How To Make 12 Artist Trading Cards with Neurographic Art

How To Make 12 Artist Trading Cards with Neurographic Art

by | Art for Self-care

Read more about the neurographic art inventor psychologist Pavel Piskarev 

 

Introduction

In this post, I’m going to share with you how I made these neurographic art Artist Trading Cards (ATC’s) which are super fun and quick to do.

I like working with artworks that are as small as Artist Trading Cards because the whole project is not as daunting as sitting down with a massive blank page in front of you.

When you are learning a new technique it’s sometimes easier to just do micro versions of what your big picture will be one day.

In this way you can hone your skills on small artworks to start with and build up from there.

 

Artist Trading Cards

Artist trading cards are small artworks which are 2 ½” x 3 ½” or around 62 mm x 90 mm.

They are basically the same size as a regular playing card.

Briefly, artist trading cards is a technique for every artist, such as you or me, to create the type of artwork that we do on very small cards.

When complete, these ATC’s can then be traded, swapped or given away, never sold, to other people.

  

Read more >>> Artist Trading Cards: Getting Started

 

Artist Business Cards

The idea is that one day when I’m a super duper artist and attempting to get my artwork in galleries or something like that. I will design some Artist Trading Cards which show the type of work that I’m offering.

Artist Trading Cars showcase your art style in a micro way. They are like business cards or old fashioned calling cards for artists. I don’t want to talk too much about developing your art style here.

As you may know, I really am a fledgeling artist. I do art because I like it. It makes me feel good, but I am exploring many different ways of expressing my art on this creative journey.

Neurographic Art

Neurographic art is it is an art technique that helps you clear your mind.

It can be meditative and it can bring focus to situations.

You could pay attention to one particular question such as, “should I leave my job or should I move country” all of the big decisions you have to make and things that are worrying you.

The idea is that as you are working through these art pieces, you are thinking about the actual issue which then goes into the art.

The idea being that at the end, you find some peace, if not a solution, to the question that you posed.

  

Explore more >>>  Neurographic art techniques

Supplies

The main supplies I used for this artwork are:

  • Watercolour paper.
  • Sharpie pen and I have one of these retractable ones plus one of my daughters used to work at Starbucks and they introduced us to the Sharpie that a retractable with your super for artists because you don’t have to keep https://amzn.to/3wjtqiIputting the lid back on and off it’s much quicker to work with.
  • I’m also using a 2H pencil just to throw the outlines of some circles
  • A circle template which I’m use to draw the circles on the cards
  • I also have an ellipse template that I’m using to draw the ellipse cards as well which will save it later on so
  • I’m use the Sakura Koi watercolor paints which are pretty straightforward.
  • Scissors or a paper cutter.
  • Black marker pen.
  • Gold gel pen.
  • I have two round paintbrushes. One is just for the plain water so I’m keeping that clear because I’m going to be doing wet on wet. I use the second paintbrush for the individual paint colors.

You Have What You Need

Don’t feel that you have to have all of this equipment and if you don’t you can’t do it. Use the supplies that you have to hand. You are an artist that’s why you are here. Get your stuff out and let’s get started.

Step 1: Paper

So the first step is to cut your paper to the right size.

Because I’m using watercolour paints I’m actually using watercolour paper here and I’m using a paper cutter, but you can use scissors.

You want to cut your papers to be 2 ½” x 3 ½” or 62 mm x 90.

Example

For this example, we’re going to be doing three artist trading cards so you need to cut at least three papers.

They have to be the right size although very often artist trading cards are made in series of 12 and because you’re really going to be signing them on the back later on as we will see.

Step 2: Design

Circles

For this design I’ll be using my circle template and my 2H pencil to lightly draw different size circles onto each of the three papers.

On the first paper I will draw one circle, on the second paper I will draw two circles of different sizes and on the third paper I will draw three circles each with a different size and two circles overlap for interest.

I take my black sharpie pen and go over the circles.

It doesn’t have to be exact near enough really is good enough for this art.

Complete the whole dozen with four with one circle, four with two circles and the final four with three circles.

Neurographic Lines

Now we’re going to be drawing some Neurographic lines onto these pages. Put the pen in your non-dominant hand and by that I mean if you’re right handed use your left hand and if you’re left-handed use your right hand.

Hold the pen lightly and draw a line from one side to the other trying to make it wiggle, although you could do curves if you wish. It is important that you go from one edge of the page to the other and ideally you’re going to try and touch one of the circles as you go through an end on another edge. That’s your first line.

Now we’re going to draw the second line. Choose another side of the page that you have not drawn from and draw another neurographic line across the page and exit on a different side. At this point you’re going to draw your third neurographic line and again you want to come from a side that you may not have used, so you were going out from one side maybe connecting.

Choose to pass through one or two of your circles and then end at the other side. What you have now is a circle with one, two or three circles on your page and three neorugraphic lines.

   

Explore more >>> Beautiful Quotes with Neurographic Art

Explore more >>> Neurographic Art Basics

Smooth Connections

The next step is to curve out every intersection or connection on the page. Take your pen and gently describe curves at all the harsh intersection so there are no hard intersections.

Soften each of the curves this tends to create blob shapes on the page. Take your time. This is the meditative part of it as well. Continue slowly and smooth out all your connections.

At this point you can make some of your lines a little thicker if you want to as you join them in from the connections. You may find that because there are multiple connections which converge at one point that you have quite a big blob of black which creates these large connections as well which is great.

Composition

Take a look at your three artwork so far and see if you’re happy with the composition. Do any tweaking if you feel you need to. Let your instincts be your guide.

First Color: Green

I have a the light green mixed. Using my water only paintbrush I’m going to lay some water into one of the shapes on the artwork because we are working on one of the blobs at a time.

I put a little bit of water into that one block, but not too much water, because I haven’t actually stretch the paper because it is such a small artwork. Using my color brush, I dab in some of the paint. Take your time. 

Then choose a second space to add more water and paint with the same green. Next I will choose a third blob space on the artwork, add water add add color.

   

Space it out

It is important to note that I’m not working on two blocks which are adjacent. I am specifically placing each color in three different areas on this artwork. I’ll put that aside now to let the first card dry thoroughly and move onto my second artist trading card. Again using the same green I’m going to come in and colour in three of the blobs. Continue onto all your cards painting in three areas of green.

Second Color: Blue/Grey

For my second color I’ve mixed up some Prussian blue with a dab of Payne’s grey. I mix these two colors on my palette and I’m ready to go again.

With the art completely dry, or moving to an area that is not adjacent to a wet one, I lay water down into one of the spaces and add my blue grey paint.

I will do a second section of blue paint using another area within the drawing. Finally, I will move onto a third area with the blue grey. Continue on all of the artworks so they’ve all got the blue in three areas on them.

Third Color: Olive

For the third color I take olive green and I mix it in with a little permanent yellow deep which I mix on my third palette. Once again, I come in with my water brush and then add color to three sections on each of my three artist trading cards. By now you’ve got a lot of the artwork colored in.  At this point I like to step back a little bit and see how much of the white paper is left.

Gold

I decided to add some gold at this point as I only had a few empty spaces left. This is a gold water color paint I’m using the van Gogh ancient gold and I do want to mix the paint thoroughly with water before I use it. I dabbed some of the gold directly onto the paper, without adding water to the page first, just to add some shimmer into some of the areas.

Embellishments

I allowed all the artworks to dry thoroughly. Now it is time to consider putting on some embellishments. Embellishments are often used in your neurographic art such as flowers, words or lines to add a bit of interest to the artwork.

I choose to add some gold dots into the areas where my black connectors were quite large particularily where I had many intersections coming together at a hub.

I put three gold dots. You could at this point add some gold if you wanted or some extra blue if you desired to make some other embellishments on your artworks in the same colours that you used. The trick is to use a little bit of restraint because it can get overwhelming if you don’t know when to stop.

Flatten the Paper

Because I didn’t stretch the paper beforehand, and as I’m using watercolor paint, the paper has buckled and crinkled. One way to make a paper lie flat again is to place it, when dry, under some heavy books overnight. The pages will come out flat-ish which is good enough for me.

Artist Trading Cards: Add the Info on the Back

As these are Artist Trading Cards, and you are probably going to be handing them out to people, there is specific information to add onto the back.

Using a black fineliner write the following information:

  • Series name
  • Series number
  • Your name
  • Date
  • Email or website

I used a 0.3 mm Faber Castell Artist Pitt Pen to write my information as follows:

 

Series: Winter Circles

Number: 1 of 12

Alison Hazel Art

January 2022

AlisonHazelArt.com

 

I also drew a thin line border around the cards.

Series Name

I’m calling this series Winter Circles mainly because I did it in the winter and it’s got circles however you may call your art series anything you like.

You could have called it Happiness Meditation or Friendship Cards or something like that. Your choice of series name goes back to the intention which you may have stated at the very beginning.

Numbering the Series

Typically, a series of Artist Trading Cards has twelve cards within a series and they are all similar and often made on the same day.

Each one of the 12 cards in a series will have a unique number.

The first card will be number 1 of 12, 2 of 12, 3 of 12 and so on until 12 of 12.

When you trade these cards with other people and give them number seven of 12 or number nine of 12, the recipient will know from your numbering system that it is from a limited edition Artist Trading Card series.

Date

I date the cards with the month and year in which they were created.

Contact Info

I always put my website URL on the cards, so in the future anyone can look at other artwork that I do and get to know me as an artist from there. I believe that you never know what your art hobby will blossom into. It is prudent to provide all your information on every artwork that you create, trade, distribute or sell.

Give Away to Family First

I will be keeping one Artist Trading Card for myself. I will send one of my Winter Circles Artist Trading Cards to each of my three daughters in the mail in the next letter which I write to them.

List Giveaway

I will send one of the remaining eight cards to the first eight people on my mailing list who respond to my email with the words, “Winter Circles Giveaway”.

This is a first come first served basis. You do need to be on my mailing list to receive it. You will have to provide your postal address as well. Good Luck.

If you are reading this way after the event then I’m sorry you were too late. To make sure not to miss out on art giveaways again, join my maillist here.

Aspiring Artist Activity

If you are an aspiring artist, please do the following:

  • Design 12 cards.
  • With a black pen draw some circles and a few neurographic lines.
  • Paint or crayon the cards in a color palette of your choice.
  • Add embellishments as you like.
  • Choose a suitable series name and add the series and contact info on the back.
  • Post images.

Share

Share your artworks on social with the hashtag #AHAactivity

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Neurographic Art – Basics

Neurographic Art – Basics

by | Art for Self-care

Author: Alison Hazel   –   Published: December 2021   –   Revised: January 2024

Read more about the neurographic art inventor psychologist Pavel Piskarev.

    

Thought, Word and Deed

Everything you do in life comes from the thoughts you have, the words you say and the deeds you do. There is a direct process from one step to the next. You cannot do something (such as make art) before you have thought about it. The practical decisions you need to make before you can create some art are to find a pen and get some paper. What you will draw is the magic that come through a neurographic art practice.

 

Benefits

The benefits of neurographic art are subtle, but many. Through creating a neurographic art practice you can:

 

  • Relieve anxiety.
  • Find peace.
  • Reduce stress.
  • Calm your mind.
  • Gain clarity.
  • Get things in perspective.
  • Help yourself.
  • Help others.
  • Use images to express your inner feelings.
  • Allow abstract thoughts to pop into your head.
  • Make fabulous art for your wall.

Principles

When you draw and make art, your hand holds the pen and your brain moves your hand. Thus, there is a direct connection between your hand and your thoughts.

Intuition

Neurographic art can be related to an intuitive scribble. A scribble has no form and just appears on the page. An intuitive scribble is brought forth when you focus on a problem or a decision you wish to address. Energy flows around you, through your body and in your brain. When energy is blocked it usually happens at a harsh wall or obstacle that you cannot overcome.

Read more >>> Neurographic Art Coloring Book

Three Methods of Neurographic Art

There are three main types of neurographic art, specific, popular and combination. There may be others as subsets of the above, but most artists will work in one of the three methods whether knowingly or not.

1. Specific Neurographic Artwork Method

To be specific when you create neurographic art you need to use the special neurographic line (see below). The neurographic line will tap directly into your mind and help you build new neural pathways in your brain.

 

Neurographic Line

The neurographic line is the best line to use for deep meditation, self-awareness and for anyone on a consciousness raising journey.

 

2. Popular Neurographic Artwork Method

The popular neurographic art method is to simply draw curves and swoops on the page, or even straight lines and shapes, in the artwork. Then you curve the intersections and you may add shapes and color.

This type of artwork is fun and good to start with. It is not strictly neurographic art as it may not carry the full mental health benefits of using the neurographic line. Additionally, you may add dots, flowers, stars or other exciting embellishments to yourr art piece.

The popular neurographic art method is suitable for kids and is often used in schools.

 

3. Combination Neurographic Artwork Method

Combination neurographic artworks employ smooth lines, neurographic lines, loose shapes and embellishments all mixed in together. This is where most people are at ease with neurographic art for their drawings.

The combination neurographic art technique can bring light meditation properties to the process and create a meaningful artwork as well. Even a small piece of the neurographic line will be of benefit in the combination art method.

Mindfulness

Be mindful of what you are trying to achieve.

Do you want:

 

  • Therapeutic mental health strengthening.
  • Casual feel-good art.
  • To have fun exploring a new and trendy art movement.

Read more >>> Make 12 Neurographic Artist Trading Cards

The Neurographic Line

Not all lines are created equal and the neurographic line is no different.

What Is a Neurographic Line?

  • A neurographic line does not repeat.
  • A neurographic line changes direction as soon as you are aware of its route.
  • A neurographic line does not end in the middle of the page, it either flows to the edge of the page or it blends into other lines or shapes like circles.

 

 

What is Not a Neurographic Line?

Let’s consider what does not constitute a neurographic line. A neurographic line is not:

 

  • A straight line.
  • A smooth, wavy or curved line.
  • A smooth shape like a circle.

3 Ways Neurographic Art May Benefit You

Let’s have a look at three ways that creating neurographic art can benefit you. Of course there will be many other ways as well, but these first three are the easiest ones to start with.

1. To Make Intentions

To make an intention with your neurographic art is to bring a focus to a situation challenge or issue that you are facing.

You would do this before you start the artwork.

For example, perhaps you are trying to decide whether you should quit your job and take a new position which has been offered to you and you’re not exactly sure what to do.

You can consider the pay increase, adjusted hours, a better commute or how it may improve your actual career prospects.

You also want to ponder over the action that you’re going to take on an inner level which you could certainly do with neurographic art.

How to Create Intentional Neurographic Art

Take a sheet of paper on which you’re going to make the artwork. On the back write one or two words that you need to focus on which clearly explain the dilemma you are facing.

In the example of, “should I take the new job?” you would simply write the two words “new job” on the back of the sheet. This intentional writing of the words is to focus your mind as you create the artwork. You are intentionally creating an artpiece that will help you decide whether or not to take a new job offer.

The idea is not to have a simple yes or no answer at the end, but during the course of creating the artwork (which would probably take you at least one or two or five or six hours) you will focus your mind on all of the options and permutations which taking the new job would entail.

Ideally at the end of the artwork you will have a clearer understanding of whether to take the new job and how you feel about it.

Read more >>> Neurographic Art Quotes

2. Neurographic Line

Neurographic Line in Neurographic Art

Using the Neurographic line when you create neurographic art. As you may know not all neurographic art uses the neurographic line.

The neurographic line is a specific line:

  • It does not repeat.
  • It is not a straight line.
  • It does not curve smoothly.
  • It generally wiggles along.

The idea is that as you draw this line, as soon as you become conscious of the direction in which you are going, you have to change direction.

Non-dominant Hand

One great tip when drawing a neurographic line is to use your non-dominant hand. That means that if you are right-handed, you would put the pen in your left hand and if you are left-handed you will hold the pen in your right hand.

Crossing the Center Line

By crossing the centerline of your body and putting the pen in the opposite hand you are forcing your mind to see these paths differently than it would through the automatic way that you naturally go if you are perhaps right-handed.

Signature: Sign Here

You can clearly see the benefit of working with your nondominant hand when you come to writing your signature. If you are naturally right handed, as you write your signature John Smith after years of practice you just automatically swish out all the letters and dash of your signature. It is very often not very clear to see, but because you have been writing it for so many years, your brain will automatically sign your name without thinking and you do it with your dominant hand.

However, if you put the pen in your non-dominant hand and you try to sign your signature suddenly your brain has to actually work. This means that you naturally tap into a new neural pathway as you think about what you are doing. It does not come naturally to you because you haven’t worn a pathway in your mind, so it’s something new for your mind to grapple with. You create new connections as you learn how to sign your name with your non-dominant hand.

3. Smooth Connections

Curves

Once you have the main lines down on your page, whether they be circles shapes, swoops, or the neurographic line, you are now at the point of smoothing out the connections.

How to Curve Your Connections

To smooth connections you take your black pen and draw curves where every line intersects another line. Generally, there will be four curves at each intersection.

How to Curve Intersections: Neurographic Art

One of the main principles of doing basic neurographic art is curving the intersections. The intersections occur where two lines cross or where a line crosses a shape such as a circle, an oval, or another shape.

Where two lines intersect there will be four curves required at that intersection. I’m going to share with you best principles for curving your intersections in neurographic art.

Intersection Meaning

As a reminder where two lines intersect in neurographic art, and you curve the intersections, these are the points where the new neural pathways are being built in your brain. This means is that this is an opportunity for new thoughts ideas and inspiration to come to you.

Pathways

It is a bit like tramping out a path in the woods. To start with you must hack through the undergrowth to create a new pathway. After you’ve been doing that for a week you can see a vague footprint footpath through the bush.

The more you walk the same path and use the same ideas the stronger the pathway will become and overtime it will widen. Eventually pathways which are used frequently will become well entrenched in your thought patterns.

The idea is that to branch out and create a new pathway means going in a different direction and make new connections. These lines and intersections in neurographic artwork are symbolic of new thought patterns, ideas and ways of thinking in your mind.

Plasticity

This leads to brain plasticity and a growth mindset.

Line Thickness

When creating neurographic art one must consider the thickness of the line you are drawing. If you use a very thin line, you will have smaller intersections and if you use a thicker line, you will have bigger intersections.

Circle Template

To understand how to curve connections in neurographic art you would technically use a circle template. This is not necessary, but to understand the principles of where the curves are coming from it may be a great guide.

You can eyeball the curves you need in your neurographic art and depending on the thickness of your line will depend on how large your circle diameter will be.

All intersections that are on the same drawing would technically have the same radius curve at their intersections. If your main lines are too thin, or your intersections are too big, the artwork looks a little unbalanced. If your lines are very thick and your intersections are very small, again the artwork looks unbalanced.

It is better to find a happy medium between the thickness of the lines on your drawing and the curves you make at your intersections. There are no hard and fast rules for this. With practice you will find your own individual art style when working with neurographic art.

art-supplies-on-a-desk

Read more >>> My Art Supplies

Basic Shape

In a basic two-line intersection, the lines will cross horizontally and vertically. The lines will be at 90° to each other. To curve the intersection, you would take your template and with a large radius describe the curves on each corner. Use the same size circle to create the curve for each connection.

Angled Connection

Where two lines intersect and are at sharp angles, your connection looks slightly different. Still use the exact same circle template with the same radius and draw out the four curves. This means that on the very wide, or oblique, angles the curve will be shallow and low. On the very narrow, or acute, angles, the curves will be deep and high.

Curved Intersections

When two lines that intersect are curved, there may be a variety of widths to the main connection. Take the circle template with the exact same curve and the same radius and draw in smoothly the curve on each of the four sides of this connection. This may result in a larger connection area that is all in black.

Multiple Intersection Hubs

If your drawing has multiple intersections, where more than two lines are coming together in the very small area, it will result in a far larger connection hub overall. There will be more than four radii being described out to smooth the connections, but it does depend on the artwork.

This is a very interesting situation as it allows a very large hub or node to appear in the drawing. This more defined intersection will become a higher focus for thoughts and ideas in the artwork. In the example below note that the inner triangle has been fully engulfed into the node. This increases the magnitude and focus of this connection.

Focus

To draw multiple connections on an artwork can be laborious. This is the moment where you have to take your time with your artwork as you bring focus to what it is you are doing.

The activity of drawing small curves soft curves onto the page is very meditative. Now you can consider the intention you wrote from step one and think about it as you, almost mindlessly. draw in all the curves on your artwork.

All Artworks

No matter what type of neurographic art you are doing whether it is simple basic or combined there will be connections to be smoothed. This is a very satisfying part of the art creation process and it is not to be taken lightly. As you are drawing each curve consider the question, issue or what you wrote on the back of your page. At this point you can let your mind wander to provide you with other ideas that you may not of thought about regarding your situation.

Explore more >>> Neurographic Art Coloring Book

Yes or No Answer? Probably Not

Again, you are not necessarily looking for a yes or no answer. What you are trying to do is to open your mind to further possibilities or other ways that this situation could be addressed.

Aspiring Artist Activity

Make a piece of art and bring all three techniques that benefit using neurographic art to the work. Get a piece of paper which you will be working on and some pens, paints or other art supplies and please do the following:

Intent

  • Write your intention on the back of the page this could be one, two or three words to bring focus to what you are trying to resolve.
  • Start your artwork with a black pen at this point you can do circles if you wish, but bring in neurographic lines and not only straightforward lines.

Connect

  • Curve all the connections and consciously focus on your intention. Take your time and let your mind wander.

Embellish

  • Continue adding colour and embellishments as you see fit to make a beautiful artwork of which you are proud.

Take Notes

When you have finished your artwork put it aside and make a note of ideas that popped into your head while you were crafting this artwork. 

Share on Social

Share your artwork with us under the hashtag #AlisonHazelArt

Alison Hazel

Author Bio

Alison Hazel is a woman who shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Read more about Alison’s story.

Send Alison a quick message.

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Author: Alison Hazel   –   Published: January 2022   –   Revised: January 2024

The Artist’s Color Wheel 

The artist’s color wheel is a handy chart or artwork that you can create to help you make sense of color. The artist’s color wheel has three distinct rings, the center ring, the middle ring and the outer ring. 

There are different intensities of color in the different rings in the color wheel with the main color being in the middle ring. To show the primary, secondary and tertiary colors you need twelve segments.

SMIKE

Note: The Artist’s color wheel is different to the printer’s (or process) color wheel which used CMYK  (pronounced “smike”) cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and black (K).

Art Supplies I Used 

To make my artist’s color wheel I used the following supplies:

Paper

I used one sheet from my Strathmore cold press watercolor pad.

Paintbrush

My paintbrush is quite old, but here is a similar one number 6 medium watercolor brush.

Paint

If you want to create this exact colour wheel shown here, I made it using my Sakura Koi watercolour paints which have specific color names for the colours. Your paints might have different names for each of the colours. If your paintbox has less colors, you will have to mix more colors to make the secondary and tertiary colors. If your paintbox has more colors, you may be able to take the colors you need straight from the pan.

Pen

I used a permanent Faber Castell 0.3mm Artist Pitt pen in black.

Other Equipment

Staedtler compass with pencil.

Staedtler 360-degree protractor.

4H pencil.

Ruler.

Eraser.

Paint Swatches

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I use the paint swatch as a guide, because you can’t always see what the colors will be like on the page when they are in the little pans.

Read more >>> Weird Gourds – Colored Ink Art

Read more >>> Crystal Ink Swatch

Color Categories

3 Primary Colors

Red, yellow and blue are the three primary colors. The primary colors are shown in the center ring of the color wheel. Each of the three primary colours are placed to form a triangle with three segment gaps in between.

In general, the three primary colors cannot be created by mixing other colors.

Red

From my paint box for red I used “Alizarin crimson.”

Blue

For blue I used “ultramarine” and

Yellow

For yellow I chose “permanent yellow deep.”

 

3 Secondary Colors

Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors together. Paint the secondary colors between the primary colors by leaving one gap between each primary. 

Violet

Violet is created by combining red and blue and from my paint box I used the color called “purple” (yes, I know). 

Orange

Orange is created by merging red and yellow and from my paintbox I used the color called “permanent orange.” 

Green

Green is created by mixing yellow and blue and from my paintbox I used a color called “yellow green.”

 

6 Tertiary Colors

There are six tertiary colors all of which are nestled between one primary color and one secondary color. Some of these colors I took straight out of the pans in my paintbox and a few I mixed. It depends on how many colors you have in your paintbox whether you can use the color immediately or if you must mix it. 

Vermillion

Vermillion (tangerine) is the tertiary color that lies between red and orange.

Apricot

Aureoline (apricot) is the tertiary color that lies between orange and yellow.

Chartreuse

Chartreuse (lime green) is the tertiary color that lives between yellow and green.

Turquoise

Turquoise is the tertiary color that is between green and blue and from my paintbox I used “cerulean blue.”

Indigo

Indigo is the tertiary color that lies between blue and violet and from my paintbox I mixed ultramarine and purple.

Magenta

Magenta is the tertiary color that lies between violet and red and from my paintbox I mixed cadmium red and purple.

 

Color Names

The color names I have used here to describe the colors in teh color wheel can be replaced by other color names close to the actual color if you like. I like to keep it simple and use names for colors that make sense to me. Also it helps if they are in the Apple color crayon box.

I have told you the color names in my paintbox and you may have colors similar but with different names in yoru paint box. Manufacturers can be different reagarding color names.

Read more >>> Colored Pencils: Orchids Sketchbook

Light and Dark

Tints: Outer Ring

Tints are made by combining white with any color. The tints for the primary, secondary and tertiary colors are shown on the outer ring where the colors are becoming progressively lighter.

Technically, and because this is watercolor paint, I just watered down the main color from the middle ring to make a lighter color. I did not add white, as that comes from the paper.

Shades: Inner Ring

Shades are made by adding black to any color. The darker shades are shown in the center ring on this artist’s color wheel. All shades become increasingly darker as black is added.

The shades are displayed as each main inner ring color has a tiny bit of black added to darken and dull down, or mute, the color.

The black I use from my paintbox was called “ivory black.”

Full Blown Color Chart

Ideas for a Bigger Color Wheel

You could create a color wheel with 24 or 48 segments and add all the combinations of color. That I may do one day, but for now I’ll stick to the twelve spoke color wheel that I created. I did enjoy making this color wheel as it helps me to choose colors that I want to use in future paintings.

Aspiring Artist Activity: Color Wheel

What To Do

With a piece of watercolor paper and some watercolor paints please do the following:

  • With a pencil compass, draw three concentric circles with the following radii (distance), 3cm, 5.5cm and 9cm (or 1 inch, 2 ¼ inch and 3 ½ inch).
  • With a circular protractor, divide the wheel into twelve 30-degree segments.
  • With a 0.3mm black waterproof pen, go over the lines.
  • Paint the middle circle with the solid colors, the inner circle with shades (add a little black) and the outer circle with lighter tints thinned with water.
  • If possible, write the name of each color around the wheel as shown.

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Share your creations with the hashtag #alisonhazelartactivity

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Alison Hazel

Author Bio

Alison Hazel is a woman who shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Read more about Alison’s story.

Send Alison a quick message.

How to Draw Turtles and Tortoises

How to Draw Turtles and Tortoises

by | Aspiring Artist

Introduction

This easy artwork is for anyone who wants to draw turtles and tortoises.

Turtles and tortoises look similar as they have a shell, both are cold-blooded reptiles.

A turtle can swim and lives mainly in water but can walk on land. A turtle breathes air and takes a huge gulp and holds its breath before diving down into its pond’s depths.

A tortoise lives on land.

Both turtles and tortoises lay their eggs on land.

Daily Art Practice

This is part of a basic shapes set of posts I am creating to help you get creative and build your daily art and drawing practice.

These simple drawings can be done with your kids.

Basic Shapes

Basic shapes are determined by the number of lines taken to make them such as circles, eggs or ovals which take one line, a triangle that takes three lines and a square that takes four lines.

The basic shapes are dots, lines, circles, ovals, eggs, semi-circle, vesica Pisces, triangles, squares, rectangles, pentagrams, hexagrams, and other polygons.

For the turtles and tortoises, we will use a basic two-line semi-circle shape.

Art Supplies

Markers

For this artwork I used Tombow markers, but you can use what you have at hand.

I wanted to have a grey tinge to the greens and avoided harsh emerald greens which are far too bright.

The three shades of green I chose were numbers 098, 133 and 126 from Tombow dual brush pens.

Pens

For the reptile details, I used two pens, Pigma Micron 0.1mm black pen and a Faber Castell 0.5mm Pitt Artist pen in black.

Paper

I chose marker paper from Strathmore, but you can use what you have at hand.

Do not feel that you need the exact art supplies which I employed to make this artwork, and this stops you.

Always use the art supplies that you have available right now in your home.

Note: For a full list of the art supplies I use please go here.

Drawing Composition

To create depth in your artwork, place the larger shapes in the bottom third, the medium figures in the middle third and the far profiles on the top third of the page.

If your tortoises are all the same size and the same shape, the final result could be dreary.

Alternatively, if you have a variety of sizes (with the same semi-circle shape), it adds interest to your composition.

Step One: Light Green

With the lightest green, draw a semi-circle shape in the middle of the page, make the base about 25mm, or one inch, long.

Draw a slightly smaller semi-circle higher and to the right.

Draw a still smaller semi-circle towards the top left.

Step Two: Mid Green

Now choose the mid green and draw three semicircles with the large one at the bottom, the medium one in the middle and the smaller one towards the top.

Step Three: Dark Green

Select the dark green and draw three semicircles with the larger shape towards the bottom, the medium one somewhere in the middle and the smaller one more towards the top.

Now you have nine semicircles on your page.

Tips

At this point you could add one or two more semi-circles if you like. However, try to keep the overall theme to an odd number of shapes as this practice results in a more pleasing composition.

You can also overlay one or two shapes to add interest.

Step Four: Head, Limbs and Tail

With a color not the same as the shell, draw in a head that swoops up from the shell.

Draw the head and neck one piece with the head slightly rounder than the neck.

Then draw the front legs and the back legs slightly bent with the knees and elbows pointing forwards.

Now add a little tail straight horizontally from under the back of the shell that tapers at the end.

Step Five: Details

With the thin 0.1mm black pen draw the eyes as a dot.

Draw the lines on the shell in a hexagon pattern as shown.

How to Use This Art

  • Pictures.
  • Stickers.
  • Greeting cards.
  • Sketchbook doodles.

Aspiring Artist Activity: Turtles and Tortoises by the Pond

On a fresh piece of paper please do the following:

Background

  • Draw a wavy line to suggest the edge of a pond across the page two thirds of the way down.
  • With a dark green, draw some reeds in three clusters growing out of the pond at the water’s edge.
  • Lightly shade the water grey/blue (not too heavy now).

Add Wildlife

  • Draw three or four turtles in the water.
  • Draw three or four tortoises on the bank.
  • Add a ninth reptile, perhaps a turtle to balance the drawing and add interest with the odd number of animals. Choose to have this turtle climbing out of the water or right on the water’s edge.
  • Add any final details as you see fit. I like to add a little gold gel pen here and there.
  • Sign and date (month and year) your artwork in the lower right-hand corner of the sheet of paper discreetly with one of the markers or pens used. Never use a different pen to sign your artwork, always use one of the mediums used in the artwork.

 

Building Bridges in Art – Graphite Sketches – Aspiring Artist

Building Bridges in Art – Graphite Sketches – Aspiring Artist

by | Aspiring Artist

Building Bridges

Bridges join two places together they bridge the gap between one side and another.

To cross a bridge is an important movement as we go from the known to the unknown.

It is easy to stay on your shore and not travel across a bridge both physically and intellectually.

You can reach out to new people and situations by building bridges, so you can grow in life in your mind and body and soul.

To try something new is a given in the act of building bridges.

During the design phase, an engineer will work out exactly what is required to build a particular bridge.

Each bridge requires a different blueprint.

 

Bridges in Your Art Journey

Find places in your art life where you can build a bridge to close a gap, chasms or abyss.

Do you stand on one side to watch and wonder about what happens on the other side?

Maybe you plan to do oil painting one day, I know I do.

Let’s see what that looks like.

Steps to Build an Art Bridge

First, I consider what things have to be in place for me to welcome oil painting into my life

For example, I will:

  • Require an oil painting class to show me the ropes.
  • Have to purchase oil paints and brushes.
  • Acquire new canvases.
  • Perhaps have to get, and store, some linseed oil and turpentine.
  • Need time as it take days to make a painting, because oil paints take so long to dry.

 

Beneficial Effects of Building a Bridge to Oil Paints

I’ll probably end up with quite a smelly studio so I’m going to make have to make sure that the windows and air-conditioning offer adequate ventilation.

The mess of oil painting the cost of the paints (and to be honest this is probably the most biggest blockage I have) two beginning with oil paints.

Questions I Ask Myself

Will the investment into all the equipment I will need for oil painting worth the result?

What if I’m no good at oil painting?

Should I concentrate on watercolors?

Who says I can even paint?

How I Built a Bridge to Art

I practice daily art.

I’ve even written about my current daily practice, and you can read more about that.

But the actual act of maintaining a daily art practice, is how I plan to prepare to build a bridge to further explorations of art, such as starting with oil paints.

I have never done oil paints, however I did one painting in acrylics and realized I wasn’t very keen on that medium which is why I chose with watercolor.

In the meantime, I still love pencil sketches and I have some of bridges near me that I want to share with you.

First Bridge over Niagara Falls

Let’s have a look at how bridges are actually built because they don’t just happen overnight.

This is the story of how the first bridge was built across the Niagara Falls valley between the USA and Canada.

Back in the day, a youth named Homan Walsh flew his kite, with a string attached, from the one side across the gorge to the other side where another person was waiting.

With the very first twine, they were then able to pull a lightweight rope over across the gap.

Next, they heaved heavier ropes which were ultimately made into a pedestrian bridge, and it began to be a substantial crossing point.

From that point on, they were able to heave wood and planks and eventually build the first wooden bridge that crossed Niagara Falls.

The point of this is that bridges are not just built overnight.

Bridges in Your Art Life

If you want to extend yourself by reaching over to an area of your life that is perhaps a little unknown, or of which you are unsure, it will take time.

You will be tentative to start with such as the kid with the string on his kite.

The first step for you to build a bridge in your life, to expand your artistic ability into whatever medium it is that you are considering going into, is to just begin.

For myself, I did take an art class in painting mediums which I had never used before.

At the art class, I used the studio’s art supplies and their products and was able to decide whether or not a particular technique was for me.

Such as with the acrylic paint, I didn’t like the way it moved and quivered, but I enjoyed the watercolor paint and the way the color pooled and puddled and how I could manipulate the colour with my brush.

That was what attracted me to do watercolor paintings to start with.

One day I may build a bridge to oil painting, but I don’t think it will be this year.

Graphite Sketching

When I began my art practice last year, I started with a pencil although I’ve subsequently realized the artists don’t talk about pencil drawings they talk about graphite

Graphite is actually what is inside the pencil.

As a child I was brought up believing that the grey stuff that was inside a pencil was lead and certainly it may have been many years ago, but these days it’s a substance called graphite.

Therefore, I’ll just talk about graphite sketches and that’s what I’m saying here.

Three Bridges in Vancouver

Recently I took my pencil and sketchbook out to three of the bridges that are nearby my home in Vancouver, Canada.

The downtown area of the city is built on a peninsula which is surrounded by water on three sides.

Vancouver has many bridges and each one is unique in its design.

Two of these bridges are within walking distance of my downtown apartment and the third structure was further away, but I went there for a day out sketching trip.

Burrard Bridge

This is an interesting bridge it was built many years ago and it has two concrete towers at each end with some kind of the superstructure in-between.

It is a highly used bridge which brings people into the city.

The way the municipal peninsula is formed, you can sit on the sand at Sunset Beach and see the Burrard Bridge which makes it ideally placed to be drawn by an artist and many do draw it.

This was an extremely interesting urban construction to draw.

Lion’s Gate Bridge

The Lion’s gate Bridge was built years ago.

It is a huge artery to flow people from the north shore twin cities of West Vancouver and North Vancouver into the city of Vancouver proper.

The Lion’s Gate Bridge is part of the Stanley Park nature reserve and due to its huge presence, is easily observed and thus can be drawn from many areas of the city.

This particular sketch I drew from the Coal Harbor side of the peninsular.

The Lion’s Gate Bridge is a huge structure, and it does look very reminiscent of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco although the Lion’s Gate Bridge is painted green and does not have the span of its bigger cousin.

Port Mann Bridge

The Port Mann Bridge was only finished a couple of years ago and it replaced the smaller bridge that runs adjacent to it.

This was a very interesting bridge to sketch with lots of superstructure and cables holding it up that were remarkable to draw.

There are also two massive knobby things on the top of the pillars and I’m not quite sure what they’re about, but it was a very interesting silhouette to outline.

The Port Mann Bridge is the most recent bridge that has been built in Vancouver and it is very modern in its construction.

I went out to New Westminster one day for lunch and I was able to get into a position where I could draw this bridge in my pencil sketchbook.

Aspiring Artist Activity: Bridges to Art Mediums

In your art journal please do the following:

  • Write down any art mediums that you are thinking about trying in the future (graphite, watercolor, acrylic, oil, charcoal, collage, sculpture, mixed media etc.).
  • Choose one medium mentioned above, and list three blocks you have to bridging this gap.
  • List five steps that you can take to start your new art practice.
  • Over the next week, consider which will be the first step and think about when you can take this first step (next week, next month or next year).

 

Share on social with the hashtag #AlisonHazelArtAspiringArtist, so we can see the creations from your heart.

Daily Art Practice

Daily Art Practice

by | Art for Self-care, Creative Life

Introduction

I want to talk about getting a daily art practice going.

You may think you are not a good artist or perhaps you don’t even consider yourself as an artist at all, but I urge you to accept that you are an aspiring artist.

My journey to being able to say I am an aspiring artist, or a beginner artist only came to me last year. On a whim, I attended an “Art Retreat” which was one day event at an art studio here in my city.

Before that, the last time I had drawn anything was as a kid at school although I had dabbled at an urban sketchers group on and off.

Art Retreat

Joining me at the art retreat were seven other attendees keen to get arty. We made our introductions over hot coffee and delicate pastries.

The morning session began with a Lino carving which was then used for roller printing. I managed to print a few cards with the cut out. This printing with paint was a really messy process and I’m not likely to ever do that again.

Next, we made a watercolor painting and please note that I had never used watercolors since I was a child many Moons ago.

Then the group worked an acrylic painting and I had not ever done acrylic painting before or even seen acrylic paint. This medium did not appeal to me as I thought it was plastic and therefore when washed down the sink would eventually get into the seas and the food chain. I’m still not quite sure about this, but I know I’m not keen on acrylic paint either way.

After a highly nutritious lunch of vegetables and fruit washed down with beetroot juice, we constructed a crafty seasonal foliage wreath from eucalyptus fronds. This was fun and the one I created still hangs in my studio (note I said studio and not sitting room, see I’m already seeing myself as an artist), although the wreath is now very dry and if you brush up against it bits fall off.

Additionally, we made a mini terrarium with a tiny succulent which unfortunately did not make it, but I still have the handy jar where I now store my washi tape.

I came home with all my treasured artworks, and I was inspired.

I shared my experience with anyone who would listen. It was all I could think about for days afterwards. It was a turning point in my creative life.

Showtime

The next week I opened an Instagram account to show off my drawings and then started this website. I had no idea what I was doing or where I thought this would lead, but I wanted to give my newfound art expression a place to live and breathe.

At first, I struggled to get a name for this website because I just wanted to share my art journey. I hesitated to call myself an artist. I mean, don’t artists go to university and have degrees in fine art and five years training in all sorts of topics related to the craft? Who did I think I was?

But after quite a bit of thought and discussion with my daughters I realized I could call it “art” and actually added my name to end up with, Alison Hazel Art. This is the place where the art that Alison Hazel does is showcased, good or bad, big or small, juvenile or adult, skilled or not.

I post my art because it is where I am right now in my art journey. I could have waited for another five years before I felt I was good enough or received a certificate from a great art institution to say, “she is an artist,” but I chose to be who I am today.

This is why I share what I’m doing in my art life and the type of drawings, painting and sketches I do.

I urge you to as well.

Alison

Daily Art Practice

I know that to get better I have to practice. I may take a few more classes on art, I mean, why not? But there is no rush.

Having bought a couple of sketch books in different sizes and with a variety of papers, I now can dabble to my heart’s content.

This summer I’m aiming for daily art practice. For me this means doing a drawing, sketch or painting every day.

It will typically be a small art piece. I plan to put aside half an hour each morning to build this habit.

I prepare myself the night before by opening my sketchbook at a blank page and placing it on my desk ready to go.

I’m never sure what I will draw or which medium I will choose but that’s okay. It just happens that I reach for my pencil, markers or crayons and start.

So far, I’ve drawn little groups of houses, ladybirds and now fish. They are all simple and quick to do but I love how they work out. This seems to be a series of drawings that take a simple shape, a limited palette and black details. Simple.

I know they are not masterpieces and will never hang on my walls, but they are a testament to the path I am taking as an aspiring artist.

Consider developing a daily art practice, or any art practice, which suits you.

Have a creative day.

Alison

Aspiring Artist Activity: Daily Art Practice

In your sketchbook, or a variety of sketchbooks, please do the following:

  • Select markers or colored pencils from one color group like maroon, red and pink or navy, blue and turquoise.
  • With the darkest color, draw simple shapes in different sizes, for example, squares (for houses) or ovals (for ladybirds) or vesica Pisces (for fish), then draw some with the mid color and finally the lightest color.
  • With a black pen, add the details to finish the shapes off and bring them to life.

 

Share on social with the hashtag #AlisonHazelArtAspiringArtist, so we can see the creations from your heart.

Light and Color for Aspiring Artists

Light and Color for Aspiring Artists

by | Aspiring Artist

Introduction

As an aspiring artist, I’ve always been fascinated with color, how we see it, where it comes from and how it can change your mood.

Many of the great artists chose their color palettes and stuck to them through the different emotional stages of life.

In this series I want to share some basics of light and color as they relate to art and rtists.

If you are an aspiring artist, you could disocver that your color choices stem from how your day went.

Join me as I develop a few posts around the influence of color on our lives.

 

Visible Light

Visible light is electromagnetic radiation that we can see.

Light has wavelengths thay vary between infra-red at one end and ultra-violet and the other.

Infra-red has longer wavelengths than ultra-violet.

The human eye can only see light between the wavelengths of red and violet and not infra-red or ultra-violet.

 

Light Sources

Light is emitted from three main sources:

  • The Sun and stars.
  • Fires.
  • Bioluminescence in some animals like fireflies.

The Sun provides light and energy.

Green plants use to convert to sugars which in turn provide energy for the animals that eat the plants (herbivores and omnivores).

This plant energy goes up the food chain to animals that eat other animals which have eaten green plants (carnivores), and us (humans).

Light is energy.

Light gives life to planet Earth and energy to all the plants and animals.

Optics and Properties of Light

Optics is the study of light.

Light has several properties:

  • Intensity.
  • Wavelength (visible light is a small part of the wavelength).
  • Speed – the speed of light is around 300 000 000 m/s

Visible light is emitted and absorbed in tiny packets called photons.

Photons are measured in waves and particles.

Your Eyes and Light

Your eyes are where light enters your body and consciousness.

Through your eyes the spectral sensitivity of your cone cells in your retina at the back of your eye can perceive changes in the photons between the infra-red and ultra-violet spectrum.

You have light receptors in your eyes and when the wavelength is within the spectrum you see light as colour.

Your ablity to percieve light and color is an amazing thing that your body does.

Other light (or electromagnetic radiation) like gamma ray, x-rays and microwaves you cannot see.

Optical Phenomena

Some interesting optical phenomena that break down lights are:

  • Rainbows.
  • Aurora borealis.

The spectrum is the colours we can see, and they are usually known as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

These seven colours are not always evenly distributed in a rainbow.

The  names of the colours are where they are their most intense.

We see an object and call it a colour by the way it throws light back and what we see in our eyes.

Objects will either:

  • Reflect light.
  • Refract light.
  • Absorb light.
  • Or a combination of all three.

How you Perceive Colour

You see colour through the rods and cones in the retina of your eyes.

In daylight you can see all the colours but during twilight, as it gets darker at night and in predawn, you can only perceive colours at the blue, indigo and violet end of the spectrum.

That is why it is hard to see red in the dark.

What you See

Most people can only see the rainbow from red to violet.

This is the normal spectral range.

Some highly evolved beings are reported to see colours at the extremes of the electromagnetic colour range and they can see infra red and ultra violet.

Animals and particularly snakes, can sense infra red and some insects and spiders can sense ultra violet.

In both cases the animals don’t ‘see’ with their eyes but have developed other sensory glands.

This suggests that perception, or what you see can be brought to your brain through other channels than your eyes.

Sensory Channels to See Colour

Colour is not only seen with your eyes, but it can be perceived through other sensory channels.

Some people can feel colours and many colour therapists report this ability.

Others hear colours through listening to music and can ‘picture’ the tune in their head.

Physiology of Colour Therapy

Physiology looks at how color therapy relates to your ordinary functions.

A physiological state exists in your normal holistic state.

Monochrome

If we lived in a black and white world where everything was a shade of grey there would be no use for color.

A monochrome state marks the boundaries of a yes/no and on/off function of black and white on the human experience.

Add Color to the Mix

On a basic level color changes how we live, think, feel and act.

It brings things to life and we cannot imagine life without colour.

Each colour can make subtle changes to our mood, outlook and physical being.

Colors can be used to transform us from one state of existence into another.

Limited Palette Sketchbook Tour

Limited Palette Sketchbook Tour

by | Aspiring Artist

Limited Palette Sketchbook Tour

Field Sketchbook

Last month I bought a field Peters Pauper Press field sketch book from my local bookshop.

This sketchbook is quite dinky and measures around 10cm x 14cm, A6 or 4 1/8 inches by 5 3/4 inches.

I thought it would be a good idea to have a sketchbook that I could take with me everywhere I went.

At first, I had no idea what I would draw in my shiny new sketchbook, but I had high hopes.



Evening Art

I sat down in front of the TV that evening and drew the cover page, and admittedly, this has color.

The next evening, as I had left the little sketch book on the coffee table in the living room, when I sat down again after dinner, I picked it up.

 

Angel Drawing

I drew a little Angel which I had done often in the past.

I thought I would colour it in like a stained glass window, but by the time I went to bed I’d only done the black outline.

The next night I drew another stained glass window with three angels.

At this time, I was still planning to add vibrant colour, but it was not to be.

Limited Palette

I began to enjoy how the pages were simply inked in black and white.

I realized that this is the ultimate limited palette, actually one color really, the black, as the white was the paper after all.

And so, it went on.

Each evening I picked up my little sketchbook and created a drawing of something in simple black and white.

Supplies Tray

After a few days, I set up a wooden tray on my coffee table with three different thicknesses of black pen that I would use in the drawings.

I had 0.3mm, 0.5mm and 0.7mm black pens.

I started each artwork with a pencil sketch and then added ink, so I added my pencil and an eraser to the now officially called, “Art Tray.”

Right Hand Page

When I work in sketchbooks, I only like to draw on the right hand page.

I am right handed, and it is more natural to work this way.

I really never draw on the left hand page as that is the back of the page before’s drawing.

I live in the hope that some of my art will be good enough to frame, so I don’t want artworks on both the back and front of the paper.

Also, it stops the ink bleeding from the first image through the paper to the second drawing on the other side.

 

Daily Drawing Practice

I pushed on, drawing every night for about six weeks and still the sketchbook is not yet full.

When I’m finished all the pages, I’m going to flip through it so you can see what I created.

I hope this inspires you to start another field, or mini sketchbook, for yourself.

I may do something else in the next one, or I might make it another theme, perhaps with black, red and white like the color palette that cave painters had.

Using a limited palette is a fun way to make simple art.

Benefits of Sketchbook Art

The benefits I received by doing this daily art practice are immense.

  • I feel more creative in general.
  • I am now a productive artist.
  • I have stretched what can be drawn in under an hour.
  • I have really got to grips with pens and their thicknesses.

Sketchbook Themes

My subjects have been quite varied, although there are a few definite themes that developed in the completion of this sketchbook.

The main themes that emerged during this sketchbook practice are:

  • Angels
  • Shells
  • Leaves (flowers, plants and botanicals)
  • Portals (doors, stairs and windows)

My Art Supplies

The art supplies I used for this sketchbook project are listed here and include an Amazon link for each one if you want to purchase them yourself.

 

Here is the full list of my art supplies in my creator studio..

Aspiring Artist Activity: Limited Palette Sketchbook

In your creator studio, do the following:

  • Get a fresh sketchbook and create the front page to be your limited palette sketchbook.
  • Consider which three things (people, objects or places) inspire your daily art practice.
  • As you create artworks in your sketchbook note which themes emerge naturally.

 

“Almond Blossom” Colored Pencil Art

“Almond Blossom” Colored Pencil Art

by | Aspiring Artist

Coloured Pencil Art

This time I’m drawing the beautiful five petalled blossom of the almond tree on toned paper with colored pencil. 

The petals are typically in shades of pink to white.

Botanical Details

The almond is not a true nut, but rather a drupe.

A drupe is like a stone or a pit in fruits like apricots and peaches.

The Latin botanical name is prunus dulcimer.

The almond tree is pollinated by honeybees.

Grown originally in the Middle East, the almond is now propagated on all continents in the warm climates surrounding the equator.



Greeks

The Greeks called it after the amygdala in the brain which is almond shaped.

In the brain, the two almond shaped amygdala are part of the limbic system.

This is also known as the reptile brain associated with basic survival reactions like thirst, hunger, the urge to procreate and alertness to danger.

Almond Blossom Meaning

The meaning of the blossom is “new beginning” as it is the very first tree to flower and open its petals every spring.

The almond blossom heralds the onset of a new season of prosperity.

Other symbolic meanings are watchfulness and the awakener.

Toxins

Almonds can be either bitter or sweet.

We eat the sweet varieties.

The bitter almond is a natural source for the poison cyanide that forms from the amygdalin.

Art Supplies

You can check out my full art supplies list here.

Reference Drawing

I searched for a reference drawing on the internet, that clearly shows the structure of a single blossom.

There were many images of almond trees, but I wanted to zoom into the actual blossom for this artwork.

 

Art Process

I began by drawing the outline of the petals with my white crayon. This is a good way to start when working on toned paper.

Then I colored the highlighted areas of the white petals not the shaded grey areas.

I added colors from lightest (white) to darkest (cool grey II).

It is always a good idea to do the lightest colors first as you can build up the intensity later.

Try to work in layers and don’t use a heavy hand in a vibrant color first.

I used two shades of yellow for the center.

I chose three shades of pink to color the inner petal that attract the bees to the nectar. This is like a landing strip for flying insects.

The green leaves helped to define the edges of the petals . I used two greens here.

As a final touch up, I took grey again and edged the petal below the one in front to add depth and a three dimensional effect to the drawing.

Coloured pencil art

Aspiring Artist Activity: Almond Blossom

In your toned papaer sketchbook do the following:

  • Draw an almond blossom,
  • Or draw a blossom that is white,
  • Or perhaps draw a blossom of a tree that grows where you live.

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