stop collecting art supplies and start creating art

I painted this in the watercolor class I’m taking right now through my city’s community center. It’s the first thing I’ve painted in class that I actually like. :) Watercolor and gouache, with misket.

I started this sketch in pencil, then added some colored pencil. It still didn’t seem quite right to me, though, so today I went back and added some contrast with pen and ink. It’s not my favorite thing I’ve ever drawn, but it’s all right.

A pencil sketch I did a few weeks ago. From a photo of a snake my mother kept as a pet.

I painted this today, in response to the Illustration Friday challenge “Primitive.” I love jellyfish; this is a purple sea-nettle.

Watercolor. I also used masking fluid on this; my first experience using it, so that counts as using a “new” media, I think. :)

I did this one after my first watercolor painting class. I wanted to experiment a bit with the technique of putting table salt on the wet paint, and I came up with this.

In reading through my previous entries for this goal, I realized that there are quite a few things I’d neglected to update. So . . . this entry will get me caught up with progress to date.

So far, I’ve completed 17 projects. They can be seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/herebedragons/tags/43worksofart/

Since part of the goal was to use all the different media I have on hand, I thought I’d list that, too. If it’s bold, I’ve used it:

Watercolor pencils; a large collection of Prismacolor markers; watercolor paints; acrylic paints; drawing pencils; tissue paper and Modpodge for collage; origami paper; pastels; Rapidograph pens.

Which means that I’ve been good about using varied media – only two left to try. I still have a way to go to get to 43 total works of art, though. But I am making progress. :)

I did, btw, finish the “Drawing With Children” book, and have begun “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.” (I’m not including exercises as counting toward this goal, though). I have yet to do some dragon art for this project, read through the “Color Pencil Book,” and decide on a collage project. Plenty of time for those things, though. Also, I’m starting an eight-week watercolor course tomorrow, so there will be some projects to add from that as well.

Did a drawing over the weekend in pastels. Possibly the last drawing I’ll do in this medium . . . I wasn’t terribly happy with the way it turned out. Then again, maybe I just need practice. Still, it helps me work on this goal! :D

I’ve been doing pretty well with this goal, and I have a few other things I can add to the list (will probably post about them sometime soon). There are some specific next actions I’ll list here:

1) Finish “Drawing With Children”

2) Make some dragon artwork with the “Make Your Own Paper Dragons” kit

3) Work through “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”

4) Read/work through the “Color Pencil” book

5) Decide on a collage project (probably one that my son can do with me).

Those things, with the art classes I’ve got scheduled next month, should get me a good part of the way.

My seventh piece for this goal, and a new medium (drawing pencil). This was done for Illustration Friday (.com); the topic this week is “Momentum.” It’s a pearl in the sand; the sand stops the pearl’s momentum.

I’ve been working away at my Garden Alphabet, and I’ve finished the first six letters. (“First” meaning first ones I’ve done; I’m not doing them in alphabetical order). I’m really pleased with the way they’re turning out, and they’re so much fun, too!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/herebedragons/sets/72157601808120428/