Sketch for "Mandi" 2014
This is a sketch I started working on the other day for a pet portrait titled "Mandi." Mandi is a Rottweiler/ Rhodesian Ridgeback mix who belongs to a good friend of mine. I love using animals as a subject for artwork, so I asked my friend to send me some pictures to work from so I could do a pet portrait for her.
This sketch is kind of an exploration of combining a few different styles that I work in. For the past year I have been experimenting with different styles and techniques in an effort to find one that really feels like "me."
The photos below illustrate this exploration.....
"Mo" 2014
"Thriller" 2014
The above paintings illustrate my typical style when working in Watercolor. I start the paintings by working loosely with the watercolor, then add color pencil to tighten everything up.
"Sketchbook doodle"
These kind of drawings are what I've been doodling in my sketchbook lately. Kind of Zentangle-ish, I guess. This one is on top of a watercolor background....
Sketch for "Violet" 2014
So now, I am combining my sketchbook doodles with my watercolor techniques to see where it all leads. I will post pictures with the final outcome/product soon.
It has always been difficult for me to really stick to one style of art making, and I envy artists who have such a distinct sense of style. In my day job as a K-12 art teacher, I teach many different styles and techniques to my students, which for me personally, is both good and bad. It is good because I get to experiment and test out working in many different ways. On the flipside, this is bad for my personal work because I find myself unfocused and having a difficult time deciding which way to go when working on my own stuff.
Does anyone else have this issue? How do you decide on a process? Do you ever take the opinions of others into consideration when making decisions about your artwork or just do what you intuitively feel is right?
