Elvis part 3

I´m having problems with this composition. It was a  long time since I worked with colors and I can´t seem to get it the way I want:(

Elvis part2

When I work and make a mistake, like photo nr 1, I correct it by either replacing the part thats not working, or fill it with black. This time I cut and started all over on that piece. I try to work with the composition and the whole piece, making it come togather with the shapes and the colors. Still long way to go here...
At the end my work looks like a patchwork made out of replaced pieces!

Elvis

Working on my comission job, Elvis. This will probably end up was wallpaper, still alot of work that needs to be done though. Drawing for almost two whole days now, oh, how I enjoy it. Every part of me is happy:)

Dirty snow

Dirt on the bus window.All photos taken within one minute at the same window... I just love what light can do!

Värmland

Sorry for the silence!
We are in Värmland (since wednesday), at my parents, enjoying alot of snow and just hanging around.

Comission job, part 2

Quiz continues...
Are these two regonizable?

New comission

Started scetching on a new comission job today. Do you see who it´s supposed to be? I can tell you that this job will be totally crazy when it´s done, you will be surprised!

Look at my new brooch!

I hope this little guy likes it here in sweden, I bet he´s not use to the cold weather and all the snow. He arrived last week all the way from Australia:)
Thank you sweet Evie!

If you would like one of your own bearded bloke brooch, Evie has a shop!

Sunday morning!

First some breakfast, then out in the snow with the man and the kids so that I can work!

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The days are just to dark andshort right now! I feel as if I don´t have time to draw and no time to clean, cook or play. Hello spring, I welcome your light!

Answering

I only got one question about drawing and it was from Kimberley, she asked me if I was a constantly-drawing child. So, here we go!
When I was 19 it was written an article in a local paper about me (because of a wallpainting I was doing) that "I was born with the brush in my hand". I can still laugh when I think about that article, cause it´s SO NOT true. I always knew that the skill I had was in arts, but I always thought I was kind of mediocre. It was more like: I new I could draw but never bothered to do it cause it wasn´t that much fun. Probably that had to do alot with my art teacher, who wasn´t that inspiring and didn´t open my eyes for ART!
It was when I was 22 and started artschool (with a goal of getting accepted to art teachers program after 2 years ) that I understod that I like drawing and had some kind of bigger skill for it. I truly enjoyed painting and drawing, so much that I took a detour to Finland and painted for a year!
After artschool I got accepted to the art teachers program (university) and after the detour I felt that painting and being an artist wasn´t for me, so I decided to start the art teacher program. After only half a year there I felt that it was to little drawing, to much kids and to much paipers to write=nothing for me! I had a bigger interest in drawing and painting then I thought.
I applied to design school (HDK) and got accepted.
At HDK I thought I would become a graphic designer and I was really strict in my drawing, couldn´t let my own language come through at all. I tryed every branch of the design during my first 3 years and after Bachelor degree I knew that my main interest was visual communication and design theory(!)
Then came next turn, motherhood. When I was home with my newborns (after bachelor degree) I couldn´t do much design so I started to draw every now and then.
when I came back to school (after 2 years) it kind of exploded. I had such flow and it was so, so fun.
Which was a great feeling cause before that I felt kind of lost and I didn´t know what to do.
Now (almost 3 years later) I feel totally at home with being a drawer and my own language and method is developing every day, and I also found out that I love to make patterns:)
I think drawing is about enjoying the ride and feeling inspired!
That was a long answer! The image is from today but it so well describes my searching for my own way!

Ask me!

I get questions about drawing, lines, paper and pens so I thought I would post about it.
You´re also welcome to ask me whatever you want to know about drawing and I´ll answer it in my next post!
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When I draw it´s not just picking a pen and a paper and start!
First I need to know what to draw. If  I just sit down with a white paper it can be hopeless. I usually use that an excuse for not being an artist, i´m a designer so therefor I need a brief:)
I draw best when I listen to something or watching tv. Crazy, I know, but then it´s just the hand working and not the mind getting involved. Still when I really need to work with composition or finishing something I need it to be very quite and I need to be very focused. I have like a library (in my head) of diffrent shapes and patterns that I use over and over again. And every now and then I add a new one, get inspired by something or find something old in my drawers.
I never scetch with anything that can be erased. If  I make a mistake I try to solve the problem with the rest of the composition, cut out the problem or make it black. If nothing works I´ll just start all over again. I think thats why I use my library, when I draw something I always get some new idea about how to re-use a shape and that can be a start for a new drawing.
Lines and pens:
I have my favourite pens , right now it´s the copic liner pen for black drawing. They come in a spectra from 0.05 to 1.0 nib, which gives alot of diffrent lines. In one drawing I can use 10 diffrent nibsizes. I use different sizes mostly to create perspective and movement in my drawings. When I draw I turn my paper around all the time, to make the lines more certain. (thats why I don´t like the wacom board, it can´t turn. Atleast not the one I got!) To make something  that looks as if  it´s alive you need to follow it´s shape, not just draw straight lines.

Paper:
I´m kind of picky with my paper. I´m in a canson period right now and I love the illustration/manga paper. The problem is that they only come in A3. I have ordered canson bristol paper in a bigger size but it still hasn´t arriwed. I´m trying to like it as much as the manga paper but it´s a bit to glossy for my taste!
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I feel that the main problem in my drawings is that I always get everything to end up in the same scale. I wish I could be more wild and scale up and down, but I just make every piece the same. It´s nothing that I plan, it´s just my brain being to symmetric or something. When I work in the computer I manage to get around the problem but the thing is that I like drawing by hand! Another problem is the lack of inspiration when it comes to drawing stuff that actually look like something, not abstract that is. I´m  waiting for the perfect comission job that will force me to do a portrait or something!

inside/outside

Chripy and cold outside, warm and playful inside!
Finding this book truly inspiring.

2009

Just randomly posted images from 2009. Images of events that matterd a lot, images I like or images  simply talked to me. Now I close the book of a great year. Alot have happend both for my family and for me as a designer.
I wish for a even better 2010, if possible!
Thank you for following me, blogging is fantastic and this place makes me happy!