Holiday Season Update.

Sorry for the gap in posting, I've switched most of my online presence onto Instagram, since it's fairly accessible in terms of scheduling posts and easily uploading stuff there.

It also doesn't help that blogger's formatting tools are really janky when it comes to adding images to a post. I was surprised at how easily Tumblr in particular dealt with images. 

I've completed a few personal projects also, and have been meandering my way through various books and tutorials.  More on those at a later date..

Since the previous post, I've completed 35 out of 42 of the 6 week art challenge projects (based on the book from Veronica Lawlor)- I am not affiliated.

Some highlights so far were:

01/42 of the #6weekartchallenge

 You will need:
-Razor-point pen/marker (Pigma micron etc.)
-Paper.
-Household items/sentimental objects.

The first challenge involves selecting a few items around the house and creating a still life from them.

Using a razor-point pen (I used the Pigma Micron 01), we should draw our still life in a continuous line, only removing the pen from the paper occasionally. Mistakes are fine, just get through it!

There's also a variation that involves trying a drawing of someone in your home- but I'm the only human in my home, and my cats get too excitable if they see that I'm trying to draw them.. Maybe I'll give it a try sometime though.

Lawson recommends that we should focus on the object that we're drawing, rather than the actual drawing. It's an observation exercise, so let the pen move more freely as you observe shape, form, textures and patters. (I forgot this part so I feel like my drawing might have come out a little tighter than intended.)

If you want a more thorough version, check out the book- I don't want to plagiarize it word-for-word, rather I'd like to attempt the challenge myself firstly, then put the lesson into my own words and add my own experience.

#6weekartchallenge01
#artist #artstudent #drawingaday #drawing #artistshoppinglist #artchallenge2021 #pigmamicron #razorpen #sketch #sketchaday #lineart #lineartwork #penandpaper #singleline

Making my own Bamboo pens!

DIY Bamboo pens!

Here's my preparation work for the third exercise of the #6weekartchallenge . TAKE CARE WHEN USING SHARP TOOLS! WEAR EYE PROTECTION.

This is how I made the bamboo pens myself, since my local shops don't stock them, and the online stores want to charge too much for imported Japanese pens.

As I live in Sichuan, China, I can actually find wild bamboo within walking distance! I made sure not to remove any live plants, only picking up a few select shafts from the ground.

Firstly- I washed and dried a few sections of bamboo (I simply used my hands to bend/snap each bamboo-finger at the knuckle.)

 

I then drilled a hole through one end, and inserted a sharp knife, and carefully drew it down the shaft in order the split the bamboo cylinder into two halves. (May need to wash/dry again!)

Each half will become a pen.

Start by sharpening one end into a rough point. Then drill a small hole a little up from where the stick begins to taper to a point.

Insert the tip of a craft knife into the hole, pointing towards the pointed end of the pen, and carefully cut away from yourself in order to split the tip into two halves.

You might find that the split isn't in the middle- sharpen and shave either side of the pen-tip until its symmetrical enough.

After that, you can shave and sand down the sharp edges along the shaft of the bamboo.

Finally, I added some wood varnish in order to try and protect the permeable bamboo. Time will tell whether this was a good idea or not!

At least for now I have a set of six varied bamboo pens, ready to experiment with!

For the third exercise, you will need:

-Bamboo pen. (a sharpened shaft of hard bamboo- I had to make my own.)

-Loose ink + container.

-Humans. (Safety first!)

-Paper/sketchpad.

 

#artist #artstudent #drawingaday #drawing #artchallenge2021 #sketch #sketchaday #bamboopen #lifestudy #portraiture #diycrafts #diydippen #diybamboopen #artsandcrafts

The Veronica Lawlor 'One drawing a day' illustration coursebook.

 

 

Scan the QR code with your smart device for the amazon link to Lawlor's book.

 

#6weekartchallenge

I'm going to be working on the lessons from Veronica Lawlor's course, one drawing every day for 6 weeks (42 in total).

Feel free to purchase a copy of the book, join in with the hashtag and let's see how much we can improve under her advice!

 

There also seems to be quite the shopping list of materials, some standard, some less-so..

 

I'm going to use the list to keep track of what I need to order. I'll aim to start the challenge sometime in mid-November. Check out my Instagram and my Facebook to get the most up-to-date posts.

Required:

-Graphite pencils. (6+ soft to hard pencils.)

-Charcoal. (a few pencils and a small box of compressed charcoal.)

-Fountain pen.

-Ink.

-Nib holder and Nibs. (At least 2 holders and an assortment of nib sizes/styles.)

-Bamboo pens. (Three thicknesses. May need to search for Japanese bamboo pen. I'll go out, find some bamboo myself, and DIY some pens.)

-Watercolour paints. (Both pan set 12+colours, plus tubes of watercolour paint including at least one shade of each primary and secondary colours for mixing (R,Y,B and V,O,G) plus black and white.)

-Watercolour brushes. (At least one small and one large.)

-Crayons and magic markers. (Small box + small selection.)

-Watercolour crayons. (12+ colours.)

-Pastels. (24+ colours.)

-Coloured pencils. (15+ shades including primary/secondary colours.)

-Oil crayons. (12+ colours.)

-Paper. (White paper that can take wet and dry media. Sometimes watercolour and charcoal papers.)

Recommended:

-Water Spray bottle.

-Turpenoid/turpentine substitute.

-Pencil sharpener.

-Kneaded eraser.

-Conté crayons.

-Spray can/hairspray/fixative. (Beware fumes.)

-Scissors, tape, glue stick, craft knife.

-Computer with photoshop/procreate/graphics program.

-Plastic bags and small jars for working on location.

-Gouache paints, pan pastels, watercolour dyes, oil sticks for the future.

- Disclosure: I am not affiliated in any way with Lawlor, their publisher or Amazon.

#artist #artstudent #drawingaday #drawing #artistshoppinglist

Hugo Barrie Blog UHD PureRef inspiration board.

 

Click the image for the original

The 5 practitioners that I chose were:

• Kim JungGi
• Kentaro Miura
• James Gurney
• Andrew Tischler
• Nicolai Fechin

 I did some background research into each of them, and found that they also draw inspiration from a rich pool. 

 

Kim JungGi is influenced by Akira Toriyama's Dr Slump Manga (the shading and character design language is echoed strongly in Kim's work), American Illustrator Charles Dana Gibson (illustrations of people in action, emphasis on story and character) and also by fellow manga artist Kim Yonghwan. (filling the page, military/sci-fi themed illustrations)

He's well known for being able to recreate images from memory, but what impresses me most is his ability to balance a composition and account for perspective in situ- little-to-no need for a pre-drawing, he can just jump in with ink and every stroke and mark seems purposeful and planned... It's true mastery.

Kentaro Miura was influenced by some contemporaries such as Kouji Mori (Holyland, Sousei no Taiga) and Go Nagai (Violence Jack) as well as manga/anime Guin Saga and even Shoji/romance.  

Furthermore, Miura also drew inspiration from the works of Hieronymus Bosch.

He has a huge body of work in the Berserk manga, with thousands of drawings, mostly in pen and ink. The panels are violent, dark, emotive and richly detailed. The story is just as important, but the panels really help drive home the moments and the feelings.

James Gurney is a fountain of knowledge and information, his Gurneyjourney blog is an incredible (and free) resource that I'm happy to recommend to anyone with even a tangential artistic interest. 

As such, Gurney shares his inspirations and thoughts freely and generously- some of the names that stood out to me were his contemporary artist and travel companion Thomas Kinkade; a prolific American painter. 

Other Artists include John Singer Sargent (Incredible portraits, light and colour), Anders Zorn (His etchings capture the essence of his subjects with minimal pencil mileage) as well as paintings that pull and push the level of detail.

Joaquín Sorolla's beach scenes and water have a loose, pleasing aspect- with stories to tell.

Tom Lovell is an example of a great American illustrator, I can't help but feel captured by his characters and use of dynamic lighting.

M.C Escher's perspective experiments are also an excellent inspiration- and I'm sure he's had some influence on Kim JungGi on some level.

Normal Rockwell really is a master of illustrative painting- ever character has so much energy and character, and the colour schemes are carefully thought out and well executed.

Adolph Menzel also used his excellent painting ability to create dramatic scenes, and his armour studies are something that many boys and men can resonate with!

Andrew Tischler recently caught my eye thanks to YouTube- to call his paintings photo-realistic would be damning with faint praise, they elevate the subject and express the grandeur of nature wonderfully.

Like a younger James Gurney, Tischler also shares much of his knowledge and inspiration openly and freely online. Though both also offer more in-depth tutorials and videos to paying customers. (Something that I'll look into learning from once I have my basics down.)

Tischler has many inspirations, including many local Australian artists such as Hans Heysen (Made the gum tree into a real icon, interesting use of warm light), Frederick McCubbin and his landscape+portrait combinations, and buzzing brushwork.

Other Australian inspirations include Arthur Streeton (Limited but gorgeous landscapes) and Thomas Roberts' expressive pastel coloured landscapes.

Tischler is also inspired by artists from the Hudson River School, for example Thomas Moran's moody and strikingly-lit landscapes/weather. Albert Bierstadt had a similar style, though the grandeur and lighting seems to be a touch more powerful.

The works of Carl Rungius truly feel like the work of a mountain man- his wildlife and scenery make me want to move to some American mountain range and live off the land.

Tischler is a relatively young artist, but his skill is way ahead of his years- it's well worth considering his approach and ethos in order to make progress in a more timely manner.

Nicolai Fechin hailed from Russia, his portraiture demonstrates total mastery of drawing, value, composition and a range of brushwork. 

I learned that he recommended learning how to use Red, Blue and Yellow as the basic colours, and to learn how to distinguish between the three. Fechin would apply his paints "layer by layer, creating a 'vibration.'"

I found that he was a student prodigy, traveling around Europe and later America and demonstrating his skill.

His contemporary, Ilya Repin is a wonderful artist in his own right- where Fechin's work masterfully moves between exquisite detail and lush expressive strokes, Repin's work is much more grounded in realism- his pieces all seem to express a story in the characters eyes and actions.

11-31 Inktober Challenge

 I now have-

Instagram: @Hugobarrieart

Facebook page: @HugoBarrieArt

Check them out for more regular short-form works and updates.

Sour took ages to inspire me, and I eventually settled for these sour expressions.

Stuck had me thinking of a traffic jam during my 'golden week' holiday.

Roof shows a dragon on a roof. Was feeling some Kim Jung Gi vibes.

A tick with a tick. Just Don't it!

To celebrate Blue Origin's suspiciously-shaped rocket leaving the atmosphere.

Compass is a little clichéd but it was an interesting enough idea.

Impact resulted from bingeing one too many episodes of My Hero Academia.

Did you know that there may be Tardigrades on the moon?

My daily 'loop'- 2021, colourized.

Sprouting from the corpse of humanity. Cheerful stuff!

Fuzzy let me get out my colour markers (not Copics </3) and create a simple, fuzzy and perplexed character.

My cat opening up for some chicken drumstick.

A leaky, giant mech. Should have pushed the perspective harder instead of opting for 'floaty camera'

Extinct marks my second, not-so-successful attempt at using colour markers. On the plus side, I bought James Gurney's 'how I paint dinosaurs' tutorial on gumroad as a result.

Guts, the struggler, splats all of his foes in Kentaro Miura's Berserk. This is my copy/adaptation of a panel from that Manga.

Connect did not connect with me.

Back to Berserk for 'Spark'- this time an entirely original composition, based on existing characters and references. Doesn't hold up against an authentic Miura masterpiece. Yet.

Crispy, crispy bacon. I should have pushed the perspective a little harder on the foremost rasher.

Patch is a bit more cutesy than my normal work, have to be diverse and try to tell a story.

Following my 'story' angle with 'slither'-ing snails.

The End of #Inktober2021! Risk was far from a safe bet- I got the idea from a wechat video of some crazy kids, penciled in my perspective and took a risk with the unforgiving brush pen. Feels good to make a little bit of progress!

08-10 Inktober Challenge

Watch was initially going to be a wristwatch study, but then I had the idea of a peeping Tom watching through a hole in the wall in an Eastern-style bathhouse. I tried out some orthographic perspective but the foreshortening aspect perplexed and ultimately defeated me this time. Still, quite a fun sketch.

Pressure could also have gone one of two ways- I'd been watching the H.R Giger-inspired Alien series and had half a mind to sketch the idea of mental pressure/strain in the face of horror. However I ended up going with something more inside my comfort zone, a deep sea diving expedition, complete with my mental approximation of a lanternfish. I also did this during an English test (not much else for the teacher to do..), so it had to be SFW and quick enough to fit inside the 20 minute test window.

 

I've drawn something similar to this perspective before- a deep 1st person perspective of my desk at work. However, this time, the theme of 'pick' had me thinking of picking my nose (well, also pickaxes, but I thought that adding little miners to the sketch would be too, ahem, on the nose)... I used a mirror to check out the contours of the inside of my own nose and let my imagination take care of the rest... On a related note, can anyone recommend a decent nose-hair trimmer?

04-07 Inktober Challenge

Knot- I wanted to play on the word by including both a rope knot, as well as a knotted tree branch with knotted roots.  Once I got around to the background I ran out of steam and decided to leave the piece as-is.

Raven was quite enjoyable, I looked up some references and went straight in with the Muji pen. I feel like I have a better grasp of crows/ravens now.

A Chinese spirit pouring Chinese spirits (ErGuoTou BaiJiu). I did a bit of post-processing since the photograph was taken in poor lighting conditions. I should think about getting a scanner really, though. Maybe in the 11.11 sale.

I was originally thinking of a desk fan, then I looked at my wall and realised that a hand-fan would be much more interesting- I envisioned some huge gust being created from the fan and this is the result. I could stand to work on my layout some more in future iterations- those legs and head aren't quite cohesive, as well as the position of our gust-victim. I really like his pose and expression, however.

02-03 Inktober Challenge

So, I went moto-camping for 3 days and was unable to follow up on my daily sketches.

I'll be working through prompts 4-6 today so that I can get caught up.

Prompt 2: Suit. I got the brush pen out and sketched from imagination. Not my best work but there are some parts that I like.

Prompt 3: Vessel. I had envisioned some kind of docking station between two different kinds of space vessel. I wanted to use 5 point perspective to really emphasize the sense of scale- though I feel like I didn't quite hit the right beats, particularly on the right-side of the image. I'll put more thought into composition using cubes to lay out my scene next time.