Thanks Cindy and admin staff for setting up this forum. I especially appreciate the fact that when I have finished taking the classes with Cindy, I'll still be able to keep in touch and meet new friends in this forum! I love drawspace!
Tannis

Hi Tannis, great to see you in here. Yes this is a most wonderful way to share your thoughts and chat to one another from accross all of the classrooms.

This is a great idea! Thank you Cindy and Admin team!
Hello to you Tannis. Where are you with the curriculum? I am currently taking Cindy's Shading class after having finished the Drawing session. I'm loving her courses and look forward to the rest of them.
Leslie

Hi Leslie,
I am in the portraiture class... I took the paint in your pj's class first( unit 2) then took the drawing, shading at the same time and now the portraiture... I really love Cindy's courses as well! She definitely has a gift!
Tannis

Hello, Cindy, Tannis and Leslie! I´m here too!
So glad we have now a place to meet and talk with current and old classmates!
A big hug to all!
Sonia.

Click to view attachment
Hi, I'm currently in Cindy's shading class. Even though I have been drawing for years, I never actually learned the basics so her courses have been really great in helping me build a good foundation. Really interested in the portrait class as that is my main goal. Shading is my real weakness ( as you can probably tell) so I'm thankful for Cindy's courses!Here's one I've done on my own. Going to go back and have another go after I complete my courses with Cindy.

Hi Tannis,Leslie,Sonia,
Isn't this great?
Thank you Cindy and the admin staff!

Hi Simon good job on the portrait...your shading looks good... I particularly like the shading on the tee and jacket. You will really learn a lot of great techniques when you get into the portraiture class. I know what you mean about gaining a good foundation... I realize that there is so much to learn and a good foundation will just give me more confidence to get creative!

Hi Sonia... Capstar,
Looks like we're all "showing up at the table"!

Hi everyone. This is so much fun. Thanks for the chat room forum so we can get together and get to know each other. These classes are wonderful. This is my first class Drawing in Your Pyjamas. I plan to take all the classes and learn as much as possible. I always look through the gallery and have viewed a lot of your drawings. I remember your names when you post. They are all great. Today is my birthday and the drawing classes are my gift that I asked for this year.
Catch you all later.
Linda

HI Tannis, thanks for the nice comments. I can use all the encouragement I can get.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Can't think of a better gift to ask for! Hope you have a great day!

Happy Birthday Linda... what an awesome gift! You'll have fun all year long!

Hi Linda, how lovely that you received this for your birthday present! Happy Birthday Linda! All the best in the course, I will be with you all the way:) all you have to do is work slowly and methodically. My key tip is to read all of your notes from front to back before you begin each weeks exercise. Grab yourself a nice cuppa and cuddly chair to nurture yourself in

Wow! Nice portrait! Great detail work!

Laura

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Linda!! So happy to know you are also among us!! Hope you enjoy every step of your learning journey!

Simon, I loved your portrait and I think it is very good indeed!

Hello to the rest of you!

Sonia.

oh I love this!

Hi everyone!

Cindy, Tannis and Simon, thank you for the Happy Birthday. I am enjoying this gift very much.

Hi all, thanks to everyone for the nice comments on my portrait. I do really appreciate it, and they keep me inspired to keep working on improving them! With all the nice people here and in my classes and Cindy's guidence, I know I'll improve!

Hi dlewis... where have you been? I've missed seeing your work!
Tannis

Ga' Day Mates! Recent graduate of Cindy's drawing class and starting shading this week. I am fortunate enough to live across the street from a very good art museum. Recently there was an exhibit of about 60 Rembrant and Durer engravings, and etchings. Everything Cindy teaches could be seen in these incredible works. Shading, cross hatching, long and short pencil or stylus strokes. I mean it was all there. I think her teaching is really solid. I also really enjoy being in the company of such multicultural, eruditional students such as yourselves.
I would appreciate any tips about the upcoming shading course from any more experienced students. Thanks Steven

Good to meet you Steven, the best tip I can give you about the shading course is, don't rush through your exercises... good shading takes a lot of time, but it is worth it and very satisfying!

Thank you for the Happy Birthday everyone. I don't know about you guys in the class but I think the ellipse is the hardest yet to get correct. I think I have it correct and then look at it really good and it looks awful. Oh well Cindy will let me know what I am doing wrong. I love her feedback so that we can get it correct. Have a good day everyone.

Hi Steven!

Nice to see you here! I'm in the second week of the shading and I'll tell you, I've already learned and improved my shading in just the two weeks! Your drawings were very good, so I know you'll do well with the shading.

Keep at it Linda, the ellipse is not an easy thing to master! Just remember, it isn't going to happen overnight (boy do I wish it would though!) and the more practice you get the better you will become. Don't get discouraged, take a break when you need to, but keep at it and you'll get it.

I fell behind a bit but Cindy is kind enough to let me fall back to the next class..

I love your gallery... all those colorful paintings for your grandkids.. what are those painted with?

I was wondering! It's not good to feel overwhelmed because of falling behind, and that is easy to do! I am glad that you've made arrangements to continue with Cindy... but I miss you... it is getting kindof lonely in the classroom! Carol has made similar arrangements!
The paintings in my gallery are acrylics... I hadn't painted before taking Cindy's Paint in your PJ's class.... so a huge learning curve for me! I enrollled in the painting class first... unit 2 , I was so impressed that I decided that I'd take all of the units. My grandchildren love their paintings and never fail to point something out in them to me...

Hey Simon,
Looking forward to the shading. Thanks for the nice comment on the work. Would love to see your shading projects and I liked your portrate very much. I think that the hardest thing to get in a portrate is depth. am hoping that getting better at shading and using strong values with good light sources will help with my drawing. I asspire to be able to create good portrature. If you don't know the work of Anthony Ryder, check out his web site and view his work. Cheers, Steven

I can imagine how much they enjoy them...

With my Grandma it was lumpy CoCo Wheats.. oddly lumpy is the only way I can eat hot cereal now..

Thank you for the encouragement Simon. I do plan to stick to it. I really enjoy drawing. It takes me to a place where there is no one but me and the item to be drawn and is so relaxing.

Hi Linda, you are right, I think just about everyone in the drawing class I took struggled with the ellipse. Simon is right...keep practicing. It is also helpful to read the comments and suggestions that Cindy makes to your classmates on their work...

from Jackg

try a few different brands of pencils, select a brand and stay with that brand, don't mix brands, there are differences between brands, I didn't think so until I did a test.

jackg

please give the kitty a dish of milk from me!!!!

[quote name='jackg' date='Jun 13 2009, 09:51 PM' post='75484']
please give the kitty a dish of milk from me!!!! [quote] Hey Jack... i couldn't for the life of me figure out what you were talking about... giving the kitty some milk! Then the light went on! dlewis's avatar lol... You're a card! Am I right?

thats a ninja pirate kitty an only drinks rum..

ar..ar..

[quote name='jackg' date='Jun 14 2009, 11:51 AM' post='75484']
please give the kitty a dish of milk from me!!!! [quote]


Ha, ha, ha!!! you´re great, Jack!!

I stopped by just to say hello to all of you and to wish you happy drawings/shadings/paintings for this week´s assignments!

Regards,
Sonia.

Hello everybody!!!
My name is Sarah I am from Italy and I am beginning week 4 of the shading course. Nice to meet you all here to exchange impressions and suggestions!
Let's keep in touch

Hi Sarah, This is my first class with Cindy. I love it. My husbands family is from Italy. Grandparents were born there. His family is so much fun. He wants to go to Italy so badly. Maybe someday. Welcome to the shading class. That might be my next class.
Linda

Nice to meet you too, Sarah! I am currently also in the shading course!
I am loving it!
Sonia.

Hi everyone,
I'm also doing the shading course currently. I'm up to week two, its been fantastic. Glad to know that there are people doing the same thing as I. Its very encouraging.

Elle.

Hi,
I'm maemay from Virginia. I'm taking the shading class,week 4. I also did the drawing class, it has been fun.
maemay

Hello Sarah,Elle and Maemay... glad to meet you! I look forward to seeing your shoes! Shading is so rewarding isn't it? I am going to start my final project for unit 5 portraiture today! A self portrait in Charcoal and white conte on grey canson mi teintes paper.... wish me luck... I'm going to need it!

Yes shading is definitely rewarding. Oh so that's what the project is. A shoe!

How exciting! A self portrait! Good luck with it Tannis. Just remember to take your time and don't rush it.

Elle.

Hi! I'm Katie and I'm another newbie to the forum. I live in Queensland, Australia, and I'm about to start the portraiture unit. This is my 4th unit with Cindy and have loved the journey so far. I have never learnt to draw and never really had an interest in art until I started pulling out the pencils and crayons for my 3 year old son and found myself doodling along side him. Cindy's paint in your pyjama philosphy has worked brilliantly for me and she has been so encouraging and supportive!! Just wanting to wish everyone the very best for their course!

Hi Katie,
I also live in Queensland Australia. Glad your enjoying the course. Congratualtions in getting to the fourth unit and I wish you all the best for your course too.

Elle.

So here I am... this is me... the self- portrait that I did for the final project in unit 4... it took me about 14 hours to do... it is really hard to know when to stop fiddling!

So now I am finished until unit 5 is offered in August as there are only two from our portraiture class that have completed the unit.
So, I will be joining those that finish their portraiture class that begins on the 26th.. I am hoping that Cindy puts me in with the group that I started out with... Barbz... Capstar... Appollonia..Norma Jean.....well you know who you all are! Yea!!!!
Cheers
Tannis

Hi Tannis, well done on an amazing achievement with your self-portrait! It would be great if you could also share your 'before' portrait with everyone here because it shows how much you have progressed although your before portrait was also fairly advanced for a beginner. I think it is wonderful how hard you have worked to learn all of the information that has been put before you in this course. Keep going Tannis, my suggestion is to perhaps consider doing some more portraits while you are waiting for the others to catchup with you:) Cheers! Cindy

Oh, my Gosh!!! I am so, so impressed with your amazing self-portrait, Tannis!! It is stunning!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!

wow tannis that is incredible. what a beautiful self portrait! great job! can't wait till i have the opportunity to do mine.

WOW!!! This is fantastic! You should be very proud of this one!

Thanks everyone...I give most of the credit to Cindy and her amazing teaching methods! But I am preaching to the choir here... you all know how good she is!
Here is my self- portrait that I drew in week 1 of the first unit... as per Cindy's suggestion....yup! I've come a long way... Thanks Cindy!