Check out more oddball offerings in the comments here.
Jul20
Category Archives: Challenge
Jul20
ICAD2019: Week 7
In preparing to make make my cards this week (I’m participating in the Index-Card-a-Day challenge and also in World Watercolor Month), I watched lots of watercolor tutorials on YouTube.
For Day 43, I returned to a guest post that appeared on ARHtistic License a few years ago. My attempt at watercolor flower doodles then was so bad I didn’t post it. But I tried again and I think this one is pretty respectable:
For Day 44, I watched another tree tutorial and came up with this:
Day 45’s effort is my favorite for the week. It was inspired by another tutorial:
For Day 46, I chose a picture from Pinterest and painted a simplified version:
And, of course, you knew I’d get around to drawing a unicorn. Day 47 (inspired by The Unicorn in Captivity):
The prompt for World Watercolor Month Day 18 was Clouds. Here’s my attempt for ICAD Day 48:
And the prompt for World Watercolor Month Day 19 was Splashes of Color. Unfortunately, I could not paint what was in my mind’s eye. Mine looks more like Splotches of Color.
Anyhow, I attempted a couple of things out of my comfort zone. These challenges are about having fun and being intentional about making art. No worries.
Jul17
Wordless Wednesday: Find the Bee
Jul13
ICAD2019: Week 6
I am participating in the Index-Card-a-Day challenge and World Watercolor Month. I am making small watercolors every day in July.
I watched a video tutorial Angela Fehr posted for World Watercolor Month, which inspired me to try an abstract painting for Day 36:
The prompt for Day 37 was botanical. I attempted to try to paint an impression of these roses that I photographed at Mesa Community College’s rose garden:
On Day 38 I watched a tutorial for drawing a watermelon with watercolor pencils. My past attempts with watercolor pencils were very unsatisfactory. Even though I’d read articles on how to use them, it’s not the same as looking over someone’s shoulder and listening to the artist describe what she’s doing. Apparently, I’d not been pressing hard enough to leave enough pigment on the paper, and I’d only dribbled the water on instead of scrubbing the water with the brush. What a difference!
Every July I get frustrated with what an unpredictable surface index cards are for watercolor. The cards curl up and wrinkle where the water pools. I thought I could get around it by “preparing” the cards by taping them to a hardboard, spraying them with water, and letting them dry before painting. It didn’t work.
So I switched over to watercolor postcards. I’m justifying to myself that they count for ICAD because they’re 4 x 6 inches, the size of a large index card.
Since video tutorials have been working out well for me, I watched another one, which inspired the rest of the cards for the week.
Day 39:
Day 40:
Day 41:
Day 42:
My favorite painting for the week is the watermelon. I think it looks real. I’m excited that it’s a step forward for me, that now I know better how to use the watercolor pencils.
The tree tutorial didn’t help me as much as the others, because even though I could see what the artist was doing, hearing an explanation would have clarified it for me. I need words + the visual.
It’s not too late to jump in and participate–there are still two and a half weeks left, time enough to make 19 little artworks if you start today. It’s fun! No pressure.
Jul10
Wordless Wednesday: Cacti-ful Yard
Jul8
Kammie’s Oddball Challenge
I ‘m looking through some of my photos today, and these ones are kind of quirky, perfect for Kammie’s Oddball Challenge.
A tree stump with homes drilled into it.
An off-kilter street sign.
Contrasting textures.
Jul6
ICAD2019: Week 5
I am participating in the Index-Card-a-Day Challenge. I finished the month of June with two more Scripture passages.
Day 29:
Day 30:
For the month of July, I’ll be merging ICAD with World Watercolor Month, whose goal is to make a watercolor painting every day in July. I’ll be painting on index cards in the spirit of ICAD.
I don’t think I’ve done any watercolor since last July.
Day 31/1–the prompt is primary palette. A beach ball is an obvious choice for a red/yellow/blue palette. I also mixed the blue with white for the shadow, and then decided I needed a background, so I blended the light blue with gray. Too much gray. Note to self: in the future, paint the background first.
Day 32/2–the prompt is sunny sky. If my sky seems a little intense, it’s because after three service calls, our air conditioner died, and we had no AC in the Arizona desert for four days. The temperature outside on July 1 was 110; inside was 97. Fortunately, a new unit was installed Tuesday, and our house is much more hospitable now.
Day 33/3–the prompt is picnic food, but I never got beyond the tablecloth. You know how when you put a tablecloth down on the grass, it’s never smooth? That’s the effect I was going for.
Day 34/ 4–I went off-prompt. I painted the background, and when it dried, I tangled two Zentangle patterns, Cindyer and Poa.
Day 35/5–the prompt is loose & free. I tried to paint a picture of a girl whose long sun-streaked hair was hanging loose and free down her back.
It’s not too late to join in the fun! ICAD and World Watercolor Month run through the end of July.
