1. "The Bone Carver" (from "A Court of Mist and Fury") 2. "Manon" (from "Throne of Glass" series) 3. "Wings and Ruin" (montage of characters from "A Court of Wings and Ruin") 4. "The Inner Circle" ("A Court of Mist and Fury") - inspired by Alfons Mucha:
One of my favourite digital artists is a fan of her books
The artist is Charlie Bowater (she's British, btw :)) and she makes art for book covers, among others.
And this is her fan art of Sarah J. Maas characters:
1. "Fireheart" (Aelin from "Throne of Glass") 2. "The Court of Dreams" (Rhys and Feyre from "A Court of Mist and Fury") 3. "Feyre the Fox" ("A Court of Mist and Fury") 4. "The Court of Dreams" ("A Court of Mist and Fury") - I even remember this scene from the book.
They do, but it's more the school supply end rather than professional.
So that's why I had problems with finding their brushes on Polish on-line stores with art materials... :)
Liked writing. Tried writing a romance when I was 14 but realised it's very bad. Had fun though and a friend liked it
When my best friend and her boyfriend moved abroad for some time we started exchanging e-mail messages to keep in touch and that's how I found out that she has a very fun style of writing - she made reading about ordinary stuff funny and enjoyable :) I think I even tried to talk her into writing a blog or something, but to no avail, unfortunately...
I love reading and I love art
And that's how I ended up buying fantasy books by Sarah J. Maas :) One of my favourite digital artists is a fan of her books and she made some fan art with characters from her books and that artwork sparked my interest :) And I ended up binge- reading those books :))) They are an enjoyable and fast read (I think I read one of them in two days ;D). I especially recommend them to female readers - the main protagonist in both sagas is a female and not the "damsel in distress" type, so that's refreshing :) And in "A Court of Thorns and Roses" she's also into making art, so I could relate to that character :))
I don't have this one yet and it would be great to get this version, because I like the cover:
The same... I love reading and I love art, so that's an amazing combo for me :D And clever too!
I'm not talented enough to be able to do something like that
But you are! :) That fantasy dragonfly would look great as a fore-edge painting, imho... or drawing... because I'm wondering if one could use fineliners for this... hmm... 🤔 I do have two black Pigma Micron fineliners that don't bleed through, so maybe I could try them out on some book that I don't care about anymore... 🤔 Maybe something simple for a start, like some patterns...
They're done with watercolours too. I bet it's incredibly tricky to get right.
I definitely would have to get more experience with watercolours to try it... I've found a tutorial by a French lady on YouTube and in general it doesn't seem so terribly difficult and complicated as I thought (you can buy heat activated gold foil on the internet and everybody has an iron :)):
From what I've noticed people on Etsy seem to be also using gouache, not only watercolours. 🤔
Shame there are so few artists doing it :(
Yup... :( Although I found some people selling such books on Etsy, so hopefully this craft won't die out completely...
Some are even doing that hidden type of fore-edge painting:
I had a gilt edged book as a child but I haven't seen any for years
I've never had one and the last time I saw one in real life was when I was at highschool - our classmate brought a Bible that her mum bought for her as a birthday present - it had gilded edges and was filled with reproductions of religious paintings of old masters - it looked great and it was an awesome gift for someone interested in art :)
@Lenka, I don't know - imagine what it's like to be a confectioner who's making some elaborate decorations on a birthday cake that people will admire for a few minutes and then eat it in an hour maybe... 🤔
Books are often much more long-lived than that... :)
"Fore-edge painting as a craft is deemed critically endangered in the contemporary era. The Heritage Crafts Association (HCA) only lists four "craftspeople currently known" as working in this medium.
The remaining artists that practice fore-edge painting are amateurs and leisure makers numbering fewer than sixty. According to the HCA, there are currently no formal trainees in the art form."
To be honest, I associate Faber Castell mainly with pencils and coloured pencils... 🤔 Do they make their own brushes and stuff like that?
There's no doubt that art college definitely killed some of the joy of art for me. After I left I didn't even touch a pencil, let alone a brush for about two years!
Yeah, it was the same for me... That's why I decided to study at uni something unrelated to art. And then I started working, so I focused on that. But with time, gradually, it started getting back to me... That need to draw and paint... :))
I don't know about you but I have to go into another world and I find that very hard to do nowadays for a number of reasons.
Personally, I guess I "just" need to have time for that, not be too tired (since I want to enjoy it) and not have to do something that is "more important"... and I'm good to go and draw/paint.
Digital art doesn't do much for me as I'm not a great lover of computers in general. Guess I'm a bit old school in that respect.
I can understand that (although I love digital art myself :)), but that video wasn't really about digital painting - it was just an example of using a photo reference for your drawing - you can use it in the same way for a traditional drawing. Drawing from a photo is not that much different than drawing from a live model during an art class - you practice drawing anatomy in this way, proportions, shading, clothes, etc. It's more convenient though, because a photo doesn't get cramps from sitting or standing still in one pose for a long time :))
It's been a long time since I drew anything though, I have to be in the right frame of mind and I'm not sure I would have the concentration required anymore.
That's a pity, because you clearly have potential... 🥺
So am I going to be the only one posting stuff in this thread? :/ That sucks... Where is gregy and his opals when you need him... ;P lol
Oh well...
I think I remember that someone is collecting rare books (or sth like that) on PF... I recently came across this - I didn't even know that people used to do something like that to books - it looks amazing :O:
So cool!:
It's called "fore-edge painting":
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fore-edge_painting
I'm not a book collector, but I'd live to have such a book :D 😍
Btw, interesting - they also have synthetic imitation of sable hair:
daler-rowney.com/dalon-paint-brushes/
So you can just use regular drawing paper but soak it and tape it to a board with masking tape.
I've never done that before... As far as I remember at art school we were using Fabriano paper for watercolours and we weren't doing any stretching (but we weren't doing washes much, I guess...). I do have a Canson Student for watercolours:
I don't remember, to be honest lol I don't know what happened to those drawings - I made them with a ballpoint pen in some notebook, as usual, so it's possible that this notebook was thrown away... :/ All I remember is that my brother, who was contributing to some Polish site/forum about "X-Men" comic books, told me that those Jim Lee's copies of mine were better than any fanart that people were posting on that site/forum. So, I guess I was successful to at least some extent.
You see, this is where your training comes in. I wouldn't even think about things like that.
If you mean my education at that art school then not really... We weren't taught there how to draw from imagination... And when I was at art school I wasn't using any photo references when I was drawing for fun - just like in your case it didn't really cross my mind. I only learned how much using references improves your art some years later thanks to the artists I followed on the internet - they were sharing their thoughts, their art process and tutorials and that's how I learned about it.
Here you have an example of such a tutorial from a popular digital artist (the idea and process is exactly the same for traditional art though):
And here's some general and good video about how artists learn to draw - your scientific mind will probably appreciate this take :):
I particularly like the manga style drawing and 'the failed attempt at foreshortening'. You're very good at capturing expressions.
Thank you, especially that I always thought that I suck at expressions :))
Makes me want to have a go at comic style drawing now, never tried it before.
I honestly love comic book style :)) I grew up on reading (and looking at) comic books that my brother was buying and that influenced me a lot, I think... 🤔 I especially fell in love with Jim Lee's drawings in "X-Men" comic books at that time and even tried to copy them :)
Do you use photos for some of your drawings?
That's a must if you're drawing someone's portrait, of course, but besides that, yes - I've learned from other artists that using photo references is very important and improves your art - even if you're drawing something original that you invented and you're not copying, various photos help you to get the anatomy, pose, lighting, etc. right in your drawing :)
I even went through a stage of drawing some record album covers just to see if I could do them and to see how well they came out.
Oh, I like DIY and I try to make some stuff like that (if I have time ;/) :) Lately I've drawn a DIY birthday card, so maybe I'll post it if I find a decent photo. 🤔
Feniks, how about you? Could you post some of your drawings from childhood? :) Do you still draw/paint?
I don't paint at all these days
I see... :/ Why not though (if you don't mind me asking)?
Also sable brushes, but I'm sure you know that already.
Yes, although I only knew about them being recommended for watercolours - I thought that gouache is maybe less "demanding"...
I don't think I'll be investing into sable brushes just yet, even for watercolours - I'm just going back to painting with water paints and I didn't have that much proper experience with them even before (we mainly used oils in art school) and so I have to practice first and see if I continue with watercolours or not, if I switch to gouache or not, etc. 🤔
Btw, I just checked the price of Kolinsky Sable by Winsor & Newton, size 7, and it costs 509 PLN ;O I think I'd be afraid to use it ;D If one hair fell out of it I'd probably get a heart attack ;D ;D
The blonde/redhead has a slightly pugnacious set of the head and shoulders. She has real attitude - self-portrait? :)
Don't know which one you mean, but there are no self-portraits there :))
My favourite though is this one.
I thought you might like it and that's why I posted it :)))
The first one in post 32. With the baggy jumper. You've caught the way she's standing perfectly.
Ah, yes, the pose is OK and I even managed to do the foreshortening right this time :))
For those who don't know what's "foreshortening":
Looks very cool!
Thanks :))
just not on squared paper
I don't do that anymore - that was long time ago! ;))
Btw, for those who want to practice sketching, drawing a great cheap option is ordinary copy paper for printers - it has nice smooth surface (but not too smooth) :)
Maybe you will be Paulina Kielecka, just like Nikifor Krynicki once was
Actually, we have a pretty well known painter from Kielce already - Rafał Olbiński :) (he gave a lecture in our school once :))
I can see it now, a major exhibition with all the artwork on squared paper with a certain type sipping their Pinot Noir and trying to decide what profound statement she's making.
Haha, I can see that too: "Is that squared paper alluding to her checkered past??" 🤔 ;D
2. Practicing drawing a man in some sort of comic book style (I've always had problems with drawing men and boys from imagination, because I was usually drawing women and girls).
3. A failed attempt at foreshortening (I think that's how it's called) probably lol
One of my favorite things is to get lost while driving along country roads. You see some interesting stuff you'd never come across if you weren't lost.
Now that's a nice hobby... :) Do you guys have any photos from such travels?
How could you!
I know, I was so stupid... ;(((
Bit of a perfectionist I'm afraid!
Me too ;(
Don't think I'm up to the PF criticism! Especially since I'm the only one that hasn't studied art at an advanced level.
Have you posted any art on here before?
I haven't yet, but Atch has! :) Unfortunately it was in Random Chat and so they ended up in Polanda :/ As for studying art "at an advanced level" ;D, I wouldn't worry about that, because there are self taught artists out there who are better than many art school graduates ;)
I don't think graduating from an art school makes you any less self-conscious about showing your stuff to people, to be honest... You're still your worst critic lol What I've learned is that there are always going to be people who draw and paint better than you, but also there are always going to be people who like your art no matter how bad you think it is :)) So, who cares... lol
I only ever through drawings away if I wasn't happy with them.
Yeah, that's why I threw them away - I thought they were not good enough and so not worth keeping... Most of them ;O That was before I went to art school, I think. 🤔 I just wanted to keep one, from what I remember - a realistic painting of a kitten that I painted with oil paints and I was actually proud of that one, but my brother ruined it by going over it with a blue ballpen :(( I was so angry... ;(
I found today an old notebook and there are some of my drawings in it, but I'm pretty sure I was at highschool/art school at that time already. Those aren't anything special though - just some random stuff I drew for fun. And I wasn't using any photo references, only my imagination, so there are some mistakes there. Here are some I drew with ballpoint pen and coloured with those big Stabilo highlighers that I was using for studying lol
(the first one is a failed attempt at a manga style drawing ;D):
the Italianized interpretation of the town is listed on her death certificate as Camiliec
There doesn't seem to be any place called "Kamilec" or "Kamielec" in Poland and the way it's spelled ("Kamiliec") could suggest Eastern-European origin. There's a city in Ukraine that was part of Poland in the past which is called Kamieniec Podolski, which I've seen on some Russian sites written as "Камелец-Подольский" (Kamieliec-Podolskij") for some reason, so maybe it's some bad case of misspelling a name...
The only place name remotely similar in Poland seems to be a village "Kamieniec":
@Novichok, do you have any hobby that doesn't make people squirm? lol
Dug out from the depths of Polanda:
You'd probably like it because it can be wet again and reworked.
Atch, I've been watching videos on YouTube of artists painting with gouache and I'm getting more and more interested. It will probably take some time before I try it out, because I have acrylics to use up before they dry out lol, but could you recommend any gouache brand? Which one are you using? And what kind of paper do you use for gouache? 🤔
You are right in that he is prolific, he's done so much work!
Yes, and since it seems he primarily works with watercolours I wonder how much money he spends on watercolour paper - the good stuff is expensive... ;/
Lady Godiva? I don't think so but there are many paintings with that theme. It'll probably be obvious when you tell me what it is.
It may not be obvious to you, I guess, since it's a Polish painting. 🤔 I don't think the story of Lady Godiva is that well known in Poland, so it isn't really a theme in Polish art... I found out myself about Lady Godiva from one "The Benny Hill Show" episodes ;D
The painting that Kuczyński based his on is "Szał uniesień" ("Ecstasy") by Władysław Podkowiński from 1894:
pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sza%C5%82_uniesie%C5%84
It's a big oil painting (310 × 275 cm) and one of the most known paintings in Poland - that's why it made sense for Kuczyński to base his painting on it since many Poles would immediately recognise it and maybe decipher some meaning:
The author destroyed it, but it was renovated.
Btw, in order not to go off topic too much I "moved" the rest our discussion to this thread:
I'm never going to be the next Leonardo da Vinci no matter how hard I try!
Very few will! Leonardo da Vinci wasn't "just" talented, he was a genius (and not only in the artistic field) :) There aren't many people like that, I think. 🤔
Yes. I spent years drawing, at one time it was my obsession.
A kindred spirit! :))) So, out of 4 women on this forum 3 are into art and making art... Interesting... 🤔
I still have all my artwork. Some of it is so old that the paper has yellowed.
Oh wow, that's so awesome! I was throwing away most of my drawings when I was a teen, because I thought I will make something better one day... I didn't realise that the adult me will be sentimental about my old drawings :(((
Could you possibly post any of your stuff on here?? =)))
I wanted to go to art school but my parents said no and when I left home at 16, I put thoughts of going out of my mind as I had to work.
I feel for you... For all my parents' faults at least they didn't object to me going to art school.
Further education for me came years later.
So at some point you got to go to an art school or an art course? Or do you mean your scientific education?
