art

Sketchbook Snapshot: Newt Scamander

I’ve been wanting to do this drawing and accompanying quote since the first Fantastic Beasts movie came out. YEARS later and I’m finally getting to it. XD It was great for practicing shadows, my lines, and just getting used to all the tools on Rebelle 4.

A watercolor painting with black ink lines of Newt Scamander from the Fantastic Beasts movie. He has brown hair, brown eyes, light skin and a gray jacket with the collar popped. He also has a navy bowtie, white button up shirt and a tan vest over his shirt. There are words in cursive that say "My philosophy is that worrying means you suffer twice. - Newt Scamander"
Made on Rebelle 4 with watercolor, pastels, airbrush, ink, and acrylic. And the glorious Undo button. 😉

Sketchbook Snapshot: Rebelle 4 Practice

I’ve really been enjoying my new digital art software, Rebelle 4 (updated since Rebelle 3), and have been practicing on it quite a bit. As I learn the software more, I’m actually starting to enjoy working in Rebelle vs Traditional Pen and Paper MORE (which came as a shock to me) because of all the amazing digital tools that make it easier to make mistakes and fix them quickly. 😉

Here are a few of the things I created while I was practicing with my new tools:

A digital drawing of a little boy in a blue long sleeve shirt and maroon pants is running with a white string that seems to be attached to an unseen kite. The sky is many shades of purple and blue.
Me trying to get the hang of drawing children for the children’s book I eventually want to do. This is a background character from the wonderful book, The Magical Yet.
A digital watercolor drawing of a white woman with red glasses, a red headband with bow, a pearl necklace and a turquoise A-line dress. There is a red belt around her waist that also has a red bow on it. Her shoulders are raised and her arms are up in the air as if she is shrugging.
My confused girl. Working on using watercolor in Rebelle and also learning how to do highlights from light.
A digital watercolor drawing of fish with a large purple eye in blue water. The fish is many shades of pink and purple swirled together.
Playing around with watercolor to create a happy little fish. 🙂

Sketchbook Snapshot: Leveling Up

So I’m trying to ‘level up’ my art skills and I’ve been working on shadows and highlights, proportions and just other basic art fundamentals that I never took the time to learn. I have been watching SO MANY art YouTube videos. I can already see a big difference in my drawings. Here are a few things I’ve drawn this week as practice.

This is from a ‘Complete This Drawing’ book from Picadilly that I’ve had for a while now. It’s great for when I want to draw but I’m too tired to start from scratch.
I’m not sure why she ended up looking like Angelina Jolie.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor.

New Desk Tour

After years of using our old IKEA kitchen table as my desk (you served valiantly table), I finally have a new, real desk with drawers and my daughter gets the old table as her craft table. Here is a tour of my new desk (with only a small amount of clutter removed for pictures).

The full view. Desk and ladder shelves from Amazon. Chair from a friend who was getting rid of it. Painting was a gift.
Close up of desk top.
Close up of ladder shelf & cork board.
‘Hidden’ shelf under the desk. My legs are short so I don’t hit it at all.
Drawer #1.
Drawer #2.
My various on-desk writing implements.
My mini desk bookshelf.
Shelf #3 from the top.
Shelf #3 from the top.

And that’s all folks! I love my new desk and am enjoying having drawers very much.

Sketchbook Snapshot: What Does the Fox Say?

More sketching in Rebelle 3! 🙂 This is my little fox friend who is very happy.

a smiling red fox, curled up with it's fluffy tail around it.
Watercolor and ink.

Also, in case you don’t already have the song stuck in your head, you’re welcome. 😉

Sketchbook Snapshot: Rainbow Dash

So this is a somewhat different Sketchbook Snapshot. It’s a digital sketch made with my new digital art tools! 🙂

I tried some new things and I think I’m really starting to get the hang of Rebelle 3 and my graphics drawing tablet. Exciting!

a drawing of rainbow dash from My Little Pony. A blue pony with blue wings and a rainbow tail and mane.
Ink and watercolor in Rebelle 3.

Collage Art

I’ve been thinking a lot about noise and what I put out into the world. During this time of self-isolation, I’ve felt a stronger desire to share but I have many issues with social media and find it’s best for my mental health if I mostly steer clear (which I sometimes forget and then am painfully reminded, as I was today). So I’m going to try an experiment of sharing more, because it’s what I want to do, here on my little corner of the web.

I recently read about a cool idea on Happiness is Here blog where, overnight, she leaves out cool supplies on her children’s table for them to discover in the morning. I’ve been trying it for a couple of days now with my young daughter, and she seems to be enjoying it, as am I. I get very excited to put things out after she goes to bed, as if I’m a fairy leaving little gifts of discovery and curiosity.

Today’s supplies were for collage art: I left out paper, glue, scissors, magazines, and a printout of some collage art examples. First thing this morning, she was very intent on playing with slime so the collage supplies were pushed aside for that. And I was (mostly) fine with it. I set these things out because I thought she might like them but I did my best not to have any set expectations that she’d interact with them.

Later in the day, she was ready and asked me to join her and we had quite a good time making these. 🙂 The rest of the day has been quite challenging but this was one good thing that happened. It reminded me how much I enjoy collage and you might just see more of it from me in the future.

THE LOVE SERIES #15: Frontline & Essential Workers

This next installment of The Love Series is for all the Frontline & Essential Workers.

Texas has recently started to open back up (amid controversy) and the roads are busier and things are starting to look almost normal. But, in truth, things are not back to normal. COVID-19 is still spreading and the threat to those that have to be working on the frontlines is very real.

I have read on social media about parents who are health care professionals and have chosen to self-isolate from their families to protect them. Mothers and fathers who haven’t hugged or kissed their children or significant other in weeks. And I just start to sob. It breaks my heart that they have to do it and that there isn’t more I can do to help.

So this Loves Series post is for the Frontline & Essential Workers. All of the grocery store workers, police officers and fire fighters, waste collectors, delivery people, and all the other essential workers. You are providing vital services during this stressful and strange time and we thank you. We appreciate you. I am sorry there is not more than I can do but know that I am so grateful.

Marker and watercolor. © 2020. Angelle Conant. All Rights Reserved.

P.S. Here are some ideas to thank the frontline and essential workers in your life.

THE LOVE SERIES #13: Doctor Who

It’s fall – and I know this not because of the weather (it’s in the high 80s here in Houston). No, I know it’s fall because one of my favorite TV shows is returning this Sunday after a very long break. Doctor Who returns this Sunday and I am beyond excited! I’ve been craving this show for a few weeks now and it’s because of what it stands for: hope, kindness, courage, wonder and love (among many others). This show has been and continues to be a bright light in my life and a beacon of hope to many.

So I’ve chosen Doctor Who as the 13th installment of my Love Series which is serendipitous as this Sunday will be the premiere of the 13th Doctor. She will be the first female version of the Doctor and I can’t wait to see what adventures she’ll take us on. Allons-y!

Marker and watercolor. © 2018. Angelle Conant. All Rights Reserved