Progress in a nutshell....

So heres a few pics of what I have been up to for the past 3 months...

visit my blog for more! www.aleksandrazmijowska.tumblr.com

A Big BIG Update!

Hello everyone or whoever follows this blog!
So I haven't been much active here mainly because I have created a different art blog for my college!

Going through my previous posts I have realised I never even updated after the exam results or anything! So here's a mass update about my life after the leaving cert!
I got a lovely 435 points in my lc and a B1 in my art exam. Not gonna lie, I was really hoping for an A but I wasn't far from it. Either way, I got into art college so it's all good!

Art college is fantastic. I have an opportunity to work with fantastic artists which really help me in my development as an artist. Everyone is so unique and inspiring it's such an experience being a part of it all. LSAD is literally heaven on Earth. It's like I wake up every morning, excited about the day. There's always a bit of stressed involved as well with exams and everything but I don't mind at all. At the end of the day I'm doing my thing and I couldn't be more greatful. All this hard job for the past few years has paid off.

I had to create a new art blog because my college uses Tumblr instead of Blogspot. So here's the url if anyone is interested: www.aleksandrazmijowska.tumblr.com 
My art is slightly different there as I'm exploring new ways of portraying my ideas etc. and also we were given a title so my blog is basically a little guide through the progress of my project and a place for all the projects in the future.

Next semester will be based around 3 electives. I will explore each one of them in more depth and then I will have to choose 1 in which I will specialize for the next 3 years.
The ones that I have chosen are; painting, fashion and visual communications (or as they used to call it, graphic design). I'm pretty excited to try them all out!

And here's a little painting a did as a part of my project. My project evolves around the concept of identity. It's all explained in depth on my blog so feel free to check it out.

My project is based around the title of "What if... I had to move back to Poland". It involves a study of my own identity etc. It's quite different to what I've been doing in school but the great thing about art college is that they are open to peoples' suggestions and ideas. I was very lucky to get very understanding tutors who liked my idea.
It would take me a long time to explain everything in depth from the very beginning so just check out my blog if you're interested :)
www.aleksandrazmijowska.tumblr.com  

I'll create a new post where I'll just upload a few pictures of the progress of my project but again, for detailed info check my college blog ;) 

Summer art: Self -Portrait

Hi everyone!

So, my Leaving Cert is over and I finally got back to drawing! What a wonderful feeling to have all the time in the world, to just sit there and draw for hours... I really missed this!

I apologize for not updating my blog very often but you know, studying and all sorts of school shennanigans were in the way.
But now, I finally took out my polychromos and drew... myself.
Not because I'm vain or anything. Some people write autobiographies, artists create their self-portraits. So basically, I decided to do that as a sort of, warm up before I draw more this summer. I had quite a long break from art so this was a nice practice. Also, I wanted to draw a person and I didn't really know who to draw so I settled on the idea of drawing myself :)
Doesn't look completely like me but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.
Now all I'm worrying about is how fast my tints and shades of brown polychromos will be gone... They're just so expensive and everytime I need to sharpen them a part of my soul dies... Argh, the struggle ;)

So here is my self-portrait based on the photoshoot I had for my portfolio.

Marina, excuses and updates.

Hello!
My blog has been so dead for the past few weeks.. I feel awful about it to be honest.
I promised to update my blog about my portfolio and I never did. It's unacceptable really.
So finally, let me just say a few words about Le Portoflio.

My interview was on the 21st of March and a week later I got my letter back.
I got 540 points out of 600 so I'm pretty darn happy about it.
And as much as I complained about the lack of free time and how portfolio is killing me, I miss doing it very much. I'd honestly rather spend time doodling than studying boring notes for my leaving cert.
But then again just a month of studying left and then.... SUMMER.
I sincerely hope my exams go well and I'll be gong to Art college in September.
The idea of doing something I truly love every day is actually amazing and that's what keeps me motivated right now.
I shall post some of my art as soon as I get everything sorted and all.

My art practicles are over now and I cannot tell how relieved I am.
I was preparing for this for the past 5 years and it's quite bizarre that it's over already.
I was satisfied with most of the stuff I did although my life sketching did not go the way i wanted it to.
But I'm staying optimistic.
Here's some practice stuff I did for the project.
For the poster I used graphite, polychromos, watercolours, markers and my Rimmel blush for the cheeks and few other places on her face. The poster I did on the day was better I think. This is just a quick practice I did at home. The original one had more writing on it and I changed the font and all that. It was more detailed. I'll get the project back in August i believe so I'll probably post it here too.

And then since I got my polychromos I doodled a little bit to try them out. They are so amazing I can't even verbalise my feeling towards them.
Here's a thing I drew of Marina and The Diamonds but it's unfinished because:
a) I have no time
b) i don't like it
I mean, the colouring is pretty good, i like the colours. But the image itself isn't very good. This is probably one of the weakest drawing I ever produced but oh well. We learn on our mistakes :) 

Polychormos!

Oh my goodness I haven't updated my blog in ages!
And I was supposed to post things about the portfolio interview!
Aaaagh, I will do that. I swear I will.
I blame it all on the oral exams (which by the way went pretty good!)

Anyway, yesterday was a brilliant day and look what I came home to!
My set of 60 Polychromos arrived yesterday and I am in an artistic heaven. I should be studying but I am gonna draw with them because I miss drawing so bad!!!! And besides, I deserve a break from the continuous stuDYING.

Skulls & Stress in Technicolour

Excuse my disgusting and unacceptable language but DAMN.

My portfolio interview is in *looks at the countdown* LESS THAN A WEEK.

Pssssh, totally not stressing out *sweats nervously*

Anyways, I drew some more angles of Frank (the goat skull) with conte and made him look colourful to portray that he's actually a very fabulous creature inside. (I'm sorry, didn't sleep long enough.. Excuse the jibberish)

Here's back of Frank in hot pink 

and the underneath of Frank in my favourite colour aka. green

and here's me totally not stressing out because of the interview:

Re-post: a1 piece

Got a chance to take a proper picture of my a1.
Information on the piece can be found in my previous post :)

A1 piece & other

So I have finished my a1 piece finally. I used graphite pencils which I then blended with a paint brush to make the drawing smooth and try to show the texture of the skull. Also I had to do that because the paper on which I was drawing was quite rough (similar to water colour paper). To draw the orchid flowers i used aquarelle pencils and polychromos.

And also I'm attaching a painting which I did today. It's one of the few things I have completed during this week. I'm quite productive lately I must say. And also my portfolio interview is on the 21st of March. 2 weeks is all I have left. *silent scream*

Heisenberg (Breaking Bad)

So I took a break from the current a1 piece I am working on and decided to draw Bryan Cranston also known as Walter White/ Heisenberd from my favourite tv show Breaking Bad.

 Graphite on a3 paper. Probably gonna include in my sketchbook for the portfolio assessment (which I got on the 21st of March. Excited/nervous as hell!)

Goat Skull Mask

Hello! Another 3d piece for the portfolio. Hopefully I'll get around to have a photoshoot with it so I can upload it here. Made from paper mache, wire and a plain mask for the base (eyes and nose).

Orchid (Dead edition)

Finally finished!
Aquarelle pencils on a2.

Yet another portfolio post

Well hello! I haven't posted my art in a while actually. So here's just a little peak at what I've been working on lately.

Goat Skull: Close up + detail

Hello there!
So this weekend I decided to draw my skull from upside down for my portfolio with my graphite pencils.
It took me around 20 hours, not kidding you. I had barely any sleep and I genuinely started hallucinating, haha. But I regret nothing. It turned out pretty good so I'm happy.
I'll post better quality pictures tomorrow or something. I don't have a good flash in my camera + the battery is dead so tomorrow I'll publish the good full size pictures :)
Here are just some of the ones I took today with my phone and webcam:


Here's me while drawing. It was around my 17th hour or something. I was wrecked but at this point I stopped seeing things (this sounds so weird, i know, but I genuinely saw mice in my kitchen and flickering lights. And yes, I am perfectly fine. I was just sick and besides I didn't sleep for a long long time so don't try to convince me i need help, haha)

Aaaaaaand here's the final piece. Pheeeewww, I am so glad i finished this. This weekend was genuienly one of the most productive weekends I had in the last few weeks. 

Orchid- portfolio

Here's one of the few orchids I made for my portfolio.
Conte on a2 sugar paper.

The development of my art in 2 years

I was looking at stuff on my blog and i am not gonna lie. I am very proud of myself. I really improved and just look at me now, I'm currently preparing to go to art college. If you told the 14 year old me that I'm gonna be making a portfolio, I'd be pretty stunned. I always loved art, it's been a huge part of me. I draw for as long as I can remember and I will probably draw until the last minute of my life (whoa, got pretty dramatic there haha. But it is true in all fairness). I obviously have those days when i can't just put my thoughts onto paper but everyone has that. And I am insecure about everything and I always conteplate whether I'm good enough to even make a portfolio. But then i just get rid of all the negative thoughts and i tell myself "Shut up! It doesn't matter if you're good or not. If you love art well then bloody make art" and that is what I am doing.

(I drew the first picture when i was 14 and the second a few months ago-16)

Skull- "Human Canvas"

Another part of my portfolio. I decided to paint on my friend because paper is too mainstream, haha. So techinically this is 2 in 1: my painting/pastel piece and photography.

Lots of thanks to Oliwia for being my canvas. Oh the things we do for art ;)

now i gotta choose maximum of 2 images to put nto my portfolio. which ones should I pick??? 

Skull pt.2

Here's another drawing of a skull. This time it's an animal skull. Not sure if it's a goat or a sheep skull. But whatever ;)

I used my fineliners on an a3 sheet. 

And in case you're wondering, I am not in  a cult and I am not depressed. I just enjoy drawing skulls, that's all haha. 

Skull

Drew this skull as a preperation for my portfolio.

Used my Koh-I-Noor Graphite pencisl (mainly hb, 3b, 6b and 7b). On a3 paper.

Lana Del Rey

Hi everyone!
During the summer holidays I had a lot of time to draw and this is one of the things that I've drawn for my portfolio. It's Lana Del Rey. The background is white but that's only temporary. I'll be putting some colour to it or possibly even some floral patterns. I still haven't decided. Let me know what you think <3 (not the best quality picture, I apologise for that)

Princess Chelsea- The Cigarette Duet