I haven’t had too much opportunity to practice my drawing over the last few weeks but I’d really like to improve my skills so I have decided to start working on putting together a little portfolio of my work. If at all possible, I would one day like to be in a position to make a modest living from being an artist so that it can afford me the opportunity to spend more time at home with my son as he grows up. I know I’m a long way off this objective at the moment but my son being born has helped me rediscover my passion for art and being on steemit has also helped in this regard, so I’m going to attempt to transition my life in such a way that allows me to spend more time being creative and hopefully I’ll get to a point where I feel comfortable offering my work for sale. :)
So in order to improve my skills and build up a portfolio, I have decided to do a series of celebrity portraits, since they are easily recognisable and there are lots of high quality photos on Google to work with and I also intend to post them all on steemit. The first one I have chosen is Bill Murray who is someone I have lots of fond memories of from my childhood having watched him in movies such as Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, Scrooged and Groundhog Day. I have no idea who Bill Murray is in real life so cannot say whether he is someone I admire and respect or not but I get the sense that he is a kind and happy soul and when I saw his image on Google, I knew it was a drawing I wanted to do.
I plan on trying to do two portraits a week and have some ideas in mind for who I want to draw but if anyone has any requests for people they would like to see me attempt, I’d be very happy to consider them and any constructive criticism of my work is not only welcome but encouraged and appreciated! :)
Thanks a lot for your time and have a wonderful day!
You are incredibly talented, he actually jumps out of the page, his personality is captured in the drawing.
Loved it ☺️
Thanks a lot mate. That's really good of you to say and helps with my confidence. :)
I haven't had much chance to check in with my steemit friends lately. How are things with you mate. Are you still doing well with the fitness??
I'm only speaking the truth.
My fitness has taken a wee knock, enjoying myself a bit more before the long winter kicks in :-)
Hope you are having a good one.
I love Bill Murray, what a fantastic drawing of him my friend! The humor in his face makes me grin, well done! xo
Cheers dreemit. Not had much time lately as usual and I know I still have to catch up with your latest edition of the playground series. Will hopefully get to it tonight. :)
How have you been my friend? And when will your brother be joining us? :)
Hey love! I understand completely about lack of time. I'm in a bit of disarray, lots of things going on, plus trying to sort through all the pictures and videos from the convention I took my daughter to in Pittsburgh- that was an action packed three days. Especially when we're used to the slower pace of the countryside :)
My brother! Dang it, he got his acceptance to steemit, it went to his spam, and something to do with the way his email is set up he couldn't get into it! So he's trying to figure it out. I told him I'll just buy him an account but he's determined to do it himself, lol.
I can't wait for you two to meet though, I know you'll get along excellent. How are you doing darling?
I'm good thanks. Got a lot of stuff going on myself. We're in the process of trying to move from a flat in the city to a house in the 'burbs so having to deal with solicitors and all the other related stuff is a bit of a pain. Other than that, things are pretty good. :)
In terms of steemit, I'm really finding things hard atm. Not really sure what I'm doing here right now. I came here thinking I had things I wanted to write and share but I'm not sure I actually have anything worthwhile to write about or even whether I want to write anything at all now. I don't think the content overall is as good as it was a few months ago either and I am finding it hard to comment like I used to enjoy. Trying to stay positive as well so not getting involved in anything too negative, I'm a little bit lost I think. :) I feel like I'm swimming against the tide at times. I feel like I've got lots to say but nothing to write about. I need some inspiration. Can't find my place in the real world or in the steemit world it would appear! :)
Does it help you to know that you're not alone? I could have wrote that myself. My husband says that when we find ourselves wondering if everything, and I do mean everything is bullshit, we become purposeless. And that is why we feel lost. Because without purpose, where is the hope?
What if we're so busy looking for a greater purpose, we're losing sight of our actual purpose? What if it was just as simple as to Be? To experience? To love? What if that's what we're supposed to remember (which actually means to put back together).
We might be walking through a bit of a fog right now Tony, but hold on to the 'we' part of that statement. Because we are not alone in this. If I came to steemit for nothing more than to meet you and Paul and your brother and...actually I can make quite a list right now. That's not insignificant. And it's well worth it. Yeah, there's a lot of 'junk mail' to sift through on here at the moment, but imagine if it was your actual mail...if you knew there was some handwritten meaning full letters among the advertisers and bills, wouldn't you look for them? Toss the garbage aside and grin when you see your name scribbled out in neon purple ink? :)
You're here, because I need you to be. WE need you to be.
Maybe, we just take a leaf from Jo's book: hee hee
https://steemit.com/life/@johleen/the-incredible-potato-dance
His acceptance went to spam and then got deleted! So he's working it out right now :)
But this song from the convention I took my daughter to this weekend:
Great drawing @tonyr. Think you are not giving yourself enough credit. I think you are talented enough to make a go of making a living now. I truly wish you the best.
Thanks @artwithheart. :)
There are still lots of things I'm not particularly good at like hair but I'm confident with enough hard work and practice I can get there. :) There are so many phenomenal artists out there it can be a humbling experience when comparing your work to theirs and can sometimes knock my confidence a little but I know my limitations and know that I'm a long way from reaching them. I have sold a couple of portraits but not for a lot of money at all since I;m not that confident so I could definitely earn a little on the side at the moment but they also take me quite a long time to do so its not really doable right now but when I get a little more confident, a little more skilled and a lot quicker, I might have a chance of earning a modest living from it. :)
Thanks for the lovely compliment. Hope your day is going well! :)
You are most welcome. From one artist to another, it is sincerely meant. I understand the propensity to compare ourselves with others and lament our shortcomings, but we all have a unique vision and voice, and ultimately, cannot be compared with anyone else for we are unique. Embrace the uniqueness of you and follow your heart.
Lovely ....you've improved so much and I love Bill Murray, he has turned into an awesome curmudgeon.
Thanks @reddust. I really appreciate the compliment and I think so myself. I'm quite happy with how I'm progressing. I was really impressed with your current WIP of the lizard. The detail in that is phenomenal. It must have taken you an eternity to draw all of those scales. :) I need to learn some of your patience and perhaps my progress will be speedier. And I am developing into a fine curmudgeon myself...and proud of it! :)
Nice, I recognized him right away- great drawing skills there.
:) Cheers mate!
Making a living out of art is not an easy task at all. But you will never know if you are capable if you never try it out and experiment. It takes a lot of guts and hard work to make such a change in a stable life. Looking forward to your sharing along the journey!
Thanks @fr3eze. I really appreciate the support my friend. Hope you are well! :)
Wonderful Portrait @tonyr. Also very detailed. I think it will be great if you are able to make a living off something that you enjoy. I started drawing when I was little and really enjoyed it, and was even planning to become an artist as a profession. However, I did not have the courage at that time and didn't go through with it. It was only when I started Steemit that I started drawing again. I am also practicing daily now and it has become my hobby again. I hope it goes well for you, my friend. Have a wonderful day!
Thanks a lot mate. You are an incredible artist yourself and it has been my pleasure seeing the art you have created on steemit. If I could be as prolific as you I might have a chance of working as an artist for a living. I don't know what it is you are doing with your life now but I'm sure if you wanted to earn a living as an artist you could quite easily, especially with design! :)
Wow impressive drawing again @tonyr!
Hope everything's alright my friend!
Was on vacation last 2 weeks so not much steeming ;) But I proposed to my girlfriend and she said yes!!! :D I'm soooo happy. Looking forward to hear from you pal!
CONGRATULATIONS!! @w0olf and soon to be @mrsw0olf! :)
That's fantastic news my friend. I'm really pleased for you both!! :)
I haven't been on much myself so you haven't missed much from me. Thanks for the compliment and everything is fine with me. Just busy as always! :)
Speak again soon mate! It's good to have you back!
Super...!!
Thank you @saleg25! :)
Great Job @tonyr . He has a very interesting face and you captured it. I don't know what your plans are for the future but I do know It's not easy to live on art in the real world. Most artists earn their living with teaching, and then do their art on their own free time, unless you are famous and your pieces have a market value for collectors.
Thanks mate. I really appreciate the compliment and wise words. I am all too aware that the life of an artist is more often than not a poor one but I have no desire to become rich and try to live my life as simply as possible without too many unnecessary expenses so hopefully it will be a possibility in future to earn a simple living or at least part of one from my drawing. I also want to get better so that I can pass the skill on to my son if it is something that interests him. :)
Thanks for your time my friend and hope you are doing well! :)