Copic Mechanisms

Wow it has been way too long since I have been on here. I don't really have any excuses, sometimes life just goes a certain way and you get so caught up in it that things fall by the wayside. But here I am, and ready to get back into it.

Third Year in Fine Arts has been a really difficult year so far. So much has changed in the university environment, and my work doesn't seem to fit the current social and political context I find myself in. I've only made a handful of works this year and it just seems to be getting more and more difficult to keep on track.

But not all is lost. I found out earlier this month that I'm going to be featured in Strokes of Genius 9 - Creative Discoveries. For one of my works I made before I got into the University environment. I've been trying to come to terms with what will happen once I finish my undergrad, and pondering whether or not studying fine art was the best idea for me in the first place... But I know at the end of the day, even if things get incredibly difficult, the four years of blood, sweat and tears will be worth it,

In the mean time, I started working on some other artworks completely independent of my work at Wits... Just so that I can stay sane. I've also been getting in touch with my art supplies again, especially after increasing my Copic marker collection significantly since last year. I really do miss making what is considered more "traditional" artworks. I feel like a part of my soul just aches to make work that's beautiful, and makes someone happy to look at. So I started working on this drawing to prove to myself that I can still draw, and fairly decently (I would like to think)

This Copic marker drawing is still incomplete, but its the first large-scale drawing I have done entirely in Copics. The original plan was to use the Copics alongside Faber-Castelle Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils, but the bleed-proof paper I worked on wasn't very receptive to the texture of the pencils, so I just stuck to the Copics.

Here are some things I learnt about Copic markers while working on this drawing:

1. You can never have too many Copic marker colours. They are all useful for some part of a drawing.

2. Bleed-Proof paper, like all surfaces, can only take so much before it starts rejecting the ink of the Copics. You can tell when an area is getting over-worked if the ink dries to a shiny finish rather than a matte finish.

3. A good base drawing = a good final drawing

4. Take your time with learning to blend Copic markers and the results will make themselves clear.

5. It's easy to add darker colours to a drawing than it is to lighten an area afterwards.

Work in progress shot

Until we meet again

Talia

The Human Typewriter

So, it has been one official week since I have returned to university. As a third year, and studying Fine Art... Not to mention French as an additional major. Since my last post, it seems like me taking reigns of my own happiness has been a good strategy to approach life with. I haven't necessarily been getting a lot more done, but I feel like everyday that has passed has been one that was lived well, to the fullest. A day well spent everyday can only lead to happiness I think.

So now that I've caught you up on my emotional goals ,dear readers, I shall tell you a little bit about my first week back.

So its the first week, and I have already been dubbed "The Human Typewriter", by one of the lecturers who had been tutoring me this week. I quite like that. It has a nerdy/artsy/awesome ring to it. I think I shall keep that name around! And if you, dear reader, are wondering why on earth I would consider this to be an affectionate nickname, it is because I am in love with typography as a medium of expression.

To me, one of the most interesting things I have discovered since I have started studying art in university is the beautiful relationship that a love of writing and a love of art can share. They are not separate mediums in the discipline of humanities, but have so many similarities that draw the two (excuse the pun) together. I have always loved creating art, and I have always had somewhat of a secondary interest in writing.

Only once I discovered the art form known as typography, did I discover how words can be the vehicle to create art.

To put it simply,

I make art with words.

And this year I finally have the freedom to make as much art as I want in any way I want to. So I dub this year, 2016, the Year of the Human Typewriter. 

And hopefully dear readers, we will see some results soon. But for now, here is some of my older work, hopefully explaining why I have a catchy new nickname.

Until we meet again
Talia

An Art Supply Review: The Pen (Is Mightier Than The Sword)

Hi there dear readers! SO today I thought that I would try something new... A review of sorts. I use a lot of art supplies in my practice as an artist in the making, and one of my favourite tools of the trade is my trusty fineliner. But there are many different types of fine liners and they all have their advantages and annoyances. So here I will present to you my first Art Supply Review:

An Art Supply Review

The Pen (Is Mightier Than The Sword)

By Talia Naicker

So this is a small test page I have drawn up for this blog post to show the various kinds of pens I have tried out over the years. 

As you can see, I have tried out several different brands, and each has their own unique makeup, so it's important to try as many as you can so that you can see what actually works for the style of art you are interested in making.

FABER-CASTELL PITT ARTISTS PENS

So these are the Pitt Artist Pens, made by the trusted Faber-Castell. As you can see, I have only used the Script Size Pen, and so my experience with this particular pen is quite limited. From what I can tell, it leaves a crisp clean line and has a beautiful opaque black ink. My only downside with this particular range of pens is the limited nib sizes, as compared to other brands. These are also fairly pricey though they are a great all-round use pen for artists.

SAKURA MICROPERM

These are the Sakura Microperm Pens. I will admit I bought these pens online as they were not available from the stores in my area. These are definitely not my favourite pens for drawing or writing use, as I find they have an annoying tendency to bleed through papers I could easily use with other pens. They also leave a blurred line as opposed to the crisp lines I am looking for in my drawings. There are also only 3 sizes, which I find quite limiting. Although this pen might not suit my needs, I could easily see the benefit for a more sketchy and fluid drawing style.

STAEDTLER PIGMENT LINER

These are the Staedtler Pigment Liners. I have only tried the smallest size available, the 0.05mm, as this was the size that was particularly difficult to come across in most art stores in my local area. Judging by the use of the 0.05mm, I quite like the look and feel of this pen. I have always been a fan of the Staedtler Products for fine art use and these pens are definitely a winner. I will make a point of giving the other sizes a go at some point.

UNIPIN FINE LINERS

These are my absolute favourite pens to work with for both sketching, writing and drawing. I love these pens and have been using them for years now. I find the range of sizes just perfect to work with for just about any subject matter, especially for the type of typographic drawings I like to work with. I have a set of these in my art kit, in my handbag, in my varsity bag and a bunch of extras. I find that these are quite budget friendly compared to other pens on the market, and last for an incredibly long time even if used frequently. The 0.05mm tip is also a bit more durable than other tips and can be handled with more ease than other pens I have used.

PIGMA MICRON LINERS

I have only recently invested in these pens, but from the experimenting I've done, they seem to have as much to offer as the unipin pens. There is also the added Graphic Range and each size is available in a Sepia colour as well as a black. I think that these are a slightly more expensive alternative to the unipins but an all-rounder nonetheless

COPIC MULTILINER SET B2

These are the non-aluminium cased multiliners made by Copic. These pens are absolutely stunning and have an amazingly tiny 0.03mm tip, which is a size I have not seen offered by another brand. They are sturdy and the plastic cased ones are significantly cheaper than their aluminium counterparts. However, I found that after a month of not using them, they dried up a little bit, but quickly flowed when scribbled with gently. These pens are made for constant use.

So dear readers, I hope you will find some aspect of this review useful in some way. I know that for now, Unipins are definitely my go to art supply for drawing in ink!

Until we meet again

Talia

A Work In Progress : Reflections

So today I thought that I would share some of my work in progress of a small drawing that I started on Monday. It was just a drawing started on a whim and because I had finished my commissioned drawing a few days prior to that. So I will upload the final drawing soon, but here is a glimpse at how it was made:

So dear readers, I am off for now. I will upload a picture of the drawing as soon as it is complete. Enjoy what is left of your weekend.

Until we meet again

Talia

Sweet '16

Wow.

2015 has come and gone in the blink of an eye and here we are, fresh (well a little bit stale now) in 2016. A few days ago, I felt a feeling within me that I don't think I have quite experienced before. I could best describe it as a feeling of ambling along, you know, letting life just happen to you instead of making things happen in your life.

I guess you could say I've been feeling like this since last year, when my passion for art wasn't take as much of a part in my life as I would have liked. A lot of emotional and personal issues also made it more difficult to feel stable in my own life and a lot went downhill for me. But I remember reading a saying recently, something along the lines of when your life seems to be falling apart, in reality its all the pieces falling into place.

I'll say that since last year I have learnt a lot about myself. Mostly negatives I had chosen to ignore, but also strengths that I didn't know I had. I've learnt to balance people in my life, and that a life filled with only yourself and work is indeed a lonely life. I've also learnt that without my passion for art to guide me, I am nothing. A nobody with nothing to show. SO this year is the year I WILL make the change for myself.

I am done taking orders from lecturers at art school telling me how my art should look.

I am done trying to be something I am not.

I am my own artist and I will damn well make the art I like and want to make. Maybe if I stop caring so much about what other people want me to make, then at least I will be proud of everything I have made. And hopefully make this year a far more fruitful and encouraging year than 2015.

Goodbye Awkward 2015.
Hello Sweet '16.

Until we meet again
Talia

P.S. I have uploaded a photo of my latest work onto the Art and Other Creative Items page.

Motivating the World, One Person at a Time

Well...

It certainly has been long enough hasn't it dear readers?

Well, shall we say that some turbulence in my life and general busyness and such has kept me away for far too long. But all is not lost, I have made some art in my time away and had a good reassessment of my life. The sun is still shining. The birds are still singing. And there is still plenty of art to be made! So here I am, with my first blog post since September.

So as cheesy and corny as it sounds to mention it, I turned 20 on Wednesday. No longer the teenager of the nineties but now a young adult. And since I have started working at my Christmas job, I realised something quite powerful.

Do you ever feel defeated by the world? By the people that are supposed to care about you? Have you ever wondered what you're doing with your life at the moment? Well, maybe if we all just started believing in one another's dreams a bit more, maybe the world would be a better place. On my birthday, I bumped into one of my old friends from High school. She didn't know it was my birthday but was an avid follower of the artwork I posted on Instagram. She told me that she thought I was really making something of my life and that I need to post so much more often. When I started my training for my new job, I had to do a quick sketch for a teamwork activity. My teammates and other trainees were so impressed that they started interrogating me as to why I don't draw more.

Why have I not been drawing more?

I stopped believing in my ability to create my own success.

But.

When people tell you out of the goodness of their hearts, that they think you are special, that you have something unique to bring to the world, it is probably one of the most inspiring forms of motivation I have yet to witness. Total strangers telling me they think I could change the world with my art, if that isn't good enough motivation, I don't know what is.

So dear readers, tell someone today, a stranger, a friend, your partner, tell them you believe in their dreams and their goals and watch the transformation.

Until we meet again
Talia

From Start to Finish: The Garden

So dear readers, I just finished another drawing last night and thought that I would share the process behind it, seeing as I haven't done that for a while. Just for the sake of being thorough, I use Unipin pens, and all of the sizes available. I hope you enjoy these behind the scenes images of my drawing!

As always, any work of mine needs to have a solid drawing to start off with. I use a 2B pencil to sketch in the outlines and compose the image. (Why 2B? Because 2B or not 2B, that is the real question)

I started out by filling in the darker part of the sky. To get the tones here I use the 0.05mm, 0.1mm and 0.2mm pens.

Here I started filling in the darker areas of the hills so I could gauge how I should go about toning the sky. I started using a 0.3mm pen to fill in the darker areas. 

Now that I had a set of dark values to compare to I started filling in the rest of the hills and grass.

Now that the lower part of the landscape is complete, I can figure out how much toning the sky and clouds need.

Here I start blocking in the sky, using mostly the 0.05 and 0.1mm pens

Here the sky is completely filled in, you can see I left a few areas plain to contrast the busyness of everything else.

After adding in the foliage and a few final touches, we have a completed drawing!

Until we meet again

Talia

Behind Every Great Artist

Hmm, today feels like a good day to do a blog post. So I have returned after a few days of indulging in buying art supplies, which I have not done in ages... Mostly because I've had all the supplies I've needed for a while. If you're somewhat of a stationery nerd, or an artist, you would have experienced the overwhelming excitement of seeing all the shelves filled with useful stuff...

And then you would have experienced the heart-sinking experience of seeing the price tag that art supplies and stationery command. It is the conundrum every artist and creative type experiences at some point, you need good supplies to make good art to make a living, but you need to make a very good living to get those supplies in the first place. I know I am fortunate enough to be able to get good art supplies as a student, I just haven't really taken advantage of that opportunity until now.

But the great thing about art supplies is that most of the time you can find them for a bargain if you're patient enough to look. In South Africa, there aren't that many art stores around, but the ones that I do frequent quite regularly have their Set Sales every year, in July and August. So instead of splurging during the year, I just wait for the sales. It's not like the art supplies change each season and your size is gone by the time the sale starts!

So whilst I was looking around and practically drooling over all the beautiful art supplies, I had a sad realization. I wouldn't even bat an eyelash spending the amount I did on my art supplies that day  if it were on clothes or superficial luxuries, but I did do a doubletake with the art supplies. That made me feel so pathetic, which is more important? THE ART STUFF!

So now I have resolved to making sure I invest in material that will help my art career rather then spending my money superficially on things I actually don't need. And I started my investment by starting my own small (but growing) set of Copic Markers. And after playing around with them for a little bit, I can say the investment was definitely worth it, and until the end of August, hopefully more art supplies will be finding a home among my desk drawers.

Until we meet again
Talia

P.S. If you haven't noticed the new feature, check out my new art page on the blog : Art & Other Creative Items

Creativity Withdrawal

At long last! First Semester is finally over! I completed my last exam on Friday and have reached the sweet winter holidays.

Without a doubt, it has been a stressful work and emotion frenzied semester, now for a brief reprieve before the intensive work begins again. I have to admit, I think after all the new skills learnt and applied this year in class, I think going back to some art basics will be really good for me. If you're wondering what I'm talking about, I mean some good old drawing... And maybe painting too if I'm feeling adventurous.

In other words dear readers, I have been suffering from creativity withdrawal and monochromitis (a fictional disease of the mind created when only black and white is used for an extended period of time) whilst I have been doing an art degree. So seeing as I have an overly active imagination at the moment...

HOW TO TREAT (AND CURE) CREATIVITY WITHDRAWAL

1. Doodle! I know it seems like an odd suggestion, but just scribbling away something without thinking is a good way to get yourself into more creative mindset.
2. Get a new art supply (or two... or a lot). Even if you just try out a new pencil or try painting with coffee, try something different to get you excited about making stuff again.
3. Try something different! If you have always been a person to work with pencils, try working with paint to get you out of your comfort zone.
4. Clean up your space! This one may only apply to a couple of people but I think that a clean space is like a clean canvas, just waiting to be used!
5. Look at your old work. I was feel reinvigorated to work when I see my old drawings and paintings, it feels like there's so much potential in the next piece.
6. Help someone else do something creative! It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, it can just be something simple like helping them make something new.
7. ACTUALLY  MAKE SOMETHING!!

So dear readers, I am off to cure my creativity withdrawl. If you haven't noticed it yet, I've added a neg page to this blog dubbed "Art & Other Creative Items", this is where I shall keep all my images of my artwork updated , I would really appreciate it if you took a look every now and again.

Until we meet again

Talia

And So The June Countdown Begins...

Happy Mother's Day dear readers! If you forgot it was Mother's day then shame on you! Yes, I know it's only been 35 minutes (in South African time) but that's no excuse. Today is the day you take a moment to appreciate all the things your mother does for you everyday, not to mention the nine months she had to haul you around before that.

Now... I know it's late and yes I should probably be in bed by now... But unfortunately my workload seemed to magically pile itself up in one week to have all the time consuming elements take place in uncomfortably close proximity to one another. There always seems to be a million things to do when you seem to get one huge deadline out of the way... The list is constantly growing and changing... Kind of like life I guess. If things stopped changing and we didn't have to adapt, I think we would all get bored eventually.

But the frustrating thing about the workload now... especially for sculpture and printmaking, is that it takes so long to produce a single piece of work. After so many weeks of being back, I only have two final etching prints, a sculpture drying in the sculpture studio and a complete set of photos that still need to be made into a book. That's not much considering how much work and time has gone into everything...

I'm just itching to draw or paint something that I can look at when I'm done... But the saddest thing is that time won't allow me to do that until June... and that's still another month away before I can breathe normally again. But the show must go on, and no mental breakdowns can be allowed near the etching equipment. For now I don't have many pictures of work to share, but I promise I will post them all as soon as I can.

Happy Mothers Day dear readers!

Until we meet again
Talia

A Page a Day

So dear readers, 1/4 of 2015 is already over! And it went by so quickly... Seems like each year I add to my tally seems to speed up. I know some people who like to use the analogy of a year being a book in the story of your life, with each day representing a page. But I have to admit, art wise, my book seems to have a lot of blank spaces...

This is quite disappointing for me, I thought that once I'd be back at varsity all the deadlines would make me a lean mean creative machine... but it's like a machine that hasn't yet warmed up properly. 1/4 of the year is already over, the creative machines in my class can't STILL be warming up. I think the worst part is that it feels like its not just my art class, it feels like everyone I know is struggling to stay productive... Or worse still get productive in the first place.

I can actually tally how much art I've made since the beginning of this year:

• 7 and a 1/2 typographic drawings (The 1/2 is for the one I still haven't finished)
• 1 actual drawing for varsity of a mielie (or corn for those of you overseas)
• 3 different photographic series
• 2 admittedly cool light box art pieces
• 1 journal of daily writing

And the 7 and a 1/2 drawings may sound like a lot, but I did all of those BEFORE the semester started. But I think I should also just try drawing little things anyway, regardless of whether they are for varsity or not. Especially the typography. I think this might be a sign that the work I do for myself is more important than just waiting for it to happen at varsity. I also have a couple of drawings I want to do for some special people in my life, drawings that I've had in my mind that have yet to materialise onto paper.

So hopefully with the start of the new term I'll have lots more new work to share with you soon dear readers.

Until we meet again

Talia

You Reap What You Sow

Hello There Dear Readers!

No this isn't an entirely proper post, but I thought I'd just share some of my work that was completed this week! For Art History, we are currently studying Landscapes In Art, with our main focus this being The Mined Landscape. As part of our lectures, we went on an excursion to the Krugersdorp Mine Fields (In Gauteng, South Africa). Our assignment is based on our interpretation of this landscape.

What stood out for me the most, was that the impoverished people in the area are trying to grow mielies (or corn for those abroad) didn't know that the soil and underground water beneath them had been contaminated by Acid Mine Drainage. In essence, the very thing that was keeping them alive was also killing them. This struck me quite profoundly, and this is the work I produced as a result of this realisation:

 You Reap What You Sow

Watercolour and Red Ink on Paper

21cm x 29,7cm

2015

That's all for now dear readers, I'm off to get some creative things done!

Until We Meet Again

Talia

Back To Basics

And so at last the final week of university holidays has ended... Tomorrow is the official start of my 2nd year of Fine Arts! Now the night before all the lectures start again, I can't help feeling that Beginning-Of-Year-Esque desire to make a good start to university and classes... but also with all the other aspects of my life. Yes I know it's already February 15th but its never too early or too late to start something.

For me, these are my major university-orientated changes:

1. Thou shalt continue to post on this blog ONCE A WEEK!
2. Thou shalt become a minimalist with thy bag. I've always had a bad habit of carrying too much stuff in my backpack and wondering why my shoulders always feel so strained. This year, I've opted for a small hiking backpack with better shoulder support instead of my previously "trendy" bag.                                                                                                                   I've also opted for a tiny diary and fewer notebooks... (now the Modernists will call me out for not losing all the books and getting a tablet instead, to which I say quite proudly that I'm old-fashioned that way).
3. Thou shalt do thy work during the breaks between classes. Now I did do this to a certain extent last year, but me being an idiot meant that I did all the work I could do anywhere whilst I was at University and the all the work that needed to be done in a University space... well let's just say I went in on the weekends a lot.
4.  Thou shalt keep thy papers organised THE WHOLE YEAR. Now for this I am quite proud to let my OCD tendencies take a hold of me and subdivide the divisions within my file. I've also found some clever "hacks" online when looking up productivity and organisation (Really can we give all of these marvellous people awards for making life simpler?).
5. Thou shalt make time to do thy own art. As I'm sure you may have noticed in the works I've been sharing on the various pages lately (see links to other pages on the right hand side of this blog), I've started working on a smaller scale to get more works done. Varsity work is not enough to make a name, my own work will always be unique to me.
6. Thou shalt do the readings and preparations BEFORE classes. And I don't mean just skimming over things, I mean actually taking the time to prepare work and also review the things taught in class.
7. Thou shalt go to the extra stuff! There is so much more to University life than just lectures, this year I will MAKE the time to go to the extra things.
8. And most importantly, THOU SHALT MAKE TIME FOR THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER. Now I will manage time better so that I can spend relaxed time with my family, and actually have a bit of a social life. I am not going to be a social hermit this year. The people in my life matter so much to me because when the work is done, they're the ones I come back to in the end.

And now dear readers, I must pack the last of my things for varsity and tragically resign from my life as a night owl.

Until we meet again

Talia

The Moon Among the Stars

What a week it has been... Good thing I'm not afraid of falling, because let's just say it was one crazy roller coaster ride! Now anyone who has ever met me will know that I run mostly on logic with occasional doses of emotion... But this week, I've realised that emotions force you to face things your mind has built walls to keep out.

It has been a crazy week, There is no doubt about that. For the first time in a long time, I was able to see a little bit of the future... A future that depended greatly on the decisions I had to make this week. The truth is this, ignoring a decision doesn't make it go away, it just makes it worse. Eventually we're all forced to make a decision when cornered, and the Fight or Flight instinct kicks in.

For a long time, flight had most often been my decision. Because, well, it was easier to start again. After this week, I can say quite happily that now I've grown into fighting for what is right and what in the very core of my heart I know what is worth fighting for. I read a saying once...

"Never ignore a person who loves you, cares for you, and misses you. Because one day you might wake up from your sleep and realise that you lost the moon whilst counting the stars."

 I found it quite odd that this was the saying that came to mind this week, because I've been feeling incredibly inspired by the night sky as of late... I can quite happily say now that I don't think I will ever lose sight of the moon again. 

One thing any artist will be able to tell you is that emotional outbursts often make for fantastic artistic inspiration... I can tell you this. Positive emotions sometimes fuel more passionate works because you find inspiration in good mental energy. When work is fuelled by anger and frustration, the art becomes a form of escapism. When work is fuelled by passion and positivity, it becomes a reflection of the way you see things.

Here is some of the work fuelled by the night sky:

Lunar Lineup
Ink on Moleskine
9cm x 14cm
2015

Stardust (Work in Progress)

Although I have the infinite night sky as inspiration, I think I've found a little piece of the universe to call my own personal source of inspiration.

Until we meet again

Talia

Inspire me

Inspiration is difficult to come by... if you don't try and look for it. It's is a funny thing, although it seems like one of those miracles that just falls into our laps, most of the time we find it by actively looking.

During December of 2014 I was at a loss for inspiration, and now in February 2015, it feels like that inspiration is coming back in huge tidal waves at a time. And I have to admit, I absolutely love it! It feels good to get back into a mode of productivity before varsity has started... And now that I've found inspiration again, it feels like I wasn't looking properly before.

Well, now that I seem to have found the not-so-secret formula for inspiration, I thought I would share with you some of my findings:

1. The Internet will either MAKE you or BREAK you! It's entirely your choice whether you feel inspired or demotivated by what you find online. Personally, when I find artists with incredible abilities, I find myself in awe, wanting to aspire to reach that level of mastery with my own art. Don't feel demotivated when people are better than you, the saying goes that if you're the most talented person in the room, you need to find another room!
2. Never underestimate people! Sometimes, it's the people who give you your greatest inspiration... and surprisingly (not really), talking to people about what you love and WHY you love it is a great way to feel motivated!
3. PLAY! As an artist, when you get creative block (Yes it's a real thing in your mind!), sometimes the best way to get out of it is to play around and experiment with things just for the fun of it! Not only will it release the stress and tension, but you might get "happy accidents" that inspire new work.
4. Go outside (and bonus points for switching off your phone): Seriously, in this day and age we've forgotten the good that fresh air and grass between our toes does for our minds. Sometimes it can take ten minutes walking around the block, or a good few hours relaxing in the park... but when I get back home I feel rejuvenated and ready to work (or play) again.
5. Just start something. Whether it's a doodle, a poem, a story or even chores, just do something to get your mind working as well as your body.

So far I've found all of the above, and good food, have helped me to feel constantly inspired. My mind is in such a good place at the moment that I can barely keep up between making work and thinking of new work! Hopefully at least a fraction of this buzzing mental energy will materialise on my blog and other pages in the weeks to come!

Until we meet again

Talia 

P.S Check out artist Kerby Rosanes to get some inspiration!

A little outcome of going to the park

From Start To Finish: Re-Inventing Typograpy

Hello dear readers! After reading Austin Kleon's book SHOW YOUR WORK!, I have been following his advice about sharing both the process of making art, as well as the finished product. So here is another brief post about the work that went into my latest piece (As of today!).

From Start to Finish, my latest little typographic sketch: Re-Inventing Typography

The initial sketch of all the letters

The detailing and filling in of the first line...

Repeating the process with the smaller letters...

Almost Done! On this line I decided to use a 0.5mm pen because it was lacking some contrast...

Voila! The Final Sketch

Details

 And as you can see... it seems like this will be the year for Typography!

Until we meet again
Talia

From Start To Finish: The Skull From Beneath

Hello again dear readers! No this is not an entirely new post... but as you may have noticed in previous posts, there have been snippets of a work in progress, and that is precisely what this blog is meant to show!

So today I will show you the makings of my latest work, which I completed roughly half an hour ago. This post will show the process from start to finish.

The journey of: The Skull From Beneath

The first sketch and outline of the skull in HB pencil. This takes a lot of time to get all the proportions accurate.

The very first words filling the page. I like to start at the darkest, most central point of the image.

Slowly the words begin to ripple outwards, filling the gaps and crevices marked by pencil...

This is quite the slow process, seeing as I use 0.5, 0.2, 0.1 and 0.05 mm fine liners. My personal preference is Unipin Fine Liners

A bit of patience and the skull starts to materialise...

And Voila! We have the completed skull!
Click here for more details on the drawing

Detail of the final drawing

And so dear readers, I have one more completed work to tally for 2015... Hopefully there are plenty more to come!

Until we meet again
Talia