A PEAK INTO MY SKETCHBOOK (WATERCOLOUR PENCIL PORTRAITS)

 Hello readers. I've had a rather difficult time with my health lately, but I'll try to post daily this week. Maybe this hobby will do me well. Today I managed to get out of bed  to take a few photographs of some of my recent portrait sketches. In this post, I'll share those watercolour pencil portrait sketches with you. The brand I'm using is Staedtler (neither sponsored nor affiliated). Watercolour pencils enable me to work quickly, so they are a good choice for watercolour portrait sketches. Portraits are not one of my strengths. That's why I've been trying to do more portrait sketches.  Practice makes it perfect, as they say. Unlike my landscape art, I still don't have a definite style when it comes to portraits, I expect it might take months or even years before I develop one. It's alright, I'm not in a hurry. Art is a subject as vast and mysterious as the universe, one could spend more than one life time exploring just one aspect of it. I'm fine with being more focused on seascapes and landscapes for the time being, but I still want to do portrait sketches on a regular basis. Even if I don't end up focusing on portraits in my pursuit of art, I know doing these sketches will help me develop my art skills. 

These are the first photographs of my Christmas tree that I have taken this year. I was sick for Christmas day and I still feel under the weather. My hope is that I will feel a bit better by New Year Eve so I can celebrate a bit (not that I plan to go anywhere for NYE but I'd love to be able to dress up for that night and celebrate at home).  Today was a lovely sunny day but I wasn't well enough to even try to leave the house. Well, tomorrow is a new day (as Scarlett O'Hara's been known to say).  Sometimes all you can do is to take it one day at the time.  How are you doing? Are you enjoying the holidays?


Pozdrav svima. Što se tiče zdravlja, prolazim kroz prilično teško razdoblje u posljednje vrijeme, ali pokušat ću objavljivati ​​svaki dan ovaj tjedan. Možda će mi taj nekakav hobi dobro doći. Danas sam konačno ustala iz kreveta kako bih napravila nekoliko fotografija nekih od mojih nedavnih skica portreta. U ovoj objavi ću s vam  podijeliti te portretne skice napravljene akvarel bojicama. Marka koju koristim je Staedtler (ni sponzorirana niti plaćena poveznica). Akvarel olovke mi omogućuju brz rad, pa su dobar izbor za akvarel portretne skice. Portreti nisu jedna od mojih jačih strana. Zato sam pokušavala napraviti više portretnih skica. Praksa čini savršenim, kako kažu. Za razliku od moje pejzažne umjetnosti, još uvijek nemam određeni stil kada su portreti u pitanju, očekujem da će proći mjeseci ili možda čak i godine prije nego što ga razvijem. U redu je, ne žurim se. Umjetnost je tema golema i tajanstvena poput svemira, čovjek bi mogao provesti više od jednog života istražujući samo jedan njezin aspekt. Za sada mi je u redu što sam više usredotočena na morske motive, pejzaše i krajolike, ali još uvijek želim redovito raditi na portretima, makar u obliku skica. Čak i ako se u potrazi za umjetnošću ne usredotočim na portrete, znam da će mi pravljenje ovih skica pomoći da razvijem svoje umjetničke vještine.

Ovo su prve fotografije mog božićnog drvca koje sam napravila ove godine. Bila sam bolesna za Božić i još uvijek se osjećam slabo. Nadam se da ću se do Nove godine osjećati malo bolje kako bih mogla malo proslaviti (nije da planiram ići negdje za Silvestorovo, ali voljela bih se moći dotjerati za tu noć i proslaviti kod kuće). Danas je bio prekrasan sunčan dan, ali nisam bila dovoljno zdrava da bih uopće pokušala napustiti kuću. No, sutra je novi dan (kako je Scarlett O'Hara znala reći). Ponekad sve što možete učiniti je ići dan po dan. Kako ste vi? Uživate li u praznicima?






PORTRAIT #1: A BRUNETTE WITH BLUE EYES
Bellow you can see the sketching process and the completed look. 




PORTRAIT #2: A PROFILE OF A DARK HAIRED GIRL WITH BLUE EYES
This is my most recent sketch.  Not completely successful attempt at a profile portrait sketch, so I might revisit it soon.


PORTRAIT ##3: A BRUNETTE WEARING FAUX BLUE FUR AND A CROWN

I already showed you a sketch of this portrait here and now you can see how it looks completed. I like how the eyes and the hair turned out. The faux fur stole/top looks nice too. However, as a whole, I don't think this portrait is successful. I'll need to revisit this one as well. 



FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: MINT BLAZER 2021

 FRIDAY FASHION ILLUSTRATION: GUCCI
ART UPDATE: WATERCOLOUR FEMALE PORTRAITS

A GIRL IN A RED DRESS
LEARN MORE  about painting on hardboard.  Before that I re-imagined my magenta coat as a dress and illustrated it that way in this post. I also illustrated a forest a little bit. Sometimes I like to make the location a part of my fashion illustration. You can also peak into my recent sketches in this sketchbook art post.  You can find even more illustrations from my sketchbook here. 


MORE FASHION ILLUSTRATION POSTS -HERE and.... DIGITAL RETOUCHING WITH PAINT 3D,  LADY IN A LILAC DRESS and BALL PAINT FASHION ILLUSTRATION.  FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: WATERCOLOUR PENCILS -IVANA'S FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY- FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: INSPIRED BY COLOURS OF AUTUMN- A GIRL IN A RED GOWN: FASHION ILLUSTRATION OF THE DAY-CUSTOMIZING A NOTEBOOK WITH A FASHION ILLUSTRATION

- FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: ILLUSTRATING A BLACK DRESS FROM DOLCE & GABBANA COLLECTION- 10 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR FASHION ILLUSTRATION SKILLS- HOW TO CREATE A 3D FASHION ILLUSTRATION DRESS WITH DRY FLOWERS?- FRIDAY FASHION ILLUSTRATION: HAT OBSESSED -FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY INSPIRED BY SUMMER STYLE- FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: SUMMER TO AUTUMN TRANSITION- FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: ILLUSTRATED TOTE BAGS-FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: HAT OBSESSED - FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: NEW AUTUMN INSPIRED ART FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: MY INSPIRATIONS FASHION ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: DECEMBER ANOTHER ART UPDATE HERE: MARKER ILLUSTRATIONS AND DIGITAL / BEFORE THAT: FIVE WATERCOLOUR PORTRAITS


ONCE AGAIN, WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST FOR THE HOLIDAYS!



Thank you for visiting!

Comments

  1. Królowa Karo28 December 2021 at 10:18

    You draw beautifully. Maybe I will start my adventure with crayons in the new year?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jointy&Croissanty28 December 2021 at 10:57

    These drawings are so gorgeous, you are really talented!
    Have a wonderful evening!:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mica28 December 2021 at 13:11

    What a lovely photo at the end! I'm glad you got to dress up a little even though it's sad you weren't feeling well for Christmas! It's good you have been feeling a little better and able to enjoy your hobbies a little and share some more lovely illustrations with us!

    Hope you continue to get much better!


    Away From The Blue

    ReplyDelete
  4. ellie28 December 2021 at 16:13

    Such a sweet photo of the two of you! I think you are really capturing the sense of soul more and more in your art. I am glad you are continuing with your many fashion inspirations. I hope you have better days too. I know you want to be productive.

    Here one co-worker has Covid and another is waiting to see if she has it. Her mother-in-law gave her a big hug at Christmas now her mother-in-law is sick so she's waiting to get tested..which is another hard thing to get done around here.

    I hope you can rest. I love your Christmas tree!..and the outfit you wore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split29 December 2021 at 00:40

      Thank you. Yes, it is hard with Covid and not being able to get the test results quickly. Sometimes the tests aren't correct so they have to do them again. The same problems are plaguing us all these days.

      Delete
  5. Caitlin'nMegan28 December 2021 at 16:16

    Adoring your Christmas tree. Such delightful photos. Thanks for sharing you art, too. Awesome eyelashes on the dark-haired girl with the blue eyes! I hope you continue to be on the mend and can have a beautiful New Year's eve. Thank you so much for reading and your comments. I greatly appreciate you being here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split29 December 2021 at 00:48

      <3 Thank you. I appreciate your being here too!

      Delete
  6. Lovely28 December 2021 at 20:43

    Beautiful sketches, Ivana! Your tree looks lovely. Wishing you a happy 2022!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rajani Rehana29 December 2021 at 01:30

    Mind blowing sketches

    ReplyDelete
  8. ...29 December 2021 at 01:53

    Wow wonderful photo, happy holidays and I wish you all the beautiful things for 2022

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split29 December 2021 at 05:44

      Thank you. I tried commenting on your blog but I wasn't able to open any posts.

      Delete
  9. Kezzie29 December 2021 at 03:47

    I love your portraits and I really do think you are improving at realistic portraits. The hair is really good on the 1st brunette with blue eyes. I love the texture on the tinsel dress!
    Very sorry to hear you haven't been well but hoping you improve soon! It must be so hard having long term illness but you are v positive. Will keep you in prayer.
    Your Christmas tree looks delightful!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ann29 December 2021 at 05:38

    Oh Wow! You are so talented.

    Happy New Year ♥

    Ann
    https://roomsofinspiration.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Vix29 December 2021 at 06:43

    Your drawing skills are fabulous, the brunette with the blue eyes is mesmerising! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lulu29 December 2021 at 08:57

    You are a true inspiration Ivana! Even when you are not feeling too good, you are drawing and painting away. I especially love the portrait with the feathery blue dress and headdress - she looks like she has a story to tell. Lulu xXx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split30 December 2021 at 06:42

      Thank you Lulu. Maybe she does have a story to tell.:)

      Delete
  13. Polyester Princess29 December 2021 at 10:06

    I'm loving your Christmas tree and outfit, Ivana. As for your portraits, I think they are very accomplished, even if you haven't found your true style yet. I particularly love the third one, with the blue faux fur and feathery crown.
    I'm keeping my fingers crossed you'll feel better soon, so that you are able to dress up and celebrate NYE at home! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Witchcrafted Life29 December 2021 at 20:31

    Yes!!! Here's to us spoonie fashionistas dressing up for the holidays, even if they're spent squarely and entirely under our own roof. So long as my health will grant me the ability, I adore doing just that as well.

    Thank you very much for sharing your portraits with us. They are wonderfully pretty! "Girl with Blue Eyes" leapt out at me in particular. What a soulful piece.

    And many thanks as well for sharing some snaps of your festive decor here, too. What a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

    Abundant hugs & joyful New Year's countdown wishes coming your way!

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split30 December 2021 at 06:43

      Thank you dear. I hope you'll be able to enjoy a nice NYE at home.

      Delete

Post a Comment

All your comments mean a lot to me, even the criticism. Naravno da mi puno znači što ste uzeli vrijeme da nešto napišete, pa makar to bila i kritika. Per me le vostre parole sono sempre preziose anche quando si tratta di critiche.

Popular posts from this blog

THE ISLAND OF THE MISSING TREES BY ELIF SHAFAK (BOOK REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION)

Image
Today I shall review The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. I was actually gifted this book. What a wonderful present it proved to be! Published in 2021, this postmodern  novel  follows two  story lines and uses framed narration.  The Island of Missing Trees  tells the life story of a Greek Turkish couple and their adolescent daughter.  This novel examines and explores a number of topics such as identity, migration, immigrant life, war trauma, memory, love and family. It's an ambitious novel that examines serious topics with due respect and sensitivity . I read it months ago, but I remember it vividly. Honestly, I cried a lot while reading this novel. It really moved me greatly. In fact, that is probably why it took me this long to finish this book review. I needed to emotionally process the story.   The Island of Missing Trees is   set in London and Cyprus. The narration isn't chronological .  The story jumps back and forth, following ...
Read more

VISIT SINJ (CROATIA) WITH ME! EXPLORE THE DALMATIAN HIGHLANDS!

Image
Hello readers and fellow bloggers! Regular readers of my blog will know that I'm Dalmatian and ' parce mihi Domine,' (as St. Jerome's supposedly used to pray). Dalmatia is one of four historical Croatian regions. When we're talking about coastal regions in Croatia, there are only two: Istria and Dalmatia. Occupying the majority of Croatian seaside, Dalmatia is extremely popular with tourists. Dalmatian coast is quite long, including hundreds of islands, and running from Zadar in the north do Dubrovnik to the south.  However, there's more to Dalmatia than its seaside and islands.  I'm from the seaside myself, a proper sea child and all,  but I love the Dalmatian Highlands. Rich in history and culture, Dalmatia Highlands are unique in many ways. From culinary delicacies to fascinating traditions, from untouched nature to picturesque towns and villages, you'll find much to admire here. Have I blogged about it before? I certainly did. I blogged about the Gr...
Read more

BURGUNDY AND YELLOW OUTFIT IN SPLIT CITY

Image
 Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! In this post, I'll show you an autumn outfit I wore for a seaside stroll with my family in Split city, Croatia. This outfit is another example of me shopping my closet, so you can expect the sustainable fashion files to kick in any minute. This was a very comfortable outfit to wear that also felt very energizing. Probably it was due to colour therapy and all that. Wearing colours often makes me feel better. Mustard yellow and burgundy are the main colours in this look, and I do love these colours together. I dressed in layers, for it was quite windy and fresh despite the warm sun.  As regular readers of my blog know, Split is my home city, and you can find me there very often. In fact, you could say that I live between Split and Mostar. I love Mostar, but I do miss the sea. Is there anything better than seaside in Autumn and Winter? I always love being near the sea, but during the Autumn and Winter when there are hardly any people aroun...
Read more

WHAT I WORE IN MOSTAR FOR WONDERFULLY WARM AND SUNNY AUTUMN DAYS

Image
 Hello readers and fellow bloggers! Happy Sunday! In this post, I'll share three warm Autumn outfits I wore for strolling around Mostar city. Today is quite cold and cloudy for our Mediterranean standards, so the plan is to stay in and catch up with blogging. I've had a pretty eventful weekend so far. Weekend sometimes seem to just fly by, don't they? We often try to make up for the things we didn't do during the week, especially us ladies. We try to fit in all in- to clean the house, do chores and that sort of things. Sometimes weekends can even be tiring. There are conferences and meetings to attend. Learning how to shut down and rest properly can be a challenge. Life gets busy, and sometimes the older we get, the more busy it becomes. That's why I'm so grateful for these little outings I do, being a tourist in my own city and country- that sort of thing. I sometimes feel like I mastered sustainable and local travel . The challenge is just finding the time to ...
Read more

30 PLUS WAYS TO WEAR AN OLIVE BLAZER (SUSTAINABLE FASHION FILES)

Image
Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! In this post, we'll talk some more about  sustainable fashion. As I believe the best way to learn is through example, so I'll show you multiple ways how to style an olive green blazer. On this little digital place to call my own, I love to show you how you can be more sustainable by shopping your closet. The more you love items in your closet and the better care you take of your clothes, you easier you'll find it to shop your closet. So, that's something to keep in mind! Besides linking up outfits with this blazer, I'll link up multiple ways to wear other items in my closet. As always, there will be fun collages to help you see the vision- how chic and fun restyling items can be! Olive green can be somewhat of an underrated colour, even if it is trending at the moment. For Autumn/Winter 2024/2025, tonal dressing in olive greens and khakis is right on trend. I'm convinced that when styled right, olive green can look good wi...
Read more

FORGIVENESS DAY BY URSULA K. LE GUIN (BOOK REVIEW AND AN AUTUMN STYLING)

Image
Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! How are you today? I'm back with another Ursula K. Le Guin book review. In this post, I'll review " Forgiveness Day" , a science fiction novella that is a part of the Hainish Circle. Published in 1995, "Forgiveness Day " won multiple awards. This novella is often published together with her other novellas from the Hainish Circle, and it can be find in various editions of Four Ways to Forgiveness and Five Ways to Forgiveness.   Thematically, this novella is a part of five stories featuring two Hainish planets, but it can definitely be read on its own. I think it functions well as a stand alone novella. I listened to it in audio form, and I didn't have any problems following the story.  The world building is simple and effective. The author fills us in about the history of the two planets as the story enfolds. For such a short work of prose, this novella is really impressive in that it manages to explore the theme o...
Read more