Lori @rubysshoes1
Popped out of bed at 7 am when I saw this sweet face. But 1st I got KOW-FEE as Al would say.
Otherwise no time for art today. Hmm she could go pinker.
Color is somewhere between the multiple pics. Annoying iphone camera messes w ths color.
Sorry forgot to take pics!!
Watercolor pencil in my stillman and birn alpha Thanks! Judith and Lori @rubysshoes1
Margaret done for the night. xoxoxoxo
Stillman and birn alpha journal Prismacolor art sticks w some Faber Castel watercolor pencils.
Margaret xoxoxox
Judith Yaws @judithyaws is doing a 30 day portrait challenge on ig @jyportraitchallenge Shes posting awesome photo references for the challenge. Thought i would join my friend Ruth @britpeach in this challenge.
These are done by drawing the large shapes first then the details. I am bad abt starting with the outline and details then filling it in like a color book so trying to change. If Mary Whyte can draw the big shapes first so can i?!
Margaret xoxoxo
I was hoping to sketch when we got to Aiken and I schlepped the big sketchbook and the neocolor now found in my purse along with an assortment of pens and pencils. Well I am now ready for the next happening l, right?
Funny the things you forget til something jogs your memory. The jog was an old paper my brother wrote about the brown thrasher the Ga state bird. It was in a bag of papers my mom saved for him that I need to mail to him along with his less than stellar report cards. His daughters will enjoy those. I for one would have loved to see my dads.
Drawings are all done w watercolor, Caran dache neocolor ii,some prismacolor art sticks in an 8×10” stillman and birn alpha. NO PENCIL drawings aka direct painting. All done with a watercolor base first.
Anyway enough birdie thoughts. Nite note Margaret xoxoxo
I ran across Sandi, a terribly charming Nashville TN artist, when I subscribed to her substack An Artists life a few weeks ago. I am kind of hooked on her entertaining youtube feed. She talks about everything from art supplies to art books and how to lake the most art possible. I could spend entirely too much money with her helpful tips. Oops. Been trying to swear off art supply buying.
Was just thinking of the diff in these two birds and WHY did i like the heron best? I drew the goose with caran dache and sprayed it to wet the color. I used the watercolor in the background with a big Chinese brush wet on wet with cobalt and indigo. Smack smack and it was done.
The egret was painted first with the cad yellow light indigo and raw sienna. The water is cobalt. I let the bird dry and then drew on it with the neocolor ii. Too much fun. The grass is neocolor ii and prismacolor art sticks. The water. I got the tipples by folding a kleenex w a knife edge dragging it croswise in the paint. It lifts it and leaves a wave. Hmm or is it a reflection?!!🧐🧐🧐
Margaret xoxoxoxo
Interesting recommendations for your ig feed to improve it from a woman who has a zillion followers. Thinking abt taking her class at the end of the april. Obviously she knows something i don’t know.
From Dina Brodsky! Her Ig is @ dinabrodsky and she has 772000 plus followers! So she must know what she’s talking about!!
Today, a few thoughts on your bio.
Why your bio is important and how to optimize it
- Instagram is the platform of choice for the art world, and most galleries, collectors and critics will look at your instagram account before they look at your website or CV. Most people’s first impressions are formed instantly, so the first thing to do is to make sure your account is the best possible impression of you as an artist.
- Your name/handle: make sure this is what you want to be known by in the art world. I would suggest sticking to your actual name, or, if that’s already taken, Yourname_artist, yourname_paintings, etc. Since this is your professional account, keep it professional, rather than charming/whimsical/clever.
Your Profile Photo
- Since most people are looking at instagram on their phone, your profile photo might be too small for them to make out. That being said, make sure its a photo of your art, you, or you and your art.
Your Bio
- This is a place to say a few words about yourself as a person and as an artist. Also, a place to direct people to what’s happening in the link in your bio, which is the most important part of your profile
Link in bio/website
Why it’s important:
- This is the only place on Instagram you can place a live link. This should be the place you direct people to the most important thing happening in your career at the moment – your next exhibition, a write-up in a major publication, or something actionable like a workshop you’re trying to fill or a studio sale.
Why it’s really important:
- Did you know that the Instagram algorithm puts a disproportionate weight on whether people click on your link in bio? This means that if you direct people to the link in your post/reel, and they click on it, that post will get prioritized by the algorithm and become visible to more people.
- DON’T put lots of links in your bio with tools like Linktree. Less than 1% of your audience will click your link–send them to the ONE place that’s most important to you.
- Pro tip: if you do want your link in bio to direct people to several places, don’t do it via Linktree, Lnk.bio or other third party apps. Instead make a Links page on your website, like this: https://www.dinabrodsky.com/links
That way you are driving people to your website instead of a third party app.Dina Brodsky, Boston, MA
Now to do a bigger one. But first the grocery store
Margaret worn out exhausted w an unmade bed. Sigh. Xoxoxo
Margaret McCarthy Hunt Art 