Van Gogh and a little dog

Hello everyone!
I started on the Van Gogh project yesterday, with acrylics on a canvas board a little bigger than 11x14 inches.

Here are the steps which I've done so far, which I so patiently and diligently took pictures of for you, (okay, okay, maybe for me, too, ;) ).

Here is the first step. The underpainting. What this does is make the colors you put on top look fuller and more saturated. Red for green, green for red, blue for yellow, and orange for blue. This is what we call the ugly stage.

Now I've slathered on lots of green, blue for sky*, and I've made basic values on my focal point, the cedar tree.
* I'll add more layers of sky as I go, which takes the muddiness away.
Ahhh, now the fun part. I took yellow paint while the green of the grass was still tacky and I splotched it all over it. It's starting to look vaguely Van Goghish.



Now I've added artsy blotchiness to the tree as well.



Here's the beginning setup.



Here is the latest update. I've begun forming the clouds, I dotted white everywhere, which I think I'll probably take out again (ah, the wonders of paint!) because the effect of the that color is too cold.

And here is my other project. It's 10x10 inches on bristol smooth paper, done with prismacolor pencils. I decided to do it all over again, because the hair wasn't right, the layering, I just decided that I could render it better then that.
So here is my friend's dog- again.
To hear more details about how I did this, check out wetcanvas colored pencil forums.
Check my blog out tomorrow for more of this little dog and my Van Gogh project, and don't forget to check up on the Van Gogh project started by Maggie Stiefvater at greywarenart.blogspot.com ( this is the link to her starting Van Gogh post, click here to get her latest to date post.
Thanks for reading!

learning sketches and Van Gogh

I'm back! As promised, here are the sketches that I made recently. So here they are:
...and lastly, here is a random Van Gogh sketch that I made...
Which brings me to the artist-a-month project that Maggie Stiefvater is doing on her blog, greywarenart.blogspot.com, which is, this month, Van Gogh. Do me a favor and check out this talented artist's blog.
I myself have decided to go for the Van Gogh project. I have a vague idea in mind-and no, no, you'll have to wait until next post to hear. ;)

new terrier portrait

Hey folks. Sorry for the wait, I've been away. I did do a lot of sketches (which is a fairly new experience for me) and they are very very useful. I'll show them in my next post.
I did manage to make the beginnings of a portrait of a black and tan terrier, my friend's dog, who makes interesting affectionate snuffling noises when he wants to give you a kiss (the dog, not my friend! ;) )
It's late now, so more later. And soon. I promise.

For now, I'll quickly show and explain a sketch I did.





I've gotten into serious preliminary sketches for all my pieces. What this does is a) give you an idea where your subject should be on the paper, b) how much space that subject should take in that piece of paper, c) establish your darks, medium tones, and lights, d) lastly, but absolutely not least, you get to establish and firm up the correct shapes before you begin the real deal.
I use some computer or sketch paper when I do this, it's not meant to be archival, ;), and you make sure that it doesn't get too detailed-you're just trying to figure out the previously mentioned points (you want to put that effort into the actual piece!).
To figure out the right proportions (i.e, the eye is so and so distance from that eye), you figure it out in fractions. You can use different parts of the length of your pencil and/or a ruler to achieve this. For instance, you look at your reference. The top of the dog's head is two thirds up the photo. You act accordingly when you do your sketch, and later to your actual piece.
Hope that helps those out there who have troubles with proportions, (I know I do, ;) ).
Happy blogging!

"Red and Gold" and "Keira"

Here is an update on my "red and gold" (nasturium) and a new piece that I'm working on-Keira Knightley from "Pride and Prejudice", which, by the way, is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Do me a small favor by watching that movie-I promise you won't regret it ;)!



Have a good evening, and happy blogging!
Note to self: probably eating too much 60% dark chocolate....:) lots of antioxidants though, right?

Special Treat

I can't talk long this evening, but here's an update on my 11x14 acrylic painting "Special Treat ll". It'll probably be done in two or three more progress shots.
I did a tiny bit more on my red and gold nasturium, too. I been busy, busy.



I also got more done on my green scarf, if y'all want to see that, too.

and more.....


Anyway, gotta go. I'm going to watch Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly in it. No cookies or ice cream tonight-I'm trying to be good....;)
Happy blogging!

nasturium, horses, an actor, and some paint

One humorous idea to use up your old pencil stubs
Hi folks!
I come back with peace and offerings, ;). A flower, an actor, some horses, and-gasp, a painting in progress!
Here is the flower that I'm working on. I'd been itching for a long time to work a brightly colored flower on stark black colourfix paper, and yesterday evening I decided I'd give it a go. It's only my third flower, so as always, I'm a little nervous, but it sure is fun putting bright swathes of colors on that black, sandy paper! Here is progress shot one and two for those who are curious. Not two much of a difference here, but thought I'd post it.
Nasturium study, 9 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches on black art spectrum colourfix paper


And here is the horse(s) portrait I'm working on; I'm not so certain of it right now, the light source in the reference photo was not so hot, ;). But here it is just the same.

Many Horse study, 9 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches on terracotta art spectrum colourfix paper

Next in line is the actor, Antonio Banderas, (one of my all time favorite actors!)

Antonio 5x7 inches on bristol smooth done with prismacolor pencils (black, lots of different cool and warm greys, and white)

And here is the painting I started today, 11x14 inches on canvas board, done with acrylics.

Here I am starting out by underpainting some cookies with bright green paint. Ah! How I love the smell of acrylic paint in the morning!

Here is a clearer image of the start that I had.
Okay, now I smeared more bright lime green for the wooden reddish brown table- since the opposite of red is green, and orange cause the grey of the milk has a yellowish warm tone to it.
Now it is officially into the ugly stage.
Now I've added some murky yellow brown over the cookies and a reddish brown table surface.
Now I've added grey to the milk glass and a vague rim.
Ah, a paint snot rag to boot. Enjoy!
I've altered the overall tone of the cookies, worked on the plate, and touched up the grey on the glass.

Make sure you have plenty of room before you get into a painting!!
Here is the collaboration of colors I've used so far for my painting.Here is my latest update. It looks much better in real life-the lighting was horrible. I've begun to add details to the cookies and touched up the grey on the glass.
Thanks for looking!
Have comments about my art or my blog? Drop me a post!
Thanks for looking

Rudy and Lucy

Okay, I'm back. I've been very busy, but I've managed to squeeze out one colored pencil to boot and finish another one. They're both 5x7 on terracotta art spectrum colourfix paper, done with prismacolor pencils.
The handsome yellow cat you see is of one of our family cats, Rudy. Rudy always wears that "king of the forest" or in our case, "king of the basement" expression.
The other is of my silly cute scottie, Lucy, who is (50% of the time) very photogenic and once her attentions are caught from rolling in the grass or hunting for holes very eager to make poses for me.


Recently I've also started a scarf in a rather appealing shade of leaf green. I'm not too much of a knitter, but (sigh of relent) I decided to pick it up again and actually finish a project this time. Not much yet, I know, but here it is.


That's all for today, lots more work to do! More later. :)
Questions or comments? Drop me a post, please! I promise I won't bite. ;)

A girl, more geese, and a cat who mean's business!

Here are the projects that I've worked on over the last couple of days. I've started adding color to my seemingly black and white geese, and smoothed the ripples out a little in the process to keep the black ripples from looking too purposefully placed.
Also, I made a colored pencil portrait of my charming and adorable two-year-old niece, Victoria. I did her on my most favorite paper in the world to draw on, colourfix paper, a colored, grainy, sand-ingrained paper. See at Dick Blick. Be sure to scroll all the way down-they have an awesome list of colors to choose from. My favorites being black, brown, and terracotta. But really, I love them all!
Lastly, here's a piece that I started just last night of our older cat, Rudy. I just love his expressions. He always looks to me like a proud, calm warrior. He acts like one, too. His movements are always slow, careful, and well planned. This piece is on terracotta colourfix paper.
Thanks for looking and don't be shy, let me know what you think of my blog and my art.