The extremities

So I finally sat down and did a hand and foot study last night, because these two body parts are definitely weaknesses of mine! I've been avoiding this practice... :(

I always end up making the body of the foot look like one flat surface, which of course it isn't. And fingers still get the better of me a lot of the time... More hands and feet in my future, that's for sure.

Water-soluble crayons

I was messing around with water-soluble crayons/wax pastels (Caran D'Ache brand) and graphite in my water media class today. I love the creamy, vibrant colours you can get using the crayons compared to watercolours. The portability of a little box of 10 water-soluble crayons is also a plus. I also had some watercolour pencils (Steadtler karat aquarelle), but wasn't too big a fan of the hard, thin lines.

I found it a challenge to maintain a loose feel to the paintings and I struggled with how permanent lines are when you draw into wet areas directly. Also, I was always too eager to add water and often did it too prematurely... So I'm not too happy with the results, but will be experimenting more later!


Water-soluble crayons/wax pastels, water-soluble graphite & gouache on paper, approx. 5.75x7.5 in. each

I think I overworked the ones above, so I tried to do a more sketchy one!


Water-soluble crayons/wax pastels & water-soluble graphite on paper, approx. 5.75x7.5 inches

These practice pieces also made me appreciate the importance of a good, durable watercolour paper (I used Winsor & Newton 140 lb hot press)

Gouche <3

I did a small painting of a kitten using gouache. This is for a former professor of mine who is a big fan of cats. :)


I find I really like gouache, it's so much forgiving compared to watercolours. I've never worked with oil paints before but I imagine it would be somewhat similar to gouache in terms of the workability and how you can pick up paint from underneath the layer you're working on.

I have acrylic painting class tomorrow, time to attack the paint with some cheap Curry's brushes again. :(

Week 7

Watercolour/gouaches washes over a graphite drawing create pretty interesting effects, in my opinion. :)

First, powdered graphite was applied to the entire surface. Details were then erased into the graphite ground. A light wash of watercolours and gouache was applied after the erasing was completed, and voila!


I'm losing my Japanese vocab, I hope that's correct. <:
Eraser on graphite ground with watercolour & gouache wash

So I guess I'll put up some of my life drawing... I've never done it before and this is my progress after 7 classes, it was the first time we're allowed to use one colour! Our instructor had us use 3 different colours for each of the main steps: 1) gesture 2) joints 3) mass structures. We haven't delved into contour and tone yet.

(And please excuse poor photography) ;-;

20 minute poses - really need to work on hands & feet, among...well everything else xD
Pastel on newsprint, 18x20

Weeks 5-6

So I learned the hard way that you get what you pay for with acrylics. I was using Windsor & Newton Galleria so I could save some cash but found it to be really streaky and transparent. So after class, I sucked it up and bought a couple tubes of Golden paints.


Landscape study using master palette underpainting. Based on a Dutch painting entitled "Roman Bridge" by Jan Asselyn.
Acrylics on canvas, 9x12

Here we were playing around with creating grounds using glazing/layering and sponging pigment off.

Loosely based on flowers drawn by Mondrian.
Watercolour & gouache on paper

A place to put traditional art. <:

Hello! I'm new to blogspot, but I've decided to start one to log my non-anime art escapades (possibly as well as my anime ones?). All my anime style art will be kept in my DeviantArt account here.

I'm currently attending the Toronto School of Art for life drawing and a couple painting classes. So I'll be retroactively putting up some of the work I've completed in class. :)

Weeks 1-3


Still life using master palette underpainting. Apples need some fixin'...
Acrylics on canvas, 9x12 in.
















Floral study using tree twigs instead of pens/brushes.
Ink & watercolour on bond paper, ~11x19 in.