Angelic

but she looks a little sad don't you think.  I am really liking the effect of plain graphite with colour and this time I've tried to add more interest to my sketch and challenged myself to draw her with a body this time.  Still not very confident with hands... so she has none...lol Blimey there's such a lot to learn with this drawing lark!!

The obligatory close-up :D

She doesn't look as sad at this angle... maybe just thoughtful eh.
hugs
Chris xx

Let's face it...

I'm a face-a- holic...I just love faces...lol   Big ones... small ones... cute ones... pretty ones... and sometimes not so pretty ones too. 

I am also my own worst critic when I'm drawing them... sometimes the lips are too big... the noses too long...the eyes too far apart or too close together... but they are all emerging from deep within my noggin so to me they are all wonderful... it's a learning curve and the curve is getting shorter day by day.  I have no problem with that.. I am enjoying the journey.  Each sketch has me so involved that I end up in an almost hypnotic place... calm and serene... that can only be a good thing right :D
hugs
Chris xx

More Milliande journal pages

This one is 'striped dragonflies'   it's a bit weird... but I like weird...lol My imagination is so wacky at times :D

This page is about 'vertical journalling' which I would NEVER have thought of doing but could become addicted to now.

See the link to come play on the right if you'd like to come play.
hugs
Chris xx

Still experimenting....

I can't help it.... new pencils are just an addiction and each time I get some I have to draw.  Derwent coloursoft are GORGEOUS coloured pencils!!  Please forgive me if you are fed up of seeing sketches lol... I just can't help myself.

hugs
Chris xx

zendoodled zebras

Well you know I love doodling so Day 2  of Milliande's journalling challenge (see link on the right if you'd like to join in)... was a dream for me... I just loved doing it.  The background was created with coloured pencil cos I do like easy...lol

Supplies used... coloured pencil and fineliner black pen.
hugs
Chris xx

Too much face.....

not enough page...lol  That'll teach me to draw big eh!!  I really need to take into consideration that a girl needs hair ;-p   I can't think of a way round giving her her crowning glory now so I think she is destined to be used in a journal page or two because if I cut her out and paste her onto another page I will have two levels to deal with...bah.  Don't think the coloured pencil will cope with that and I don't want lines.

I really do need to buy a bigger sketch book... A5 just ain't  big enough for me.... something to do with the eyesight on the old bird...rofl.

Need some really good pencils too now that I've discovered I can use them properly.  These were cheapo ones from tesco... I am just imagining how cool it must be to use the better ones.

hugs

Chris xx

Merry Christmas

To all my Friends and family for your continued support through the ups and downs of 2010... for following my arty crafty journey and for being the best of the best.... THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart :-D

I hope that you are all blessed with love and happiness this Christmas and hope Santa brings you everything you wish for.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

FROM

ME to YOU

XXX

Chris

Okay this is the one.

My most favourite of all my sketches.... why.... well not only cos I love her sweet face... but I also managed

to draw plaits...whoooohooo.  I'm well chuffed with meself and I think this is the best of the hairstyles I've drawn too. My sketching isn't stopping here but I have to make room to blog more goodies so this is it for now.

Hope you enjoyed sharing with me :D
Back tomorrow with some DT stuff.
hugs
Chris xx

Sketch journal page10

Only one more sketch to share after this one...then we have to have a change of scenery so to speak...lots to share over the coming weeks cos my mojo is in overdrive (never thought I'd hear myself say that...lol).

Anyway still been changing hairstyles on my girlies (though my favourite one of all is the one I will share tomorrow... I know... I'm a rotten tease ha ha ha).

Hope you like her :D

hugs

Chris xx

Sketch journal page9

Getting a bit braver now and have started to add more detail to my sketches.... this one inspired by the lovely Hawaiian girls who wear gorgeous flower garlands on their heads and around their neck.

I'm having more fun with the hair too now that I'm not doing just outlines filled with colour.

I think that soon I will begin some larger pieces... these are only about 5" x 7"... just so that I have more space to experiment with the backgrounds. 

While rutting through my crafty bits looking for something the other day I came across some Crayola Shader pencils (sometimes I am soooo glad I am a hoarder...lol) and I can't wait to try them to see what different effects they will offer me.

Thanks for looking

hugs

Chris xx

Sketch journal page8

Check out the hair....rofl... bet you've never seen anyone with hair like this :D  My mind works in mysterious ways.    Maybe I was trying to draw feathers cos she looks a bit birdish don't ya think. 

 Anyway she may have a bit of a strange barnett.... but I love her green eyes.  It's still a surprise to me how my sketches turn out and every one has a special place in my heart.  Love Love Love drawing....can you tell :-)

Only a few more to share this week as I have some DT stuff that I want to share too.... thanks for indulging me on my little journey.
hugs
Chris xx

Sketch journal page7

When I was a little girl I always had dreams of being a ballerina... I wanted to wear those gorgeous dresses in Swan Lake.... but I never got to take dance lessons... being the eldest of seven there were never enough funds available.   So I drew my own little ballerina in waiting....

 Complete with her own pink hairband, bun...wispy curls and crossover cardigan :-D

She's probably going to grow up to be a Prima Ballerina and dance in the Nutcracker.
hugs
Chris xx

Sketch journal page6

More sketches from my art journal to share with you this week.... hope you aren't bored with them :D  A bit different though... as this time I am sharing pretty girlie's instead of ladies.

Still loving coloured pencils and experimenting a little with hairstyles too.  Like everything else practice makes perfect and I feel am improving... you can decide as the week goes on.  ;-)

hugs
Chris xx

Sketch journal page5

I forgot to take a photo of this sketch before I coloured it... sorry :D  I find it really peculiar that once I start to sketch... whatever face I'm doing at the time... that the whole drawing just seems to evolve on it's own.

I had no intention at all of this ending up as a Nun but it did anyway...weird or what.

I wonder if it's something in my subconscious mind that leads me to draw what I do especially as I have no particular project in mind when I begin.

Whatever it is I'm not complaining :D
hugs
Chris xx

Sketch journal page4

Now that I am getting used to the way the pencil works on the paper in my sketch pad I have started to become a bit more adventurous and finding out new things along the way.  I have discovered that by using tissue instead of my fingers I can blend the pencil on the paper better.

The tissue will also remove some of the heavier graphite (I do tend to be a bit heavy handed).  I have tried hard not to use an eraser while I've been sketching because then I have to be a bit more focused about what I'm doing.  Some of the mistakes in the original sketch and the hair style have been changed simply with the coloured pencil and tissue.... tis so clever how this works. 

Using the tissue to blend also gives a more delicate look to the finished sketch  and I am loving doing the faces this way.

Hope you like and thank you for following my sketching journey :D

hugs

Chris xx

Sketch journal page3

This is one of my favourite sketches.... I don't know whether it is because of her hair... or if it's because her eyes are larger but something attracts me more to this one than the previous two.

I seem strangely drawn to the colour blue lately... which I find weird as it isn't usually one of my favourite colours being a bit cold.  I used watercolour pencils on this one ....

but I thought it a bit pale and didn't want to wet the paper too much as it's only sketch paper, so I added it bit more colour to the eyes lips and face with pencil again.

Hugs
Chris xx

Sketch journal page2

One of the fun parts of trying out sketching different  faces is that they always end up looking so completely unlike what I imagine they will.  I am not working from reference photos yet... I guess that I will do this at a later date... I quite like the surprise at the end of my sketching so for now I am just going with the flow :D

It would be really freaky if I came across anyone in real life who actually looks similar to one of my drawings...ooooer.  I think I liked this one better before I added colour ... I used normal coloured pencils this time... liked them better than the pastel pencils.

I am getting better every day... though it may not look like it to you...lol 

You will see as the days go on.  It is definitely right that the more you do something... the better you become and the easier it gets.  I am trying to leave the mistakes I've made just so I can look back myself and see what I have achieved in future weeks.  Sometimes I just don't see that something isn't right until I look at the finished sketch and then it's too late to erase it anyway.

No matter.... I am learning to love my art... warts and all :D

Thanks for looking

hugs

Chris xx

Freedom art journal page

A bit of a change from painting with this page... but hey I still have pencils and pens in my hands.  I love doing backgrounds with coloured pencil because they have such a delicate look.   Glueing and sticking is so therapeutic too and those old magazines sure do come in useful :D

Doing pages opens up some really wierd stuff in my head sometimes... do you feel that when you do yours???  Do you feel that sometimes other people pull the strings in your life more than you do yourself... I think I have always been a people pleaser... more worried about others than myself and it sure is a hard habit to break.   ooooooooer DEEP or what...lol
hugs
Chris xx

One stamp-three different looks

I just love this stamp which can be found at catslife press it is so pretty and I had a lot of fun using it. For this first atc the image was stamped onto patterned paper and cut out before putting it onto a distress inked background which I used a script stamp on. (think it was crafty individuals) I also used a rub-on along the bottom edge.
This atc was done with coloured pencils although the scan doesn't show the texture very well. Love this effect as it's so delicate.

The image for this one was also stamped onto patterned paper, cut out and placed on a pre stamped background. The butterfly and corner are Crafty Individuals stamps... think the lettering is too but not too sure. I sometimes collage stamps onto backgrounds and forget which ones I've used... although some images do stick in my mind. The circles are rub-ons... love them cos they can be used on all sorts of projects easily. I love easy ;-)

Thanks for looking

see you soon

hugs

Chris xx