1st Journal page for my drawings done

I have started a journal to try and get better with the drawing/painting etc....... so here is the first one, I really suck at paints I can tell you all, I repainted the hair 3 times and now have given up LOL and decided to call it done for now, I obviously need a lot more practice using the paints and brush - it totally drove me to distraction....anyways will post them as I do them, hopefully it will encourage me to do better as I go back through my beginning attempts   :o)))

Attempted a drawing

Was a cold and rainy day here yesterday so sat down in the lounge with my pencils and started a drawing, I would  like to learn how to paint properly so am going to start sketching stuff into a book, but this I had just grabbed a lined page and started sketching, not great but better than I expected LOL

Update on drawing faces

Ok so here we go again, hope I am not boring you lot with all this as I have taken a heap of photos today, below is the other two faces pencilled in and just the start of colouring them

Below is the face I started in the previous posts, as you can see I have done a bit on both eyes now and also started shading the nose area, amazing what a bit of white dabbed here and there does to the dimension, starts to take it from flat to a 3D look, pencil used for that is a white pastel pencil very soft and easy to blend with. Also used an off flesh toned one on either side of the nose. The eyes on this one are a bit murky as I have played with them too much, but I will be spraying this later on with a fixative and then redoing some of the colours over the top again.

A bit more colour on this face and the one further below

Starting to put some colour on the lips

Now on one of the faces I am not happy with the iris placement so am going to attempt to fix it, in the below pictures the iris on the left is places way to far inside the outline of the eye so I am using a white gel pen to try and blot it out and then once its dry (this will take a few applications) I will try and get some more green over the top and then make the iris line further out – fingers crossed it works

the below pictures the iris on the left is places way to far inside the outline of the eye so I am using a white gel pen to try and blot it out and then once its dry (this will take a few applications) I will try and get some more green over the top and then make the iris line further out – fingers crossed it works

First layer laid down and its very see through, just let it dry and then in the next picture pop a bit more over to start to make it disappear.

Next installment of face pictures

Hello again, well I managed to get a wee bit more done of the doll face, I have just started one eye so you can see the difference adding a bit here and there makes. Now in showing this process - things happen and this face may not work out yet - as often happens, of course this will be just my luck to happen when I decide to show how I do them......... of course LOL..... I have two more which I will stuff and start as well so fingers crossed one of em will work out. This one has very oversize eyes but with hair etc and a small body this can make a bit of a statement, (well that's just my opinion and of course I am covering my bum in case it goes wrong he he)

Anyways this next picture shows the start of putting a bit of extra oomph on to the eye area, I am never finished until its finished I can change things all the time and colours until I am happier with it, although a lot of times I am not happy with the finished product as most doll makers would attest, we are all our own worst critics.

In this picture below you can see more black has been added to the eye and the iris and some shading under the eye

Next one below, I have added some wispy eyelashes (I hate doing eyelashes and most times don't do them on dolls, certainly not on the upper eye, usually just do a very dark thick eyeliner effect, but every now and again I attempt bottom lashes)

And just a closer look at the eye, my gosh really putting myself out here Eeek LOL anyways gives a good look at the penciled in eyes and mouth as well, I also struggle with mouths so we shall see how this one goes. This face also has to have shading done as well and of course both eyes need to be done so as soon as I have more time I will continue on and take more pictures, hopefully with the other two faces as well.

On a roll today

After finishing the quilt today I thought I had better get going and do some doll faces again, use it or lose it as the saying goes and its the same with drawing the faces. So I thought seeing as I am practicing I would give you all a glimpse into the process I do when doing a flat face.

You will notice at the top of the faces there is a sort of "onion top" LOL..... sorry just looked at it and thought my gosh .......hehe....... basically I always do a tab instead of just leaving an opening for stuffing then as you stuff that tab folds inside and you have a nice edge to sew up plus no fraying as you stuff. The hair of course will hide this once its on and having this at the top of the head means you get a really nice finish at the chin area.

I also like to draw my faces on lightly with pencil prior to stuffing, I find it easier to get the face right by doing this. (just my preference)

This is only the start of the layering process just getting some colour on there and will build it up as I go, well hopefully, as its been a while since Ive done any faces.

Ive been drawing and look what Hubby brought me

Woohoo I have been having small play with my pencils, these will be looking out a small window for a wee wall hanging quilt..........AND look what I got this afternoon, my husband came back from town not with the elcheapo little oven I sent him off for but the super deluxe model wohoooo, this is for me to try doing some clay in.......all in all a good day

Mucking About and UFO's

Well its the weekend and have heaps on my plate this week so to speak, so really have not felt much like sewing this weekend. Although I did feel like painting so decided to paint another little face that I had lying about here, which I just love doing. Pictures below - not quite finished yet, I need to do a bit more blending etc and a bit more shading yet to finish off.

We have been having a discussion about UFO's in my favorite Yahoo group, CRAFT, and I replied to one of the posts with the following, which I thought I would share with you all - it works for me.

"Well I dont have any UFO's mainly because this year I have decided that if I am making something and I am hating it or not enjoying it then out it goes...........I am doing this because

a) I want to

b) I want to have fun

c) I enjoy creating

so if it doesnt come under a, b or c.................then in the rubbish it goes. I figure if I dont enjoy doing it now I am not going to enjoy doing it later either ........and no guilt trip cause I never see it again to agonise over"

Another update of the faces for you

I have zapped home from work tonight and put some more colour on the faces, they have now been sealed and once they are dry I can do some more shading to finish them off. Once I have done that then they will be sealed again. Pheww. Actually cannot wait to see what they will look like with some hair - totally different of course. I still need to do more colouring and blending yet.

(click on the pics for a larger view)

More progress pics of elves

Ok, I managed to get some more layers onto the faces, so here is a pic to show the next stage. Not finished yet, still more layering to go.

Update on little elves or whatever they decide to be

Pheww, three posts in a day, this wont happen often as I am back to work tomorrow. Here are some pics of two of my little faces partially painted, there is heaps more that needs to be done to them but they need to dry now as I am starting to get some bleed whilst painting, no problems because once they dry I can fix up any bleeds. (I love paint) Thanks so much to Natalie Hamade http://creativecharacters.blogspot.com for her awesome online classes on painting faces, she has taken the fear away for me. These little faces are only just started, but I thought it might be interesting to see the start and then what they look like when finished....... well hopefully they will turn out, you never know until things are finished... hehe....

(click on the pictures for a bigger view)

What I am working on now

I have had a week off work and for some reason have not got any sewing done, I figure that I must have needed the rest, but it doesnt feel right to have wasted the week when I could have been sewing up a storm. Anyway I decided to make something fun, small and hopefully cute, so have made up a few little heads ready to paint and colour and have picked out some material for the body and legs. The yellow will be the body and the darker fabric which is a lovely deep mauve batik for the legs. I am making up a little elf pattern which was a free pattern by Sherry Goshon

http://sherrygoshon.blogspot.com/

(click on pics for larger view)