On Portraiture

Recently, I have taken interest in charcoal painting seeing my colleague who does awesome charcoal portraits. I know this is a totally different genre from my usual chibi and manga drawings but I really wanted to learn how to make a charcoal portrait. 

I asked the help of my colleague Sian Sajise, and fortunately she taught me the basics.

She made some comments on how I should hold the brush. (Definitely not the way I hold a pen). The brush should be slanted. 

I don’t know about other artists but so far these are the basics I have learned about charcoal painting based on my observation:

1. Draw your very light outline.

2. Outline your drawing with charcoal.

3. Do the basic tones. Remember all space must be filled. (Even “white” space, we’ll get to the erasing part later.)

4. Define the details by adding more charcoal or erasing charcoal on paper. Simply put, paint-erase-paint-erase to form shadows and highlights.

Sian said, being a novice, I am not bad at it and I actually have hope lol! I definitely hope to improve my charcoal painting skills as time goes by. For now, let me share the pieces I have done.

This is Arya Stark from The Game of Thrones. Sian made the outline. She let me have the feel of outlining and shading and helped me with the final shading.

First ever attempt on my own: I drew Actress Anna Torv as Agent Olivia Dunham (Fringe) because I like her character.

Second attempt at charcoal painting: I drew this beautiful model of Freywille. Hopefully my next post about this will be much better.

New Beginnings

I thank God for everything. I just want to do and to be better this 2016. I hope that I will remember and be able to apply the lessons I learned throughout 2015. Let's thrive and continue to be a blessing to others in our own way.

Here's to new opportunities and to achieving our dreams:

Here's to writing our own story:

Most importantly, here's to forgiving ourselves, letting go of the past, and looking ahead:

Credits: image 1, image 2, image 3, image 4

I think I'll start it over where no one knows my name

This is what I exactly feel right now....

Haiku 15

I just got sudden inspiration and from visiting my previous posts. Sometimes I wonder if I have done something worthy or is doing something worthy.

When I feel doubtful, I always think it is a nice thing to take a trip down memory lane and...

Remember

If you feel lost now

Go back to the start and see

You did good things too

Flowers from my parents' hometown

Feeling so emo....

I am so sorry for not being able to update this little space in this virtual world. I guess I just got so caught up in the realm of reality (and school) that I forgot I can find an escape, a solace, in this place.

Well, I am still not going to write anything except for this my feeling lol. Perhaps "If I told you" by Plain White T's is the closest song that can describe it.

Pride and Prejudice

     I’m not a big fan of classic novels. The only one I have liked so far is Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Well, thanks to Josh Groban’s “When You Say You Love Me” and a fan-made video of the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, I was introduced to Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy’s world.

    For sure, this book explores people’s relationship with others, and how first impression and prejudice affects our decisions and opinions. This book also lets me differentiate women and the past and of today: how young ladies in the past see marriage as their ultimate goal, while women today often put career and independence their priority.

     After reading this novel, I now consider reading other classic romance novels. I think their stories have more depth compared to romance novels nowadays. Well, I hope I will not be too busy.

Credit: Image from here.

  

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

     The song “All about Us” by He is We featuring Owl City introduced me to the movie The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and in turn, to the book of the same title by Cassandra Clare.

     Well, I like Cassandra Clare’s idea of integrating all fairy tales, legends, history, and other things from other books and from imagination into one world. I like Cassandra Clare’s ideas of runes having magical powers, of shadowhunters saving the world from demons, and of Clairy discovering her connection with the shadowhunter world.

     However, what I don’t like about this book is that some parts are just way too childish or corny bordering on being a hybrid of Harry Potter and Twilight. Still, I consider the fact that this book is written for teenagers. Maybe, they don’t mind those parts at all, as evident by the books popularity and high sales. 

      That being said, I don’t know when I will pick up the next book, or if I ever will. Surely, I want to know the continuation of the story. However, I want to save myself the trouble of encountering cringe-inducing dialogues and stories again. Perhaps, I’ll just wait for the next movie, that is, if it is to be made.

Credit: Image from here.