Pyrography

I found a lovely website Click here today via Twitter of an artist who specialises in Pyrography Art, an art which both myself and my wife Sammy have recently acquired some skill in.

Pyrography is the burning of a design, say a landscape, onto a piece of wood or leather, or anything really that will burn withough being destroyed. I guess it really smoulders the support with which you are using at the time but its easier to describe the action as burning.

Take a look at this basic video below to see what its all about, happy art making you guys.

Art Tutor has launched

Art Tutor launched this week and promises to be an exciting new way for artists of all levels to brush up on skill that they need. Video tutor-age seems to be the order of the day, with step by step, bite sized chunks guiding you through all you need to know in a variety of mediums.

Take a foundation course in Watercolour, Oil Painting, Acrylic Painting, Pastel and Drawing plus much much more. What's more is you can pick and choose what you want to learn through the entire range and all for just a small subscription of £10 pcm if your based in the UK. You can cancel once youve finished what you want to learn its that simple.

Click the picture to see for yourself what its all about, I shall be taking up a subscription myself.

Working on my blog content

I have been working on my blog content today and you will find some new things appeared on the right hand side. Firstly there is a Video feature linked to the Painting and Drawing Channel, which features tutorials from some of the best art teachers in the UK in a range of media, Oil Painting, Pastel Painting, Watercolour Painting and Drawing.

I have also added two link sections which contains 10 top links I think my readers, that's you, would be interested in. The first section contains Art related links including education, art supply stores and resources. The second section includes links to artists that I admire, whose work I find interesting and thought provoking. These links will be updated regularly so check back for more.

For a snippet of the Painting and Drawing Channel here is a taster video to get you started

Study Art at Home Home Study Art Course

Every so often I would like to include in my blog snippets of information I have found regarding art and one section of this is courses.

Not everyone can study art at college or on tutored holidays, because its expensive or they are unable to get out the house or they are just shy and intimidated by the thought of going to college, "I'm not good enough for that!" is a phrase that I often here, usually in my own thoughts.

A good way to learn art is to do so in the comfort of your own home and the London Art College is a great way to achieve this, you can take certificate courses or diploma courses in many different media or subject matter that takes your fancy.

These courses can be done at your own pace and you get tutor marked assignments to complete, all of which can be done on-line or by post. You can pay for the course in one go or in instalments making it a flexible way to learn.

I myself have taking a certificate in Coloured Pencil, which I am working towards as I write this, I lack confidence with a pencil so this a great way for me to brush up on drawing skills while at the same time learning a new medium with which to paint. I shall post my work as I complete it over the coming year.

If you'd like to consider a course or for more information, just click on the picture below and it will take you right to the London Art College website. Happy Learning!!!!

Sketch 6

Colour Study Composition Sketch 006 Oil Pastels

I did this sketch while working out a composition and wanted to lay down some colour as well so I decided to use oil pastels on paper

Sketch a day 5

Just five minutes doodling with a new black marker that I bought for packing up the house to see if it has any qualities, it may come in useful but it saturates the paper

Daily Sketches 2, 3 and 4

Sketch 002

Sketch 003

Sketch 004

Pop Art Poppies

I took a lovely close up of a poppy in its natural surroundings sometime ago and i used this as a basis for creating a pop art poppy picture using a photo editing software.

Digital Art is something that appeals to me because I spend many hours on my laptop and it is something I can experiment with while doing my day to day activities

I cannot see it ever replacing my love of natural art though. However, my wife and children are buying me a digital art tablet for Fathers Day which is fast approaching. Yippeeeeeeeeeee

UKCPS

I've just signed up for membership to the society, seen as I have enrolled on a Coloured Pencil Certificate Course I thought that a membership would enhance my learning in this medium. I have always admired the beauty of coloured pencil paintings and hope that I can produce some great artwork that shows exactly how gorgeous this medium is

In other news I have just invested in a tin of Derwent Coloursoft 24 pencils and shall be doing some sketch work to see how the pencils produce for me and what effects, textures and colour blends I can get with them.

Bethany is back to normal today, armless, bored but back to her usual self. I just hope this means i can now knuckle down and continue with my schedule that has suffered since her accident.

I am moving in a few weeks time, no definite date yet but I cannot wait to get into my purpose built studio which comes with my new house.

I have some work to do

I am working on developing this picture into a painting in either oil or acrylic

Sketch a day 001

 Traditional Cornish Unit - A4 - Pen and Watercolour Wash

Well what a horrid 24hrs

After settling down to do my very first sketch for my challenge sketch a day yesterday, there was a blood curdling scream and the upshot of that was me racing towards A&E (ER if your American) with my 7yr old daughter Bethany who has broken her arm in two places jumping around on her friends tramoline. 6hrs later two very tired people arrived home 4am one in plaster and the other wanting to get plastered.....

I have hospital Thursday with her to see if they shall operate.

I did manage my first sketch though which is only a simple view near to our house, it was all I could muster considering the chaos

Sketch a day

While I am a budding artist and I am in my comfort zone with paint and canvas, drawing has to be my weakness. I find it extremely hard to make marks on paper that I am happy with so I void it like the plague. Most people think that all professional artists are acomplished in drawing and sketching but this is just not so. There are so many ways to cheat the drawing process and get on with the painting that its easy to fool the uninitiated with graphite paper, tracedown, camera lucida, photographs and the grid technique.

So.................

I am plucking up the courage to better my drawing and sketching skills and one way I have though about this is to embark on a sketch a day programme. Taking out my sketch book everyday, drawing or sketching something and then posting the result on here for all to see.......

I am chewing my finger nails in fear and anxiety just writing about doing this....

okay deep breaths............ wish me luck

Check back regular for my sketch a day and my thoughts on the process' involved, for good or for bad I am going to do this