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Catch up and an upcoming YouTube video

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I’m free of the dread lurgy as far as the virus is concerned, but I’m not free of its lingering effects—weak voice, cough, easily fatigued and breathless, and a foggy mind. I will get better—I will. How long it will take? I don’t know, but I was surprised at how quickly I became tired as I recorded today’s video (available from 6pm UK time today, Saturday 2 November 2024).

Despite being unwell, I’ve continued to be creative. In this video, I show a few drawings I’ve done in a new A5 sketchbook from Sakura.

Quite a few of the pages have been heavily influenced by the work of the fabulous Rebecca Blair. I love how she uses patterns, textures, and simple colour palettes to create richly decorative work. Her use of collage is simple yet effective, something I need to learn from!

If you know me, you know I love patterns, textures, and motifs. I like stylised, abstract, intricate art. I usually let my work grow quite organically, yet there is something delightful about creating a tapestry or memory map of patterns, textures, and motifs that bring joy and using colour that creates a certain feeling.

Rebecca Blair uses quite simple colour palettes, often monochrome-ish, and I have found that this works for me, kind of, in the pages I’ve created so far.

I’m not saying I’ve cracked it yet, nor have I found a way to incorporate all of this into my art. I’ve clumsily used watercolour to add colour to the floral elements, but I love how I’ve used colour in the various sections.

Looking back on these pages, I remember when I created drawn collages of elements from, say, an abbey I was visiting. This involved not drawing the entirety of the building but the parts that caught my attention. I’d sketch the patterns, shapes, and sculptural elements so that they flowed from one to another. In this way, a kind of sampler of my visit was created, a record of what fascinated me that day.

I like this idea of creating memory hoards of patterns, textures, colours, and motifs. It’s a revisit, yet a start of something new. To link with this, I intend to create my own hoard of favourite elements, such as ATC-sized cards, stored in pockets in a ring binder for when I need inspiration. This project can be done when I feel the need to be creative but don’t have the energy/focus to do anything else. That’s the plan, anyway.

So, I really need some tea before I even think about tackling this, maybe a nap too.

And Another …. Pen Drawing and Witter!

Angela Porter2 Comments

YouTube Video showing the creation of this drawing.

This afternoon was sunny and gusty-breezy. The shiny leaves on some rose bushes sparkled and shimmered as the wind danced with them. The wind was noisy as it blew the branches and whistled past buildings, yet the sound was soothing. The energy of the wind and sun uplifted my spirits, and I felt it was time to do an impromptu YouTube livestream.

I knew I wanted to do something similar to my previous video—a pen drawing, graphite shading, and a watercolour background in the ‘white spaces’. So, I did that, and I shared my thoughts and joy with those who found their way to the livestream.

I can’t remember what I wittered about during the 2 hour or so livestream, but I know it mentioned finding joy in small things, a childlike wonder of the world and life, taking breaks from the pressures and responsibilities of adulting wherever possible.

One thing I can say is that even in the darkest times of my life, I’ve always been able to find joy and wonder in nature, books, films and more. It may only give me a sparkle of light for a moment, but that sparkle is a reminder that it will fully return and hasn’t gone anywhere – it’s merely clouded by the dark and low mood that gathers around my heart and mind.

If anything, the darkness allows me to enjoy the sparkles more; they are more vibrant when surrounded by gloom. It would be hard to recognise the sparkles and joy if all was bright. Contrast is needed.

Perhaps that’s why I love using high contrast in my art. In today’s drawing, the darkness of the watercolour background really lets the pen drawing almost glow. The texture in the watercolour reminds me of the subtle patterns seen in glowering clouds or the ripples in a darkling sea. Either description works for the constantly shifting and changing emotions and thoughts; not all are gloomy, as the lighter areas show.

The birds in the left-hand column were a surprise! I certainly didn’t plan that. In fact, I didn’t plan any of this drawing. I just let it grow, one line at a time. Sometimes, a line, or combination of lines, suggests a recognisable motif, and I go with that.

Working intuitively always surprises me; though I may make some decisions along the way, they are instinctive. Speaking out what I’m doing just expresses in words what my hand/eye want to do next.

Turquoise is definitely the colour of the moment with me. This time, however, I added rich indigo to it to intensify the colour and depth of shadow. I let the watercolours play with each other as they will, just allowing the end result to be what it will be.

It’s not easy for me to let go of control in this way, but watercolour is showing me that it is possible. And when I let go, the results are always a wondrous surprise!

It’s Been A While…

Angela Porter5 Comments

About the drawing…

I’ve been away from social media for quite a while (I’ll tell you a little more later in this post). So today, I had the energy and time to record a YouTube video in which I drew the design in the photo. The video is due to be available to view at 20:00 UK time today, 14 June 2024.

I started with a 6.75″ x 5″ piece of Ohuhu Mixed Media paper. For those of us who prefer metric, that’s 17.5 x 12.7 cm. I like this paper. It takes watercolour nicely enough for my limited ability to use it. It’s also nice to draw on with a pen or pencil, with its light texture.

The next step was to draw a square, approximately 4″ x 4″ (10 cm x 10cm), in pencil. I like to frame my drawings as if they’re a small glimpse into a much larger imaginary world of abstract and stylised wonders.

Then, it was time to wield my UniPin pens (0.5, 0.3 and 0.1).

I knew I wanted to leave some empty space for watercolour. I also knew I wanted to use a 4B graphite pencil with a tortillon to add shade. Other than that, my mind was empty of any plan. Working intuitively called to me, so I followed that calling.

So, I started with a bit of a wibbly wobbly circle. Then, I just let the design flow and grow using my favourite lines and shapes. I added details as I went, starting to bring the design to life using the density of ink to add some shadow and highlight.

Once the penwork was finished, it was time to add shade. My aim was to bring out a feeling of dimension to the drawing. I’ve long loved playing with contrast more than numerous colours in my work. My goal was to give the appearance of the design floating above the background.

The graphite shadows partly completed that goal. I used turquoise watercolour to add intense colour to the empty spaces. It also allowed me to play with the magic blooming of watercolour dotted into the damp areas to provide more texture.

I love to watch watercolours bloom and spread in this way. Having no control over this blooming and spreading is good for me; I can be too controlling about how I draw and create.

Little by little, I’m learning to allow a little more imperfection into my art to make it more ‘human’ It becomes not wrong but charmingly imperfect. At least, that’s how I like to think of it, and perhaps myself too. Maybe learning that I’m charmingly perfectly imperfect is a personal goal.

I really enjoyed the hour or so I spent creating this small piece of art. I did think about adding some gold, black, or white pen to the turquoise parts to bring out some of the beautiful textures that are there. I’ve decided, however, to err on the side of caution and to leave well alone.

Overall, I had a lovely time, and I hope you enjoy watching the video if you choose to do so.

Why have I been missing for a while?

For around 18 months, I’ve been struggling with my health – nothing serious. Between anaemia (iron and B12), peri-menopause, and IBS, I’ve been so tired a lot of the time. My concentration hasn’t been what it could be. All the energy I had needed to be put into my latest book for Creative Haven – Haunted – and is full of creepy cute characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed doing the book, even though I got tired quite quickly.

Then, my main computer, a Microsoft Surface Studio, unexpectedly died. So, after much thought, I switched to using a 24″ XP-Pen graphics tablet and my new-ish laptop to do the same job. I had a lot to learn and a way to set up Clip Studio Paint that would work efficiently for me on this new device, But I got there.

In the process of using the new gadgets, I’ve realised how much I love to draw on pen and paper. I think I’ll be doing much more of that going forward for my work on colouring books and moving more towards tradigital working.

That was a bit of a meandering journey through what happened. It’s not the only stuff. I needreevaluate my view of myself as being ‘broken’ to being ‘different’ and accept these revelations. There are a lot of ‘OH!’ moments as I recognise things in my past that point to my differences. There’s also some grieving for what could’ve been if I’d only known sooner about them, But it really does help me accept myself and adjust the wrong beliefs I’ve held about my life forever. It’s an acceptance of who I really am, not what I’ve been led to believe. That’s progress for me, for sure. I ama always amazed by the feeling of some tension in my body being released as I recognise a memory for what it is-a new understanding of myself with the new information I have.

All of this has been both exciting and draining in many different ways. It has been totally necessary. This self-acceptance is working its way into my artistic style, too.

Circle Motif Variations

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I spent some lovely, peaceful time today recording a video showing how I work to create variations on a theme.This theme is motifs based around circles and how I go from simple to more complex, possibly over complex.

You are welcome to come and #drawwithme as the #YouTube video is published at 19:30 UK time today, 4 April 2024 – https://youtu.be/tCHrlWi

Seed Pod Variations – A sketchbook/journal page – 7 Sept 2023

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This was so lovely to do! I love seed pods, and working on variations to see what will flow in ink from the pen tip is always a delight.

Not stressing over ‘oops’ moments, or not being happy with a drawing isn’t an easy thing to do. However, I push along, knowing that this is a sketchbook page.

Sketchbook pages aren’t meant to be perfect, finished or aesthetic. They’re pages to explore and experiment. Even the wobbly drawings I’m not happy with can turn out to be ones I’m happy with, once I work with their bare bones and add detail.

There were certainly a few gaffes on this page. But instead of gaffes, I like to think of them as starting points to work from as I have worked out something I don’t like in this instance. That is always a valuable experience and leads to new skills, techniques, etc.

I only added colour and shade to some of the seed pods. They give me an inspirational nudge if I need it when I look through a sketchbook. They act as a reminder that colour and/or shade breathe life into a line drawing, especially when the line drawing looks very simple and bare of embellishment.

There are so many ways to add embellishment to a simple line drawing, that sometimes it’s nice to leave the simplest line drawing as an invitation to work with it and create more variations and a later point in time.

I have a video that shows how I created this page on YouTube. It is available to view from 18:00 UK time tonight, 7 September 2023.

Pattern Explorations 23 August ;23

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Link to the Draw With Me video on YouTube.

Zentangle Inspired Drawing 29 July ’23 and why I’ve been missing…

Angela Porter6 Comments

A #DrawWithMe video tutorial featuring this design is available from 21:00 UK time today, 29 July 2023.

Missing from social media…

It’s been nearly two weeks since I last posted any art to social media. I managed to burn myself out with too much adulting, a people-y couple of hours, and pushing myself way too much to get all the sketches done for the Daydreams book. I just ended up exhausted, unable to focus, and couldn’t even muster the energy to draw for my own pleasure. That is a bad sign.

I’m having to learn and understand a lot about myself at this time in my life. Lots of things have changed – not the big things in life, but things of personal matters to me, including health, age and a couple of other things. This means I really need to make sure I start to set limits for myself as to how much I realistically can do. It seems that it may be better for me to do less, rather than push myself to my maximum limit which results in the start of burnout.

What does burnout look like for me? Intense fatigue, inability to focus, a loss of joy in things I usually enjoy, a desire not to communicate or leave my home, an upset digestive system, and frustration if I try to do anything slightly demanding.

I still remember how I was when I have my first huge burnout and all the health problems (physical, mental and emotional) that built up in the run-up to it. Back in February this year, I nearly ended up in such a state again. Just a few months isn’t quite enough to fully recover, however. It took me years to recover from the first two big burnouts, which happened within a year and a half of each other.

It’s taken me until now to recognise the connection between what’s happening to me, which is only being exacerbated by perimenopause.

This means that I’ve had two weeks without being able to make any social media posts. I’ve avoided social media, apart from reposting posts I’ve found interesting on the times I’ve checked in. I’m not the most sociable person, being an introvert, but am less sociable during times like this.

I’m exhausted not just from the pressure I’ve put on myself to get as much work done as possible. There’s also been the masking when I go out where people are so they don’t know how much I’m struggling inside. Keeping that appearance up is exhausting. I’m a bit like a swan – calm and serene above the surface, but underneath I’m going ninety-to-the-dozen to keep myself afloat and moving.

Yes, I know the expression is nineteen-to-the-dozen, but I really have felt like it’s ninety not nineteen.

The thing is, that’s how I’ve always been for as long as can remember. I didn’t have the words or way to describe how I felt or thought when I was a child or teen, or even an adult. In therapy, I had to learn what emotions were. I was astounded to discover that not everyone thinks or feels like I do.

Not having conversations about my constant anxiety bordering on fear, or my negative self-talk meant I thought this was all normal. If only I’d had those conversations as a child!

Still, I got there eventually…and am still learning about myself and how this impacts me, especially at this time. I have to know my own limits and do a lot more self-care of my energy and focus, mind and emotions, body and soul.

I’d like to think I’m making progress. However, when everything crashes in it can be hard to remember all of this. I get caught up in a maelstrom of fear and the old negative, destructive thoughts of that inner voice that is so damn judgemental.

The positive thing is I recognised that I was spiralling down back in February and sought out medical help. The hard thing is working out what my new limits are. I need to learn to stop before I start to crash and fatigue and low mood and other problems set in.

I think I may have overdone it today – I recorded, sorted out and am uploading a 2 hour how-to tutorial today. I enjoyed drawing and so on very much, but I feel so tired now. Perhaps all the social media was a bit too much! But I do want to do it and will take a break in a wee while for sure.

A collection of some of my recent ‘small art’

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I’ve been doing smaller pieces of art lately, and here a just a small selection of them.

The top design is one I drew and started to add colour and highlight to in a YouTube #DrawWithMe video.

Small artworks are just the thing needed when I don’t have the energy or brain power to do anything larger. They do have, however, their own challenges!

What I had a flash of inspiration from somewhere, probably watching an arty crafty YouTube video. The inspiration was to use gloss Mod Podge to coat the artwork. The glossy surface really brings out the colour and cleans up the watercolour from the black lines. There is no, or very little, movement of colour when it’s applied, so long as it’s applied quickly with little fussing. I did apply a second coat as there were brush marks in the first one.

All are Zentangle and diaper patterns from Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts inspired, apart from one. The one with trees, birds and buntings was inspired by Danielle Donaldson in her book “Creative Girl”.

Oysteroid and A Grid Pattern

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I had a peaceful and content time this afternoon as I created this page in my sketchbook. Well, the pen drawing part with some examples of how I’ll colour it. And I filmed it too, and you can watch it on YouTube.

I started with the stack of Oysteroids, a tangle pattern that I particularly like. I decided that I’d like to use a geometric pattern as a counterpoint to the roundedly organic Oysteroid.

So, I did! I like the way that this instantly gives a feeling of layers or volume.

Colour always vexes me. So, I decided to stick with an analogous colour scheme, choosing Fern and Mustard Inktense pencils to create stripes on the Oysteroids. I carried this palette into the geometric pattern. That was fine until I foolishly decided to use some Red Oxide Inktense. I have no idea what I was thinking! However, it did give a very ‘earthy’ feel to the pattern, in contrast, perhaps, to the sea-related Oysteroid.

That led me to wanting to use colours that remind me of the sea on the right-hand side. I’ll hold judgement on those until more colour is added. If the red oxide doesn’t work out, I have a rather lovely gold ink that can hide it away! Or black with gold highlights…

I used my fine and extra fine nibbed TWISBI Eco fountain pens, which are filled with black Dokumentus ink.

As you can see, I couldn’t help adding some pattern and texture to one of the Oysteroids. I’m sure the others will be treated in a similar way!

Exploration of Zentangle Fragment A1

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Link to the accompanying #DrawWithMe YouTube video tutorial.

This afternoon, I spent a lovely hour or so exploring variations of a simple pattern cell, or fragment in Zentangle terminology. I picked one of the most basic ones there is and just tried variations to see where it let me. In about 20 minutes, I’c come up with 12 variations.

I then chose one of the variations to turn into a grid pattern. I had a very pleasant surprise as the pattern started to build up and star shapes started to appear!

The Zentangle pattern Flux and a simple daisy motif complete the design. I did start this drawing off with the fluffy flux foliage!

The next thing to do is to add colour and/or shade with highlights. But not today. I actually feel I need to eat something. So, that’s what I’m going to do when I’ve finished all my social media posts.