artbydarryl

OK, I've started doing altered Magic the Gathering cards. I've found that it's a real challenge to extend the artists concept past the borders. I'm not into altering their work (too much if at all) but want the card to look the best that I can make it. I'll get better with practice.

OK, I've been pretty sick with a cold, not the flu or anything like that, just a "Man cold" as my wife calls it. I feel like I'm dying but if the missus had it she would just shrug it off and get on with it. Well that's life. It's a proven fact that females have higher pain tolerances than males, I must be very manly because my pain tolerance is pathetic! As to the title of this journal, I'm still waiting fo my Wacom Centiq 24 HD graphics tablet to arrive. I've been getting used to Painter but I dunno, I'm using a Wacom Bamboo touch at the moment and it just doesn't feel right. Considering I'm mainly a traditional artist it just feels wierd when your hands off to the side and the cursor is moving. It'll be better when my Centiq arrives because the hand eye co-ordination will be there.

Anyhow I hope this finds you all well.

Darryl

Well things will be interesting now. I've purchased a full icence for Corel Painter 12, I've mucked around with earlier versions before but never seriously considered digital art. I went to the Avcon in Adelaide (South Australia) last weekend and fell in love with the WACOM Centiq 24 HD graphics tablet at the WACOM stand, this thing is a 24 inch wide screen monitor with a pen touch surphace. So it's literally like painting into the screen. I've been using a bamboo tablet for years with work instead of a mouse so that I don't get RSI, but it's never quite jelled for me doing art work with it, it must be a hand eye thing. Well my wonderful wife supports my artistic endeavors and has graciously allowed me to purchase one and the required graphics program (Painter). I should get it next week.

It's going to be a bit of a learning curve, so I've started out learning Painter with my bamboo tablet, my first tutorial effort is here fav.me/d59dpbx . My goal is to do sci-fi fantasy work. Funny thing though, I was looking on the internet for options to sell my artwork or gain an income from art and I came across a number of sites that take your photo, do what I've done with painter turning it into a photo manip painting and then print it onto canvas, then they give it texture with clear acrylic paint and charge you a decent price for it.

Anyhow I hope this entry finds you well and optimistic.

Darryl

Hey, check out my final Johnny Depp, the photo doesn't really do it justice. It feels good to finally get something under my belt after so long, sort of blow off the cob webs.
I'm going to use a different type of paper next time, the smooth paper I used made it really difficult to get any real darks, so I've got a pad of bamboo paper that has a nice texture, see how I go with that one. Anyhow this ones short and sweet, and to all of you who read this may you have a pleasant day (or night) and all the best.

Darryl

OK, half way through the weekend, spent a lot of the day helping a freind move house then we went out to tea so not a lot of drawing happened today. Johnny D is coming along OK. Once I've finished the drawing I'll put what I've learned about his features into the Acrylic that I've started. Yeh I know, I got it all back to front doing the study after I started the painting. What can I say, I wasn't all that sure that I'd be going on with it. What changed my mind was a discussion I had with another freind last weekend, we were talking about goals and what we wanted to do in life. Now I'd been studying accounting (I don't know any accounting artists, if you do please let me know), and came to the realisation that my brain really doesn't grasp the logic of accounting (if there is any). I managed to pass the exam (got a distinction) but i was freaking out. I redid the trial exam like a bazillion times. If they'd asked anything else I would have been stuffed. Anyhow I really feel like I dodged a bullet. I might have started on one of those $3500 online courses and found out that I hated it, so I was lucky. As it was it was only a local TAFE course that wasn't that expensive, even though it was paid for by work. If I'd pulled out of the expensive course I would have had to pay it back.

Anyhow I sat back and thought about all the times in my life that I'd been really happy, and my family had been happy, and I realised that it was all linked to me doing my art thing. When I have the opportunity to express my creativity I'm happy. If I let myself get caught up in too much gaming, watching TV etc then I get miserable and it effects those around me. So it's happy creative me from now on.

I hope you're all having a great weekend.