Untamed

Today, I decided to do something different!  Instead of working on a house in my free time, I decided to sit down and do some actual art.  I am sure a lot of people don't know I do draw and paint as well as decorate.  I don't claim to be the best artist.  I definitely need to improve and I'm doing my best to practice as much as I can.  I have always really loved to draw, ever since I was little.  Of course, what I love more than drawing, is writing.

Some of you probably know that I recently graduated from college with my BA in English this year.  I am now spending most of my time pouring over a series of novels that have been in planning for a long time.  I just never had the time to actually sit down and write.  I'm still struggling to do so even now, but I actually have the time to do it now!

Of course, today isn't about writing, but it serves a purpose, because my writing does influence my art!  I like to paint beautiful scenes from my novels and stories, but I can't always capture what I want to.  I used to draw with charcoal and pastels.  I LOOOOVE drawing with charcoal.  It makes a huge chaotic mess that explodes all around me!

About 2 years ago, my dear dear spouse surprised me with Wacom tablet and Corel Painter 12 for my birthday!  Ever since then I have gone from my messing charcoal to digital art.  It's very different and I am still getting the hang of it.  I really really wanted Photoshop, because I just love working with it, but its a bit expensive even for the student version.  I have found that Corel Painter 12 actually can simulate brushes and art media in a way that is very true to how real media reacts.  The charcoal acts like real charcoal, the paint like real paint.  For me, that fits my style completely.  Of course, I still want Photoshop.

I am not very good at drawing people, though I can draw faces Ok.  It takes a ton of work and I still need a lot of practice before I can really, truly start drawing character profiles, but I am getting there!  One of the things I really like to draw are still settings and landscapes, even some abstract-type art.  It's rather relaxing and when I get frustrated decorating or writing, I just sit down and start drawing.

So today, I tackled a landscape that I have been working on for months, but it just has not been turning out like I have wanted.  Today, I think I finally captured what I wanted, so I thought I would share it and a few other pieces!

First up, one of the first paintings I did in Corel.  This Desert Sunset was later used in a flyer for the Festival of Sands.

Desert Sunset

This next one was done roughly a year or so later.  I call it:  

The Lonely Tree

Here's a couple of my very first attempts in Corel with some faces.

Mr. Scary Face

 

Neversea Profile

 

Yeah I still need some work on those!  I'll have to get back to practicing soon!

This next one is a redone version of a piece I did a long time ago with real charcoal.  I was supposed to be drawing the inside of the human body with heart, lungs and all that.  Well, this is the heart I drew with a couple of fixings and alterations!

Heart

And finally...  Here is the piece I did today, which I think is my best yet.

Untamed

So there you have it, some original digital art by me!  I'm not just all EQ2 house items! :D