‘Busy bees’ amateur pub painting

September 21, 2024September 21, 2024Leave a comment

Hi everyone! My latest UnicornPostbox blog post is progression photos of two bumble bees in a meadow…hope you like! 😀

The first element we focused on was the lightly brushed orange to green faded background, washed with white. Next, the green flower stalks/leaves with white shading. We then circled with brown where the stamen of the flower would be, with dots of white, and a yellow blob above it which would become the first bee. Painting the petals was my favourite part; gorgeous purple, white and blue shimmer. After this, we concentrated on the bee. Defined orange and black stripes, white wings with a dash of blue shimmer, and tiny black features. I then decided my bee looked a little bit lonely and so I painted him a friend 😄😄🐝🐝

And here is the finished piece! I think this one was one of the easiest pub paintings, still enjoyable though. The next Halloween theme one I’m super excited about, I can’t wait! 🎃 It’s inspired by Van Gogh’s starry night, but with pumpkins 🎃 I am also on with a very time consuming peacock diamond art lol, so watch this space 😜😜

Thank you as ever for taking the time to read/view. Very much appreciated, Lauren xx

Trip to Skegness with Lou, August 2024

August 18, 2024August 18, 2024Leave a comment

On Wednesday 14th August, me and my good friend Lou went to Skegness for the day. Usually I go annually with my gran on a local bus trip but unfortunately she took ill. It was nice in a way though to do something different with my friend, as me and gran usually do the same thing each time..here is an account of our day…

Unfortunately the bus was running late so we didn’t get into Skegness until late morning. I had a vegetarian pizza 🍕 (I’m a veggie) then we leisurely strolled around Ingoldmells market. I purchased a beautiful off the shoulder elephant 🐘 bag (I adore elephants!) and a new funky bumbag.. It was easy travelling back to Skegness central..

It was incredible at the Natureland seal sanctuary! The seals 🦭 were beautiful! There was a reptile exhibit which I enjoyed the least to be honest as I’m petrified of snakes! 🐍 But a brown butterfly landed on Lou’s bag in the tropical butterflies area. There was a pet’s corner too with goats and alpacas! They’re such funny animals! The penguins were gorgeous too, I love penguins 🐧 The aquarium was cool too. I purchased a seal teddy to add to my extensive teddy collection lol 😆..

We finished off the day by going on fair ground rides! We went on the pirate ☠️ ship, waltzers and ghost 👻 train!

Aww, it was such a fantastic day and a much needed break, had a wonderful time 💕💕

For my next UnicornPostbox blog post, I am on with a peacock 🦚 diamond art 💎 🎨 and there is also a new pub painting coming up in September..

Thank you as always for taking the time to read/view, many thanks, Lauren xx

https://skegnessnatureland.co.uk/ [Accessed 18/08/2024]

Amateur portrait of Robin Williams

July 14, 2024Leave a comment

Hi everyone! My latest UnicornPostbox blog post is progression photos of an amateur Robin Williams portrait.. hope you enjoy! 😄😄

Firstly, I used my light box (cheater ha!) to outline Robin Williams’ head, then started to shade around the eyes, ears area, etc. I love the film ‘Dead Poets Society’, so I incorporated a very poignant famous quote into the design. I then created a square grid, and used blue, purple and green promarker pens to brightly colour the background. Also, I used a black marker to differentiate the squares, the quote and Robin. A yellow bubble around the quote, and a space at the bottom for my artist signature…I very much like pop art and I feel this has a resemblance to the movement..and here is the finished piece:

I am very pleased with the way this one has turned out! I think I have captured a likeness 😊 I intend to draw more celebrities/ actors/ actresses/musicians I like etc, and build up a portfolio 😊

I have a gorgeous Peacock diamond art to start 💎🎨 and a new pub painting at the end of the month, so watch this space! 🥰

As always, thank you so much for reading/viewing..take care, Lauren xx

Trip to Bridlington with gran, July 2024

July 11, 2024Leave a comment

Hi everyone! My latest UnicornPostbox blog post is a travel blog of a day trip to Bridlington yesterday with my gran Ruth, hope you like 🥰

We set off early in the morning (I woke up at 7am, a rarity for me, I’m not really a morning person 🤣) Travelled via a local coach company 👍 It took us roughly an hour and 30 mins travelling from Doncaster 🥰

Our first port of call was browsing around the shops. I bought a new diamond art 🎨 and sketching pencils from The Works. I also bought my mum a seagull teddy 😄

We were both peckish by lunchtime so we walked to ‘Pier 6’, close to where the bus dropped us off, for some nice grub 😋 Gran had haddock and chips, and I had a veggie cheeseburger with salad and coleslaw 😋

We then had a leisurely walk around the harbour, admiring the lovely boats. A doughnut for gran and a waffle 🧇 with chocolate sauce and bananas 🍌 for me. Yum, yum 😋

We briefly passed through the fair ground rides (no, we didn’t go on any, haha 😆) and took some photos of the beach, before ascending up a slope to the arcades

Gran was a pro on the race horse 🏇 and ball game, winning some candy floss and a barbie doll. It was highly amusing also my gran’s tactics with the 2p machines, bashing them in all at once! I took a video, it was really funny 🤣

We made our way slowly back to the coach. We sat down on quite a few occasions on benches as we travelled around Brid. Gran isn’t fantastic on her feet bless her, in need of a knee replacement 💕 We had soft drinks in one cafe, and a latte/ vanilla milkshake with squirty cream in another 😋 I don’t even want to think about the calorie intake! 🤣

Overall, it was a lovely day 😊 Although the sun never came out, it was cloudy ⛅️ with only a slight drizzle. We were quite lucky

It was really nice to spend quality time with gran, she’s a wonderful woman and Grandma, 87 bless her 💕

I believe there is another coach trip next month to Skegness (we love it there!) and Bury Market later on in the year…

Thank you as ever for taking the time to read/view. All the best, Lauren xx

‘Little Sunset’ simple small diamond art – progression photos

July 5, 2024Leave a comment

Hi everybody! My latest UnicornPostbox blog post is progression photos of a small sunset diamond art 💎 🎨 Hope you enjoy!

Small but sweet! I love the deep pink and purple shades! Looks very peaceful 💜 I can imagine how lovely it might feel drifting along lazily in the little rowing boat 🥰 It only took me a couple of days to complete this one, which is hardly anything compared to the next diamond art I’ve purchased of a colourful vibrant peacock 🦚 It will take me weeks! 😁 It’s quite nice and refreshing though to have a little project before committing to such a large time consuming one 😜

I am also thinking of doing another celebrity portrait drawing soon, Robin Williams maybe 🤔 and the next pub painting is ‘sun-kissed river’… as well, me and my gran are having a coach trip to Bridlington on Wednesday 😁 so I may do a little travel blog 😝

Thanks as ever for taking the time to view/read.. lots of love, Lauren xx

Amateur Amy Winehouse portrait drawing

June 29, 2024June 29, 2024Leave a comment

Hi everyone! My latest UnicornPostbox blog post is progression photos of an amateur Amy Winehouse portrait drawing – drew as a gift for my lovely sister 💕💕 Hope you like! 😊

I started with famous lyrics of Amy Winehouse’s popular song ‘Back to black’ placed around where the portrait of her would be. I focused on the darker shading first, and spent quite a while trying to perfect her iconic beehive hair. I am quite proud of the likeness of the face I have managed to achieve of the wonderful late singer. I cut up some flower and butterfly 🦋 outlines from an art therapy book, using my light box to transfer onto paper. I used multiple promarker pen different colours to colour the butterflies and flower. I then used a black marker to draw around and intensify the subjects. I am a big fan of pop art 🎨 and I definitely feel this is of the style 💕 To make it ‘pop’ I contrasted the grey shading with bright pink lips 💋 And here is the finished piece:

I am really happy with the end result. I am trying to get back to the standard I was capable of years ago at school. I definitely think that practice is improving my art 🎨

My sister absolutely loves it! ❤️ Having watched the new biopic at the cinema 🎥 she has practically become obsessed with the late songstress 🎵 Watching loads of documentaries of Amy’s up and down lifestyle, the joys along with the addiction battles, and the tragic love affair with Blake. Amy, a musical icon, part of the cursed ’27 club’, authentic, relatable, and a beautiful troubled soul.

My next pub painting class ‘sun-kissed river’ is next month, and I have a ‘sunset’ diamond art 💎 🎨 to start… I may draw some more celebrities I like/admire – Keane Reeves maybe (what an incredible person), the late Robin Williams, Muhammad Ali, Simon Pegg, Joan Jett, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Norton? Any suggestions??

Thank you as always for taking the time to read/view, all the best, Lauren xx

‘Doorway to Italy’ amateur pub painting

June 19, 2024Leave a comment

Hi everyone! My latest UnicornPostbox blog post is progression photos of an amateur ‘Doorway to Italy’ pub painting..enjoy! 😄

To begin with, we horizontally outlined the bottom pale yellow, then blocked out where the green Italian door would be. We brushed more washed down brown paint for the flooring, and incorporated a little step. Then we undercoated the Italian door block emerald green. A cute little pot, and foliage added. We then gave the door white highlights and began dotting out where the flower canopy would go. We used a new technique with a palette knife, layering up abstractly the deep pink, bright pink and white flowers/ emerald green leaf vines. It was really cool to try something new! Blue shimmer stained down the Italian door to make it look trendy, and we distinguished black lines to shape it. A few little finishing touches, such as daisies in the plant pot/bush, white highlights… oh, and the faintly outlined bricks, and here is the finished result:

It was really fun doing something a little bit different i.e with the palette knife! To be honest, this was one of the hardest pub paintings to do, as there were so many stages 😊 I do really like it however and I can’t wait to do the next pub painting the end of July. It is called ‘Sunkissed river’ and the template looks absolutely beautiful 😍 Rebecca is such a talented artist 🎨 and it is fantastic learning from her, she’s so lovely and down to earth too…

So yes, keep a lookout for the next pub painting! Also, my sister has asked me to please do a portrait of the late Amy Winehouse (she loves her 💓) and I also have a sunset diamond art 💎🎨 to start…so watch this space!

Thank you as always for viewing/reading 🥰 Lots of love, Lauren xx

‘Portrait of a family friend’ Amateur pencil drawing

June 19, 2024Leave a comment

Hi everyone, my latest blog post is progression photos of an amateur pencil portrait for a family friend, hope you enjoy 😊😊

Unfortunately, one of my dad’s very close friends – his dad has sadly recently passed away 😢 So my dad asked me to draw a portrait of them both…

My first attempt was not up to the quality I would have liked..

This was my first attempt. Although it was nice to have the two of them together in the drawing, I don’t think it was quite up to scratch… As there are two subjects, it’s more difficult to achieve a likeness as the reference photo is smaller and hence you can’t get as much detail. I also bodged up the hands, and the shading just wasn’t impressive enough… here is the new drawing progression photos:

I was much happier with how this turned out. Being able to concentrate on just one subject with a larger reference photo, it was much easier to shade and achieve a likeness. I particularly like the wavy hair and bold eyes…

I would still class myself as an amateur artist. When I was at school (not to blow my own trumpet) I was excellent and my portraiture was so realistic. I feel like I’ve kind of lost my gift over the years, but I have completed this to the best of my ability 😊😊

My dad’s friend was over the moon with the drawing of his dad 😁😁 I am so very pleased he likes it, and will cherish it forever…

My next blog post will be progression photos of a ‘Doorway to Italy’ pub painting, so watch this space 😝😝

Thank you as ever for reading/viewing.. much love, Lauren xx

My ‘Stitch’ diamond art

June 1, 2024June 1, 2024Leave a comment

Hi everyone! My latest UnicornPostbox blog post is progression photos of my ‘stitch’ diamond art, a present for my friend Chelsea 💙💙 Hope you enjoy!

This lil dude was so therapeutic to do 😄 It took me a good few weeks i.e hours and hours of work went into completing it. I hope my friend Chelsea will be pleased, she absolutely adores Disney and actually even has a ‘stitch’ tattoo on her forearm 🥰🥰

And here is the finished diamond art 💎🎨:

My next blog post I believe will be progression photos of an attempted double portrait..unfortunately my dad’s very close friend Tony, his dad has just passed away 😢😢.. so my dad has asked me to try do a decent portrait of Tony and his late dad Kenny 💕💕

When I did art A-level many moons ago, my portraiture was (not blowing my own trumpet) really impressive and photo realistic.. over the years, I feel like I’ve lost that talent for whatever reason… so even though I now class myself as an amateur, I will do my very best to draw to the best of my ability, to create a really sentimental art piece 💕💕

Thank you as ever for taking the time to read/view, always appreciated 👍👍

Much love, Lauren xx

‘Georgina the giraffe’ amateur pub painting

May 16, 2024May 16, 2024Leave a comment

Hi everyone! My latest UnicornPostbox blog post is progression photos of a cute giraffe 🦒 Hope you enjoy! 😁

We started off with yellow acrylic paint for the long giraffe neck. Then, we lightly outlined the shape of the giraffe head and ossicones (posh technical term for horns, ha!) We filled this with colour. At this point the painting looked kind of like a yellow ogre! 🤣 Quite a few others, especially newbies, started commenting ‘Oh no, what’s happening here?’ with regard to their painting. Me and my friend Denise just said ‘don’t worry, trust the process’ 😁 We then used brown paint for the famous spots, and ears etc and a base for the eyes. Next, I added watery brown shading to certain areas, and contrastingly defined lines in black. I think the most adorable aspect of ‘Georgina’ however is her gorgeous heavily painted and flicked eyelashes 😍 What a beauty! And here is the finished amateur art piece…

To be honest, this is my favourite of all the pub paintings I’ve done! I think ‘Georgina’ is a very pretty giraffe 🦒🦒 I can’t wait for the next one next month. It hasn’t been announced yet what the theme will be, so just keep a look out 😜

I think my next blog post will be a ‘Stitch’ Disney diamond art 💎🎨 I am doing for my lovely friend Chelsea

Thank you as ever for taking the time to read/view. Much appreciated, thank you, Lauren xx

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