inspiration – Teresa Dang

5 exercises to help you warm up your creativity

Do you want to make art but feel a bit unmotivated? Don’t over think it… just start making something. It’s like getting your butt up to exercise, the hardest part is to just get to the gym, once you are there it’s easy.

Below are some places to start:

Copy a master/inspiration.
Pick up an old book and flip through it, draw images that inspire you.
Make marks on a paper, just scribble…
SWATCH, make swatches!
Doodle items you see in your room.

The image above is a copy of a piece of art I like, I really enjoyed making it and learnt a lot about the joy of playing with colour, making marks on a piece of paper and composition . SIMPLE but so beautiful and intentional!

Pencil: Prismacolor Pencils

Paper: Cason Drawing Paper 110 gsm

Van Gogh is a bad ass in the art world. You cannot go wrong with studying Van Gogh. The two above images is a Van Gogh interpreted by me in line drawing style.

Medium: Digital Ipad with Rubber Stylus

I didn’t quite find this image in a book however it was an image I came across that inspired me to use my Huion Tablet. I used Adobe Photoshop and my tablet to create the image on the right.

Yep, the above is literally a doodle of the things around me like laundry, my lamp and my hand. Plus a few random things here and there.

Swatches by far are my favourite exercise. So simple, meditative yet fun at the same time. Check out my Weekend Mindfulness Art for ideas on how to make mindfulness art.

Pencils: Jasart Colour Pencil 72

Paint: Cotman Watercolours Winsor and Newton

This is a fun little drawing of my room. I was sat on my bed and I drew the view of my room with a fine pen on some scrap Muji Paper.

Paper: Recycled Paper Note Pad/Plain $1.60

Pen: From Vietnam Brand Name Ben Nghe it’s blue and super fine and scratchy

I hope you get back to creating and do a little scribble. Have Fun!

Have an awesome week!

Teresa XX

Painterly faces

A minimalistic style piece inspired by Henri Matisse portraits

Want to know how to create your own prints in Matisse’s style?

Inspiration

These faces have been painted with Gouche using a paint brush. A minimalistic style piece inspired by Henri Matisse portraits.

This painting style is called Fauvism characterised by strong colours and fierce brushwork (Tate Museum).

“Fauvist art is characterised by its bold colours, textured brushwork and non-naturalistic depictions. In some ways, Fauvist artists emerged as an extension of the Impressionist artists working at the turn of the century.”

What I love about this style is that it really highlights the use of colour and the way in which you can still see the brush strokes. It illuminates the artist’s process as it looks unfinished, like a work in progress.

Interested in reading more about Fauvism see #source1 #source2 #source3

If you want to find out more about inky paintings see my post on Sumi Ink

Original art by Teresa Dang – Mahogany Girl

What you need for this exercise:

Pencil
Paper
Gouche (HIMI #link) or Watercolour paint (Koh-i-Nor #link)
Round paint brush size 6 (ROY MAC paint brush #link)

The process:

Find photos of faces you want to paint.
Look for shapes in the image that you can sketch out as larger shapes.
Once pencil drawing is laid down, load up your paint brush with a good amount of paint.
Use the lightest touch to line the pencil drawing. It may be useful to practise a few strokes before hand to get the feel of the paint brush and to see what lines you can achieve.
Fill in the rest of the area of the painting with quick bold brush strokes, be guided by the image, looking for area of shade and light.
After you scan the painting on to the computer you can use the Magic Wand Tool to remove the textured paper background.
Use The Bucket Tool to fill in the light areas.

Original art by Teresa Dang – Green Girl

Some tips:

Trace trace trace so that you have a base image to experiment with. Use a window, glass door or the screen of an Ipad to illuminate the image so you can trace it.
Practise using your brush to create various styles of strokes so you get a feel of the different lines you can achieve with the brush.
Load up the brush with lots of water and pigment.

This style of painting would look lovely in a vibrant blue, enlarged and framed for home decor.

Good Luck with making your beautiful master pieces! Hope you are all having a fun holiday season with family and friends.

Teresa xx

Join me

I am here to create. Just a quick note to get our juices going for the holiday season. Join me, I will be playing with my art supplies and sharing it here this holiday season. I picked up some pretty cool supplies when Europe when I visited this year so watch this space…. you see more inks, paints and colour 🙂

Have an awesome weekend!

Teresa xx

Inspiration capsule: Winter 22

Original art by Teresa Dang ‘Warhol Girl’

This is a quick post about some gems who give me hope and inspiration in the independent art and illustration world. They have all stood the test of time ❤ If you are looking for inspiration and new artists to follow make sure to give put these guys on your list:

Nina Cosford – she is a UK illustrator who loves to draw on location, she makes quirky little illustrations of a relatable character named “Girl.”
Leigh Ellexson – Canadian based, her art is colourful and cool like she is. Her youtube videos are genuinely the most effortless looking beautiful vlogs I’ve seen. I am addicted!
Furry Litttle Peach – is an Aussie illustrator who basks in all things cute and vibrant. She is sunshine and rainbows from inside out which she infuses into her art.
Fran Meneses – is a New York based illustrator, she is generous with sharing her art journey and the ways in which she develops her art style. Her art is editorial and super stylish.

These people remind me of the joys of art making and doing things.

Have an awesome weekend!

Teresa xx

Random summer nights – a poem

Photograph of Sydney CBD. — North Sydney.

A  night, unplanned. 
Where the night takes us, who knows.
A gap in the fence.
Moon light, couples in a secret search for a special spot, a sky painted with rich blues, yellows and orange.
A feeling, a place and time irreplicable.
A moment alone. The heat of the sandstone below my feet.
The silence of nature.
A daze as the lights of the city flash.
A dash back in the dark. 
Last ones to leave. 
The trill of nearly getting locked in.

TD x

Note to self

A little reminder.

Draw as much as possible.

Don’t be limited to what you feel you NEED to draw, draw what your heart and mind are drawn to.

Tim Burton (director, producer, creator) says, do what you love and what you are passionate about and keep doing it, for it’s the love of the the labour that leads to mastery and true artistic expression. Don’t get swept up in easy wins or shortcuts, it can lead you down a pathway or direction that is not authentically you. Stay true to what you love… (Tim Burton – Master Class)

I hope this helps you to draw and create as much as you love to and not limit yourself by any rules.

Be you, that is what the world wants to see.

Love,

Teresa x

Sumi Ink

To be more free with my lines, to allow my hand to flow without too much thought behind it. I am still yet to “get there” but am enjoying the process.

A lesson on ink.

Ink is a super fun medium to play with. I have been playing with Sumi ink lately and have found it loose and free. As someone who has tendencies toward careful and slow mark making using ink has helped me to loosen up. To be more free with my lines, to allow my hand to flow without too much thought behind it. I am still yet to “get there” but am enjoying the process.

Fun, loose and quick!

I found doing these studies helped me to use my ink brushes on my digital drawing apps.

What I learnt:

Ink makes you commit to your strokes, don’t think too much. Have a word/picture in your mind and paint.
There is little room for error.
Simpler the better.
You can achieve different values by adding more water/ink. The more water the lighter the wash (just like water colour).
Quick strokes work best.
Composition is key.
Rhythm is needed, light touches to create dotted thin strokes and more pressure to create bold voluminous lines.

What you will need:

Sumi Ink Option 1, Option 2
Paint brush (any)
Paper (printer paper works but can bleed if you use too much water)
Porcelain dish or cup to hold the ink
Cup filled with water for washing your brush

Art created on: Bamboo App

A few artists I drew inspiration from to do my studies.

Matisse

Henri Matisse has a few notable pieces whereby he uses brush strokes to depict nature, faces and still life.

Anna Farba

Anna Farba, a botanical artist, has made some lovely floral art with ink.

Rosie McGuinness

Rosie McGuinness, London Based artist fashion artist and life drawing.

Lucy Auge

Lucy Auge, UK based artist has a beautiful collection of inky flowers.

Check out my pinterest board for more ink art ideas to learn from Pinterest Board.

Wishing you a lovely week ahead.

Teresa xx

Part 1: Lockdown hobbies – photography

Here are a few photos I took the other day.

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

artists that inspire

Do you love discovering art or people who make you do a virtual double take? I often find people like this online scrolling through youtube or instagram. What follows for me is a binge watching of videos about artists, actors and famous people in history.

Here are some of my favourite contemporary artists I’ve been hoarding away. I really believe in their beautiful work that bring positivity to the world. I love what they stand for as artists. They are so much more than just people who can draw and paint they are creatives; people who are able to see things that others turn a blind eye to in the day to day, they are story tellers they are change makers they are visionaries.

These gems bring me joy and delight:

Michael Leunig – Michael has the most witty comics all about the everyday. He cleverly and subtly plants a seed of social change through his work. I always have a good chuckle when I see his work. He is funny and makes simplicity look beautiful.

Hayao Miyazaki – I love the environmental and spiritual themes in his work. He also captures children just perfectly. I often feel a deep sense of reflection and serenity when I am in his world.

Meredith Gaston – A very loved wellness guru. When I came across her brightly painted flowers and read her book I felt like I met a kindred spirit. I turned to the back of her book to find that we shared the same influences both studied gender and cultural studies at the University of Sydney. I celebrate artists like Meredith because she is so genuine and loving. I am so glad she is sharing her health and wellbeing tips and tricks and it has really reaffirmed my values and dreams.

Lisa Congdon – Lisa is all about empowerment, she is practical and a wonderful teacher sharing her journey to success generously. I love listening to Lisa’s talks about her work with such humility and candour, she makes me feel like pursuing art as a career is achievable.

Wendy Macnaughton – Wendy is a recent find… Wendy tells stories about people whom stories would otherwise be untold. She draws from life and on location which is super brave. She is an artist that uses process to fuel her creativity; putting pieces of the art work and story together as she goes.

Nina Cosford – All about the every day experience of being a girl. She is one of the original “girl power” illustrators of this online world. Nina’s creative process is quite spectacular, watching her draw and colour is like watching someone put together a very pretty and colourful jigsaw puzzle.

Whose art currently makes you want to create? Who motivates you to pick up a paintbrush, pencil, pen? Please share with me I am always looking for new inspiration.

Thank you for reading.

Teresa x

Instagram @365daysofscribbles