PARROT, Oil Pastel

On my journey to create art every day,  I ran into several technology glitches. For some reason my saved posts disappeared before I could publish them.  I have noticed the previous generation intuitively knows how to use all of this wonderful technology. All I can say is that I am thankful  for  youtube videos.  They have changed the way we learn.  Never give up!

Inspiration can come from many sources. I found a picture of this parrot in a FOSTERS & SMITH  supply catalog.  This series of oil pastels are done in a 3.5 x 5" Stratmore Mixed-Media Visual Journal which can be bought at http://www.jerrysartarama.com for $3.27.  I cut black construction paper and glued to each sheet and used CRAY-PAS and SENNELIER Oil Pastels. They are studies of things I enjoy.  If I like the way they turn out I may do a larger version in Oil Pastel, Acrylic or Oil.  Once I have all of the colors established, recreating a larger piece is much simpler. 

Even if there isn't a light source in your reference photo include one in your artwork. Notice the warm colors on the upper left hand side and also spilling over onto the lower right side of the bird.  I used complementary colors to make the bird more vivid.  If you look at a color wheel the parrot is Blue-Green, and it's complement is 

Red- Orange which is directly opposite  on the wheel. I also used the colors on either side of the Red-Orange, Orange and Red which are the split Complementary colors of Blue-Green.

 

A good exercise to learn more about using your color wheel is to pull an advertisement from  a magazine.  Match the colors on the color wheel.  Did they use complementary colors?  Keep learning and practicing, it will make you a better artist.

 

Do something creative every day

AVOCADO Oil Pastel  

There are so many things that demand our time; our family, church, friends, etc. but I have an emptiness inside if I am not creative. Waiting for the perfect time, or perfect studio only heightens my frustration.  So, start where you are and use what you have.  To that end, I have an art table in the kitchen and have a goal to work on something every day.  I'm not insisting that I finish a project each day, but I will work on something everyday.


I have wonderful little drawings everywhere, in notebooks, on the back of grocery lists, receipts or envelopes.Unfortunately, a lot of these nice drawings get lost. I decided to start working in a 3 1/2" x 5" Mixed Media Journal by Strathmore.  I cut black construction paper to fit the pages and use Cray-Pas or Sennelier Oil Pastels. Cray-Pas Pastels are inexpensive and have nice colors. If you find you like working with oil pastels,  Sennelier pastels are wonderfully creamy and have very good coverage.


I wanted to take everyday things and show their beauty. One of my favorite artists is Charles Hawthorne.

Anything under the sun is beautiful if you have the vision - it is the seeing of the thing that makes it so...people are subconsciously interested in the expression of beauty, something that helps them through the humdrum day...makes them believe in the beauty and the glory of human existence.  Hawthorne On Painting.

If you want to become a better artist, practice, always be a student, always searching and looking for the unexpected.