About me

	Name	Harmony Steel
	Age	29
	Location	Brisbane, Australia
	Married	Ten years, to Rori
	Pets	Two cats, Wolfie and Panther
	Career	Senior web designer
	Interview	My Artist Interview published at Creative Spotlite
	Other hobbies	Writing music, reading, watching movies, playing computer games
	Email me	Click here to email me

How did you get started in art?
I've always liked to draw but apart from the occasional art class I'm an entirely self-taught artist. Everything I know I've learned from constant reading, practice, and experimentation. I've listed some of my favourite learning resources here.

Do you have an interview I can read?
Yes I have an interview published over at Creative Spotlite Art Instruction where I talk about how I got started in art, my favourite materials, what inspires me, and link to lots of useful resources for artists.

What do you like best about art?
I really enjoy drawing and painting lots of different things. I love the process of sketching or swooshing watercolor paint about, or the peaceful tap-tap noise my reed pen makes when I draw with ink. I also love to experiment with new types of paper and ways of painting; I have waaay too many once-used art supplies ;)

What are your favourite mediums to work with?
For drawing I like to make a rough sketch first with a blue pencil, and then refine it with a B lead pencil. Then usually I'll go over the top of that with black ink and my reed pen, and then erase the original pencil once the ink is dry. For painting I love Windsor & Newton Artists Watercolors, and Cotmans 190gsm paper because it's easy to draw on and has a lovely texture to paint over.

Can I learn to draw?
Absolutely! Drawing is a fine motor skill so with enough practice I think anyone can learn to draw, but you have to remember it takes lots and lots of practice because you're training your hands to work in a way they're not used to. I'd recommend taking a good beginners drawing class as your local after-school college if you're just starting out (check your phonebook and local paper for places).

There's also heaps of resources online if prefer to learn by yourself, some of my favourites are the Fantasy Art Resource Project, Polykarbon's manga tutorials, and Drawing at about.com. Also be sure to check out the drawing books of Andrew Loomis - the legendary early 20th century illustrator - which are now freely available online since they're in the public domain; you can download them for free here.

Can I use your artwork for my character portrait / signature / website?
Some usage of my artwork is allowed for non-commercial purposes, please see my image usage rules for details.

Where else can I find your art?