Don’t worry, change is a good thing!
5.24.2021
YouTube Videos
Don’t worry, change is a good thing!
5.24.2021
Today I’m bringing you a wealth of knowledge on one of the most important, yet most difficult to discuss, topics plaguing the American dream - systematic racism. Until we not only learn from the past but learn to see the racism between the lines and just under the surface, we will never be able to succeed in banishing unfair and unjust treatment of Black people here in this county or in the rest of the world.
Perhaps you saw my post a few weeks ago about why I felt compelled to create this drawing of Duante Wright’s grandmother. Today while I demo this, and another easily recognizable fallen brother in the Black Lives Matter movement, I’m sharing a plethora of podcasts all about the Black experience both historically as well as contemporarily which you can enjoy enlightening yourself with while working in your own studio.
Here are the podcasts I mention in the video
‘Policing in America’ by Throughline
‘How Jacob Loud’s Land Was Lost’ by Planet Money
‘Rethinking Black Wealth’ by Planet Money
‘Reproducing Racism’ by Reveal
‘Tuskegee Syphilis Study’ by American Scandal
‘The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks’ by Rebecca Skloot (book)
‘Henrietta Lacks’ by Black History Club
’Henrietta Lacks’ by Babes of Science
‘The Real Black Panthers’ by Throughline
Nice White Parents by The New York Times
‘Black Parents Take Control, Teachers Strike Back’ by Codeswitch
Please let me know if you find this post useful and will be listening to a few of these recommendations. Also, if you have any great resources to add please do!!
5.11.2021
“Attempting” being the key word there - ha!
Totally on a whim on April 1st I decided to challenge myself to create a figure drawing every day for 30 days straight. I say on a whim because as of March 31 I had no plans to do a challenge, but when I enjoyed creating a figure drawing so much that very next day, I thought ‘why not?’ Just do it.
In the first couple of days I actually asked my Instagram followers if anyone had attempted any kind of 30 day art challenge in the past, and if so, what were the results. I honestly didn’t get a lot of positive responses, as in, most people either had been too intimidated to try, or they didn’t have much success when they did.
Which is kind of why I had never tried one myself!
This challenge wound up being pretty successful in my opinion. I only missed two days of drawing and I allowed myself a little wiggle room as far as doing two days of drawing at the Picasso exhibit, and three of the days were spent working on a figure painting I had previously started. I also had a little more time this month for drawing than I have in the past 6+ months so I wanted to seize that opportunity too.
Here’s a few pics from the beginning of the month, or you can see them all in order on my Instagram @caleighbirdart.
If you decided to try an art challenge too, either like mine with a personal challenge, or an official prompted one like Inktober, please let me know how it goes either here or in the video comments.
And last but not least, if you are interested in acquiring an original figure drawing I have them available at especially good rates this month to coincide with this challenge. Visit my Shop here.
5.2.2021
Aloha friends! Today I'm bringing you a real time figure drawing demo as part of my 30 Day Figure Drawing Challenge, which I tried to do live week before last but YT deleted it almost as soon as I was finished - I think because my drawing reference photo was viewable (even though I thought it was a 'safe' one!).
Anyway, this one is far more concise since I did edit out little things like erasing mistakes and swapping out materials, plus this figure is only a back so I won’t get flagged for sharing my reference photo.
As far as this 30 day challenge goes, I decided to do it to help get myself back in the groove of figure drawing. Since covid has shut down so many open studio figure drawing sessions I haven’t had the opportunity to draw from life in over a year and I’m missing it terribly! I can feel myself getting rusty so I wanted to get back on the saddle and slip back into my comfort zone.
If you would like more info on getting your own handmade-with-love toned (or white) paper sketchbook pop over here to be kept in the loop for my next sketchbook release.
Materials I use to draw (any purchase through my special links helps my channel at no cost to you so thank you!):
Parisian Blue Carbothello Pastel
4.18.2021
I'm so excited to share my latest 3D oil, mixed media, and resin painting with you! I've been working on 'The Dreaming Witch' for months now and was finally able to ensconce her lovely ferns, petals, and gold leaf flakes in resin just last week.
This is an oil painting on linen with an aerosol background. I used dried ferns and other plants I collected in Hawai'i and Florida, as well as a cruelty-free reproduction moth, with gold leaf flakes scattered about.
I'll have this painting available as a limited edition print with hand embellished gold leaf accents in my Shop for a short time. You can grab yours here.
These prints will only be available as a pre-order for a limited time, and each one will be hand embellished with gold leaf. Grab on today!
3.21.2021
So a really common question I get from people is a pretty general one, ‘how can I get better at drawing?’ And while the number one answer of course is to practice, I think very often people aren’t sure quite how to practice or how best to use their time practicing drawing. Today I’m going to share some of my best tips for getting better at drawing for beginner or intermediate artists that you can apply to any art practice.
Once you focus in on what areas you need to improve on and make a consistent habit to practice, I’m sure you will be delighted by just how quickly progress will come to you.
Here’s my How to Draw Hands workshop if you’d really like to take things to the next level.
You definitely do not need any special materials in order to improve your drawing skills, but below are just a few items I like to use. If you purchase anything through my special links it helps support this channel so thank you very much!
Parisian Blue Carbothello Pastel
Find this model, Diana, on Instagram if you’d like to use her poses in your own work at whatever donation you can afford:)
2.28.2021
I’m thrilled to share my latest 3D oil painting, ‘Lady Earth’ with you! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve completed an oil painting and it feels soo good!
I feel like so many of my paintings have a Mother Earth/Gaia feel to them so I’m constantly seeking out new ways to express this reoccurring theme. Ninsar is the name of the ancient Sumerian goddess of plants, which translates into English as ‘Lady Earth’… the perfect ceremonial name for my latest muse.
My amazing subject is a force to be reckoned with, yet quiet and serene in her own way, similar to the balance of love and wrath of Mother Earth. She is one who will provide and protect, but will also remind you that you are essentially helpless before her.
Even though this piece is small in stature, she is a monumental presence that will fill any space.
Thank you to my Muse, Toy, for being exactly who you are. @they_call_me_toy
2.14.21
Welcome back to my second home of O'ahu! I'm so thrilled to have just had the opportunity to spend 7 whole weeks camping, hiking, beaching, painting, and visiting friends on the beloved island I decided to leave just one year ago.
What can I say..? I didn't move away from Hawai'i because I didn't like it!
Visiting close friends and adventuring through the island is such a blissful existence. If you haven’t put it on your list yet, maybe a few more photos will help seal the deal..
Did you enjoy coming along for the ride? Here's my travel + art vlog from the vanlifing I did on Maui and Big Island last year. You can also see more of my life while I lived on island, including where I worked and my awesome bungalow with the fully outdoor bathroom! And if you're wondering why I ever left this slice of paradise, I made a video of that too!
12.20.2020
I really hope you are able to find some peace and happiness during this Holiday season, even though most of us won't be able to spend them with the folks we love the most. If you find yourself with a little extra solo time (yep, even more than 2020 has already given us) then consider investing some love into your art biz or art practice. The best thing we can do for ourselves in any situation is to never stop learning:)
So enjoy this quickie vlog while I take my own kind of holiday, and look below for a pile of links to help you brush up on your knowledge during some down time this week.
Welcome to Ask an Artist 5! We are going to get into how to make a portfolio for your art that is professional and thorough and will open doors for you when opportunity arises.
Creating a college application portfolio is very different than creating a fine art portfolio, so the first thing we will talk about is how they compare. Then we'll get into why you should be doing artwork in a series, and ultimately what the five components of a great art portfolio are.
Feel free to pop me a question here or in the YouTube comments to be discussed in an upcoming ‘Ask an Artist.’ You can also see some previous episodes featuring other figure drawings and questions here.
If you'd like to snag some of these amazing super smooth pastel pencils, the first two are the ones I'm using in the video and the other two are some of my favorite colors. Any purchases through my special links helps to support my channel so thank you!
White Chalk Pencil: https://bit.ly/3d3COLh
Raw Umber Carbothello Pastel Pencil: https://bit.ly/30zLfL8
Steel Grey Carbothello Pastel Pencil: https://bit.ly/2YIvbED
Deep Purple Carbothello Pastel Pencil: https://bit.ly/2XTkGPk
How I create my figure drawings (and this one too)
How to Photograph Artwork Without a Glare
How to Write an Artist Statement
If you would like more info on getting your own handmade-with-love toned (or white) paper sketchbook pop over here to be kept in the loop for my next sketchbook release: https://www.caleighbirdart.com/handmade-sketchbooks
10.4.2020