art

How Do You Draw Thee, Let Me Count the Ways

| Whitt’s End Art

I still think when it comes to art I am a little ADD. I like to tinker with so many different mediums there are times I feel like I am as the proverbial saying goes, “A jack of all mediums a master of none.” I in my own opinion need to pick one or two mediums and practice with them until I get proficient in their use, but I just can’t seem to be able to differentiate as to the ones I like the best. Here is the list of the mediums I use.

Drawing pencils, which I use everyday. Drawing pencils for me offer the most simplistic way to render a picture.  I use mostly Faber pencils from HB to F. My favorite pencil to use is the standard #2 HB writing pencil. Where I work you can literally find them on the floor so they are real cheap.

Pens, I also use a lot. I like the flow of ink across the paper, especially a blue ballpoint pen. When to pens I also go cheap. I feel you don’t need to pay a fortune to get a good looking drawing.

Colored and Watercolor pencils, These are the newest additions to my stable of mediums. My colored pencil of choice is the Prismacolor colored pencil. I love the way the colors flow across the page and the ease of use. I prefer the harder colored pencils to the softer ones. The harder ones hold the point longer and need less sharpening. As for watercolor pencils right now I am using a set I get at the local craft store on sale.

Hard Chalk Pastels, use to be my favorite way to render a picture. These days I have gravitated away from chalk pastels though I still use them for highlights in some of my pictures. The problem for me with chalk pastels is not the colors. I love the color palette they pro, uce. Their only drawback is the messiness they produce with all the rubbing and the blowing off of the powder. They of course their is the fixative you have to use each time.

Acrylic and Watercolor Paints, I lumped these two together because they both can be used straight out of the tubes or diluted with water. While my use of watercolors had been limited to some of the paints which come in the pads, I have also used some colors right out of the tube. Watercolors still mystify me, especially washes, so right now I limit their use. Acrylics I love, and use them a lot in my pictures. Right now the only drawback for me is getting those fine little details in my painting so will sometimes use markers or colored pencils to fill in the details.

So you can see I dabble in a lot of mediums, there are still some I have lying around the house like crayons and oil pastels which I have yet to dabble. I still feel a little ADD but I guess being an artist is experimenting and trying a number of different ways to create an image. I have even started to use a little digital editing in my pictures.

Doodle #110, Love the Place Where You Sit

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In my lifetime I have sat behind desks in a few chairs at different jobs. Some of the jobs were just jobs, others I’ve loved especially the one at my art desk. I have created many paintings and drawings sitting in that chair, some which you see here each day.

My whole point to this post can be summed up in an old saying, “In order to love what you do, do what you love.” In other words don’t just get a job, get a career doing something you really enjoy, no make that something you love doing. If I had to do one thing over in my life I would not have gotten a job as an artist. I would have probably set my sights on a career as an architect.  An architect is an artist who uses his/her creativity to design building and or landscaping.

The only reason I would not choose fine arts as a career would be the fear it would take some of the joy out of creating. Then again maybe not because being a cartoonist would be a true joy. The main point of all this is again to pick a career path where you don’t feel like you’re working but you feel like are an integral part of the place where you sit.

By the way the current doodle, “Love Where You Sit,” is a loose drawing of me sitting at my current job. I hope oyu enjoy.

Doodle #106, Easter, Not Chocolate Flavored

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Growing up Easter for me was a time of chocolate bunnies and candy. It was a time of rabbits and chicks. Sure I knew about the connection between Easter and Jesus. I had heard the story of the resurrection and how Jesus still lives today. The problem for me was at the time it was just fanciful stories told to me by what I referred to as Bible thumpers. Those thespians who spun tales of woe in order to get me to behave.

You see me parents grew up around church but never imparted any what I will call outright “Bible knowledge” to me. My mom, however taught me biblical principles growing up. Things she learned from her parents like love your neighbor, treat others as you want to be treated among other truths. I learned but it really didn’t know where the wisdom came from, until I was in my twenties and received Jesus into my heart.

Now many years later I look at what Easter has become and have to ask as my rabbit friends ask “whatever happened to the true meaning of Easter?” From the cross to the grave, three days later He arose.

Doodle #104, A Ladybug Named Francis

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When I saw the prompt for today was the word ladybug, my mind immediately went to one of my favorite animated characters, Francis, the ladybug from the “A Bug’s Life,” movie. The reason I like the character is because Francis is not what he appears.  He is a tough guy wrapped in a not so tough attire.

Why do I bring this up is because in our society we are often judged by appearances first. If we don’t like what we see, well I’m sure you know what is happens next. The news is full of worst case scenarios of people misjudging someone because of appearances. Even I know first hand the sufferings of being bullied because someone deemed my appearance and demeanor were not up to their standards. It can be a crippling thing to be deemed different all because you do no meet another person’s standards. It can lead to a life time of turmoil.

The Bible says in John  7:24, to , “Stop judging according to outward appearances,” instead look to a person’s heart there you will find the true person. The outside is only window dressing. The inside is where the true person lies.

Doodle #103, America Stuck in the Dessert

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What can said about Americans but that we love our desserts. According to a USA Today article published in 2013 at least, “40% of consumers surveyed say they’re eating desserts after a meal at least twice weekly,” but that number is probably higher.  Why the love for sweets? America seems to have developed a taste for overindulgence for sugar.

I know I am one of those people. As a small child and beyond my mom always told me, “Timmy stop eating all them sweets, it is not good for you.” Now as I age and hindsight being what it is I should have headed her warning.  I, for the last 15 years, am a diabetic. Part of the root cause was eating too much sugary foods and soda. The other part was being to sedentary. Truthfully my doctor told me I would have developed diabetes at some point in my life, but I could have put it off for many more years had I been in better health.

Today’s advice is both Biblical and just that advice. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:27, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” In other words avoid the sweets and other things bad for you and eat right. Also make sure not to be sedentary and keep moving. I wish I would have sought to be healthier when I was younger maybe I would have been in better health now.

Doodle #100, Always Eat Your Veggies

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I remember as a kid my mom always telling me to, “Eat my veggies or else I was not going to get any dessert.” Then she would proceed to plop down in front of me a salad or other veggies and I would sit there with a scowl on my face think, “I’ve got to eat this stuff. Can’t we just skip right to dessert?”

Her reply was always, “If you eat to much dessert and not enough vegetables you will get big.” Jump ahead quite a few years and I am still struggling with my weight. I used to blame it on my genes. However after loosing some weight and keeping it off by eating right I am sure had I listened to my mom and eaten my vegetables I would not have developed a sweet tooth I would have probably lived a healthier life and not have developed some of the problem related to weight gain.

I don’t know what all this has to do with art but their is a lesson in their somewhere. The Bible does say in Proverbs 1:8, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.” There are times in our lives when our parents seem like the most clueless people on the planet. Looking back they were not the clueless ones I was for not heading their advice on a number of topics.

Doodle #99, Kittens-an Overview

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If you haven’t guessed by now the prompt for today is the word, kittens. It seems like I just can’t get away from drawing cats and kittens. Prompt or no prompt cats are my favorite subject to render in pen, pencil or any number of creative media. Well truly there is not much advice I can give you about raising cats. If memory serves me correctly from all the cats I had growing up and the ones my son had before he moved out cats  kind of raise you.

Cats can be finicky or loving, standoffish or friendly, it all depends on what mood they are in at the moment. One thing I do love about cats is they are self cleaning, well except for the litter box once in a while. Try to get your teenagers to clean up after themselves and see how it goes. I have four children, two were clean freaks, the other two not so much. I am still finding stuff stashed in different places in my house even though my one child moved out four years ago. Thrift stores have become my frequent destinations.

Still when it comes to cleanliness I will take messy children who don’t get into trouble in and out of school any day. My children had their ups and downs but they have all turned out well having good jobs and for three of them families of their own. It is all a parent can hope for to have successful children.

Doodle #96, The Early Bird Gets the Worm

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When I heard today’s prompt word, worm, right away I thought of the old adage, “The Early Bird Gets the Worm.” The gist of the adage is the idea if you wait long enough what you desire may not be there. Over the course of my life time this adage has meant different things. When I was young it meant I worked ahead in school in order to insure I was ready to go out and play after school.

As I grew older the saying took on many different meanings but the one I forgot was preparing for later in life. The early bird starts to put away for retirement as soon as possible. They do not wait for the time when the worm (money) is needed to get them through. The early bird is left with a nest egg. The late bird, well they not only don’t get the worm they may not have enough left in their nest to get them through. My advice, be the early bird. Start saving now.

The Empty Nest is Full of Broken Shells, Doodle #94

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Today’s prompt is the word, nest. The drawing is entitled, “Girl With Nesting Hair.”  I am sitting here writing this wondering when my doodle challenge also turned into a inspirational challenge. Somewhere along the line I decided if I was going to draw something every day I may as well a few words to my posts. Since I am older and on the edge of retirement i guess those words have turned somewhat informative and inspirational.

I am not one when asked who will bot hesitate to talk about my faith and how much Jesus means to me. I am also one who has been through a lit in my life and want to share in case maybe you are going or have went through the same thing and just need a few words of encouragement. My wife and I have been empty nesters since last August. I must admit for me it was more traumatic than my wife. Don’t get me wrong my wife misses our children but my son and I had like interests. We could converse about those interests for long periods of time.

I miss those conversations in fact so much so some of those interests, like super hero movies and shows have lost their luster. I say this because if you’re an empty nester or close to being one I urge you to start to develop new interests with your wife. She will be the one who is also craving for something to do with the rest of her life. Start to travel, go places, do something together but find some way to channel the energy you used to use for raising your children.