24 & 25/9/13

pencil sketch

I broke my rules ;). Yesterday and the day before I draw on the same sketch because I had a lot do do. So it's only a fast sketch. On 24th I drew the frog and yesterday followed the background.

22 & 23/9/13

21/9/13

Sketch #29 (ink)

20/9/13

Sketch #28

19/9/13 mixing up

Today I mixed up pencil with watercolor.

1) draw something with pencil

2) use any colour you like

3) background colouring; after drying fix it with hairspray

Book review

Hi guys,
For all of you who love lovely, cool and awsome illustrations there is a book you have to read/see:
Illustration Now! 4 ed. by Julius Wiedemann (Taschen, 2011).

This book includes 448 pages with numerous illustrations and quotations from the artists.
It's not really cheap (like most art books). I paid around 30 euros for it, but this investment is worthwhile in any case. And in my opinion it should be in every bookshelf of a creative mind. :)

This is one of my favourite books and often gives me some inspirations. (And no I get no money, because I write about this book. I think it's just great.)

You also have a favourite art book? Than let me now - I'm curious :)
Love - sun & creativity for all of you
your's Nel

18/9/13 Todays history

People created great things. But they often forget what they can cause a lot of damage.

17/9/13 Lead pencils and how they work

Wow -  over 400 clicks in 4 days! Thank you so much :)

I made another lead pencil sketch.

Happy Hip

Lead pencils

So by the way I will tell you something about lead pencils today. Most of the people who are'nt into art don't know much about this art medium. When you are one of them, maybe you asked yourself once in a while what this letters or numbers on the lead pencils mean?! Lead pencils are produced in different hardness grades. This hardness relates to the nature of the graphite lead in the pencils. Normal ranges, from 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest). So HB is medium. 2HB's  or HB's are usually used by primary school kids. Pencils are available in several versions. Firstly, the normal variant, as they all known, and on the other hand there are the mechanical pencils. But there is also the option to buy only the lead to use this without wrapping or a holder provided. And unlike pens you can erase pencil.

What could we achieve with the different degrees of hardness?
If you only write something with it, it's the best to use a medium grade. For drawings with really fine details and if they should look bright you use hard ones (I personally never used more than 7 H) and when you are going to draw dark shadows or anything like this you use the softer ones. In my drawing for example I used them on the left side of the picture to draw the shadows. But the negative point is, the more soften the pencil is,  the more difficult is it to erase them. And with the hard ones be careful. Don't press them to hard on the paper. Otherwise thery will occur indentations in the paper.

Do you have to use more than one ore two different kind of pencils?
No of course not. You can also use only a medium grade pencil. When you press it harder on the paper it will look darker and if you only use it lightly it will look brighter. In the drawing above I used three different grades.
And you can use an eraser to incorporate lights into the drawing. For this, a kneaded eraser is very good. This is a malleable eraser. He looks similar to a piece of plasticine. You can buy it in a shop for art supplies or on the Internet. I paid for mine about 3 Euros (as far as I can remember).

When you're working with pencils you run risk smearing your drawing. To prevent this, simply place a piece of paper or a handkerchief under your palm. You also can use a handkerchief to achieve exactly such effects.

When I make design scribbles I really like to use mechanical pencils.

To sum it up briefly. The pencil is a very simple means for drawing which is also suitable for beginners, because you can make corrections with an eraser. And you need nothing more than a sheet of paper, one or more pencils, an eraser, a sharpener and given case a handkerchief. It fits in every bag :)

Everyone has their own preferences. Just try out what you most like.

Ps.: If you have any questions I will try to answer every one :)

15/9/13

Lead pencil sketch (2HB Staedtler)

Ways to stay creative

What to do when nothing works?

As a designer you don't have always the privilege to be creative when you have the right ideas or have the loss to do so. As a graphic designer you have to be creative every minute of the day - namely on call. And sometimes you stuck. It wants to occur simply nothing to your mind.

Here are my first 10 tips for designers how to stay creative

1) Make lists

2) Carry a notebook everywhere

3) Try freewriting or drawing

4) Collect press clippings, photos etc. and tangle an inspiration folder

5) Take breaks

6) Quit beating yourself up

7) Get away from the computer (or from the paper if you work most of the time with pencils)

8) If you have an idea - write it down (no matter what time of day or night)

9) Sing in the shower (Hopefully you relax or maybe at least you can annoy your neighbors)

10) Talk with somebody (let you tell something funny, sad, ... )

In a few days I will give you some more ideas how to stay creative :)

This is an old drawing (nothing to do with my project, but maybe interesting for you) :)

Inspiration

A few days I let myself be inspired by a great young artist for my drawings. She call herself Bobsmade (http://www.bobsmade.com/). I like her art, because it's crazy, unbounded, funny and it makes a good mood. Here are my skribbles :D

Tips for designers:

Don't be afraid to try something new. 

Happy Pandas :)

My Project

Hy my name is Daniela. This is my very first blog entry. So don't expect too much ;).

I'm 24 years old, a graphic designer, musicologystudent and I'm living in Vienna. And as you will surely soon realize English is not my native language, but I hope you'll understand what I am going to write.

A few days ago I started a one-year-project. One sketch a day. 
I'm very curious if this will work. Because patience is not necessarily my strongest suit ;)
To make the start easier for me, I find an agreement with a friend of mine: A drawing a day for 3 weeks (both of us). And these 3 weeks are nearly over now. And my goal is to continue this for a year.

The drawings will be scribbled in all kind of styles and techniques, because I don't like to have to commit myself to anything specific in arts.

Maybe you ask yourself why I'm doing this? 
Because I want to improve my illustrator skills and so I draw again more. The last year since I have begun to study I moved the drawing in the background. That is about to change. (I hope so ;)

I will post some or maybe all of my drawings on that blog and I hope that some of you like them and get inspired. I love arts and everything where I can be creative.

I will write also about the designers life and job - the problems and great things that entails. I will talk about techniques, paper, colours and give you some tips for drawing, creativity and design.

I'm looking forward to your comments.



Tips for designers
Be creative when you have ideas. Do not force yourself to have to create something huge. Just let it flow. Usually you will not be entirely convinced. Sometimes you'll think, "How ugly is that?!", but it will provide moments in which you'll naturally create something great and big.


So let us swing the brushes and have fun.

  

   

Pen scribble - emerged in two days. 26 / 28th of August                  And that's me (old pic) :)