Just a few sketches that I liked. The circus horse was inspired by my dear friend, Emily Davis, who recently did a circus horse of her own. Circus subject mater is so fun! There is no over the top in the big top. :) The girl in the corner is the drawing on watercolor paper that I'm going to paint. It was meant for last week's Illustration Friday topic, lonely. It's an interesting feeling to reflect on, because it seems like most of the time, even though we can't tell, we're the one holding the trowel. I've recently been trying to learn about myself and make changes so I can be a happier person. Loneliness hasn't really been my main struggle, but it's the same basic story. You develop bad habits or attitudes, which lead to actions and feelings that build a wall. Taking it down and keeping it down takes time and effort. Then the tricky part is not picking up the trowel again and falling back into old patterns. A bit of a personal work in progress story to go with some work in progress illustration. Fitting.
What do you think about the sketches? My hubby, Jamin, got a kick out of the house pet circus sketch. Any comments on the lonely drawing before I get into watercolor would be great! I'm planning to put wooded boards over her brick box and have some light sneaking in through the cracks, despite her best efforts. I just haven't decided what direction the boards should run along the roof, and what direction the light should be coming in at to get just the right mood.
In your mind is the girl lonely because she is choosing to be or is she lonely because she can't find a way out? I think the symbolism in this piece could be profound either way.
ReplyDelete~Mom
I think she's lonely and she doesn't understand how she got there. She worked hard to set the mortar and place the bricks. I don't think she knew that she was building a brick box. She was just trying to do her best the best she knew how. I also think that on her own she won't realize that it's a brick box she's build for herself. All she knows is that she keeps trying and things never get better. The weird thing is that they seem to get worse. Changing how she looks at things and learning how to undo/redo everything she's done so far will be a difficult process that will take time, practice, and patience. The comforting thing is that the longer she keeps at it, the better things will get.
DeleteBut that's just me.
It's so gratifying when a viewer can see more in a project than I did. Thanks, Mom. <3
That horse is awesome! I love love it!
ReplyDeleteI really like the thumb of the lonely girl- and I like that the slats are going toward her- it makes it seem like she's ever further from us... I also think we should only see two of the walls like you have it in the sketch- I think it's too close to the edge on your drawing to warrant it. I don't know if it is just me, but I didn't read that she had built herself in there- we my need a bucket with mortar and some loose bricks?
Way to go being a mom and illustrator, Shara!
Thanks Emily! I had so much fun with the horse. :)
DeleteYou know, I had wondered the same things; if the wall was too close or if it added interest, if there needed just a few more props like a bucket of mortar and bricks to really say she was the builder. It's so good to get feed back that confirms your suspicions one way or another.
Good on you too, miss #2 almost there. I hope that everything goes well and that your transition to 2 goes well!
So this is probably to late to be any help to you with the painting. I haven't been very good at checking blogs lately, but I agree with Emily about the 3rd wall and the additional props that would help tell the story. I really like the direction of the boards in the sketch because it makes the light and shadow on her feel like prison bars. And she seems to be in her own little prison of sorts. So however you decide to put the boards into the painting I hope you keep that prison-esque light and shadow. Great sketch though. I really like your character and her emotion.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alissa! I would have liked to have finished the painting by now... but it hasn't quite made it at all farther yet. I'm excited to get there, but I haven't gotten back to it yet. Thanks for your comments. I really like the lighting in the sketch too. I hope to have that same feel in the final as well. Maybe I could loose the third wall, drop the ceiling a row or two, and then put in the planks. I think they'd be able to comunicate better with a little more space. It'd feel more tightly enclosed too. Thanks! It's so great to get feed back! It always helps me figure out things I wasn't sure about on my own.
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