October Daily Challenge with BeeJayDel - Days 25 - 31

This finalizes the 31 day challenge following along with BeeJayDel's tutorials on drawing Halloween cartoon characters.  Anyone who's interested in learning Procreate and/or drawing cartoon figures, he has a great YouTube channel with all sorts of videos you can follow along with....not just Halloween.

He also has a Facebook page and a website where anyone who's interested can purchase his special designed Procreate brushes.  I have purchased most of them and have to say they are my go-to brush tools to use for sketching in pencil and for inking.  Love his texture brush tools as well!

For my other two blogger posts related to this:

Days 1-12

Days 13-24

Normally I work the yearly Inktober challenge but for some reason I just wasn't motivated this year to mess with it.  I'm so thankful I stumbled across this man's YouTube channel that gave me an wonderful alternative that was a blast to do each day.  I have learned so much from this...not just additional things my app can do but also a totally different subject and style!!  What a refreshing change!!!

October Daily Challenge with BeeJayDel - Days 13 through 24

Finished yesterday's tutorial (the Witch) this afternoon completing another page of twelve days.

Only seven more days to go.  I'll work on today's tutorial tonight and tomorrow.

October Daily Challenge with BeeJayDel - Days 1-12

It's been days since I last posted as I have been engulfed in a unique challenge helping me learn the ins and outs of using Procreate.  

Although I've used the app for several years, I only touched the surface of what it offers people with digital artwork.  This challenge teaches techniques beyond the basics and I am grateful.  Such a fun way to learn too.

The challenge is presented by BeeJayDel on Facebook and his YouTube channel.  Instead of Inktober (which I normally work each year), he chose to produce a video each day of a Halloween cartoon character.  He invites people to draw along with him and then share their efforts.

Because I didn't come across his channel until well into the month, I have been playing catch-up working four (sometimes three depending on the complexity) each day.  I have finally caught up.

So far here are twelve of the days I have completed.  Tonight or tomorrow I should be able to share another twelve days.  Below image I share just what I have learned.

What I have learned:

1)  How to use Alpha Lock

2)  How to use Clipping Mask Layers

3)  Setting an ink drawing as a reference and adding color to fill within the lines on another layer.

4)  How to use a layer with drag and drop flat color and then a different layer with shadows and another for highlights.  Although I use multiple layers, I was not accustomed to using the drag and drop of colors into an area.  I just normally "painted" in with the apple pencil and chosen brush tool.

5)  How to use the selection tool to "draw" with.

6)  How Gaussian Blur can be used within a drawing/painting.

7)  How to group layers
8)  How to first use a loose sketch using basic shapes (something I don't normally do but instead jump right in with a preliminary pencil sketch almost as detailed as my inking) followed by detailed ink line work.

9)  Working with various texture brushes
10)  How to use the warp tool to reshape basic shapes like circles, rectangles, etc.

**I'm sure I could come up with other things but at the moment these are the top things I have picked up from working this challenge.

Although I'm not a cartoonist nor do I have much in the way of imagination with the work I do, this has been refreshing from my normal style and interest in capturing what I see in front of me....recording my day to day in journals.

This is a blast and I'm extremely thankful for stumbling on this gentleman and his tutorials.  And my eldest granddaughter has also been captivated by this challenge.  Her and I have been texting and sharing our efforts.  

Partial Pattern from Cherub Lamp

Thinking back, I remember the unique furnishings my grandmother had in her apartment when living in West Virginia.  A few of her glass accents I remember being made of green or blue glass to include glass top end tables and a coffee table.   When she moved to Florida with my Mom, most of her household furnishings were sold but she did keep a few items, which includes an old curio cabinet I absolutely love, a green glass lamp and two off white or bone colored Cherub lamps!!

It is from one of the Cherub lamps I chose to capture a partial pattern to sketch.

October 2020 Challenge Between Friends

This month was my friend's turn to choose a subject for our monthly challenge.  The challenge involves drawing or painting a mirror up against a background (e.g. a wall) with a light over-head.  We also have to include reflections as our main focal point.

I chose to go with a corner in my bathroom with only some of what's being reflected on the right with more showing in the reflection.  I do not get into all the composition rules or elements of design but instead just try to record what I see without worrying about rules and guidelines.  Sometimes my results might fit the typical rules but it's not because I plan it that way.  

Honestly with this..........I doubt I achieved what my friend was hoping for with regards to the reflections being THE focal point.  Regardless, this was fun to do and quite a challenge with perspective with all the angles involved.  The fancy light fixture above the mirror was tricky so I basically just suggested it without getting too fussy for fear of feeling overwhelmed. 

 

Late Night Sketching

Seems like I'm on a streak right now with sketching.  I'm taking advantage while it lasts.

This first one was practicing John's method of drawing birds by first using shapes.  This is not my normal way of working but I like to try different methods from time to time.

The Black Cap is one of my all-time favorites.  Love their chatter!  This was worked during a late-night where I couldn't sleep.  I worked the bird first and then added the rest afterwards just to fill the white space.

This one was worked last night between midnight and 3 a.m.  I have this artificial arrangement sitting on my desk that replicates a live arrangement my husband got me years ago.  I had taken pictures of the live flowers before they wilted and found a bunch of artificial that was nearly perfect at Hobby Lobby.