Meet Carmel Green
Carmel is sharing drawing tips and demo videos with Sktchy subscribers throughout June. Learn more.
What's your background?
I was born in a small city called Wolverhampton, in England. I started drawing, painting and creating at a very early age. When I started school it was quite apparent that the other children were getting top marks for math whilst I was having my art work proudly displayed on the classroom walls.
As a teenager, I studied art and design at Wolverhampton college, though I naughtily dropped out after nine months. In the time I was there, I learnt a wide rage of creative subjects including pottery, textile design, graphics design, drawing and painting – my heart always stayed with painting.
Life started to move on. I worked in a music venue and had three young children. I made very little time for myself and neglected my love for painting.
After a large break, I discovered Sktchy. My first sketch was a far cry from what I was producing years before, but I was determined to make time for myself, to sit, relax and draw again.
After 166 Sktchy portraits, I still feel I am developing and improving with each portrait. But it is safe to say I have improved dramatically since that first Sktchy piece.
What's your medium of choice when you're creating art?
I adore the opaque qualities of watercolour paints. As watercolours dry quickly, I find you can capture illustrative and detailed art works in a short period time.
I often start a piece with watercolours and go on to add other media. Recently I have experimented with mixed media, adding shadows and patterns with blendable pro markers. I find pencil crayons a fantastic tool to add detail to a watercolour painting, and I often use white acrylics to pick up white highlights around the eyes and nose.
How did you build your creative habit?
I am always on the hunt for inspiration. I mainly get this from fashion magazines, often cutting out faces or patterns I like the look of and storing them in a scrap book. The internet is also a massive source of inspiration for me. I have 822 photos saved in my Sktchy queue. If I like the look of a photo, I instantly save it ... just like an online scrapbook.
When you do find yourself in a creative rut, how do you get out of it?
Visiting galleries is my main inspiration when I am in a creative rut. It's amazing how looking at others' work makes you want to express yourself and create!
Which of your recent artworks most expresses who you are now as an artist?
I would have to say my Frida portrait. I have framed this piece, and it is proudly displayed on my wall. I was so happy with the vibrant colours, subtle patterns and details. I feel I have finally gained my own style with this painting. It shows to me just how far I’ve come from that first Sktchy painting in 2013. I am really pleased with my progression.
Get the Sktchy iPhone app to join Carmel on Sktchy, and subscribe in-app to learn drawing tips from her. Learn more.