#30Faces30Days

It's been 5 months since my last post...I guess I could be forgiven since much has happened since then. I was fortunate to be able to visit my family in South Africa in the latter part of October and November. It was SO good after so long to spend quality time with family and friends - so special.

Now to catch up, I’m going  back to the beginning of the year. The NEW Year is a time to make resolutions, start a new diary or journal and generally try to set the tone for the new year. 

I decided that since I would be on holiday for most of January, with my art classes only re-starting at the very end of the month, I would undertake this challenge run by Sktchy#30Faces30Days - Pen & Pencil. I’ve previously taken part in #30 Faces30 Days using Procreate but this was my first using analog tools.

Sktchy is a global arts community providing artists with inspiration and many inspiring classes covering all aspects of art, concentrating on portraiture. The classes are hosted by Mighty Network making these available to both IOS and Android users. 

Museum by Sktchy is for IOS only.

The month long challenge provides a daily tutorial, usually 60 minutes - often longer - by one of three tutors. The video gives intensive demonstration of the technique in the artist’s particular style. 

My usual process is to watch the introduction first and about 30 minutes of the lesson. I then do a rough sketch of the portrait. Watching the video on my iPad allows me to make use of a split screen so I can see the reference at the same time.

I used the Epsilon sketchbook by Stillman & Birn 8’ x 10”. It’s a very good surface for both ink and graphite. 

Here are a couple of my favourite portraits.

Muse: Sydney Bocknek from Museum by Sktchy

Tutor: Laura Cronin 

Graphite

Muse: Beatriz Futtigami 

Tutor: Graceina Samosir

Pink ballpoint pen 

Muse: Tori Cherry

Tutor: Justin Maas

Graphite and white pastel on Strathmore toned paper

And now a compilation of all 30 portraits. This was such a good way to start the year - I watched every tutorial and completed all the portraits - success!

Inktober 2022

All of a sudden it’s October and time for Inktober. There is an official prompt list that is adhered to by many artists, however I have not found these lists to be particularly inspiring - maybe I just don’t like being told what to do!

My Thursday class has a couple of artists who are keen to do some intensive drawing using various mediums. I found a some seed pods from the Streiltzia Regina in the garden. This plant is also called the Crane flower or Bird of Paradise. As each petal of the flower dries, it withers into fascinating forms and after a while the black seeds with a fringe of bright orange can be seen. 

This became my inspiration for some Inktober drawings. I have used a few different fountain pens and varied the inks as well. 

My daily park through local bush lands provides interesting leaves and pods. 

T

Since re-discovering fountain pens for sketching and buying a Lamy Safari in 2011 (I have always had at least one pen for writing)I now have a rather large collection. 

Pens used for these Inktober drawings include a TWSBI F, a TWSIBI B and a Sailor Fude 55 deg nib. The latter is used for oriental calligraphy and has a bent nib which creates lovely line variations. 

Inks include De Artramentis Urban Sienna, Pelikan Smokey Quartz, and Standard Bindery Canyon Walk. 

Chiharu Shiota - The Soul Trembles

A wonderful exhibition at GOMA, Brisbane is coming to an end soon, so you should take to opportunity to enjoy while you can. 

Chiharu Shiota  is a Japanese performance and installation artist. She explores the perception of space to explore ideas around the body and flesh.

 

The Soul Trembles is a visual feast. I’m going to let the photographs of the installations speak. 

Across the River 

C

The Burnt Piano

A Question of Perspective 

Inside/ Outside