Kaedyn Attempts to Draw; For the Last Time! *dun dun duuun*

Hello again!

This will be my last post... so I've decided to make comparisons!
Unfortunately... I don't draw often, so I just have a couple examples.

However, I'm going to quickly walk through the steps for a little Zelda I drew.

As always, I began with a quick, messy sketch of what I wanted Zelda's pose to be. I decided to use just a pen and crayola colored pencils for this, simply because I wanted to experiment. I haven't seriously used only colored pencils for any of my drawings, so this was a challenge. >>

Bunyapen writes that you should "Plan your character's outfits by thinking about your character's personality and other factors such as his or her occupation, hobbies and personal likes" (Bunyapen 53). I know that Zelda in her most recent game is a warrior with style. She's a princess, yet will fight for her kingdom at any given moment. Her main color scheme in previous games is mostly pink and purple, so I stuck to her original design.

<< I used a 0.1 mm pen to outline her and add details to her armor and clothes. Notice the splotch of ink on the page. It made me cry a little bit. We move forward from our world-crushing mistakes. For coloring, elaborate patterns and rich colors make clothing look lively (Bunyapen 84). With that in mind, I used a metallic gold and silver pencil to color her armor; then proceeded to color the cloth with ~three different tones of violet and deeper purples. Her hair is just a yellow and orange colored pencil, which made things much easier. Zelda is the princess of Hyrule, so the design on her... front... cloth... thing (please inform me what this is called if you know) is the triforce and Hylian crest.

Here it is finished!

Now that I have that covered, I wanted to show a comparison of where I was before reading this book and afterwards...

Here are a couple of examples from when I began reading:

After I finished reading all of the tutorials:

                            I drew this picture today!

 I'm especially proud of this one, because it is just a sketch (took me ~one hour), my first time with the legitimate version
of Photoshop, and still looks better than the art that took me
hours and hours.

Thank you for all of your kind comments and for keeping up with my blogging!

One last question: Have you seen recent improvement in your art? How do you think you've improved?

Bunyapen, Supittha. Shojo Wonder Manga Art School: Create Your Own Cool Characters and Costumes with Markers. Cincinnati, OH: Impact, 2011. Print.

Drawing: The Art of Patterns Part 3

Hi Guys!

I hope you’re having a good day!

In my previous two blogs I applied the pattern techniques and detailing knowledge I have gathered and created a Mandala drawing and in a Pattern Flower drawing. Today I am going to explain how I create my 3^rd piece which is a combination of shapes and patterns and some new ideas and tips I learned.

For creating this third piece I was having a difficult time find inspiration because even though a lot of Zentangle drawings are imaginative and creating patterns as you go, it’s always hard to just start. It’s also helpful to have a reference photo or something to look back to when you stuck in the middle of drawing. That’s why I would definitely recommend watching YouTube videos, check out book and read articles on Zentangle drawings. You can gather soooo much knowledge and inspiration and it really helps me. When I was stuck I simply found some images on google to keep me going. I really do recommend the book I am using for this project Zendoodle written by Susanne Schaadt. She explains Zentangle so well!

   Once I start on one of these drawings I enjoy it so much that I could go on for hours adding and adding more patterns and shapes and expanding it but starting is difficult. That’s why one of my biggest tips is just start!! Put the pen on your paper and start with something as simple as a circle or flower and just add on too it! You will see slowly your outcome will be great. I know these drawings take patience and can look overwhelming but it is very relaxing and calming! Susanne explains how “there is simply no right or wrong way of doing it; anyone who can draw a line on a piece of paper can draw a zendoodle.” (Schaadt 7)

For this drawing I used some new techniques! In all of my previous drawings I focused on filling in larger shapes with patterns and details but this piece was different.  I had to focus more on have symmetrical design and repeating the pattern evenly around the circle. I enjoyed as I made the center larger and larger thinking of new patterns for each and every layer. It was very relaxing. Susanne Schaadt says “The symmetrical construction based around a center further enhances the calming and ordering effects of the patterns in the most delightful way.” (Schaadt 56)

This is how it came out and I’m really happy with it!

Have any of you had any experience when starting a new activity was difficult but it was worth it in the end? Share you experience below!   

Schaadt, Susanne. Zendoodle: Meditative Drawing to Calm Your Inner Self. Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Search, 2015. Print.

Drawing eyes, nose and mouth

Eyes, Nose, Mouth

With every single drawing, I usually tell you to sketch that dumb oval with the sad guidelines and then draw some facial features to make it look actually kind of real. Well, I should have done this a while ago but oh well. 

Every facial feature includes specific looks. Take eyes for example. They could look droopy, pointy, tired, small, big, and other adjectives. It really all depends who you're drawing. One key thing is to be detailed and attentive to what you're drawing. Edwards says "When you see in the special way in which experienced artists see, then you can draw [Edwards 3]". Noticing the little things can help you become a better artist. But there are some other pointers people could have about facial features. Right now, we will focus on the eyes, nose, and mouth. 

Eyes

We will start with a curve above the horizontal guide line. Each curve is a little different so look at the picture when doing it. Add a curve underneath and you have a basic looking eye. Don't forget about proportions when drawing eyes. We draw what we believe so if we believe that both eyes are the same size, then we'll draw them the same size. But angles don't look that way. If someone's head is tilting toward the right, then the right eye would be smaller. Edwards puts it as "The parts that are important... we decide are larger we think should be larger than they actually are, and conversely for smaller parts [Edwards 134]." These proportions will determine if your drawing looks real or like an alien.   Look at where the waterline and that weird squishy part in the corner of the eye is. Draw what you see. Don't be afraid to erase. Now draw the pupil. Is the pupil under any eyelids? Is it just touching the waterline? How close is it from the center of the eye? Why am I doing this? These are all questions to ask when drawing eyes. These will be your guide lines for what the eye looks like. Noticed how not all eyes are pure, glowing white? It's because of shadows. There should be shading in the corners, under the top eyelid, and near the waterline. Fill in the pupil dark to medium dark (unless you're drawing colored eyes. Then you should get colored pencils. Regular pencils aren't "hazel"). There should also be a little spot for brightness. Add that. Boom. You're done. Move on. 

 Nose
I accidentally forgot to continue taking pictures and just kept drawing. I started a new picture and it looks weird, I know. And the oval around the nose is a guide line not the actual face. Anyways, start with two parallel lines and some nostrils. Isn't it weird that we pronounce nostrils like nostrols. I think it is. Add the skin around the nostrols. This really depends on the drawing so try your best. Everyone has little indents in their nose so draw that too. Those nose has two highlight point: The ball of the nose and that long part. You don't have to draw it but its good to know. Add your shading lines around the nose. Remember that darkness doesn't define the shape of the object. This is a life lesson Bob Ross probably brought up. Add shading to underneath the nose, around the corners of the nose and indents. I should also mention that natural things do not have true lines. It's all blended together. Remember the highlighted areas and keep that area some what free of shading. Darken the nostrils a little more and there. You have a nose now. Good job.

Mouth

So looking at these pictures now makes me mad because when I drew it it was pretty good but now it looks like dirt. That's nice. Mouths has a rule of thumb where its light, dark, light, dark. In the picture it should explain a little better. First I would draw the lip line. Not the outline of the lips, the mouth crease or whatever it's called. Then I would outline the mouth. All mouths are different and different angles can change the way you draw the mouth. The top lip is usually darker than the bottom and the corners should have more shading. The bottom lip should have more shading on the center of the lip. Under the lip is dark because lips aren't plastered onto your face. Add the shading and you did it. You drew a mouth probably successfully. 

This is the model you need to look 

 Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy drawing maybe a little more.

Question: when did you give up trying to draw?

Leave me a comment down below.




Edwards, Betty. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence. Los Angeles: J.P. Tarcher, 1979. Print.

Soap Bubble

Soap Bubble

For my fourth post, I will be learning how to draw a soap bubble. I am using the book "How to Draw Cool Stuff" by Catherine V. Holmes. The first thing I need to understand is that "Lines and shaped drawing in a curved manner on top of a circle shape help to create the illusion of a sphere" (Holmes 53). When drawing a bubble, it is important to use curved lines to develop the shape of the sphere.

Steps: 
1. The first step is to lightly sketch a circle. I recommend using a cup or something you can trace to draw a perfect circle. I had to free sketch the circle because I had nothing to trace.

2. I forgot to take pictures of the steps of shading so here is the instructions from the book how to do it. (Sorry it's sideways, I couldn't figure out how to turn it.)

3. As you can see from my other posts, I am not the best at shading. It is hard for me to figure out where the light and dark areas are supposed to be. So here is my attempt of a shaded soap bubble.

I definitely have room for improvement. I think one thing that I want to understand better is how reflection, "An image given back by a reflecting surface" (Holmes 53), affects the bubbles shading. I encourage you guys to try out this drawing! I enjoyed the challenge even if the outcome wasn't so great. 

If you've ever drawn, what was one thing that was really hard for you? What are areas you could improve on?

Holmes, Catherine V. How to Draw Cool Stuff: A Drawing Guide for Teachers and Students. New York: Library Tales, 2013. Print.

Snail Drawing

Snail Drawing

For my fifth and final drawing that i'm learning from "How to Draw Cool Stuff" by Catherine V. Holmes, I will be drawing a snail or "A small gastropod mollusk animal that lives in a shell that it carries on its back, that moves very slowly, and can live in water or on land" (Holmes 55). Although a snail is not normally a very attractive animal, this drawing teaches me how to draw a cute little snail using simple techniques. To be able to draw this, I need to understand that "Simple shapes combined together can create more complex objects" (Holmes 55). This is a key thing to know because shapes can be added to construct a bigger picture.

Steps:

1. Start off with a basic circle.

2. Add a small crescent as shown. Draw a circle inside the previous one, it should be to the lower left.

3. Connect the smaller circle to the outer circle with curve. Erase part of the little circle as shown.

4. Continue drawing the curve around and around until it is about this small.

5. Next, erase a part at the bottom to show the opening. Then, add a rim to the front of the shell as shown

6. Add a body, head and and tail to it for the finished snail.

7. Add shading.

This is a very cute and simple drawing that anyone can do! I hope you guys try it. What is your favorite animal? Do you think you could draw it?

Holmes, Catherine V. How to Draw Cool Stuff: A Drawing Guide for Teachers and Students. New York: Library Tales, 2013. Print.

Basic Cylinder

Basic Cylinder

For my third drawing, I will learn how to draw a cylinder from the book "How to Draw Cool Stuff" by Catherine V. Holmes. According to the book, I need to understand that "a cylinder is a three-dimensional geometric form utilizing line and ellipse" (Holmes 22). This tells me that  a cylinder is circle that is projected into three dimensions. 

Steps:

1. Start by drawing two points.

2. Connect the points with rounded lines to make a thin oval. This oval is called an ellipse. "A circle viewed at an angle; an oval" (Holmes 22).

3. Add 2 vertical lines directed straight down from both points.

4. Connect the base with a curved line.

As you can see, this drawing is very quick and easy. When drawing a cylinder, you must understand perspective. This is "The technique artists use to project an illusion of the three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional surface" (Holmes 22). It helps to create a sense of depth that allows the object to look three-dimensional. 

One thing that was hard for me was shading. I had a hard time making the cylinder's shading look cohesive. The book says you should start with a value scale, which show you the lights and darks of your drawing. Here is an example:

Then you use this diagram to shade the cylinder: 

Now here is my attempt:

I can definitely say that it is not my best work. This drawing showed me that I need to improve on my shading. What are ways that I can help develop my shading skills? 

Holmes, Catherine V. How to Draw Cool Stuff. N.p.: Library Tales, 2014. Print.

Drawing: The Art of Patterns Part 2

Drawing: The Art of Patterns Part 2

Sheena Kapila

Hi Everyone!

I hope your all having a good day and had a great New Years! I am continuing my journey of learning new patterns and shapes in the art of Zentangle. The book I checked out Zendoodle written by Susanne Schaadt has really helped me focus on improving my patterns in drawing. Last time I used the patterns I learned in a mandala drawing. Today I am going to use the techniques into creating a Pattern Flower. I decided to draw this because of how it is supposed to help you gain practice in patterns and shapes. Each petal of the lotus is filled with different patterns and designs. 

 I applied the techniques of filling in the petals that Susanne Schaadt suggested. “As you draw keep stopping and thinking about what parts to leave white. It is very easy to over-draw. Area and leaf patterns are good choices for the oval flower shapes. It can be more effective to not fill all the areas with patterns”. (Schaadht 50) When I was drawing this flower I kept that tip in mind and remembered to not over draw because that can lead to a messier drawing. Just like I explained in my last blog post, I continued to use the guide the book provides of an Overview of Patterns in this drawing and tried my best to keep the patterns really neat and precise.

I tried out some new patterns as well in this drawing! I usually fill the shapes in other drawings with dots and stripes but for these petals I decided to try out filling the shapes with words and flowers. I liked how it created more variety and detail to the drawing. “Fill some of the areas with scatter flowers and floral designs. Try to use as less dots as possible and be sure to include leaf patterns.” (Schaadt 51) Since the petals were very similar to an oval leaf shapes I included leaf patterns as well.

This drawing was tricky and these type of drawings can take a lot of patience but I’m happy with how it turned out!

In the book that I am reading the author explains in her introduction how “The meditative process of drawing these intricate and imaginative patterns will allow you to escape from daily life wherever you are and whenever you like.” (Schaadt 7)  

I wanted to ask you guys... Does drawing helps you stayed relaxed and do you think it’s a meditative activity? I think so! J Comment Below!

Thanks for reading this blog post! I hope you enjoyed it!  

Schaadt, Susanne. Zendoodle: Meditative Drawing to Calm Your Inner Self. Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Search, 2015. Print.

Kaedyn Attempts to Draw; Burns Hand and Murders Several Markers

Hello Everyone! Happy New Years Eve!

I was debating whether or not to make this post a video, and now unfortunately I don't have a choice. I burned my left hand, so now I have only my right one to type with, which makes things painfully slow. "Hot plate" is not just a clever name.

I apologize for the low volume and the tilted video, but I'm particularly inept with filming timelapses and my phone was not incredibly helpful with that fact.

(Also, did you know in Russia they wear engagement rings on their right hand? Me neither. Thank you, Viktor Nikiforov, for making this especially confusing for me).
Enjoy!

Edit: I fixed the video, but it can only be played here now- http://sendvid.com/a6upuh4y
It's not a virus, I promise!

Here's the finalized comic because the video is super low quality on Blogger, apparently. 

Bunyapen, Supittha. Shojo Wonder Manga Art School: Create Your Own Cool Characters and Costumes with Markers. Cincinnati, OH: Impact, 2011. Print.

Remember Ribbon Drawing

REMEMBER RIBBON

For my second drawing, I will be drawing a remember ribbon from the book "How to Draw Cool Stuff" by Catherine V. Holmes. To draw this properly, I will need to understand "How to create the illusion of shadows and light in a drawing" (Holmes 51). By learning how to do this, it will add dark and light values that make the ribbon appear more realistic.

Steps:
1. The first step is to draw a skinny oval. Then draw a triangle underneath the oval, to make it look like an upside down cone.

2. Erase the bottom of the oval and add two, small curved lines extending from the triangle. Then connect the two lines by drawing an arch.

3. From the point of the triangle, continue the two lines diagonally so it appears as an X.

4. Draw two lines at a light slope extending from the top arch and draw two more diagonal lines extending from the angled lines. Then close the ribbon ends with diagonals.

5. Add shading, starting with dark areas first and add light layers with your pencil. Extend the shading further down the ribbon by adding a slightly lighter shade next to the medium shadows. If you want, you can take a tissue covering your finger tip and gently blend in the shading to make the lines blend away.

 By using shading, it adds depth and form to the ribbon and it makes it look real. The definition of shading in the book says "Showing change from light to dark in a picture by darkening areas that would be shadowed and leaving other areas light" (Holmes 51). Shading is important because it provides the illusion of dimension and depth.

Remember ribbons are commonly used to bring awareness to certain kinds of cancer. They represent the different kinds of cancers through colors. This is a great thing to learn how to draw because it can be put to a great cause and spread awareness to people. Also, it is very quick and easy, that anyone can do! Trust me, if I can do it, you can too.

What are your thoughts on how this simple drawing can bring awareness to a larger cause? Tell me what you think in the comments below(:

Holmes, Catherine V. How to Draw Cool Stuff. N.p.: Library Tales, 2014. Print.

THROWING SHADE

Drawing Side Portraits

   "Throwing Shade"

Welcome back everyone!

I hope we all had a wonderful winter break :) 

Side portraits are different than regular portraits because you cannot do the regular oval and easy guide lines. Many facial features come out when looking to the side and its important to capture it all. This includes shadings such as the cheek bone, jaw line, nose, and probably some more. 

This is the reference Picture

When shading, its good to remember some things:

1. Shade in a tight spiral motion
• This will allow all the different shades to blend together and make one, nice, smooth finish.
2. Start shading light then get darker as you go
• Its difficult to start over when you shaded too dark. Plus, there will be less room for "happy accidents" if you shade lightly then go darker. 
3. please use a pencil
• pens don't work for beginners 

Personally, side portraits aren't my favorite type of portraits. You got to rely on the picture more often and there isn't a lot of guidelines to help with. Practice makes perfect so lets get started!

1. Make a crescent and draw two lines. One will be the jawline and the other will be the eye line. This is all the guidance we're going to have today.  

2. Start drawing in the nose, chin, mouth, and forehead. Look at the picture for reference and draw very lightly. If you draw to darkly, it will leave a mark when you erase it and your mistake will be there for everyone to see. 

3. My bad, I forgot to take pictures for all the steps :/  Draw in the eyes and nostrils. Add shading areas around the face. Give light, definite lines for where shading occurs. Look at the light and dark areas of the face. Beatty Edwards, author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, says "Curiously, though we use light/shadow to interpret and recognize objects, we pay almost no attention to the specific shapes of the lights and the shadows" (Edwards 180). Shapes define a face and can be manipulated to created a realistic 3D face.a This is my favorite part because it looks so futuristic and super cool. Next draw in the hair. It's important to see all the little details in the hair. It isn't one big block, it has lines and shapes in it. Draw in the neck and give it some shade

4. Shading! This is a fun part because now the drawing comes to life. The shading areas do not mean its one dark block but instead, tells you the boundaries of how dark a place can be (forgive me, I'm not good at words). Remember to use picture reference. 

5. Shading the hair is time consuming and i don't like it so i get sloppy. Many artist say that you should draw every individual hair but that makes me ultra depressed. I use shading to get by and it kind of works. Some good advice by Edwards is to "look for the major directional movements, the exact turn of a strand or wave" (Edwards 162) Again, look at the picture to see all the dark and lights of the hair. Look for patterns so you don't have to stare at the picture for hours. 

6. Congratulations! You got through it! I am 100% sure that your drawing looks spectacular. 

Can I just say sorry for the brownish looking pictures? My bedroom lighting isn't good at 1:13 AM I don't know why.

I also enjoy listening to music when drawing and I'd like to recommend some nice bops that I listen to :)

Doomsday by MF Doom 

I. The Worst Guys [feat. Chance the Rapper] by Childish Gambino 

Super Rich Kids by Frank Ocean 

These are just a few that I like :))  

Thank you for reading my blog. Please give me your thoughts and questions in the comment section down below. 

 QOTD: what do you think of Bob Ross?

Thank you and have a great day!

Edwards, Betty. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence. Los Angeles: J.P. Tarcher, 1979. Print.