It took a while but I finally got the paint and the brushes I needed to continue with this class. I have never worked with decent artist brushes before but let me tell you that the difference is amazing. The first image is the one I hand drew myself. I am using this as my practice one before the 'good' one. Funny thing is that the shading looks better on it than it does in the so called 'good' one (shown beneath). I thought the colouring was turning out too dark so I lightened it for the second image. The scan makes the shading show up a lot more than reality. All I can say is thank God there is still more to be done.
I must admit this one is so far turning out to be my favourite after a not so good start to the hand drawing. Yes she does look like something out of a Stephen King movie but that will be fixed up soon. With this one it is too early to say. I am really not happy with the shading so far but hopefully I will be happier with it when the rest of her face goes on.
About a week a I signed up for an online class on how to paint faces. The first lesson was on how to draw/sketch them first. One suggestion was to trace an image we liked. I decided that because I can draw a little bit already I would try my first sketch without tracing it. I did it straight onto canvas so that I could paint it straight away. Silly me should have realised that a background needed to be painted first. So for lesson two (the background) I pulled out another canvas board and started again.
The below image is the one I was attempting to sketch in the above image. I just couldn't quite get the mood right. She looks sad more than anything. Anyway because I started again I decided I would trace the image onto the background. I have the tracing paper but not carbon so I coloured the back in with pencil. This transferred quite well. I can truly say that 95% of the below image is traced and 5% hand drawn. At least the expression is better in this one.
The next lesson is starting to paint her. I hope I can do that well. I might practice on my original sketch first.
If you want to check out Paulette's artwork I have a link on the side of my blog. It is really good.
Apologies for not posting sooner. I have been busy with some little fun. Yes I have been creating some inchies. For those who don't know what inchies are they a tiny pieces of artwork completed on one inch squared. You can do anything with them that you like. I will be putting mine on canvases to sell. The ones I have done so far are shown below in the slide show.
On another note, in my last blog I said I had some news. Well I can now tell you what it is. As of the end of June my position as the State Trainer for our company will become redundant. Other State Trainers have already had their jobs combined with others however because the National Training Manager is here in Perth as well as me, he now gets all the training. The good news is that they are happy enough with my work, skill and knowledge base that they have put me onto the help desk. As many of you know I was seconded there just before Christmas under the shadow of my assistance being required for the new launch in the software. When it was extended in February I new something was up. Finally after having a word with the CEO it all came out in the open. I feel so much happier now knowing what is going to happen rather than guessing.
So how do I feel? I have accepted it. The team I am with is great fun and very personable as well as all the other people that work on the floor. I have made some really good friends which did not seem to be happening on the floor above. Everyone was too stressed out up there I think. As far as the training there are things I will miss such as the training and developing a relationship with our members. That was fun. The side I won't miss is the reporting, the sales meetings, and constantly relying on the members to do the right thing and therefore keep my KRA's up.
Help desk is going to be hard in a couple of ways ... I am not a technically minded person; I know the basics which is slowly increasing. I can now say that I hate MSXML files but don't ask me what they are for. I am also not allowed to assist as far as the training side is concerned because help desk is there for technical and the trainers are there for the training issues. This is hard because after working for a bank I know how frustrating they can be, I have also been a broker and know how frustrating it is for brokers to get one story from the Lenders and one from their Aggregator. I also know how frustrating it is to try and get in touch with the trainer so the natural trainer in me is finding it very hard to say NO when I know full well what the answer will be. I can say yes if the answer will only take a minute or so.
Finally the worst thing is the loss of my car park and a reduction in my pay. All I can say is at least I have a job.
With this one it is too early to say. I am really not happy with the shading so far but hopefully I will be happier with it when the rest of her face goes on.
