Wolf up a tree !!

This was the page where the wolf had just been scared up a tree by the cats shadow. I think I have really captured the colour and look of a tree. Using the a3 scanners I managed to put together the leaf marks I had made for my tree. I found it really hard to do at  first because leaves are very hard to draw and I was thinking to literally so I changed my approach to changing back to mark making and focusing on the shape of the leaves instead.

I used pastel rubbings from trees to recreate the texture of wood and I think it works here as I can see the jagged edges and rough surface of the tree. This page was a challenge.

John Wick soundtrack

Art isnt the only form of inspiration for me. I listen to music a lot when Im doing work and it more than often inspires me. Ive recently watched a film called John Wick, its a brilliant film and theres a scene where he's fighting,  this music is being played and they combine the violence so beautifully with the music.

I can't stop listening to it !!!

Poppy field

  This was one of the last pages of the  book and I really wanted to illustrate the bright mood and upturn in fortunes for Sultan and the story. So I wanted to draw a poppy field. I thought it worked well with the image I was trying to create,which was one of vibrancy and positivity. I placed the wolf in the background as I wanted him to be ever-present and alway around, but almost hidden. The obvious weakness for this page was my time keeping as I didn't have enough time to draw sultan into it. He was meant  to be running throughout the fields happy. I think a strength of this piece is sense of perspective and distance with the wolf further away.                                  

Hill's

I found this page in particular so difficult to do. Hills and landscapes are very hard to try and recreate. I just couldn't decided on what medium to use and was trying everything from paint, ink and water colour. I discovered from using water colour that if I toned down the colours I really matched the effect I was trying to create, sort of old muddy hills. 

The texture it create work nicely. I want to make the image not flat though so I added little detailed drawings of ladybugs and plant to try and make the image look different. 

Discussion forum - Plagiarism

This was a really interesting and mind opening discussion. We learnt all about plagiarism with in the art industry. A lot of work is currently behind copied and used commercially without the original creater knowing about it. Its a really stark occurrence to be happening and it seems to be happening more and more. 

It showed me what my responsibilities are as an aspiring art & design professional, but also what my rights are. Students should know about the ethical, legal, and professional consequences for borrowing others’ work too liberally, and what to do if they find that their own work has been copied or borrowed.

One of the best ways to deter visual plagiarism is to address it preemptively. Talk about the importance of copying from the masters for the sake of skill-building and expanding one’s knowledge, versus the perils of stealing from the masters (or one’s classmates). You can take similar steps for deterring visual plagiarism. Some tips I was given 

▪    Require multiple drafts of projects and have students document their progress through drafts in a sketchbook, whether it’s paper-based or digital. This is a valuable habit that will serve them throughout their careers.

   

▪    Ask for evidence of students’ research (including citations) as a professional best practice. 

▪    Add a personalized component to your assignment, whether it’s text- or image-based. For example, students have to write a paragraph a week that shows the evolution of their ideas.

     

▪    If you teach online, try this strategy from the Foundations department: their instructors require online students to photograph themselves holding their work.

Leonid Afremov Q & A

http://afremov.com/home.php ( All images that I've used are from his own website)

This is my last of an enjoyable series of interviews with professional artists and illustrators. Leonid Afremov is one of my favorite artists I love his unique style ( using a palette knife) and bright vibrant paintings. I can't actually believe he even replied to me he sells work for thousands in galleries all over the world. He is a very talented man and a great inspiration to me. His answers were brief but a great insight indeed.


1) What inspired you to take up painting?

I was painting since I was a little kid. It was a childhood hobby that kept growing 

2) Which artists inspire your in your work. 

 Marc Chagall , Claude Monet, and Francisco Goya

3) What do you want people to feel when looking at your paintings? 

 I want people to feel a certain mood which I'm trying to transfer. It can be happiness, sadness,  or anger  

4) From looking at your work, you like to use the palette knife, what is it about that tool that you like? 

The palette knife is very clean. You clean it up 100% with just little bit of tissue and there is no paint left on it. A brush always has residue of previous colors that mix in and make the paint dirty . Also the palette knife helps you make lots of texture  

5) If you could give one tip to a student trying to make it into the professional art industry, what would it be? 

Work hard and never give up. good things happen with patience and dedication.   

6) How much freedom do you have when creating your work? 

At this point  of my career I paint whatever I want. I also take commissions. they help with new ideas

7) Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why?

Alley by the Lake is my most favorite. It shows the most who I'm and my style. 

Q & A with Andrew Hutchinson

http://www.andrewhutchinson.co.uk

This is another of my Q & A posts. This time with world renowned wildlife painter Andrew Hutchinson. I actually couldn't believe this artist even replied to me, he is so talented and it was such a pleasure talking to him. He wanted to talk to me over the phone so that was a daunting experience in itself. He turned out to be such a down to earth guy and a nice one at that. He uses acrylic paint to create these masterpieces. He creates them with realism in mind and trying to create a mood or emotion in the onlooker. He even recommended that I should enter a competition that he's in at the minute.

This was a great experience for me. I did try and write down as much as he said, but we did end up having quite a long chat in the end so it won't be 100% accurate.

1) When did you first start to paint and who are your influences ? 

Always drawn since a young age. I seriously got into drawing and painting in secondary school when people started to recognize what I could do. Alan Hunt was one of my biggest inspirations when starting out, I really liked the look and feel of his paintings.

2) What drew you to drawing animals and wildlife ? 

Always had a fascination with wildlife, particularly from living in areas of natural beauty such as the highlands. ( It was obvious he cares for nature and animals so that was very good )

3) What process do you go through when painting i.e. do you work from photographs or outdoors ? 

I use photographs to do most of my paintings as I find I spend weeks trying to recreate all the detail and shape of the animal or landscape I painting. Animals are very hard to paint and draw when constantly moving around. ( We both had a laugh about this as I also do the same method when creating work)

4) What is it about acrylic paint that you like ? 

I used to do a lot of water colour painting until someone introduced me to acrylic paints. I like the feel and texture they produce on the page and being self taught I had to teach myself the tricks and techniques that go into painting.

We talked about how long it would take to produce paintings like he does and he mentioned it could takes months at a time, but he did say practice is crucial and it will help to speed up the process in a very stressful faced paced environment.

5) What tips would you give to a student trying to make it professionally and get there work out there ?

Always build on your portfolio and stride to produce the best work that you can. You need it to be presentable and you need to act professionally in what you do. Competitions is also a good avenue to go down as I myself won one many years back, which landed me a job, which I've now been in for the past 30 years. Overall just try and get yourself out there as clients and galleries will only interested in work they can look at.

Another thing he said that gave me a lot of encouragement was don't be discouraged from painting or drawing because you've looked at someone else's work. He remembered looking at work and thinking whats the point, but its experience and belief that could help you get to that level or even better.

6) Whats your favorite painting you've produced ? 

Probably tigers eyes as if your looking through a letter box. I also worked on an exhibition in Canada with a really well known artist Robert Bateman. ( Who is a ridiculously talented artist )