Of Art, and Universe, and 42.

The only true and primary artist is the Universe itself.
Think of it as of the God, or as of some undefined cosmic essence, which creates itself and everything around (the answer is 42 anyway, if you get my sick humour). Everything — anything — we do is the primary art via proxy servers of our minds. Human minds are like camera lenses — variously shaped, variously coloured, with different curve and shading. If we are the cameras, programmed to capture memories of this Universe, it’s the lenses of our minds that make the captures in question so different.

Looks like I always wanted to say this. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve just came to this thought this morning because I’ve been told people like the way I do portraits.

Portrait is nothing but a human being expressed through the filter of one’s perception.

When you say, “I love your Dylan Moran”, or, “I love your Clark Gregg” — black out the “your” part. You like the humans themselves. “My” part is only distorting their natural images with my mind.

Some distorted Dylan Moran, at your service.

I’ve been told nobody else aside myself sees these particular shades in people. You have no idea of how exactly you flatter me with these words. The shades are always there, like black is not completely black all the time, there’s always a different colour – depending on the light, position, reflections, or the eye of the beholder.
You just need to observe a bit closer.

Thank you for loving my distortions.
I mean it.

On Miracles, Energizers and Keeping Calm.

It has been a very long while, since I managed to update this blog.
So I’m feeling a bit like Abraham van Helsing, M.D., when writing this — just because I’m pretty much going to give you true facts about the past events from July, 2011 up to this date.

2011 wasn’t kind to me in real life. I had too much work, strain, conflicts, broken promises, called off meetings, deaths and other grim things. There were periods, when I neither slept nor ate properly for days. I rushed to gather money for my friends. I calmed myself down with way too much solitude and sketching, sketching, sketching. I can remember days when I could sleep only in case I had some audiobook murmuring from my earphones. [ Taking the latter fact into consideration, I want to thank David Suchet. He probably will never know about it, but his voice turned out to be a perfect sedation for my wrecked psyche. I sometimes wonder if people, who bring to one's soul peace and serenity via the proxy of their art, can feel my gratitude. Silly thought, I know, but that's the way it is. ]

Anyway, I must admit that: with all the hard times I had to live through, 2011 turned out to be a true wonder for my artistic studies. Remember that stupid “Rainy Day In South Wales” T-shirt? It got printed out, and a dear friend of mine actually visited Michael Sheen’s “Hamlet” in a glorious city of London. Imagine that. In that T-shirt. In a front bloody row. What can I say? Mr. Sheen remembers.)

That Grey Rainy Day, aye.

On sunny September days, when I was a damn human shipwreck walking the streets with nothing but grim thoughts in my head, I discovered that painting calm people helps to get the thoughts away. In fact, I was willing to cling to any activity, just to occupy my mind and prevent it from severe overthinking. That was the period when I painted agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. for the very first time.

“KEEP CALM”, I wrote next to the character. “IT’S YOUR JOB TO KEEP CALM”.

What happened next still makes me shiver with delightful disbelief, so I’m going to write the facts down without any commentary. First I published the stuff at my tumblr page. Then one of my friends asked to make a T-shirt with that image. Then… oh.

Then Clark Gregg appeared.

When “Dracula” is slightly Poirot…

Being a little busy with somewhat rather unpleasant (e.g. MAD MAD WERK ALL DAE LONG) is awfully usual for me these days…
So today’s entry will be v. short.

I’ve listened to the “Dracula” BBC radioplay.
Dracula himself is read by David Suchet in that one.
My brain blissfully exploded.

See the result and “how to…” explanation below.

Little rough sketchworks OF DOOM

Oh haaaai there.
Seems like I’m being lost in my work this days; all my social activity is equal to few twitter phrases a day (mostly from my mobile, when running somewhere or managing something important done properly). Ergo, all my art activity nowadays is concentrated in few ‘meet the people, shoot the people’ pieces of photography and that thing you guys call ‘speed painting’.

Seriously, I never quite got the meaning of this word. Sketchwork is a sketchwork, why call it other names?.. Oh, forget it.

Tricky thing is my sketchworks are mostly… ahem. Well. I cannot put my finger on an exact word here, but do blame Tom Hiddleston for whatever I’m painting these days. I’ve already written about him about a week ago; I can understand why he was +927% of popularity on IMDB last time I checked.))

Herein I must stay calm and tell you one thing.
As a keen painter, I often like people not ‘because of’, but ‘in spite of’.

I like them in spite of their stubby chins, broken noses, too big ears, too strange eyes, etc. That ‘in spite of’ hint makes any person INTERESTING for any painter (ha, guess why one of my favourites is Anthony Hopkins, with all his asymmetry and wrinkles; David Bowie is also a pure artistic joy)). Tom Hiddleston’s face isn’t perfect, but it’s oddly balanced in its imperfection. Plus, he’s got that particular sort of twinkle of genuine intelligence in his eyes; I’m a weak woman, I can’t stand that.

I feel NEED for painting that.

So.
Here come the sketches.

Loki: Trickster and Loving It.

There is definitely something about British genotype.
Not the best phrase to begin with, I know; but I do feel like it suits the situation.))
It’s been a while since I had a chance to write in this blog (oh, yeah, I’ve got a lot to tell)), but I think today is fine for speaking of something deliciously British here.

You see, I’ve recently gone to the cinema with my mates (The Odd Order of Leather Coat and Umbrella-ella, these guys constantly ROCK), and… uh, how do I put this? That “Thor” movie is somehow called “Thor” for whatever reasons; but I’ll re-watch it for the third (edit: fourth) time only because there’s Loki in there. A while ago some unknown journalist (really, I fail to recall his/her name) predicted women drooling over Tom Hiddleston… What can I say? That guy was so damn right!

I’m not mentioning the fact that the whole movie turned out to be some “spot-the-British-guy” game for me (mea culpa)). But even those reviewers, who call “Thor” an epic failure, admit that Mr. Hiddleston is a genuine treasure. British actors somehow possess that peculiar ability to use their facial muscles in pretty gorgeous way.
Can you remember Bill Nighy’s right eyebrow of Doom?
Same thing here.

Tom Hiddleston’s right eyebrow surely needs a separate article in Wikipedia, its own agent and its own fansite.

I won’t be surprised if he can express several passages of written text with only movement of his right eyebrow. Also, we’ve recently had a talk with my mates that most part of gorgeous actors are… let me use the word “fading”. Yes, they are fading now. Michael Caine, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy… They are experienced, ingenious, they are True Giants of Acting, etc., etc., but they are already The Mighty Past. And with the appearance of Hiddleston it is somehow touching to see that there actually is a possibility of The Fascinating Future for British acting school. I do have high hopes for this young gentleman, God bless his smart eyes and his right eyebrow.))

But I’m not calling this blog “an art blog” without a reason, yeah.

If you’re familiar with Norse mythology, you need no extra explanation. I didn’t mean to paint a portrait, but I do confess: I was inspired by Tom Hiddleston’s acting… and facial anatomy.))

Christmas, Christie, Secret Order, T-Shirts and other shades of madness.

It’s almost Christmas, and I see no reasons for remaining silent.
First of all, I’d love to admit I’m still alive (which makes me reasonably happy).
As for the second, I had almost no time for painting these months (miserable me).
As for the third…

I want to tell you about my little adventures here.

I’m being rather funny and generally stupid these months — mostly due to multiple stresses I experienced. I’m not going to give you details; I just want you to remember, ALWAYS remember that there’s nothing as important as family. Blood bonds, that sort of thing. Remember about them. But I started the different story…

In September my muse Chiffa and I performed a huge task. We shot over a dozen of completely different people for a HUGE photosession (in “sketch version” there was over a thousand of shots) — I am not allowed to show you the results until April 2011 comes, so be patient… But believe me, that was madly entertaining.

In October I had an enormous luck to meet my French friend (whom I used to know as a poet and photographer, but who appeared to be the famous [sic!] guitar-maker)), but that’s a huge story for “insiders”. All I can say is that he is a pure wonder, seriously.

In early days of November I SUDDENLY achieved a “daily deviation” label on one of my graphic things. I drew this one under great stress and I nearly asked out loud for help in “author’s comments” section; well, I literally asked for luck. And imagine my feelings: I received feedback that can be measured in several THOUSANDS of different people’s voices. I was flattered, embarrassed, madly happy and needed a shock blanket.

Wow, then, I said in my normal grim voice. And got back to my sweet everyday angst, which haunts me so far (and it’s family issues, again). There was one thing that saved me… well, I lie. There were two things.

Faces of Nightmares and a Bit About “Resident Evil”

As days go by, I feel like I get used to digital painting even more, than to traditional one.
Yes. The UNDO button does matter.

In spite of the fact that I still have issues with depicting human anatomy in realistic way, I never give up (and let that sound like an advice; you never should, as well). Never surrender, yes, Churchill quotes and all that jazz. At some point, when I feel like I’m stuck and have NO IDEA of how to paint some body feature, I simply try something new. I stubbornly redo, repaint, erase and paint over. You have sometimes to be quite an ass (in Bible definition, not in too common one — I just mean being extremely stubborn and self-absorbed in a way)), if you want something to get done the right way.

Funny how sometimes issues with anatomy can really help.
I mean painting the nightmares.