Speak through Art, Make Someone Smile.

For some reason, people think that art is magical. That you are born with the "artistic bones" in your body. I think that art is a language skill that you can learn, like learning Spanish or French. It's learning how to speak pictorially, a language that is universally understood.It takes time, effort, practice, dedication, much like learning another language - or anything for that matter. And like any second language, you can learn basic conversation, or strive for fluency. I'm striving for that fluency, and eventually, hopefully I'll have something worth saying. Otherwise, what's the point? (other than a steady job drawing what others tell me to draw.)

Because a lot of people think that drawing ability is a magical god-given talent, it never ceases to thrill and amaze people when I draw them or their pets when I go out and do observational drawings. I love making people happy through art. It makes me feel that what I'm doing is worth while. I did these sketches while at the dog park. I gave the two ladies who owned this dog this sketch and portraits I did of them. One of the girls said "This is why I love Austin. Meet a total stranger and get your portrait done!... This is a day to remember!"

Sorry for the blurry picture, these were taken on the spot because I gave away the drawings so I couldn't scan them.

If you're an artist, go make someone smile with your art! You'll love the way you feel.

Tiffanny

Naked Lunch - Kelli Bland

 It's been a while since I got my butt back to Naked Lunch Figure Drawing for Animators. This session's model was Kelli Bland.

 The session is about 2 and a half hours of very short poses, from 1 minute - 7 minutes.

I'm glad I went because I got a fantastic ego boost by having the winning drawing for a free Naked Lunch session! Unfortunately I can't share the winning drawing because I gave it to our model as a token of my appreciation. :) I really hope she likes it! For her sake, I hope to become rich and famous, so that the drawing I gave her might someday be worth something. I'm nice like that! (hehehe)

I hope you enjoyed my drawings! Thank you for visiting!
Tiffanny

Christmas Day Sketchbook Paintings

 It was really cold yesterday, but I still wanted to go out and paint, so I just went to Austin and did these from inside the comfort of my car (and at home, after taking lots of color notes). Parking downtown is usually excruciating, but since it was Christmas, there was tons of easy parking. I smell a new Christmas tradition for me! I hope you like my little sketchbook paintings.

Until next time!
Merry Christmas!
Tiffanny

Short Pose Session, AVAA, Red-headed lady

Yay! New model last night. I draw on really big paper when I go to figure drawing (18" x 24") so I have a hard time with proportions because I don't see the entire figure at once on my paper. I'm on a donkey easel, so stepping back is not too easy (It's more of a scooch and lean-back thing that I do). Still, I LOVE drawing on big paper because I can really use my entire arm to draw. Big sweeping lines are fun. Adds energy (theoretically. In practice though, my figures still look a bit stiff)
25 minute pose...

 I've been really working on understructure before I put details on. You can really see the frame this figure was built on in this one and the next one.
10 minutes...

 5 minutes

Well, that's all for now! Hopefully I can get my readers something in color soon. :)
Thank you so much for visiting. HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!!!!!
Tiffanny

Watercolor Sketchbook - Flightpath Cafe

A cold front has covered pretty much the entire United States, and even Austin, Texas was cold today. I had to change my zoo plans. That's ok, there's a figure drawing session in town. I drove a half hour to get to the figure drawing session only to find out that it was canceled... forever! :( I decided to just try sketching people at Flightpath Cafe. I was never great at painting interiors. I like drawing and painting people though :) Hope you like it :)

Short Pose Session, AVAA, Reina

 Reina was booked as model again today at the AVAA. Once upon a time, someone commented that I only draw pretty young thin models and that I ought to expand. I soooo agree! I wish I did have a choice in the matter, but I'm not the one booking models! The recession has absolutely, without a doubt, hit us hard financially, but I'm optimistic that next year, I may be able to hire my own models. Need to practice males too. Not that Reina isn't awesome to draw, of course. And kudos to her for being in great shape.
25 minute pose...

 15 minute pose...

5 minute pose...

And that is that!
Hope you keep on visiting me and please comment if you find some bad habits. I'm aware of the thunder-thigh tendency. I continue to fight that... :)

Have a great day!!
Tiffanny

Time Lapse Watercolor Painting, Alicia and Sparky / See the painting IRL @ The Knitting Nest

Please click here to go to the video!

This the the last of the Knitters and their Cats series. This one is based on a dear friend who inspired me to take up knitting. When I lost my dog Cosmo, she knitted me my first ever hand-knit scarf to cheer me up. I was in awe. I regarded that hand made scarf as The Best Thing Ever. She made it with her own two hands, just for me. It was better than anything you could ever buy at a store. I took up knitting soon after I received that scarf. Like her, I generously knitted for others. One year, I knitted 11 pairs of socks for my family. 22 socks total. That was before I learned how to watercolor, so I had time back then :) Now my knitting obsession has been replaced by painting. I guess I have an addictive personality. Its why I stayed away from coffee for a long time. Now I'm addicted to that too. DOH. 

Knitting to me now is the treat at the end of the day. If I have felt like I've done enough art, If I have completed at least 30 minutes of exercise, if I have spent enough time with the dogs and exercised them, I will allow myself to knit. Surprisingly, even with these stipulations, I've completed a sweater and 4 pairs of socks this year :)

You can see the 4 Knitters and their Cats paintings in person at The Knitting Nest. The owner of the yarn shop is so sweet. She's an animal lover just like me. She lets her dogs hang out at the store. That's what I love about Austin. People generally love dogs here. There's almost always outdoor seating at restaurants so you can eat with your dog. There are even parks you can go swimming with your dog at! Anyway, I do go on. You're probably here to read about art and painting, and here I am rambling about knitting and dogs. DOH.

Hope you visit me again, traveler of the internets!

Tiffanny

Short Pose Session, AVAA, Reina

 I was late to the session thanks to having to run to the store to get more Cad Red Light. (Just in case I felt like painting at 2 am later.) Anyway, I was late so I had to be in the way way back standing, and I CANNOT draw standing. My deltoids are too weak and feeble. I felt like I didn't have good control over my pencil. That's my excuse anyway :) Only two drawings I can post today that wont make you gag.

Short Pose Session, AVAA, Michelle

I was really really really trying that Reilly Method I read about. It's especially apparent on the 5 minute poses. I really enjoy trying something new.  I THINK that it's helping my drawings look more rhythmic, but who knows! :)

15 minutes...

 5 minutes each figure...

 1 minute poses

Oh yes, about that tutorial. Cutting the dialogue together right now. My weekend was completely booked with my Bro-in-law in town plus a B-day party for a dear friend. Today I got a very short-term freelance job, so I put my time into that instead. Sigh. It's coming though!

Tiffanny
ps. HI PENNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Short Pose Session, AVAA, drawings of Emily, Reilly Method

 25 minute pose:

 15 minute pose:

10:

5:

You may notice the lack of 1-minute gesture drawings this time. That's because I totally blew it. I don't know where my head was, but the harder I tried, the worse it looked! 1-minute poses get my adrenalin going. There's so much to draw and so little time. Anyway, I calmed down when we hit 10 minute poses. For the 10-minutes and up poses, I kept the Reilly Method in my mind the whole time. (The Reilly Method is described in the Anatomy issue of Imagine FX, page 18. It's an incredibly elegant method, but I still need to practice more, more, more.)
Anyway, I do have some bad tendencies when I draw. One is to break the hands and feet into components, rather than having them flow from the arms/legs. I'm working to fix that. Can you spot any other bad tendencies? Mistakes I keep repeating over and over? Symbol drawings to note? (For the non-artistic, a symbol drawing is like drawing what you know, not what you see, which appear again and again in your drawing.)
OK, time to hit the spin bike. I engorged myself like a tick this weekend with ice cream, brownies, and a chocolate cheesecake from Kerby Lane Cafe.

Tiffanny
Ps. OMG! Sold my first print ! Completely unexpected.

Short Pose Session, AVAA, drawings of Reina

15 minutes...

30 minutes...

5 minutes...

1 minute...

Why are my gesture drawings nice and fluid and my longer poses so dang stiff-feeling?? (especially the 2nd drawing). I mean, I know the model isn't being as dynamic, but still, shouldn't I be able to make her less robotic-looking? If you have any tips, please help!!
Tiffanny

Watercolor - Laguna Gloria

Another perfect day in Austin, TX. I will do plein air at every possible opportunity from now until it gets too cold. This is the building at Laguna Gloria. It's not real extravagant, but it does have an elegant simplicity to it. The grounds are beautiful. I will go back and paint the area again and again.

I used to be the girl who would miss the beautiful weather outside to play hours of video games indoors. But since I began painting in watercolor, there is nothing I would rather do than be outside painting. I don't miss video games one iota. I have "found" myself as an artist, here in Austin, TX. I don't know what kept me from growing as an artist when I lived in Shrewsbury, PA. I blame myself for not having the drive I have now. I'm sure it set me back many years of growth. But now I live here, and I am creating all the time. It also really helps to have my two best painting buds Stephen and Jay who will go out painting with me at the drop of a hat and to keep me company . Painting with friends allows me to really relax and enjoy the moment. Thank you!!

Tiffanny
ps. And thanks, Jen for letting me borrow your guy for our painting excursions all the time!