So what's with 365 Days of art?
It's all about inspiration and a love of creating. I create five pieces of art a week, one of which I'll show you how to do, this week a cup Tea Time graphic; Day 101.
I'm taking my tasks from the fabulous artist and art author Lorna Scobie.
Day 101
Task; Draw some mugs.
Doodling is usually my bag, but this time I thought we drill down into something with a little more detail and create a spacey teatime illustration, quick, cute and simple to do. Make this cutie time drawing for postcards, wall hanging, serious tattoo sleeves... Whatever you fancy.
What you'll need
Watercolour paper... here's a little extra info on what kind if you're not sure.
A waterproof ink pen.
Watercolours paints.
A couple of nice paintbrushes.
One cheap acrylic brush, (the kind you get on kids mags).
White Gouache*
A sense of whimsy.
*Not some French S.T.D. but an Opaque paint we can flick at pictures to create stars.
Step 1
Draw the teacup. I like to add patterns because I mean who doesn't love patterns but feel free to experiment with different kinds of designs. I've drawn the illustration in a waterproof pen so that when we paint, we won't get damp smudge panda eyes, but sexy, sharp wings.
Step 2
The magic of watercolours is how they mix and flow together. They are the sophisticated charmers of any party they go to. They blend and mix seamlessly, with the right lubrication which in this case is water. We're trying to create the cosmos in a teacup and so play around with the mysterious purples and dark-hearted blues. Pull and swirls the paints and then let dry.
Step 3
By far the most fun and messiest part of the whole job, place newspaper down if you like having nice things. (I gave up on that dream long ago hence why my worktable looks like a murder scene in an ink factory.)
Get your Gouache (thick white paint) and water it down to a nice 'flickable' consistency. Cover the teacup up with a piece of paper. Take your acrylic brush and coat it in the paint, hole the brush from about 15cm to 30cm away* from the paper and flick the paint at the page.
*The further away the smaller your stars but more coverage. Closer means bigger stars.
Day 102
Task: Draw a tree.
I combined art with poetry here, creating a tree that looks like a poem has been carved into the bark. I created contrast... that old chestnut by having the tree trunk cut the page in half and have joyful watercolours frame the image. It works rather well I think.
Here's the poem because we all need a little word-wonder in our lives.
Remember
BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI
Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
Day 103
Task: Blend, blend like a Dead Leaf Mantis on a dead leaf.
I have found it.... years of searching of scouring the surface of the Earth for the answer, and now I have finally found it. The reason for the white pencil in the pack of rainbows. One sweet word... blending. After colouring in you take the white colouring pencil and use it to blend other colours. See my exercise in simplicity, 'The Sphere.'
Day 104
Task: Draw everything in your pencil case.
So I'm a homework nerd, but I've have outdone myself with this one. Having already done this task before I even got the book. I drew all my art supplies for my home page. So I designed some very lovely paintbrushes in that Eli Special; ink.
Day 105
Task: Turn these paint splodges into animals.
So my daughter has been eyeing up my art book for a while now, and I had a deadline to hunt down and kill, and so I thought let's eradicate a duality of endothermic feathered vertebrates utilising a singular particle of the naturally-occurring crystalline composite. Say Hello to one of my daughter's many talents*
*one of her other talents is to wipe boogies everywhere.
That's it folks
... Join me next week where I draw a mouths and eyes and more space painting; not altogether like some abomination of nature. I would love to see your creations (not a euphemism, no prick pics) so head on over to Twitter and tag the shit out me. I'm also technically on Instagram but the social norms there confuse me, like life really.
If you can't wait until next week for more art, here is where it all began. Week 1.
