Flowers and Jewels – New Free Tutorial for Subscribers!
I have been working with a 2-part tutorial about drawing flowers and jewels. Part 1 is now finished, and I am hoping to get Part 2 done before Christmas. Watch Part 1 now – Subscribe to my weekly emails to draw with me!
Let’s Imagine How You Will Draw in 2019!
Let’s imagine the end of January: a simple line, then a simple shape, a simple bee or a butterfly. When you decorate its wings, your heart begins to flutter too: Where does this play take me?!
Let’s imagine your heart leads you to February, to Valentine’s day when you want to give something special to a friend. You doodle a cake with a bird, a bird carrying your heart, a bird that no one has ever twitched before.
Let’s imagine, the bird flies over a clear water. There are fish and glittering jewels, all hand-drawn by you.
Let’s imagine it’s March, and you realize how feathers and scales are not so far away from fur. Foxes, wild cats, squirrels … the furry wisdom enters your playful world.
Let’s imagine you want to take a ride in this fantastic hand-drawn safari. You draw a deer or an elephant, anything that can carry you, dress it with tassels, woven blankets, and knits, and let your imagination hop on.
Let’s imagine that despite all the seriousness that the word “art” has, you discover the power of play, and get hooked on what you can create for your Animal Inkdom!
Play with …
… Books: Embellish a notebook, an art journal, or make the prettiest bullet journal.
… Gifts: Make a set of greeting cards and be a shopper of your private gift shop.
… Collage Art: Draw collage elements, animal paper dolls, scrap pics …
… Style: Draw minimalistic animals with a blank background.
… Color: Make colorful drawings that are full of elements, enjoy the overwhelm!
… Design: Have fun drawing motifs and patterns and seeing animals as canvases.
Start the new year by drawing and playing!
Notebook Drawings and Hand-Drawn Collage Pieces
While preparing for a new class, I took an empty notebook and started drawing. My first idea was to decorate some notebook pages but it went further and I had a lot of fun.
Bees and Butterflies
Birds and Feathers
Whale Chasing a Star
Fish Swimming Fast
Owl and Hearts
Drawing Collage Pieces
As a child, I loved paper dolls and die cut scrap pictures. So after drawing the many notebook pages, I thought I could make some additional elements as separate collage pieces.
Here are a wolf and a fox, and a delicious piece of cake! I made a cut on the cake and on the fox so that they fit together.
Playing with Notebook Drawings
I had even more fun when I realized that I can set the collage piece on the top of the drawing so that the animal becomes even more imaginative.
The combination of wolf and owl is so cute, and I also like how the fox and the cake could fit in! I think my word for 2019 is Play.
Have some cake, and then get your notebook and start drawing!
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How Inktober Strengthened My Visual Voice
This is the second blog post about participating Inktober drawing challenge. See the first post here!
Inktober Experience in a Nutshell
Here’s what this challenge did to me:
1) Following the prompts and working with black ink only revealed some creative blocks. Becoming aware of these helped me to remove them!
2) I found what I love to draw and it has strengthened my visual voice.
3) I have always liked to draw with non-erasable ink but now I am addicted! I am more creative when I can’t erase the lines.
4) I have a lot of stories to tell that have never found their way to my art before.
5) I like being challenged by weird words that are difficult or even appalling to visualize.
What you can learn from all this:
a) Draw with pen or pencil only now and then so that your voice won’t get hidden behind the products.
b) Write what people have said to you about your creative skills. These may have been good advice back then but irrelevant now.
c) Start a list about things you love – these are also the things you should draw, no matter how superficial or deep they are. Make sure you include some things you loved when you were a child.
d) Give yourself a problem and solve it by drawing. Don’t settle for the obvious solutions!
Strengthening the Visual Voice – Watch the Video!
In the video, you can see all 31 drawings as a flip-through video, some thoughts, and how I used my sketchbook during the challenge.
I also attach the drawings in this blog post with the notes that I wrote for each one during Inktober.
Inktober #13 – Guardian
The external world may be designed for extroverts, but every introvert is a designer and guardian of her own world.
Inktober #14 – Clock
As a child, my favorite play was to be the queen of England. I lived in a small town near the Russian border, and the only real luxury was nature. To me, trees were the pillars of the enormous halls, and I graciously wandered from room to room, repainting every plant and bird in my mind. No matter what’s the time or the place, this is still true: We can’t be the queens of England, but we can all be the queens of Imagination.
Inktober #15 – Weak
Even if all the ties and responsibilities may feel heavy, they are what keep us going through the hard times. Let’s stay connected so that we can support one another!
Inktober #16 – Angular
Have you seen the newest version of The Great Gatsby? It’s directed by Australian Baz Luhrmann, and it’s gorgeous. My favorite scene is the big party scene where everybody dances disco: “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” wearing art deco party dresses in a divine-looking villa with pools, staircases and all. So today and tomorrow my Inktober pieces are dedicated to a big party, and you are all invited!
Inktober #17 – Swollen
Let’s continue the party from yesterday! Imagine that art has two feet. One foot represents the techniques, and the other one is the imagination. Moving forward in one foot only is impossible in the long run. You need both feet. And – even if sometimes your other foot is swollen, don’t let that bother you too much! Here’s to celebrate our creativity!
Inktober #18 – Bottle
If only we could bottle nature inspiration! I would have a stash of Finnish summer days! Now when trees are losing their leaves, I could spray some summer breeze and the smell of peonies!
Inktober #19 – Scorched
Sometimes the process is more beautiful than what comes out of it. All of us who like arts and crafts have experienced that, do you agree?!
Inktober #20 – Breakable
The misconceptions about what we can’t do are breakable. When becoming aware of any of mine, it feels like I have been a bird inside a soap bubble forgetting to use the beak. Why float inside the bubble when you can fly? Let’s believe in ourselves!!
Inktober #21 – Drain
After drawing some ethereal and romantic pieces, I went to a couple of contemporary art exhibitions and this happened! When I was studying industrial design, it was made clear to me that this is NOT the acceptable style to draw. But today, let’s not care about those “don’t”s and “no”s and denials, and let the humor be a part of the art!
Inktober #22 – Expensive
What could be the most expensive bouquet ever? All the four seasons in one bunch!
Inktober #23 – Muddy
I believe in mud and dirt. If life becomes too sterile, it is not enjoyable anymore. That’s why I have animals and house plants, the garden, and I think that those who have children share this thought too. The same principle applies to art as well. If every stroke you paint, every line you draw is controlled and pre-planned, it lacks the soil where the ideas grow. So here’s to celebrate the mud in our lives!
Inktober #24 – Chop
Now when I am well over the halfway, I have started to make a list of things that I love to draw. My list includes stuff like folk art, antique jewelry, glass, fabric, etc. Most of them are quite decorative and luxurious stuff. I have also sliced and chopped these words to less general subjects like Russian handpainted trays, victorian necklaces, crystal, kelim, etc. It has felt like day by day, I am getting more hang of what I really love to illustrate. One item on the list is citrus fruits, oranges, lemons, etc. so I made some for today’s challenge, decorated with jewels and folk art, of course! — Tell me, what’s on your list!
Inktober #25 – Prickly
Virginia Woolf has said: “You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” So when the pot feels prickly and the hat too heavy, there can still be some kind of peace and satisfaction in all that.
Inktober #26 – Stretch
This one is dedicated for all who love to write. Many prepare for NaNoWriMo to write a novel during November. I am more of a visual creator, but there’s definitely risktaking involved in both writing and drawing. You never know where it takes you, but that’s also a big part of the reward!
Inktober #27 – Thunder
Only 4 to go! Really enjoyed drawing this one.
Inktober #28 – Gift
Out of the box, towards the change! Ink pens and watercolor on Bristol paper.
Inktober #29 – Double
When you get to spend time with someone who likes similar things … Thank you, my friend, fantasy artist Eeva Nikunen! Here’s for the friendships between artistic souls!
Inktober #30 – Jolt
When I started this monthly challenge, I was quite timid. First, I used everyday life as an inspiration, but the more I drew, the more I yearned to go on a journey to the hidden world. I have always loved Russian zhostovo paintings, luxury handbags, decorative fabrics, antique jewelry, Dolce & Gabbana … so slowly all the luxury found their way to these drawings.
First, it felt like they would be fragile and disappear soon, but now I can take a hammer and hit them, and they just keep flowing onto paper. I have cried because I have lost a part of my old style and mindset, but after 30 drawings, there’s no hammer big enough to make all of this luxury disappear. Thank you for still following me, I know this has been quite a change for many of you, I hope you continue the journey with me anyway.
Inktober #31 – Slice
After the challenge, I am a like a nomad, carrying all the stuff that has come along with the journey, wondering what will happen next. Time will tell! Here, have a slice of cake with me to celebrate both this accomplishment and Happy Halloween!
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