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Above: ballpoint pen, marker, watercolor
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I looked in the mirror yesterday morning and was perplexed when I saw these little red “balls” on my cheeks. Seriously, I was really confused. Was I having an allergic reaction to something?
It turns out, my cheeks had GOTTEN A LITTLE SUN the day before.
Through a flurry of last minute emails and phone calls, I had ended up meeting a few friends on Saturday afternoon. We sat outside — in the SUNSHINE in Seattle — for a few hours and chatted.
Did you get that? SUN? In Seattle?
It does happen.
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We had planned, these friends and I, to work in our respective journals. In the end not much drawing got done. (Oh well!) I had forgotten my sketchbook at work, and so only had an oldish writing notebook which I had apparently been using to prepare for the Silly 3 class last December. Here are some things I had written down:
“Yesterday, today, tomorrow. (But mostly tomorrow.)”
“I need to do computer work but I left my cord at home and so will be running out of juice in just 29%.”
“Denial is a powerful tool, if used correctly.”
“Opportunities knock, and I say, “Go away!”
“Writing is meditation for me. As soon as I sit down to write, my mind goes completely blank.”
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Heh. heh.
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Have a great day, everyone!
Mixed media on wood, 6″x6″
Today is Friday, around noon. After a fair amount of hemming and hawing and changing my mind and then changing it back, I’ve decided to work at home today. So, I have the WHOLE day in front of me with just my broken laptop, my flaky internet and my messy house to distract me.
Speaking of messy houses, I have one.
I’m wondering if you, dear reader, ALSO have difficulty with houseworky types of things?
Would you be willing to answer a few questions? If so, here you go (you can answer in the comments section, or at this Monkey Business Survey).
1. If folding laundry on the couch in the middle of the house, and then leaving it there for a day or so until you decide it’s time to take upstairs to the bedroom, would you hide your underwear underneath a folded t-shirt so as to not gross out your teenaged son?
a) Yes, that is exactly what I would do.
b) No, I would hide it inside my sweat pants.
c) Duh, I would put everything away immediately so as not to have that problem.
2. When sweeping the kitchen floor, would you sweep up all the spilled catfood, bits of onion, dustballs, dirt and rubber bands and put the whole mess into the compost bin?
a) Yes, that is exactly what I would do.
b) No, I would dump it in the recycle bin.
c) Duh, I would get my hands dirty, separate out the food and non-food items, and put them in their proper places.
3. When taking a bath while dinner is cooking (your husband cooks all meals), would you turn off all the lights so you don’t need to actually see your massively unshaven legs?
a) Yes, that is exactly what I would do.
b) No, I kind of like the look of furry calves.
c) Duh, I would just shave my legs.
4. Imagine your husband is out of town on business and you are “cooking” dinner for your teenaged son. The fire alarm goes off. Would you grab your camera and make a video of your son helplessly trying to deal with it?
a) Yes, that is exactly what I would do.
b) No, I would take the video and then upload it to my blog.
c) Oh. my. god.
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Thank you for your answers to these questions! I really appreciate it!
Hello! Photo Silly has officially started, but your are welcome to sign up anytime until June 26th, the last day of class, and catch up at your own pace.
PHOTO SILLY with Steve Sonheim
(brought to you by “The Art of Silliness” and Carla the “Squeen”)
June 13 – June 26, 2011
14 Worksheets • 14 Days
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1. Fun and Silly Assignments. A daily assignment to get you out shooting and thinking like a photographer.
2. Your Camera. Nuts and bolts talk to help you get more comfortable with — and get more out of — your digital camera.
3. Photo Fundamentals. What it comes down to: Light and Composition.
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Here’s the scoop:
• Every day for two weeks (14 days), you will receive a link to a new PDF worksheet that will look kind of like this (click to enlarge):
• You will receive an daily e-mail from Steve where he will further explain concepts that might not fit on a worksheet (including answers to questions from you!).
• Your daily assignment will have you photographing people, places and things… the whole nine yards and then some.
• A “Photo Silly″ flickr site will be created so you can (optionally) share your photographs and get feedback from your fellow students, as well as enjoy and learn from others in the class. (However, if you are shy about posting your photos, Steve will be available to you to look at your work via email.)
• Steve will be available the entire two weeks by email to answer ANY questions you have. (All Q&As will then be posted on the class blog so everyone can benefit!)
• The class PDFs will be up and available until September 15th, 2011, if for some reason you need to miss a day (or a week!). The blog and flickr sites will be up “forever.”
• Steve is an experienced photographer and teacher, and aims to help his students begin to develop their own unique photography “voice.” He writes, “This class is about looking at the world a little differently through your digital camera, and bringing more photography into your art, and more art into your photography.”
• Requirements: Any digital camera that you can download images to a computer and a basic photo-editing program. (Steve suggests either a trial [free] version of Photoshop Elements or Picasa by Google, also free. These are both easy to use and he will be giving instructions for both as we go along.)
• This class for anyone with a digital camera, a computer, and a willingness to take some chances.
• The first day of class is June 13th! Sign up today!
Cost: $35
SIGN UP VIA PAYPAL HERE
(or email me at carla@carlasonheim.com for other payment arrangements)
Note: When you sign up you will receive a welcome email confirming your registration within 48 hours. After June 1st, you will receive your first email from Steve with your supply list, website info, etc.
About Steve
Steve has been a professional for 20 years and has a BA in Applied Commercial Photography from Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, CA. He currently specializes in hotel and resort photography. He has taught photography classes at Wheaton College, and has had gallery shows with his abstract imagery.
Hello!
Here is a step-by-step process of how I might layer markers, colored pencils, and pencil when working in my sketchbooks (you can see more sketchbook drawings here and here!)
STEP 1
I drew a quick line drawing on 5″ x 7″ watercolor paper (140# hot press Fabriano). I used an ultra fine point black Sharpie (permanent marker). I tried to hold the pen loosely in my hand, but I wasn’t particularly happy with the drawing, so I am going to try and “fix” it with color.
STEP 2
I was thinking it was a poodle, and poodles have curly fur! So I started out making the curly marks with a light grey Copic marker (#T2). I like Copics because they come in a whole range of VERY LIGHT colors, which I like to use when layering my colors (instead of drawing bright colors right off the bat, I prefer to build the colors up slowly through transparent layering).
STEP 3
Next I added some light gold colored pencil (just a Crayola I had lying around). I’ve drawn two little “patches” in the lower left corner to show how I like to lay colored pencil down. Instead of pressing really HARD at this point (the far left mark), I press very lightly. Since I’m going to be adding more transparent layers of color on top later, I know that, even though the color looks “blah” right now, it will BUILD into something more interesting as I go along.
STEP 4
Next I added some pink Crayola marker (yes, the cheap kind). Since it was a darker shade, I added it to the areas of the dog I thought might be in shadow, such as the bottom of its snout, around the ears, etc. I also threw a few random pink marks in the body to tie it together, and “puffed out” some poodle hair on the head, tail, ear and feet.
STEP 5
Added red colored pencil in similar areas. I worked both the lighter shade and a few darker lines for the curls.
STEP 6
Now I added some pencil shading (using a regular mechanical pencil from the office supply store). I tried to get the darker pencil into the nooks and crannies where I imagine shadows might be (under the hair tuft, for example). I smeared it with my finger, which I always do but know I shouldn’t! (Note re: smudging! I’m thinking the LEAD isn’t good to rub into my skin and system, but I do it anyway! Update on the Update: Several readers have pointed out that it’s GRAPHITE and non-toxic. Well, then, oil from the fingers on the paper = not good? All I know is that I feel slightly guilty every time I rub pencil with my finger. But I do it anyway!)
STEP 7
The strong line of the original sketch around the fur tufts was bothering me, so I went back to the black Sharpie and added more dark lines to the tufts of hair to try and obscure those original lines a bit. I also, continued the “grass” on the bottom, to give the dog something to stand on and make those marks make more sense!
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Phew, you made it to the end!
And now for the GIVEAWAY!
If you like this little poodle dog, leave a comment on this post and I will pick a winner randomly at noon on Friday, May 27th. I’ll send the winner the original!
Tweet
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AND THE WINNER IS… commenter #88
Wendy Polidori
Comment: Thank you for the tutorial. It really helps to see all the steps and I’m excited to try my hand at layering. And ditto Lisa…LOVE the grass!!!
Okay! Here is Part II of “And the Survey Says…”
Once again, thank you to the 105 112 113 people who took the survey about why they come to this blog! Please note, if you were one of the last five twelve 13 to respond, I have been unable to view your answers, due to the following:
(If you want to help figure out the dilemma that is haunting me right now, go here! And for the seven eight extra people who completed the first survey in the last few days just to torture me? “Thanks. Thanks a lot.”)
ANYHOO, back to the original survey results. Of the 100 that I CAN see, here is what you said about what you would like to see more of at this blog:
| 2. What would you like to see more of? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| answered question | 100 | ||
| skipped question |
0
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| Response Percent |
Response Count |
||
| Drawing Assignments |
 |
69.0% | 69 |
| Art Tutorials |
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81.0% | 81 |
| Artwork |
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60.0% | 60 |
| Written Musings on the Creative Process |
|
54.0% | 54 |
| Photos of Natalie the Cat |
|
24.0% | 24 |
| Other (there were 18 responses) | |||
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So here’s what I “get” from the survey results:
• You (the “Royal You”) want more tutorials. (Check.)
• And drawing assignments would be good, too. (Check.)
• Only a little more than half of you want written “creative process” stuff. (Wow, surprising to me!)
• 40% of you don’t care if you see any more artwork. (Fine.)
• Less than 1/4 of you care about my cat.
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You can see a sampling of the 18 “Other” responses at this post.
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And finally, my favorite response to the question, “Why do you visit this blog?”:
“I liked your book, and I want to see what you’re up to. (Also, in the nicest possible way, I think you’re a little nuts. Which is good in an artist.)”
Nuts? Why, THANK YOU!!!
Lesley Riley from Art & Soul Radio interviewed me last week. I really had fun talking to her and think it might be my best interview yet!
The show will air Monday, May 23, 2011 at 4:00pm EST… here’s the link!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/art-and-soul-radio/2011/05/23/carla-sonheim–drawn-to-life
Carla Sonheim’s Survey #2: ”Should Carla Sonheim Pay Survey Monkey $16.99 a Month?”
If you scroll down a few posts you will see that I held a survey recently, using the free service of Survey Monkey. Part I of the survey results can be found here, and I am in the middle of working on my next post, “And the Survey Says… Part II.”
BUT, I’ve hit a huge snag in the gathering of the data, and am wondering if you can help me out by taking ANOTHER Quick Survey.
It’s totally short, I promise. Thank you!
P.S. I should add here that the survey is supposed to be funny! (I think I was too subtle, based on the responses so far! LOL)
I contributed a small piece to the Japan Fundraising effort over at crescendoh.com. This is my piece!
“Birds” from my sketchbook, watercolor and pencil, probably unfinished.
Yesterday I put up a little survey using the tools over at Survey Monkey (super easy, and free!). So far I’ve had 85 responses to the questions, and a lot of positive remarks about what I’m doing here (which has been very nice, thank you!).
Just so you know, I didn’t do the survey because I want to change what I’m doing drastically or to have people tell me what to do. (I am the boss of me, and I can only do what I do!) However, sometimes my mind is a blank when I go to write a blog post… what to write? what to write? Ahhhhh!!
So now, after getting your feedback, I have at least a starting point when those times happen. (For example, now, when I’m stuck, I can work up a little eye tutorial just because it was put in my head by someone from the survey. Or, I can start writing the eye tutorial and end up writing about toes. But you get the idea. The suggestions give me a starting point.)
Let’s jump right in!! Here are a few of the suggestions and some quick answers/responses:
Random musings of a tortured mind.
You got it.
What you do when you are uninspired.
I will come back to this again, I’m sure. But right off the top of my head, the best and first thing I usually do is take a walk around the city of Seattle. The people, trees, trash, sidewalk cracks, people, bookstores, people — these do the trick every time!
(Obviously, most of you can’t walk around downtown Seattle if you don’t live here! But “walks,” “people,” “trash” and “bookstores” can be found in a lot of other places, too!)
Info about art materials, reviews & sources.
I should say right now that I’m not a huge “materials” junkie… my “favorite” pen is an ultra fine point Sharpie and my favorite pencil is a cheap mechanical pencil that I get at the office supply store in packs of 10 (they are yellow, and made to sort of look like real pencils). However, I will keep the suggestion in mind when I do use specific materials!
In the meantime, go to Roz Stendahl’s blog… she knows EVERYTHING!
I like it when words and writing are added in.
Do you mean on the blog? Or in the artwork itself?
Take more pictures.
Gosh. There are so many bloggers out there who are great photographers, too. I am not one of them!
I wish I were better at that part. I’m sorry I’m not better at that part.
I specifically would love to better understand how you layer gesso and watercolor to get the wonderful fuzzy textures in the backgrounds of your paintings.
I am working on an online class in the fall that would incorporate this technique. I can and will definitely show what I can for free here, but I can’t see how to properly communicate the process except by video demonstration, and so it will need to be part of the class (since I have to pay my son/daughter-in-law to make the video)! However, this tutorial gives the basic process…
What’s your process for getting out of a drawing funk. When you have lots of ideas, but you just can’t get going. What’s the magic formula for that?
Goodness. The thing with magic formulas is that they only seem to work the first time you come up with them.
It’s like having a crying baby. One moment the magic formula is the breast. The next it’s to be held. Then it’s to NOT be held and left alone in the crib. Then it’s the diaper. Then it’s a combination of diaper and food. Then it’s the combination of being held and left alone. Then it’s a combination of all of the above, but there’s something ELSE that needs to happen before the baby stops crying.
Do you get what I mean? Every day is new. Every “funk” has come about from a different set of circumstances. So every solution is a little bit different.
Sigh.
(But YES, of course I will try and share the things that work for me in future posts!)
How’s the photo class going? I hope you offer it again, I’m a bit up to the gills right now, but I want to sign up sometime this year.
Well, the Photo Silly class hasn’t started yet! It starts June 13th, and runs for a reasonable two-weeks. Steve is working hard on the material now. I think it’s going to be a good one!!
It would be fun to go through your book on your blog.
Thank you. I have thought of that, too, but just haven’t felt I had the time to really commit to doing it “right.” But I will keep thinking about it, and perhaps one day I will!! In the meantime, you can join some others who are going through the book (like Angie Allen and her family are), and be sure to go over to the Drawing Lab flickr group for inspiration!
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Okay, that’s it for now. Part II coming “soon.”
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BTW, astute readers will notice that I got the “And the Survey Says” quote RIGHT this time. (I had put “And the Survey Shows” as yesterday’s title head. I am a big one for mixing things up, just ask my husband.) When I went to write today’s post, I had the idea to Google “And the Survey Shows” to see if I had gotten it right. When yesterday’s blog post came up THIRD on the Google search, I knew I must have gotten it wrong!
HAHAHAHAHA
I just discovered “Survey Monkey,” and set up a very short survey, just for fun. If you’d like to take it, go here! Thanks in advance!!
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Update: After just 24 responses, I’ve already got some great ideas for future posts — thanks! Suggestions such as “What to do when you are uninspired,” and “Talk about eyes. Drawing eyes.” will be addressed in the future! So please, speak up!!
