DAY 28 - Assignment: Iconic view
Day 28 – Assignment
Iconic view of your home town/city
Google your home city and find the most popular view that’s often used in a tourism brochures. Paint this view by analysing the colours and depth. Remember again that you can take some artist privileges to show the place in the way you see it.
My piece is Salzburg castle and dome springtime.
DAY 27 - Assignment: Go outside
Day 27 – Assignment
Go outside and paint or draw
Everything surely changes when you take your notebook with you to the park, hike, cafeteria or park! Choose just a few colours or just a pencil and draw/paint your view. You can simplify it if you are in a hurry or you can spend hours with the piece if you can.
Sometimes you can just decide to draw something in 8 minutes, 3 minutes and in 30 sec. That will make you master at spotting details!
Thank you so much for joining this workshop. It's our second last day! If you any feedback please send me a mail hello@veerakomulainen.com
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 26 - Study: Landscapes
Day 26 – Study
Landscapes and depth
You can watch this video and paint at the same time or do it after. This video lasts some 13 minutes.
I will paint a scenery and concentrate on getting depth to the image by using light and dark shades. This skill you can use in the future when painting anything, with any medium!
It's our last week! So sad, but everything must come to the end at one point. If you are interested to do more online courses in the future, just send me mail hello@veerakomulainen.com
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 25 - Assignment: Your Neighbour
DAY 25 – Assignment
Your Neighbour... house!
You must have been looking at the houses outside your windows a bit now during this lockdown. I have! I am lucky to have beautiful houses surrounding me, one from funktionalism era and other from late 18th or early 19th century.
Well, let’s draw or paint those houses!
Remember, you can choose to draw just a part of the house or the whole house! You should not remember creativity! I added flowers to the background and pink colour to the house since it really needed some happy injection.
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 24 - Assignment: View made with lines
Day 24 – Assignment
A view made of lines
Go to balcony or any other spot at your home (or even outside) where you normally don’t spent time. Draw or paint the scene only using lines.
Look overall image first and after that details
Look closely how this scene could be told in lines. In my piece I started with the strong door frame and after that felt that the floor chevron pattern is important part of the view. Sometimes your own feelings and preferences can be more important to us that what we see.
I used this technique when I was creating window art pieces to BusinessAsema (translated. BusinessStation) for a new start-up hub located in Finland.
Patterns on the windows are made out of real life items, such as lotus root, ant warren etc.
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 23 - Assignment: My Abstract Mood
Day 23 – Assignment
My abstract mood
First, pick one of these complimentary colour harmonies that speak to you mostly today:
- Red-Violet with Yellow-Green
- Orange with Blue
- Yellow with Violet
Then paint or draw an abstract image with these two colours. Remember to experiment! If you always paint with the same brushes, spice it up and use a toothbrush, a fork or plastic bag. Just go with the flow and dont over think.
And lastly, let’s look a bit into colour theory and what colours are telling about based on cartoonist Olivia de Recat. Do not read it before choosing your colours! And finally remember, this is all true. Colours tell all about your mood and the type of person you are!
You can find this article here: https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/what-your-favorite-color-says-about-you
Thank you for joining this workshop. Your support means a lot!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 22 - Assignment: Abstract Landscape
DAY 22 – Assignment
Abstract landscape
Let’s make something realistic into abstract! Choose a moment, a photo or take a photo of one place you went today. Remember, it can also be from your head, how you remember some place looked like. Paint this image in blobs of colour. You can also use self made brushes or some other experimental things.. example your fingers. By a colour choice try to focus on the mood you want to convey!
My piece is from Salzach am Kai when storm was coming towards the city. I tried to capture sky changing and trees rustling.
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 21 - Study: Brushes gone crazy!
Day 21 – Study
Brushes gone crazy!
This time I recommend you to watch my video first and then start your own brush making! This video lasts some 10 minutes.
On this video I will make my own natural brushes out of sticks and straws. This is very good way to let it do and just inspect what type of lines and dots nature does.
Hi! Iif you have idea of future courses and would like to continue online course with me after this one is over, please send me a message and I start planning!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 20 - Assignment: Dreaming of
Day 20 – Assignment
Dreaming of.
This is the fifth week of isolation. I am pretty sure that all of you have started to reflect your feelings. Maybe you have made decisions of your future. How you want to live in the future, where and with whom?
My realisation was that I really miss elements of my home country Finland, while at the same time I really love this country and people around me. I came with a dream of owning a cottage, actually I have to say that I have had that dream for a while, but it became something much more important for me. Btw. did you know that every sixth person in Finland owns a cottage, so it’s really part of our being.
As you might guess, today’s assignment is to do a collage piece of your realisation. Remember, it can be very simple, abstract or complicated.
Vision Board
Some of you might have heard of Vision boards, it was extremely popular self help artistic method some 10 years ago. If you enjoyed this exercise and are interested to read a bit more of it here’s pretty good blog post by Christine Kane.
This week was one of my favourites!
How did you like it? Would love to hear feedback.
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 19 - Assignment: Mixed mediums
Day 19 – Assignment
Mix your favourite medium.
There’s no theme!
Only mediums today. So, pick one work you are not happy with and you are willing to destroy it. Find a medium that you have at home but have barely done anything with. Combine these!
Ta-daa it's a card!
I decided to use my Acrylic liquid Lion/panther painting and combined it with Liquitex Acrylic Pen and stencil.In the end I also decided to make it into a card shape and add some words.
Special thanks to everyone who shared their work in our Facebook group, these pieces allows creativity to blossom!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 18 - Assignment: Words
DAY 18 – Assignment
First step.
Open the magazine and find a sentence or words that (to you) speak of this time. For me these words were Parasta (Finnish = The best of) Piilopaikassa (this hiding place).
After this find images that (you feel) are relating to this sentence.
Second step.
Add drawn, painted, hand made elements to this. I painted the background and words to the item (Finnish = Balcony, three beers, Sweets and flowers).
For me working with collage is very meditative, I get ideas very easily from magazine images. And it's very good inspirational medium for your future art works too!
Remember, it's never too late to start and be part of the Facebook community <3
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 17 - Study: Collage
Day 17 – Inspiration
Opinionated Art
This time things are a bit different! On the video I show how I created my opinionated collage piece.
I wanted to take this technique part of this course because it’s one of the best techniques to dig your unconsciousness and to get ideas.
My piece is about tourism and how we fill beautiful nature and cultural sited with people. Also the people I found from my magazine weren’t too impressed with the place (based on their body language and faces). Opinionated art does not need to be super aggressive, but of course it can!
Some samples of opinionated art:
- Banksy (Most famous street artist of our time)
- Pieter Hugo ( photography artist)
- Pussy Riot (live public art)
Can't wait to see what you create!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 16 - Assignment: Memories
Day 16 – Assignment
Paint or draw your memory, try to include at least one face!
Make a scene from your day. Think what expression and mood you had at the time. Was it a phone call to someone important or a moment with your loved one. Even small things matter!
Journaling is not about masterpieces.
Don't stress yourself about the quality of work with Journaling. Concentrate more on documenting things and doing this solely for yourself. Look back all the pretty pages you've made, it's amazing outcome in such a short time!
My Day.
Today I went to visit my friend who lives close to me, we talked a good 10 minutes yelling across the road. That was funny and described the times we are living in isolation.
In case you get inspiration from some of your Journaling pieces, you can keep on developing it further! Thank you for documenting your day again and have a great weekend!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 15 - Assignment: My Mood x 4
Day 15 – Assignment
One Day Mood Tracker
First, decide four times when you would have a few minutes to draw yourself. My times are at 8.00 / 14.00 / 18.00 / 21.00.
Keep your journal page next to you and once your time, draw or paint yourself reflecting your mood. Changing features tell a lot about you and your mood. Eyes, mouth, even you can modify the shape of your head. I noticed also the change of my hair.
I recommend you to add the date on this piece too, If you feel like this is better mood tracker than the previous one you could start to use this more in your daily life.
Thank you for joining this workshop. Your support means a lot!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 14 - Assignment: Portrait
DAY 14 – Assignment
Do a Portrait
Make a portrait of the people you spend your days with. Remember to portray this moment, have they changed? What is their mood? What they are doing and how you see them?
Few weeks ago we made Power quote where we saw how others portray us. So it’s interesting theme to reflect your own emotions to the portrait drawing. If you have many members, draw one image of them all!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 13 - Study: Faces
Day 13 – Study
Fun face drawing game
Watch my inspirational video and draw at the same time! Video lasts some 10 minutes.
This Game is super fun to do with kids as well!
You can make your own face drawing game by writing down all the facial features you can think of on a pieces of paper and putting them into envelope. If you want to make it even more fun, write down accessories as well, example small glasses, round glasses, small beard, big hair etc.
You can include these pages to be part of your journal if you want to! Main this is to have fun!
From now on there is 1 theme for the whole week, with 4 posts.
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 12 - Collection of Leaves
Do an outdoors excursion
This exercise is super fun with kids too! Go outside and pick at least 5 different leaves or flowers with you. Remember that some plants might be poisonous or protected, so remember to wash your hands after! If you just pick a part of plant it won’t harm the nature. Take these with you and if you are not planning to paint straight away put them under a book.
Paint and Research
Paint these leaves or flowers now looking closely details of the plant. Example shape of the leaf, what colour veins are, how the leaf is structured.
After your small paintings are done, research (Google or Picture This app) plant name. I used the app and it found all my leafs and flowers, but you might be able to find plants with research words too. This was really interesting for me too since some of the names in english were surprising to me.
I also added the place of collection to the page and the dates.
Kids love to learn plant names and also stories behind the names, it’s also good practise to look closely shapes!
Have a sunny day and enjoy nature!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 11 - Assignment: What is growing?
DAY 11 – Assignment
What is growing?
I myself love plants! And what better time to take a closer look of plants than spring. Everything’s blooming, leaves are so fresh green and you want to spend more and more time outdoors. This is perfect time also track these changes and mark then down to your Journal.
Some of you might have balconies and some of you might even have gardens, and there’s endless resources for this assignment!
Assignment.
Choose one plant you have in your home (balcony + garden included) and draw or paint your plant. Start with sketching the pot and then draw branches and lastly the leaves. Remember to add some details (veins, patterns of the pot etc.).
I today decided to paint my Paper plant, since I changed its soil yesterday. I researched how to take better care of it, so I wrote those instructions down and I also later added some thoughts of today. If I would have any garden plants I would start to track down their growth.
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 10 - Today's green power.
DAY 10 – ASSIGNMENT
Draw a moment.
Think about your day, what was special about it? Did you go out and see new flowers blooming?
Today’s assignment is to paint, draw or do a mixed media piece of a moment in your day that’s connected somehow to plants.
I did draw a piece where I’m changing soil for my plants. Pencil drawings are also very fast to do and you get very sensitive results. I also added little bit text to the page.
A tip for plant lovers.
I am using Picture This app to find more details about my plants. It’s super easy to use, you just take a photo of the plant leaf and app will find its name, all the details including watering times and where to place it in your home.
Have you noticed already that I have small shop? Scroll up and in the menu there's SHOP - it links to my Etsy shop.
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 9 - Study: Leaves
Day 9 – Study
Leaf study
Watch my inspirational video and paint at the same time! Video lasts 13:30 minutes.
Again, you can do this exercise with any mediums available. Even ball pen or pencil is good for this one!
Remember that you can make your own journal markings to be part of your journal if you want to. Make it yours! This workshop is providing tips and ideas how to look at your daily life and get inspiration from it.
Thank you everyone who has already donated! This workshop will only keep on-going if there is donations!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 8 - Assignment: Power Quote
DAY 8 – ASSIGNMENT
My Superpower ?
Today we will create a power quote for you.
- Ask someone who knows you very well; What is the best part of my personality?
- You get an answer, it might not be what you want to, but maybe there’s some truth about it.
- Make it into sentence, My Superpower is —.
- Make your superpower quote pretty!
I was truly shocked when I asked this from my boyfriend, he answered straight away that best part of my personality is list making, organized and creativity. This was so absurd to me. I feel that I’m the least organized person in the world. But, it’s his opinion and I try to own it!
My superpower is list making, organizing and creative mind.
Have a great day everyone! Love to have you here!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 7 - Assignment: Today!
Day 7 – Assignment
Document your day.
From morning on, keep your journal next to you and every time something “interesting” happens, draw and write it down. Try using different typographic treatments to make it interesting. For drawings you could get inspiration from icons and cartoons that are easy and fast to draw.
This might be interesting tool to use also in the future, you can then compare how your day have changed; Does the topics change and what things you consider to be worth putting down on paper.
I used my handwriting + my fancy handwritten font. Also decided to add times and thoughts to document my day.
If you don't like to share your work in our Facebook group, comment or like someone else's work! Sharing and spreading positivity will make us feel better!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 6 - Assignment: Goals
DAY 6 – Assignment
Goals.
Today you will write down goals for this week. Use writing styles that you created yesterday as a part of the page. Make it pretty and YOU! Goals do not need to be very huge and achieving, I have example a goal to call someone everyday, do art, update this workshop etc.
Also I got an idea for this assignment from this article of positive psychology: The Importance, Benefits and Values of Goal Setting, by Leslie Riopel.
Here are few points to keep in mind:
- Goal setting does not have to be boring. There are many benefits and advantages to always having a set of goals to look at.
- Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guides your focus and helps you sustain that momentum in life.
- Goals also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery.
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 5 - Study: Typography
Day 5 – Study
From handwriting to typography
Watch my typography study video and practice at the same time! Video lasts some 10 minutes.
Goal is that you will create your own unique font and also you are able to make effortless pretty text pieces in the future.
What did I use on this video:
- Ink pens (Macron)
- Copy paper
- Watercolour brush pen
- Calligraphy pen
- Marker
You can do this also with ball pen or pencils or any markers.
And if you would like to learn Calligraphy style here’s a tutorial for that: Calligraphy Tutorial by Amanda Rach Lee
Thanks for joining, can't wait to continue tomorrow!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 4 - Assignment: My Happy Pattern
Day 4 – Assignment
Let's make your Happy Pattern!
Since this week’s theme was pattern making, on the last Pattern day we will create a pattern for you. Now, From your ´moment´painting, analyze the image. You can even write down, what did you have in that image? I had acrylic painting tubes, brushes, cell phone, my face, hair, my dress with pattern on it etc..
Once you have analyzed your photo, you can start to think what element would make a nice pattern. In my pattern I have taken red and blue elements from my dress pattern + acrylic paint tubes and brushes.
When you create your pattern you can think if you could overlay things, like I did draw part of the things with ink pens and other things with watercolour to mix these different things together.
Make your Happy Pattern be part of your day.
This pattern combines a lot of nice things, such as your favourite piece of clothing, things you’ve done and your artistic voice. That’s three very powerful things, that’s why I would love you to take a photo (with your phone) of your work and set it up as your wallpaper (mobile phone). There might be some magic everytime you look at your phone.
Thank you for painting again and tomorrow we will have a whole new theme!
Special thanks to everyone who shared their work in our Facebook group, great to reflect our feelings.
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 3 - Assignment: Loved item part of my day
Day 3 – Assignment
Draw a moment.
How did you feel when wearing your favourite piece of clothing yesterday?
It’s great sometimes to be happy and value things we have, not just to concentrate to thing we don’t have.
Today’s assignment is to paint, draw or do a mixed media piece where you are wearing the clothing as part of your day.
I did paint myself in my dress recording the material for my online course. I tried to capture my emotion of achievement and on a background I painted items that I used to do this, like my phone, brushes and colour tubes. To the side of it I wrote little bit of my day and how I have felt of doing something totally new.
Some tips to start.
You can use the whole spread, only one page or just a part of the page and add written journaling to it as well. Just do what feels most natural for you. Some people are more comfortable when you can write down feelings, so create a journal that says YOU!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 2 - Assignment: Pattern mood tracker
DAY 2 – Assignment
First step.
Go to your wardrobe and find your favourite dress, shirt, pants or even scarf that has any pattern! Remember, even simple stripes are counted as an pattern. Wear this pretty thing on you today, take a picnic on your balcony or have an afternoon tea wearing your favourite piece of clothing.
Second step.
Open the first page of your journal and try to copy this pattern throughout the page. Do not colour pattern! Only draw the outlines. Put a tracker qualities on the side, top or to end of the page. I would recommend following values:
• Happy, Productive, Refreshed
• Relaxed, Calm, Content
• Stressed, Nervous, Tired
• Sad, Angry, Lonely
This will help you to define your current state and reflect back.
Third step.
Pick 4 colours to reflect your pattern. Fill squares with these colours. Then everyday after you have made that day´s Art session colour one shape, starting from the top, with your current mood colour. Also you can make a small note on your page with date if you want to.
Why to track your mood?
1. By using a mood diary you can monitor the patterns in your life and notice early warning signs that your health is deteriorating.
2. A mood diary can help you to find the small things, as well as the big, that help you to stay well.
3. The purpose of a mood diary should be to plan for wellness, not just keep a record of illness.
4. A mood diary can help you to have more involvement in your health and a sense of control. In general people achieve better health outcomes when they educate themselves and are proactive about their health.
You can read more
2018
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak
DAY 1 - Study: Experiment with basic shapes
Day 1 – Study
Experiment with basic shapes
Watch my inspirational video and paint at the same time! Video lasts some 20 minutes.
What did I use on this video:
- Acrylic Ink (Liquitex), chinese ink and antic Ink
- Mixed media paper 200g
- Watercolours
- 3 different type of brushes
- Acrylic Paint
In case you don’t have any paints available do the same exercise with wax crayons or any pens. When doing the second part of exercise, concentrate on textures; what can you do with that medium?
You can include these pages to be part of your journal if you want to! Maybe you can add some writing to it as well.
Good job, can't wait to continue tomorrow!
If you want to be part of the community join Facebook group or post your work to instagram and tag @veera.noir and use #artwithveerak