Weeks ago, I started sketching on ATCs, since the small format makes it an approachable daily routine. Then I got the idea to enlarge them and paint my girl drawings on canvas. I thought they would be super cute! I drew up a bunch of girls on the canvases I had lying around and was thoroughly happy and content with the process. Then I started painting them…
Or should I say fill in by color? It became a frustrating process for me in the end. I suppose my problem from the start, was drawing on the canvases instead of just sketching or starting with paint directly. I had my cute little girls there in pencil and I just wanted to color them in. Then I thought, jeepers, I’m trying to do what I do digitally! My digital work process does not transfer into a painting process that works for me. I also don’t have the control and technique built up when it comes to the paintbrush. It took me such a long time, but I tried to just go through the process at least and see what I could learn from it.
So now I’ve got a bunch of my girls on canvas…sort of paint drawn…weird. I cannot achieve the exactness that I see in my mind with the paint medium, so there there’s this major disconnect between the vision and the reality. When you work digitally, even if you have shaky hands or make a mistake, it is amazingly easy to fix it, delete it, undo, whatever! If I want to move something over 1 pixel only, I can. You certainly can still work on your paintings and alter elements – that is the process – but it can get pretty muddied up fast!
Thinking back to my big painting, I realized that I just needed to loosen up again! For me, painting is about freedom and non-exactness… sort of the messy beautiful idea. I work sort of in the opposite fashion when it comes to digital illustration and I don’t know if one can have these varied styles depending on the medium. Perhaps the universe is tell me I simply need to practice more. Usually an artist’s style translates through everything they do…but I suppose that doesn’t mean it has to look exactly alike. If I drew these girls up digitally, why would I want to paint them so they look like I did them digitally? Hmm. I’m going to paint over all these canvases and just start fresh, with no planning at all. Patience. Practice. Progress.
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16 Comments
Really interesting to hear about you process there! And really beautiful collection of paintings. Love the girl with the black hair, burgundy bow and with the turquoise background.
You said you are going to paint all over these canvases?? Hope not the once you’ve painted on?
Oh, thanks so much for your lovely comment. Yes, I’m going to paint over all of them and start over…I should say – it’s just all practice!
I love these big-scale girls on canvas! I think they transferred over to a large format very well… I don’t see any mistakes… xx tj
LOL…thanks so much, TJ. I guess it’s a personal critique thing…but I’m considering it all practice. I actually have a hard time finishing ATCs as well, even though it’s small. I never really know when it’s “finished.”
You know, I think these are really cute and would look darling in a little girl’s bedroom. I bet you could sell some of them on ETSY, or maybe in a local store that features local artists! nancy
Awe, thanks so much Nancy! Yes, I totally create for the kids…literally or those young at heart I always say
I hope to develop a more fluid style though…we will see!
Cute paintings! I love reading about your process here and how you evolved from small artist trading cards to larger pieces, and from pencil to painting. I agree with you on working with painting versus digital. Personally, I prefer the hand work, but in this day, I guess I need to keep up with the digital skills too. Great work!
Thanks so much, Terri! It’s nice to know my little struggles are of interest…perhaps they can help others to explore a bit and maybe skip some frustration at times
I think there will be a place for hand and digital work…they are just so different!
I totally agree with Nancy’s comment! These are perfect for a little girl’s room, you could have several series and different colors/themes. If my daughter was still ‘little girl’ I would be placing my order
Possibly a licensing opportunity to explore? That would rock!
Thanks so much, Gretchen! I can’t say enough how thankful I am for the encouragement and support I receive via comments and emails – yay for community and blogging! I will definitely think about a collection in some form…although I work primarily digitally…it would be nice to branch out
They look amazing!! You inspire me so much!
thanks so much, chel! and YOU inspire me
Wow, Linda. I was having an amazingly similar conversation in my own head, and you summed up the challenge so well. I am the same way with watercolor. I love it, I want to do it, but it doesn’t come as easily to me as digital painting. (Nor is it as easy to practice, without the “undo” function!) As a result, I don’t practice it enough, so I never get anywhere with it. (Which makes it more frustration, which continues the cycle.) It’s not the same process as digital, and I can’t expect it to be. I think the two can inform each other, but they can’t completely *be* each other, so I need to learn to do both if that’s what I want. One of my goals for my vacation week is to spend some time just playing. Good luck to you!
Exactly! I sometimes wonder how some artists can just fluidly move from medium to medium without trouble… because it’s not supposed to matter what you use to express yourself… but there’s probably years of practice that I am not seeing – LOL!
just simply adorable!
Always enjoy my visit here on your site :]
You sure are going to be busy painting, have fun!
Thanks so much April
I’m glad I can offer a little fun peek…more to come for sure!