Old Ladies and Wings Galore!

I love painting and drawing people’s faces mostly from my imagination.  However, I do find that after a while they all start to look the same.  When this happens, I have found that my drawing improves if I spend some time drawing faces from magazines and books.  I usually do this in the evening while watching TV.

The above drawing is from a picture from the National Geographic which I did this week.  It took me two evenings to do as it is about A4 size and lots of detail!  I have a ready supply of faces as I buy piles of old magazines from the local Salvation Army charity shop.  Then I go through them ripping out images that take my fancy, and put in in big envelopes according to subject.

 

I am dreadful at putting the date on so often have to rely on memory.  The above was from an article about Chinese women grieving about the imprisonment of their children.  I do know that this batch of magazines was at least 30 years old!  I like the magazines from the SA as they usually are very old (they are the only place locally that will take estate clearances).  I find that the old photographs have more tone and depth of field.  I suppose they haven’t been Photoshopped!

WINGS

For Illustration Friday this week the prompt is wings.  This is an illustration I completed before Christmas for one of my stories: 

Melody’s Quest

Melody called out, "Jeremy Wizard, are you there?"

"Melody, come on up and bring your friends. I promise Harvey, my disreputable winged cat will leave Toby alone."  A voice called back

"What a strange wizard," muttered Melody, "Living up a tree? Wizards are meant to live in towers or old castles." She climbed up the ladder and sat on a branch near the Wizard. Gavin wrapped himself around a branch, and Toby settled himself just out of reach of the strangest cat Melody had ever seen.

"Do you know where I come from?" Melody asked straight away.

"A valley far away, there was danger there, and your parents asked me to find a safe place." Jeremy answered.

"Can you do some magic and whisk me there?" Melody demanded.

"I am afraid I cannot do that, I do not think there is any magic that will do that!" Jeremy laughed.

 “You aren't much of a Wizard then are you!" Muttered Melody. 

I had hoped to have the picture of Melody flying over the Red Mountains with her friends on Amber the Red Dragon’s back.  Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to complete it.  Never mind another day perhaps.

So my friends, blessings for the coming week and wishing you lots of creative endeavours.

Linking to Sunday Sketches and Illustration Friday.