Some Observations

Just finished a practice session and wanted to share...

...Painting an image upside down - hey, that works! I think this comes from Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain. It apparently liberates your mind from preconceived perceptions of an object. I stumbled upon it when I was practicing tonight when I accidently laid down my butterfly wings upside down. But I just continued on. And for the first time ever I managed to make a decent butterfly - it actually looks like one!

...And wow, I knew the sparkles were a must but I am just realizing Glittermark can save me from my usual clumpy outlines until I get better at them. My new best friend.

...Finally I was reminded I need to keep watching those videos over and over - I started a couple of months ago with nice points on my teardrops, they have been getting from bad to dismal, and here I have been trying to buy better brushes and different paints when I went back and watched the becstar videos and was "reminded" how to do them right. Oh, sharp points again. Doh!

I wish I could have gotten a good picture of this design - it is so much sharper, cleaner and more vivid than the photo, but I think you all can get the idea...



I just love face painting. Sigh.

That looks really cute, you did it all upside down

Very interesting about the upside-down painting. I will have to try that and see what happens! Your butterfly is just lovely, by the way!

It's funny how we drift from our "teachings" without realizing it. I do that too sometimes. I'll practice a technique, then do it again and again without really studying the original that I loved so much, and before I know it my version has deteriorated to the point that they look like totally different designs. LOL.

Great "doodle session"! That's what I cal it when I decorate my arm for hours The butterfly is beautiful!

I have discovered when I am feeling very frustrated - not getting something despite repeated efforts (princess faces...) if I let myself go, and find that "Silly Izzy" in me, where I start enjoying myself and just painting because it's fun, my lines get sharper and I come up with some neat DOODLES. Okay, I was not as focused and entrepreneurial as Izzy, but the enthusiasm she has is touching something latent inside that I need to find again. I lusted over the FABIAC website. Things are too tight to go this next year, but I was really impressed they offer an advanced payment plan that is doable. I'm going to mark it on my calendar for 2011. Can we make a facepaintforum guild....;-P

Yes Pixie it does come from Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain. I have that book & have also done a weekend workshop using the techniques in this book. I found it very liberating. I also love what they call 'blind contour' where you focus on your subject of drawing eg: a vase of flowers & have your drawing page off to the side so you don't actually look at what your drawing just at the vase of flowers - this exercise really opens up the right side of the brain as the exercise is too slow for the left side of the brain & it basically shuts up & lets the right side take over & be creative following the curves & lines.

Yay Mandi - What a great workshop to give! That book bar none has been a huge influence in our household (my mom is an artist) for accessing creativity. There is another one that we discovered in the last few years that you might be interested in if you haven't already ran across it. "How To Think Like Leonardo Divinci". They have it at Amazon and it is a fantastic FANTASTIC book along similar (yet different) lines.

Thanks Pixie I'll check it out. As next year my youngest will be in school full time I'll have some me time to dedicate to improving my drawing skills so I shall see if I can get a hold of this book.

Hi Pixie, is this the book you were referring to?http://shop.ebay.com.au/i.html?_kw=how&_kw=think&_kw=like&_kw=leonardo#

Yup - I can't vouch for the workbook though. Just the book. I PM'd you the link to the book on amazon too :-)