Blog

How to draw buildings, what I have learnt so far….

Drawing the same thing over and over will lead you to develop your own process…

I spent a whole year practising how to draw buildings.

All together I drew 18 buildings between the 3rd of January 2021 – 22nd November 2021.

For a long time now I have aspired to fill up a journal with one subject matter. I am so proud of myself as I usually find it difficult to follow through on a self assigned project like this. I have a tendency to get distracted by something new and shiny. As you look at these drawings you will notice that staggered dates throughout the year.

Art takes patience, persistence and deliberation.

I have reflected on the process and there are notes beside the drawings; things I have learnt, process notes and what I liked about the drawing.

What you will need:

  • Printer paper cut to 26 x 13cam folded in half and secured with three staples on the fold. ( All together you will need 10 pieces of paper.)
  • Lead pencil
  • 1 coloured pencil
  • Photos of buildings

Overall, my reflections on this project are below:

  • Thumb nailing is worth spending time on – it’s a quick smaller drawing that helps you plan out the larger piece.
  • I love drawing sketchy trees.
  • Simplifying details can make a drawing look more fun and cohesive – not all details need to be accurate.
  • Drawing the same thing over and over will lead you to develop your own process… for me the process went 1. lightly blocking out shapes 2. Blocking out darkest sports 3. Add line 4 Add smaller shapes and objects.
  • Keep the sketch book on your desk, when you have a free 30 minutes draw!

Some notes on the paper/journal I used:

  • The printer paper is a bit slippery for coloured pencil
  • Good practise to get a sense of composition
  • Okay to write on
  • Suitable for graphite pencil
  • Use coloured pencils that a softer
  • Blending is challenging
  • The values are hard to build up which means the images look flat.
  • Layering is difficult

Download the full e-book for free below. I hope you learn something.

Purple building drawings_Full scans PDF Download

Thank you and good luck!

Teresa xx

How to take photos of products

Have you been thinking about how to take photos of your art?

Happy new year, it’s 2022, I hope you guys had a good start to the year!!!

Have you been thinking about how to take photos of your art?

I have really enjoyed exploring about how artists display and style their art work. I have found some artists who are great at visually marketing their art, taking photos of the their art and displaying it in a way that hooks you in.

I have been thinking about how I could set up a place where I could take photographs to practice my photography skills. Below you can see I have simply blu-tacked the end of my Ikea drawing roll to my Imac and left the body on the table.

I love this current set up because it is just so simple and easy to set up and pack away. The natural light and the position that I have place this set up is just perfect in the way of the shadow it creates with the natural light.

What you will need:

The camera I am using is the D90 with a Nikkon Lens, 35-80 mm (zoom) 1:4-5.6D (aperture range). This lens can only function with f-stop 22 ring limiting aperture range. It’s not the best in low light but can manage in the shade but will need to be adjusted to aperture F5.6. I used 5260K WB (White Balance) on the above photographs and find that this gives me a neutral colour. At shutter speed 6 it will not need a tripod. I like this lens, it is versatile and great for portrait.

I plan on setting up this table to do some speed painting or art making videos. Wish me luck!

Have a lovely week 🙂

Teresa x

New Year Ritual

You may have a tendency to think you haven’t achieved enough… perhaps you are naturally pessimistic when it comes to the way you see yourself. Keeping a journal helps you count your blessings, cultivate gratitude and live by your values.

Every year I set up a new journal for myself. I have done this for three years now. It helps me document my year and reminds me of what I care about the most. Keeping a journal helps me review my values, goals and vision for the future. It has helped me to physically see how much I can achieve in one year.

Lately, I have been looking into manifestation and really have experienced the power of creating and holding a vision. I attempted Debbie Millman‘s exercise called “A 10 year plan for a remarkable life” and it was incredible!!

I used the below prompts to help me to reflect on my year and then come up with a vision. This is how you can set up your journal:

1. Thank you 2021

Say good bye to the year that has just passed, say thank you for all the moments you’ve experienced this year. A few headings that will help you to reflect on your year are:

  • In 2021 my greatest achievements were
  • Things I struggled with in 2021
  • Three words I would use to describe 2021

2. 2022 Time Line

Draw a line in the middle of the page and the months of the year down that line. List events, milestones and projected deadlines e.g. birthdays, deadlines. This will be how it would look: link 1 & link 2.

3. Passion Road Map

  • Life time
  • 3 years
  • 1 year
  • 3 months
  • 1 month

Make sure you record the date. This exercise is inspired by the Passion Roadmap Planner.

4. Start, Stop, & Continue

  • What do I want to start doing this year?
  • What do I want to stop doing this year?
  • What do I want to continue doing this year?

Example of this: link.

This will do for now, next time I will share what I do on a weekly and monthly basis in my journal to self reflect and reconnect with myself.

Remember not to get too caught up in the details, the magic is in the process. Celebrate what you have accomplished and review what you haven’t, this way every year you become more you.

Have an awesome new year kids.

Teresa xx

Weekend Mindfulness Art

A field guide to color, A watercolour workbook by Lisa Solomon

If you’re looking for a quick art exercise to do to relax, these colourful dots are are both beautiful and simple to create. Pretty straight forward… grab your water colour and dot away.

Lisa talks about these exercises as ‘colour meditations.’ If you find you’re feeling stressed or just need some thing to do to calm your mind, this will do the trick!

Come to think of it these pieces remind me of those stick on ear rings they made when I was little. They were sparkly and came in difference shapes, like moon, circle, triangle, flowers. Do you remember these???

Book: A field guide to color by Lisa Solomon

Paper: Calligraphy paper 20 sheets from Diaso – $1.50

Paint: Koh-I-Noor Water Colour Discs

Have a lovely weekend,

Teresa x

Drawing apps for the Ipad mini 1

These are the drawing apps I use on my very very old Ipad. I know some don’t have up to date technology so, hopefully this helps you find tools for your older Ipads. My Ipad still works beautifully – so I patiently use my rubber stylus and Ipad to create art!

There are a few apps that I have on my iPad (2010):

53 paper app

This was the first drawing app I used on the Ipad. There was a version before this one with beautiful notebooks covers. Unfortunately I hit update and I found myself with tiles rather than note books, which is a shame. I have grown to like this app more and more as I use it. This was one of the more fancy apps developed back in the early 2000s. Gosh technology has really advanced! It is great for quick sketching and jotting down thoughts. I can easily use this app whilst watching a movie. I also used it this year to do some of Inktober 2021.

Pros:

  • This app is probably the most intuitive and responsive.
  • Perfect for getting your ideas on “paper.”
  • Great app to learn about colour mixing.
  • Cut and remove function is useful as you can literally fling parts of a drawing off the page or shift elements to create a balanced compositions.
  • Layers!!
  • The mixing well ❤

Cons:

  • The functions are limited if you are looking for something more advance.
  • This app isn’t well supported.
  • It takes a while to learn how to use the app – but once you do it is a fun app.

Bamboo Paper app

This is the first app that helped me to draw more consistently. I even posted many of my drawings on to instagram. I started with very simple line drawings. Once I was comfortable with this I started to play around with shading and line work. I actually really enjoy using this app and found that I could work very quickly on this app to get ideas out of my brain. There is 6 brushes in total, you are given 3 for free and can purchase the others. You are given a limited colour palette.

Pros:

  • This by far has the smoothest line quality. By this I mean that the finish of your drawings will have very little pixels and jagged edges as you might find on other apps.
  • Limited palette is a pro and a con – because having limitations actually helps with creating because you have less choices to make.
  • Accuracy when using a rubber stylus.
  • The greatest thing about this app is that I have used it the most out of all the apps.

Cons:

  • Images exported are small usually 27 x 36 cms, 10 x 14 inchs, 768 x 1024 px, that is 72 resolutions.
  • Limited Colour Palette
  • Limited range of lines (3 different weights per brush)
  • No layers – it’s not very forgiving when making errors.
  • Hard to colour in shapes – it’s sketchy if you want that look but precision is not really achievable.
  • Hard to erase.

Evernote penultimate app-digital handwriting

Penultimate, is alright…. It’s an extension to Evernote’s note taking solution which I actually really enjoy. Evernote was an innovator back in the day when OneDrive or the cloud had not yet existed. It came during the same wave as Drop Box and Flickr. The drawing and note taking experience is pretty crap, tbh, it makes your writing look messy and the accuracy in drawing lines in unacceptable for a drawing/note taking app. There may be an update that fixes these things however I definitely have not had a good experience with this app at all.

Pros:

  • It syncs up with ever note.
  • Simple app.

Cons:

  • Inaccuracy – the lines seem to flick out at the end making your writing messy.
  • Colour selection in this app are not my favorite.
  • Not the most enticing app.

Tayasui Sketches app

This is the most comprehensive app. I have purchased the full version of this app. Great for the screen printing affect, that requires the layers of lines and colour. I love this app!

Pro:

  • Layers!!!
  • Variety of tools.
  • You can create art in any medium in digital form.
  • The app is great for creating graphics in general, layering typography on a block of colour.
  • Every Colour you can think of is available on the app.
  • It feels like you are using real life mediums, for example the way the water colour layer and dry and the patterns you can create is realistic.

Cons:

  • Can be a bit confusing for new beginners as the functions are not as intuitive.
  • There are so many tools that sometimes it can be overwhelming.

Thanks for getting to the end. Enjoy your week!

Teresa x

@365daysofscribbles

Part 5: Lockdown hobbies – painting with oil paints on small canvas’

Hi friends,

I had to joy of painting this weekend. This is my second attempt with oil paints. I found some close ups from Vincent Van Gogh’s painting and attempted to recreate the images to learn the techniques that he used in his vibrant art works.

Best part of this painting:

  • I love how the paintings turned out – they have a lot of character.
  • My favourite painting is the one of the flowers – I enjoy the value range and the placement of the white flowers.

My process:

  1. Look at images on Pinterest and choose a few to recreate – as a study!
  2. Think about how much paint you need for the painting.
  3. Prepare your palette, I stuck an A4 piece of paper onto my wooden board.
  4. Squeeze out the paint on to the palette based on how much of that colour appears in the painting.
  5. Get your paint brushes ready, look at the strokes on the painting and pick paint brushes you think might do the job. (It’s a good idea to do test swatches to get an idea of the brush strokes at an earlier stage so you’re not fussing about at this point)
  6. Stick tiny canvas’ on cardboard or an old magazine to keep it stable as you paint.
  7. Have tissues next to you.
  8. Set up the work space, with the palette on the right and canvas in front of you.
  9. Paint!

Things I learnt:

  • I would use waterproof surface as a palette. I thought printer paper might work…. WRONG! it just absorbed the oil and made it difficult to mix the paint.
  • The canvas’ were small 7cm x 10xcm so in order to create those lovely brush strokes I could have used a thinner brush.
  • It was hard to apply paint to create those stiff lines by using paint brushes with softer paint bristles. The one you might use for acrylic paint blends the paint and makes the strokes flat, you can see this on the yellow trees.
  • Stiff paint brush with oil paint is better for impressionist Van Gogh type paintings.
  • Working from dark to light works well.

Some tips:

  • Prior preparation: I found photos of art that I loved and made me happy. I pinned these on my Pinterest board.
  • I have a rolling to do list on my Iphone note and wrote this “Tiny Canvas oil paintings” down as one of the fun projects I could do in my spare time in the month of August. This got me excited and geared me up each day to paint.
  • When inspiration stikes me and I have a spare few hours, I take out my paints and act quickly.
  • Painting for about an hour to an hour and a half on small canvas’ is a good amount of time before you’ll become fatigued.
  • The more you paint and mix colours the better you will get at visually identifying the warmth and coolness of a colour and adjust accordingly.
  • Find inspiration before you sit down to paint, the creating process is much quicker. Save pictures and photos through out the week in preparation for the moment you sit down to create.
  • Post editing tricks: 1. Use channel mixer to get the WB levels right, meaning getting the whites as white as possible. You will need to adjust the reds, greens and blues to make the image cooler or warmer. 2. Use Curve layer to adjust the value range which will determine the level of contrast of the photo.

What I used and other resources:

Hoping that you are all safe and well, esp, those in Sydney.

Let me know how you go, you can contact me via my instagram @365daysofscribbles.

Teresa xx

Part 4: Lockdown hobbies – crayon digital drawings

Hey there friends,

Things haven’t changed much the last few weeks, still in lock down and I am grateful to have this time to explore art and drawing.

I spent some time in the sun in my parent’s garden on Saturday. The sun was so lovely on my back. Under the shade of the plants hanging in the garden, I sat with my Ipad and stylus to draw the things I see in front of me. I spent about 1 hour lost in nature and the warmth of the sun just doodling. This is what I drew.

I used the Tayasui Sketches, it’s an app you can download on the Imac and the Ipad. I paid for the extra features and am actually really happy that I did. It’s really easy to use and love the textures and effects you can create on the app. So I looked up the meaning of Tayasui and it actually means easy and simple!!!

What I learnt through doing this:

  • I really enjoy using digital apps to draw textured drawings – it is really forgiving if you make mistakes.
  • The difficulty about using these apps is that you need practise to remember where the controls are. It took me a few months to get into the rhythm of drawing, knowing where the buttons were to increase and decrease brush sizes, picking the right tool for the right stroke, intensity and colour.
  • What helps is having a limited pallet and working with one tool at a time so you get a handle on how it lays on the digital surface … just like mediums in real life.
  • Doing swatches, why do they not talk about this more often!!! It has really been the best thing in my art making practice is to test the tools I have before creating something with it. Make Swatches. They look really pretty as well.
  • Drawing from life is so so so great for your soul. It adds so much life into your art naturally. The colours and movement really pop too!

Take care during this time,

Teresa x

Part 3: Lockdown hobbies – painting with oil paints

Hello again,

…..the lockdown continues in Sydney, NSW. I attempt oil painting on a small canvas. My favourite part of this painting is the texture and strokes.

Scanned on an Epson Scanner

This is my first attempt at using oil in this impressionist way. This was really fun and intuitive, I found the medium much more forgiving then watercolours because you can layer over and over again to achieve the colour you are looking for so mistakes are rectifiable. I only used a bit of paint of each colour, mostly white, red and yellow to achieve these peachy colours.

My process:

  • prep surface by painting one layer of gesso on canvas (10 x 7 cm),
  • once dry, tape the corners of the tiny canvas to a piece of board to stabilise it,
  • set up on an easel,
  • work off a photo on my phone,
  • use two paint brushes, one for warm colours and one for cool colours,
  • work from light to dark colours,
  • block out shapes large to small.

Some things I learnt about using oil paints as a beginner:

  • Adding white gesso helps the paint dry faster and gives your painting texture,
  • Have a rough idea of how much paint you need before you squeeze paint onto your canvas – you don’t need the same amount of each colour,
  • After a while all the colours start looking the same so be intentional with the values you are trying to achieve before you start painting,
  • As tempting as it is …. don’t touch the painting for 24 hours at least.

Hang in there, when this is all over we can embrace the freedom together!

Hoping you are safe and sound!

Teresa xx

Part 2: Lockdown hobbies – sewing

I made a top inspired by these photos.

It is a tailored-blocky-semi-cropped-black top. I really enjoy wearing high waisted pants and thought it would be perfect with a top like this.

This took me 3 days to make –

Day 1 – Traced beloved old cotton top, cut pattern blocks and cut out fabric. Wednesday 21/7/2021

Day 2 – Attached interfacing to front and back panels as well as two back panels, hem the bottom edge. Thursday, 22/7/ 2021 – went to bed at 2am.

Day 3 – Attached the sides and top stitched the arm holes and neck holes and hand sewed on the button. Saturday 24/7/2021.

My favourite parts of this top:

  • The button loop detail!!
  • The cut of the top is flattering and goes with most my clothes.
Black thread in the sewing machine ready for sewing.

Some things I learnt from making this top:

  • I can create patterns using tops I find flattering on me – I found a cotton top that I have worn to death and found I could pair with everything.
  • French seams are worth the time invested – A work around for those who do not have a serger.
  • Pin all around the neck line and arm holes to ensure when top stitching to ensure the final result is nice and neat.
  • Measure yourself as you go:
    1. ensure the widest part of your chest is equal to the widest part of the bodice.
    2. ensure the opening around your neck hole is larger or equal to the circumference of your head.
  • My scissors tweezer were so helpful to fold in raw edges into the french seam, leaving a big lip makes it easier to tuck in the raw edges.
Black fabric.

Things that I would do differently:

  • I would extend the facing block, I made it too short and it hit me in a very awkward spot.
  • I would top stitch the neck hole before attaching the two back panels.
  • I would use this same pattern, in a summer fabric and crop up the top and add straps.

Thanks for dropping by and have a lovely day.

Teresa x

Part 1: Lockdown hobbies – photography

Here are a few photos I took the other day.

WFH Winter 2021
Barito in the making
On the window sill waiting for the sun.
Shy

I feel a stillness, coziness and a closeness when I look at them. It’s an ideal state when in winter.

They were shot with a Nikon D90 camera body and 50 mm NIKKOR (5201461) lens with a focal range of .45 to 5 metres. The aperture is 1:1.4 meaning it is great for low light. This lens is great for indoor low light conditions and shooting plans in a shady garden or a dark room. The images feel intimate because you need to be up close and personal. As it is a prime lens (ie. fixed lens) I am forced to move about around the subject. The lens is made in Japan.

I purchased the 50mm manual focus lens second-hand for around $100 at Sydney Camera Market hosted by Ultimo Community Centre. The lens slso came with a nice Cokin 0-52mm UV filer too. The markets are currently on hold due to covid, hopefully one day we can visit them again.

To understand what the above numbers mean I found this article to be helpful.

Stay safe and take care,

Teresa x