How ink and flex markers faces helped me with artists block - #29faces2016

I have been thinking a lot about how to come up with good ideas to draw/paint. I am finding it harder to come up with new ideas to keep up with the demand of a face a day for 29 days.  I would be very interested in what you do to help keep your work fresh and interesting?  Please share in the comments.  Here is what I did. I have a cute basket full of a variety of colours and do not use them very often so decided to do some art work using them before they dry out.  This was my way of kickstarting my artistic flow.  I revisited a medium I have not used for a while and gave it a twist by using a pen to sketch rather than a pencil I could rub out.  Unfortunately I was too late for some of my markers as I had to throw out 3 pens out due to them being dry and not working :( I guess that's what happens when you neglect alcohol pens. (another good reason not to keep your good art supplies for special work only and to use when the fancy takes)  I did have the markers for at least 6 years, maybe longer, I originally bought them for colouring stamped images for making cards.  First I started with a faber castel pitt pen xs to draw the faces then used the alcohol markers, I kept the pictures sketchy as I've heard Jane Davenport say on many occasion, anything can be forgiven in a sketch. Jane has been a positive influence on my art work and can be found at her website janedavenport.com/  I am beginning to see what Jane means.  I do enjoy just going with the flow and not sketching in pencil first.  I just trust the marks I make on the paper and just go with what I have and accept my marks and make something of them.  Rather than worry about them. I have so many other projects on the go right now I needed to come up with ideas that were not going to take me more than say half an hour to do. Revisiting something I have not done for a while was something that work for me on this occasion.  I do have other ways, perhaps I can share them with you another time.  Here are the results, including a picture of my basket of alcohol markers at the end :)

Face number 23 and 24

Face number 25

a basket full of yummy markers used 

Thank you for visiting and hope you will come back again soon.  Take care T

Day 14 of 29 faces challenge

Today has been another day of a stuffy nose and head feeling like it has been put in a car crusher :( So unfortunately I have not got done what I planned.  So I thought it might be fun to find an old face I drew when I was at school.

I was 12 when I drew this self portrait and that was not yesterday lol 

Thanks for stopping by and hope you come back again.  I have a rather special face post planned for tomorrow :) T x

Day 13 of 29 Faces challenge.

Hi Folks,

Well today I am still not feeling very well.  I have a bit of a cold so, have to admit I am feeling a little sorry for myself today.  So for my face I have just been messing about with one colour of my polychromos pencils. I hope the camera has picked up well enough on the photo.

Hopefully I will feel a little better tomorrow and normal service will resume lol Thank you for stopping by.  See you all again soon.  T x

Day 12 of 29 Faces challenge 2016

Well, here I am on day 12.  Despite a few delays I am almost at the halfway point woohoo.  I really was not sure I could even get to here, what with all the other things going on in my life and projects on the go.  And today has been no different.  I do have a face to share but  I have also been moving furniture around in my art studio to try to make my space a little more inspiring.  I moved into my new house in June and have not really focused so much on my art space.  Well today it was my studios turn.......

that point when you think "why did I start this again?" lol 

It is starting to look a little more worth the effort.

It is still not quite finished but I decided I would stop and take a break, so I could come online and post in my blog.  And share with you the face I quickly sketched for day 12 of the 29 faces challenge.

I was attempting to be more loose and going for that artistic effortless sketchy look.

So there you have it a little glimpse into my day 12 efforts.  Thank you for stopping by.  I plan to do a full studio tour once I have it looking more inspirational rather than just a room with furniture dumped in it lol.  So watch this space for that.  Thank you for stopping by.  Have a good day. T x