Tag: Tamara Laporte

Art · Ever After 2018

Ever After 2018 Style Development

Sarah Joyce Bryant1 Comment

For today’s sketchbook practice, I followed along with Marielle Stolp’s Style Development lesson for #EverAfter2018. Next, I need to practice creating this while changing up two of the following: subject matter, supplies, or the approach.

Something to note is that I bought some Arches hot pressed watercolor paper, and this is third time I’ve worked on it, and I really don’t like it. I think it may be the smoothness of the hot pressed paper. Also, I really don’t like working on a piece without sketching something out first. I feel a loss of control with it, and it really irks my perfectionist side to the point of irritation. Additionally, though they are convenient, I am finding it hard to get consistent water flow with the water brushes. I think I may try switching to a regular brush next time I work with watercolor.

I really like the style development part of the Ever After course because it’s helping me to pay attention and be more aware about what I like and don’t like when creating. I have found that I do not trust myself yet, that I will try to “fix” something even if I like it because it is not what is in the instructions, and I’m afraid it will be “wrong.” I’ve really got to work on trusting my choices more…in art and in life.

Art · Ever After 2018

Fantastic Beasts: Day Three

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For today’s sketchbook practice, I finished up Marielle Stolp’s #Fantastic Beasts #EverAfter2018 lesson. I learned so much about the process of making art. I really love how Ever After’s lessons are comprised of several videos because they help me understand that everything does not get completed in a day, that art is a process, and that I can walk away from something for a day or two and come back to it, and everything will be okay.

This piece took me three days to complete and is my largest painting at 11 x 15. I learned so much about taking my time with the process rather than rushing it. I really appreciated how Marielle Stolp mentioned in her videos that she was taking a break to allow herself time to gain a better perspective on what she was creating. She modeled such great habits for beginning artists like me to learn. I loved her discussions on the best watercolors, and I loved her cats’ interjections. It was a wonderful lesson that I really enjoyed taking part in.

Art · Ever After 2018

Fantastic Beasts: Day Two

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For my sketchbook practice today, I continued with Marielle Stolp’s #EverAfter2018 #FantasticBeasts lesson. I spent about five hours inking my sketch, adding stamps, and then beginning to add watercolor. My practice was derailed a bit by a migraine and being tired. We had severe storms here last night, along with tornado warnings, so I was up until three in the morning. That doesn’t lead to the most productive of days, but I showed up and made art, and that’s what matters. I’m looking forward to continuing to work on this piece tomorrow.

Art · Ever After 2018

Fantastic Beasts: Day One and a Little Magic

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Today has been a magical day!

Of course, it started out like any other ordinary day, as most magical days do. I finished editing a chapter of a friend’s novel, and then I began Marielle Stolp’s Fantastic Beasts Ever After 2018 lesson. I decided to do the painting on 11 x 15 watercolor paper, which is the largest paper I’ve completed a piece of art on in my life! The sketch for the painting took me six hours to complete, and I absolutely love it! I’m excited to ink and paint it, but I’m exhausted, so that will have to wait for another day. Though completing such a large sketch is quite magical for a beginning artist like me, that is not what made today so special.

As many of you may know, I am a writer. Writing is something I’ve been doing since I was a child. Many of you may also know that I’ve been working on a novel for seven years, but have been stuck for many of those years. I know this novel needs to be written. I know it is something that will bring hope and peace to many once it’s done. But…it’s the getting done that’s the issue.

A couple of weeks ago, I was on Facebook and came across a post about a scholarship to a writing conference and fiction workshop. After a long hiatus, I decided to return to my beloved novel and polish up the first scene of the first chapter and submit it for the scholarship. The decision of who won was supposed to be made last Friday, so I assumed, since I hadn’t heard anything, that I had not won. I felt disappointed, and started down that “my writing isn’t good enough” road. Over the last ten years, I have applied for a scholarship to this conference two other times and did not win, so the disappointment ran deep. I allowed myself some time to feel the disappointment, and then I returned to a focus on my art.

While sketching today, I stopped to take a break and checked my e-mail. As I was scrolling through I saw “Congratulations, Scholarship Winner.” I opened the e-mail, and there it was: “You’ve been selected to receive a scholarship…” So many emotions flooded through me, but what really mattered most was that someone, other than me, believed in my writing enough to grant me a scholarship to attend a conference and workshop that will help me gain the tools I need to bring this novel to completion.

There is this energy I’ve been feeling lately both with my writing and my art. I can feel it building as I sit down to complete my daily practice. I don’t know where all this is going, but I’m showing up every day so I can find out! I can feel that shift everyone talks about happening to me, and I can’t wait to see where it all leads.

Art · Ever After 2018

Ever After 2018: Belle Sketch

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For today’s sketchbook practice, I decided to start the next lesson from Tamara Laporte’s #EverAfter2018 course which is Belle from Beauty and the Beast. For this lesson, I am once again stopping at the sketch stage for the day and will add the color layers tomorrow.

As you can see, I sketched with pencil. I used the Graphgear1000 0.9 with HB lead, and it made a huge difference over the regular graphite pencil I was using. I don’t miss my blue pencil as much anymore.

This sketch took me three hours to complete, and most of my time was spent on the hand and fingers. I need A LOT more practice with hands/fingers.

Art · Ever After 2018

Day Two: Snow White

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I finished Tamara Laporte’s #SnowWhite lesson from #EverAfter2018. I am exhausted. I spent the entire day working on this piece. I loved it, though. Through this process, I learned to be okay with change and imperfections and to use my intuition when I ran into problems (like when some of the paper I used for the collage fell apart and came up off the paper in pieces). I also learned that I need to find a graphite pencil I want to draw with because some of the depth was lost because I used the blue pencil I normally sketch with. Additionally, in order to keep going, I had to let go of my need to be perfect and just go with the flow. I kept comparing my artwork to Tamara Laporte’s and my inner critic would sneak in. I would have to quickly put her aside so I could continue.

I put each stage of my progress below based on the video lessons Tamara provided. In yesterday’s post, I included my drawing based on the first stage. Below you will see stage two, stage three, and then the final piece. I am very happy with it. It just goes to show that even when you think what you’ve done is terrible, it’s important to keep going. With each layer and each stage, the piece got better and better, and that was exciting to watch unfold as I worked. It helped to build my confidence which helped me keep going.

Art · Ever After 2018

Day One: Snow White

Sarah Joyce BryantLeave a comment

After the completion of the #FindYourFlow thirty day challenge, I made the decision to join Tamara Laporte’s Ever After 2018 course.

For today’s #sketchbook practice, I completed the first video in the #SnowWhite lesson. I thought I would just plow through all the sections of this lesson in one evening, but that is clearly not going to happen. I have been thoroughly frustrated with what I’ve done so far, but I have come to realize that it is my comparison to Tamara Laporte’s sketches that is causing my anger and frustration. I am also really frustrated with how the paper and erasers that I have – no matter how much money I spend on them – just don’t work the way I need them to. Ugh!

I am doing the kind thing to myself and stopping until tomorrow when I can come to the piece with a fresh, calm mind. I was hesitant to post what I’ve done so far, but I realized the magic is often in the process, not just the final product.

Art · Ever After 2018 · Woman Unleashed 2018

What’s Next

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I thought a lot about what I wanted to do after #FindYourFlow ended. I decided to take Tamara Laporte’s Ever After 2018. It’s a four-month course that covers creating different fairytale characters from new and empowering perspectives. I’m SO excited to take the plunge and commit to a four month program. With the program, I will also be working on developing my own personal style which is equally exciting.

For today’s art, I completed Tamara Laporte’s free #WomanUnleashed session #MermaidVoice. I love what I created today, and it lets me know I’ve made the right decision joining the #EverAfter2018 course.