The Flight of the Macaw

The Flight of the Macaw

by Derrick Bruno

https://HalfEvil333.com

The Flight of the Macaw was one of my greatest pictures as an artist. I not only completed this piece in a good time-frame but I used over 40+ colored pencils. Composing this image was no easy feat at all either. The reference shot I had was small and blurry, but the pose fit what I was going for. I used other references such as encyclopedias, and zoology books to get the bone structure, and muscle movements down. In this blog I will be giving you a day by day play into the creation of this piece. 

Prints are available at https://www.halfevil333.com/art

DAY ONE

And the macaw spreads his wings. There is something releasing about sketching the picture on the paper. It can be difficult to start a new project sometimes, and I know once I start to draw the piece I know it's on. I found a good composition in this image that followed a line of action. It gives the illusion of the birds movement, and flight path which is right off the page. I started to color the head and saw the clock, time for a break. 

DAY TWO

I really jumped right into this piece. I felt an immediate connection, and after the success with the Bird in Bloom piece I really wanted to improve more. I used about 4-5 pencils to get a good bone color in the beak. I started to work on the creases and noticed that after I colored in the eye, I felt him staring right at me with almost a grin. Although the camera I used picked up more white than it should have, you can still see the layers of colors I started to put in. I wanted to give this bird a bit of my personality, and you can see that with the yellow to red flame coloring I put in his feathers. 

DAY THREE

Something happened today that was a bit unexpected for me. I found detail that was not in the reference picture. My dad in Costa Rica took a far away shot of this bird in flight and it was very blurry. You could say that I winged it...pun. Seriously though I stopped looking at the photo at this point and just colored. I saw the form of this beautiful bird and knew where I wanted the muscles to flex, and even more I wanted to feathers to fluff out as if he had just flapped his wings, and you get that hint of back-draft. I also went right into the shading too. I don't usually do this until I shaded all the base colors, but like I said something just came over me today, and I was on fire looking forward to tomorrow. 

DAY FOUR

Back to what I was talking about in day three. The muscle definition. I think that was my primary focus on this piece. Not only did I want to see how many colors I could put in it, but I wanted to see how many feathers I could ruffle, and muscles I could flex. The one small challenge I found was the molted white feathers on the legs and by the wings. With colored pencils you cannot just color white over red and expect white. So I had to color around these areas using negative space, and then using small strokes to add the detail of them being white feathers. I did this with grays and browns. After adding some lights and shadows to this point I think I was done for the day. 

DAY FIVE

Today the macaw started to fly. Can I admit one thing, I actually go so nervous before I started the wings that I took a day or two away from this piece. after I put so much detail into the body I couldn't mess up on the wings. That would be the end of it. So I started on the feet. Believe it or not the feet were harder than the wings. I had to get a movement that made sense as well as give them some texture. The color was interesting to, I would say between the blues, grays and tan colors there were about 7-9 colors in the feet alone. That's why I love colored pencils. Just by adding one more color in a different direction or stroke you change the look and feel of what you are coloring. It may take longer, but you have total control. As for the wings I think the most difficult part was the angle of the feathers and showing the wind pushing down on the top feathers, and lifting the bottom. to do that I added a curve at the end of each feather, and moved them as I visualized the bird in motion. You have to do this, create a line of action and engage the audience. You have one image to capture their imagination, by drawing them into yours. 

DAY SIX

Ah the right wing. This wing was killer. I almost made the mistake of thinking the macaw's feathers were blue on the top and bottom. After looking it over I found they were just a darker color of red. The feathers are actually layered, and their blue feathers are on top. That being said I really thought I would have more blue in this picture, but If I am going to make it believable you have to do your research, even if you are making it your own. Now if you are drawing directly from your imagination, which I love, then all bets are off. This is the funny part I made sure that I placed the blue on the second wing anyways. I changed to composition to have this wing come off the border. It solved two problems for me, One I needed the wings to match up in color, and Two this was a perfect line of action that made this draw much more interesting. Now I was ready to move forward. 

DAY SEVEN

This is the phase where most of artists start to crash. The final lap of the finish line, and you fear finishing. Part of you wants to push harder just to end it, and the other halve just wants to put it away and never finish it because you fear the success or failure of possible messing up. This is where you have to be cautious and take breaks. For me I told myself I would just do the log for the day, and as hard as that was I did it. I added the shadows, and different colors of browns to get the color I wanted. A voice poked in to my head saying just color in the shrubs and be done with it, I know that would have been a big mistake. I was tired, and my wrist was hurting, and I know I would have skipped details, and just rushed it. So I gave it one more day. I originally attempted to draw this 18" x 24" colored pencil piece in 7 days, but I would rather add one more day and be happy with it, than ruin it but trying to hit a deadline that I placed on myself. 

DAY EIGHT

And with the large brush in the background with the skyline, this piece is finally completed. I think this piece cemented me into a good spot as an artist. What I accomplished fore myself was just priceless when I finished this macaw piece. I used over forty colored pencils, and I did it in eight days. It was a good feeling to know I did that, and I wanted to do it again. I continued making new portfolio pieces here on out, and rebuilding everything. If you think about it The Flight of the Macaw was me. I was spreading my wings and letting the wind take me. All the way trough I animated him in my head watching him move, and I think that made the picture take form and move with me. 

Thank you very much for following me on this piece, and remember prints are available at https://www.halfevil333.com/art

"If you can dream it I can draw it."

"If you can dream it I can draw it."

Art Commission Fees

"If you can dream it I can draw it."

Portraits, Animals, character designs, and a full scale drawing from description. Nothing is out of reach. Contact me today with your ideas and what I can do for you. 

- GREY-SCALE PENCIL ARTWORK -

Size             Price
8" x 10"       $50.00
11" x 14"     $80.00
18" x 24"     $200.00
22" x 28"     $250.00

- COLORED PENCIL ARTWORK -

Size             Price
8" x 10"       $100.00
11" x 14"     $150.00
18" x 24"     $300.00
22" x 28"     $400.00

Contact me today at

DerricktheArtist@live.com 

or visit 

http://DerricktheArtist.com

Break the Chains That Bind Your Artwork

Breaking boundaries and becoming more creative than you ever thought you could be. That is what today’s blog is all about. I’ll be the first to admit that I changed my entire drawing style to build myself as a professional artist. I honestly felt no one would take me seriously if I kept drawing characters, and creations out of my mind. I tried, I really did. I would post my work online and got nothing back in return. Was this because I wasn’t good enough, or people didn’t like what I had drawn? Now that I look back on it I don’t think so. I think it was because I didn’t believe in myself enough. I held back in a lot of my work and it suffered dramatically. I would spend hours creating a lot of detail in the beginning, and then just tire of the drawing because it wasn’t me. It just didn’t represent me as an artist.

I have felt really chained down as an artist these past few months and as I was looking up a reference shot for my next piece I asked myself why? This picture I am about to draw has already been captured on photograph it’s done. What about all the great pictures in my mind that are trapped in there. I literally had thousands of images screaming to be released onto paper, and I was scared that I would mess them up. There is pressure to create; I always wanted to be original and draw different than everyone else. Even when I would draw from reference I wanted to find a way to change the image, but I really felt bound to make the image look like what I was drawing just because. I know it’s not a good reason but the pressure to be great, and build a portfolio got me thinking I had to make everything believable and real. And then it hit me just the other day why can’t I have the best of both, and make the imagination real and believable.

I found myself with a dilemma. Do I continue to build my portfolio with realistic colored pencil drawings or do I draw for fun. In the end I answered with my gut feeling to do it for me. So my next piece is called Beyond Imagination. At first I started to collect pictures of things I would add to my work I thought to myself that I am doing it again. I was already judging myself, and holding back by using images as a crutch. If I really wanted to release my talent I had to just draw. So in this image I am drawing it from left to right adding all the detail as I go. I started with a dragon, and a witch, and a phoenix. I have no idea what is next, and I don’t care if it makes sense. It’s imagination and fun. I hope you can do the same.

I propose a challenge to everyone. On your next piece, if you want to find out how much you have evolved as an artist, I want you to use everything you have learned to this point and just draw. Lay it all out on the paper. Don’t think about judgment from peers, or from yourself just go. Whatever comes into your mind go for it. The only other rule I ask for is to not use reference shots, photos, or any previous artwork. Make it yours, make it new, and take your time. Sometimes when you hit the professional level you get a following who love your “style.” If so fantastic don’t change. For me although I have gained a lot of praise for my work, it’s time for me to take a step back for a while and brake the chains that bound my imagination. I plan on growing, and releasing all I have to give, I hope you do too. Take the limiters off, and be creative again.

I hope to see some great new creations. Find me on my Facebook page at http://Facebook.com/DerricktheArtist and share them with me.

Thank you for reading,

Remember to Share, Comment, and Subscribe.

Derrick Bruno-Rathgeber

http://DerricktheArtist.com

ARTSCAPE RECEPTION & SILENT AUCTION

ARTSCAPE RECEPTION & SILENT AUCTION

August 21,2014 from 5:00 - 7:00pm

Featuring work by Derrick Rathgeber and many more great artists.

Thursday August 21, 2014 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM 

4080 Lemon Street, Riverside, CA 92506 

Admission is FREE.

Please join the County of Riverside & Riverside Arts Council in celebration of the Spring and Summer exhibition.

Selected pieces will be auctioned in support of Artscape.

Visit http://ArtscapeRiverside.com/ for more info.

Trouble Getting Started? Tips to Get your Artwork Moving.

One of the most difficult things I have trouble with as an artist is just getting started. To me it’s something that drags me down like quicksand. The struggle of pulling myself together is a fight I deal with daily, and the more I fight to get started I find myself procrastinating more. In my case I feel as if I start one project I am neglecting myself of another. As of now I have split my talents into several different locations, that I am completely scatterbrained at times. It’s as if I am stuck in a dark tunnel with ten paths to choose, and rather than take the chance of taking the wrong path I stay in the same spot. Unfortunately choosing the safe spot moves me nowhere and nothing gets done, and every project suffers.

If you are new to my blog, or website my name is Derrick Rathgeber, and I am a husband, father of four great kids, a colored pencil artist, comic strip writer/artist, blog writer, free online art teacher, web designer, graphic designer, and soon I will try my hand at writing a book. All that is true I have done all those things, and you can find them on my website and right here on this very blog page. What the funny part is that I have put my hat in so many pots that I have overwhelmed myself to the point where I don’t know what I want to do. Each of these things are my hobbies, and I really do enjoy them all equally. I love making people laugh with my comic strips, I love designing characters for my story, and I love drawing detailed pictures with my colored pencils. So how do I choose? When I finish one project, how do I choose what to do next? When I start one I put all my energy into it, energy that I could have put into another one.

This was a problem for me for a very long time. I tried different things, and ultimately what worked best was just being down right organized. First of all my greatest enemy is procrastination. That to this day is the hardest enemy to kick in the rear, but you know what I am learning. I’ll start tomorrow, I never do anything for myself, I am tired, I don’t have what I need and so on. Some great tips to help with this little demon are as follows.

1.  Ask yourself: Is what I am doing now beneficial? What would be more rewarding? How will I feel if I continue to put this off?
2. Put off Procrastination: It may sound funny but think about it. Turn off any devices that may lure you away from your projects ie. Tv, internet, PHONE! All these things will be there later.
3. Reward yourself: I always tell myself if I draw today for x amount of time then I get to have x amount of time to do something I like GUILT FREE.
4.  Break it down: Sometimes we are overwhelmed by a large project. So overwhelmed that we don’t start it. So break it down. Say I am going to sketch it today, color this section tomorrow ect. This also helps you take your time and enjoy your new project.
5. Share your Success: Let people know how important it is to you. Sometimes we feel guilty for taking time from our friends and family. Sometimes they don’t understand what it means for you to be productive. Let them know, and ask for support. Say don’t call around 2-4pm I will be working, or can you watch the kids for a bit. And once you are finished working thank them by giving them your full attention. 

When it comes to deciding on what to work on next that is another hang up us artists deal with. Do we start on that commission piece? Do we draw that picture your mom has been asking for? Do I dare ignore everyone and draw that image bouncing around in my head? Again it answers the question how do I spend my time and energy? In my case I pulled myself so thin at one point that I just fell apart and did nothing. I had to get focused, and combat this problem because I wasn’t getting anything done. So what I did was I got organized. This was very important for me because I was all over the place. I didn’t even know what projects I had half of the time, or what I finished. So these are some of the things I did, that you can do yourself, to get organized.

1. Make a list: Write down a list of projects you have. This can be commissions, drawings you would like to do, blogs, website, ect.
2. Prioritize them: Number these projects from 1-10+ based on which projects you would like to get done, or maybe ones you were putting off that you would like to finish.
3. Make a Time Table: Next to each item write down how much time you need for each project. If it’s unknown it’s not a big problem. Ones that you can finish fast are good ones to knock off in-between larger projects.
4. Make a calendar: This is actually fun. Make yourself a weekly calendar giving yourself that day to work on a specific project, and be sure to add a FREE DAY on this calendar to give you the opportunity to work on projects that are behind, to work on whatever you want,  or just take a day off to rest.
5. Don’t make it Law: If you have to make adjustments it’s okay. Life changes and so can your schedule. So don’t feel guilt about changing the calendar, or missing a day or two. It’s mainly a tool to help you decide on what to work on that day. If your heart is in another project follow it and finish that project, you should never force it.

Once you have everything in perspective you will find your days going much smoother and a lot of guilt that goes along with starting something new will start to pass. You want to get into a good routine of developing yourself as an artist, but also find yourself being productive. Above all try not to make it work. A reason some of us find it hard to start up something new is fear, and worry. We worry that it won’t come out right, or fear that it has become work instead of enjoying it. When you feel that pressure, and fear building up just sketch. Don’t feel obligated to share it, just grab your sketchbook and just draw. This helps relieve that pressure we all feel to be at our very best all of the time. As artists we are our worst judges, and that can do nothing but hold us back.

So today if you are holding back a great new design that can wait, push through the muddiness and get through. Today it’s harder than ever with the many distractions that we face, but we have to close that world off and dive into our imaginations and pull it out. It’s not an easy fight sometimes, but this world of technology needs more creativity. Just remember every time you start a new project you are making the world that much better and more imaginative. That itself is a great reward, and incentive to start today.

Thank you for reading,

Derrick Rathgeber

Feel Free to find me on my website at http://DerricktheArtist.com

Shop for Great Gifts by Derrick the Artist

http://Zazzle.com/DerricktheArtist

Find what you're looking for yourself or great gifts for your friends. You'll find unique merchandise with my art on t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and more.

Browse other gifts from Zazzle.

Trouble Getting Started? Tips to Get your Artwork Moving.

One of the most difficult things I have trouble with as an artist is just getting started. To me it’s something that drags me down like quicksand. The struggle of pulling myself together is a fight I deal with daily, and the more I fight to get started I find myself procrastinating more. In my case I feel as if I start one project I am neglecting myself of another. As of now I have split my talents into several different locations, that I am completely scatterbrained at times. It’s as if I am stuck in a dark tunnel with ten paths to choose, and rather than take the chance of taking the wrong path I stay in the same spot. Unfortunately choosing the safe spot moves me nowhere and nothing gets done, and every project suffers.

If you are new to my blog, or website my name is Derrick Rathgeber, and I am a husband, father of four great kids, a colored pencil artist, comic strip writer/artist, blog writer, free online art teacher, web designer, graphic designer, and soon I will try my hand at writing a book. All that is true I have done all those things, and you can find them on my website and right here on this very blog page. What the funny part is that I have put my hat in so many pots that I have overwhelmed myself to the point where I don’t know what I want to do. Each of these things are my hobbies, and I really do enjoy them all equally. I love making people laugh with my comic strips, I love designing characters for my story, and I love drawing detailed pictures with my colored pencils. So how do I choose? When I finish one project, how do I choose what to do next? When I start one I put all my energy into it, energy that I could have put into another one.

This was a problem for me for a very long time. I tried different things, and ultimately what worked best was just being down right organized. First of all my greatest enemy is procrastination. That to this day is the hardest enemy to kick in the rear, but you know what I am learning. I’ll start tomorrow, I never do anything for myself, I am tired, I don’t have what I need and so on. Some great tips to help with this little demon are as follows.

1.  Ask yourself: Is what I am doing now beneficial? What would be more rewarding? How will I feel if I continue to put this off?
2. Put off Procrastination: It may sound funny but think about it. Turn off any devices that may lure you away from your projects ie. Tv, internet, PHONE! All these things will be there later.
3. Reward yourself: I always tell myself if I draw today for x amount of time then I get to have x amount of time to do something I like GUILT FREE.
4.  Break it down: Sometimes we are overwhelmed by a large project. So overwhelmed that we don’t start it. So break it down. Say I am going to sketch it today, color this section tomorrow ect. This also helps you take your time and enjoy your new project.
5. Share your Success: Let people know how important it is to you. Sometimes we feel guilty for taking time from our friends and family. Sometimes they don’t understand what it means for you to be productive. Let them know, and ask for support. Say don’t call around 2-4pm I will be working, or can you watch the kids for a bit. And once you are finished working thank them by giving them your full attention. 

When it comes to deciding on what to work on next that is another hang up us artists deal with. Do we start on that commission piece? Do we draw that picture your mom has been asking for? Do I dare ignore everyone and draw that image bouncing around in my head? Again it answers the question how do I spend my time and energy? In my case I pulled myself so thin at one point that I just fell apart and did nothing. I had to get focused, and combat this problem because I wasn’t getting anything done. So what I did was I got organized. This was very important for me because I was all over the place. I didn’t even know what projects I had half of the time, or what I finished. So these are some of the things I did, that you can do yourself, to get organized.

1. Make a list: Write down a list of projects you have. This can be commissions, drawings you would like to do, blogs, website, ect.
2. Prioritize them: Number these projects from 1-10+ based on which projects you would like to get done, or maybe ones you were putting off that you would like to finish.
3. Make a Time Table: Next to each item write down how much time you need for each project. If it’s unknown it’s not a big problem. Ones that you can finish fast are good ones to knock off in-between larger projects.
4. Make a calendar: This is actually fun. Make yourself a weekly calendar giving yourself that day to work on a specific project, and be sure to add a FREE DAY on this calendar to give you the opportunity to work on projects that are behind, to work on whatever you want,  or just take a day off to rest.
5. Don’t make it Law: If you have to make adjustments it’s okay. Life changes and so can your schedule. So don’t feel guilt about changing the calendar, or missing a day or two. It’s mainly a tool to help you decide on what to work on that day. If your heart is in another project follow it and finish that project, you should never force it.

Once you have everything in perspective you will find your days going much smoother and a lot of guilt that goes along with starting something new will start to pass. You want to get into a good routine of developing yourself as an artist, but also find yourself being productive. Above all try not to make it work. A reason some of us find it hard to start up something new is fear, and worry. We worry that it won’t come out right, or fear that it has become work instead of enjoying it. When you feel that pressure, and fear building up just sketch. Don’t feel obligated to share it, just grab your sketchbook and just draw. This helps relieve that pressure we all feel to be at our very best all of the time. As artists we are our worst judges, and that can do nothing but hold us back.

So today if you are holding back a great new design that can wait, push through the muddiness and get through. Today it’s harder than ever with the many distractions that we face, but we have to close that world off and dive into our imaginations and pull it out. It’s not an easy fight sometimes, but this world of technology needs more creativity. Just remember every time you start a new project you are making the world that much better and more imaginative. That itself is a great reward, and incentive to start today.

Thank you for reading,

Derrick Rathgeber

Feel Free to find me on my website at http://DerricktheArtist.com

New Artwork - Rebirthing by Derrick Rathgeber

Title: Rebirthing

Price: $150.00

Medium: RoseArt Colored Pencils/ Bristol Soft White 11" x 14"

http://DerricktheArtist.com

As I was going through a lot of my old drawings from years ago, I came across a fairy picture I drew. It was a large one using both markers and colored pencils. After going over it I was instantly inspired to do a new fairy picture. It had to be completely new and show how much I have changed as a designer and artist. To me it not only had to work, but show some sort of action with lots of colors. 

So where do I go to get some ideas? Not the drawing board, but the sketchbook. When I have an Idea one of two things happen. A whole lot of very messy broken sketches, or a drawing that just stands on it's own. This time I just nailed the look I was going for. I wanted a fun pixie type fairy that lived in the forest, or garden. She had to look like she lived outside, and used materials that she found to dress herself. So for her clothing I used grass, small twigs, string, flower petals, and leaves. I didn't color this one because I wanted to get to the scene I wanted to portray, and I didn't want to draw another fairy just sitting down either. With my basic design and idea ready it was time to start drawing my new piece. 

My new fairy was gaining a life of her own. As I drew her out a lot of things changed, which usually happens when I start new drawings. In fact in this drawing the entire concept changed about three times. I made her more of a motherly yet youthful looking fairy, and taller. Having done this I wanted to show why so I have her flying in mid air raising her hand up in a strong tall pose. This is my favorite part of drawing. It's letting go and drawing a new character design from nothing. You create personalities and life on the paper. I will say one thing though I do go through a whole lot of erasing. 

I already knew that I wanted to do more of an earthy tone to this piece. To do this I used a whole lot of brown, and dark browns instead of black for shadows. At the same time I still wanted to have her very colorful and vibrant. I used about three greens just for the small leaves alone, on top of the burnt sienna, and brown. Using colors over colors gives you the bright colors that you would never see using just one color, at the same time it makes it harder to correct so I try to not overwork it. At this point I am not adding too much in the area of shadows so erasing is more for highlights in the face and hair texture. 

Not the best picture it was very late at night and I had to use the florescence. I was really motivated to draw a lot today. Every nap the kids took, and each moment of silence I got I was drawing, and coloring. The vines, and the leaves were the best part. I like treating each portion of the drawing as it's own individual drawing. I kind of zoom in on the drawing and add a flat color with out adding too many shadows in case the light source changes. I do however add just enough darkness when an object overlays another. Giving everything on this drawing will have a form of brown in the color, I decided to give it way more color by adding different color flower petals on her garden made wardrobe. 

It wasn't until today that I understood what I was going for. I saw her pose and I said to myself I want to show a motherly fairy gift that made her unique. What more motherly than caring for something that is not well or dying. This actually gave me an idea for an entire series. I plan on having each fairy help out around the house. In this case reviving the dying flowers left neglected on the tabletop. I colored the flowers that were dying very dark, and dried up, but the sunflower bright and open. I picked a sunflower because it was a good opposite to the color of the petals used on her skirt. That way it draws your eye into the line of action along with her hand. Tricky right. 

Well having a new smart phone comes with advantages and can make you feel like a dummy. Apparently there is a setting for Florescent lights to take pictures indoors. At least now you can see all the colors in the image. It was finally time to add the wings and get going on the background. Now have you ever worked on a piece for several days, and then make a really dumb mistake towards the end. Well yeah that happened. As I was working on the wings, I grabbed a graphite 6B soft pencil instead of the black for the details on the wings. After I finished the first wing I couldn't understand why it was smudging and mixing with the other colors. Well needless to say it made the wings very dark and over shadowed the entire picture and did not match at all. So what do I do at this point give up? Heck no! I make it work to my advantage. Rather than jump into the background, after the wings were finished, I Used the same graphite pencil for the shading on the rest of the drawing. It took some time away from finishing the drawing, but using it gave the entire drawing it's own style. Not only that it gave me an idea for the background. 

Originally for the background I had the idea of light coming into a window as rays across the paper, but then I figured it would make the viewer dizzy going left to right then down to up. Nah. Instead I wanted the light source to come from the flower itself. Almost like the Sunflower is thanking her for re-hydrating it with fairy magic. I needed more violet so that was my background color along with black and blue. Then I used that graphite pencil to give each ray of magic a shadow effect blending it through the yellow which was the accidently inspired part. I'll be honest if I hadn't used that pencil the drawing would have been lighter, and the background probably not so magical. In the end I was very happy with the results. And It is ready for sale on my website. 

It was a journey with this piece. It was fun to create a new character, and have a little mistake turn into a big payout. Goes to show you don't toss it out, just adjust it. There is erasers for a reason. Especially in work. Thank you for stopping by. 

I am available for commissions this holiday season. If you have an idea for a gift feel free to contact me today on my website. If you can dream it, I can draw it.

Derrick Rathgeber - Derrick the Artist

http://DerricktheArtist.com

DerricktheArtist@Live.com

Featured Art: Angel of Death by Derrick Rathgeber

Angel of Death

Medium: Colored Pencils/ Bristol Smooth 11" x 14"

Original Price: $150.00 -  Click Here to Buy Now.   

Prints are Available:

http://pixels.com/featured/angel-of-death-derrick-rathgeber.html

 

Angel of Death is a tragic illustration of the original poem by my wife. This 11 x 14 colored pencil drawing shows the dancing of death in the pale moonlight in visual that I can't begin to describe as she did in her poetry. 

Angel of Death

By Patricia Rathgeber

“Come dance in the moonlight, little sister.” He calls

The blades sheen reflects off my pale skin

His shadow grows up against the dark walls

As we dance, the darkness blends and I don’t know where he ends and I begin

A tear against the flesh gives way to liquid crimson

The blood, it streams down to the ground

I watch my life melt away, a stream that glistens

The silence is so loud even though there is no sound

He turns me, dips me and I feel faint

I float like a feather, so light weight

He kisses me, my metallic Saint

The taste of his victory over me, I’ve met my fate

The nirvana of the spins makes me drunk as I slowly lose life

His wings spread wide like a bird of prey with meat in his sight

I can’t refuse his kiss, no strife

Growing weak, I no longer put up a fight

I allow myself to fade in his arms

Taking it all in, my memories flash by so fast

Soaking up all his whispery charms

His kiss, the sin, is my very last

More great poems by Patricia Rathgeber can be found on her website below..

http://www.snsaintalwaysnice.com/

Own the original today.

Http://Derrickr.webs.com

Doubt is a Dangerous Thing

As an artist the worst thing you can face is doubt. Doubt is that nagging fear, or voice in the back of your head that tells you you’re not good enough, or you’ll never reach the level of the other artists on the web. It can come at you in ways that will make you want to quit and burn your artwork. I can honestly say I to this day face doubt strait in the face, and sometimes I do want to quit.

I recently got back into drawing again after a very long hiatus. I had a torn tendon in my drawing wrist that was never allowed to recover properly. When I got injured on the job I was given a brace and set right back to work. Over the years I tried to sketch here and there and my work suffered. My hand would shake, I would drop the pencil, my fingers locked up, and sometimes my wrist felt like it was being torn right off. I couldn’t draw anymore and that sent me into a very angry and dark place. The one thing I thought I was good at was taken from me, and I couldn’t do a thing about it. I doubted that I was ever going to draw again.

One day I found myself digging out my old drawings. I kept a box of my work that survived the rain and the move. I did what I normally would do, and that was pull them out of the box, look at them all and them place them back in the box. To me this was a way of looking back at something I couldn’t get back, and believe me I tried. I would draw out some new drawings, and I was upset that they were out of proportions, and very sketchy. I couldn’t get the look I used to anymore let alone what other artists could do. I think my wife saw me, or heard me because a short time later as a gift she got me a nice sketchbook. She only had one rule that I sketch out whatever comes to my head, and do not share it with anybody, just draw for yourself she said. And I think she was on to something.

Over the next year I did just that. I just started drawing small faces or, weapons, characters and random trees. All short small non detailed drawings, but each one got better. It wasn’t until last year in 2012 that I started rebuilding my portfolio. Something in me snapped and just woke up. I grabbed the largest pice of paper and all the colored pencils I had and created A “Bird in Bloom.” Believe it or not this very large 22×28 piece took me three months to complete, but to me it felt like one of the fasted drawings I have ever done. I was enveloped into getting back to where I used to be as an artist, yet somehow by the end of this piece I was better than I ever was. To put it in perspective the last award I won for a piece of my artwork was in 1999. It was now 2013 and I took this one piece of art and entered it into a show against painters and sculptures. Somehow my RoseArt colored pencil strokes won me Best in Show. This was not a cash prize win, but it was enough to convince me that I was on the right track.

I continued making large pieces and smaller pieces, and I think it wasn’t until the great feedback on the Macaw piece that I found that I may be able to have a career in this. I pushed and shared my work online, and joined various art sites to sell my work. I had high hopes that since I couldn’t work and I wasn’t getting paid by the insurance company that this could be my way of providing. When several months go by and nothing sold DOUBT attacked me again. Every time I would open my email and see all the artists who sold their work, or got a great commission, I would definitely get very envious. Here I am thinking I was good enough to win a juried show, and write lessons for RoseArt; and I cannot even sell one piece of art for my family. It hurt. Sometimes it still does I won’t lie. So Doubt hit again, very hard.

You know what brought me back this time? What keeps me going is all of you. I don’t mean to sound cheesy, but you are at home and you chose to read this. Zillions of things on this internet to laugh at and watch and you choose to read the rantings of a beat up colored pencil artist. I appreciate that. When you message me, or write me to congratulate me, or ask me of all people for advice. It pushes me. When I see you struggle in the same ways that I do, and still succeed. I know doubt is a huge waste of time.
Each of us have a story, and in our stories we have a doubt or fear of succeeding. We cannot let this doubt to come into our artwork, because as an artist you know when you erase too much, or overwork the piece it will be ruined. Take a break and draw something you love in a sketch book that you don’t have to share with the world. Do what you love because you love it, and all that doubt will go away.

I have only one more thing to say and this is the most important piece of advice I can give you.
-When you wishing that you had the ability to draw like that great artist you see posting their masterpieces, somewhere there is an artist looking at your masterpieces wishing they could draw like you. Please support and help each other.

Thank you,
Derrick Rathgeber

Success is not a Dollar Amount

I have come a very long way since I have started drawing again. I have a new website, my own blog page, and my artwork has been seen all over the world, and I am currently in a gallery here in Riverside until August.  To me I feel like I reached the top as an artist. The only thing that would make my journey complete would to be able to live off of my artwork. Being that I have yet to sell more than one print, I can honestly say that is not going to happen. In my entire art career I have only sold one original drawing, and one signed print for $20. Does that make my career in art a large failure?

The answer is heck no. I am sure there are plenty of artists out there who place their work on the web in hopes it will go viral, and sell 1,000s of prints, but only get 5 likes. And maybe you have placed your work in a showcase in hopes people will buy your piece, only to take your card and lose it. Believe me you are definitely not alone. I have found that there are a lot more artists in your position than you think. And each one is more discouraged and ready to quit than the next.  I know I wanted to quit myself quite a few times because my art just wasn’t selling like I wanted to.

Then I woke up one day realizing that I almost quit doing what I love because someone didn’t give me money for it. I felt like an idiot. I almost gave up a talent that others strive for because I was selfish and wanted money. All the new upcoming artists that came to me for help and questions were going to be sent away, and the people that subscribed to my website, and blog, social media sites because they enjoyed my work were no longer going to see it anymore. I almost let my kids down who look up to me because in their eyes I am the best artist in the world. To me that almost made me sick to my stomach that money became that important to me. Has the world broken me down so bad that money took a place hire than a talent that no money could ever buy?

So I decided that I would no longer see success measured with a dollar amount. And no one should. Have I made millions of my artwork? No. Have I hit over 100,000 likes on Facebook? Far from. What I have done is inspire young artists to continue bettering themselves. I made someone laugh with my Twisted Fate comic. My work has been seen by people all over the world without spending one dollar in advertising. I have shown people what you can do if you put your trust and patience in yourself, and really enjoy what you do. That is my greatest successes as an artist. If I can keep going, and push myself to finish piece after piece, comic after comic, share my drawing lessons online free, and just help others, then I feel I have reached a level that I didn’t know existed.

What defines you as an artist? Ask yourself why you started? Why do you love it so much? Why do you or did you want to quit? For me I started because I really enjoyed taking my imagination, and thoughts, then just laying them out all over the paper.  I love it now because I can see things that other people cannot. A gift to see colors that did not exist before and I can share them with all of you. It makes my day. I wanted to quit, well for a reason that wasn’t good enough because I am still here. I am still here drawing, coloring, and sharing it all with all of you, and I hope that as long as I continue to share what I have to give with you, that you return the favor .  I want to see all of your talents, because art, poetry, words, stories, imagination, it makes the world a much better place to live in and enjoy.  

"You are already successful because you picked up the pencil,  and made the world that much more beautiful."

Thank you for reading,

Till next time my friends.

http://Derrickr.Webs.com