Alyssa's January Challenge: A Month of Anatomy Studies

As we are nearing the end of the holiday season, I am setting some goals for the upcoming new year. Not the resolution thing, but rather a challenge of sorts. Most likely, this busy time of year is why I haven't seen anyone blogging lately, and so this is a post of encouragement to all of you not to lose your focus on drawing and making art. I'd like to invite all of you to do the challenge with me.

It will take place throughout the month of January. It will be broken up into four full weeks, each week focusing on something related to the topic of the month's challenge. The first is A Month of Anatomy Studies. The first week is A Week of Hands, during which I will study hands and draw them for the duration of the week. I originally set it up for myself, so if you want you can alter the challenge to better suit your artistic needs. Each week will be dedicated to a different part of anatomy so if there are certain things you want to work on, go for it.

Not sure if I'll post my results at the end of each week, or post on a day-to-day basis. That's also up to you guys.

I hope you all are doing well!

Angry Bird?

Adam "commissioned" me to do this bird next. Since I'm sort of taking up our living room wall with these birds, he said he got to pick the next one.

Another Jay & Two More Cardinals

I'm getting a little more picky, which means I'm not being as loose as I'd like to be. Grrr... Do these even look good? Should I keep going with this idea? I'm not hitting a dead end am I?




Started with a yellow wash for this one. The first one wasn't popping enough.

Painting V

Christmas Card

An illustration for the Christmas card I'm sending out to family and what not this year. It's base off of a picture I found of my mother and me during my first Christmas.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas Season.

Across the Pond

I may be visiting schools for the opening >< but anyone who can make it should still check it out.

Another bird

Great TED Talk on Optical Illusions

http://www.ted.com/talks/beau_lotto_optical_illusions_show_how_we_see.html

This lecture is fantastic. Anyone who paints, draws, writes or plays music knows that it is not the particular notes, words, or dots of color which matter but how they exist in relation to other notes, words, or dots of color. As artist we squint, establish our darkest darks to anchor those relationships, and employ other methods to see those relationships "truthfully." If any of you are like me you take the skill for granted and can't help but squint and draw in your imagination everywhere you go, often forgetting that others see things "naturally" with all the misperceptions we do our best to avoid. This lecture goes into why we naturally perceive things inaccurately and the function and necessity behind it. It embodies everything I've learned about human experience in both art and philosophy and on top of that is really fun to watch! So enough said, I couldn't recommend this with more enthusiasm!!!!

Sketch

Guess Who? Quick sketch from today after painting. I'll post the painting tomorrow when I finish it. I wanted it to dry a little before I add the last bit.

Experimental sketches and doodles

The first started out as a bird doodle and ended up a bit more elaborated. Gotta practice trees. The second I was experimenting with line and color. The second bird got screwed up but I'm not too upset since I'm learning from all these little studies.

Still here.

View better quality version on my new website (still under construction) http://www.dbhorak.com/



One of a couple new things I'm working on for my grad school portfolio. I'm also planning on submitting this to the Spectrum books as a promotional/unpublished piece. Doubt I'll get in, but wish me luck anyways.

Night Doodles

I usually read in bed, but last night I decided to draw.





Now I feel like I'm the one taking up all the room on this blog! :)

What the heck...

Cardinal Sketch

Just using up the red left over in my palette.

Boyfriend/Elvis Commission Finished

Painting II

Painting number II.

Painting II

Not finished, but here is some progress.

First of many

Here is the first oil painting in over a year. It's a little muddy.

Link

My friend Christine told me check out this link. I really enjoyed his works so I thought I would post it here for you guys.

http://erikotto.com

Link

Miguel posted this on my wall. I thought it was very interesting.

http://underpaintings.blogspot.com/2009/03/color-palettes-sir-lawrence-alma-tadema.html

Connecticut Creative

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know about this online magazine. I had never heard of it until someone from it contacted me about doing an interview of sorts. They did a piece on Doug B. H., too, so I thought I'd promote that for him. :) Anyway, it's pretty cool. The have info on different stuff going on in CT. In my interview they asked me about the Open Sketch Book Society, which is neat because that means this blog is being recognized.

Check it out: http://www.connecticutcreative.com.

moar figure drawing

Comission I'm working on.

Still in progress. Will post the final once it's done this weekend.

asdf

I liked this a lot better when I was drawing it in a dark room, then I take it into normal room light and it's all meh.

Pin-Up Challenge

Not exactly a pin-up but it was the first thing that came to mind.

Moar art links.

http://www.williamwhitaker.com/

Art work

Here are some sites of people's works to check out:

http://www.joevelezart.com/

http://www.sophiejodoin.com/

Work in progress...

This looks nothing remotely like the rest of my stuff. Will finish this later...

asdf

Colored version coming soon...

Pin Ups

Anyone want to do a pin up challenge?

To Doug H.

>:-)

doodle during class.

Drawing of my teacher I did during my class today.

Monkey

Sketch from yesterday.

EEEEEEE

Quick doodle before a good night's sleep.

asdf

Part 2 in a series of 3.

My New Studio-mates

In the figure study I tried to force myself not to neglect the hands and feet. As for the portrait well sometimes I really want to be John Singer Sargent and this I think is my best impression yet.

Part 2

One day left to finish this...

Colour study

Colour study for a commission I'm working on. Any feedback's appreciated

An offering to the great Dennis Nolan.

If Dennis Nolan was some kind of God, offerings to him would consist of a page of ear drawings (or more depending on what you needed of him).



I had to do these for a class, I don't know if the great Dennis would approve but they're probably the best ears I've ever done. You can tell where I started because the ears are kind of flimsy and not very detailed and then where I ended.

moar figure drawing

Events

Guerilla Galleries Debut Salvo
poetry of the unwritten word: abstracts in the raw

Location:33 Open Doors
33 Washington Street, 3rd floor (at james street)
Newark, NJ

Time:6:00PM Friday, October 23rd

(Domo approved!)

Also!

Sicily Show 2009
Silpe Gallery,
200 Bloomfield Ave.
West Hartford, CT
time: 5:00 pm, October 24th

Comic Scene

Sketch from a short comic I am working on.

From today...

Mullet.

40 minute speedpaint based on some goofy dude I encountered at work.

I have not posted anything in forever. My camera broke but now it works so I think I'll start participating again.

Events

Who wants to take a road trip to Canada? There is a Waterhouse exhibition there, and here is the link to entice you:

http://www.mbam.qc.ca/waterhouse/en/index.html

The Wizard's convention in New York City from October 16th to the 18th. Doug and myself will be there on the 17th if anyone is interested.

http://www.wizardworld.com/

Also at the Joesloff gallery there will be the Enchantment exhibition. The opening reception is Friday November 6, 2009, 5:00-7:00pm.

http://joseloffgallery.wordpress.com/

1 of 3

FULL VIEW!

Part of a series... gonna try to finish 2 more before the 14th. If anyone is in the Hartford area for the 17th, the SUPERTHEIF show in New Britain is open from 7-10 where the originals will be displayed.

FIGURE DRAWING.

Both 40 minute poses from today. Will hopefully post these more often...