katat0nik art

Illustration Friday: Run

2006-08-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

Running Late...

Medium: Watercolor, Water soluble pencils, ink
Size: 2.5" x 3.5"

I am trying to do IF every week, like I used to...but am having a hard time keeping up with the themes. I hope you enjoy this one... :D

Poor White Rabbit... :D

HUGE Charity Auction

2006-07-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am a member of "Art 4 Critters", a group of artists who donate a portion of their art sales to animal charities. Some members of our group have donated paintings for a big charity auction on eBay & hopefully raise a minimum of $1,000 (which is a steal!) for Happy Paws Haven Inc., - HPHI, a 501 (C)(3) Nonprofit corporation in Arab, Alabama. This is a "no kill" shelter, they do not euthanize their animals. The artists involved with this project have created small ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5") paintings of 'big cats' for this event.

This is the painting I donated for this charity event:

"The Peaceful Ocelot"
Medium: Watercolor, Ink CLICK HERE To View The Charity Auction Thanks for looking!:)

Illustration Friday: Opposites

2006-07-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

There are 18 hidden images in this painting....

An Easter bunny in a Halloween costume celebrates Christmas by hiding presents instead of Easter eggs...ok I guess this isn't literally an "opposite" themed painting, but it does loosely fit the theme...and I haven't updated my blog or done IF in 3 months so please forgive me :) There are 5 ornaments, 5 presents, and 8 candy canes hidden in this painting - some are hidden in plain sight, some blend in with the scenery....go ahead, try & find them:D

Medium: Watercolor & Ink

Size: 2.5" x 3.5"

Weekly Photoshop Challenge: Silhouette

2006-04-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

I've recently taken an interest in Photoshop so I was excited to see the "Weekly Photoshop Challenge" hosted by Txartcgal. This week's challenge is to make an interesting silhouette out of a picture. I used this tutorial to make this silhouette:

Here's the original photo...it's a girl standing against the wall like a wierdo. This girl may or may not be me....OKAY it's me..but it's a bad pic. This is what I look like when I'm trying not to smile & look serious. LOL.

Illustration Friday: "Under the Sea"

2006-04-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Title: Miss October
Medium: Prismacolor Colored pencils & ink
Support: 100 lb Smooth Bristol
Size: 2" x 3.5" (business card size)

An exotic mermaid does her best pin-up pose under the sea. This is a self portrait....kidding!

Thanks for lookin' :)

Illustration Friday: "Robot"

2006-04-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Title: Miss Adventure
Medium: Prismacolor colored pencils & ink
Support: 100 lb smooth bristol
Size: 2.5" x 3.5"

I love old tin robots but have always been disappointed with the lack of female robots out there...so here is "Miss Adventure", a girlybot with a delicate face and heavy duty pink body. She's out for a stroll with her toy kitty on the moon. On Miss Adventure's chest is a Girl-O-Meter, and on a scale of 1-13 of girliness, she's a 13 of course! This little drawing won 1st place in eBay's "Nibblefest Art Contest" in November 2005.

Thanks for lookin' :)

ACEO #40 - "Watching"

2006-04-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

Title: Watching
Medium: Caran D'Ache Water Soluble pencils & ink
Paper: 130 lb Fabriano Medioevalis Watercolor Paper
Size: 2.5" x 3.5"

This little birdy is waiting for her first egg to hatch.

Click here to view auction Thanks for stoppin' by. :)

ATC2 #19 - "Enigma"

2006-04-14T16:28:00.001-07:00

Title: Enigma
Medium: Caran D'Ache Water Soluble pencils & ink
Paper: 130 lb Fabriano Medioevalis Watercolor Paper
Size: 2" x 2"

Is this a kitty? Or two butterflies resting on a flower, above a flying duck?

Click here to view auction

Artists' Choice Awards on eBay

2006-04-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Artists' Choice Awards acknowledges eBay artists based on the artistic merits of their work. After a month-long nomination process, over 7,000 votes were cast for eBay's favorite artists in 44 categories. Many thanks to those who nominated & voted for me! I was honored with the following awards:

1st Place - Most Creative Art

1st Place - Most Imaginative small format Art

3rd Place - Favorite Miniature Art

Honorable Mention: Favorite ACEO

Honorable Mention: Favorite Drawings

Honorable Mention: Favorite Fantasy/Faeries small format Art

(thanks!) :)

Illustration Friday: "Spring"

2006-04-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting my blog & Illustration Friday (so sowwy)...I meant to do last week's "Monster" topic but didn't finish on time:( Here is my "Spring" IF thingy:

"End of the Season"
Winter is ending and life becomes dull for this horned flying fish creature. She looks at the ground as strange flowers pop up from the melting spring snow.

2.5" x 3.5" watercolor & ink

Thanks for looking:)

ACEO #38 - "Naked Dream" Reversible Painting

2006-04-04T01:20:00.000-07:00

Title: Naked Dream
Medium: Caran D'Ache Water Soluble pencils & ink
Paper: 100lb Smooth bristol
Size: 2.5" x 3.5"

This is the first ACEO I've done using watercolor pencils, and it's reversible! All the colors were done using Caran d'Ache water soluble pencils, and the skeletons were drawn in ink.

REVERSED

Thank you Amy for introducing me to Caran d'Ache :)

ACEO #37 - a weird shoe ?

2006-03-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

Title: Untitled (for now)
Medium: Prismacolor colored pencils & ink
Paper: 100lb Smooth bristol
Size: 2.5" x 3.5"

Here are some WIP (work in progress) pics of my latest ACEO (2.5"x3.5" artwork.) This ACEO was done in Prismacolor colored pencil & ink, and features a clear platform shoe with water inside.

1. I sketched everything lightly in pencil first, then inked the outlines.

2. I started coloring in the water with different shades of blue

3. I added color to the mermaid & clown fish, along with some shadows in the bottom of the water to add more depth.

4. I colored the sole of the shoe black. The shoe strap seemed like it would be more interesting if it were clear, so I let the black sole run through the strap area, giving the strap a transparent look. I also added some light shading to the strap & the heel.

5. I added shadows & lightened some areas throughout the piece to give it more depth. I also added a "floor". The scribbles you see around the edge of the paper are from me cleaning the tips of my pencils. I do this to get rid of bits of wax accumulated from other colors while blending.

Here's the finished piece:

CLOSE UP

The mermaid's face is approximately 4mm long and it was done with pencils that have very sharp tips. When adding the lips & nose I only touched the paper lightly with my pencil tips get the finest lines possible.

ACEO #35 - "Telekinetic Kitty"

2006-03-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

Telekinetic Kitty - 2.5"x3.5", Prismacolor colored pencils and a little ink.

This artwork was created for "ACEO Theme Week", a fun monthly event that promotes ACEOs on eBay. ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions & Originals. An ACEO is basically any artwork that is 2.5"x3.5" in size. The "ACEO Theme Week" event starts on the 18th of each month, and artists from around the world participate, listing their themed ACEOs starting at just 99cents. Our theme this month is "Green" so I drew a green telekinetic kitty with a floating lotus. The kitty has colorful flower & butterfly designs on it's body and a peaceful little smile on it's face.

Thanks for looking:) Jane

ACEO #34 - "Eve"

2006-03-16T23:21:00.000-08:00

The story of "Adam & Eve" always seemed a little dark and strange to me...

This was done using Prismacolor colored pencils & a little ink - 2.5" x 3.5" (ACEO size)

CLOSE UP

This ACEO features Eve with a plump stomach sitting against a very important tree. She is feeling a little guilty for eating the forbidden fruit. The tree has a strange skeleton in it, with a rib extending towards Eve & skull-shaped fruit. The serpent in the tree tries to look Eve in the eye to show that he's proud of her.

Illustration Friday: Tattoo

2006-03-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

What a great Illustration Friday topic...I love tattoos! Here is a kitty I did with Japanese style tats. She was sold to an award-winning tattoo artist last year.

"Tattooed Kitty" - 2.5" x 3.5" (ACEO Size)
Prismacolor Colored Pencils & Ink

The Japanese symbol on the moon says "beauty". Thanks for lookin'

Illustration Friday: Insect 2

2006-03-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

Here's some more insects - they are from last year:

"Metamorphosis" - 2"x3.5" ATC2. Prismacolor Colored Pencils & Ink.
This was my first ATC2, it's a Day of the Dead Butterfly. Her wings are made of boney hands and she casts a heart-shaped shadow. She now resides in the UK. :)

"Pink Scorpio" - 2"x2" ATC2. Prismacolor Colored Pencils & Ink.
This was the first in a series of 3 Scorpio ATC2s I did last year. A sweet woman gave this as a gift to her first granddaughter.

Click here if you wanna see my other Illustration Friday Insect thingie. Thanks for stoppin' by :)

ACEO #33 - "Rain Dance"

2006-03-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

This little piggy is dancing for charity...

There is a wonderful little organization called "DARE" (Dachshund Adoption Rescue & Education) that helps dachshunds in need...I love doxies...my doggy is half doxie - so I'm donating a portion of this sale to DARE. If you're interested in learning more about this charity or making a donation, please visit daretorescue.com. Or search ebay for "A4C DRAC" to see charity auctions for DARE. Thanks :)

Illustration Friday: Insect

2006-03-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

Untitled 8"x10"
This is a pointillism spider face girl I did when I was a teen. I used to draw lots of faces that are half "normal" and half "weird". Guess which side is which...hehe

Illustration Friday: Tea

2006-03-02T04:46:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a new series of ACEOs (2.5"x3.5" artwork) called the "TEA SERIES". This series will feature ACEOs that are drawn in ink & colored with different types of tea. These drawings are highly detailed & very time consuming. They are full of symbolism...if you take a good look you will see things that other's might not see...

This is the first in the series, I did a few days ago:

"In the Garden"
Two birds look at mysterious things in the bottom of a garden pond.

This is the 2nd in the series,

"The Story of Eve"
Eve was told not to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good & evil, but she did it anyway...and for that she suffered pain, learned what "shame" is, & eventually died.
Thanks for lookin' :)

I'm still here

2006-02-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

Hi all, it's been almost a week since I've posted here - sorry :( My grandma (who I take care of) was having some MAJOR problems so I was away from the computer for a while. I have some free time this week & will hopefully be able to create some new art to share. Amy sent me some wonderful art supplies that I am dying to use (I'll post a pic of the stuff later) THANKS AMY! :D

The Hypnotist - ATC2

2006-02-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

This is an ATC2 I created specifically for JoE. ATC2 stands for "Artists' Trading Cards: Generation 2". Any art card between 2" & 6" in any direction qualifies as an ATC2. The standard size for ATC2's is 2" x 3.5" (business card size.) JoE is the founder of ATC2, and he & Amy run a private group for artists who create this specific type of artwork. They are both very supportive leaders, and awesome artists. The artwork pictured was part of an ATC2 swap - JoE sent me some of his work, and I sent him some of mine. This swap was really nice because we like each other's work, but usually can't afford to buy from each other. Work in progress pics for this ATC2 are below :D

Title: "The Hypnotist"

Date: Feb 6, 2006

Medium: Prismacolor Colored Pencils & some ink

Paper: 100lb Smooth Bristol

About this Project:
This is not meant to be a lesson, I'm just showing a work in progress =) This is an ACEO (2.5"x3.5" artwork). ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions & Originals. ACEOs are miniature works of art that are enjoyed by art collectors around the world.

Pic 1: JoE likes unique & interesting things like monsters, so I inked a creature holding a monster in a balloon. The creature is a hypnotist.

Pic 2: I lightly shaded the hypnotist, and put some green into the background (looks like yellow in the pic, but it's green). I chose green because I know JoE likes this color. :)

Pic 3: I added more color to the creature's face & body.

Pic 4: I filled in the rest of the creature's body, & started working on his eye & the background.

Pic 5: I worked on the background more. It's more greeny and interesting now

Pic 6: Added more detail to the eye and some shadows all around

Pic 7: Here's the finished ATC2 again. I cut off the excess paper & scanned the drawing with a dime for size reference. Finished size: 2"x3.5". (standard ATC2 Size).

Birthday Doxie

2006-02-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

Inspired by ottoblotto. :)

Illustration Friday - "Simple" #2

2006-02-11T05:39:00.001-08:00

This project is finished (scroll down to see pics!) THANK YOU EVERYONE who participated, YOU GUYS ROCK. This is one of the most ridiculous drawings I've ever done - and I love it. A lot of you forced me to draw things I'd never drawn before (dachshund, cameo pendant, garlic, marble, milk, decay, safety pin,...) You're all an inspriation. Thanks again! :D

I need 30 different people to request 30 simple things for me to draw on this paper.

This is an experiment of sorts...I am going to do a project similar to this for charity, and this will be a test run. If you could help me out that would be great. Add a comment & leave a simple one-word request for something you want me to draw here. The first 30 requests will be incorporated together in this 2.5" x 3.5" space. I'll update this post and add Work In Progress pics as the requests come in. I'll draw this in a simple manner - just pencil & ink, no color, & little detail. Thanks for playing, please keep your requests G-rated :)

First 5 requests (thank you!): ORANGE, DECAY, DAISY, PANDA, & MARBLE
I drew a panda balancing on a marble while holding a decaying orange with a daisy growing out of it! Sorry the marble looks kind of funky

Next 5 requests: A LEAF, STAMP, Mt. FUJI, MILK, & A HEART
Now the panda has a heart tattoo on the back of his neck, and he's rolling up Mt Fuji on his marble. In the foreground is a tiny leaf standing in front of a milk carton that has "Grade B" Milk in it (hey, it's more fun than Grade A Milk!) The milk carton has a 1cent stamp on it, perhaps this sour milk was mailed to Mt Fuji...hmmmm..

CLOSE UP
Thank you for the requests, 20 more to go! :)

Next 5 requests: HUMMINGBIRD, DACHSHUND, PIN, FEATHER, & A CANDLE.
Ok I realized (duh) that the panda's body should've been white so I used white ink to fix him. I added a hummingbird drinking out of the top of Mt Fuji, and a dachsund on the ground holding a feather in his mouth. On the left is a big candle with a safety pin stuck in it. Keep the requests coming!

Next 5 requests: BIRTHDAY CAKE, LIZARD, BALLOON, CAMEO PENDANT, & STAR.
As if the panda didn't look silly enough, he now has a birthday cake on his head. I added a sneaky lizard on the candle, he's stealing a cameo pendant that the dachshund should probably be guarding... And there's now a ballon with a star on it (not fully inflated) tied to the safety pin. Thanks for all the new requests - I just need 10 more now!

CLOSE UP
10 More Requests to go!

Next 5 requests: FOREST, BEETLE, STRAWBERRY, LOVE, UMBRELLA.
There's now a big beetle laying on top of the balloon, and he's cooking a strawberry over the candle's flame. The beetle's back foot is resting on an umbrella stuck in the decaying orange. The balloon's string has a tag attached to it that says "Love", and that stuff in the lower background is supposed to be a forest.... thanks guys for the requests! Just a few more and I'm done :)

Last 5 requests: FISH, HAND, GARLIC, BANANA, & WINDOW.
Alrighty now...I added a fish swimming in the background, and one of his back fins is a hand hodling a banana. The fish looks a little confused..maybe he's wondering why he has garlic on his back, or why there's a window in the beetle's body.... This project is now finished....well...I might add color..but I think that's it. THANKS EVERYONE :D

CLOSE UP

I was originally going to leave this drawing black & white...but could not resist adding color....(the color is unfinished)

Illustration Friday - "Simple"

2006-02-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

This is my first time participating in Illustration Friday - a weekly art challenge where you draw/create artwork for a specific theme. The theme this week is "Simple". If you've seen my artwork before, you'll know I like to torture myself by fitting lots of tiny detail into small spaces, and "simple" is not something I'm good at. This little piece of cake is the first thing that came to mind when I heard about the simple theme. I drew it using ink & colored pencil on a simple canvas (cardboard.) The words were photoshopped because I wanted simple, basic text on this one :) The dime is there for size reference. Thank you Alexa for encouraging me to participate in IF...I was too shy to do it before :)

ACEO #23 - [Crow] Queen of Diamonds

2006-02-10T02:23:00.000-08:00

This is my Crow Queen of Diamonds ACEO. It's one of my faves. This artwork is reversible - both of the crows have different designs on them. The designs were carefully drawn with ink & then colored & shaded with Prismacolor colored pencils. I wish I had Work In Progress pics for this - but it was drawn before I even thought of showing my WIP stuff :\ This drawing is the size of a standard playing card (2.5"x3.5").

Strange Poison Bottle Guy

2006-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

CLOSE-UP

I mailed this to a friend yesterday :) I drew this little guy on cardboard using Prismacolor colored pencils & ink. I love the expression on his face - he looks like he might be trying not to laugh, or maybe he is holding poison in his mouth... I'll leave that for JoE to decide :D

ACEO #31 - "The Rattle" (sold)

2006-02-08T00:42:00.000-08:00

Title: "The Rattle"

Date: Feb 8, 2006

Medium: Prismacolor Colored Pencils & some ink

Paper: 100lb Smooth Bristol

Work in Progress pics are below :)

About this Project: This is inspired by robots, toys, Alice in Wonderland, and outer space...
This is not meant to be a lesson, I'm just showing a work in progress =) This is an ACEO (2.5"x3.5" artwork). ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions & Originals. ACEOs are miniature works of art that are enjoyed by art collectors around the world.

Pic 1: First I inked the main details

Pic 2: Then started working on the kitty's face & body

Pic 3: Added more color to the body & started working on the weird boxes attached to cords.

Pic 4: Added detail to the rest of the boxes & cords, then colored the heart above kitty's head.

Pic 5: Filled in the background...this took a while.

Pic 6: Added more details & shading throughout the whole drawing...she's almost finished now!

Pic 7: I cut off the excess paper & scanned the drawing with a dime for size reference. Finished size: 2.5"x3.5". (ACEO Size).

A2A ACEO - "YinYang Duck"

2006-02-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Title: "Yin Yang Duck"

Date: Jan 19, 2006

Medium: Red ball-point pen (aka biro)

Paper: 100lb Smooth Bristol

About this Project: This artwork will be given away as part of the Art 2 Art "Treasure Hunt" at the Dulwich, London Art Show on Feb 12, 2006.
This is not meant to be a lesson, I'm just showing a work in progress =) This is an ACEO (2.5"x3.5" artwork). ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions & Originals. ACEOs are miniature works of art that are enjoyed by art collectors around the world.

Pic 1: A simple sketch of a duck.

Pic 2: Starting to work on face, added a crown on the duck's head.

Pic 3: Added more detail to the head and started working on the wing.

Pic 4: Added detail to the wing & body.

Pic 5: Completed the wing, working on the rest of the body now...

Pic 6: Finished the body & added water.

Pic 7: I cut off the excess paper & scanned the drawing with a dime for size reference. Finished size: 3.5"x2.5". (ACEO Size). This artwork will be given away for free, as part of the Art 2 Art "Treasure Hunt" at a UK show in Dulwich Park, London.

A2A ACEO - "Freedom"

2006-02-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Title: "Freedom"

Date: Jan 19, 2006

Medium: Red ball-point pen (aka biro)

Paper: 100lb Smooth Bristol

Pic 1: A simple sketch of 3 balloons.

Pic 2: Starting to work on the main balloon

Pic 3: Added a little birdy on top of the center balloon & started working on the others

Pic 4: Added some sky and other balloons in the background.

Pic 7: I cut off the excess paper & scanned the drawing with a dime for size reference. Finished size: 2.5"x3.5". (ACEO Size). This artwork will be given away for free, as part of the Art 2 Art "Treasure Hunt" at a UK show in Dulwich Park, London.

UK Art Show

2006-02-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

If you live in the UK, come see my art in person! Stop by the Pavillion Cafe in Dulwhich Park, London & check out over 100 ACEOs (2.5"x3.5" artwork) by international artists, including Me, Sally Swingewood & Amy Weber. Everyone is welcome to come to the show. There will also be an "Art Treasure Hunt", where you will have a chance to take home free art provided by A2A (Art 2 Art) artists. Art 2 Art is an artistic movement bringing free art to ordinary people just like you and me. To learn more about this amazing project & the artists involved, visit http://a2a2006.com.

"Frenchy Flamingo" - miniature drawing (SOLD)

2006-01-31T21:01:00.000-08:00

Title: "Frenchy Flamingo" (SOLD)

Date: Jan 31, 2006

Medium: Prismacolor Colored Pencil & ink

Paper: 100lb Smooth Bristol

About this Project: This is not meant to be a lesson, I'm just showing a work in progress =) This is Small Format Art (SFA) - artwork that is under 14" in any one direction.

Pic 1: The flamingo is inked, and I started the background in pencil using one curvy line. The rest of the background will be done freehand using ink only (no pencil).

Pic 2: I've started adding a bunch of funky designs to the background.

Pic 3: Added more detail to the background...this took a while.

Pic 4: Now I've started coloring the flamingo.

Pic 5: Here the flamingo is almost finished, I added more color & shading to the legs, face, and accessories.

Pic 6: To make Frenchy flamingo stand out more, I shaded a block behind her in gray ink & added a shadow behind her.

Pic 7: I cut off the excess paper & scanned the drawing with a dime for size reference. Finished size: 1.5"x3".

Knitting: Horace Update!

2006-01-30T13:31:00.000-08:00

Amanda Hone, the artist who originally created Horace, the knitted bear is now releasing her pattern to the public! Visit bearsunited.co.uk to purchase your own Horace pattern & take a look at other knitter's Horace bears. The pattern is easy to follow, and takes a few hours to complete. My Horace is pictured below, and he's also featured in The Horace Gallery at http://bearsunited.co.uk.

I've started knitting another Horace, a light blue one for my friend Tami Tangerine. Her Horace shall be submitted to the Horace Gallery within a few days (I love this pattern!) :D

Some of my ACEOs from 2005

2006-01-30T04:23:00.000-08:00

These are some ACEOs (2.5"x3.5" artwork) I made in 2005. They are all original drawings done by me using Prismacolor colored pencils & different ink pens. One of these cards is unsold (I tried to sell it but no one wanted it!), two won awards, and the other one sold for around $126, my highest ACEO sale ever.

So here they are (in random order)...my group of winners, a loser, & a record breaker:

Knitting Project - "Horace"

2006-01-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

Title: Horace (pattern by Amanda Hone)

Date: Jan 28, 2006

Yarn: Moda Dea Wild, "Hot Tamale"

Needles: 4mm/Sz 6 US

About this Project: Amanda Hone (aka pinwheel) is a fellow artist who created this cute little bear named "Horace". She made the pattern herself, and shared it as a project to do while waiting for paint to dry. Being a fan of knitting, I was excited to try, so here is my Horace :D (Thank you Amanda for sharing your pattern!)

Here is my Horace sitting on a leather chair.

And here he is posing sideways

Here's Horace with his parents. He didn't turn out exactly as he was supposed to.... the sample "Horace" that Amanda made is much nicer. Mine looks like the hairy hippy version of the real Horace lol. But I still love him :)

Work In Progress - Domino Art (unfinished)

2006-01-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

Title: Untitled (Unfinished)

Date: Jan 25, 2006

Medium: Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Paints

Canvas: 2" x 1" Domino

About this Project: (unfinished) This is my first time painting a domino (actually it's my first time painting on anything tiny.) Let's hope it doesn't get messed up! This is not meant to be a lesson, I'm just showing a work in progress =)

This is what my domino looks like so far. It's not finished yet - but hopefully it will be by tomorrow. Work-in-progress pics are below.

Pic 1: First I penciled in the koi & lotus.

Pic 2: I painted the background with different shades of blue. At this point I'm not sure exactly what I want my background to look like, but I know it's going to be blue...

Pic 3: I started painting the lotus, using a medium-dark shade first

Pic 4: Here I started painting the koi

Pic 5: Now I have added more color to the background, adding a little depth to the water.

Pic 6: I fixed up the lotus, adding highlights and shadows. I also touched up the koi, defining the shape a little.

Pic 7: I played with the background colors some more, adding green, leafy details under the lotus, and lighter blue above the koi. I've decided to cover up the 3 "bubbles" that were unpainted.

Pic 8: (larger view of Pic7) This is what the domino looks like now, unfinished. I will post more WIP pics when it's done :)

Funny little painting

2006-01-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

Title: Untitled

Date: Jan 25, 2006

Medium: Winsor & Newton Griffin Alkyd Paint

Paper: Wax Paper

About this Project: A funny little face that appeared while I was testing out some brushes

I recently received some gessoed dominos from a friend, and wanted to paint them with alkyds (these are like fast drying oil paints.) It had been around 7 years since I last used alkyds, so I wanted to test them out and painted a quick face (took under 1 minute to do.) He's not perfect, but I like him. You can't tell if he's sad, thinking, worried, or just bored. He is painted on regular wax paper, which I use as my pallette, because I don't have a "real" one anymore. I've started painting one of my dominos and will post work in progress pics tonight or tomorrow (hopefully tonight!) :)

ACEO #30 - "Yin-Yang Koi" (SOLD)

2006-01-22T22:48:00.000-08:00

Title: Yin-Yang Koi (SOLD)

Date: Jan 22, 2006

Medium: Prismacolor Colored Pencils & some ink

Paper: 100lb Smooth Bristol

About this Project: This was my entry for the January 2006 Nibblefest Art Contest.
This is not meant to be a lesson, I'm just showing a work in progress =) This is an ACEO (2.5"x3.5" artwork). ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions & Originals. ACEOs are miniature works of art that are enjoyed by art collectors around the world.

Pic 1: I penciled everything first & inked the koi, lotus, and turtles.

Pic 2: I've started adding color to the koi & lotus

Pic 3: Here I'm working on the background, the most time-consuming part of the whole drawing.

Pic 4: I worked on the background some more, filling in most of the dark areas.

Pic 5: Now I've colored in the turtles & added more detail to the lotus.

Pic 6: I cleaned up the background and added more shading and detail to the whole drawing, it's almost finished now :)

Pic 7: I cut off the excess paper & scanned my drawing with a dime for size reference. The finished size is 2.5" x 3.5" (ACEO size). The sakura (cherry blossom) flowers in the space between the koi are part of a hidden yin-yang, and the koi represent another yin-yang.

ACEO #29 - "Winter Geisha" (SOLD)

2006-01-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

Title: "Winter Geisha"

Date: Jan 19, 2006

Medium: Prismacolor Colored Pencil & some ink

Paper: 100lb Smooth Bristol

About this Project: Thank you Tami for inspiring me to do this geisha :)
This is not meant to be a lesson, I'm just showing a work in progress =) This is an ACEO (2.5"x3.5" artwork). ACEO stands for Art Cards, Editions & Originals. ACEOs are miniature works of art that are enjoyed by art collectors around the world.

Pic 1: I penciled everything first, then inked the Geisha.

Pic 2: I've started adding color here, working on the face & hood.

Pic 3: I've added more color & worked on the background.

Pic 4: Added red to the kimono & worked on the background some more

Pic 5: Added color to the fur trim on the hood & did some shading in other areas.

Pic 6: Cleaned up her face & the background...added more detail to the hood & other areas.

Pic 7: I cut off the excess paper & scanned her with a dime for size reference. Finished size: 2.5"x3.5" (ACEO size).

Project #2 - Left-Handed Drawing

2006-01-16T04:55:00.000-08:00

Title: "30 Minute Kitty"

Date: Jan 12, 2006

Medium: Red Ball-Point Pen

Paper: 100lb Smooth Bristol

About this Project: This is a funny little drawing done with my left hand (I'm normally a righty!) A fun UK artist suggested we try drawing with our non-dominant hand for 30 minutes and see what happens. I was sort of in an artists' slump and was not feeling up to the challenge, but then she suggested drawing for 5-minutes...so I tried it & drew a kitty (pictured below.)

Pic 1: A simple sketch of a kitty, done in 5 minutes using my left hand. It looks like it was drawn by a 2-year-old lol. Left-handed drawing was more fun than I thought it would be, so I continued working on the kitty for 25 more minutes, making it a 30-minute left-handed drawing (pictured below.)

Pic 2: Now it looks like a 5-year-old drew it! This drawing challenge was one of the most fun things I've done in a long time. If you're ever bored, you should try it - I bet it will make you smile :)

Project #1 - Fishman Work in Progress (WIP)

2006-01-16T04:38:00.000-08:00

Title: "Fishman"

Date: Jan 10, 2006

Medium: Red Ball-Point Pen

Paper: 100lb Smooth Bristol

About this Project: Just a lil' something to show you how my Fishman was born :)

Pic 1: A simple sketch of Fishman. At this point I'm not sure what he will look like yet, just working on a basic outline.

Pic 2: I started working on the face & now Fishman is coming to life...he looks a little disappointed lol.

Pic 3: Two faces appear on Fishman's body as his scales develop. One face is under his fin, the other is above it.

Pic 4: I added more scales and some extra curls to his tail. He's finished!