Category: art

Really stoaked

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I have a lot of painting coming up, all projects are my own and are for gifts for my friends. But I am so excited about it.

The only one I can talk about is Christmas cards. Sick of having to buy cards, or getting ‘handycraft’ cards, I decided that this year I am going to make handmade cards. It is going to be painted scenes, and festive colours mostly. Just something a little different.

It feels really personal if someone has done that. I also have a few winter photographs from last year I may use. Like of photos of the glen, like nice snowy pictures. Actually never been this excited about christmas cards, actually never been so excited about christmas so early. But I can’t help it.

I have been stuck in this almighty rut all summer, and now I have the motivation to do something, I can’t help but get excited. Whoooo!

Sue Says: Urban Art

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Urban art is a newly added tag to what used to be known as street art, graffiti and the like. It is now common for the stylings to be called Urban, seeing as the style has worked its way into exhibitions and influence more traditional artists. I have been looking at a lot of this style, and I like the precision of it all.

Images, like the one above, is created by using stencils to get the desired effect. This is something that is very consuming and takes a lot of paitence and practice. One of the best practicioners of this art is, Brittish geurilla-artist, Banksy. First he was a nuisence, spray painting on walls with no warning. Banksy is annonymous, because what he does, no matter how much someone pays for it, is still an act of vandilism. So noone knows what he looks like, which for an artist is rare. He has a spokesperson who does all his dealings on his behalf.

Although Banky still deals with the same political ideals he always has, the publics reaction to him has changed. Once a scourged member of society, now he is a much loved figure in the art world. Like desipite it still being vandilism, it is accepted.

This change has lead to the graffiti style been used more regular within all branches of art. It has become attatched to music, with it being used within the punk rock and hip hop areas, which it was before, its just a lot more widespread.

Plans for the summer

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

*Finish learning Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car on the guitar

*Get my website planned and built

*Get some more tshirts designed and up in the shop

*Try and learn some basic German

*Work some overtime

*Get myself highered as a designer

*Really get into scrapbooking again. I am doing things, it’s just a bit slow right now.

*Blog and Vlog my summer.

*Dye and re-cut my hair.

*Have some time off work, and relax a bit.

*Try and see friends whilst there is some free time.

——

On a good note, I am working on my sketchbook whilst I am at work, because drawing and doodling away, helps keep me more focused (sounds strange I know). Going to try and draw one thing each night. Maybe. Probably not, but I am going to TRY and do one thing a night in my sketch book. So lets see how that goes.

Back on track

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Day 2 of operation ‘Make myself Work’. And guess what?

I actually did some work. *does a victory dance*

Ok, I probably could have done more, but some work is better than no work, right? I did a bit of mixed media, which means me, bits of paper, glue and lots of coloured ink. Total good fun.

The ‘mixed media’ is for my Art & Design unit, which is self-expressive. Where I have to advertise ‘Me’ as I would any other product. Kind of had an idea of blogging and putting my blogs as  little progress reports through my project. I think that is good, as blogging is one of the most common ways I get my thoughts and feelings across. So because I include that as a big part of who I am, right now,  I think it would be a good idea to have blogs through my sketchbook. Unsure of whether it is a good idea or not. Not really talked to anyone else about it, other than myself, so don’t know if it’s going to be successful or not.

The ‘Me’ project is going to be messy, as I am a messy person in general. And it is also going to be a contrast to my Graded Unit, for which all the pages have been created digitally. I think that will be intresting, to have my two projects contrasting in that way. Besides, if I did them both digitally, I think I’d be pulling my hair out, as I am very arty and enjoy making my mess.

Digital work is something, I am having to force myself to do, as it does not come naturally. I am constantly being told, that it is good to get out of your comfort zone everyone in a while. I am getting better at using Photoshop and illustrator, but I still get a headache. Probably because I am infront of a PC all day at college, at my work (Sky) and again at home, when I am trying to finish things. So I’m not really suprized I like to spend some time off the computer.

The Search For Inspirado

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I am so super distracted right now.

The money situation is getting no better, and I am just ‘grr-ing’ at everything. I’m just not getting anything done, and just banging my head of a brick wall. I am progressing slowly, though. Very slowly. So slowly, I may even start going backwards, just for the hell of it.

I seem to be using my financial  situation as an excuse for being so crap at the moment. But I need to get a grip, I can’ t keep on blaming other things for my failure. Sooo *deep breath, I am forcing myself to get some drawings done. I know, I know, I should be doing college work, but I need to get a build-up of my drawing portfolio as well as doing my units. I haven’t spent any time on art work for a while, and I feel that may be what is causing such an issue.

Soooo, in a bid to get started again, I am drawing a centaur (horse/person), as an attempt to get motivated. We’ll see what comes from it, I guess

Picks of the bunch

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I spend a lot of time on the internet, as you probably already know, so I thought I’d post my ‘finds of the day’. Its basically a way for me to bookmark what I like, and what I may not like. It seems like a good idea, but I always find interesting things, then forget where I found them. This was an idea I thought of, on my way home from work, tonight.

Draw!

http://drawn.ca

This site features various types of illustrations and cartoons. It has been created as a collaboration blog, where more than one person can update the blog, and post things. A quick scroll down the main page shows the variety of the work on show here. The blog is updated, usually, every few days, and this keeps the site fresh and up to date. It is a good site for browsing through when you are looking for some much needed inspiration. As a person, who works both in traditional media, and digitally, I find the range of creations on this site very broad, and the site seems to have all bases covered. I highly recommend this site to anyone with an intrest in art.

Last FM

http://last.fm

LastFM is a site that I use a lot. It is a ‘social music network’, and I use it to find new music. You can use the site in a number of ways. The way I tend to use it, is by allowing last.fm to note what songs I listen to on either iTunes or Windows Media Player.  It does this using a technique called ‘scrobbling’. It works by installing an ‘add-on’ to your music player of choice, and keeps a note of each song you listen to, and sends it to your page on the main site. This then creates a library of the artists you listen to, and the site recommends you some artists, which are similar to what you already listen too. The site also enables a user, to listen to ‘radio stations’ online (available via subscription in some countries). As well as having pages for listeners, bands and artists can create their own pages, where they can upload their own tracks and promote themselves. This is one of my favourite websites, mostly because it contains a lot of music, which is what I am personally interested in. I have discovered 9 bands in the last 2 days, and these are bands I would never have heard off (Russian Punk, anyone?). The site has seen a reccent rush of upgrades, as it made a deal with Microsoft, for the LastFM radio service to be available through its Xbox 360 console. This has opened the site up to a wider audience, and has proven to be very successful for the site.

The Casualties- We Are All We Have

A hardcore punk band from New York City, The Casualties are a huge influence on me. They have been one of my favourite bands for a few years now. I love the energy that they pile into every song, it blew me away the first time I heard them. They are one of the bands I haven’t seen live yet. This is the type of music which influences me most.

Progress…..kinda

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Well I am still writing this god forsaken essay on the history of Illustration. I know what it is I need to write, and what I want to say, but after 5 days, I have two paragraphs. So its getting there, but I think a snail has a faster pace than this essay.

Sooo, giving up for a bit to do the work on the artists. Because I think that will hold my attention more, as I have a thing about talking about artists. So hopefully that will go a bit better. *fingers crossed*

So the movement and artists. I am focusing on two artists per movement.

Art Nouveau- Henri Toulouse-Lautrec & Alphonse Mucha

Arts & Crafts – Eric Gill & Walter Crane

Bauhaus- Paul Klee & Wassily Kandinsky

Futurism- Wladimir Burliuk & Gino Severini

For my essay.
As I have already said, I am doing illustration. So first of all I am going to do the history of illustration, which I am currently working through. I need to mention two movements which were of importance to illustration. And then pick two artists from each movement, and why they I view them as important to illustration, and its progression through the ages.

Kind of confused with which I should do. So I’ll do my artist work for my sketch book first. And then take it from there.
*crosses fingers*

Inspiration- artists

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I am currently trying to drum together lots of things, which inspire me in work, and what I do. ]

I am going to look at all the artists, both graphic and traditional that inspire me.
The first one, is an artist I talk about frequently. Salvador Dali. I love his obscure images he created. The fact that he was so incentric and was amzing at attracting attention to himself and promoting his work. Which in any type of art, is necessary. You need to have the courage and belief to promote yourself and your work. And thats what I took from him.

I also admire Kat Von D. I know it sounds a bit ‘off’ naming her as an artist. But aside from the profile she has provided to the tattooing world, she also has an ever increasing portfolio of work, that she does, alongside the day job. She has a very good outlook on life, and I like that. Again she is another artist, who believes in endless self-promotion. But in a world where artists, no matter what the genre, have to do some self promotion, if they want to succeed. So if you cannot sell yourself, and your work, then there is no point in looking for an artistic career. She also takes a huge influence from music, which is one is my main influence in life in general. She also has a habit of overworking herself, which is something people are constantly telling me I do.

John Constable is another one of my favourite artists. I love how he came out against what was the trend at the time, which was a lot of drawing from imagination and things. He believed taht he had to take art from what was directly in front of him. He is noted as saying that ‘beauty in the world, is noticing its imperfections, that in itself is perfection’. I think that is great, as not every leave you see is not identical and they are all different. Although his work was very upmarket, they are genuinely beautiful images.

Charlie Harper is another influencial artist. He is lead singer for a punk band called the UK Subs, and he also produces his own art work. I first saw his work two years ago at a punk festival, called Rebellion, which I go to every year. He shows a lot of urban. grunge style work, and his work comes across as if he is frustrated. Many strong emotions are shown in art. I love the idea that Charlie doesn’t feel that just because he is succesful with music that he should stick with that, and he does well at art also.

Not so much fail as I thought

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Well, despite all my whining I was doing before, I am not as bad off as I thought I was.
I am still motivated, so I have been doing a lot of drawings in my sketchbook and that. So I am still being creative. Just being a bit peeved I have to use MS Paint to scan anything in, which is just in inconvienience really. I mean Paint is pants.
I have been playing with Corel Painter, but you need a lot of practice to work it properly. I can make a good mess on it though :D

I did eventually get round to painting my hand (no, not that one), which I don’t hate. I love watercolour, and its nice to be able to use it too let of some frustration.

I have an another attendance hearing at work. Oops, maybe I should cut down on the sicky days. I have tried, and its not my fault I had the flu. I mean I couldn’t talk, so I couldn’t do my job. Stupid work.

Anyway, I am enjoying my job more, and despite being more skint than I ever thought possible, I am generally quite happy.

Slightly anxious about the whole brother/army/Afghanistan thing, but I have already blogged my two cents about that http://riotgraphics.blogspot.com/2009/07/government-govern.html

But, for once in my life, I am chilled and happy.
Something tells me to make the best of it whilst I still can.

Oh, and because I have been listening to Black Flag and Anti-Flag all day and am in fact drawing a flag, its Flag Day. So happy flag day

Headache

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Why the hell have I become so dependant on computer software. I mean I never used to use anything, just paint and draw. And now the software has gone tits up, I feel so lost.

I think I like the security that I can view pieces on my computer, before I post them. I have a hand I am going to paint, and then Im going to scan in my sketch book.  I’ll get that all done tonight.

Its kinda nice to focus on painting and that. I mean I spent all afternoon yesterday sitting painting in the garden. Which was something I haven’t done in forever.  And it felt so nice.

I have totally fell in love with art reccently, and it is such a stressbuster in my life, and I can’t say how much I appreciate being able to do things like paint and draw. Its been such a major part in my whole life, and it always will be.

The best thing about coming back to my art, is that I am to see where I’ve improved. Like my portraits are slightly less alien-looking that what they used to be. And I can also see my own style developing with my draw, which I suppose is me showing the way I feel most comfortable.  I suppose I am quite a sketchy drawer, but I like looking at things like that as well.

I suppose it shows a lot of expression, and I like that in comparission to works which are strict and realistic. I mean of course that is beautiful, but to me it may not express me, personally. Which is why I got into art.