Category Archives: ATCs and ACEOs

Day Three of 29 Faces, in Pen and Ink

Loris and Nu
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Loris and Nu were created for an “otherworldly people and their pets” theme. This is sort of what happens when I try to do a full figure. Fortunately it’s an alien so nobody can tell me this is not what the arms really look like.

Bev, 2.5″ x 3.5″
Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

And this is one of my favorite cards from a recent art-athon weekend at illustratedatcs.com. That thing holding her hair is a snood. Snood. Snood. Snood.

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Geisha Art Card in Pen & Ink

Tamako, 2.5″x 3.5″
Copics, fine liners, gel pen

It is Day 2 of February and Day 2 of the 29 Faces challenge. I was supposed to paint today but did not! I don’t know why I have this awful block about painting, but I’ll get back to it one of these days. :)

Yesterday’s digging out, after the fifth largest snowfall in Chicago area history, is done.  It was thrilling, of course.

Thanks for dropping in! Here’s hoping for good weather for all! Progress pics below.

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February One, 29 Faces Challenge (and snow)

Three ATCs for February 1, 2015
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

I am submitting three different kinds of faces for the first day of 29 Faces, animal, human and humanoid, including: The March Hare, made for an Alice in Wonderland request,  Dorothy, the fifth of the flappers, for a Great Gatsby theme, and Fairy Phee, made for a Fairies & Folklore theme at illustratedatcs.com.

Earlier this morning I shoveled the walk. And then it snowed the next 10 hours or so (Chicago area), so I suspect I will be taking a snow day from work tomorrow! In fact, I have already emailed the boss people. Hooray! I hope to do some acrylics for this challenge, and a snow day would be perfect for that. :)

Thanks for stopping in! Progress pics below.

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Flapper Girls in Pen and Ink

Betty Lou, Virginia
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Hey look, more pretty girls! Flapper girls, in particular, made for a Great Gatsby theme. I really like them. But it would be nice if I could draw an arm or a whole body! I am hoping to work on some anatomy this year.

Geraldine, Phyllis
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Thanks for visiting! I can’t believe it’s the end of January!

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The Cute Marches On, Robots & Monsters in Ink

www.theslumberingherd.com

Clocktower Sentinel, and Lance and Boo Boo
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics.

So, January was supposed to be painting month. But then cute atcs happened and when you get on a roll, you really ought to honor the roll. I am sure there is an education joke there but I am up past my bedtime. :D

I have often said as long as I am making new art, it’s ok if it’s not exactly the art I planned. And I stick by that. Particularly when being productive! It’s a bit of a bummer about the painting but I suspect the cute might make the jump to acrylics in February.

Tim and Madge
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

Tag and As Yet Unnamed Beast
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, pencil

Thanks for dropping in! Hello to Paint Party Friday! Tons of progress pics in the slideshow!

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Big Eye Monsters, Pen and Ink

It started during this past weekend’s drawing marathon over at illustratedatcs.com, with this fellow. His name is Dag.

Dag
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

My new favorite art card was described as a “cute monster on a birthday napkin” – which he totally is, and a “prehistoric my little pony” – which he also totally is. (Both comments from my Facebook page. Which is where I post lots of art. Just sayin.)

And then I went on a cute monster bender, as follows:

Reg and Oji
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Joon and Diz
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Thanks for stopping by! I hope to get back to acrylics but I like to think that as long as I’m drawing new things I’m on the right track. :)

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Girl with Small Elephant. On Her Head. Colored Pencils.

Shelly & Elly
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, pen, colored pencil

Ah, finally finished something! She was darker skinned but I seem to like using a lot of white pencil at the end. I’m also a bit scared of darker colors over worry that problems would be harder to correct. There should probably be darker shadows here but I’ll work on that for the next one.

I’ve started this 5″ x 7″ Basset hound. I don’t know why I keep going over the eyes so much in pencil when it’s supposed to get color over it. And then sometimes I think I should do a pencil drawing as a finished product. Currently undecided!

Bassett in progress
5″ x 7″ pencil

Reference photo: Basset.

Thanks for dropping in! Hello to Paint Party Friday, which I have not joined in ages!

Also, is anyone doing 30 Paintings in 30 Days in January? I was a little skeptical about the more involved sign-ups, but it looks like you will still add your own link each day in addition to your photo. I couldn’t manage it during September, but last January I did it, and it was a terrific experience that I highly recommend. Maybe I’ll dig out some of those January 2014 images for my next post. :)

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Sleeping Dragon in Mushroom Field

Sleeping Dragon, 4″ x 6″
Copics, colored pencils, pens

It’s another experiment with colored pencils, both Polychromos and Prismacolors. I was going to outline the dragon in white but worried about wrecking things! I do wish I had shaded the ground beneath him, and a bit more under the mushrooms, but alas, it is in the mail! This was my last secret santa art gift for the year. I am glad to be done; it is a little stressful.

Daydream and Queen Willa
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Here are a couple recent art cards. Lots of similar color in all three, including two of my favorite Copic colors: V04-Lilac and BG10-Cool Shadow, and my favorite Staedtler Triplus fine liner, magenta. You got favorites? Are they secret?

Thanks for dropping in!

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Halloween Continues, Tiny Ink Art

First, a quick note about the hacking that happened October 25th. Most of my images for the past two months are no longer on the site. So, I have to decide how much I’m going to replace. Probably main pics but not progress pics. It’s just so time consuming. And I have a really good password now. And I’ll make more. :)

I thought I’d post some more of the Halloween ACEOs from last weekend’s Halloween making.

Six for Halloween
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

At the bottom left, a Pumpkin Drone beside a Pumpkin Crone. And then the Zombie Bride Calavera mash-up!

And then there is the witch made at the request for another of a previous witch. Sisters! Of different orders, certainly.

The Witch Aricela, and The Witch Josabeth
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

The Witch Aricela is flying even now to The Netherlands. And the Witch Josabeth, to the UK. (Both traded for other Halloween art). It’s cool! Thanks so much for dropping in!

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Tiny Halloween Art. Early. In Ink.

So here it is more than ten days since my last post. Here is what I have been doing: Doodling Halloween art cards and watching (or listening to, mainly) Project Runway Australia (available on YouTube)! My day job has been totally draining. Also, I should eat more broccoli.

Anyway! Here are some of those tiny Halloween thingers I mentioned!

Halloween Themed ATCs
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ pen and ink, Copic markers, gel pen

At the top left is Glum Nevin. Whether glum because he’s been forced to wear a demon suit, or because he is a young demon who has just been told he must empty the dishwasher, I do not know.

Hello to Paint Party Friday! And thanks for dropping in!

p.s. I got hacked Oct 25! I had to take the progress photos gallery down because all the images were deleted. Alas!