Day 84: Big Hat

"And all your future lies beneath your hat."

-John Oldham

Construction!

Blog under construction! I'm changing the formatting around, and I know some parts are hard to read/look messy now, but that'll be fixed soon (hopefully!)

Day 83: Looking Down

"Any idiot can face a crisis. It's day to day living that wears you out."

-Anton Chekov

Day 82: Sia

"I'm biting the lighting, the good thing.

I'm minding what to see, the good things."

-Sia, "Clap your Hands"

I know I haven't really been trying to stick to my theme at all this week (the theme is supposed to be day), but when I think of something/ someone that I want to draw and feel inspired, I've got to go with it. Today, I got the urge to draw Sia, one of my favorite singer/songwriters, so I did. She's such an interesting person! And although I chose a very normal photo of hers to draw, she's very fashionably crazy at times, in an almost Gaga way (she's not a Gaga wanna be or anything, her career was established before Gaga was big). I was just afraid that because she also has semi-similar facial features to Gaga that if I drew a picture of her being a little zanier, people think I was attempting to draw Lady Gaga.

Day 81: Random Sketching

"The essence of drawing is the line exploring space."

-Andy Goldsworthy

I wasn't inspired to draw anything in particular today. And I've found that when that is the case, whatever I try to draw comes out pretty terrible. So today I just decided to practice sketching some random features.

Day 80: Mika

"Everybody's gonna love today, gonna love today!

Anyway you want to, anyway you've got to,

love, love me. Love, love me."

-Mika, "Love Today"

Day 79: Regina Spektor

"Outside the cars are beeping out a song just in your honor,

and though they do not know it, all mankind are now your brothers."

-Regina Spektor, "Human of the Year"

This doesn't have anything to do with day, but the idea to draw Regina Spektor occurred to be last week, and I've really wanted to draw her face since then. Her eyes are so interesting, I had to try drawing them! And because I had time today, I decided to attempt a sketch of Regina. 

Day 78: Sunrise

"We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness."

-Unknown

I'd never heard this quote before I found it when I was searching for quotes for today, but this one really touched me. It just feels so hopeful, and I think that it could apply to a lot of people in a variety of different situations. I think it may be one of my new favorite quotes.

I was just going to practice drawing random things, eyes, noses, mouths and such, but ended up building around the first eye I drew into one picture. This week's theme is dar, and I figured since the day starts with a sunrise it made since to start this week with a sunrise. 

Day 77: Eye Doodles

Today, I've just uploaded a bunch of doodles I've done over the past week in classes. Lately, I've been doodling nothing but eyes. They're just so easy and fun to doodle. The first two are from today, and the rest are from earlier this week. The quotes to go with them are all lyrics from some of my favorite artists.

"I listened with all of my heart,

But was scared by the look in his eyes.

Like he'd already lost the fight,

and there was no hope ever in sight."

-Laura Marling, "Hope in the Air"

"I swear when we touched, I saw heaven in your eyes."

-Brandi Carlile, "Touching the Ground"

"There's a shadow, you can't see my eyes,

And the sea is just a wetter version of the skies."

-Regina Spektor, "Folding Chair"

"Lend me your eyes I can change what you see,

But your soul you must keep totally free."

-Mumford and Sons, "Awake My Soul"

"He speaks with his eyes closed and even though you're not alone, he's never there to be with you.

And you remember when you were young, when life was new and it was fun,

Now every corner's filled with dust...

But you're not coming home tonight."

-First Aid Kit, "You're Not Coming Home Tonight"

Day 76: Just Another Face

"This is how it works 

You're young until you're not,

You love until you don't, 

You try until you can't, 

You laugh until you cry, 

You  cry until you laugh, 

And everyone must breathe 

Until their dying breath"

-Regina Spektor, "On the Radio"

This quote doesn't have anything to do with the drawing, but since I didn't feel inspired with the drawing today, I figured at least the quote I chose could be something I liked. And I love Regina Spektor! Maybe I'll draw her sometime soon.

Day 75: Color

"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts."
-Marcus Aurelius

Fun fact: I once met someone who claimed they saw auras when they hear people's voices. Mine's purple. I kind of like that. Purple's the deepest color of the rainbow. I think it looks like a cool and calm color. And yet, it has the highest frequency of the visible spectrum and this the highest energy.

I don't like how this one came out. I think what bothers me the most is just that the eyes are not focusing in the same direction. So she just looks like a human chameleon. Weird. Colored pencils are hard!

Day 74: Sleepyhead

"A man reserves his true and deepest love not for the species of woman in whose company he find himself electrified and enkindled, but for that one in whose company he may feel tenderly drowsy."

-George Jean Nathan

I tried using colored pencils for the first time today, and it was really fun! Difficult though. It'll definitely take some practice to get good at it.

Day 73: Night Owl

"What hath night to do with sleep?"

-John Milton

Day 72: Stars

"The stars shine brightest only in your eyes."

The new theme for this week, "night" started yesterday. Yesterday's drawing had nothing to do with night, but at least this one does, if only slightly.

Day 71: Vapid

"I'm not offended by all the dumb blond jokes because I know that I'm not dumb...and I also know that I'm not blond."

-Dolly Parton

Day 70: Mae Whitman

"People should recognize who you are and how you act rather than how famous you are."

-Mae Whitman

Mae Whitman plays Amber on "Parenthood" and I know I already drew someone from that show, but I admire Amber's fashion so much! Everything she wears, no matter how weird it might seem to people, looks really cool on her. I just wish I had her wardrobe!

Day 69: Sonya Tayeh

 

"Imagine what can be accomplished without fear."

-Sonya Tayeh

Sonya is brilliant and by far my favorite choreographer on "So You Think You Can Dance." I'm amazed by basically every piece she choreographs. She can tell stories and send powerful messages through dance. I think that's wonderful.

Day 68: Bones

"Two plus two equals four. I put sugar in my coffee and it tastes sweet. The sun comes up and the world turns. These things are beautiful to me. There are mysteries I will never understand, but everywhere I look, I see proof that for every effect, there is a corresponding cause...even if I can't see it. I find that reassuring."

'These bones you bring me, I give them a face. I say their names out loud. I return them to their loved ones. You arrest the bad guy. I like that."

-Emily Deschanel as Dr. Brennan on "Bones"

This drawing definitely fits under my theme for this week: admiration. I admire the actress, Emily Deschanel, for creating such an endearing character in Dr. Temperance Brennan, and I admire the character as well for oh so many reasons. She has a fascinating career (I realized that the career is not as glamorous as it is portrayed on television, but it is still a subject that I am interested in, and even similar to the career that I plan on pursuing) and she has a strong, confident attitude and a superior intelligence and work ethic that any person cannot help but be in admiration of. Although I feel that the show has definitely already reached its peak a couple seasons ago and has gone downhill in the latest seasons, I still love Dr. Temperance Brennan. Yes she is fictional, but that does not mean that people cannot aim to be more like her in some ways. 

Day 67: Bonnie Bedelia

"Sarah: Don't be a victim, you know. Just do something; you don't need an invitation to your own life.

Camille (Bonnie Bedelia): You're absolutely right, and I'm really glad I taught you that."

Another person that I admire is Bonnie Bedelia, aka Camille on the show "Parenthood". I love her because I think she is the most beautiful woman on the show, and yet she is the oldest as well (she's 63, almost 64!). And her character, in my opinion, is one of the most likable on the show.

Day 66: Brandi Carlile

"When I finally find the way to shake loose, I'll tell you what I'll do: hang my worry on a golden noose and find the way, the way to you."

-Brandi Carlile, "Way to You"

This week's new theme began yesterday, and it is admiration. That is why I drew Laura Marling yesterday (she's one of the greatest artists I've ever heard, and I definitely admire her), and it is why I drew Brandi Carlile today. I'm always amazed by how much emotion can be found in all of her music.

And this is a self-portrait I drew with my new haircut:

Day 65: Laura Marling

"And all you can do is promise me both that you won't let me grow dark or cold as long as we both shall live."

-Laura Marling, "Rest in the Bed"

Day 64: Annoyance

As usually happens when I draw something without staring at a photo, I hate this one. Blehhhh.

Days 60, 61, 62, and 63: I'm Back

I'm finally back at Davidson! Which means access to wifi, and also the use of my good scanner! Yay!
These next four drawings are my drawings for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. It's so nice to be settled again!

(This is my drawing that I drew for the "celebration" theme this week.)

"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

(I didn't like this one because I got the proportional all wrong, so I'm going to mostly ignore it.)

"It's no use speaking in soft, gentle tones if everyone else is shouting."

-Joseph Priestly

"Beauty is not caused. It is."

-Emily Dickinson

No Wifi

Today I have no access to wifi which means no way to post my drawing since I cannot do that from my phone (which I'm using right now). But I did draw something...it even falls under the theme of celebration like it's supposed to. I'll upload and publish it when possible.

"Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts."

-Albert Einstein

The shading of the eyes looks weird in this picture because the light was shining on it unevenly when I took a picture of the drawing, but the internet is so slow right now that I don't have the patience to retake the picture and re-upload it and all that jazz. I drew this picture without any visual guidance, which usually turns out to be a complete disaster. This time, I'd say it was only a semi-disaster. There was a mouth originally, but they are very difficult, so I eventually gave up and cropped it out. 

Day 58: Untitled

"The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are."

-Samuel Johnson

Obviously, this picture has nothing to do with traveling. It's just that the fact that I am currently on the road is my excuse for posting a drawing that I am less than satisfied with. And for the poor quality of the picture of the drawing. I once again have to access to a scanner. I don't mind the traveling, but I have very little time to draw and when I do have time, I'm exhausted, which just makes it more difficult.

Day 57: Something to Smile About

"Find occasions to celebrate your happiness. There is more to celebrate than anniversaries and birthdays."
-Amanda Bradley

This week's theme is celebration. So today I tried to draw a face that looked happy at least. It could fit the theme better, but I'll be sure to draw something closer to "celebration" later this week.

Also, this week I don't know that I'll be able to publish a post every day since I'll be traveling. I'll still draw every day and will try my hardest to post them when possible but it may not happen every day.

Day 56: Surprise

(a self portrait)

"A nice blend of prediction and surprise seem to be at the heart of the best art."

-Wendy Carlos

"Art must take reality by surprise."

-Francoise Sagan

Day 55: Mask

"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and we know we cannot live within."

-James A. Baldwin

This year for Christmas I drew portraits for my family. Christmas seems a while ago now, but I was not in a place that I could post these from/ didn't think of it until now. These are the celebrity portraits that I drew as gifts:

Bruce Springstein

Mel Gibson (as William Wallace in Braveheart)

Ryan Gosling

Lady Gaga

Day 54: Another Face

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

-Howard Thurman

I know this drawing is very similar to the one I did yesterday, but I really enjoyed this style or portrait so I wanted to try it again.

Day 53: Pretty Face

"I once knew a pretty girl

And she was in love with the world

And she loved a young man

Who loved her body but never saw her mind.

He took everything she had kept,

And then took everything else that was left"

-First Aid Kit, Our Own Pretty Ways

I've decided to stop following the themes strictly (I'll do them at least one day per week, but I'd rather be able to just draw what I want every once in a while as well). The thing I like to draw the most are faces, and that was the only thing I wanted to draw today. 

Day 52: Hot Chocolate

This picture doesn't even deserve a quote. I've hated everthing I've drawn lately; I don't know why I can't draw anything right. I also can't get the internet on my computer to work so I had to take a picture of it on that computer and email it to another computer, hence the terrible quality...again.

Day 51: Breeze

"Break open a cherry tree and there are no flowers, but the spring breeze brings forth myriad blossoms."
-Ikkyu Sojun

Day 50: Cake

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie."

-Jim Davis

This week's theme is yummy.

Day 49: Drinking Tea

"Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things."

-Chaim Potok

10 health benefits of drinking tea include:

• Tea contains antioxidants.
• Tea has less caffeine than coffee.
• Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Tea protects your bones.
• Tea bolsters your immune defenses.
• Tea protects against cancer.
• Tea helps keep you hydrated (unless you drink more than five or six caffeinated beverages at a time).
• Tea is calorie-free.
• Tea increases your metabolism.
• Tea lowers the chances of cognitive impairment.

Day 48: Smiling

You're never fully dressed without a smile.

Why is smiling beneficial?

• It makes people more attractive.
• Smiling changes your mood.
• It's contagious.
• Smiling relieves stress.
• Smiling boosts your immune system (most likely because you're more relaxed).
• Smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin.
• Smiling makes you seem successful.

Day 47: Sunlight

"Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight."

-Benjamin Franklin

"In the beginning there was nothing. God said, 'Let there be light!" And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see a whole lot better.

-Ellen Degeneres

Day 46: Teeth

"If suffering brought wisdom, every dentist's office would be full of luminous ideas."
Mason Cooley

I haven't had access to a scanner for a few days now, and so I've been taking pictures of my drawings instead. The problem with that is that even if my phone isn't being held exactly level, it warps the proportions Of the drawing get warped and make it look yucky.

Days 44 and 45: Broccoli and Sleep

"In sleep is the only place I get to see him, get to love him."

-Lissie, "In Sleep"

This is today's drawing. Sometimes I need to remind myself that sleep is a good thing.

Yesterday's, which I couldn't upload in the car, got super smudged overnight, not to mention that I could barely see when I drew it so I hate it anyways. Here it is:

Road Trip

Due to the fact that my family is currently on a drive from New Hampshire to Florida it is not possible for me to post my drawing for today (although it is completed). I'm very frustrated by this but there's nothing I can do. I guess I'll just post it when I get the chance.