Experimenting with Digital Art

Just a little peek into what I've been trying to do, learning how to get around with a bamboo tablet I'm borrowing. Here's my process examples from the last couple of days.

Happy Finch

Just a snippet of a 6x8 I did solely for me the other day. I'm trying to experiment with painting lifelike water, but still have some things to figure out. ;)

Watercolors, blue ink, and white gouache on watercolor paper

Don't complete it

I've recently been experimenting with dip pens (and wwhhhaaat, they make glass dip pens??), and have been slowly collecting a few different nibs and just a few weeks ago, I finally ordered from Amazon a, somewhat, starter kit. I'm very happy with it and can't wait to further this old fashioned technique and to eventually better understand it.

I'm not so keen on naming and giving titles to things, so this currently is titled in my folders as "Unfinished Blue". :)

This is in my Pentalic sketchbook - the feel of the paper is very smooth but has a very subtle, pleasant texture to it, and it is reasonable thick, so the inks didn't leak through too badly. I used a black Chinese ink, and a Waterman blue ink. This is the first time using the blue ink, and I'm so in love. I primarily used the dip pen, but also used a old round brush and had fun using the ink watered down to get more out of just the two materials.



This is the first go, that made me want to do the above. I like to break into my copy of Wreck this Journal, by Keri Smith randomly, it's honestly so refreshing to me, like having a book of warm ups and encouragement from a friend! I obviously didn't follow the 'instructions' to this page very well, but you don't have to, you just have start something! I need that reminder a lot, and I'm not even a perfectionist. ;)

The ink didn't have the best relationship with this paper, but the effect it gave was quite perfect for the outcome of it.

Here are some other views of the sketchbook version.

It's so hard to not finish something, especially when it's so obvious as the bottom half of a face. It can kind of feel like limiting the thoughts of the sketch in a negative way, but I want to try and limit myself more, like working out your body, give yourself a task that is challenging and hard (like core work outs, uck), and let what happens, happen. And while this is not "complete", I have the power to say, it's finished, and that is an amazing feeling.

Thanks for your patience!

Ivy and Nala

Project for a friend! Unfortunately I'm the type of person that gets hung up on little things and trends to forget about my 'first love', watercolors. With a brush in my hand, the window open to the surprisingly warm Seattle weather, and all my mix mediums in front of me, I was so relaxed and ''in my element''. I haven't felt that way in a long time, it seems to always be tense when I 'get down' to work on drawing. Do you ever feel like you take more self-doubt or crap from yourself more than anything else? I feel like I'm my biggest ball and chain. And critic. Oh the life of working alone. ;)

What's your worst 'enemy in the studio?

And what helps you?

Let's share because we are a community of fellow artist of all different backgrounds and styles. We can take advantage of it!

Much love and blessings!
-Bethie