I hate to start this post this way, but I will anyway: It's been a long time! How have you been?
Horrific June
Some others -- like my friends and family -- knew how bad the month of June had been for me. I got wound up into important engagements that beat my body sleepless and brain restless. For some reason, uncomfortable circumstances just kept coming my way and my naturally shy personality had to somehow maneuver my way out of them. Our house was undergoing roof renovations and a literal storm flooded the whole residence. Doors were also persistent in closing in on me and by then, I was emotionally done.
As if the month of June caught wind of my distress, it decided to end with a literal bang -- I accidentally spilled hot coffee onto my laptop while in the middle of work. Obviously, said machine had to short on me and I couldn't even cry. I had to find solution to this distressful situation: quick!
All I needed was a quick pick-me-up to just cheer me up at least. And what better way than to paint!
Calla
Before the horrifying month that June was, I managed to buy some art materials during sale in May online. I'd never had the pleasure of painting with acrylics before, much less on canvas, and when I finally got to it, the experience was nothing short of fun.
This was the end result. OK, back up.
Let me talk about the painting first. I got so used to digital painting that art in traditional media has simply become a complex activity to me. I decided to be careful and paint something I already have before, so I chose calla. It looked simple enough for me, I thought.
For reference (and comparison), here was how the original calla painting looked like.
And while it looked simple enough that mistakes may be at least tempered, I wanted some extra precautions in place: I grabbed a 4H pencil, drew a grid, then began drawing Calla. Of course, the strokes from the 4H just had to look like it was drawn with a 6B, but my eraser was nowhere to be found and I just had to fake it till I make it, I guess.
Thus began my acrylic on canvas painting journey. It took weeks before I completed this artwork, but for a first one, I am pretty proud of how it turned out.
Painting Calla
The canvas was a cheap 30 cm x 40 cm primed canvas. With it, I also bought an inexpensive set of brushes... and a rather expensive 24-color-set of acrylic paints. While the orders were in transit, I decided to watch artists online, but their techniques and processes varied, so I couldn't really decide how I should go about this one.
Here, I hired my mother's plants to serve as ornament to a very quick painting photoshoot. LMAO.
The only way I could learn was by trial and error. After drawing in my sketch, I tried changing the acrylic's consistency with water but of course it had to turn out messy and cringey. I sucked so much with colors; I ended up pretending I can do it.
It only resembled something decent on Day 3, and even by then, I was really unsure still of how it was turning out. Many times, I hoped for a quick undo button... or a layer clipping. And maybe even blending modes.
Disclaimer: I have experience painting with paints before... but they were latex on a wall (a mural painting) and they weren't like this. At best, they were geometric shapes in colorful variances. My experience were also limited to painting props for stage plays in high school -- and that was the last time I painted: at 16 years old.
So doing this was a breath of fresh air, I think? I don't think it is great in any way, but it is something outside my comfort zone. And while the month of June was uncomfortable, I think July was about getting out there and trying things I'd never done before, much less thought about doing.
Notes
I'll be really busy again in the coming months -- I know, I know. My career outside of arts is in a roller coaster and it is either I take it or leave it. I sometimes joke about retiring young (help, I'm just in my 20s lol) but I'll need to marry a millionaire to even dream about this. Kek.
