Doodling on and on and on...dingbats...imperfection

I've called this collection 'dingbats' - after the alternative symbols in 'WORD'. It's such a nice word that it was time to put it to good use. 
I was quite surprised that so many drawings had mounted up - I put them on my piano stand before filing them, in the the hope that I will come back to them and improve them, but seldom get round to that. Some really need more colour and during my coming vacation I plan to work more on some of the drawings, maybe even incorporating some of the gorgeous new patterns I've found in recent weeks. Some are by Helen Williams, who publishes the most elegant videos and most elegant and graceful doodles of all those I have as yet come across, and if I call them doodles rather than 'zentangle'  it's because her work transcends the sometimes humbrum efforts in the zentangle world. I do not claim that my drawings are NOT humdrum, but I do claim that they are DOODLES (and not zentangle). they are sometimes worked on a (blind) string, sometimes entirely freehand. I am hoping to do some DIN A4 drawing during my vacation (starting tomorrow - yippee) and some of the results are to be monodoodles i.e. only one pattern is used, or duodoodles in which 2 patterns are used. I'm inventing those words, but not patenting them! May aim is also to leave more empty spaces! I tend to overwork my drawings, as I often do with paintings. I think it's the futile search for perfection!

NB: March 18, 2018 - If you are working backwards you will have seen some of these images.



armadillo

ongoing colouring








ribbons

unfinished colouring

flutter-by

repeat from the previous post - my favourite drawing of this collection








the newest drawing
Unfortunately the light was uneven, but I didn't realize that until I looked at the photo images on screen. The drawings are all 30x40cm. I can't make up my mind which style I prefer, though I enjoy most the ones just done with lines, but I enjoy looking for new patterns and trying them out, so this collection is a mixture. Some are coloured or partly coloured. Some need colour, so I should go back to them and work on them. But I love starting new drawings, so I usually reach for blank paper when I sit down to draw.

Below, I include a few paintings of magnolias. All painting really starts as a form of doodling. Sometimes the background is created first, especially in floral paintings, but there is no set rule. It's just that creating a background is sometimes more convenient, especially in acrylics. With oils there is a tendency to work on the focussed feature(s) first, but I can't say there's a rule about that, either. Acrylics are easier to do from the point of view of speed and flexibility. You can change anything in oils, but the process takes much longer because of the drying time. I find oils easier. When I choose acrylics, I'm often sorry, but it's impossible to complete a painting fast in oils, and if you need to be finished within a specified time, it's better to stick to acrylics. This medium has now gained respectability in the art world after scientists have worked for decades perfecting it.


magnolia (acrylics 50x70cm)
I hasten to say that I found the photographic model for this painting on the internet - the photo has been in my collection for years and I've no idea where it came from. However, I make no apologies for using it in a fairly large painting because the painting will not be sold or even exhibited commercially. I made it for a friend who is getting married and the idea was really just to get my hand in after quite a long break from painting. I changed the colour scheme because I wanted to avoid reds and pinks. But the finished painting is nice, so I'll give it to the friend if she likes it.
It isn't my first attempt at magnolias. the one below is.

magnolia sketch in a blue vase (oils - about 18x25cm)

magnolias (oils about 60x140cm)

monochrome magnolia (acrylics about 40x40cm)
The large brownish painting above was a commission and created from 2 old photos of etchings provided. I added the butterflies and the whole colouring was to match her furnishings!0
The small red monochrome was coloured normally, but I didn't like it so I put a layer of transparent red over it. The first painting was really only a sketch for a larger one, but I didn't get round to it!

Here's another brownish painting,  a study done in acrylics to practice for the big painting shown above. I later changed the design to the one shown above, but I'm no longer sure that was a wise decision!

magnolias sketch 100x50cm





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