Sketch Dailies

Hello my friends! It has been quite some time, hasn't it?

The first thing you might notice is the name change! I'm starting to use the moniker Staceart more and more often, and figured it is time to apply it to this blog. I am looking to use this blog again, while Tumblr and other social media is nice, I quite like having a place that I can show process shots and write more in depth about my work. I will also be using this blog for write-ups on different art related events I attend.

This year I've started to post my work on two new platforms: Instagram and my own Facebook Page! Instagram focuses more on my sketches and other traditional work, while Facebook features a little bit of everything from all the sites I use. Please follow both if you can!

Onto the art... There are also some other projects in the works, which I'll post more about in the future. For now though, I've been participating when I can in a great daily activity called Sketch Dailies and here are the entries I've drawn inspired by the daily topics from earlier this year.

Black Bird

Billy the Kid

Honey Badger

Robin Hood

Mermaid

Baba Yaga

Unicorn

Goblin

Valkyrie

Gremlins

I've really fallen behind on keeping up with the topics but Seeing these all together make me realize how fun it is to challenge myself and my process. I'll be sure to make more time for future topics and post them here on my blog!

Daniel and Stacy Trolls

I am not dead! I simply had to take a break due to my wrist pains getting to the point of unbearable. Long story short, I'm now in physical therapy and am making a good recovery. My therapist OK'd me to keep drawing so long as I go slow and make sure I'm holding my pencil correctly. Hopefully I'll be back to posting more regularly.

In the meantime, I did a little gift for my wonderful boyfriend, Daniel. It's his birthday today. I had the idea to turn he and I into trolls. I've included the original sketches I did back in February, the composition sketches and the final completed in marker.

Scculent and Cactus Trolls

I made some trolls last month based off some plants I saw when hanging out with friends.

I've always meant to do some more, and the inspiration hit me when Daniel and I purchased new plants this past weekend at IKEA. We are now proud owners of a little cactus and a succulent plant!

I started off with some sketches to get an idea of what they would look like. 

Instantly I knew I wanted the succulent trolls to be bothering the cactus.

FDD: Day One

The return of my wrist pain struck yesterday before my personal art hour. I decided to take it easy with some gouache. Another one of my weird, abstract galaxy paintings!

30 Day Challenge: Day 4

I'm super pleased with how this one turned out! It was a lot of fun to paint and I absolutely love the colors. Gouache is becoming my best friend.

I didn't really get a chance to explain the characters, as the previous entry was made very late in the night. I've always had this love story about the sun and moon, and always had an idea of what the moon character looks like. It wasn't until very recently that I sat down and actually thought about how I wanted the sun to look like. I wanted them to be opposites: she's practically naked, he's fully clothed, her face is easily seen while his is constantly in shadow, etc. I think that's what make these illustrations some of my favorites.

"While he watches her from afar: Sun" - 6" x 9"
 Gouache and acrylic on Arches Cold Pressed Watercolor Block

Here they are side by side. I wanted to do another with both of them, but alas - I ran out of time and my wrist has been acting up. 

They will be on display and for sell at the Weavver Gallery in Downtown Fullerton for the "Pairings" show. I'll be there for the opening on First Friday! 

30 Day Challenge: Day 3

First of three paintings for an upcoming art show. I love gouache despite how temperamental it can be. A lot of things I wish I could go back and fix, but overall, very happy with the result.

"And so she slept in the stars: Moon" - 6" x 9"
Gouache and acrylic on Arches Cold Pressed Watercolor Block

30 Day Challenge: Day 2

When I was in school I would often doodle in class, just on a plain sheet of paper with a ballpoint pen. There's something therapeutic about not being able to fix mistakes and to draw my brains out. At least 90% of the drawings were crap, but there are always a few that turn out better than I expect it.

I did have an off day today, just could not get into the grove of things no matter how hard I pushed. I reminded myself that the first rule of art is to relax and have fun. So I picked up a sheet of paper, a ballpoint pen and my neglected brush pen, then just went at it for the next hour to explore some ideas for an upcoming painting.

30 Day Challenge: Day 1

Hello and happy new year!

A few friends of mine have been doing a 30 Day posting challenge, and I thought I would join the fun! I need to get the ball rolling for this year. I'm aiming to complete a mini-piece each day, with or without a time limit.

Today's piece is a bit dark, as I've been under the weather lately. I had the idea of "vicious cycle" in my head and decided to draw it out. I did some thumbnails first, playing around with composition. 

Originally I was aiming to complete this piece in an hour, but only got this far into the hour. I kept going to my closet door mirror to model for myself, wanting to get the hands just right.

I decided to take a second hour to finish up the piece. 

"Vicious Cycle" - 4.5" x 6.5"
pencil on bristol board

Sketchy Saturday: Better Late Than Never

Keep missing my Saturday updates... But as the proverb goes: Better late than never!

I'm enjoying doing still lives with pencil lately. Mostly to build up my patience but learning how to work the pencil again has been lovely.

Sketchbook liter, characters characters characters...

Fiddling around with sketches in Photoshop. 

Thanks for your time. :)

Commission: A Little Girl's Fantasy Land

I have done a few murals for the family who commissioned this piece. After the second mural I did for their youngest daughter, the oldest asked me if I could paint her imaginary world. At first, she wanted a mural, but I suggested a painting - to which the mom agreed. Later in the day, I was delivered a drawing from the girl, and felt completely inspired to use the drawing as the foundation of the painting. I was also inspired by the trend of turning toddlers' drawings into art pieces or photography. 

For Avalon: A Little Girl's Fantasy Land

Acrylic on canvas, 16"x20"

Avalon's original drawing

When Being Chased By Lions, Let the Hummingbird Guide You

When Being Chased By Lions, Let the Hummingbird Guide You

Acrylic on canvas board, 9"x12"

Had a dream a while back, where I was being chased by lions in a forest. A black hummingbird, whose red skeleton I could see, guided me to safety. 

I've been working on this concept for a couple of weeks, mainly because there aren't too many hummingbird skeleton references out on the internet. Decided to break out the acrylics for this, and it felt nice to try out some new techniques. 

Also included a horrible photo of the gouache study I did and the sketchbook page exploring the idea: 

Sketchy Saturday

Seven sketches for Sketchy Saturday (just play along, I hope to do this at least every Saturday)! Featuring pages from my most recent sketchbook.