Tutorial Try-Out: Teesha Moore's Fun Drawing Lesson

This week's tutorial try-out was:

Teesha Moore's Fun Drawing Lesson

If you have ever stopped by Teesha Moore's blog, then you know that she is wildly creative and a powerhouse of inspiration!  
When I stumbled upon her fun drawing worksheet, I knew I'd have to give it a try...

A page from my sketchbook.

One of the questions I am most often asked is, "What in the world were you thinking?" "Where do you get your ideas?".  So, I thought it might be fun to give you a step-by-step look into what was going through my head as I played with Teesha's drawing worksheet in my sketchbook... 

1. Actually, not a whole lot was going through my head at this point... I just thought she looked like she needed a bird's nest on her head.
2. The bird's nest made me think of cats (hungry for birds, of course), and I thought that this drawing style would probably be 
pretty cool for a cat face.
3. I started thinking about other things cats eat, but at the same time I was thinking about my crazy haired ladies and how this technique might translate into one of them.
4. I realized that although there were some fish in the last drawing, I still hadn't satisfied my need for drawing fish.  While I was drawing them, I started thinking about the fish in 
Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life".

Well, basically that's a quick glimpse into my typical train of thought.  One thing leads to another... 
Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't...

Aren't you completely horrified and disappointed glad 
that you asked?!?

After I finished this page in my sketchbook I thought, "These would be fun coloring pages".  So, this morning I printed out some copies and started playing!

Did you try this tutorial?
If so, please link up below.

(I can't wait to see!)

And, please be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this post for next week's tutorial!

Next week is the last Tutorial Try-Out (for now).  
In honor of that, I chose a tutorial that is similar to (but different from) what appears to have been the most popular tutorial (Easy Watercolor Portraits from 4-23-2013).

Next week's tutorial is:
The Ambitious Procrastinator's DIY Paint By Numbers

**a note about next week's tutorial:**
In her tutorial, Nikki uses the photo editing program picnik.

Picnik is no longer available, but you can substitute the free online program picmonkey instead.  
(Just be sure to use the "focal soften" tool.)

Picmonkey is available for free here.

Tutorial Try-Out: Geometric Painting

This week's tutorial try-out was:

Denthe's Geometric Painting Technique

(Here is an update from her blog with her (mostly) finished painting.)

Before the micron pen was added.

This tutorial made me think of chameleons and the way they hide in plain sight.  So, it only seemed natural to start by drawing a couple of quick chameleons.  Then, instead of using standard geometric shapes, I drew leaves all over the page.  I already had some small jars of house paint open in my studio for another project, so I decided to use those colors for the painting.  (Plus, the house paint only requires a single coat for a solid finish, so that's a bonus!)  After I finished the painting, I wanted to bring back the lines, so I used a micron pen (05 size) along the edges...

Before and After

Did you try this tutorial?

If so, please link up below.

(I can't wait to see!)

And, please be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this post for next week's tutorial.

Next week's tutorial looks like fun:

Teesha Moore's Fun Drawing Lesson

Tutorial Try-Out: A Lynne Hoppe Inspired Face (And An Announcement)

(I used supplies I already had in my studio... there were a few substitutions.)

This week's tutorial try-out was:
Lynne Hoppe's How to Paint Faces tutorial

As I mentioned at the end of my last post, I am a big fan of Lynne Hoppe.  I love her style... The softness, loose lines, and limited palette intrigue me.  I was very excited to (finally) give her "how-to" a try...

As much as I loooove Lynne's work, I didn't want to create a copy.  I was interested in seeing how her technique and palette might translate into my own work.  I was also hoping that doing this technique might help me loosen up a little...  I have a tendency to get caught up in details (and frequently over-work pieces), so I thought Lynne's soft style might give me some insights into how I can improve as an artist.

I think I did learn quite a bit by doing this tutorial, 
and I will definitely be tucking away some of my new-found understanding for use in later projects.

Did you try this tutorial?
If so, please link up below.
(I can't wait to see!)

And, please be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this post for next week's tutorial and an important announcement!


Next week's tutorial was suggested by NatashaMay:
Denthe's Geometric Painting Technique

Now, for the announcement:

Summer is fast approaching, and so are some challenges that I love to participate in!  Since I'm planning on playing along with Daisy Yellow's Index Card A Day (from June 1st to July 31st), Twinkle Twinkle's Summer Of Color, and Rhi-Creations Doodle-A-Day, May 28th will be my last Tutorial Try-Out (for now...).

Tutorial Try-Out: Abstract Face

This week's Tutorial Try-Out was 
"How to Paint Abstract Faces" by raeart.
I have to admit I am so glad I chose a quick, splashy, and fun one for this week, because I had very little time for experimenting this week.

Spring has a tendency to turn me into a restless, easily distracted tornado.  Case in point:  This week I painted and tiled a bathroom (and that's only the beginning of my current DIY mania)!  So, since I am up to my eyeballs in home projects, I was happy to have a satisfyingly simple tutorial to try-out...

I think I would like to go back into this with some watercolor crayons and gesso, but that will have to wait... 
Today I'm tackling a project in Tyler's room!

Did you try this tutorial?
If so, please link up below.
(I can't wait to see!)

And, please be sure to read all the way to the end of this post to see what tutorial I'm trying next!



I am a huge fan of Lynne Hoppe, and her face painting how-to has been one of the tutorials at the top of my list for ages, 
so I figure there's no time like the present...
Lynn Hoppe's "how to paint faces" tutorial.

Sketchbook Love (Still!)

A page from my sketchbook.

I love getting a peek into other artists' sketchbooks, and a glimpse into how they work!

So, today I thought I would share a page that was inspired by Tuesday's Tutorial Try-Out.  I often flip through old sketchbooks when I'm looking for inspiration, and notes like the ones I've made on this page sometimes end up being just the spark I need for a creative jump start!  (I generally don't worry about words bleeding through from the other side of the page because it's usually "for my eyes only" anyway.)

One of my very first posts when I started this blog a little more than 2 1/2 years ago (Wow - 2 1/2 years?!?), was titled "Sketchbook Love"... In that blog post, not only did I express my love for my sketchbook, I also explained the many ways I use it.

(If you're interested in learning more about my process, 

you can read that post here.)

I'm curious about your sketchbook(s)...

Do you work in just one at a time like me?  Or do you keep many?

Tutorial Try-Out: Easy Watercolor Portrait

I would like to start this post by thanking Carmen for suggesting I try out the Easy Watercolor Portrait tutorial at the Grow Creative blog.  It was simple, straightforward, and lots of fun...

I found the photos on pinterest. (Here, here, and here.)


I think the results were pretty cool, but I'm still playing.
(I have a feeling these watercolor portraits are just the beginning of something more...)

Did you try this tutorial?

If so, please link up below.
(I can't wait to see!)

And, be sure to read all the way to the end of this post to see what tutorial I'm trying next!



I found the next tutorial on YouTube, and since we're in portrait mode, I thought it might be fun to splash some more paint around for:
How to Paint Abstract Faces by raeart

"Flying Tulips" Stencil Test Drive

When Jessica Sporn's Flying Tulips stencil arrived in the mail, my very first thought was, "This would make a great french wallpaper background."

If you read my crazy haired ladies post, then you probably won't be surprised to know that my mind immediately went to the original crazy haired lady herself...

Marie Antoinette!

Combining Jessica's beautiful stencil with a crazy haired lady was a lot of fun.  I started by drawing her with just a simple mechanical pencil and photocopied my drawing at different darkess levels. 
(The original drawing is the one in front.)
(I revealed a similar technique here.)

Then, I played with different watercolor washes, inks, colored pencils, and of course, the "flying tulips" stencil!

My fun with Jessica's stencil wasn't limited to portrait backgrounds.  I also used her stencil for a couple of resist techniques, and for gelatin printing! (It's a very well-made and versatile stencil.)

(See how I created these here.)

Great big thanks to Jessica Sporn and Stencil Girl Stencils for the opportunity to participate in such a fun test drive!

And, please be sure to have a look at what else was created with
the "flying tulips" stencil:
Jessica's blog
Maria's blog