A Virtual Sketchbook Attempt

Today is a holiday here in Brazil. Yipee! Therefore, I decided to do something I would enjoy, and since it was pouring down rain all day, I didn’t much want to venture outside. I had visited a website called “Virtual Sketchbook” and was fascinated by the idea. If you click on the link you’ll see what it is, but I’ll give you an idea of what it entails.

The concept of the blog is that every month a photo is submitted and anyone who wants can draw or paint part or all of the picture. Then the results are posted on Flicker and there is a link to each person’s blog who painted the picture. I loved looking at the photos. Then I thought, what the heck? Go for it. It’s not like I’m in the league with anyone else who has submitted their work, but it is a great exercise for me. So today I drew the part of the photo I liked and then painted it with acrylics on paper, since I can’t exactly afford to buy a canvas for all my exercises. It was great fun for a rainy day. It was a real first for me, since it was the first time I’ve tried to paint anything with acrylics all on my own. No step by step, or instructions on how to mix colors. This month I am off my art lessons, since I am busy teaching the class at the seminary. Can you believe that just one year ago I couldn’t draw a thing and now I am painting something that resembles something? I know it’s no great work of art, but it does show I have learned something in a year. The secret is to just keep working and learning, right? If you visit the Sketchbook site, you can see the original photograph and the links to other people’s drawings/paintings on their own blogs. If you just want to see the entire collection all at once, visit the Flicker page. The Flicker page, however, is only available to those who have a Flicker account.If you have a Yahoo account, then the sign in is the same as Yahoo. The entries all have to posted by Saturday, so if you really enjoy looking at them, you’ll want to return to the Flicker page and look at the new entries. Let’s hear it for teaching an old dog new tricks, right?