WACOM INTUOS DRAW TABLET

Today my Wacom Intuos Draw Tablet arrived, so I will be doing a review/ first impressions of it.

I've never used a graphics tablet before, so I didn't really have any expectations. The set up was very quick and simple. I also downloaded ArtRage lite, as it came free with the purchase.

Actually using the tablet feels almost like drawing on paper, this tablet is really good because the more pressure you apply to the tablet the thicker the line your drawing will be! The tablet comes with 3 spare pen nibs that are stored into the back of the tablet so they safe.

If you have any questions about this tablet, comment below.

Amber x

CHRISTMAS DAY 2015

Amber x

UNTITLED (YELLOW OCHRE)

This week I visited Liverpool's Walker Art Gallery and came across this really cool painting by Fiona Rae. It is oil painting on canvas and is huge. What I really liked about it, was the thickness of the paint. I couldn't help but think how fun that must have been to paint. I'm also starting to become quite fond of abstract and contemporary art lately. I used to only like realistic portraits or landscapes, but doing a Fine Art degree is really making me appreciate all different types of art.

Amber x

ART BOOKS I AM READING THIS WINTER

Here are some books I have got from my university's library to read over Winter break.

1. Clyde Hopkins: New Work.

2. Drawing from the modern 1975- 2005. This book is really good. It has a bunch of amazing Modern Artists and some interesting words on topics such as semiotics, activist art and neo- expressionism.

3. Gerhard Richter, Red: Yellow: Blue.

Amber x

My ARTWORK | UNIVERSITY

Here is some art I have been working on in university.

This piece was actually an accident. I was trying to clean my palette with paper because I couldn't find any tissue paper to clean it with. I really liked how it looked so I stuck it onto some cardboard with green masking tape. This piece was slightly and subconsciously influenced by John Bunker and Niamh O'malley.

For this piece I screenshot Edvard Much's the scream and zoomed in until I found an interesting composition then painted it using acrylic paint. I really enjoyed doing this, and will probably try it with different art work.

I was given the topic of semiotics for this project. So I kept it quite plain and obvious with the apple symbolising temptation, the colour of the apple to portray danger and the green arrows symbolising envy. The whole piece is basically showing how when we're jealous we are tempted by what isn't ours which can lead to bad situations...

I then wanted the symbols to be less obvious and open to negotiation. So this piece symbolises the complexity and depth of a female. She can seem pretty and petite but like a scorpion she is powerful.


Amber x

THE EXILED FOREVER COMING INTO LAND

A few weeks ago I visited the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and came across this beautiful painting by Ged Quinn.

It's really overwhelming standing in front of this painting. The colours are so vivid and rich and it's massive (200x320cm). If you're in or around Liverpool, I really recommend you go and see it.

Amber x

MY DRAWING SKETCHBOOK

I try to always keep a sketchbook around with me so that when I feel the urge to draw, I can! Here are a few sketches from my sketchbook. The first three sketches were created using pen and the last two with pencil.

Amber x

NIKON D3200

I got a new camera! I was previously using the 'Sony WX100' (which is really good), but I wanted to ditch the compact digital camera and try a DSLR camera. DSLR cameras are such a good investment, as once you have the camera body, you can have multiple lenses for different needs. I was stuck between the Canon 1200D and Nikon D3200, but I chose the Nikon camera because the video and photo quality is higher not only spec wise but also when looking at reviews.

The Nikon D3200 is very simple to use and therefore would be a perfect camera for beginners like myself. Below are some photogarphs I have took using the Nikon D3200.

Click Here for some more photographs using the Nikon D3200.

Amber x

COMFORTABLE?

For a while, I feel like I've been in a place that's comfortable. I've stopped going out of my comfort zone and I want to put a stop to this. I know that when I'm taking risks, more opportunities come my way. So I've came up with 3 points to get rid of the comfort zone.

• SAY YES 

Wanna hang out? YES. Wanna come to a party? YES. Wanna collab? YES. Wanna see how many donuts we can eat before we throw up? er YES. You will never know what something can lead to if you always say no. Most of the time it's our own minds that persuade us to say no because of many reasons, such as anxiety or just not feeling worthy enough. However when you get over that initial feeling of doubt, you're exposed to feelings, people and experiences you would have never encountered!

•   GET A NEW HOBBY

Try something new out. Maybe even try something that you don't like, or something you've attempted in the past but wasn't that good at. For example, I'm not that good at graffiti art, so I could possibly find a graffiti art class near me and attend. This would get you out of your comfort zone and you will also meet some cool people and learn something new.

• BE CONSISTENT

Always do something that is out of your comfort zone. You could set yourself weekly goals that can be as simple as, ordering something different from Starbucks, or starting a conversation with someone or reading a newspaper every morning on the way to school/ work. You start to build your confidence with stepping out of your comfort zone, when you take small steps and be consistent.


Amber x

DAY AT THE BEACH

Yesterday, me, my sister and friend went to Ainsdale beach. The weather was crap, but we had a lovely time. Here are some pictures from the day.

Amber x

FINE ART UNIVERSITY ESSENTIALS

So, I've just completed my third week at university, and I thought it would be a good idea to list the essentials for a fine art degree. I hope this is helpful for anyone who hasn't got their equipment yet or for anyone who maybe looking to study fine art in the future.

The first section is basic stationary

• Pencil case consisting of pens, pencils, ruler, rubber, sharpener
• 2 A4/ A5 notebooks. One for Fine Art and one for Art History. (if you do both)
• plastic A4 folder to put any papers into that you need to take with you
• Ring binder with plastic wallets to put any papers that you don't need to take with you

The second section is the actual art equipment

• Acrylic paint in the primary colours + black and white
• Paint brushes in varies different sizes
• A1 portfolio
• 2 A4 sketchbook
• 2 A3 sketchbooks
• A1 paper
• Toolbox
• Mixing palette
• Black drawing ink
• Pencils 2B- 6B
• Graphite sticks
• Black compressed charcoal
• Willow charcoal sticks
• White chalk
• Putty rubber
• Fixative
• PVA glue
• Masking tape
• Drawing pins
• Scalpel handle and blades
• Scissors
• Stanley knife
• Tape measure
• Screwdriver
• Claw hammer
• Carpenters square
• Metal ruler

The third section is books- this will probably be different for each university but I thought I would list a few that I was told I need.

• Vitamin D: New perspectives in drawing
• Vitamin P2: New perspectives in painting
• After the Revolution: Women who transformed contemporary art

The last section is electrical

• A laptop or a desktop pc and a small laptop/ tablet to bring with you to university
• Dslr camera (not essential, however will be an advantage). I've got the Nikon D3200, which is a really great DSLR camera for beginners.

What are you studying at uni/ college/ school?

Amber x

3 MOVIE REVIEWS IN ONE

So, I have been to the cinema 3 times this month (well 4 including Paper Towns). So here are reviews of the 3 movies I've watched.

The first is 'Straight Outta Compton'. I don't think I can fathom into words how much I loved this movie. If you are a Hip Hop fan like myself you will love this movie as it portrays perfectly what Hip Hop is all about, which is telling a real life story. However if your not a Hip Hop fan like my amigo Jada, you will still find the movie interesting as it touches on subjects such as racism, HIV and poverty. The only downfall was the length of the movie... I wish it was longer which is weird considering it was around 3 hours long.
Overall it was a brilliant, emotional yet funny movie with sick music!
Also OMG Ice Cube's son is the spitting image of him!
5/5


The next movie is 'Trainwreck'. The first half of this movie was really funny and witty and the main character 'Amy' is just hilarious and she basically is that person who says what everyone is thinking. However the movie was so unnecessarily long, and I got quite bored at the end and just wanted to go home and watch OITNB lol.
2/5


I watched Me and Earl and the Dying Girl yesterday and it was AMAZING! It was such an emotional movie. My favourite character in the movie is Earl, he is hilarious! It's hard to write this review without giving any spoilers so I'm going to leave it here but overall the whole movie was such an emotional roller coaster.
3.8/5


What movies have you seen lately?
Amber x

PAPER TOWNS MOVIE REVIEW | ARTS AWARD

On the 1st of August me and my friend Jada went to the fan screening of Paper Towns. I was extremely excited to see the movie as I loved the book so much. So here are my views on the movie and whether it lived up to my high expectations.

Firstly I think the actors were perfect. Cara did surprisingly well as Margo however sometimes her British accent would come through. Also Nat did an incredible job as always.

Also what I loved about watching the movie, was seeing scenes from the book in real life. for example the abandoned building were Margo goes to was exactly how I imagined it and I found it exciting to finally see these things in visual forms.

The main down fall for the movie was the ending! In the book the ending is quite sad, Quentin is "in love" with Margo and he finally comes to understand that it's just not meant to be however he still wishes for it to happen. In the movie I think it's not as sad, Margo and Quentin get closure on their feelings and then Quentin makes it back just in time to go to prom and everything is fine and dandy.

Overall I think the movie is quite neutral. I felt as though I didn't go through all the emotions I experienced while reading the book. I guess if you haven't read the book you will have nothing to compare it with and therefore may find it more enjoyable.

If you have read paper towns or seen the movie, comment below with your thoughts.

Amber x

LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF

Dear Younger Self,
                               I know that sometimes you can feel sad because of what happened but please know that those feelings of sadness, anger and confusion will soon disappear and turn into happiness.
It's okay to be different, it's actually what will make people like you. Don't feel left out or boring if you don't do what everyone else is doing, you will be thankful soon that you didn't partake in their "fun".
Sometimes you need to break friendships as they are bad for you. It may be hard as you have invested so much time, money and energy into them, however it is for the best and you will find friends that will help you grow rather than hold you back.
Even though people have hurt you don't hold grudges it will take up too much of your time. Instead learn to forgive and forget and you will be happier.
Don't let anyone tell you that you dreams are too big and that your dreams are unachievable because no dream is too big and trust me when I say you will achieve anything you put your mind to.
And lastly, You know yourself extremely well. You know what you like and what you dislike so be more confident with your decisions.

 Love 18 year old you x

DO WHAT YOU LOVE

Since making the decision early this year that I will be studying fine art at university, I feel everything is starting to slowly fall into place and I am certain I have made the correct decision.

I applied to be the 'Cass Art Student Ambassador' and I got it! I get the chance to guest write for their blog, gain experience and insight into the commercial side of the creative world, test products, exhibit my art work within a group show and much much more.

I am finally starting to see the importance of doing what you love.

This blog post is basically a reminder to me and to whoever happens to stumble across it to 'Do what you love' as you never know how far it can take you.

Amber x

AFRICA OYE 2015

The Africa Oye is an annual festival that is held in Liverpool to celebrate everything African to food, art and music. I go every year and one of the main things I love about it is the coming together of different people from different cultures celebrating Africa.

Here are some pictures from the Africa Oye 2015.

How did you spend your weekend?

Amber x