Immersed in Reading

 HELLO!

Recently, a certain photo of a cat inspired me to such an extent that I decided to draw it. This particular photo was a part of an old calendar (from 2009 but to my astonishment, I noticed the days are in alignment with the days of 2026 - quite cool). A cat from the photo is sitting on a pile of books, and is surrounded by more books. If a librarian or a bookseller were a cat, they would be that cat.

When I was thinking about drawing this cat, I came up with an idea to sort of extend my picture.

Mentioned photo is visible on the left side. Lovely cat, isn't it?
On the right side there is my pencil draft of a cat among the books.

Yes, my vision for this picture is kind of an extension of this photo. It's like asking a question - but what might be happening beyond the borders of this photo? And my answer was there is a lady reading a book so intensely she becomes the one with the floor. Literally. And that floor behaves like water - it's waving, and there's a splash because one book plunges into its depths. 

It sounds quite surrealistically, isn't it?

drawing of Santa Croce in Florence

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Today I'd like to show You a drawing of Santa Croce in Florence. When I saw a certain photo on Pinterest (a Pin described as "Santa Croce, Florence" by user Maro), I thought it might be a good challenge to draw it. And it was. Not only because of my problems with drawing a perspective but also with dealing with the heat (it was so hot I understood how snowman must feel when Spring is near).

So, below, the first two photos shows phases of drawing.

gazing out at the distance

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Here's a woman. Her face remains unknown as she's rear-faced to viewer. She's focused on a landscape beneath her.

This is a vision I draw on a paper recently. Soon I felt a need to do something interesting with it.

By "something interesting" I meant using pastels (both dry and oil), and also watercolour crayons. I craved to experiment with them.

I started with dry pastels. Then I used watercolour crayons for womanly silhouette.

letting the red crane go

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For some time certain thought was tickling my mind, and it was the idea of drawing a lady wearing a kimono. Maybe it's because I haven't been doing an art inspired by Japanese culture in quite a long time. At first I've got no idea how to compose a picture, or which colours I should choose. Finally I came up with usage of a contrast, and with an addition of something symbolic.

Below You could look at my work - letting the red crane go.

letting the red crane go, watercolour crayons on a watercolour paper, 19,7 x 14,5 cm.

a figure with a book (Caserta)

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Recently I was working on the drawing. I treated it as a form of exercise. My main model was a photo showing one of the statues from the garden in the Royal Palace of Caserta in Italy. I'm not sure who was pictured in this sculpture (I suspect it might be allegory of something associated with wisdom, or a goddess). The picture I'm talking about You will find HERE.

So, I took a pencil, a brown paper, and started drawing.

Soon afterwards I was not only using pencil but also a white crayon.

fortuneteller

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One day I thought that it might be a good idea to create a collage similar to Melancholy once again. By similar, I mean layering a paper with clipped parts on another paper (or cardboard) with press cuttings pasted on it. 

As for work from today's post I came up with a concept of a collage made on circular media (after among the sunflowers I wanted to do tondo work again) with a horoscope as a main theme. What's the reason for choosing this theme? I've simply gathered lots of cuttings from horoscopes because I saw in them the potential for an interesting dada poem, or collage. I chose the collage option.

So, let's begin.

So, after I prepared a paper circle, and also a cardboard circle, I started drawing a silhouette of female fortuneteller with her crystal ball on the paper one. Above you can see a first draft.

searching for a wisdom

 HELLO!

In the very last post in this year I'm coming to You with quite mysterious drawing I've made.

It all started with an idea of a woman leaning on an owl (particularly the Eurasian eagle-owl was my main inspiration here).

So, I decided to achieve it but only with pencils.

Below there's the net result of my work.

searching for a wisdom, pencil on a paper, 21 x 14,8 cm.

dreaming in the meadow

 HELLO!

Lately I was working on a drawing showing two sitting ladies leaning against their backs. I felt an urge to draw them because of a certain photo which I found in thin book with aphorisms (there are quotes like "Natural abilities are like natural plants that need pruning by study." by sir Francis Bacon).

In the upper part of this photo you can notice a photo in the mentioned book. When I looked at this photo I thought it would be fun to create a picture with two figures sitting like that. But show them in a different way, in a dreamy setting.

Curia Julia in the Roman Forum

 HELLO!

Lately I wanted to practise drawing an architecture. This exercise would be helpful when I'll be doing a Cityscape (one of my 3 aims). So I was searching through various photographies on postcards, or in the books. And I found an inspiring one. It was a photo showing Curia Julia (Latin: Curia Iulia) in the Roman Forum which comes from the book about past and present Rome (the polish edition of R. A. Staccioli's book).

Forum Romanum, Curia Julia's building. 
Source of photo:
R. A. Staccioli, Rzym kiedyś i dzisiaj z rekonstrukcjami, Rzym 2008, s. 23.

Mermaid's charm

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Welcome back mermaids! It's been so long. 

The last one work with mermaids I've published here was blue mermaid. Amazingly enough, there's a similarity between blue mermaid and Mermaid's charm (that's how I called new mermaid art). The posture of mermaids is alike.

This is Mermaid's charm.

Mermaid's charm, watercolour crayons on a watercolour paper, 14,8 x 21 cm.

Iris

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So, the whole idea for today's work appeared in my mind as an image of mysterious woman holding a flower. But which flower should I portray? That's a question. At first it was a bit difficult riddle but then I made a selection, and chose iris.

In quite unexpected conclusion an image of Iris, goddess from Greek mythology emerged.

The doodle I made in order to record my vision.

I drew a design on A3 paper.

monochrome nude

 HELLO!

Recently I made a monochromatic nude of an imaginary female character.

monochrome nude, pencil and black crayon on paper, 14,8 x 21 cm.

I drew a young lady with the only accessory which is a shawl with a floral pattern.

I put a paper on a box with an interesting, circular pattern. Then I started rubbing the paper with a black crayon. That's how the background was made.

That's all.

What is your opinion about monochrome nude?

Tell me in comments below.

Have a Nice Day!

the Poetic Graphics: The wild notes

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Today I would like to show another piece of series the Poetic Graphics. 

This time I've translated a poem created in the end of July 2022. Notatki nieokiełznane - that's the original title of poem, concerns reflection on the old notes, full of knowledge, and various doodles. 

Below you can see translated poem in the form of a colourful graphic.

the Poetic Graphics: The wild notes, graphic.

a picture of a horse

 HELLO!

For some time an idea of drawing a horse was clinging to me. So it became my aim.

I started with drawing a sketch based on a following photo.

Horse. Source of illustration.

Below you can see a sketch I've made with a pencil.

Oh my dear, isn't it deer?

 HELLO!

Recently I drew a deer. What inspired me to do this was a story of my cousin who saw this majestic animal in the forest. 

A backup for me was a photography found on Shutterstock.

Below you can look at net result.

Deer, pen on a paper, 29,5 x 21 cm.

holding the light

HELLO!

Recently I felt a desire to create something on the spur of the moment.

So I sketched a naked woman who's holding the light in her hands. 

I haven't got any specific idea concerning a portrayed lady.

holding the light, pencil and white & black crayons on a brown paper,
11,5 x 17,2 cm.

One may wonder what is the light in her hands.

It could be deeply hidden treasure or power which is about to awaken.

It could be anything. 

That's all.

How do You perceive holding the light?

Let me know in the comments.

Have a Nice Day! ✨

Squirrel

 HELLO!

Today I would like to show You a drawing of a very lovely creature. I mean squirrel. 

It's so cool to see squirrel during the stroll.

The basis for my drawing was a photography which I found in old card.

This card is from some binder with cards concerning various animals.
It was some sort of collection cards.

I took brown paper and pencil, and started drawing.

a Portrait of Hikaru Masai

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Today I'm showing one of my aims with a great pleasure

. It is Hikaru Masai's portrait. 

Who is Hikaru Masai? 

She is a japanese singer who nowadays is performing as H-el-ical//. Previously Hikaru Masai was a part of Kalafina. This splendid japanese group disbanded in 2019. They were well-known for their songs composed for various anime series.

Previously I drew also portraits of other members of Kalafina: Keiko Kubota and Wakana Ootaki. I was so eager to draw her as well, but as a result of various obstacles I was leaving this aim over.

The time has come but I decided to change something in a style of portraying.

Do not be afraid to look behind the certain curtain

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Long time ago I draw a lady in kimono and left this drawing unfinished. I don't remember what was my purpose for drawing her.

I thought that using this sketch as a basis for a graphic would be a brilliant idea. 

And it turned out to be a brilliant idea.

Samurai whose eyes are aiming at the cherry blossom

 Hello! 🌸

   So, this rare opportunity, which is an image of a man on my blog, has come. For this particular portrayal I chose a samurai. I accepted this challenge with a pleasure (lately One Piece increased my interest in japanese culture much more). I went through a huge brainstorm... Firstly I took pastels and made an undermentioned sketch.

To my own surprise this sketch was looking like a response to Sutekina tsuitachi o. There was a young lady sitting under the cherry blossom with an o-choko (a cylindrical cup which is used for drinking sake) in her hand.