This morning, I thought I’d share how I’m exploring creating some Entangled art, particularly monograms, via YouTube.
This little drawing is 11cm by 11cm, which is approximately 3.5″ square – took about an hour or so to get to this point. I wasn’t sure of the green, but I think it’ll work out just fine. There’s quite a way to go yet, but that will have to wait for another time.
The materials I used are: * 03 black Sakura Pigma Micron * Various Arteza Everblend marker pens * Various fineliners in grey and green * A white Sakura Gellyroll pen * A metallic gold Uniball Signo pen
This was just some fun! I had no idea where the drawings would lead … but drunken party skulls, mushrooms and tentacles seem to be the theme of the day! It’s nowhere near finished yet, but something fun for me to do later today, after I run an errand.
There is a video of me drawing this as far as it’s gone.
I really am enjoying it and I’m gaining confidence in creating and using hand lettering. I suspect some of that confidence in playing around with shapes and patterns comes from all the pattern explorations I’ve been doing.
While this page isn’t strictly what the course involves, it is my kind of thing. It combines both hand lettering, my kind of pen drawing, and a way for me to get used to using hand lettering in artwork.
While the black and white version is just fine. I think it needs colour to bring it to life. So, Inktense and Colorsoft pencils are being used to do this. Once I’ve finished adding colour, I may add pattern/texture using other pens e.g. Gelly Roll pens, coloured fineliners.
Oh, I did scan this page before I started to add colour, just in case I make a total mess of it!
The words/phrases are just things that came to me as I was drawing, often commenting on my life at the time I was drawing parts of the design.
“Because I can!” is a phrase I use often during my video tutorials. Talking of videos, there won’t be one today. Time has run away with me and I have things I need to do today. There’ll be another video tomorrow, all things being well!
Today, I start to draw a bookmark using the tangle pattern “Siros” by Simone Menzler CZT. I’ve yet to decide what I do with the background, which is why I’ve stopped part way through.
It was lovely to spend some time drawing variations of Siros, as well as gaining confidence in the steps needed. The reverse ‘fengle’ version vexed me for a while, but I think I’ve now got it!
The large, open spaces in each Siros were perfect for adding pattern to.
Here’s today’s video on YouTube. Please click on the ‘Watch on YouTube’ button, if you’d be so kind.
This week it’s another mandala. I’m still not feeling too well, so mandalas are great to create when under the weather.
This one is full of comforting items – a hot drink, cake (or ice-cream!), flowers, hearts and a lovely star. Well, I think the star is lovely!
I am feeling better today, just not quite well enough to do much. I did get a video posted yesterday. Today, I don’t think there’ll be one as I really need to sleep soon.
Usually, my mandalas are line art. However, I wanted to try going ‘no-line’ and digitally paint one. Of course, I started with a mandala that was line drawn as a guide.
I’m not entirely sure of this. I keep trying different ways of adding colour/shadow/detail. The flowers in the centre have slightly darker line details on them. The hearts are built up of layers of different shades of pink. The leaves are, mostly, just two shades of green. But then I have the fancy acorns, more realistic mushrooms and berries …
It’s all a bit of a mish-mash, or is it? I don’t know. I’m migraine-y today after a poorly night. I didn’t want to focus on anything that I feel pressure to do really well, such as templates for Adorable Dogs. I’m not sure I’m up to creating a video today. But I still wanted some quiet time with arty things.
I’ve had thoughts wandering around my head about working with colour instead of black and white line. I think the explorations with colour and pattern that I’ve been doing in my ‘Pattern Explorations series is having an influence on me.
Today may not be the best day to make any decisions on what I’m doing here, what approach to adding colour I like best, if lots of different approaches work in one artwork, or if I should be consistent, and how to add more pattern to the various elements, and on and on.
My head needs to be clearer than it is. One thing I think I know is that I’ll eventually find a way, even if it is to realise that this isn’t my way.
I do keep coming back to this kind of art, and abandoning it as I become disillusioned with my skill and what always appear to be poor colour choices. I know I’m better with colour with limited colours, or even monochrome. Now it could be interesting to work this in monochrome. Why didn’t I think of that when I started? Basically, it’s because I didn’t think – damn migraine-y, brain-foggy, drifty-floaty, brain-achey-ness.
This tangle, with it’s use of heavy lines for shadow/dimension is just up my street. Or so I thought. I ended up experimenting with how the thicker lines can change whether the layer appears to be growing up from or digging down into the page.
I enjoyed varying the inny or outy nature of each layer in the pattern, but I’m not entirely sure I’ve got the shadow and highlight right for the innies!
I’m going to put it down to sheer tiredness. I had a poor night’s sleep again. I’ve been up since before 5am and I’ve done nearly a day’s work already, and I still have more to do. But first I really do need to go sleep for a while. I’m just about falling asleep at my desk.
I have an introvert ‘hangover’ today. This has absolutely nothing to do with alcohol, just a bit too much socialising on Zoom yesterday! The headache will lift soon. The tiredness will gradually go, especially after some more sleep. It was lovely to spend time with like-minded people, particularly Brett from the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group.
So, doing some entangled, intuitive pen drawing was just the thing to start the day off. Gentle, familiar, enjoyable, calming and peaceful.
I have no idea what this drawing is going to turn into. Time will tell.
I have created a time-lapse vlog of this drawing. Not only do you get to see how this WIP drawing was done, I also show some of the other work I’ve been doing in my sketchbook as well.
Yesterday, I took some time to add more to my abstract watercolour work in progress. I’m continuing to work with the Ecoline brush pens, which are filled with watercolour ink. Through this process I’m learning the value of using larger brushes for larger areas.
Timing when to add wet into wet is something I’m starting to get to grips with, possibly. I like the way the colours have played with each other in the pebbles.
Once the pencilled in pebbles are coloured, I then will have to decide how I add detail and interest to other areas of the design. Do I do more pebbles?
I’m really not sure. All I am trying to be sure of is that this is something I can do to learn from, to explore this medium, and to explore abstract watercolour art in a style that is in my style.
Once the colour is added, I then will have another choice to make concerning pens. Do I use pens to add detail and/or contrast? If I do decide to use pens, what kind /colour do I use?
I think I need to do some smaller test pieces to try things out on. I’m liking how this particular painting is working out, so testing ideas out elsewhere may be the way for me to go.
Today’s vlog was suggested by a comment left by Jennifer Miller. She asked if I could do a flip-through of my visual dictionary / zibaldone. So that’s what I’ve done! You can see it by following this link.
Angela Porter 