Roses with Colored Pencils – Draw with Me!
I know some of you prefer abstract themes, some more realistic. But maybe you are like me who loves to combine realistic themes, for example, roses, with more intuitive and abstracts shapes.
Copying? – No!
There are people who say that you have to copy photos to create realistic art. I don’t believe that. If you fairly accurately know the structure of the subject, there’s no need to have a photo in hand. Instead, you can focus on your point of view and express how you experience the subject.
Perspective Drawing? – No!
Some people say that you need to fully master perspective and shadowing to make your drawing look dimensional. I don’t believe that either. If you know how to work with colors, you can do a lot.
Blind Spots? – Most probably!
I do believe that most beginner artists have blind spots. Maybe you use too raw colors, maybe your every element is similar in size, maybe your lines are too stiff, maybe you get discouraged in the very beginning when not knowing what to create. Whether you love abstract or realistic, the blind spots are often the same. My workshops help you to get through the blind spots.
Coloring Roses – Draw with me!
But even if the workshops didn’t interest you, grab your colored pencils and draw the roses with me! Namely, thinking doesn’t boost your imagination and grow your skills in the way doing does.
Get more instructions for colored pencils: Buy Coloring Freely!
14 Answers about Creating Art
14 DAYS – 14 ANSWERS about creating art! To celebrate my upcoming workshop Inspirational Drawing, I have been publishing a new video every day for two weeks. These videos are short answers to the questions people usually ask from me. The last one is about artistic growth: how to prevent being stuck and keep on growing. Watch the whole series!
#1 How to start?
#2 From Mind to Paper
#3 Not As Good As Them
#4 Inner Critic
#5 Disappointment
#6 Avoiding Stiffness
#7 Finishing Artwork
#8 Artistic Talent
#9 Less Realism
#10 Too Messy
#11 More Beauty
#12 Popularity
#13 Personal Style
#14 Artistic Growth
Learn to express more with enjoyable, free handdrawing!
Sign up for Inspirational Drawing!
Could Needlework Define Drawing?
Over 20 years ago, when studying computer science, control engineering, and automotive engineering, I got used to being the only girl in many lectures. But it was not only that. Whatever book I read, whatever formula I learned, it was all written by men. Soon, it felt natural. The field of technology was ruled by men.
When I think about drawing, I see the same thing. Throughout the history, the skill of drawing has been defined by men. Many say that if you draw 3-dimensional and photorealistic images, you can draw.
But could needlework define the way we draw? Could we think more about textures, structures, and shapes than the actual dimensions? Could we tell stories where we travel inside rather than outside?
I don’t say men can’t do all that. My message is that too many women who are experienced quilters, seamstresses, needleworkers feel that they are far away from drawing.
Why Draw?
When you hold the pen instead of the needle, you are able to experiment in much less time. With a little bit of guidance, your imagination will start to grow. You will be able to see your creativity in a new light!
My quilting and embroidery got a friend from art journaling when I began to draw.
There’s no reason why needlework could not define the way we draw. Or at least be our inspiration when we draw.
Let me be your art teacher: Subscribe to my weekly emails!
Create Flowing Greenery!
Flowing Greenery has just been published as a part of Imagine Monthly, the on-going art journaling class. The two mini-courses are inspired by great artists. January’s mini-course Doodled Luxury was inspired by Alphonse Mucha. Flowing Greenery is inspired by another great artist from the beginning of 20th century: William Morris!
Like the previous one, Flowing Greenery is a technique-heavy course. It has great ideas especially for those who want to combine acrylics and colored pencils on the same page. You can still purchase Imagine Monthly and get immediate access to the two mini-courses already published. Sign up here!
Fun in February
Finland is definitely not full of greenery at the moment. The winter has been cold, occasionally so cold that Stella has had to wear a hand-knit sweater!
But even if I am not very fond of the winter season with cold weather, lots of snow and early darkness, I quite like February. Maybe it’s because February always seems to be full of events. My birthday is in February. I also like Valentine’s day and this year we will also have an old friend from the UK visiting us. (If you hear me pronounce some of the words more with British than Finnish accent, that’s her influence!)
With snow, there’s a lot of white in Finland at the moment. Whether it’s strawberries picked from the freezer or fresh oranges in my art journal, I crave for those colors!
Another February event – and also full of colors: Inspirational Drawing, my “the drawing class”. Whether you want to approach drawing from an artistic angle or learn more about the designer’s mindset, this class will make you enjoy drawing.
New Video Series: 14 Answers about Creating Art
To celebrate Inspirational Drawing, I am publishing a new video every day for the first two weeks of February! These short videos give focused answers to the questions that people usually ask from me. You can follow them via Facebook, via YouTube or by visiting this blog (already published: Question 1, Question 2). Feel free to share the videos and spread the word!