Frustrations

Sometimes things just don't flow. I got so frustrated trying to draw Emma's nose last night that I got out the tracing paper today. Turned out I wasn't too far off but I still couldn't see it. My brain just wouldn't match what I saw with what I'd drawn.

The day before, I tried painting a bouquet of peonies. The colors of the stems, the reflections in the bottle, the intricacies of the leaves  overwhelmed me and I put down my brush and just painted something. It's not always fun, being a beginner.

At least today afternoon I had some moderate success painting a cool house I've been meaning to paint for a while. Usually the sun is at an awkward angle when I get off work which makes it difficult to draw but today was a gray day.

The side of the house on the right doesn't look quite right because its part of the roof is missing and there are a few parts like the windows and the door that I would've fleshed out more but it started drizzling again and I went home. I was happy leaving it like this to come back some other day and try again.

I'm starting a new swatch of the 12 colors I've settled on for now which I'll post once it's done. I've already discovered some really cool combinations that look totally different than what I would've expected!

This being said, I get the feeling more and more that what I really need to do is put down the brush for a while and hone my drawing skills. Perspective, proportions, seeing value, these are foundations I'm missing and it shows when I paint. I have some ideas on this that I'll mull over a little more but as soon as I make a decision, you'll be the first to know (that is if you're a subscriber to my blog)!