Arfink Gets Random.

[arfink]

Happy treeeeeeeeeee

[img]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7aIfYqNWZUI/UJ6eYwQrL3I/AAAAAAAAEss/8ms6EZr2SVc/s640/grey%2520tree.png[/img]

OK, well maybe not happy and green, but it made me happy.

[arfink]

Took the day off today. I desperately needed it.

[tojo]

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1352678484' post='2508267']
Took the day off today. I desperately needed it.
[/quote]

Good. Rest for the weary.

[AnneLine]

Excellent use of a Sunday!

[arfink]

[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xXvjacjYIrg/UKEmPxFLrAI/AAAAAAAAEtE/2xh_k-QB3YM/s800/IMG_3111.JPG[/img]

So I went out for Chinese with the family last night. They had the usual cheesy paper zodiac placemats, and I got crazy with some crayons while we waited for our food. I think the waitress thought I was crazy or something.

[TheresaThoma]

Or the waitress thought it was amesome

[arfink]

[quote name='TheresaThoma' timestamp='1352750144' post='2508672']
Or the waitress thought it was amesome
[/quote]

Maybe. She didn't really chat with me, but I'm actually far less talkative in person with people I don't know than I am online, so that's hardly surprising.

Edited November 12, 2012 by arfink

[ChristinaTherese]

[quote name='TheresaThoma' timestamp='1352750144' post='2508672']
Or the waitress thought it was amesome
[/quote]
I agree with TT. I like your use of colors in that sketch. It's kind of refreshingly different.

[AnneLine]

Tell us about it, ARFink... I'd like to know what went through your artist's head as you drew.....

[arfink]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1352759279' post='2508757']
Tell us about it, ARFink... I'd like to know what went through your artist's head as you drew.....
[/quote]

Yes, I will write up a little something for ya.

First I need to make some pizza dough so it will rise in time for dinner, I am the designated chef for the evening.

[MissyP89]

I feel like we're both in the same place, career-wise.

FYI, I'm looking for extra copy editing work if you know of any from-home outlets that can accommodate me.

[arfink]

[quote name='MissyP89' timestamp='1352759962' post='2508762']
I feel like we're both in the same place, career-wise.

FYI, I'm looking for extra copy editing work if you know of any from-home outlets that can accommodate me.
[/quote]

If I find something through my employer I will let you know. We have a few lucrative finders fee...

All joking aside, I think we could use someone like you once we have a few more accounts here in MN, which will hopefully be soon, but I honestly have no idea. Keep praying!

[arfink]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1352759279' post='2508757']
Tell us about it, ARFink... I'd like to know what went through your artist's head as you drew.....
[/quote]

OK, so now some explanations on the picture. First, I'll repost the picture so you can easily look at it while I blab here:

[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xXvjacjYIrg/UKEmPxFLrAI/AAAAAAAAEtE/2xh_k-QB3YM/s640/IMG_3111.JPG[/img]

First, just to get it out of the way, you know what this [i]is,[/i] in it's most basic form: a paper placemat with yellow, orange, red, and purple crayon.

The story is like this: My family is part of a religious study group, and the group meets at our house once a month, on the second Sunday. We typically clean the house really well on the Saturday before, and then on Sunday we try out best to just steer clear of the upstairs portion of the house so that Mom doesn't have any last second panic or anxiety. So in the evening we always go out to eat. This is a rare, usually once a month occasion. The kids love it!

We went to a favorite location, the New Hong Kong Wok, but for us it was unusually early, about 4:30 PM. It was lightly snowing, and the sky was completely dark, because it's Minnesota, and dang if it doesn't get dark early here! The place is small and homey, with only maybe enough seating for 20 or maybe 30 guests at the very most. I've never seen the place full in all the times we have visited though, because Sunday is always a very slow day for them. The owner's 2 small children were doing homework at the table by the kitchen door and making jokes in Mandarin and broken English, and a bearded man dressed in a Vietnam-era uniform and his (I presume) wife were the only other customers there.

The owner was our waitress as well, and her husband and eldest son were in the kitchen. She is always delighted to see us all come and just smiled knowingly when, immediately after setting the tables for us, we children proceeded to flip our placemats over to the blank backside and break out the crayons from Mom's purse. The 3 year old of course commanded the disbursement of colors, only reluctantly allowing me [i]four whole crayons,[/i] as though it was some crime for me to possibly deprive her of the perfect shade.

Now, normally when I have no topic in mind at all I tend to just draw very silly little doodles, like glorified stick people in ridiculous situations and toothsome yet adorable animals wreaking fantastic catastrophe. But yesterday was different. I looked at the page, and knew that with crayons I would find myself limited. The line width I could make with these perfectly blunted crayons would rule out any kind of really detailed work, and sharpening them at the dinner table would have been uncouth. I looked at the colors in my hand, and I saw the colors sunset, and knew what I wanted to do.

I started with the tree, sketching out curving lines to make the trunk, and pulling upwards at random angles to make thinner branches. I started the foliage with rough scribbled open-topped arcs in red, to describe the shadowy under-foliage. Then came undirected ovals and circles in orange with the flat end of the crayon, to describe the bulk of the leafy masses. Highlights were applied in yellow, shadows deepened with more red, and then a scratch of purple to deepen the shadows under each clump of leaves.

Then I needed something else, perhaps some hills. I glanced briefly at a print of some Asian landscape that was hanging in a very simple frame across from my table, and at very first glance with my unfocused eyes the hills there looked like waves. So I threw a few into the side of my image, decided which direction I wanted the light coming from, and started hatching some basic color in, again using yellow for highlights, orange for bulk, red for shadows, and purple for deeply defined shadows. Halfway through this process I decided to add the path, making it bend over two hills. Once the shading was mostly done I decided to add the termination of the path, and put in the house/thing at the top of the last hill.

Finally I took a second to look at what I had made so far. The light was coming (due to my lack of planning) from somewhere outside of the image. I was annoyed. How was I to draw a sunset when the sun wouldn't even be in the image!? I had to put [i]something[/i] in the blank expanse of sky, and briefly considered a bird. The owner was beginning to bring our egg rolls and wontons out ahead of the rest of the food, and I would not have long before I would have to put away my drawing, lest it get greasy. I knew I wouldn't be able to draw a bird well enough for my liking, so I put in a curly cloud instead, hastily, and put the image away.

Looking at it after the fact, I find it strange I was able to compose it that quickly with no guidelines, no sketching, and no reference material besides a glance through unwashed glasses at an image that was far enough away I couldn't even focus my eyes on it. I think I spent, at the very most, 15 to 20 minutes on it. It couldn't have possibly been longer.

Edited November 12, 2012 by arfink

[AnneLine]

Thank you, ARFink, I appreciate that! It's interesting to explore your thought process on this....

Also -- are you a left or right handed artist?

[arfink]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1352765397' post='2508785']
Thank you, ARFink, I appreciate that! It's interesting to explore your thought process on this....

Also -- are you a left or right handed artist?
[/quote]

Left handed, very much so.