I know. Too much sky. I was working on clouds further up, but they bombed. So I washed over it. You can see a hint of the jagged shapes if you go looking for them. Before the wash dried, I took a tissue to the wet and created soft, almost invisible cloud shapes. The shapes were more pronounced while the paint was wet. But I am happy with them.
I had in mind the first painting I did like these. That was in a 2016 painting challenged. WOW! Doesn’t feel that long ago. It is one of my favorites. It was loose and abstracted. I keep trying to get back to that. And I keep failing. LOL 🙂
It started raining while I was working. That influenced the colors, and I think helped loosen it up a bit. Before I splattered paint, I splattered water. I knew the paint would flow when it hit the wet areas.
Tried it as a 4 x 6 postcard. It may work better with less sky. What do you think?
This lovely postcard arrived, from Siobhan Wolf. She tells me this is how a typical Ohio Spring looks. Brrrr! We have swapped in years past, and I find the connection as joyful as she does. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful photography with me Siobhan! Those tulips are so pretty – I love it!
Header Help
Kat van Rooyen, Zentangle – Diva Dance:Rock and Roll.
This weekend I worked on some graphics for my good friend Kat van Rooyen. She a had digital disaster, and had to start her blog over again on a new platform. Kat does Zentangle art, so we used a pattern she loves. To the right is the art she sent me. I had to add more flowers to the bottom to create the shape I wanted.
I selected fonts that reflected Kat’s personality, and her art. Zentangle is based on structured patterns. The line work is often very graphic and bold.
I did two versions of the header. One with a border, and one without. Kat can interchange these when she changes page colors on her blog. For holidays or special events. Below is the completed Header. Visit Kat’s site for a better look. I also created a triangle pattern for the background, which is barely visible, but I think it adds some interest.
Header for Kat van Rooyen’s site.
Bookmarks
A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was submitting a bookmark to UPPERCASE magazine. I didn’t make the cut, but my submission is included with the almost 300 entries. They are available to download for personal use. Please respect the copyright of the artists. I thank you, as does Janine Vangool. How fun is that! If you have never seen uppercase magazine, you need to check it out! Visit the blog and Flip through the new issue. Gorgeous! And if you print some bookmarks, why not stop by and tell Janine, “Thanks”.
A Doodle
Watercolor doodle ATC. 2016 Sheila Delgado
Again I was inspired by one of the postcards I received. I showed you a card from Lynn Radford yesterday, the one with the colored pencils on it. Made me want to grab the pencils next to me and put color to paper. This is just a teeny ATC, only took a few minutes. Just a bit of fun!
This month will be all about learning Illustrator. With Bonnie’s generous instruction, I know that is totally do-able. I have been following along on Facebook, and I am so glad to be a part of this amazing group of designers. Sharing new discoveries, and offering help and advice. I have learned so much from the questions and answers.
Free printable
A favorite take away from the course is this quote by Bonnie. It has been in my head, and I honestly think it influenced my painting in the challenge. I created some of my best work, and it was not as much of a struggle as it sometimes can be.
I created a pdf that you can print out and share with friends. Just click on the image. I used the blob brush to draw the sea urchins. It is really easy to draw with, and I had so much fun with these.
Bonnie’s class was fun with a capital FANTASTIC! She shared her experience honestly, even her mistakes, and how she learned from them. She showed us only the tools we need to know to create repeating patterns.
I had put off learning Illustrator, because I felt overwhelmed with all the tools and options. I am self-taught in Photoshop, and with all the years of experience I have in that program, I am still discovering new techniques. If I can pass one thing on to others who are new to Illustrator, it would be to take Bonnie’s class. Her warm and friendly teaching style will put you at ease, and soon you will be ready to dive in to surface pattern designing.
Bonnie challenged us to create a collection, sharing our sketches, inspiration boards and final designs. I did not get mine done in time to take part in her giveaway, but I am working on my collection. Bonnie explained her process, and how to think of developing collections. Up to this point, I have created stand alone designs in my Spoonflower shop. Her approach was a huge revelation!
I have started a board on Pinterest where I will share designers in this group. I only have two pins on there now, but I will be adding everyone as I catch up on blog posts.
For more surface design fun, take a look at yesterday’s blog by Joditt Williams. Her “Autumn Glory” collection is so pretty! The next post will be on Monday, by Meg Tannahill – I can’t wait! You can find links to all of the “Hoppers” on Bonnie’s page. If you are interested in learning pattern design, you will really want to see what everyone has been up to!
Bonnie is offering a FREE MONTH membership to her awesome Roost Tribe! If you’re interested in everything from joining a creative community, getting tips for building your blog, recipes, tutorials, and free desktop backgrounds, definitely don’t pass this up. Click here for your free month!
I am just going to come out and say it. I haven’t mastered Adobe Illustrator. Not even close. My September was occupied with 
