Category Archives: ATCs and ACEOs

Sizing Him Up, Copic Art Card

Sizing Him Up
2.5″ x 3.5″, pen and ink, Copics

Croissant is the sort of name one acquires when one’s owner allows his six-year old to name his robot butler. Croissant bore it stoically, after the fashion of his kind. But perhaps it made him slightly more suspicious of visitors to the family estate. Other robots, in particular, were forced to endure quite stringent scrutiny.

For the topic “Robot” at Illustration Friday. It’s a bit abstract! And I’m not sure how the big fellow ended up with a lizardy texture. Experimenting, I suppose!

I also figured out a way to get that white on toned paper look, which is to use white gel pen in a sketchy style over lightly colored areas. In this case, lightly colored with warm gray 02 or 03. I also tried to cover up the design in the large eye with gel pen. To mixed results.

Thanks for stopping in!

[portfolio_slideshow size=”large”]

The Last of the Lizard Kings

The Last Lizard King
2.5″ x 3.5″, Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

The End of an Era

The Kingdom was a shadow of its former self – colder, harder, less fruitful. Leaving one’s home was not a thing one did, once. But people did it all the time now. 

It wasn’t his fault. People told him he was one of the best Kings that ever was, in his time. The shifting wind was as inevitable as change itself. Change is good. 

None of his children wanted the red crown, which pained him some. In fact, only one of his children remained in the village. One of seven. He knew she would leave too one day, but she would not abandon him here while he lived.

Some are always left behind, when the times change. And the times always change.

A hearty thank you to everyone who participated in this excellent swap, or appreciated the cards posted here and elsewhere! I am a little sad it is over, but all the returns have been allocated as best I could, and shall be mailed out Monday. If you’re wondering, of course I wanted to keep them all! (With my own swap set and host cards, I did get to keep 18 of them!) Have a look at the full 98! (Sorry for the glare!)

People of the Forest Swap by 22 members of illustratedatcs.com
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″, multiple mediums

(Click for a closer look) I don’t know about you, but I find it all quite inspirational. Makes me want to do more and better art!

[The artists’ iatcs galleries: IvoryPeony, jmmbarkovich, CindyD, TempestStudios, ArtAddict, SilverSweet, Oddbreed, Heidieeh, AnnD, mnscheu, mtncranium, Artistically, amberskyfire, Amerasu, nzflutterby, SellyBellyChan, sopranino, waughtercolors, art_junkie, IceKat, catpratt, Chronata]

Thanks for stopping in!

[portfolio_slideshow size=”large”]

Cityscape Illustrations and Imaginary Travels

Daydreaming City
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Sometimes at night the entire city sways gently side to side, as if recalling blissful daydreams that its Dreamers dreamed all day.

Submitted for the topic “Travel” at Illustration Friday. I have always wanted to do cityscapes and streetscapes! Just not quite as much as dogs or magical creatures or alien robots or maidens. Until now! So here are the first two. Be kind, as I need much practice!

draak eiland
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

A spotted dragonlet lands beyond the seawall, impatient for her companions to join her. Watching the young ones learn to fly is a favorite pastime of the villagers.

(This was actually the first one. Eeek, perspective.) It was originally a city in the side of the hill but you know how it is, sometimes the hill turns into a winged beast of one kind or another. Thanks to waughtercolors for starting a cityscape themed swap!

I’ve put together an Etsy favorites board for inspiration, if you want to see some great streetscape and cityscape art! Thanks for dropping in!

[portfolio_slideshow size=”large”]

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!

[portfolio_slideshow size=”large”]

Two Bright Birds, One Goldfish, Marker and Ink

Maureen in the Jungle
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Two more colorful birds created for a Birds swap (first two posted previously). Maureen is a little bit Hornbill and a little bit Heron, with a possible side of Flamingo. She is one of a small flock of magical, long-lived creatures who live in villages atop clouds. This may be my favorite background!

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

Lionel comes from a long line of strangely-colored shoebills. The color always passes down to the male members of the family (much to the chagrin of his sisters). Family legend suggests that a great-great-great uncle was a Toucan, but really, how would that be possible? (Answer: Nature finds a way!)

Hannah the Goldfish
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

And finally, Hannah the goldfish. It’s quite different than previous goldfish, but thankfully the client was happy. Her mom said Hannah got loads of positive comments on Fishbook and was thrilled and also quite touched, especially because she got teased a lot for her spots when she was little.

Thanks for visiting! Progress pics below.

[portfolio_slideshow size=”large”]

Robot Aliens, or Alien Robots?

Darla Two
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

On the cold side of Centauri Sixteen, forty years after landfall, an elderly astronomer called Garth discovered a creature much like this one, seemingly lost in the Stalagmite Forest. It seemed shy and kept a distance between them, but followed him home. The sad face reminded him of his daughter Darla, now a deep space navigator, so he called her Darla Two. She became a sort of pet, one who liked to eat fig beetles and look through his daughter’s old picture book replicas. At least this is the story he told. No one else ever saw her.

Winnie the Wonk
2.5″ x 3.5″ ATC, Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Leah was the daughter of a Meteor Retrieval engineer and a planetside nurse, with few playmates her own age. When she was about five, her father heard about an interplanetary astronomer called Garth who befriended a mechano-alien with wonky eyes and wonky hair. The story inspired him to build his daughter a mechanical friend with similar features. As a testament to the success of this friendship, Leah grew up to become a robotic specialist and built the first Robotic Ambassador. She named it Winnie.

Keen Art Resource 02

How to Refill Copic Markers, by BayleeCreations. I believe you can find quite a few videos on this topic, but this one is very thorough and talks about various related issues. I spilled a lot of ink before I watched this, but now I don’t. Hooray!

Thanks for stopping in! Lots of progress pics below. (I keep thinking about doing videos instead of slideshows, but it feels like it would be too  time-consuming so I’m not sure yet. Do you watch many art-related videos?)

[portfolio_slideshow size=”large”]

Sir Valance Surveillance for Illustration Friday

Sir Valance Surveillance
5″ x 7″, Copic Markers, Micron & Prismacolor fine liners

Made for the Illustration Friday topic “Surveillance”. So I was just going to do a dapper fellow called Sir Valance who liked valances. But Bert thought I should make him standing behind the valance, and then I thought it should be an ad for his detective agency. I thought the idea was too complicated and I didn’t think I’d be able to illustrate it.  But then I did. Which is very satisfying. (And the result of  a lot of practice. Tons. If you wondered.) ;)

Murmak Cogwrench ATC
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, Microns, gel pen

And this is an art card for a “People of Planet X” swap, which is third in a series after People of the Forest and People of the Sea (see previous posts)! I tried to get some vital statistics so I could introduce this fellow, but the universal communicator reverted to ones and zeroes and I wasn’t able to fix it in time for this post.

Thanks for visiting! Progress pics below. Questions and comments always welcome!

[portfolio_slideshow size=”large”]

Patterned Skulls in Ink for Illustration Friday

Arturos and the Witch’s Eye ATC
2.5″ x 3.5″, Copics, Microns, gel pen

There was once a mute witch who lived in a cave outside of town with her cat called Arturos. She sold love potions and healing balms to any villagers brave enough to visit. As legend tells, she plucked out her own right eye, and the right eye of Arturos, and switched them. It is said her new eye allowed her to see into the twilight world of cats. What Arturos saw, he never told.

Submitted to “Worn” for Illustration Friday. Both the eye and the skull are quite worn! They were displayed for a short time at the Oddity Museum of Ulster, but were reportedly removed when an elderly couple insisted the eye was moving in its (borrowed) socket. At least that’s what the placard beside the plaster replica says! I do not know if any of this story is true, but it does bring a touch of magic and a few curiosity seekers to the village.

Red Yellow Skull, and Red Skull with Lizard
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″, Copics, Microns, gel pen on Bristol Board

Two more skulls! I quite like the red one with the lizard. This is not subject matter I usually cover! All three were created for a “Bones” swap. I’ve been thinking lately I want more cards for my shop, and fewer for trading – simply because there is only so much time in the day! On the other hand, the swaps provide lots of inspiration in the form of other artists (just like Illustration Friday!) and also require subjects I am not as familiar with, which is excellent practice. Balance is the thing I must find.

Reference photo for the red skull (it’s a bit spooky). Thanks for stopping in!

[portfolio_slideshow size=large]

People of the Sea, Mermaid Varieties

This post includes the eel maiden from two posts ago, but they look pretty neat all together! I included her progress pics a second time as well for those just joining us. (She does have a story now – see below.)

Felicia, Coral and Shev. Three from the Sea
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″, Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Felicia, the purple one, is a cave mermaid. Not many pods of this variety exist, and those that do live deep underground. One member of each generation swims to the surface to exchange news with the other clans – otherwise we might not know what they look like!

Coral is a coral mermaid. Yes, she has several friends named Coral! At least, that’s what it seems like to us. The mermaid language includes a variety of clicking sounds that are practically inaudible to humans.

The last is an artist’s representation of Shev, an eel maiden. Closely related to mermaids, the eel people are the only members of their scientific class.  According to legend, Shev befriended a tiny village of humans on a tiny island off Scotland, and is said to be the inspiration for many mermaid folktales. Shortly after the entire village was  wiped out by a plague, Shev called upon a Kraken to sink the island so she wouldn’t be reminded of them.

These were made for a “People of the Sea” swap at illustratedatcs.com. They are also the final three maidens for my 100 Maidens project, started in July, 2012. Wow! I may start another big project soon. The maiden one was very satisfying (and instructive).

Thanks for dropping in; comments and questions welcome!

[portfolio_slideshow size=large]

Strange Birds. Copic Marker Art Cards

Peach-Crested Hawk and the Harmony Finch

Peach-Crested Hawk and the Harmony Finch
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″, Copic markers,Microns pens, Signo Uniball gel pen

Ok, not that strange. But I don’t believe hawks or finches actually come in these colors. Also, they came out so much better than I expected they would!

I did start out with a photo of a finch for the basic shape and pose for the right one, and I think it was also a small bird for the left one, but then I found a photo of a hawk for the head (though it changed some). I am in awe of people who have the skills to illustrate realistic birds and I really thought I’d be rubbish at it (though I’ve done some decent birds in the past).

The feathers, which took a lot of figuring out, are not bad! I wouldn’t call this realistic exactly, but kinda neat regardless.

So, I’ve got loads of un-posted cards and I’m trying to decide which ones to post, and how many per post. I find when I visit people, if they have too many images in one post, I can’t appreciate them all that way.

I’m also trying to figure out whether shorter posts are better, and how many emails to subscribers is too many. Maybe I could post more often but only email every other one (with 2 in the email)? (All opinions on these matters are welcome! Comment below or feel free to drop a line to cindy@theslumberingherd.com.)

One more thing!  A BIG thank you to my blog friend Efi Maryeli who featured my work on her blog.

Thanks for stopping in! Progress pics below!

[portfolio_slideshow size=”large”]