Welcome!
On most Wednesdays, check this blog for a strategy, process, or reflection for illustration with the iPad app ProCreate or Affinity Designer. This week my art and photography was inspired by two challenges: 100 day project and a Spoonflower design challenge.
Design Challenge: Bold Florals
Spoonflower’s design challenge, Bold Florals is due March 25th. Soon the Shooting Star flowers will be popping up — their vivid colors would be perfect, and it’s a pattern for my Coulee Country series.
I started out with a flowing pattern design that mimicked the shape of the wildflower’s flower and leaves. I drew them with Affinity Designer. It was very plain, so I added in small and medium grasses in a light and dark green, some light green and some yellow tiny dots. I created the tiniest motifs in Procreate, and vectorized them with Adobe Capture.
Then I decided to add in the folk art bunnies I’d been working on, some dragonflies and a frog. Those were drawn in Procreate and vectorized to bring in to Affinity Designer.
I decided next to try the wavy line pattern, and started simply with the flowers and some dots:
Then I added in the other creature motifs again:
I think they are fun and interesting patterns, yet the theme of the challenge is “Think vibrant colors, maximalist prints and striking details for a bright design that celebrates the beauty of flowers.” So I think I will move to a more zoomed in abstract representation of the shooting star’s flower and leaves– keeping the vibrant colors of the pinks, being brighter in the greens — and just zooming in close to the flowers and leaves abstractly. We’ll see how it goes!
The 100 Day Project
The 100 Day Project has a history: I don’t know it, but I’ve seen social media posts about it for years. I think there’s more than one. This one is from Lindsay Jean Thomson with a website, IG, and podcast. The hashtag is #the100dayproject.
The goal is to make a plan for drawing every day for 100 days– five to ten minutes. That seems doable, doesn’t it? What if you miss a day — listen here. My advice: enjoy it; don’t worry if you miss, just keep going as you can.
Come and join the fun.
I’ve already completed 20 rabbits — find them all in the Bunnies and Bears post. And now I’m working on 20 bears. The first four I sketched:
Then I took a class by Lisa Griffin, How to Draw Cute Animals. It’s a 16 minute class, but great tips for creating creatures using quick sketches, line work, and “low eyes” on the face. Worth the time to practice her tips for Day 5. I’ll try again for a few of my twenty bears!
Thanks for stopping by!
It’s been a busy week for learning, improving, and trying new things in both Affinity and Procreate.
The more you draw and design, the better your art develops, along with your confidence. We were all beginners once! If you have any questions, just ask! I’d be glad to help with what I know. Find time to make art every day!
You can find many helpful artists teachers on my Artist Resources page. Take a look at their IG and YouTube. Find one that fits your learning and art preferences and stick with them a while to develop your skills. Every day, another aha!
You’re welcome to follow this blog for art inspiration. We can share with #warmup4art to enjoy our work together! I look forward to your sharing and find me at @42Sheri, on Mastodon Sheri42, on Flickr teach.eagle Sheri 42.
I wonder, if I draw a line... 