MOVING TO NEW SITE


I just wanted to let everyone know that I am not missing, instead I have ventured into the wonderful world of my own website!

http://www.craftyartistkc.com is now live. Although it is not completed, I am slowly transitioning my posts over to the new site. Please please please go check it out and subscribe via email. I will be adding a lot more ways to follow me, but for now, please subscribe via email.

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Lunchtime Doodle – 05/01/2017


20170501_123747

I figured since I have been drawing a lot of flowers lately, I would continue with the theme and create something new. So today over lunch, I decided that I would take my 45 minutes and draw. I LOVE the way this flower turned out. It gave me several ideas about flowers in the future.

I would love to know what you think about this lunchtime doodle!

Lunchtime Doodle – 4/25/17


Check this flower out! This is something I have never drawn before but as I was laying down last night trying to rest my head, I was thinking about how I could draw a flower that was unique. 

The good thing about this flower is that each section can be decorated differently. These are just the ones that I chose. I would love to see what you can do with the basic outline of this flower. If you email me your works of art,  I will post them on this thread or you can link it in the comments below. 

Very Big Sketchbook – Page 7


This is the seventh page in my Sketchbook. I wanted to do something very different than the other pages. This didn’t turn out like I had envisioned,  but at the same time it seems very fun. 

I learned by trial and error how to draw a new flower for future drawings. The flower at the bottom is the one I am referring to. I may color this in the future one day but right now I am gonna keep it black and white. 

What is your favorite part of this piece? Tell me in the comments below. 

Patterned Mandala


Zentangle 7

Sometimes making a mandala simple, and creating a difficult or busy background is more fun, than actually producing a difficult mandala. This was one of those times. I loved creating this piece as it tested my ability to think of different patterns to create the detailed background I was looking for.

Do you like a detailed mandala with a simple or nonexistent background, or would you rather see more detailed backgrounds on a simple mandala like this? Let me know in the comments.

Mandala progression


Step 1: Create your grid.

I enjoy having my mandala in the center of the page so the first thing I do is draw an X by drawing a line from each corner to the opposite. This is the lightest of lines because it’s literally used just to center my graphic.

I then take my 360° protractor and grid out every 10°. I then draw a line from one degree  to the opposite degree. {ex. 0° – 180°} I continue to do this all around. I then take my compass and make random sized circles moving from the center out to show just how big I want the mandala.

Step 2: Line your center.

This part is always the most difficult for me because the center, determines the look of the whole mandala. If you look through the mandalas that I have posted, you will see that the different options are truly infinite. Nothing is right or wrong. With this one I chose a pinwheel of sorts that I built flowers on top of. This set the tone for an organic mandala.

Step 3: Start building outward.

You will see that I used the grid lines in two different ways. the larger flower petals run between the grid lines, where as the triangular petals use the grid line as a center point. I tried to put more detail in the triangles because they were so large. Some options here are to use your protractor and grid out every 5° to make the get ails smaller, or just do like what I did and follow the gridlines making each layer larger than the layer before it. I have used both methods and both are fun to do.

Step 4: Final and Largest Layer

In this picture you will see that I have leaves that are lining my mandala and bringing the entire organic piece to life! I love how this is turning out and although I say that about almost every one of my pieces, its simply because I am as shocked as everyone else about the end result! I try really hard not to plan too much because I want to be able to adapt to kids bumping the table, pens running out on ink and even surprise sneezes.

Step 5: Putting in little details

Now is the time that you go back and add more details. These can be anything you want. Go wild.

Step 6: Finishing touches!

This is the point where you start from the center and erase all your pencil grid lines and start focusing in on every little detail. This can be as elaborate or simple as you want. That is the wonderful thing about mandalas. They truly change drastically, even with one detail. I will sugest that if you do something to one side, make sure you are consistent if you want it to look uniform. If your mandala is NOT symmetrical than disregard and have fun!

So, Now that you’ve seen the final product, let me know what you think! What would you have done differently? What do you like the most? Do you have any questions, comments, concerns or constructive criticism? Post them below and I will respond as quick as I can.