How to draw eyes

So. You want to learn from me how to draw an eye, right?

I am so sorry if you truly thought, that I would teach you how to draw an eye. You can check the video here, or here, or here, or here, (etc.) if you want to learn how to draw a realistic eye. These are all great tutorial video's.

Realism. For many there is something magical about that. For many people, I think most people, there is this idea that being able to draw is being able to draw realistically. People who say 'I can't draw' mean that they can't draw realistically.

If I ask my my 6 year old daughter: 'Can you draw eyes?' 
She would never reply: 'No, I can't draw.' 
She would say: 'Yes, sure!'
And she would draw this:

You nor me would ever complain that those are not eyes.

To turn it around: people never tell me that I can't draw. If I tell them that I am a poor drawer, they even start to laugh, as if I was Jamie Oliver saying that he can't cook.


I can't draw an realistic eye. (As all my followers and students know, I can't draw hands either.) Or, probably I can, as it is just a trick. But I am not really interested, so I don't bother.

I draw eyes like these, and I love it!

Share this blog with everyone who ever tells you 'I can't draw' and proove them they are so wrong. Go to www.bloknoteacademy.com  for more fun drawing, painting, illustration, art journaling and mixed media tutorials!

Art Journaling on your Holiday - the online workshop

If you don't speak Dutch I have some bad news for you... My newest online workshop will only be available in Dutch! I have made this especially for the media site of the dutch scrapbook shop Scrapdelight www.scrapdelight.nl The good news is... I will run something similar next year, in 2015, in English. That is a promise! :-)

Als je Nederlands spreekt heb ik goed nieuws voor je! Deze superleuke online workshop gaat vanaf 30 juni 2014 online bij Scrapdelight www.scrapdelight.nl Wil je meedoen? Reserveer nu dan alvast je plaatsje op www.scrapdelight.nl en koop gelijk ook een van de bijpassende workshop kits!



 Ik ga op vakantie en neem mee.... Veel te veel! Ben jij ook iemand die zich elk jaar voorneemt om tijdens je vakantie lekker met je creatieve hobby bezig te zijn, maar vervolgens veel te veel spullen meeneemt die je amper gebruikt? Zie je op tegen het meenemen van hobbyspullen, omdat je tassen en koffers dan zo zwaar worden? Of heb je gewoon echt geen idee wat je mee zou moeten nemen voor een leuk vajantie journal? Dit jaar doen we het anders! Men neme 1 toilettasje (van bijvoorbeeld de HEMA; circa 24x16x6cm) en we nemen alléén spullen mee die ín dat tasje passen. Past het er niet in? Dan mag het niet mee! :) 

 Gedurende vier weken (elke week 1 filmpje) geeft Marieke Blokland (www.bloknote.nl) je in deze online workshop van Scrapdelight je een aantal vrolijke, zomerse ideeën voor art-journal technieken. Je krijgt elke week een paar inspirerende, leuke teken- en kliederopdrachtjes die je gedurende de desbetreffende week kunt voeren. Na vier weken heb je een mooi persoonlijk verslag van wat je omheen hebt gezien en wat je die vier weken heeft bezig gehouden. Het maakt niet uit waar jij op dat moment de zomer aan het vieren bent, of je nu in je luie hangmat in Italië bengelt, actief in de Zwitserse Alpen wandelt, of op je krent in Drenthe een hunebed inspecteert. Het wordt géén standaard vakantie dagboek met verplichte lange geschreven verslagen. Dit wordt een vrolijk, zomers, alles-mag-en-niets-moet-teken-en-klieder-dagboek, helemaal van jou. Je hoeft voor deze workshop niet te kunnen tekenen, het is heel geschikt voor zowel beginners als gevorderden. 

 De workshop begint op maandag 30 juni 2014 en in de 4 daaropvolgende weken zetten wij steeds een nieuwe film met uitleg online. Inbegrepen bij deze online workshop: 
* Toegang tot een exlcusief gedeelte op de website, speciaal voor de workshop 
* 4 korte, Nederlandstalige vrolijke lesvideo's gemaakt door Marieke Blokland 
 * 1 vrolijke intro video * korting op de speciaal samengestelde materialen kit 
* ondersteuning voor vragen en opmerkingen in een besloten facebook group. Scrapdelight workshop kit "Art Journaling op Vakantie" 

We hebben speciale workshop kits voor je samengesteld. Kijk op de website van Scrapdelight voor meer info: www.scrapdelight.nl

Published in Cards & Scrap magazine: Art Journaling on vacation

My work is published in the "Cards & Scrap" magazine! It is an article called "Art Journaling on vacation" about how you can make nice art journal pages without bringing too much art supplies. All supplies fit in a small bag.

Here is the video that comes with the article:

Summer Art Journal background "Orange slices"

I was playing with the same stencil I used in this blog-post of last month, using the Dutch Doobadoo stencil and Molotow Spray paint again. 

But this time I used neon orange spray paint and I added some shading using a simple graphite pencil and a paper stump. I loved the effect so much that I thought you might be interested too! It has a very happy,  summer feel that reminds of slices of orange. Don't you think this is perfect for your summer art journals? Or use it on bright and happy mixed media art.

BloknoteAcademy is now open!

Yesterday I opened my Mixed Media School called BloknoteAcademy with the first workshop called: "Blue, a happy sad mixed media workshop". Right on the first day already a whole bunch of people joined to have some blue fun. I am so grateful - thanks for all your wonderful support!

Now open:

www.bloknoteacademy.com

www.mixedmediaschool.com

All about gesso - Mixed Media Art Tutorial

When do you use gesso? And when do you need Black Gesso or Clear Gesso? In this video I provides you with the answers on the most frequently asked questions about gesso.

Call for entries! Who wants constructive criticism?

Call for entries! Who wants Constructive Criticism?

Giving criticism to art journals and mixed media art is not easy. The work is very personal and many of us didn't go to art-school, so were not used to giving and receiving feedback to our art. 

I did go to art school and I truly believe that criticism is the only way to become better at what we do, even though sometimes it may be harsh. If you only hear how "nice" and "beautiful" your work is, you might get stuck in the same mannerisms, without improvement of your work. On forums I often see how much people 'love' something, but rarely they dare to write what they would do differently. 

• Are you an Art Journaller or Mixed Media Artist? 

• Do you wish to improve your work?

• Would you like to get published on my blog and receive constructive feedback on your work?

Yes? Then send me 1 .jpg of your own artwork to info [at] bloknote.nl or reply on this blog message with a link to 1 picture of you own artwork.


In one of the next weeks I will publish a number of entries with the constructive criticism, so that both you and other mixed media artists can learn from it. So you will not only help yourself, you will also help others to learn something new.

I promiss: I will be polite and positive, but honest! ;-)

I'm really looking forward to hear from you.
XOX Marieke

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! / Happy New Year!

#18 BloknoteTV: Learn from the Best!

"Every Child is an artist. 

The problem is how to 

remain an artist 

once we grow up." 

- Pablo Picasso.

"Bloknote Tv episode #18, an Art Journaling Tutorial by Marieke Blokland. "Learn from the Best" is a short fun to watch video for adults as well as children, that shows in 2 minutes and 30 seconds you should try to find the artist-kid in yourself, teaches you how to play with paints, make an arty background for your art journals, how to draw a girls face, add a calligraphy quote to your page with Sakura Pen-Touch Calligrapher, add details with your Sakura Gelly Rolls... And to express yourself in a creative way!"