One Hundred Faces In Three Hundred and Sixty Five Days

I have joined a group on Facebook where we have each committed to draw or paint 100 faces in 365 days.  Most people are drawing and painting people faces.   But, you know me....  My first face is, of course, a Siamese cat.

This drawing was created with Derwent Tinted Charcoal on a Strathmore Toned Sketch Journal.   *A note on these toned journals:  They are beautiful.  There is a grey one too.  I love the colors!  But... Strathmore, Please make some toned papers with tooth.  I suggest Bristol Board Vellum.   Pretty Please!  These colors cry out to be used with the tinted charcoal.  But the paper makes it quite a challenge to accomplish.

I have decided only to use journaled faces for my 100.  That will force me to play around with it and not use the more serious portraits I am working on.   I think this will be fun and will prompt me to draw many different kinds of faces.   I might do a camel, a donkey, and maybe some sheep.   Oh!  Maybe a rooster!  And maybe.....just maybe, I'll even do some people.

Wind and Honey Creations
Creative Pencils - Online Drawing Lessons

A Review of Matisse Structured Artists Acrylic Color

The Matisse Structured Artists Acrylic Colors are fun!  Plain and simple, that's the first thing that comes to my mind.  They are a heavy bodied paint formulated to naturally lay down on the canvas with some bulk.  I purposely chose a project that could be enhanced with some texture.  And I really enjoyed watching that texture appear with very little effort using the Matisse Structured Paint.   It felt like the paint was working with me rather than my needing to manipulate it. 

The tubes have wonderful flip tops making it so much easier on my hands to get to the paint.  And I believe those tops will also create a better seal over time, thereby allowing a longer shelf life for my paints.

The colors are vivid and scrumptious.  There is a wide range to choose from - 96 colors in all.  They mix nicely.  And the colors lay down clearly and beautifully on the canvas.  You will be tempted to try all the colors, as I am.

The Matisse Acrylics have a longer open working time than other acrylic paints I've worked with, allowing me to leave more colors out on my palette.  And also giving more freedom to play with my mixed colors as the painting developed.  The Matisse Structured Acrylics would be perfect for mixed media painting and for mixed media collage work.  The heavy body lends itself easily to the various techniques used in these popular art forms. 

These are the supplies I used for this example.  I got all my supplies at Jerry's Artarama:

Matisse Structured Acrylic Colors
          Raw Sienna
          Magenta Light
          Antique White
          Transparent Venetian Red
          Burnt Sienna
          Naples Yellow Light
          Transparent Yellow Oxide
          Unbleached Titanium
          Phthalo Blue
          Burnt Umber
          Titanium White
Colour Shaper Painting Tool
Jewel Bristle Brushes
Ampersand Artist Panel






Wind and Honey Creations
Creative Pencils - Online Drawing Lessons

i thank You God for most this amazing day

I painted this in memory of a moment I had with a real lion.  It was incredible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i thank You God for most this amazing

day;for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth

day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing 

breathing any--lifted from the no

of all nothing--human merely being 

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

ee cummings

Have a great day!       Elizabeth