Wednesday Warm Up Symmetry Subtract

Welcome!

For at least the next three weeks, this blog will host “Wednesday Warm Up,”— a day of usually quick drawing, inking, brushing as warm up to our serious art. I’ll share a strategy to try each Wednesday using the iPad app ProCreate. I will only use the brushes in the app— there are so many I haven’t tried that warming up with a new brush will be an added bonus and challenge.

I hope you enjoy this one that I call Symmetry Subtract. It’s a similar strategy from last week, a great way to unthink and get the creative juices flowing— forcing yourself to see the unseen! This strategy was inspired by a comment on that post by Palm Trees and Loyalties. She talked about art she does that starts with a background which helps brings her art to life. I thank her for sharing and inspiring this idea. You should check out her blog– she just wrote a wonderful post on positive talk, which includes a wonderful sketch of Mohammad Ali. Check it out.

Goal: warm up the mind memory for drawing; freehand with assisted symmetry; quick design decisions; fun shapes and designs– all from a blank square or circle with a rainbow layer underneath to warm up both the mind and the hand…by erasing what doesn’t belong.

This one is similar to the last one, but it’s the taking away— what can be taken away to create something— is added by symmetry.

The Process

Elements:

• Canvas: 10×10 300 dpi RGB color
• Brushes: Artistic Quoll, Calligraphy monoline
• Use the select tool to create a circle filled with black
• Use the Adjustment tool for Gaussian Blur
• Use Assisted Drawing with the Drawing Guide.

First Project: Radial Symmetry– the repeats radiate across the quadrants.

Start with a rainbow background layer– I tried a new brush under the Artistic category: Quoll. I created layers of rainbow colors. Then I duplicated that layer and applied a gaussian blur.

I added a layer, chose the select tool, chose “ellipse” and created a circle, filling it with black. I enlarged and centered it to fit the canvas.

To this layer I added “assisted drawing.” Go to Canvas– turn on Drawing Guide. Choose edit drawing guide, symmetry, options, and radial.

With the eraser set at a monoline brush, I erased my design.

Second Project: Radial and Rotational Symmetry — repeats spread around, rather than radiate.

Hide the radial symmetry layer.

Add a new layer. Fill with black– or use a circle.

On this layer, add “assisted drawing.” Go to canvas. Be sure Drawing Guide is on. Choose edit drawing guide. Choose Radial and Rotational.

Erase with monoline brush as before.

My layers:

Create a Template

To make this easy to do for fun, create a document set up with the rainbow and black layers. Leave it as a template to duplicate and create to your hearts content!

Oops. I posted early. Well, it’s already Wednesday in Australia! 🙂

Please remember to share #warmup4art .