nothin but a cowboy hat...

I had a cancelled class today so I went to the STAC room to start something new since I wasted my day yesterday and I wouldn't be in STAC today. I decided to paint a cowboy hat as my new victim and to challenge myself. When I saw the cowboy hat I thought it was perfect but then I realized how complex it actually is and although I knew I could do it if I wanted to my laziness was kicking in but I fought it for a change so now...I'm going to sketch the hat a few times and then paint it! haha and tonight I'm going to continue reading a book about Salvador Dali that I've been reading. His style of painting is completely different from me and I would never be able to...create such surreal works but I've always been strongly drawn to his work and obsessed and hes such an interesting person so.....I'll continue reading the book! haha

Today I finished the hands but I put a random stupid background behind it just to finish it because I needed it for AP art as well. I decided to start writing how finished thins are behind them because I'm beginning to lose track, I'm def going back to the hands and changing the background and fixing the hands more but I'm trying to think of when I'll have time to do these things in the future...

Today's waterbottle

I love to draw still lifes, I never knew why but I finally figured it out recently and I wish I took a picture of the water bottle I painted today to show you what I mean.
I'm not naturally good at drawing, I had to go to an art school since 8th grade to learn what I've learned so far and the way I learned was by watching my teacher when she'd help/fix whatever I was working on. Sometimes (bare with me I know this story seems out of the ordinary but it all leads up to the big point) She would work on my painting or whatever for 40 minutes straight! and no she wouldn't finish it, no where near because there is so much you have to take in to consider when drawing (painting etc), so much to be aware of and When I'd see the way she would highlight things and do things I would be too scared to do or would never think about doing I would be amazed at how well that detail but everything together and I would begin to recognize all the important pinpoint details and really just learned from that that way... So when I draw a still life I love it because I love being able to see what others (people who don't really paint etc) can't and I love how I can fearlessly (I fear a lot of things going wrong and this is one of the few I don't fear, I guess it's freeing to me) put a striking line of white paint across something because thats the way the item shines or whatever and it looks good! it makes it look more realistic but you would have never known otherwise how to get a object to shine, bend, or stand a certain way without these techniques. It brings so much more visual aesthetic to this simple still life, it makes something so simple seem significant, intricate, and interesting an I love it! Ever since I realized/learned this I've been amazed. I could probably explain it better in person.

hows it goin?

I've been working with oil paints for the first time and I love it! I mean I liked working with acrylics but I was never comfortable with them because...knowing that they're permanent and just the name kind of freaks me out. So with the water based oils I was a lot more comfortable. I can better learn and understand how to mix and blend with the paints now and since the oil paints have limited colors I really have to concentrate on what colors have to blend to get a certain color. I wouldn't say i got better at it YET but I'm definitely trying to figure out how to get the colors I want 100 percent. I've been delaying this specific piece though because I keep forgetting to bring the picture and I always need a reference, I can't free hand the shadows and such yet.