Holiday Camel in Subdued Copics
This week’s Illustration Friday topic is “Silent”. I had a hard time deciding what to do! I considered a reading room, or someone reading a book. Or people with hands over their mouths. Then I decided I would silence my color palette! Now ok, I didn’t really silence it. But this is extremely subdued for me. Really! Just look to the right at all those teeny bright-colored thumbnails.
I decided I wouldn’t even use black ink. I started out using sepia but it wasn’t quite working for my purpose so I switched to gray. I just happened to have picked up a gray .03 fine liner, and that is responsible for all the lines in my Holiday Camel. Maybe, being green, she’s a Holiday Elf Camel! (Did you notice how I cleverly covered her right eye with the poofy hat thing so I wouldn’t have to worry about lining up/matching the eyes? I wasn’t planning to do that, but 1. I do like the flopped-over-the-front hat look, and 2. I was struggling a bit with the eyes.)
She is also, I must say, an extremely talkative green (elf) camel. Lately it’s all about Nathan Fillion. Goodness, you never saw a camel so in love with Nathan Fillion. Anyway, in giving her the candy cane I have indeed silenced her for a time. (She loves candy canes so don’t think I was being mean.)
Anyway! So ends this week’s convoluted defense about this beast being a fine candidate for the “Silent” topic. And now, some progress pics! Since she is tall (9″ x 6″), I am going to attempt a horizontal gallery of progress pics.
Camel Sketch
Green Camel Color 1
Green Camel Color 2
Thanks so much for stopping in! (A note: I have been getting loads of wonderful comments, but sometimes they do not include a web address. Please include your address! I like to go visiting.)
This is Awesome, i love all the patterns and it’s awesome to see the different stages of your illustration. :)
Love the patterns and texture in your work. Your story behind the candy cane reminded me of my toddlers first experience with ice cream. I hadn’t heard that kind of silence in, well, forever!
haha, no I didn’t believe your subdued colours – until I saw your other work! :D Well done, I think you camel is beautiful – especially the eye. Love you rstyle btw! :)
I’ll stay silence too with a candy like that!
Lovely green elvish camel!
What a funny way of thinking ‘to silence your colour palette’. Lots of creative thinking results in lots of creative paintings. Well done!
Paula
You certainly did quiet down the colors! Love your beasts!
What a wonderful body of work you have! Your style is lovely and refreshing and you have a delightful sense of humour to boot! I am a big time lover of colour myself and so I Love your art!!!
I’ve had a little crush on Nathan myself. Your subdued camel is still a colorful character.
Too cool! love it!!!
Thank you so much for all the great comments!
Lovely! I always enjoy the more interesting interpretations of IF’s topics!
I think it’s so funny that you call this subdued colour. You’re like me, I do struggle trying to tone down the amount of colours I use, it’s been my perennial ‘problem’ for years! I love your bright colours and your pictures displayed all together in the sidebar are a joy to the eye!
Jess x x
You are so talented…the detail is fabulous. Love the color combination! Well done. :D
I think your subdued color scheme works really well, great experiment, hope we see it more in future! (And thanks for your comment in my blog, ‘monkey in pear’ made me laugh so much, it really looks like it :-D)
very fun! I also love that you show your process, so great.
I absolutely love your style! So fun and full of life! Great solution to the issue of the eye, that is a solution I often use myself!
Thank you so much for all the nice comments! You guys are the best. (Everyone who said it’s funny I called the colors subdued – I know! And even this was hard!) ;)
Oh my, she’s delightful! I love how you have the top of her hat drooping over her eye, makes her look even more endearing! I have trouble matching eyes in everything I draw so I understand. =) Well done!
I love your work! So bright and energetic!
I sore the colors and the sweet, sweet camel. The candy cane in his mouth is perfect!!
I love it – A really funny, brilliantly executed and unusual take on the IF topic.
I really love your style and colors and this camel is delightful as is your other work. I had never heard of Copic markers so I searched them online and enjoyed your steampunk horse process tutorial! Also – I love the swirls! Thanks for your kind visits to my blog. :)
nicely drawn, well-rendered. great character
I am glad I found your blog, your work is beautiful. I love the detail and colours you use, looking forward to visiting again!
love that coloring – fantastic
Too cute!
Fantastic! I understand completely the whole tring to subdue colour – worked on mine until I got to the hair! I have to say i have never ever seen a Christmas Camel before – love it!
I see other folks doing great work with subdued colors, so I will have to give it another try. :)
This has got to be your Christmas card! Awesome!
Yes, I have some on order! Thank you!
This worked out really well. Love what you did with his hat :)
Nice interpretation of this weeks topic on IF!
I love your elf camel! I love the colours and the wonderful patterns that add texture! Thanks for posting the progress pics – it’s great seeing how other artists work!
Thank you to everyone for the lovely comments. I really appreciate them!
She may be subdued, but she still makes a pretty statement. :) I think you are kinder to silence her with a candy cane than a cephalopod. I love her one gorgeous eye!
Really cute! Silent is a good topic. I am kind of sorry I missed that one.