Category Archives: drawing challenge

Steps to Completion: Drawing Challenge

24 Monday Apr 2023

Posted by in Arts & Crafts, drawing challenge

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In an effort to improve my drawing skill, of which I have none, I started a drawing challenge.

I visit Random Generator’s Random Things to Draw. The first drawing challenge I used the first image that came up. It was a sunflower. I feel pretty good about the results. I screen recorded the drawing process and made a video, which I posted on my YouTube Channel.

The first.

At the end of that video, I shared three options for the next drawing challenge. And of course the one and only person who ever comments on any of my YT videos chose the next Drawing Challenge subject.

TLDR

Long story short I’m in the middle of the fourth one of these, and the soul reason I’m doing it is because she wants me too. Am I a good aunt or what? So here’s a list of steps to completing a drawing challenge from start to finish.

Drawing Challenge

  • Have niece choose next subject.
  • Contemplate not doing it
  • Open safari and Google subject (ie: sword)
  • Look at pics of swords
  • Ask a question my Facebook which no one will answer
  • Get really good ideas
  • Don’t draw anything for at least a month
  • Remember you need to work on it every day for said month
  • Open Procreate, regret life choices.
  • Draw… something.
  • Start over
  • Cheat. Just a little (take the lazy way out. Not cheat on your significant other that’s wrong)
  • Doubt yourself. It’s part of the process.
  • Put on a podcast and eventually zone out while working, complete forgetting to record.
  • Don’t work on it for a month. Minimum.
  • Niece keeps asking about it. Make up excuses.
  • Wallow in self pity. Everything is going wrong, you’ll suck at this too.
  • Schedule a time to work on the thing. Make yourself do it.
  • Actually work on it, manage to finish the drawing fairly happy with it. Don’t look at it too hard though, you’ll find the flaws.
  • Put all videos in a folder on iPad so they’re in one place and easily accessible. This is responsible. Remember not to delete the videos until everything is complete. Trust me on this. I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE.
  • Create Video intro: basically just update the last one to the number of the challenge and subject. Upload to VideoLeap app.
  • Upload videos. Probably one at a time since your iPad is five years old and has to think about it for a minute.
  • Edit videos for length and content. We don’t want a 30 minute video.
  • After editing is complete, research and write script for voiceover.
  • Record voice over
  • Add background music where needed. Note title and artist. (You will get copyrighted, but the video won’t get taken down. At least they haven’t yet.)
  • Remember: don’t touch anything. If you add in stuff then change the video, YOU. WILL. HAVE. TO. MOVE. EVERYTHING. AGAIN.
  • Once you think you are done watch it through. AGAIN.
  • When you’re finally happy or just content or about to throw the iPad across the room with vigor, upload to the ‘Tubes.
  • Schedule it to premier so The Niece has a countdown to watch.
  • Profit. Wait.

The editing process will take several hours, if not days. I’ve gotten migraines. I’d hate to be a popular creator and have to have quality videos.

Honestly I dread it.

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Took me long enough.

19 Monday Dec 2022

Posted by in Arts & Crafts, drawing challenge, Non-Fiction

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If you recall, I recently began a self-created drawing challenge. The first challenge was a sunflower and I wanted to commemorate it by creating a sticker. Not that I have the means to do so, but I have Google and the Toky Tokys.

So, after multiple days and several hours of trying, hundreds of views for various YouTube and TT creators videos on the subject, I finally figured out how to MAKE THE WHITE BORDER AROUND AN IMAGE.

This is it. This is the sticker. Sans Greenish background of course.

Now, I haven’t got the materials yet to make this a physical reality, but I rode the high of figuring it out a long time. Until I went hunting for my checkbook to pay a bill and couldn’t find it.

But I still feel good about it.

Eventually I’m going to have the material and attempt to print and cut the stickers out. I plan on selling the about 3 inch by 3 inch stickers for $2. Not that anyone will buy them but I’m 100% gonna slap one on my truck with my “Hi, Robin!” sticker.

And I plan on continuing the Drawing Challenge. I’ve got a duck I just finished, and a video to come plate for that. Yes the duck is going to have its one phrase too.

*wink*

Anyway, The Kid conned her way into my bed, so I’m not getting much sleep, so I’d better get in that!

Ducks Are Hard to Draw

08 Thursday Dec 2022

Posted by in Arts & Crafts, drawing challenge, Non-Fiction, Uncategorized

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And other facts of life.

Case in point

If your a little behind the times, first off same. Secondly, I’ve recently decided to punish myself challenge myself and try to get better at drawing. Specifically digital “art”.

Shameless plug to first challenge video on YouTube.

My niece was asked to pick from three options and she chose a duck so that’s my next punishment challenge.

She currently has the Flu and I sincerely hope she feels better soon.

A duck is an animal I have never been in super close proximity to. In fact, my general rule of thumb is that if I do not know them I should keep my distance, out of respect for both of us.

However it is important to note that it’s on my bucket list to touch an elephant. I will never do it but by golly if I’m not tempted.

An animal cannot give you direct and clear permission to touch it. It can touch you, but that does not give you permission to touch it back.

The same cannot be said for people. They can give you permission. They can also deny you permission. A good rule of thumb, unless you know the person well, is no touchy touchy.

So I am suddenly reminded of this dude’s Tikie Tokies. About how to pick up a duck. Go watch it. It’ll either make you laugh, or make you do that, “huh, I’m not sure how to feel about this” thing.

Back to the topic at hand, I have no preconceived notions that the duck I am going to draw, eventually, will be any good. It’s gonna 100% be cartoonish and silly. But, you know, I’m not here for perfection, I’m here to have fun.

I’m gonna try really hard not to try to hard, to not let it get the best of me. The sunflower I completed in one session, and I’m sure I could have done more for it in more time. But the duck I’m gonna practice with. I’m gonna erase and start over a lot.

Honestly the goal with this second drawing challenge is to, in the end, be able to look at it and go, “Hmm, I ain’t mad at that.”

And also like the sunflower, it’s gonna be a sticker. Couple of suckers maybe.

I’m gonna learn how to do that too. Because right now the only thing I can afford to do for entertainment and betterment is learn. Through the Google of course, and Wikipedia. Although, because the founder of Wikipedia pretty much dissed Ol Musky, I really should donate.

Anyway, the melatonin and heated throw are telling me to say goodnight.

Goodnight!

Ps: just so you know I tried really hard not to get stupid and personal with this one. I need an outlet but I don’t have to tell the Internet strangers everything.