Red, Green and Yellow

I've been experimenting with the size of the images that I want to put on this blog/on the internet. I see some people put a watermark on their pictures to prevent other people from copying their work for commercial purposes. I don't like it very much when I see this watermark on other peoples work, it distracts me somehow. I'd like to look a the images just the way they are, without these (often) big watermarks on it. At the same time, I get it why people do it of course. One of the blogs I read regularly is the one from the very talented Andrea Joseph.  She wrote about people have been copying her work for commercial purposes. Her drawings appear on tote-bags in Russia for example. 

It's not that I want to compare my drawings with Andrea Josephs, these are a league of their own, but I've been thinking about this subject. What I decided to do from now on is put smaller and less pixeled images on the internet, to make printing and copying by people with 'bad intentions' less attractive because this way prints will be more blurry if someone tries to enlarge them. This is what I read about others people advice on this subject at least.

At the very same time, I feel a bit ackward to even think and act on this copying subject, because this way it seems I believe my drawings are copy-worthy....

Anyhow ;-), here are the images of the shoes I drew last week. Resized, just to be more sure about what I'm not sure about...:-). I'm curious by the way, to hear what your thoughts are on this copying subject in general.

I kind of like like how these drawings turned out and I'm thinking about maybe printing them on double postcards, on nice paper.

Shoe Update

My shoes are a series now! ;-) Allready three of them (actually six ;-).

Shoes

I've got two things going on. I'm still working on the illustrated story I wrote about in previous posts. This is an assignment for my drawing lessons. I wanted to do something else besides that and I started a series of drawings/ paintings of shoes. Well..., series...I often start something with the idea to make a series of it, but most of the time I have enough of it after 2 drawings or so...This time I want to make more drawings than just two in my 'series'.! Two is a good start right? ;-)

Little illustrated story

I haven't been blogging for some time. Sometimes life gets in the way ;-). But I am working on stuff in between! Right now I'm doing some research and sketches for an assignment for my drawing lessons. I'm working on a little illustrated story and I'm getting some good help as you can see :-).

Workspace in my livingroom

Here's where it happens. My workspace. As you can see I love drawing, Apple and New York ;-)

Focus

I've been drawing and practising and experimenting with pencil, acrylic paint, watercolor, ink, collage....and so much more the previous year and I still got the te very strong drive to draw and to create. Other things in my life don't seem to get going, so I'm not that happy with every aspect about how my life is right now. But I consider myself lucky with very sweet family and friends, that's what I've got!

And, something very important too: I really found the thing that makes me most happy to do: creating and drawing. This could only have happened during the period I didn't have a job and I had to find another way to keep myself busy and inspired. And this is something beautiful that happened, even though other things in life aren't going smoothly, this creative thing is really going very smooth and flawy! Even though it's been hard work too, practising, practising and even more practising.

Could it be that this is a sign? Isn't it funny that while some things in life are difficult, other things seem to get better and clearer?

At first I didn't know what to write about the subject 'Focus' for Andrea's blogchallenge (http://dreamheartsmartart.blogspot.nl/2013/02/blogchallenge-focus.html). But It's quite clear now, while I'm writing this. I found the thing I love to do most, at this moment, I would love to get some focus and clearity in which way to go with my creativity. I've discovered that what I really like to draw is little characters and make up stories for these characters. This is what I allready loved to do as a little girl. But now, after practising the last year with all kind of techniques, I feel I can now draw, as I see things in my imigination.

I think I might want to draw and write a childrensbook maybe. Could it be that here's where my focus needs to be I wonder? 

These are a few examples of characters I've been drawing recently. The last drawing is the first of a drawing for an assignment for my drawing lessons, where we had to illustrate a story and make up a character. I suppose I have to keep on following my heart, in my drawing, in my whole life actually. Don't you think so? :-)

(Thank you Andrea! Wouldn't have written this blog without your blogchallenge and now I wrote this, I feel better and things seem a little clearer by writing things down!)

Amazed

In my previous bogpost I described my interest in fairy-tale like illustrations in vintage colors.
I'm continuing experimenting with colors that I'm attracted to and with ways to achieve a kind of dramatic, fairy-tale like effect. I saw a drawing somewhere of a little figure looking at large trees. This seemed to me like a good idea to experiment with. The little woman and the giant trees give me a feeling this could be part of a story where the woman suddenly sees herself confronted with these very large trees and is standing there for a while, amazed about these giant trees/woods, wondering which way to go.

Going Home

I really love illustrations with old, vintage-like colors. These illustrations give me a feeling of days gone by in a imaginative fairy-tale like world... You could take a look at my 'Illustration' board on Pinterest to see examples of what I mean ( http://pinterest.com/estherlankhaar/illustration/).

Last weekend I've been working on an illustration like this of my own ;-).

I call it " Going Home'.

Which way to go....?

I'm working on several things these days. Results will follow. I'm thinking a lot about what I want to do with my work, which way to go...And even about my style...which of the things I've been experimenting with the last year, I want to go further with...

Several possibilities are going through my mind....For example....to start an Etsy shop where I sell some of my drawings on greeting cards...but which drawings to pick....have to find a good place to print on good  quality paper, since I don't have the money to invest in an good quality printer of my own just yet..... I want to start small and see how it goes, but where to start...and like I said, which drawings and illustrations tp pick...or should I make new ones especially for this purpose....?

Fluffy & Aki

My 4-year old nephew made up a girl named Fluffy (don't know how he came up with this name, because he doesn't speak english ;-)) and a sea-gull named Aki. Don't know where that came from either, except for the fact that we were on the beach and he saw a sea-gull, but I found it funny. This is how Fluffy and Aki look like in my imigination ;-).

Drawing in the Sun

During the last two weeks of december I was in Florida, Bonita Springs for a holiday with my family (my parents, sister, her husband and my two nephews). My parents were married 40 years last year, so to celebrate, they took us on a vacation. Florida with its sunny weather was a very wellcome change of scenery, because of the rainy and dark winterweather in the netherlands where I live. We enjoyed ourselves very much, we enjoyed the sun, went to the beach, went shopping and took a boat-tour through the Everglades. My little 4 year old nephew had two favourite things this vacation: the pool at our vacation house and the mini-golf place near our house. :-)

I brought my drawing equipment, but i didn't draw that much: too busy being lazy ;-).

I did make two drawings though. The first drawing is of a very good thing: a decent cup of coffee (empty mug in the the drawing ;-)). when I was drawing this, I went to the toilet and when I came back, my little nephew helped me a bit with the drawing. He added the line around the drawing ;-). My sister was a little mad he did this to my drawing without asking. I could hear a conversation about it when I was on the toilet and was curious what I would find my drawing like when I came back;-). It wasn't that bad as I saw it and I said: Well, that's o.k., but just ask the next time." My nephew said to his mother: "Aunt Es says that I can do it." I found this quite funny and now the drawing is a collaboration, I kind of like that. I asked my nephew to write his name on the drawing, so it's clear we made this drawing together :-). The second drawing has no story, it's just something I felt like drawing ;-).

So Lucky

I"m so lucky to be able to spent two weeks for a holiday in Florida, Bonita Springs, with my family. All these vibrant and sunny colors. I'm sure in time all the things I've experienced here will be an inspiration for my drawings!

All Food Things in Life

Isn't it true that all good things in life are free, as they say? Or cost just a little money? Today, well yesterday as I am typing this on a sleepless night, I made a Malaysian noodlesoup I suddenly felt like making as I read this recipe on Pinterest. It looked so appealing, I just had to make it. And, if one has to keep on drawing, one has to feed herself properly ;-).

Recipe:

 Veggie laksa

serves 3

Laksa is a wonderful coconut milk based noodle soup that hails from Malaysia. These days you can get commercial laska or other Thai curry pastes that take all the hard work out of it.

I’ve used Singapore noodles in this recipe which are a fine version of fresh hokkien noodles but I have eaten laksa with rice noodles and even a combination of the two so feel free to substitute.

I’ve cheated a little on the 5 ingredient rule by including ‘mixed chopped vegetables’ as a single ingredient. I actually used a carrot, a zucchini and a red pepper, all cut into little batons. Chicken laksa is also really popular. Prawn or shrimps are lovely cooked in the spicy fragrant coconut broth.

3/4lb (350g) fresh Singapore noodles
2oz (60g) Laksa paste or other Thai curry paste
1 large can (1 1/2 cups) coconut cream
2 cups mixed chopped vegetables (see note above)
handful fresh basil leaves

Place noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 1 minute then massage to loosen into individual strands. Drain.

Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons of peanut or other vegetable oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add curry paste and stir fry for 30 seconds. Quickly add coconut cream and 2 cups boiling water. Bring to the boil and add vegetables. Simmer for 2 minutes or until vegetables are cooked to your liking.

To serve, divide noodles between 3 bowls. Pour over soup and vegetables and top with basil leaves.

I used french beans and yellow and red pepper as vegetables in my soup and a green curry paste. Next time I will add some extra chopped red pepper to make it a bit more spicy and maybe carrot instead of the french beans.

Playfulness

This is my entry for Andrea Hiltbrunners blogchallenge (http://dreamheartsmartart.blogspot.ch/2012/12/blogchallenge-playfulness.html) The theme for today was 'Playfulness'. My little penguin feels like having fun today, and just wants to play around :-).

Sunday Drawing

I'm in my pencil and coloured pencil phase. :-)