UPDATE: READ TO THE END. BY FIGURING OUT HOW TO HANDLE MY CLIENT'S WORK WITHOUT BOTHERING HER, I ENDED UP DEVELOPING MY DIGITAL CARICATURE SKILLS EVEN MORE. SO EXCITED WITH THE DIRECTION SHE SENT ME ON.

Sometimes it looks simple to do someone else's job. Because the Professional has already navigated around things that could have caused problems. That's what I'm dealing with today. Because my Client emailed me the Logo that she wants me to use on each Caricature ~ instead of just telling me the words and hiring me to design her Papers

I quickly did a ridiculously Simple Caricature to see how it would work ~ and a problem came up that would not have come up if my Client had hired me do the job myself. Perhaps I'll spend a lot of time to figure out how to handle the situation to my satisfaction ~ not reasonable to Require, so I'm only going to do what I can. And if I do figure it out, well, I will just be even that more More skilled than I am already.

You can't see the problem here because I deleted the Layer that had the Company's Logo ~ for their privacy of course. But I did have a problem come up with it.

What happened is that my Client had emailed me a Template to use as a background for each Digital Caricature. I sent the Template over to Procreate so I will be able to use it during the Party. But it came through as Black Letters on an OPAQUE White background.

It would be fine if the Letters were on a Transparent Background ~ That's what I'm trying to do ~ I'm trying to figure out HOW TO MAKE THE WHITE BACKGROUND BE TRANSPARENT while keeping their Text Black.

The way it is now, If I use it as a Top Layer, their Opaque White Background obliterates any Layers underneath it ~ so you wouldn't be able to see anything I draw.

It I use it as a Bottom Layer, even if I make my own subsequent Layers Transparent, anything I draw or color that is on top of their Logo (a big thing that takes up the bottom left quarter of the page) ~ anything that I'm drawing there obliterates their Logo. Unless I lower the Opacity of my Artwork. Which looks rude to their Logo.

It's the same situation if I just draw directly on the Layer of the Logo. Opaque Artwork obliterates the Logo. Transparent Artwork dulls out their Logo.

I can't just put a box around it and let my picture Stop there ~ because they didn't do anything like making it One Line across the Bottom of the page. It's the size of a whole business-card on the bottom of a 4" x 6" print. They do not want me to make it smaller.

......only One Hour later:

I'm on a good path! I changed her Template Layer to 'Multiply' instead of 'Normal'. Voila! I could see what I drew on Layers Underneath the Template Layer.

But And oh ~ the next problem popped up during my Practice time. It's a good thing I do this ~ so I can better handle whatever comes up during the Event.

What happened was that I decided to Yay get back into Exaggerations ~ So I scribbled out a pretty detailed Predraw for this Practice Caricature. But I made a mistake ~ the sort of mistake that could happen when I'm At an the Party. I drew the Predraw on the Template Layer.

So after I did the Linework on the Layer Underneath the Transparent Template (that's what the Multiply did ~ It made it possible to see the Layer underneath the Template), I figured I would just Erase the Predraw that was on the Template Layer.

But it would Not erase. I could erase the Text that the Client had sent on her Template, but I absolutely could Not erase my scribbles.

So..... I'm on a path. I'm sure I will feel compelled to play around with the Multiply Layer as soon as I get another chance.

Good Morning. I'm back again. And I FIGURED IT OUT! I can handle the Logo that the Client sent on Opaque 'paper' with no problems. I found out that I can Change a Layer to be Multiply even After I draw on it. So I will still have the Option to erase on it afterall

And to make things easier/smoother during event anyway, I made TWO Templates ~ so I can figure out which one is working better based on my mood (whether I want to Color Transparently or Opaquely. One Template has the Client's Logo on a Multiply Layer ~ and it has more Layers already set up as Multiply Layers. The Other Template just has the Client's Logo set up at Multiply, and other Layers set up as Normal.

Here are a Few Fashion Sketches that I drew at a Sweet 16. I felt like these drawings were pretty Tame, but I still evoked the sort of Surprise Responses that I like to see. A good time was had by all

I made a Digital Caricature tonight. Then I felt surprised to see how intriguing it looked next to one that was just sitting here on my Desktop ~ which I made a couple of Years ago.

They do match, but I can see my skill-growth with handling the IPad

Focusing on my upcoming job for drawing Fashion Sketches at a Sweet 16 Party, I felt like I should revisit standard Fashion Sketches. Because people are already trained as to what an 'artistic' Fashion Sketch should be. My Client is probably not wanting me to draw the way I'm affected by the fashion. She is probably expecting a conformity to the dramatic long-body long-leg standard that is considered a Fashion Sketch.

Then I ate breakfast. Outside. Looking at the tree across the street. Again. But this time, I felt like Really looking at it. To find out What's interesting about it? What feels good/calm to me? And I started seeing it sort of like puzzle pieces. Yes I've frequently painted negative shapes around tree parts, sort of like the puzzle pieces I'm referring to today. (That's an Artist's exercise.)...... But this time, I was able to enjoy the Solid Branches that made up that still/static 'puzzle'..... and I also started wondering about the shape/feel of the small end-pieces, but that doesn't add to what I'm currently grappling with.

What it is that's on my mind is about Conformity. I guess we have to conform to what a Client wants when s/he hires us. But is s/he really hiring an Artist if she wants us to draw what's expected? Or is s/he just hiring a 'Draw-er', someone who knows how to imitate the Styles of visual representation that have been created before us?

That's referring to 'Artists' who draw standard '8-head' long bodies that look like Fashion Sketches as well as 'Artists' who represent the way light and shadow describes the form of a tree (a face, a bowl, a fruit......) the way light and colors affect our moods..... the 'how to draw' and 'how to paint' that beginning artists usually aim for. I'm feeling like that stuff that can be taught (and learned) is not really Art. BECAUSE CONFORMING TO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN is not deep enough to satisfy a person who is interested in UNDERSTANDING VISUAL CONSCIOUSNESS. Understanding our Existence. What Consciousness is.

What is sold as Artwork is usually just a Job.

Then I practiced some 'Fashion Sketch' Samples. I am planning on doing a good job for the woman who hired me to draw Fashion Sketches at her daughter's Party.

Follow Up on March 4, 2019:

I was talking with my Friend ~ about choosing to Focus on 'the Sounds of Silence' even when Louder Talk is happening.

I realized that we can also see 'the Sounds of Silence' ~ well.... not the SOUNDS of Silence, but the 'Sights of Blindness'. Some people experienced something like this while Driving. Very Dangerous. It's when a person's mind wanders, and she misses her exit, or just realizes that she's been Driving for blocks (miles?) without being aware of it.

Of course, we must turn our attention to Focus onto the Physical World when we're driving. But I am looking forward to applying that ability to my (almost) Daily Meditation. To be able to Choose what Sights I want to Focus on ~ with my Eyes Open. Just like I can choose to hear 'the Sounds of Silence' when I'm taking a Peaceful Break, I can also choose to see 'the Sights of Blindness'. With Open Eyes.

Some people who unfortunately have Vision Problems, can't see past 'Floaters' Inside their eyes ~ so they see inside their own bodies instead of seeing the World beyond their eyes. That's like when I focus inside my body during Meditation ~ noticing things like my Breathing or my Posture.

I was trying to come up with a way to See beyond the Physical World. To see beyond the positive and negative shapes. To see beyond the way Light falls on objects. Things. And I'm wondering if this is perhaps the path.

To sit with my Eyes Open, but not See what's in front of me (Only for a few Chosen Minutes Please!) To instead Watch my Thoughts. Perhaps if I can Focus My Vision away from the Sights of the World, by letting my mind wander the way I would Not want it to wander while driving, even though my Eyes be open..... Perhaps then I would be able to See the Thought so I can Drop the Thought ~ leaving me in a position to See what is not Seen.

The Next Day:

I did it! I felt satisfied with my experience of 'The Sights of Blindness' today.......

Sitting outside ~ the snow was so bright that I couldn't even lift my eyes to see enjoy the dark sky. I realized that I was trying to take things too far yesterday. I realized that 'The Sounds of Silence; that we enjoy...the metal tag clinking in the wind, the water pouring out of the drainpipe, the traffic in the distance, the car that just went by, the sound of chewing this carrot, the sound of swallowing it, the sound of my breathing, another car went by... those sounds are actually In this Physical world. And it makes me feel peaceful to slow down and focus on that cacophony of sounds. That are here all the time, but we're usually too busy to focus on them.

I applied That to my new idea 'The Visions of Blindness'. Simple Light and Dark and Patterns. Just Not focusing on them as the Things they represent (only for during this Meditation, of course). The way we do as Artists, but with No intention of making them come together to represent a Thing.

I'll try to describe something here. Things like the pattern of the dark grass patches popping through the snow, the texture of the dash-dots of grass-blades all over the lawn, the pattern of the shadow shapes affecting the footprints, the calmness of the neutral tone of the cement, the reflections on the cars, the transparent areas where I could see through the windows of the cars... But NOT SEEING THEM AS WHAT CAUSES THEM. NOT SEEING THEM FOR WHAT THEY REVEAL TO US...oooh ~ I love the dark soil in the fallow garden that has tiny pebbles... NOT SEEING WHAT THESE THINGS TELL US ABOUT OUR VISUAL WORLD, but seeing them solely as what they Are. Never labeling them. ...... Just like I don't sit there labeling each sound that I hear when I am listening to the 'Sounds of Silence'. THE CLUE TO PEACE IS SIMPLY SEPARATION FROM KNOWLEDGE.

I call it A MENTAL VACATION.