Category Archives: Art Card Dogs

Copic Markers Post #267 (or so)

Forest Grace and Afghan Hound
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, ink

On the left is another spirit mask. And at the risk of tiring all my kind visitors, below are the three spirit masks with the animal faces and botanical crowns which I am now calling the Forest Graces.

The afghan hound was created for a “Dogs” swap. Bit of a new style, with less black and mostly brown fine liner. From this reference photo. I like him! I am going to try to incorporate more hatching. Perhaps I’ll go find some hatching instructional videos. :)

Three Forest Graces
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

I like to look at at these particular spirit masks all together. Maybe a couple more and I’ll do a set of some sort. Or a print. Or cards. Hmm. Thanks for dropping in! Lots of progress pics.

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30 Days Challenge Day 2

Sherman Shoebill
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Day two of Thirty Paintings in 30 Days and I am still snowed in (Chicago area). I prefer not to complain because I get to stay home from work. But I am not looking forward to moving my car to the other side of the street this evening.

But the other thing about being snowed in – still no paints! I know that this challenge doesn’t require painting specifically, but it still has paint in the title and I intend to do it.

In the meantime, I did extra scans during the coloring process for this one and the dog below, both finished today. I use a lot of layers with the alcohol-based markers, and often it does give a nice painterly effect. I’m hoping this will give me a head start when I actually start painting.

Stewart Lodwick
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Thanks so much to all the 30 Day Challenge visitors! It is always my intention to visit any commenters back, but some of you do not have a comment system I am able to use. Or no comment system at all!

And one more note! Subscribers, I will be doing a new post daily for the 30-Day challenge, but I will not be emailing every day. Probably every third day or so, so as not to inundate your inbox. Thank you!

(Final final note, these are both going in my shop.)

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Holy Cow with the Hats Already

Franny the Fairy Jester, and Leah at the Abbey
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Two new wild hats and more fancy clothes. I really tried with Franny to make a different kind of face for a change. Mission accomplished! These are maidens number 133 and 134 (which is totally crazy). Leah at the Abbey, and the two hatted fellows below, were made while out of town with a limited palette. (I did bring quite a lot of colors, but it’s never as many as you think.)

Yaro the Elder, and Streetwise the Pooka
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

As I mentioned in the email (the new-post-announcement, if you are a subscriber), I have not figured out how best to relay new post information without spamming email subscribers who are also Facebook subscribers. If you are accomplished at navigating these waters, please share your wisdom! No progress pics for the last three drawings because I was without scanner, but a bunch for Franny. Thanks for stopping in!

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Snow Beasts Winter Art Cards

Llama in Santa Gear; Cat in Blue Parka
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Ever since Helen discovered she could sew, she’d taken a keen interest in dressing her llama, Reynaldo. He took it stoically.

Camilla the cat’s human was less a seamstress and more a shopper. Fortunately, Camilla only needed to don the crazy suits for photos, and then she was freed.

Two Snow Dogs in Hats
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Snow dogs! Hats! I am particularly fond of the hat on the left, though Henry looks terribly sad. He is not sad – though he will play up this look for extra snacks. His Uncle Theodore is more a scarf guy. Well, scarves and also snacks.

And here’s some winter cards from last year-

Snow Cards from 2012
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Happy Holidays to all! Thanks for stopping in!

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A Dandy Dog and Some Unfinished Business

Vincent Mundy, inked and complete
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Vincent Mundy is a barrister who represents canines (and occasionally other species) in the entertainment industry. He’s also my favorite new dog ATC.

Meanwhile, I have so many stacks of unfinished cards around here! Some inked ones:

Four inked
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Prismacolor fine liner (browns), Micron fine liner (blue)

Some sketched ones:

Three sketched ATCs
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Staedtler 2H pencil

These are all drawings I will probably finish. The blue inked maiden in the frame, and the far left sketch, may be two more snow queens.

One day maybe I’ll show you the scads and scads of cards that I probably won’t finish. Because they are TERRIBLE. (But you never know. They are not all equally terrible, for one thing. Which is why they’re still around. Plus, I hate to waste the paper.)

Thanks for stopping in!

 

Red Setter in Copic Markers

Red Setter Called Waldorf, process and final
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copic markers, fine liners, gel pen

Waldorf was a reader from a very young age. At three he was a fan of White Fang and the Jim Kjelgaard series of dog books. But lately he prefers such diverse topics as Nordic legends and artisan cheese making, with the occasional Philip K. Dick.

If you were a reader and a dog lover like me as a youngin, you probably read some Jim Kjelgaard. We had an Irish Setter named Rusty, and as a result I was particularly fond of the Big Red, Irish Red and Outlaw Red books, but also Snow Dog and Desert Dog. I was also a huge fan (and cried frequently!) over White Fang by Jack London. The other dog book I remember fondly is Champion Dog: Prince Tom by Jean Fritz, the uplifting tale of a scrawny Cocker Spaniel runt who grew up to be a champion many times over.

Made for a trade at illustratedatcs.com. Did you have favorite dog books as a young person?

Beautiful reference photo, (a Gordon Setter). Thanks for stopping in!

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A Fairy Tale Tribute and Some People of the Forest

The Three Dogs
Each 2.5″ X 3.5″ art card, Copics, fine liners, gel pen.

Some more cards from the online Fairytale art-a-thon I mentioned last time, and submitted to the Illustration Friday topic, “Tribute”. These three dogs were inspired by a story from one of those large McCall’s Storybooks from the 60’s. In the story are the dog with eyes as big as saucers, the one with eyes as big as dinner plates, and the one with eyes as big as wagon wheels.

Then someone told me about an earlier story featuring the dogs, The Tinderbox, by Hans Christian Andersen – though instead of wagon wheels, the largest dog had eyes as big as windmills! The original story is a Scandinavian folktale.

This week I started a swap at illustratedatcs called The People of the Forest. It includes dryads, nymphs, forest pixies/elves/sprites, gnomes, fairies, antlered folk. The only requirements are 1. a humanoid of some sort and 2. vegetation of some sort. They are fun! Here’s the first four, finished in the last couple days in order to drum up interest in the swap. :)

People of the Forest Art Cards
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copic markers, fine liners, gel pen

I’m rather fond of the Llama Girl in the bottom left. Thanks for visiting!

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A Dogs and Ponies Show, in Copics

Niles with Fez, and Greta Dog
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ ATCs, Copics on Bristol

Like many of you these past weeks, I got sick! I think it is a nasty cold and not the flu. Still – arrrgh! I have been trying through the kleenex to complete some ATCs, including these two silly canines – one or both of which may join my Art Card Dogs project!

Niles is a bit of a hipster dog. He doesn’t even mind the label. The fez was a joke from a friend, and Niles thinks it’s an even better joke to keep wearing it!

Greta is a big fan of 80’s metal hair bands like Cinderella and Nelson. She doesn’t like the music much – she just likes the hair! She has recently dyed her ears purple.

I’ve also completed a couple horses for my first hosted swap at illustratedatcs.com – horses! Holy cow, have I had trouble with the horses. Many sketches went awry. So far I’ve come up with these slightly less realistic ponies. One day perhaps I’ll share the ones who did not make it. ;)

Luanne & Nelson ATCs
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics on Bristol

LuAnne is a bit shy but very sweet. Nelson is a bit of  modest prankster and also a big hit at black light parties.

And one more thing! I was recently interviewed by a brand new ATC site for kids, atcsjr.com. Maybe you know some young folks who would enjoy it! The interview is here. Thanks for stopping by!

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And the Dogs Played On, More Copic ATCs

I know you didn’t think I was done with dogs yet!

Clockwise from top left:
Blue Sebastian, Lizzie, Booda, Harrington
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ art cards, Copics.

Since being told he is a “mixed breed”, Sebastian has taken to wearing archaic accessories of the landed gentry. In fact, he will be more than happy to provide you with many peculiar facts about the fashion choices of the upper crust from ages past. He makes a lot of it up, I think.

Lizzie is about 10 months old. We’re not sure where she found this little monocle and leather cap, but she won’t give them up. Her favorite book is “Harriet the Spy”.

Booda is a quiet, reflective fellow who teaches meditation to dogs with aggressive tendencies, to great effect. He lived for a time in the Northern California foothills with a small group of Tibetan monks.

Harrington comes from old money, all the way down the line. Or at least, that’s what he’s been telling everyone. He’s also been watching Downton Abbey with something approaching religious fervor. He does look smart with an ascot!

I also did a cute little cat today, intentionally leaving off the thick black outlines I usually add.  She is part of a cat ATC swap:

Agatha with Toy
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, Microns, gel pen

Thanks for visiting! I hope to join Illustration Friday this week, but “Storm” hasn’t inspired me quite yet. Not as many progress shots this time, but it’s just an anomaly, not a trend!

Oh! And one more thing. I have been told I have fans in the form of a 9th grade class in Canada. Thank you so much for the lovely note! If you let me know what you’ve been working on, maybe I can join in.

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