29 Faces September 2016 Challenge - Faces 10,11, and 12- Audrey Hepburn

So I have fallen behind on the drawings this month, and I am now playing catch up.  Actually, behind the scenes, I've drawn a few less than satisfying images and decided to toss them entirely.  Today I am presenting three images of Audrey Hepburn for my next three attempts.  I found images of her in black and white that were rather striking and tried to replicate them.

"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

"One of my favorite quotes by Audrey is "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, 'I'm possible.'"

~Peace Out~

September 2016 29 Faces Challenge – Face 8 – Channing Tatum

"Channing Tatum," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

So this is my attempt at drawing Channing Tatum after my daughter suggest I give it a try.  I like some of his recent movies, after all, who among us doesn’t like Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL?  I also liked his role in White House Down.  I didn’t realize until today he had an uncredited role in the War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise, and he was next to impossible to see in Ricky Martin’s video “She Bangs,” until I found an image actually pointing him out.  I also think he has an interesting character in Jupiter Ascending, although admittedly, I haven’t had a chance to see the whole film just yet.

I definitely like his down to earth attitude as is conveyed in this quote, “Life is too short to miss out on the beautiful things like a double cheeseburger.” – Channing Tatum

After all, there’s nothing like a good cheeseburger. ;)

~Peace Out~

29 Faces September 2016 – Face 7 – Harvey Keitel

"Harvey Keitel," by Dayna Winters, Copyright 2016.

I have come to appreciate the acting skills of Harvey Keitel, particularly in roles like “Dusk to Dawn,” where he played a vampire-fighting preacher, and of course, “Pulp Fiction,” where he played the Wolf.  My favorite line in Pulp Fiction comes from when the Wolf (Keitel) addresses Vincent Vega (John Travolta,)” and (Jules Winnfield) as he tells them how to get out of the current bind they are in.  Vincent decides to get a bit sarcastic with the Wolf, and is quickly put in his place (Love it!)…

“Get it straight buster - I'm not here to say please, I'm here to tell you what to do and if self-preservation is an instinct you possess you'd better fucking do it and do it quick. I'm here to help - if my help's not appreciated then lotsa luck, gentlemen… If I'm curt with you it's because time is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast and I need you guys to act fast if you wanna get out of this. So, pretty please... with sugar on top. Clean the fucking car.” – The Wolf, “Pulp Fiction”

And the line he says later on in the movie: "Just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character."

I also enjoyed Harvey’s role in Thelma and Louise as the cop pursuing the two woman as they move across the country and try to get to Mexico.  Even more hilarious is when he plays Satan in Adam Sandler’s “Little Nicky.”  All around a great actor and as drawing faces go, a considerable challenge.  His face has a lot of character, and I did my best to capture it.

29 Faces September 2016 Challenge - Face 6 - Christopher Walkens

"Christopher Walken," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

Every once and a while I like to do a drawing and then bravely play the "Guess who?" game with friends and family.  If the majority of people get who it is in the image, then I know I've done a fairly sufficient job in capturing the person I'm and trying to capture.  On this go round, I showed several people my most recent drawing and the response was surprisingly the same..."I can't remember his name but he's the guy in the movie 'Joe Dirt," right?"

Right they are...today's drawing is Christopher Walken, and while he was funny in "Joe Dirt," I remember him from an earlier film....Stephen King's, "The Dead Zone." (Loved the movie absolutely, but the book is better.)  I also thought he was great in the Adam Sandler movie, "Click," and he's just an all around great actor.

And I'll close from with a quote from Walken: "I don't need to be made to look evil. I can do that all by myself."

Until next time...~Peace out.~ :)

29 Faces Challenge September 2016 Face 5 - Mick Jagger

"Mick Jagger," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

The first time I ever saw Mick Jagger in a movie, it was in the 1992 film "Freejack," co-starring Emilio Estevez, where Jagger played the role of Victor Vacendak and honestly, I liked him in the role.  

The list of the Rolling Stones songs I appreciate is pretty long, but off the top of my head I can say I enjoy songs like "I Can't Get No Satisfaction," "Angie," "Beast of Burden," and "Jumpin' Jack Flash."

Interestingly, we discovered one of our pugs doesn't really have the appreciation for the Rolling Stones that we do, and we made this discovery quite by accident. One day we were watching a movie featuring Denzel Washington and John Goodman - the supernatural thriller  "Fallen." Great flick too - I highly recommend it. If my memory serves me correctly, the movie portrayed a demonic angel named Azazel, jumping from one person's body to another throughout the film, as he sinisterly and repeatedly defied and tormented a detective played by Denzel Washington. Definitely, it is a film I would revisit and recommend for anyone who enjoys a film with a few eerie twists.

Anyway, as the credits of the film rolled, "Sympathy for the Devil," played in the background and Puggles, our male pug, began barking and squawking and putting up a protest like no other!  Every time the song broke out with the chorus:

"Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
(Woo woo, woo woo)...."

I still think it was the (woo woo, woo woo) section that was freaking him out!  LoL, and even now he acts up every time the song plays - sooooooooooo...if I want to chill out and listen to "Sympathy for the Devil," I have to do so when Puggy is out of earshot or I have to put my headphones on, unless I want to get him hooting and hollering!

Anyway, here's my rendition of Mick Jagger. He really has a lot of definition in the face and his look is so icon I attempted, as best as I could, to capture every feature.

And... here's a quote from Jagger to remind us all how important it is to dream big and to pursue our dreams as long as we are able:

"Lose your dreams and you might lose your mind."~ Mick Jagger~

29 Faces September 2016 Challenge Face 3 - Steven Tyler

"Steven Tyler," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

Thought I would give Steven Tyler a try, with his iconic looks I figured I'd either do it right or miss the mark entirely.  I think I did okay here and feel he is recognizable, even if I didn't say who he was right at the start. 

I'd be giving away my age here when I say I first listened to Aerosmith on a cassette tape - that's right, I said it (lol).  A cassette tape, which at the time  was a real pain in the ass to reward to get it right on the song you wanted to here.  The tape was: "Toys in the Attic."

Here's a great quote from Tyler for those who need a bit of inspiration or deep insight: "Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes this is what awakens us."

With that being said, who of my generation would have thought Tyler would eventually start writing country music?  Amazing. Absolutely.

29 Faces 2016 Challenge Face 2 - Alicia Silverstone

"Alicia Silverstone," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

I remember Silverstone in her roles in Clueless, which I wasn't overly crazy about, but found it mildly entertaining, and The Crush, which a found a lot more entertaining and dramatic than Clueless. I also remember her appearances in the Aerosmith videos Cryin'; Crazy; and Amazing, all of which are songs I love.

Quote: "I think I can deceive people. I'm like, the nice, sweet girl when you meet me. And I don't have any bad intentions. But I'm a bad girl too." - Alicia Silverstone

This is my attempt to draw Alicia Silverstone, and admittedly I found her iconic pouty look a bit of a challenge.  Otherwise, I am satisfied with the piece. 

29 Faces September 2016 Challenge – Meryl Streep

"Meryl Streep," Graphite Pencil, by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

So, the 29 Faces September 2016 is here, and I’m back at the drawing board again in an effort to try and meet the challenge. Of course, doing any art at all and blogging about it is the real challenge, whether or not you actually meet the 29 Faces count.  So without further ado…my first drawing is an attempt at Meryl Streep.

Streep has always been an actress I’ve appreciated, especially for how flexible she is with her acting and roles. I liked the movie She-Devil where she co-stars with Rosanne Barr, who plays a Ruth: worn out, tired housewife trying to please her husband Bob (played by Ed Begley, Jr) any way possible. Streep plays Mary Fisher, the glamorous writer and mistress who ends up getting her just rewards when the Bob ends up cheating on her and treating her just like his wife.

I also enjoyed the reincarnation/live evaluation theme in the 1991 film Defending Your Life, where she is a woman in limbo trying to get into Heaven; here she must go through a trial to review all she did in her life. Those who are on trial have their life actions evaluated. If considered exceptional, those living good lives could move onto heaven while those who had lives that were less than extraordinary or wholesome would reincarnate in an effort to get it right. 

Even better was the 1992 release of Death Becomes Her where she costars along with Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis; this film is a hysterical dark comedy where Streep is an aging actress having considerable difficulty accepting the fact that she is getting older and that age is affecting her looks. She takes a potion given to her that promises to keep her young and alive forever, but not without later being forced to face dire consequences for defying the natural order of things.

The Manchurian Candidate, where so co-stars with Denzel Washington, is a film featuring Streep as a vindictive senator and mother of a son running for vice president. The film is one of many showing Streep’s extensive acting skills and how easily she moves from a dark comedic roll, to a more dramatic one, all without missing a beat.  I’ve also seen and appreciated The Devil Wears Prada, Mastering the Art of French Cooking wear she played the role of Julie Child, and the most recent film I watched was It's Complicated where Streep co-starred with Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin (A great film if you are looking for some highly comedic moments).

On a final note, one of my favorite quotes by Streep is: “Everything we say signifies; everything counts, that we put out into the world. It impacts on kids, it impacts on the zeitgeist of the time. - Meryl Streep.”

When attempting to draw Meryl, I think the cheekbones and facial structure was the most challenging, but overall I am satisfied with the result. I chose graphite pencil for the drawing simply because I enjoy doing pencil sketches and attempting to give the image some varying degrees of depth and shading with a single color rather than multiple colors. Of course, I enjoy colored pencils too J, but I am perfectly content drawing with plain pencil any day of the week.

29 Faces Day 11, 12, 13, and 14 - Some of My Favorite TV Characters

So I wasn't really inspired over the last few days. I just decided to draw some of my favorite television characters and I had a pretty relaxing time doing so.  The first picture is my effort at a young William Shatner as James T. Kirk in Star Trek. Yes, I am a fan of Star Trek, and I can still remember when my grandmother brought me to the movie theater when I was a kid to see the first film.

William Shatner as James T. Kirk ©Dayna Winters

Of course, then I got on the Star Trek run and did two more characters from the series.  Spock and McCoy....

Leonard Nimoy as Spock ©Dayna Winters.

DeForest Kelley as Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy ©Dayna Winters

Then, in a total stream of consciousness leap in which I cannot clearly connect the dots with, I decided to draw a character from American Horror Story (I love this show!!!!). So, here's my effort at Evan Peters.....

Evan Peters ©Dayna Winters

I hope that all who are participating with the 29Faces challenge is having a fantastic time drawing or using whatever medium of preference.  I thank everyone for their kind feedback and comments as well :).

29 Faces Day 8, 9, & 10 - Some Memorable Faces

Stevie Nicks  ©Dayna Winters.

I find that some days I can produce three or four pieces, and other days I just can't even think about producing a thing.  Today was a good day and I played catch up with the 29 Faces Challenge.  With no ideas in mind, I browsed the Internet for some ideas.  As one would have it, when you browse the Internet it is often like and act of stream consciousness where you go from one seemingly random thing to another.

My first image is an effort at drawing Stevie Nicks, my second, Carolyn Jones in her role as Morticia in the 1964 television series of the Addams Family, and Wednesday, in the most current depictions of the Addams Family in films where she is played by Christina Ricci.

Carolyn Jones as Morticia Addams ©Dayna Winters.

Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams ©Dayna Winters.

29 Faces Day 4 - 'Discover You, What You Do, and Trust It'

Sometimes I just cannot decide who it is I want to draw. I finally decided late last night to give a try to sketching Barbra Streisand. Everything about Streisand is unique and original from her career in acting and films to her vocals to her name and appearance, and I wanted to try and capture that originality in a sketch of her.

I have always liked Streisand as an artist because she seems to be able to move from one extreme to another, from dramatic to comedic roles with amazing ease and skill.

 Barbra Streisand by Dayna Winters

I absolutely LOVED the romantic drama, The Prince of Tides, a film based on the book by Pat Conroy, in which Streisand not only played the role of the psychiatrist Susan Lowenstein and co-starred with Nick Nolte as Tom Wingo, but she also directed. Created on a $30 million budget and bringing in a final gross figure of $110 million, the film is a testament to Streisand’s directing success. I remember being so disappointed when, despite being nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the film was not nominated for Best Director. However, she was still nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Director in 1991.

Now, I also loved Streisand in the comedic role of Roz Focker in Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers, where Barbra co-starred alongside Dustin Hoffman (another absolutely amazing actor) who played her husband Bernie Focker. As Roz, Streisand is hysterical, while coming across as genuine. Meet the Fockers started out with an $80 million budget and grossed $516, 642,939, and the sequel had a budget that was $50 million less than the first, but still grossed $310,650,585. If you put Barbra’s roles in the dramatic and comedic films side by side, it is a demonstration of how she can easily move from a serious, dramatic role to a comedic role, and she does so without getting caught up in the typecasting trap.

Streisand is no different when it comes to her music and vocals. Barbra is a half-soprano or a mezzo-soprano and her voice easily spans a full three octaves and then some, and has sometimes been called semi-operatic. One of the best things I appreciate about Streisand is she is not afraid to be herself, to be distinct, and different.

At the age of 18, she changed the spelling of her first name from Barbara to Barbra because she did not care for her name, but she did not want to change it too much. The following quote is attributed to her: “I don’t care what you say about me. Just be sure to spell my name wrong.” And… in another quote, which I love, Barbra stresses the importance of self- discovery, and self-trust…“I learned you have to trust yourself, be what you are, and do what you ought to do the way you should do it. You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.”

And therein lies the struggle of every artist…finding him or herself, trusting the process and the result. Often, the inner critic stands in the way of the artist’s ability to trust in the self or the artistic process.  Streisand stands as an icon representing the need to embrace one’s own uniqueness, to be one’s authentic self, and to willing to embrace the artistic process as it unfolds as well as the results thereof.

29 Faces Day 3 – “All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy”

So I decided to go with Jack Nicholson this go round and made the attempt to capture his image in the iconic role of Jack Torrance in Stephen King’s The Shining.  Only Nicholson could play such a role with such creepy perfection…”All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” was the phrase that continued to run through my mind as I tried, (and I emphasize tried) to capture that madman look in his eyes in one of the most unforgettable madman stares on film.  See the video below for reference.

I don't think I hit the mark on this one. Something is way off with the drawing and maybe when I walk away from it and come back to it with fresh eye's I can put my finger on it.  To me, the eyes aren't right and the jaw bone is way off.  The mouth turned out way better than I anticipated though.  Maybe next time I'll get it the way I want it.

Jack Nicholson by Dayna Winters

One question came up while I was doing the work and it would be interesting to look into...when, during the creation of a piece does that piece go beyond being two dimensional.....not physically speaking, but in the emotion it captures and evokes? When you are drawing, when do you know you have done the image in such a way that it captures the precise emotion you want to share with the viewer?  How do you know you've achieved this?  What do you feel?

29 Faces 2016 – Day Two – John Lennon – Being in the Zone

I started today’s drawing last night as I wasn’t really sure how it was going to work out. If it didn’t work out where I felt at least a little bit comfortable with the way the piece looked, I was going to give something else a try. Then, my drawing of John Lennon would have to wait for another day. Thankfully, it worked out better than I expected. I’ve been wanting to draw a picture of John Lennon for quite some time; but, I either never found the time or, when I did have time, I never found myself in the perfect mood to do it.

Last night and this morning I was definitely in the mood for some relaxing creative time before I got the rest of my day started, and I am satisfied with the result. Because I really liked the way the light use of color worked on yesterday’s drawing, I decided to do the same with the image of Lennon, giving only color to the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth, while leaving all the rest in plain pencil. Once I got it started last night, I was eager to get up this morning to finish it off.

Sketch of John Lennon by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

Sometimes I am “in the zone,” I am wide awake and my imagination is on overdrive, and that’s when something inside you tells you, “I want to draw right now,” or “I want to make something but I don’t know what.”  These moments are the precursor to the perfect mood for art.  I find that if I am in a bad mood, angry, frustrated, or depressed, then being creative and tapping into the imagination is not quite so easy (unless your subject matter itself is dark, depressing, angry, frustrating etc).

I also find that I am extra cautious, (some might call it a bit superstitious) when I am creating something too (big surprise here for anyone who really knows me lol); what I mean is I usually won’t approach a piece if I am in a funk. I believe my negative mood and vibes might somehow irreparably change the course of the piece’s natural evolution or that my negativity will ruin the piece by tainting it with all that nasty, dark energy.  I say usually, because sometimes I am willing to harvest negative energy and to put it to good use, even if it is to create a piece of artwork or writing that carries a darker tone.

How does your mood affect the way you approach your art?  Do you avoid negativity when creating art, harness the negative energy to make it something positive, or both?

February 2016 and 29 Faces

It’s been a while since I’ve put any amount of focus on my creativity.  Admittedly, my creative endeavors have been more like spurts of creativity than anything steadily productive.  Health issues have had a lot to do with my lack of energy and enthusiasm, but February is here and I’ve decided to buckle down and focus.  And what better way to do that then to give this month’s 29 Faces Challenge a shot.  Last year I didn’t even make it out of the stall, but with a single picture of Marilyn Monroe, but it is I believe my best depiction of her to date.

At first I felt bad about it … getting all hyped up in 2015 for 29Faces and then not being able to complete what I initially set out to do. This lesson alone teaches a lot because art is not about quantity, it’s about quality, and it’s not about getting it done in a hurry or participating in an artistic endeavor for the sake of participation.  Creating art is about bringing something into this world. It’s a method of manifesting one’s thoughts or the images one sees with the mind’s eye. Getting it done and enjoying the entire experience on the way to completion are all part of the process.  And, creating art in whatever form you want to create it can really be an exercise in self-exploration and mindful awareness. Art is ritual…it’s something sacred, both in terms of the experience and in regard to what is created. Art is profound, at least that’s how I feel about it when I am involved with a creative project.  Artistic endeavors leave me open to receiving epiphanies and, sometimes, creative solutions. Creating it is a meditation, and working on a piece is a method of making a conscious connection, not just with your intuitive or higher self, but with something far greater than yourself entirely.   Whether you finish the piece or not doesn’t make the process less of a reflective experience.

So for 2016 I am still enthusiastic.  In fact, I had a bit of a warm up about a week back when I did a black and white rendition of David Bowie in pencil … I felt good to take the time to do a single drawing as it has been a while since I have…it got the creative juices flowing so to speak.  Today, for Face 1 of 29, I decided to draw Christina Aguilera.  All in all, I think it came out a lot better than I thought it would, but I still think something is a bit off … particularly with the shape of the eyes I think. I’m thinking they should be a bit tighter or more of an almond shape. I did do something a bit different with this picture though as I went with mixed media.  I used sketch pencils for the entire face, and Derwent colored pencils for the yes, lips, and earrings. I love how just a little bit of color makes the different features pop off the page!

Christina Aguilera by Dayna Winters.
Copyright 2016.

If you’re stopping by my blog and you’re participating in 29faces, leave me a comment as I would really love to check out your work as well.  I hope you thoroughly enjoy, not just what you create, but the creation process. Until tomorrow… Namaste.

P.S. Do you want to do the challenge?  Check out 29 Faces now! The challenge is now in its fourth year!

~Dayna Winters

And We’re Off - The 29 Faces Challenge Begins For 2015

Marilyn Monroe drawing and digital enhancements, Art by Dayna Winters. 

As well intended as I might be, when illness strikes the most well laid plans go right out the window. It’s been a long time since I’ve added anything to the blog, as I’ve been dealing with ongoing health issues. Some days I’m so drained, I can’t even get up out of my own way. Other days, I have barely enough energy to make it through the day. There’s nothing more frustrating than having ambitions of any kind, and the inability (temporary or otherwise) to act on them. 

I’m grateful that I’m feeling good now: Enough so that I can take some time to enjoy creating art again. It’s funny for anyone who knows me, it’s as if art has become a gauge indicating whether I’m healthy or not. If I’m not working on something or planning a project, or even just contemplating the next thing I want to do artistically, those closest to me know something is amiss. For now, I’m just glad to have a little energy to do something I enjoy. And I truly enjoy doing the 29 Faces Challenge!

I was hoping to have my first face drawing done for 29 Faces on Sept 1, but I’m often operating off limited energy and need to pace myself. I actually started another image prior to this depiction of Marilyn, but I wasn’t at all satisfied with the direction it was taking. And, I briefly reflected on what it meant to put the sketch aside because I didn’t like it. I thought about abandoned projects, especially in the realm of art. How many artists have canned a project because, in their perspective, the work was not what they envisioned? How many people would have found that same piece remarkable? (No worries, I know I’m rambling here ;) What future ideas, musings, and inspirations might have the creation of the image provoked, now only to be stifled?

So it’s early Thursday morning, I’m on my second cup of coffee, and I’m not quite on full power just yet. Before I decided to post my first image for the month, I also made copies of it digitally so I could play around with it. Sometimes there’s nothing more relaxing than playing with different colors and using digital transitions to change the effects of an existing image. As I shuffle through the various effects I could try, it’s not unlike a meditation where you are completely relaxed and turning your mind from the potential chaos of the day. I think it’s okay to let the brain rest (some of my friends may actually find the fact that I just wrote those words hard to believe ;D), and to just enjoy whatever simple process I’m engaging in at the time, not at all unlike practicing mindful awareness.

To me, art is meditation. Art is perhaps trance-like, at least in some ways. I’ve updated the quote of the day (you’ll find it to the right edge of this page), and it rings true to the idea that art and trance-like states are connected:

“True inspiration overrides all fears. When you are inspired, you enter a trance state and can accomplish things that you may never have felt capable of doing.” - Bernie Siegel

I totally agree. When you are inspired, it is an ecstatic experience where all you can think about doing is acting on the inspiration, following through on the ideas and epiphanies that come to you, and where the artist seemingly loses him or herself in the act of creation. To that end, it’s even easy to suggest that bringing an artistic creation into being can be a spiritual experience and a step toward self-discovery.

On that note, I’m happy to present you with another of my renditions of Marilyn Monroe. I am quite happy with the way the piece turned out. I also love the splash of color I added with a few digital tweaks. For anyone interested in knowing what photo editing software I used to created the different perspectives of Marilyn, I use the free app befunky. I like the different effects the app offers, in addition to the fact that it allows you to add unique frames, text, overlays, and special effects to the artwork you create. Befunky is compatible with Android and iOS devices, and you can use the online version of the editor/collage maker as well.

A final note: Please feel free to comment!  I love interacting with other artists, art enthusiasts, book lovers, and people who appreciate all things creative! Love and light!

--Dayna Winters

Playing Catch Up! 29 Faces Post

Well, it's started out to be a crazy month!  It's amazing how much a minor cold can set you back.  I've managed to get some faces done though, and I'll be adding them here.  I'm hoping by the end of the week I'll be up to par again.  First, I attempted to draw Al Pacino...not sure if I'm really happy with the outcome, but I think I'll give myself an A for effort.;)

"Al," by Dayna Winters

The third face for 29 Faces is my attempt at drawing Adele.  I think I was a bit more successful in that regard...

"Adele," by Dayna Winters.

The fourth face is my attempt at Alllysa Milano.  It didn't work out quite the way I wanted, but I'm still quite pleased with the piece!

"Allysa," by Dayna Winters

The fifth face is what I feel is a failed attempt at drawing Josh Lucas.  I just couldn't get the piece to come out the way I wanted it to.  All in all though, I don't think it's a bad sketch.  I have a heck of a time trying to draw facial hair, and every once in a while I discover my sense of proportion seem off.  I still practicing and improving as I go....ah ekk....I'm  a diamond in the rough! lol :)  Now I only have four more faces and I'll actually be back on track. hmmmmmmm who to try drawing now????

It's Time February 2015 29 Faces!

"Anthony Hopkins," by Dayna Winters.

It's that time of year again, and I'm happy to be participating in this month's 29 Faces Challenge!  Admittedly, I'm already a day behind due to a cold I've developed, but I'll make up the difference later on this week. For today, I've attempted to draw Anthony Hopkins.  As I tried to draw his facial features, I realized just how much character his face has, and I found him extremely challenging to draw.  It's true what they say about art teaching you how to see.  When I'm drawing something I see so much more in the way of features and characteristics, versus when I'm just casually looking at something or talking to someone.  Art therefore brings a person outside of themselves, if only for a short while, where they can begin to see the world without the flawed lens of a barrage of thoughts, constant distractions, and blurred perceptions getting in the way.

I am in the process of trying to teach myself on how to improve on skin details and tone values. I've seen some terrific videos online revealing different techniques for creating skin and its little nuances.  Of course, I'm not using sketch pencils and I'm only using graphite which I found out is part of the problem.  Apparently, a graphite pencil cannot give you the different tonalities professional sketch pencils can. It doesn't matter how hard you press on the graphite pencil or don't, it's just not the same effect. Thankfully, I know I have a couple of sketch pencils around the house somewhere, and I've been meaning to try them out. This challenge might be the perfect opportunity to do so.

I'm still working on the finer details of how to draw mouths, lips, fingers and hands.  I feel like I'm making progress, but some days I feel like I've got a long way to go before I'm drawing with the level of skill I desire.  What's nice about the 29 Faces Challenge is I'm sure to get in on plenty of practice.  Also, I find I'm challenging myself more often to take on more challenging subjects.  I'm not sure if I'll use any other medium this month, but we'll see what my inspiration and muses bring me! :)

Until next time, blessings!

Face 29 for the 29 Faces Challenge - September 2014

Finally, the 29 Faces Challenge draws to a close!  I'm kind of sad in a way, because I had so much fun drawing the different faces this month.  I also got to meet a lot of amazingly talented artists and to make a few new friends in the process.  I know I said it early in some of my posts, but I highly recommend the challenge to all artists.  The challenge is open to people of all ages and skill levels - it's a terrific goal to set for yourself, and it allows you to get in a lot of drawing practice.

For the final face in this month's challenge, I decided to draw one of the most iconic faces in the world - the face of Nefertiti.  I actually made a ceramic statue of Nefertiti years back, so it was really fun to revisit her image while working with a different art form.

"Nefertiti," by Dayna Winters.

Below I've included a couple of collages that show all of the faces I completed in the 29 Faces Challenge.  Admittedly, when I decided to participate, I thought, with my health, disability, chronic pain, and fatigue, I would'nt be able to accomplish the goal I was setting.  But I did and I managed to do so by pacing myself and just taking a little bit of time each day to dedicate to art. 

Face 28 for the 29 Faces Challenge - September 2014

"Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra," by Dayna Winters.

For today's challenge, I decided to draw Elizabeth Taylor in her role as Cleopatra.  I had little difficulty with the sketch, but have now found that in my struggle to address the issue with right eye emphasis I've been dealing with for the last month, I am now going to the opposite extreme and emphasizing the left eye in this particular depiction.  I also would have liked to have a better photo to work with in order to get the finer details of the headdress just right - the resolution on most photos I found was pretty poor.  Overall, I still think the drawing looks pretty good, and I would love doing a rendition in color in the near future.

Now, behind the scenes, I'm also working on a couple of craft projects, and I am currently painting an art contest submission (more on this later when it is permissible).  In the mean time, keep your fingers and toes crossed for me! (smiling and winking).

Face 27 for the 29 Faces Challenge - September 2014

"Kathy Bates," by Dayna Winters.

For face 27, I decided to draw one of my favorite actresses - Kathy Bates.  I think Kathy is an incredibly talented actress and loved her roles in Misery, Dolores Claiborne, and her role in last seasons American Horror Story - Coven.  The drawing session went very smoothly with very little difficulty.  I didn't have the same problems drawing the mouth that I've been having with prior drawing.  I'm pretty satisfied with the sketch, although I think I could have dedicated a bit more time to drawing the hair and detailing her attire.