Today was a pretty cool and spontaneous day to put it quite frankly. For one thing, when my family and I went to Shangrila for our usual Sunday hangout, I had no idea that there was an art workshop scheduled for the day and it just so happened that I was at the right place at the right time.
This was such a cool session. To top it all off, the workshop was surprisingly free of charge. And the workshop was definitely worth attending. You could tell by the numbers of people gathered randomly from the upper floors looking down or from the people passing by Rustan's (functions and events are usually held at the ground floor level beside Rustan's Department store) to check out the workshop that the subject of the workshop was definitely attracting good energy and attention from everyone. For one, I was glad to be among people who love and appreciate art. And I was especially grateful to have learned a lot from the experience of simply being there at the moment. Though if I were to highlight on there being one important thing I've learned today, it would have to be the value behind spontaneous art. I realized that the whole experience of watching Mr Fidel Sarmiento conduct live demonstrations of his methodology in oil pastel does not only illustrate his mastery of the techniques involved, but also portrays the fluidity and fluency of his "visual library" (which, in this sense, I would refer to the expanse of his ability to translate and communicate visually by drawing and painting what he knows and imagines). As an aspiring artist, I've heard from several other artists I see as mentors who often describe their process of learning as "learning how to draw what they see" before "learning how to draw what they know/imagine". While this key process is the very epitome of the saying "Seek to learn the rules before you break them", I did find the spontaneity of his art process a refreshing change. I found that experiencing someone with so much passion and talent is such an awe-inspiring breakthrough. And witnessing for myself how fluid and spontaneous one can be when he/she has reached a height of expertise has also given me a better perspective on art. In a sense, I have observed that one needs to be both courageous and vulnerable in order to break the barrier between being able to fully express him/herself through art, and being afraid to try. It's kind of like being at the edge of a cliff and wondering whether or not to make that leap of faith--constantly pushing against your comfort zone and reaching out towards activities or ideas beyond what you are familiar with leads one towards a better understanding and awareness of oneself. Mr Fidel Sarmiento, the mentor during the workshop, was introduced by the organizers as the president of a prestigious art organization here. I found his method of passing on his knowledge through live demonstration a very effective audience attention grabber. Not only was the live demo an audience pleaser, it was a very substantial way of practical teaching. Some argue that art is an inherent talent. Some may say it's a skill. I think it's a mishmash of both, after witnessing Mr Sarmiento sketch and apply pastels so effortlessly. In line with this, skill is so much associated with one's capacity to learn and apply new techniques not only in art, but in everyday life. Just as Mr Sarmiento has been teaching a variety of new ways to approach pastel control and strokes. As for the talent--well, I do believe that in any hobby or activity we choose to do, there will always be people who are amazingly and effortlessly good without even trying. And there are some who have the creative spin but work hard and practice to earn their talent. I strongly subscribe to a good mixture of both in the making of a good visual artist. I learned a lot about how the language of lines, colors and strokes can be communicated through the pastel medium. For one thing, using pastels and felt and/or sandpaper as the main media feels so different from painting with brushes. You can make different strokes with brushes, but it's rather more fluid when you use pastels to mold a certain shape or make a particular line. Also, I realized that using sandpaper, given its rough surface, makes the pastels feel effortlessly soft. You could just let your fingers glide and shape your work using a variety of strokes. I did enjoy this fun experiment with the strokes. The experience in itself is messy, but as fun as you'd feel if you were a kid and had crayons in your hand. On the other hand, felt paper does feel like your standard velvet texture. Pastels do adhere to them pretty well and I just love the smoothness of both media. The feeling is like you're constantly gliding your fingers across the paper. Overall, it was so interesting to experience oil pastel as an art medium for painting. It is definitely something I'd put into practice. Inspiring stuff!
0 Comments
It's been nearly two and a half months since I first started painting for the NeonMob card series, and finally I finished the last leg of paintings just last night! :) I'm happy to share that I have submitted the series for NeonMob administrators' final checking and approval. Since it is on approval queue, I do hope that the administrators get to review it before the first month of 2017 ends :) (Wow, I never realized how quick January of 2017 was. Like it just flew out the window!)
I wanted to share why the experience of really doing an artwork series is point-blank a really beautiful and memorable one. When my good friend introduced me to NeonMob, (shoutout, thanks Soph!!! You the best!), I was immediately fascinated by the idea. Trading cards? Collection? Artwork Submission? Sounded good to me. Having just recently gotten back into drawing and painting, I think part of me thirsted for the challenge. I read the Creator Handbook right after I joined the NeonMob community, and was really ecstatic to start sharing my re-discovery and passion for art. The creating process of this card series started out as my personal brainchild in the making. I've always loved cottages for one--the ambiance of serenity, the simple and naturalistic lifestyle--these are only some of the reasons on why cottages are so appealing to me. Plus, it's always been a dream of mine to someday retire in a Hobbit house like in Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit, so you can pretty much guess how the concept for the card series came about. The first few months into the creative process were pretty giddy. I enjoyed researching, sketching, and watching digital painting tutorials. I learned a lot simply watching other artists' processes, as digital painting basics are pretty much the span of my knowledge. Special mention to Matt Kohr, whose Photoshop Rendering Basics taught me a new way of seeing the whole process. I love how clearly Matt is able to explain and redirect your focus towards certain topics as he is discussing them. He has a special way of instructing that directs one towards the logic and science behind the process of digital art, which makes the process all the more relatable for most beginners. I started out with this habit of sketching my ideas and posting them on Instagram and Twitter for a start. The response and encouragement/support has been overwhelming. It's been a whirlwind. The process of learning and re-learning, applying concepts and principles to the art and composition were the biggest challenges I had to face while doing the artworks. Some didn't always turn out the way I wanted them to, but perseverance and patience does wonders. I learned that it is so important to be patient and gentle with yourself, especially when committing unintentional errors, or realizing that you could have done things a different way. I also realized and appreciated the valuable support and guidance of the people I am surrounded with. I am eternally, from the bottom of my heart, grateful for the encouragement and motivation that every single one of them has given me. It's unbelievably overwhelming and inspiring to realize that there are friends and family who can love and support you all the way through. Shout out to my ever-supportive and loving parents! As well as to all my great friends, and the friends whom I have met along the journey and gave me support in countless numbers of ways. I cannot even begin to tell you how much it's meant to me. :) You know who you are!! From my inspired heart to yours, a heartfelt thank you! You guys are the best :) After completing the paintings, I immediately felt a sense of absolute relief at finishing, a bit of a hangover (Wow! I completed a whole set!) and a sense of accomplishment. Though I realize there are always points for improvement, I'm pretty happy with the overall result, and am proud to say that I've really made an effort to unite the concept through the coherence of the paintings as well as the style of digital painting that I've developed as time went along. I can undoubtedly attest to how I'm improving art-wise, though more importantly, I am a big believer in the significance of the journey. The journey, aka the totality of the experiences and the system in which you apply your knowledge and skills, is one of the most beautiful experiences you can ever go through. The journey--it just changes you. You definitely cannot change overnight, but the journey gives you a multitude of chances to start developing habits and adapting to smaller changes. In all honesty, that's what this journey meant to me. It is simply an affirmation of a beautiful truth: that I am now allowing myself to become devoted to my soul's purpose and passion. |
Nonsensical whimHi, I'm Ashley. This is my blog on journey towards discovering art and documenting my learning experiences. (Particularly Photoshop, Digital Painting, Sketchup/V-ray, Interior Design, fun tutorials I've discovered and the like). wordpress:TUMBLR:Archives
December 2018
Categories
All
|