Steampunk Aviator Emu
I had a crisis during the production of this beast! If you’re only interested in the end result, look no further than this first, completed image.
He is known as Pippin Blue Eyes. Yes, named for a particularly mischievous hobbit. Yes, I put a Tolkien reference on my blog. So sorry. (Alternatively, you’re welcome!)
Pippin has a quick temper but it rarely escalates beyond (what he thinks are) proper British exclamations such as Bugger it!, Absolute rubbish!, and Flibberty Gidget! So he’s really both mild-mannered and cranky, a bit like a Caractacus Potts.
And since Caractacus Potts came up in another description recently, I must have Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on the brain. Which I do. And the reason I do is that I stumbled upon the blog of German artist Iris Luckhaus through Illustration Friday, and after an exchange about Mary Poppins I mentioned the aformentioned, and she had never seen it! And was excited to see it! I hope to hear from her, actually, once she’s seen it. (Tschitti Tschitti Bäng Bäng, if you wondered.)
Holy cow, can I ramble. I promised you a crisis:
Aviator Emu Sketch
Aviator Emu Color 1
Aviator Emu Color 2
Aviator Emu, Disaster!
Though I don’t recommend it, you are welcome to click on that 4th scan, the disaster. His cheeks, see, were accidentally covered with two very bad and ugly patterns. Then I tried to fix it but made it worse. <dramatic music> And I almost abandoned poor Pip right then and there! Then I decided to try and cover it, because Copics do tend to cover well with darker colors over lighter ones. I worried about the fine liners I had used!
But I believe I was, in fact, saved by RV17 – Deep Magenta (after two slightly lighter colors failed in the same pursuit). Crisis averted! I added the sky digitally and the next day, I came here to tell you about it.
Steampunk Aviator Emu
Steampunk Aviator Emu
Steampunk Aviator Emu Pippin is an 8″ x 10″ original illustration with copic pens and markers on 150 lb. smooth drawing paper. Thank you for coming! I’m so sorry we were out of pumpkin bread and tea. Maybe next time?
I love your Aviator Emu, actually I think the accident (and I did look at it close up) turned out for the better. I also look forward to reading your imaginative stories, as they always make me laugh. I am so glad that I stumbled across your website. I think it was Art Blog Hop or Artists in Blogland, both of which I belong to. What size is this piece by the way?
Thank you and nice to see you! The darker magenta is definitely different than my original intent but I think it suits him. (I added the size at the end, good catch!)
WOW so much detail and pretty patterns!
Great save! I think art struggles must be in the air this week…
Nice work, great character!
I love Pippin! so many patterns and colours. Nice to see your work in progress too.
I do like that eye-piece!
Thanks for commenting on my blog! FYI, my illustration was actually painted in Photoshop using a few different brushes.
Also congrats on saving your illustration! I think it was well worth the effort :)
I love the deeper magenta on him! It makes his cravat pop. And I must get my hands on a pair of those aviator goggles! Cool monocle!
I haven’t heard the name Caractacus Potts in a while! That movie was my daughter’s favorite. :)
Thank you! Now I have to find out if the movie is on Netflix. Would be fun to watch again. :)
Your creature creations are fantastic…I dream of colour, yet remain strangely addicted to my black sharpie pens!
Wow, you have some mad skills. Loved seeing the progress shots and the finished item is amazing.
If the mistake is what I think it is much better with the mistake! :D never underestimate serendipity :D Your talent continues to boggle the mind :d
Splendid emu! I love Copics markers, and this is seriously impressive technique.
Sue
Wow, you are SO talented! This is amazing!!
It’s definitely the wild eye that grabs me with this one, Cindy. Loved the dramatic music part and I actually tought of Bella Lugosi! *smile* What a wealth of info for the copic marker artist!
I just saw you mentioned me in your blog! :) – Thank you very much for that – and yes, I do look forward to see that movie! And so nice to meet Pippin Blue Eyes, I guess he’d have a marvellous time with Mary and Bert as well (even though he might dislike an invitation to dance with penguins, I guess?) :)
You’re welcome! It was so cool to be reminded of all those great, old movies. As for Pippin, I’m sure he would enjoy dancing with the penguins, but because of his nature he would also have to complain about it.
Haha! The penguins might suddenly consider not complaining kind of uncool (and, as you know, being cool is so important when you’re a penguin!) and so they might all dance happily while cursing all the time, with grumpy little smiles, hiding the fun they have … :D
Haha, yes, perhaps we should write this opera? The Grumpy Emu and His Penguin Friends. Or maybe, Dance of the Flightless Birds, in GrumpyVision.
I know a fellow named Bert we could get to write the music! (And I don’t mean Bert from Mary Poppins, haha.) Oh, and I’ll have to invent Grumpyvision. So much to do!
I love, love, love that idea! And the second title is totally awesome. Can we do that, please? Now? (Remail soon, by the way, this week is terribly busy – I’d so love to work on The Dance of the Flightless Birds instead!!!)
At last, an emu that can fly! You have caught the irascible expression perfectly. I once had a mob of emus glare at me through a fence while I ate an icecream. If they could, they would have pecked me to death for eating in front of them. Love the colours. I really like your soft ‘vanity’ picture too – I had the same idea to do a bathroom vanity and ended up doing an animal, too …
Thank you! But I must say, I would never have pegged you as a taunter of emus! And now I want an ice cream.
I love your cute, colorful characters. You definitely have a specific style that is adorable. I am also an artist, but unlike you, do not have a “look” yet. I found you when we were both treasured together on Etsy (Studio Quest) and have just started my own blog on google search engines called http://www.tamyracrossley.blogspot.com. The whole process is new to me and I was so inspired by you and your blog. I loved the step by step process you share and admire the time I know it takes to stop, scan and share for the benefit of the rest of us. It is nice to know there are people out there who love to encourage others. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Tamyra