Sketchbook Sunday [3]

This one's a bit of a throwback to my 30 Day Drawing Challenge from 2012.  Looking back at the Challenge posts has reminded me how much fun it was.  Hm, maybe I'll do another one sometime this year...

Happy Sunday!

Sketchbook Sunday [2]

Sketchbook Sunday [1]

Indulging My Inner Artist

Wow, it's certainly been a long time since I last posted.  Sorry for that!  This whole YouTube thing has really taken off and I honestly completely forgot about this blog.  Oops!

But no more!  I will try to post more regularly for the rest of the summer at least, and plan to try sprucing the place up a bit.  I was gifted a blog design e-course for Christmas, which I plan to finally get around to using this up coming month.  Besides, it's time for my yearly blog rearrangement, don't you think?

Thanks so much for all your patience.  For today, how about a look back at all of the awesome things I got to create this past semester while pretending to be an art student?

Wall Wednesday: Adding Some Color

My latest adventures in decorating have taken a little bit longer because, 1) I've been busy and 2) they've been slightly bigger projects.  I did this drawing over the long Columbus Day weekend.  I trekked up to the park to draw the beautifully cloudy and colorful sky.  The sky was done in pastels and the bottom with my favorite drawing tool, black Sharpie.  I like the contrast between the softness of the pastel and the sharpness of the marker.  This is now hanging on my wall by the same string and binder clips that I used before.

My other project over the last couple of weeks was this adorable, stretchy knit basket.  It's based loosely on this Pickles pattern.  I have to admit, I didn't really understand it and have never really knitted in the round before, so I modified it a bit to achieve the same basic look.  In case you're interested in making one yourself, I used Lamb's Pride Bulky yarn and:

1) Cast on 30
2) Garter stitch across until almost the end of your skein
3) Stich together with a tapestry needle as though you're making a flat pouch.

I love the basket because it was super easy and can be as big or little as you need it to be because it's so stretchy.  I have another skein of Lamb's Pride just waiting to be turned into another basket of another color.  I like mixing and matching with different bright colors to create a cozy spring feeling inside as the weather gradually gets colder.  Let me know if you try this out; I'd love to see any pictures!

Weekend Train Ride

Hello, friends.  I cannot believe that it has been so long since I last wrote.  It's actually kind of funny, because when I originally decided to do that 30 Day Drawing Challenge, I thought it would be a good way to revitalize this blog and get me back in the swing of posting regularly.

What I didn't expect was that I would completely use up all of my creative juices for nearly a month.

But now I am back with a fun story of my weekend.  On Saturday, Justine and I braved the rain and wind and took a trip south to Stanford.  I needed to visit the Cantor Arts Center to write a report about their Rodin collection.  I knew that I was going to see some amazing art...

But what I didn't expect was that the journey would be the best part!  This was my first trip on CalTrain, and I was amazed at how easy it was.  Justine and I decided to sit on the upper level, and I can only describe the entire trip as filled with lively music in my headphones and beautiful scenery outside.  Palo Alto itself is a beautiful city, and as Justine had lived there recently, she showed me around.  It was an amazing adventure of a day, filled with sculpture, palm trees, gelato, playgrounds, and wind!

Can't you feel the wind?  In other news, I have finally managed to break my countless-month-long writer's block, and am currently in the process of crafting a young adult novel, partly inspired by the amazing Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  That woman is a genius.  Look for a combined book and movie review soon.

Thanks for sticking with me everyone!

30DDC: Day 30

Day 30: A Congratulations Banner

Well, my 30 Day Drawing Challenge is over!  I don't know if you can tell based on this last drawing, but I'm a little sketched out.  Don't worry, I don't think it will last for long, but I think my brain needs a bit of a break from drawing before I hit a on full artist's block.  If you don't hear from me for a while, it's because midterms are next week, and I have a very busy schedule!

That doesn't mean that I'm done creating, however. I just made a trip to the yarn shop today, so hopefully I will finish up my scarf and get started on a new purse pattern I found on Ravelry.

Happy weekend everybody!

30DDC: Days 26-29

Day 26: Something You Hate - People who only talk about themselves! 

Day 27: Someone You Love - My brother Trevor.  Kinda messed up the lower part of his face, though...

Day 28: Anything You Like - Another doodle!

Day 29:  A Place You Want to Go - Paris, the city of art and lights!  Studying Impressionism has really made me want to visit...

Only one more day left!

30DDC: Days 20-25

Day 20: Something Orange - A soda pop bottle, in the style of Seurat.

Day 21: Something You Want - An Apartment.  It doesn't have to be this exact one, but I was in the Marina doing some sketching and this is what I came up with.

Day 22: Something You Miss - The Beach/Sunny Days, specifically being young enough to enjoy them because you have nothing better to be doing.

Day 23:Something You Need - Enough said.

Day 24: A Couple - I just love goofing around with the prompts.  So here are a couple of cute couples.

Day 25:  Scenery - Or in this case, landscape.

30DDC: Days 11-19

Apparently, I can procrastinate at practically anything, including fun drawing projects that I assign myself.  This past week has been absolutely crazy with school work, and I didn't actually get around to working on the massive amounts of drawings that I missed until late yesterday.  Here they are, and I promise to try and stay on track starting tomorrow!

Day 11: Turning Point in My Life - Moving to SF!

Day 12: Most Recent Accomplishment - I know it looks lame, but I think actually earning my own money qualifies!

Day 13: Comic

Day 14: Favorite Fairytale

Day 15: Family Picture

Day 16: Inspiration - What inspires me is line, color, and pattern.  Also decided to use this for Day 18, which was a doodle.

Day 17: Favorite Plant

Day 19: Something Different - As I've already been over, I don't normally draw people, so I thought I would attempt to sketch my roommate.  Didn't turn out too horribly, but I can't seem to get her mouth/chin right!

I apologize for the lameness of some of the drawings, and hope to actually stay on track this week!

30DDC: Days 7-10

I cannot believe I missed a whole three days of drawings!  I became unexplainably, unexpectedly busy the last couple of days, and consequently spent tonight and last night trying to catch up.  So, without further ado, here you are!

Day 7: Favorite Word

Day 8: Favorite Animated Character - Bumble Bee from Transformers.  And yes, I did spell his name wrong, but I think my improvised "M" looks gangster.

Day 9: Favorite TV Show - BBC Sherlock!  Now, as you can see, I haven't been lying to you.  People are not my strong suit!  Poor Martin, I totally got his face wrong...

Day 10:  Favorite Candy - York Peppermint Patties, in the style of Andy Warhol.

In other words, I had a masterclass today by at the San Francisco Maritime with plainair artist Larry Horowitz.  It was so much fun, and a real learning experience.  You should google his work if you get a chance; he's got an amazing sense of sky!

30DDC: Day 6 - Favorite Book Character

I really don't think these prompts are supposed to be as difficult as I'm making them.  Today's drawing was probably the easiest so far, but it was choosing a character that made it difficult.  I don't really have a favorite character, so I just drew Kathy H. from my favorite book at the moment, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

I'm normally only do black and white compositions, so I'm having a lot of fun playing around with all of this color!

30DDC: Day 5 - Best Friend

Today's prompt was to draw your best friends.  Now, I think the intention was for it to be a formal portrait, but it's my challenge, my composition, and as we've already gone over, I'm not the best at drawing people.  So I picked the biggest things I associate with my best friends and drew those instead.  The best part is, only those who know these characteristics will know who I've drawn.

How's that for intrigue?

30DDC: Day 4 - Favorite Place

Today's prompt of drawing your favorite place was actually rather challenging.  Part of my problem was that I've never actually thought of where my favorite place was.  So I simply picked my favorite place at the moment, Golden Gate Park here in San Francisco.  There's so much to do, but what I love about it is that you don't necessarily have to have an aim to do anything in particular when you go there.  It's like our own little sliver of wilderness in the middle of the city.

Please excuse the roughness of the drawing.  I did it while watching the second half of the Superbowl (congrats Giants!).  I actually rather like it.

Let's get ready for another week!

30DDC: Day 3 - Favorite Food

Here's my post for Day 3.  The prompt was to draw your favorite food, but I couldn't decide, so I kind of cheated.  This drawing features bread, bacon, strawberry, eggs, pasta, hamburgers, and rice.  What does that say about my diet?

30DDC: Day 2 - Favorite Animal

Happy Friday, everyone!