This is a drawing of eyes, created with a combination of mediums, such as pens, markers, paint pens, watercolor, and multiple layers of laminate. A variety of vivid colors were used to build up the eyes and the surrounding facial structure with washes of color and energetic lines. Each layer of laminate allowed for greater depth of features to be added without much blending of color and shapes, allowing for an extremely crisp and vivid final drawing. The eyes are drawn on 3″ x 5″ paper.

For more eye drawings visit the Marker Drawing of an Eye.

There is a beautiful painting of a face under there. It’s vibrant, vital, and has a lot of interesting colors and shapes to share. But the spark, albeit the tiniest glimmer in the eyes, has been covered up. Muddied and spray painted with opaqueness, it’s frustrating to look at what could be a joyful being, swallowed by apathy. Sinking into the cold coppery abyss without any care for saving oneself. It’s difficult to see the face clearly. You may want to, but just can’t. And the painting can barely see you. Sort of sums up sadness and depression to me.

This abstract painting of a sad or depressed face was painted with acrylics and spray paint on a masonite board. The painting is approximately 12″x16″.

P.S. So as not to alarm concerned viewers, I’m not depressed, but might have been when I painted this image. People, being the social creatures we are, are naturally inclined to assume art reflects personality or state of mind. And while that may be partly true, I give more credit to people’s ability to overcome obstacles after giving amnesty to fears.

Special thanks to the unspoken viewers who’ve given me the attention I needed to heal. Push for joy.

~Michael

Vikki North is an amazing artist who’s artwork can be seen in the Red Chair Gallery, and often deals with the ‘human condition’. In July 2008, she visited my art blog, and enthusiastically offered a challenge entitled “Jealousy, The Green Eyed Monster“. The experience was fantastic spontaneous FUN.

A few months later a new challenge was proposed… “The Red Balloon”. The Red Balloon was one of my favorite childhood movies. Minimal dialogue, as it transcends language, and contains visuals that both children and adults can enjoy. And it stars a boy and his big shiny red balloon!

From Inquirer Movie Columnist and Critic Steven Rea:

“”The Red Balloon” is a beautiful little meditation on childhood, on imagination literally taking flight. The story of Pascal and his balloon represents the longings of the young – and the not so young – to escape the mundane business of daily life, and find a way to transcend, transcend.”

My response to the movie and this challenge is a reflection on sharing creativity.

There is a scene in the movie where the little boy, Pascal, and his red balloon stroll by a little girl, who also has a balloon. A bright blue one. The balloons play together briefly, a passing moment, but one that struck me, and seemed to fit this challenge.

It reminded me that when I see someone else with their own ‘balloon’ of imagination, it’s beautiful and wonderful and a joy to share. And in that regard the final scene in the movie becomes particularly overwhelming and memorable.

I think we all have unique creativity. And sharing it and working with others often takes me to new heights. I’m particularly intrigued by the online presentation of this challenge, and the exchange of viewers that are a part of the experience. Vikki and I are posting our finished artworks on the same day, without having seen each others’ work, and I encourage you to visit her Art Blog to see what she has created!

So without further ado, “Blue’n Red” is a 9″x 12″ paint/drawing created with colored pencils, pen, marker, paint pen, and watercolor mediums. The artwork is comprised of two children’s faces in a sea of creativity, surrounded by the balloons of all the people in their world, swirling around, and enjoying the fun. A multitude of colors and affect, coming together to form something bigger than one can do alone.

Thank you Vikki!

This is a minimalistic drawing of an old man face with a red pen. A brush and water was used to add subtle shadows around the eyes, nose, and mouth. The commentary is similarly sparse… lost in thought like the old man’s gaze.

This is an abstract portrait painting of an Art Goddess. The artwork is 9″x12″ and was created with pens, watercolor, paint pens, and markers. Multiple layers of medium were energetically and organically built up to create an abstract female face, with broad strokes of watercolor and detailed pen lines used to push and pull the space. The essence of creativity is playfully depicted as an Art Goddess, with the face as an almost universally recognizable lead in to the visual art.

As I’ve grown into art, I realized that I have developed a deliberate way of expressing myself visually. Perhaps the same way that some have a deeper understanding of other tools for expression and communication, like math, language, or music. I feel a deep appreciation for those other creative processes, even though I don’t understand the intricacies of them, I know there are areas of overlap and mutual insight. So I added a few subtle reminders of other tools that enrich and nurture visual art.

I also wondered, if more people were taught to convey emotions or concepts via color and shape more consistently, what new ways of thinking about the world would we discover? What unknown creativity awaits behind the Goddess’ eyes? And what flashes behind yours?

These are two 9″x12″ abstract portraits of artist Frank Calloway, drawn and painted with pen, ink, markers, colored pencils, and watercolors. Dina Kerik’s Deepwater Journal alerted me to the story of Frank and the reference image for the artworks.

I was inspired by his passion for drawing, which started when he was 86 years old. Frank Calloway turned 112 years old on July 2, 2008, and art continues to be a part his life. I also like the youthful quality of his drawings, and the consistency hints at a very mature, organized, and creatively patterned style.

High quality giclée prints of each portrait are available at ImageKind.

Theses are abstract drawings of skulls, sketched with markers, watercolors, paint pens, and artist tape. The acid free tape was layered over the eyes of the more abstracted green swirly drawing. A bandaged or mummified appearance hasn’t translated as thoroughly to the digital reproduction. The skull drawings use basic shapes of color, subtle lines of structure, and semi-opaque washes of watercolor sketched quickly and energetically. A white paint pen is also used to add interesting hot spots of washed out color and blur lines that intensify the subtle illusion of movement.