Perfect Painting?

It can easily get discouraging to see so many incredible artists and all of their incredible paintings. And here I am, struggling to even start one! Painting is not a strong point of mine, but I know it will be one day with a lot of determination. This is something I am sure can be done with a lot of practice as well.

Honestly, though, I have been so inspired by all of the beautiful paintings and drawings I have seen on my new Pinterest and StumbleUpon accounts! All of them are so full of beauty and elegance, and something I feel my paintings often seem to lack. What I want for Christmas more than anything (take notes, Mom and Dad!) is an oil painting kit; with brushes, turpentine, book on how to mix the colors, and a wide variety of colors. Obviously not the cheapest present, but a girl can dream, can't she?

Painting is about self expression; seeing the drawing for what it is and portraying that in the best way you possibly can. It's about class, elegance, grace, and fun! It doesn't need to be perfect, but it does need to have something special. No one would want to look at it otherwise. No one would be interested, and want to give a second look.

These paintings caught my eye in particular. The names of the artists are below them.

Painted by Henry Patrick Raleigh

Gerard Dubois

Cario Dolci

Looking at these paintings, it's easy for an aspiring artist, such as myself, to become discouraged. But I think God wants me to take these as inspiration for me to work harder to develop the talents He has given me. These paintings to me seem perfect, but I think that there is more to art than perfection, and God is pleased with my art as long as He gets the glory.

God bless,
The Artistic Believer

Sketching - Tips and more!

    I have been sketching since I began school. It has always been fun for me; to try and capture what I want to draw, whether it's people or objects. Objects have won out for a while now. (see the doll above I drew back in 2010.)

    However, I've found people are so much more rewarding to draw. People have certain features on them that makes them different from the rest, and you need to capture every line and shadow just right in order to achieve that. That's what makes it so fun! It's good to have that kind of challenge.

    What helps me is to make a practice sketch. First, I draw a sketch like I normally do. I look over my sketch and the person. Then, in teaching myself, I draw arrows to point to areas I need to pay more attention to next time on the practice sketch. I found I need to get the facial features in the middle of the face, and a smoother mouth. I refer to this drawing now for future reference. This helped for a more even face, like this one:

    Above is a picture is one of the first sketches of people I've made, back in the beginning of 2011. (Hermione Granger!!) I didn't have the tips and knowledge of art that I have now, so I will post another one to show any improvements or decrements I've made. (Stay tuned! :))
    My greatest tip for sketching any person is to take their picture, and then draw from the picture. Obviously a person isn't going to stay perfectly still. This will solve that, plus give you a better idea of what you're working with.
    I hope you enjoyed the tips I gave as well as sharing my own challenges. If you have any more questions, feel free to comment! I will post recent sketches and drawings soon.


God bless,
Brianna