Mariel's Art and Sketches: traditional art

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, by Mariel

Poppy

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, by Mariel

In caran d'ache, caran d'ache dry pastel

Spring has always wanted to linger a little bit longer, though summer is always too keen to take his adventurous strides. And now autumn is already hanging by the leaves and winter waits ever so patiently in the wind -- my how time flies!

There is a medium that had taken my heart with so much enthusiasm.

Dry Pastel.

In my high school years, I've used pastel for almost everything. The sun in the packaging of it made me smile, as did the effect it has on my artwork. Learning a particular technique from my cousin who got it from his teacher, I smudged the pastel with tissue to make it as my base and then from there I would cover it with watercolor pencils. And then I added my own technique: I brush it over with wet brush and added a new layer of colored pencil once again. Sometimes I would repeat the process all over again until the artwork looked as if it was printed. I rather liked it, to be honest. However, the pigment would sometimes be too 'rough' for me and it didn't give off that glow that I was looking for. It's still a good medium though.

Fast forward to this month, I stumbled upon Caran D'Ache's Dry Pastels. I have been using their colored pencils for quite sometime starting this year and goodness, they are so rich in texture and the pigments so vivid I could hardly exert too much pressure while using them. Just a stroke and a luscious vivid texture has already made its mark on the paper.

And so as I looked for more colors (I buy individual pencils as I think I do not need particular hues that are included in their sets, plus they're very much ostentatious for me), my mum and I saw their dry pastels at the store. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get one. They're expensive -- kuripot me said no even if the curious me said yes. But upon seeing the pigments, I remember Claire Keane's artwork where she used dry pastels -- I've never seen such beautiful and ethereal illustrations made with dry pastel.

I battled against myself. Is it worth the price? And then Christmas came early -- my mum told me she would buy it for me as a gift. Now, I'm not apt to accept such an offer. However, my mum told me that if she offered such a thing, I should accept, that if help comes to one, one must be gracious enough to accept it. And so I did.

And goodness, how beautiful the dry pastels were! And how thankful I was and still am! I used the same technique of smudging it with tissues and cotton buds and then applying some colored pencils. I felt ecstatic; is this how Ms. Keane felt? Or how Hans Holbein felt with his pastels? Utter and sheer delight! But of course, at first I was afraid. But who wasn't afraid in the beginning?

'Spring' is my third dry pastel piece and all I could say is how happy I am with her. <3

I have been so much enamored with dry pastel. It is such a delicate yet tedious medium but one which I find myself devoted to. Dry pastels and colored pencils by @carandache
are so lovely and I'm very much happy with them.

Detail of 'Spring':

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, by Mariel

In carandache, colored pencil

Upon the Night Sky, The Brightest Blue of Them All Shone Ever-so Vividly

'They twinkle day and night,
they burn without end,
yet the brightest of them all
is the one who lingers eternally in the celestial sky.
The blue of her robes shone fiercely as the bluest of the stars,
gigantic flames of lapis lazuli swirl about her as she traverses the sky,
forever wandering in the dark expanse of the universe,
hoping that one day she could find a place to call home.
And yet so often the other stars would call out to her,
other galaxies so tempting she could never resist their call.
So she settles for her fate
as she hovers and dances and shoots her way
throughout the galaxies in search of something to marvel at.
If one squints at the constellations at night,
the bluest star of them all would be seen
as she explores the ever expanding worlds.
May you bid her good luck
as even stars need well wishes, too.'


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

This piece is the first one that I used blue paint on in large amounts. I am usually more partial to warm colors but recently I find myself drawn to the mysteriousness of blue, especially of lapis lazuli. Also, I am inspired by Hans Holbein's unfinished sketches, particularly how intimate and delicate they looked with minimal colors and details. 

The BBC documentary titled 'History Of Color' presented by Dr. James Fox has been a constant source of both inspiration and intrigue for me and as I make one illustration after the other, I keep this three-part series in loop. Nothing beats learning about art as one goes about doing it. 

Creating this piece was a challenge. A challenge that I gave myself, to be honest. I haven't been used to using color  yet and had largely ignored it due to 'comfort' and fear of making mistakes and wasting resources such as paint and paper as well as precious time.

However, who learns new things by being afraid of such factors?

Art is a risk, just as our everyday decisions are.

There are new techniques that I've explored here -- some I've observed in old paintings and some are very much solutions I've stumbled upon as I created her portrait.

It was such a fun and thrilling experience! But to be safe, when this was still a sketch, I scanned it and put in the colors digitally. Satisfied with the colors, I then proceeded to apply the actual paints on the paper illustration, using the digital color exploration as my guide.

Alright, so it wasn't truly a complete risk wherein I'd dive right in and see where things go.

I have to be sure first before taking the plunge.

Mixing the color and trying to match what I see on the screen and what I'm getting with the actual paints was one of the challenging parts, if not fun. 

An added objective here is to also not push myself to the brink of muscle pain.

Last May, I slipped on the wet floor and fractured my thoracic-11 bone and had started wearing a back brace just this July. Ever since that slip, my back was hurting like crazy. Aside from the fracture, the x-ray had shown that I have scoliosis though whether that is caused by the slip or I've had it for quite some time, I am not so sure. 

This piece will be part of the new book I'm making, along other illustrations and stories both old and new. I'm very much excited for it, to be honest. The workload is huge and I realized just how hard it is to create the stories and illustrations as well as the whole other aspects of book-publishing --- it's a LOT of work. But you know how I am, I am willing to work extra hard.

Just as how Dr. James Fox had described William Harvey from his BBC documentary of British Renaissance:

'William Harvey was a workaholic, an insomniac, and a coffee addict.'

My thanks, Dr. Fox. Just the way to describe me in three adjectives or less. 

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, by Mariel

In artvsartist, digital illustration

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, by Mariel

In adventure, art

Wind and Sky

Odgerel looks up at the sky, the warmth of the sun radiating brightly against the embroidered threads on his clothes that shine blindingly, almost rivals to the bright day star. The sun seemed almost as if it blinked, twice, as Oktai and Gerel flew beneath it, their wings hovering beautifully in the air. The blue expanse, devoid of clouds, was like the mirror of the sea, a place which Odgerel has heard of from his ancestors but has never seen it himself. Is it as vast as the summer sky? As rich in stars like the mysterious black sky?
Gerel landed on Odgerel's outstretched hand, her feathers fluffed in pride as her friend caressed them lovingly. Oktai, as always, would perch on his back, nipping his ear affectionately. Odgerel could imagine what his winged friends have seen -- sometimes he'd like to be them, to be able to soar amongst the tallest mountains or be in the company of other beings. As he ruffled Oktai's feathers, he saw in his friend's eyes another version of him. Maybe it's like the sky and the sea -- different, but similar in many ways. Miles apart, but still the same, in a way. He smiled as the wind whipped his hair, watching his friends drift between sky and sand.

~
I am curious, what does it feel like to be beside the sky?
Have you ever stood on top of a mountain peak, looking over a vast horizon as endless as the sea and sky, or felt the cold wind shake your body as if it is trying to finally wake up your soul? How beautiful it must feel! The light of the sun shining beautifully over the vastness of it all, making everything even more breathtaking. I have never been high up on a mountain before and therefore have not seen a vast horizon. Many times I have seen the ocean and felt insignificant and small yet strangely attached to it. Is it the same with being up in the mountains? What am I missing? I have seen the clouds beneath me as I rode the airplane, but is it different from being on a peak, feeling the wind shift, the clouds like an illuminated ocean right at the same level as your own feet that took you up the mountain? I should like to feel that, even once, no, maybe several times, hopefully.

~
Drawing Odgerel and his friends Oktai and Gerel was a challenge. Every thought was challenged, every stroke indecisive and at some point, I felt afraid. I wasn't really sure how I was going to go about it. Looking closely at the texture of his skin, I am quite sure it's obvious just how many mistakes there are. I'm quite humbled to know that I did finish it and I do quite like it as well, especially when their story came into mind and heart. I am glad I never gave up. I walked back and forth just looking at him, wondering however shall I do once I mess another thing up. But I am happy I was challenged -- it gave me such restlessness that an ordinary day can't give and I felt like I should focus more.

I have been lacking the discipline to keep drawing on a regular basis. There are days when I draw too much and some where not even an idea comes at all. This one is sort of an "ice breaker"? I 'm not sure how to describe it, but it certainly pulled me from my rather "used" state. When I say used, it's that feeling where you just know what to do all the time, and you know all the solutions. I don't mind it, in fact, I would so much love to know what I should be doing! But, in came to a point where I couldn't advance since I felt like what I was doing was the same all the time. It kind of makes me afraid that that was all I'll ever be able to do.

So I must find new things.

Finding new things is tough! It feels scary. Some days I'll space out or at night I would lie in bed and look up at my golden-light filled room, wondering just how would I ever succeed in doing something new. I am putting much pressure unto myself. But I have to, so I will move forward. If not, I do not advance at all, I'll just be stuck. And I would hate myself so much if that's the case. I hope not.

I do so much want to see the sea like Odgerel. He's been living in the desert surrounded by mountains and fields. Though he adores his home so much, he yearns for something new. He's curious. He's ready to know. Then maybe, after we both see and experience what we want, we can find something new again in the place we call home, new eyes to see new things in familiar places. Wouldn't that be nice too?