. This improved my ability use Procreate more extensively and with more confidence. I enjoy the way I can now add textured paper to the background, move elements of the drawing around and just have a lot of fun. 

My first portrait was posted on the 18th April 2015. To date, I have completed 308 portraits.
Joan Martin was the first person to draw my attention to the app. It took me a while to “get it” but once I hooked I didn’t look back. Thanks, Joan.

Sktchy chooses portraits that they like to be featured as a “Pick” so when one of my early Procreate portraits was chosen I was thrilled. 

The Sktchy community is one of the most supportive online groups. The muses are provide a never-ending source of inspiration and my fellow artists are generous with support and encouragement. 

The days in between...

Christmas is over. We’ve opened the presents and eaten the turkey. We have packed away the Christmas decorations and although it is only a few days into January, some shops, believe it or not, are advertising Hot Cross Buns - really? 

The New Year has dawned but it has not really begun. Many people are still on holiday. We fill the days in between with making plans, creating goals, and looking at ways to improve our lives. 

In reality, it’s best to just do something. Anything. And then do another thing and then do something else. 

I have been doing precisely that with this little series of watercolour portraits. 

A simple graphite drawing - then a light wash of watercolour - then some detail and deeper values for a bit of drama. 

Commissions

Should you wish to have a watercolour painting of  your precious pooch or kitty I would be delighted to undertake a commission. 
Please contact me on info@carolleebeckx.com for more details.

Sketchbook

The sketchbook I am using is a new one for me which I found at Art Shed Brisbane. It’s by Kunst & Papier and at 160gsm it is a little too light for very watery washes but I don’t mind a little buckling in a sketchbook. I do like the size and format, and since it’s hard cover it is good for plein air sketching. (More of those in another post)

The doggy muses are all courtesy their owners on the Sktchy app. 

Experimenting with digital

I can’t believe I haven’t spoken about the iPad 2018 yet!

This recent addition to the iPad lineup is most welcome. I’ve been eyeing the iPad Pro ever since it was launched some years ago and it’s always been out of reach. My budget just didn’t stretch that far. 

The 6th Generation iPad 2018 changes many things. It’s been created with educators and schools in mind, being a more affordable option while  still working with the Apple Pencil, another game changer. Schools and teachers are given a small discount and with the trade in value of my iPad Air, it was now affordable. 

The biggest difference for me is the change that the Apple Pencil makes to digital painting. Another difference is coming across a video explaining Procreate in a really clear manner. Sure you can flip through the Procreate User guide but it could as well be in a foreign language. James Julier  takes the User guide and goes through all the functions, demonstrating each process and brush setting. 

I’ve been doing a few portraits so I was pleased the RQAS Members Exhibition include a category for photography and digital art. This painting will be on show at the Exhibition which opens tonight Wednesday 27th June. 

This portrait of Kimberly (the reference is from Sktchy) combines two mediums. The portrait itself is painted using Procreate with pastel / crayon brushes and 6B pencil, superimposed on a watercolour painting Abundance painted last year.

Kimberley - digital painting 

And framed...

For the first time I remembered to take a photo of the framed painting without the glass - although I did manage include a shadow from the frame mouldings!

And a reminder of Abundance - watercolour on Saunders Waterford 

Inktober 2018

October means Inktober, the annual drawing challenge that has been going for a number of years. Jake Parker started this in 2009 to improve his inking and drawing skills. The challenge comes with daily prompts to help keep you on track. 

Perhaps it’s because I have trouble following rules, but I’ve usually lost interest when the given prompts didn’t strike a chord with me. 

This year Sktchy has joined the challenge, using the ‘official’ prompts. Theses are emailed daily to all taking part. Today is always earlier in Australia than everywhere else - except for New Zealand - so the prompts come at the end of the day. I like to get my drawing completed early, or even start a new one the day before, so getting a late prompt has given me a good excuse to do my own thing!
(Yes, I know, I could download the list...)

My challenge is simply to do a portrait in ink every day in October and to date it’s been working well. 

Ink in Hero Bent nib calligraphy pen 

De Artramentis Fog Grey - Pilot Metropolitan Medium nib and water Brush

Digital ink using Procreate - this was drawn on the way from a weekend away. The ride was quite bumpy which added to the scribble effect!

Noodlers Black ink in Pilot Metropolitan fine nib in a Midori notebook. The paper, while quite light, is beautiful to use with a fountain pen - silky and smooth with no feathering or bleed-through. This notebook is available at a wonderful stationery shop, Bookbinders in Brisbane. They stock all kinds of notebooks, pens, ink and writing accessories. 

Ink and water brush in Midori notebook

Black and brown ink with water brush in Midori notebook.

Bic Crystal ballpoint in Alpha softcover sketchbook - using a ballpoint with a light touch mimics the appearance of graphite.

Sam the Sphynx with his special "look" - Fine nib Pilot Metroploitan in Midori notebook - the ears are pink Tombow brush pen, the eyes Inktense green.

Noodlers #41 Brown on Viking drawing paper A6 size

De Artramentis Fog Grey - Pilot Metropolitan Medium nib and water Brush

on Viking drawing paper A6 size

De Artramentis Fog Grey - Pilot Metropolitan Medium nib and water Brush

on Viking drawing paper A6 size.

Portraits on a new surface

I had read about Ampersand artists boards and seen many examples of artwork done on the different surfaces. I was impressed with how good they seemed to be. Recently when I saw that  my local art shop Art Shed Brisbane, had started stocking Ampersand artists boards, I was eager to experiment.

                                  

I was given a couple of sample sizes and bought some of the Aquabord and Claybord. I was particularly keen to try watercolour on the Claybord since I am fascinated by Ali Cavanaugh's amazing portraits. 

Well, it's easier said than done. The clay surface is as smooth as silk. It adds a wonderful translucency to the layer of paint. It's forgiving because offending brushstrokes can be wiped off leaving the surface clean. However, if you're hasty, everything you've painted will come off too. Adding a too-wet brush to an already painted area will lift off all that's below! I know that I have a very long way to go to achieve a result that I will satisfy me.

Here are a couple of portraits on Claybord:

                      

Portrait of Daniel - watercolour on Ampersand Claybord 250mm x 250mm 

                                     

Portrait of Tamara Lara from Sktchy - watercolour on Ampersand Claybord 175mm x 125mm

I've used a couple of timber panels lately. The rigid surface is quite different to the bounce and spring of stretched canvas. The lack of woven texture is also very different. A firm support is ideal for working in impasto since there's less chance of the the thick paint layer cracking. This can easily happen on flexible canvas.

Next on my experimentation list is using oils on Claybord as I think that the results on the smooth surface will be interesting.

The Aquabord has more tooth and texture, more suitable for watercolour, for which of course it has been designed. I need work with it more so that I investigate the properties of the surface properly. And really, at the end of the day, am I making life difficult for myself ? I should just stick to watercolour paper for watercolour!

And here's the framed portrait - from Bizarre Frames in Newmarket, Brisbane. The lovely people there are always happy to help with my odd requests. As usual, I forgot to photograph the painting in the frame minus the glass so there are a coupe of strange highlights. I managed not to include a reflection of myself, though!

                       

Teaching - what it means to me

This started out as a quick post to say I have a couple of places in the weekly classes, then it got longer and longer... so make a cup of coffee and relax...

Although I trained as an art teacher, over the years there were relatively short periods spent teaching art. After leaving Art school, I took whatever work was available. I worked in a Reference Library, and then landed my first teaching position coupled with working in the school's library. When I tell you that I was teaching Maths to Grade 7 you'll realise that I was desperate for work. Fortunately the Maths teacher returned from long leave and the school wisely moved me to teaching English to newly arrived immigrants. Subsequent teaching - art to years 8 and 9, at another school, was a lot more in line with my training.

                         

The Ice cream Cone #WAXnext - watercolour and graphite - reference from Sktchy

Now many years later, I'm teaching teaching art full time. I'm running a Studio from home. I love every minute of every day.

My Teaching Model

When deciding on a teaching model for the Studio, I worked on the premise that adults would be best served if they are able to retain their individual identity. I had no wish to teach prescriptively - in other words there would be no handout of the same reference to each person. There would be no " now take out the cerulean blue and this is how we are going to paint the sky..."

Since the Studio is small there is place to accommodate  6 artists. Each artist is able to work in their medium of choice, whether it be watercolour, oils or acrylics. Alternatively they might decide to draw for a term, exploring a range of mediums from graphite to charcoal to playing with ink. Each artist decides on the theme for their own work and works at their own pace. (Admittedly I do tend to say: "Time to wrap this one up and start something new - you can't stroke this one for another three hours")

When there is a workshop the teaching is much more structured. Then new techniques and mediums are investigated in a formal class with step by step instructions.

Moving out of your comfort zone

Part of my way of teaching involves stretching the artists. I do believe that life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Regularly, I encourage trying new methods of working as well as new materials. This can be confronting to those who like the comfort of always working in the same way.

I believe that developing critical skills; learning to assess your own work;  looking at the work of fellow students with a discerning eye; learning how to give constructive criticism is invaluable. I believe that artists need to learn how to change and develop an artwork effectively rather than have a knee-jerk "my work is rubbish" type of criticism. 

When you're a beginner or have returned to art after a long break you can have many insecurities. My aim is to provide a venue where skills can be learned or rediscovered. The Studio has a closed Facebook Group where work completed or in process can be posted. Carol's Studio Group is a sympathetic environment where the artists can post work without exposing oneself to criticism from the world at large.

Making friends

When I moved to Australia the list of people I knew was very short. In addition to my family I knew only a couple of their friends. In establishing the Studio, not only do I have the means to support myself but I now also have a network of friends. The Studio participants too have made lasting friendships and developed a sense of community. The famous coffee break (with coffee from nearby Deja Bru) is an integral part of the Studio experience. And you can still get free tea if you want it...

And the point of this post...

Class Vacancies for Term 3 13th July to 18th September 2016
EDIT 30-06-2016 Wednesday Evenings  6.00 pm to 9.00 pm - places still available
Thursday Mornings      9.00 am to 12.00 pm - Please note that this place has been filled

A tribute to Orlando

This weekend the Sktchy app paid tribute to the victims of the massacre in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando with the Weekend Art Extravaganza themed #WAXpulse. Artists around the world united in support of those who lost their lives in this terrible shooting. 

Our world seems to be overcome with hate and bigotry. Living here in Australia where measures have been taken to curtail widespread gun ownership, we find it hard to understand  America's reluctance to curtail the sale of high powered automatic weapons. It seems that money talks louder than human life.

How many more mass shootings are needed before something is done?

Grey Henson

Graphite and watercolour on Canson 300gsm watercolour paper

Thank you Grey for providing the reference on Sktchy for my drawing.

Testing the Mars Lumograph Black Artists pencil

When drawing with graphite and you are creating dark tones, as the values are increased by layering more and more graphite, the end result is often not black but a shiny grey. I've used the Mars Lumograph Blue range for sometime. Pencils marked 7B and 8B are different in that the graphite has a higher carbon content. The result is matte jet black lines.

The Mars Lumograph Black Artists Pencils are a new addition to the range of Staedtler pencils. These have a special formulation with a higher proportion of carbon like the Blue range. These pencils 2B, 4B, 6B and 8B now provide more choice. 

I used Mars Lumograph Black 6B for this drawing. The core is much harder than a 6B in other brands. A matte black finish can easily be achieved, and because it's not as soft as other 6Bs, it can be sharpened easily to a fine point. Marks erase quite easily which is useful!

Catie Daniel - image from Sktchy 

Mars Lumograph Black Artists Pencil on Arches 300 GSM Hot Press paper

Note: Art Shed Brisbane gave me a sample of this pencil to test. Stock of the full range arrived in Store this morning. I guess even though I don't need another pencil I'll be back to Art Shed for more in this range!

A watercolour portrait of Thithi - documenting the process

I started this portrait for Sktchy last weekend while staying with my grandchildren. Jess offered to video the process. We decided to try using Hyperlapse. Now this short video was done with no tripod so there's a limit to how long arms want to hold the phone! And I need to experiment a little more and perhaps turn the phone for a better format. 

Anyway, it's fun to see a quick start to a watercolour portrait. 
This portrait was part of last week's #WAXwhatyougot. It was painted in an A4 Zeta sketchbook; I did a light graphite drawing first then watercolour washes were added.
. 

It was a chance to show the tools used. This is my initial set up with the iPad for reference; Zeta sketchbook and a simple Bic retractable 2B pencil. 

WIP after the video stopped

Completed portrait with all my tools: Left to right - iPad, Zeta sketchbook; Schmincke watercolour travel box; Neef mop brush; W&N series #7 sable; cellulose sponge; kneadable eraser, water jar.

Thithi Exfi - reference from Sktchy

Portraits - analogue and digital

Ten months ago I first started using the Sktchy app and so far I've created 80 portraits. Some of them I've shared here as well as on Instagram. It's been a wonderful way to experiment with different mediums and techniques. I've played with ink, graphite, collage, watercolour, gouache and watercolour markers as well as oil on canvas panel. 

The colouring craze is everywhere. Some of the Sktchy artists are collaborating to publish colouring books featuring members of the  Sktchy community. This portrait from a reference photo uploaded on Sktchy as a line drawing was printed on to watercolour paper. Since the ink jet ink is water-soluble, I used gouache and ink.

Portrait with Roses - inspiration from Daniel DePeuter - inkjet print with Gouache and ink


I've had digital art apps on my phone and iPad for a long time and have fiddled around with them, never really coming to grips with the process. Finally about two months ago I decided it was time to learn. Working slowly through the manual for Procreate, I took baby steps discovering how to work in layers and exploring the many, many, tools that are available. It helped to limit myself to one or two tools at a time, trying out different widths of brushstroke and varying the opacity. 

This portrait of Ginnie Chen was done using Procreate for #WAXcubism. The different #WAX Weekend Art Extravaganza prompts are posted each weekend.  

 Ginnie Chen - Procreate digital drawing 

I love drawing in graphite so I thought, why not combine the two mediums? Sophia Olsen's portrait started as a graphite drawing which I scanned. I created a mask in Superimpose which eliminated the background completely, then uploaded the mask into Procreate. This provided the opportunity to play around while preserving the original drawing. New backgrounds and textures were added to various layers in Procreate.

Sophia Olsen - graphite and carbon pencil 

One of the features in Procreate is the video function. each brush stoke is recorded and can be played back. This video is posted in a separate post - Sophia.

Sophia - graphite on watercolour paper with digital layers

Hamilton Road Studio - class places available

January 26th is Australia Day. I hope you will enjoy the day with family and friends. The day marks the end of the long summer holidays and the beginning of the school term. It's also a signal to get back to work.

Portrait - gouache on paper - reference from Sktchy App

Classes at my Hamilton Road Studio start this week. There are places available on Wednesday evenings 6.00pm to 9.00pm; and one place in each of the Friday and Saturday classes. The classes are small with a maximum of 6 artists. The class size allows for each person to work in their chosen medium, so the techniques of painting in watercolour, oils and acrylics are all covered. I believe that drawing is important no matter what medium you favour. Some time in each lesson is given to some drawing practice.

Drawing is a way to quiet your mind, to focus your thoughts. It can also be a private record of your experiences. If you've done a drawing of something you will understand it and remember every detail. As children, you will have done many drawings. Then as we get older, our inhibitions and critical judgement creeps in and we stop drawing. Drawing is a tool for investigating ideas, working out composition and solving problems on a small scale. 

Class times: 
Wednesday:    6.00pm – 9.00pm 
Thursday:        9.00am – 12.00pm                
Friday:            9.00am – 12.00pm
Saturday:        8.00am – 11.00am

New students can enroll for four weeks initially.  Students should preferably be prepared to enroll for a term (usually 10 weeks) when joining the Studio. 
Fees: $ 36 per lesson should be paid in advance and can be made in two instalments during the term. 

If you would like to know more about the Studio please contact me and I will send you the full information sheet. 

Fun with Sktchy

Experimentation is a key to the creative process. This is exactly what I’ve been doing this week. An app for creating portraits called Sktchy provided the inspiration.

As the blurb on the app preview says:
When you share a photo on Sktchy, it’s not for likes it’s to inspire. So here are some of my first attempts and it’s been great fun.

Gazing into your soul watercolour and graphite © Carol Lee Beckx

When you view the art on the app, a swipe to the right reveals the source photograph so you can see the reference. I've combined both reference and artwork using another app called Diptic (sad, I know, but I do love to play with technology)   

Melanie - Ink © Carol Lee Beckx

Ice Cream - watercolour and graphite © Carol Lee Beckx

And it’s a lot of fun to collect “Wows” for your work – and don’t we all love a pat on the back? So why don't you join me?

Disclaimer: Since I love mostly free apps, I don't receive any commission...