Paper cut art consists of crisp lines and defined forms. The process of carving away sections of the paper give it a sculptural quality. A flat surface is brought to life with depth and shadows. The most impressive part of … Continue reading →
Many artists, illustrators and designers have their own ‘style’ when it comes to their creative work. Just as we recognise the sound of a person’s voice, we can also recognise their “visual voice” through the types of marks they make on the page, the colours they use and the subjects they portray. “Voyage of Voices” will look at the vast range of these visual styles.
Join me as I travel through the creative world, discovering all types of visual “voices”. From cartoons to cubism and pencils to paint, we’ll explore all sorts of territory. The tour will include examples of various artists’ “voices” as well as my best attempt to create a piece for each in a similar style.
Enter your email address under ‘Follow Blog’ on the right side of this page. I hope this journey will inspire us to try something new. So pack your bags and let’s begin!
First stop is at ‘Stippling’, a method of creating shading using tiny dots. Australian author and illustrator Frank Moffatt demonstrates this technique in his book Stuffed Parrots. I found this in a second hand book store recently. Here’s one of the intricate illustrations, showing the detail top left.
“Stuffed Parrots”, Frank Moffatt, Pegasus Books 1979
So, what is a mandala? It is a Sanskrit word (the ancient Indic language of India), meaning “circle”, according to www.mandalas.com.au. Basically it is a circular image filled with pattern and colour. Mandalas may also have a spiritual meaning and are associated with meditation.
Cindy Belseth is the Canadian artist behind White Violet Art. Her beautiful and dynamic work will amaze you. These are some examples of mandalas that have inspired me. You can see more of Cindy’s creative process on her blog.
I will attempt to create and post a piece every week this year as part of ‘A Piece A Week 2013’. Thanks Rita Juse-Cirkse for organising this challenge! Make sure you check out Rita’s work and all the other pieces that have been posted for week one. Here’s my contribution…
As I created this I was thinking about the wonder and curiousity that a child has. I tried to capture the the look of intrigue or amazement they might have when experiencing something new. I think the eyes are too big but that’s ok.
I signed up for my very first Sketchbook Project 2013. The sketchbook arrived in the post early November and I made sure I got stuck into it straight away. I chose the theme ‘Memoirs’, which lead me to straight to my childhood. I discovered that many of my memories were based around nature – a tree I played under, swimming in the sea and a cat we had. For me, the sketchbook project has been a great way to get back into drawing. The deadline meant that I had to do it, no excuses! I’m proud to say that I have almost finished it and will send it off to America soon.