Concept Development

Paint Like CÉZANNE

| Patricia

Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one’s sensations.”
– Paul Cezanne

Over the past months I have been reacquainting myself with many of the master artists of the past. Most of them came from traditional roots and many were ridiculed when they broke with tradition to explore other ways of looking at and depicting a subject. They are also the artists we revere the most all these generations later.

This is my quick study, working title ‘Paint Like Cézanne’

All artwork and creative writing is Copyright ©️ of Patricia White. No use of this content or concept may be used without the express permission of the artist/author.

‘I’m Still Here’—an illustration in recognition of International Women’s Day 2023

| Patricia

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” ~ Madeleine Albright

March 8, 2023: – ‘I’M STILL HERE’, an illustration. A woman, seemingly cobbled together from disparate parts, to become a whole person, seems appropriate to recognize INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, a global day to celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements.

While there is some way to go, today marks a time to raise awareness of the progress made toward achieving true gender equality and the work still to be done.

The beginnings of International Women’s Day can be traced back to the early twentieth century. Emerging from the labour movements in Europe and North America, reflecting a call for women’s equal participation in society. International Women’s Day first took place on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, when over a million women and men attended public events to show their support.

Other countries began to celebrate this day, with the United Nations recognizing 1975 as International Women’s Year; celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day—a day of unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy, and action and is celebrated in many countries worldwide. https:// www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day

Artwork Copyright ©️ Patricia White 2022

concept development with MOLESKIN’S Flow App

| Patricia

In addition to my fine art work, I also do graphic illustration. So, I’m always looking for ways to quickly sketch out a concept or idea on my iPad Pro before it flits out of my head. These concepts are often used to provide direction for analogue works or digital brand development. Digital drawing apps, such as the native Apple Notes, or the newer Freeform apps also have sufficient drawing tools to scribble down a thought or image idea.

Ran across this concept from last year when I tried out the FLOW: SKETCH, DRAW, TAKE NOTES APP, which is part of the Moleskin Studio trio of applications, and found the tools to be quite good for marker rendering, pencil sketching, etc. The shape snapping feature was particularly useful for this quick concept. March 21, 2022

Check it out: Moleskin Studio

Sketchy Coloured Charcoal Apple, FEBRUARY 25, 2023

| Patricia

“The sweeter the apple, the blacker the core…” ~ Dorothy Parker

I’ve been using my DAILY PAINTING regimen to experiment with new materials, rather than working in just one medium or style. When testing new products, I generally draw a familiar subject so I only have to think about how the materials are working.

LOVED working with Derwent’s Coloured Charcoal pencils (included in their Derwent Sketching Collection).

Used a limited palette of Brown Ochre 5700, Terracotta 6400, Peat Tinted Charcoal TC18 and Burnt Earth Tinted Charcoal TC19 but I will definitely be checking out adding a larger range of colours.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White, 2023.

COLOURED PENCIL LANDSCAPE Work-in-Progress, February15, 2023

| Patricia

“Memory is the fourth dimension to any landscape.” ~ Janet Fitch, American Author

Coloured Pencil Landscape WIP February 15, 2023

Took a break from doing techie work to cleanse my tired brain. It felt like recess! 😉

This is just a quick little coloured pencil sketch of an imagined landscape. These small works stretch the boundaries of possibility for subject matter as well as the capability and limits of chosen materials. This sketch experiments with complementary color combinations. These small sketches often serve to develop concepts for a larger works.

Materials used include Faber-Castell soft pastels and Stabilo CarbOthello pastel pencils on Strathmore drawing pad, 5.5” x 8.5”.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2023.

Ink and wash Apple

| Patricia

“There never was an apple, in Adam’s opinion, that wasn’t worth the trouble you got into for eating it.” ~ Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Sometimes I sketch concepts on my iPad when an idea occurs and I want to get it down quickly or don’t feel like dealing with the mess of using analogue materials. I often tap the tablet’s screen when holding my Apple Pencil and it opens an Apple Notes page with the drawing tools panel open. Most times I take this as an unplanned opportunity to relax for a few moments and jot down some concept, scribble down an idea or draw a random object. I’ve drawn and painted a ton of apples these past months and this time I tried out Note’s new watercolour tool. I chose red, created a curving swath of ‘paint’ as the background, completing the object with an ink pen line drawing. I then enhanced the watercolour, added some splashes and the cast shadow.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2023.

Old Man Tree – January 31, 2023

| Patricia

“He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” ~ Thomas Fuller

Another tree sketch created in the same session as the Spotty Tree sketch, spurred by finding an old oil painting from 1972 I had gifted to my dad, retrieving it while cleaning out his apartment after his passing in 2006..

Old Man Tree began as a normally configured tree but I noticed some facial-like features in part of the image and it quickly transformed into a tree character with craggy twig-fingered ‘hands’ at the end of his ‘arm’ branches and twisted aging trunk ‘body’.

He may become a character in an adventure book that I’m writing.

Artwork copyright Patricia White 2023.

Coloured Pencil Landscape Sketch January 25, 2023

| Patricia

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
~ Marcel Proust, French Novelist

DAILY PAINTING is an effort to keep my art-making skills active, develop new techniques and generally just keep discovering new ways to document the world I see and imagine. This quick sketch drawn with coloured pencils and white charcoal, is an imagined vista. I scored the paper with a small ball-headed stylus before putting pencil to paper so those areas would remain white when the pencil was drawn across the indentations. Think I’ll use a larger stylus the next time to make those lines more prominent.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2023.

Scribble Character sketch

| Patricia

Drew this Scribble Character Sketch in the Apple Notes app on my iPad Pro and enhanced the drawing in Procreate.

I have chronic arthritic pain in my hands and right should so find it helpful to use my Apple Pencil to navigate around on my tablet. Sometimes I forget and tap the screen to wake the tablet and it immediately opens a Notes document with the drawing tools panel open. I could change this in settings but think this is a good way to remind myself to do a little random doodle or concept on the fly.

this guy, I dubbed Mal Evalent, took shape by building on a pencil sketch frame, adding ink scribbles to form the structure and features. Finally finishing with a transparent marker layer of subtle colour.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2023.