Me Old Bamboo

One birthday of mine, not so long ago, I was bought a Wacom Bamboo Tablet. They are very fun and handy little things (and I’m sure a very powerful tool in the right hands). You won’t get bored quickly! If you’re at all curious about working digitally, I recommend starting with one of these as they are affordable, travel-sized and really simple to use once you get the hang of them.

All you need to do is download a free drawing programme such as Seashore and away you go!

I started out by making very innocent little drawings of my friends for birthdays and such, as something to make them smile:

JuJu

Cooper Rose

After a warm reception with these, my birthday drawings became more advanced and slightly more weird and wonderful. (Depending on the likes and hobbies of the individuals, that is. Imagination really is key here!)

Who needs Nyan cat?

Totoro kidnap!

Move over, Madge!

 They also started to become more sought after! Pretty soon commissions of this variety started rolling in, too. The more unusual the criteria, the more I enjoyed doing them!

A Skylander family commission

Zombie Slayer Rick

I have to say, I’ve been really touched at the reception of my silly digital doodling. It makes me wonder whether I should have a business on the side! What do you think? Are digital caricatures a modern unique gift? Would you want a selfie with a twist? Let me know your thoughts!

The Big Finish!

Spoiler alert?

I’ve found some debate among artists about whether works in progress should be shared, or if doing so diminishes the ultimate ‘wow-factor’ of the completed outcome.

As I’ve mentioned before, I find the construction of a piece fascinating and could watch time-lapses of artists at work, endlessly! I also feel like it’s quite a privilege to see things in the making, as (from personal experience) it can be a vulnerable place for the artist to put themselves if they don’t feel that the work is viewer-ready.

So, is there a way that someone can watch your piece develop and yet still be surprised by the result? I witnessed something in a Derren Brown performance that I found very inspirational, and tried my own solution:

An extra thank you to Ellen for being amazing at the Oscars. I found this painting experiment both fun and challenging, plus the surprise at the end included even myself! I certainly hope to do more time-lapses and perhaps upside down painting in the future.

What do you think? Do you enjoy seeing part of the process, or do you feel that it spoils something for you?

Who Inspires Me?

Featured Image by Kate Zambrano.

As I’m sure I have said before, Instagram is a major addiction of mine!

I seem to stumble upon new artists daily on this wondrous world wide web! But here are some artists whose sites I routinely check for updates and inspiration. Strangely enough, I find their works in progress more appealing most of the time. It seems as though their subjects are emerging out of the surface. Without further ado (and in no particular order) here are some of my favourites:

Casey Bough

http://instagram.com/caseybaugh

Henrik Uldalen

http://instagram.com/henrikaau

Kate Zambrano

http://instagram.com/katezambrano

There are many more that I follow on various social media, but I suppose I draw most inspiration for my own work from these fine fellows. Please feel free to tell me who inspires you!

 

Seeing Work in Situ

You would think that nothing really compares to the feeling of selling something that you’ve put heart and soul into. Not just because it means that you’re making money from your passion, but also because it means that much to another person. I have since found that seeing my own work in its new home brings a whole new level of satisfaction. It really is a delight to see. If you have some of my work and it’s proudly on display, please send me a photo!