My daytime work was cancelled today because of the typhoon. I didn’t have anything else to do all afternoon, so I drew this.
No, this was not what I wanted. A sketch should be a lot simpler, and still look more real, I guess.
Well, looks like it’s time to look for some tutorial stuff and also to see more sketches by others. I need input.
Another thing I noticed this time was that it’s hard to take a good photo of a painting on a cloudy day. No matter I use flash or not, or adjust white balance or not, the color tone in the photo turned out really different from the original painting. In this photo, the whole thing look rather brownish, but actually the tone was more greenish in the original.
Well, looks like it’s time to look for some tutorial stuff and also to see more sketches by others. I need input.
Another thing I noticed this time was that it’s hard to take a good photo of a painting on a cloudy day. No matter I use flash or not, or adjust white balance or not, the color tone in the photo turned out really different from the original painting. In this photo, the whole thing look rather brownish, but actually the tone was more greenish in the original.
This is what I dug out from my old sketchbook. I lived in Kansai area (Koshien) when I painted this, and the beach in the picture, Naruo-hama was my favorite place. IIRC, I drew this sketch from a photo.
(Painted October 6, 2002)
(Painted October 6, 2002)
I got an used digital camera (as I had promised before) on September 7, 2004. All the photos here have been replaced with the ones taken with this more sophisticated equipment. The new photos don't look much different from the old ones, but if you click on them, you'll see bigger images. ENJOY!
To be perfectly honest, I think the bigger images show more of the bad points in my paintings. Ahhh...
To be perfectly honest, I think the bigger images show more of the bad points in my paintings. Ahhh...
These green peppers stayed in the fridge for such a long time that I almost forgot about them. They are turning orange now! With some leftover tiny tomatoes, they came into the spotlight!!
Honestly, I don't like this one at all. I'll try painting peaches again
sometime soon....
sometime soon....
This is the one I painted 2 days ago. The typhoon kept me indoor all day, and I was almost bored to death. I started sketching this empty wine bottle, then this wine glass, and finally colored them both. Then the background looked too plain to me, so I added the trees, and the window frame to make it look logically correct.
Of course the window of my room was tightly shut because of the stormy weather. Probably I was feeling a little claustrophobic and wanted an access to the outer world.
Hey, don't be too picky about the drawing. I can never draw bottles right.... the bottles and glasses I draw never look symmetrical to me. Maybe not to you, either.
Of course the window of my room was tightly shut because of the stormy weather. Probably I was feeling a little claustrophobic and wanted an access to the outer world.
Hey, don't be too picky about the drawing. I can never draw bottles right.... the bottles and glasses I draw never look symmetrical to me. Maybe not to you, either.
These cherries looked so fresh and attractive when I bought them at a nearby fruit shop. They weren't very sweet, though.
One good thing about painting fruits and vegetables is that I can eat them afterwords. :)
(Painted Jul 1, 2004)
One good thing about painting fruits and vegetables is that I can eat them afterwords. :)
(Painted Jul 1, 2004)
I say these are tomatoes. Whatever you say, or whatever these look like to you,
I say these ARE tomatoes!!
(Painted Jun 24, 2004)
I say these ARE tomatoes!!
(Painted Jun 24, 2004)
This is the blog where I keep my watercolor paintings. The photos were taken with a camera on my cell phone. Sorry about the poor quality --- I'm going to improve it in the near future. Until then, please be patient.
About my watercolors: Well, THAT is going to take a lot longer to improve :P
I always hated art classes when I was a school kid. No one really taught me how to draw/paint in class. Maybe teachers didn't want to block kids' inner talent and motivation by telling them what to do too much. That probably is a widely-accepted teaching style... the only problem was that I didn't have any talent or motivation. I knew that I could learn skills if I joined the art club in Jr. high and high school. But they were always sketching busts and painting oils, which didn't attract me at all.. So I grew up just hating art classes, but I always loved watching the artwork by my favorite artists, such as Claude Monet and Yo Shomei.
It's only recently that I got interested in watercolor painting. I found a book of watercolor and "Ink & Wash," and liked the style so much. It's quick, simplified, but looks more real or impressive, somewhat similar to Japanese Haiku. I checked out some "how-to" books at the library, bought a brush, paints, and a sketchbook at a 100-yen shop (something like one-dollar store in the U.S.), and started practicing at home. This time, it's not like the art classes I hated.... I'm still learning slow, but the process is not painful. IT'S FUN!
Later, I bought a little more expensive paints, but I'm still using the same 100-yen sketchbook. You see the paper in the photos look wrinkled all over? This is what happens if you used a real cheap sketchbook and didn't stretch the paper by soaking it in water beforehand.
Looks like many people are enjoying watercolor these days. Some people bring their sketching kit everywhere they travel, and draw sketches to upload to their homepages or to send as postcards. Isn't that neat?! Oh, I'd love to do that myself someday!!!
About my watercolors: Well, THAT is going to take a lot longer to improve :P
I always hated art classes when I was a school kid. No one really taught me how to draw/paint in class. Maybe teachers didn't want to block kids' inner talent and motivation by telling them what to do too much. That probably is a widely-accepted teaching style... the only problem was that I didn't have any talent or motivation. I knew that I could learn skills if I joined the art club in Jr. high and high school. But they were always sketching busts and painting oils, which didn't attract me at all.. So I grew up just hating art classes, but I always loved watching the artwork by my favorite artists, such as Claude Monet and Yo Shomei.
It's only recently that I got interested in watercolor painting. I found a book of watercolor and "Ink & Wash," and liked the style so much. It's quick, simplified, but looks more real or impressive, somewhat similar to Japanese Haiku. I checked out some "how-to" books at the library, bought a brush, paints, and a sketchbook at a 100-yen shop (something like one-dollar store in the U.S.), and started practicing at home. This time, it's not like the art classes I hated.... I'm still learning slow, but the process is not painful. IT'S FUN!
Later, I bought a little more expensive paints, but I'm still using the same 100-yen sketchbook. You see the paper in the photos look wrinkled all over? This is what happens if you used a real cheap sketchbook and didn't stretch the paper by soaking it in water beforehand.
Looks like many people are enjoying watercolor these days. Some people bring their sketching kit everywhere they travel, and draw sketches to upload to their homepages or to send as postcards. Isn't that neat?! Oh, I'd love to do that myself someday!!!