Category Archives: ATCs and ACEOs

Two Forest Pixies and a Sweet Tree Sprite

I took a day or so off! But now I am back and with only a few more days of the 29 Faces to go.

Two Pixies
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Ella the forest pixie with her little bird Warrick, was Face #4 in just an ink outline. Beside her is Dame Edwina, her aunt, who is Face #28. They are members of the Springdale Thistlewaite clan of pixies. These pixies are also Maidens number 169 and 170. (Since 2011, as previously mentioned.)

Dame Edwina is the first work I’ve done in ages without stopping for progress scan. People ask how I remember to do progress scans, and though I forgot a lot at first, I just kept at it and now it’s part of the process. But today I purposely chose not to stop for scans. I’m not sure whether it affects the final result, for good or ill. Further tests are needed.

Moll the Tree Sprite
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

This little tree sprite was just an ink outline when she appeared as Face #12. Ugh, I wish I’d left well enough alone. The eyes were much cuter before I messed with them way too much. I thought about using paint over them but she prefers to be left alone now.

Thanks for dropping in!

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Animal Spirit Masks, Alpaca and Raptor Clans

Two Animal Spirit masks to go with the Bear and Cat clans, previously posted. I am counting these masks as faces (though I suppose one could argue about it).  Numbers 26 and 27 of the 29 Faces Challenge.

Alpaca Clan, Raptor Clan
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copic markers, fine liners, white gel pen

I think the alpaca details got a little overworked. And the raptor clan details are not as well-defined as they could be. But I dig em.

Thanks for dropping in!

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More Girls With Text, Pen and Ink

29 Faces, so close to the end! <sad face> It’s also Paint Party Friday (though it’s Copics and ink this week).

Two More Skinny Cards with Text
Each 3″ x 7″ ink and acrylics on Bristol vellum

This is the companion pair to my last post, for a skinny pages with text swap. Skinny pages are 3″ x 7″. Neat size! (They are faces number 23 and 24.)

On the left, “Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” (author unknown) On the right, “Rosie likes opera, jellyfish and dominoes. Rhubarb, ragtime, and ocelots. She likes quiet time and comfortable chairs. She does not like Speedos.” (written by me. More high art!)

Thanks for dropping in!

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Spirit Masks, Tribal Art Cards in Pen and Ink

Faces number 19 and 20 for the 29 Faces Challenge.

Two Tribes
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Bear Clan Princess and Rhea the Tracker. As members of friendly clans, the Princess and Rhea often work together on missions for the tribal council, particularly those involving both diplomacy and stealth.

These were made for a Spirit Masks swap at illustratedatcs. I’ve watched some more mouth painting videos and these seem much better! Thanks for dropping in!

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The Maiden and the Parasaurolophus, Ink Art

Imogene and the Parasaurolophus
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Another day, another two inked art cards with an unlikely connection! The parasaurolophus and Imogene are faces number 17 and 18, which puts me slightly ahead of the February curve!

This is a detail of a larger tapestry that hangs in Imogene’s front hall. She claims it was inherited down several generations, originally stitched out of the imagination of a talented great aunt from Quebec whose husband was the owner of a parasaurolophus skull.  The story is somewhat tenuous, as the  parasaurolophus was first discovered in the 1920’s, after the woman in question had died.

Incidentally, this creature (who probably looked totally different than this!) lived 75 MILLION years ago (according to Wikipedia. Hold it, confirmed at BBC Earth). Did I mention – SEVENTY-FIVE MILLION YEARS. I can’t even.

Here’s my last week’s retrospective (as inspired by denthe):

Faces 10 -16, 29 Faces Challenge February 2014
The Slumbering Herd

Thanks for stopping in!

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Henry VIII and the Jackalope, Copic Art Cards

Henry VIII and the Jackalope
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

If you came in here thinking that these two faces have nothing to do with each other, you could not be faulted for thinking so! For one thing, the Jackalope is commonly believed to be a North American cryptozoologic creature. And for another, ‘ole Henry spent a lot of his time juggling wives and that whole Reformation business so it’s doubtful he had time for pets.

I was just as surprised as you must be right now, to learn that it was in fact a six and a half foot tall Jackalope named Hewerald that told Henry which wives to behead and how to go about severing England’s connection to the Catholic church.

Perhaps you’re wondering if the Jimmy Stewart vehicle “Harvey”, about a gentle man who travels about with a six foot tall imaginary rabbit, might be based on this story. Why yes, it was! Of course Harvey wore no horns, and was intensely wise in the manner of good pookas. The complete opposite of Henry’s advisor (a bad pooka). Would you be, once again, surprised to learn that in fact they tried it that way the first time, but Jimmy Stewart was incapable of portraying villainy of this kind? Ah, the things you might learn on a little art blog!

I wish Henry’s eyes were more beady. But I like his nose. Thanks for visiting! These are Faces number 15 and 16 for the 29 Faces challenge.

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Number Six and Number Seven

Janedroid Two
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Not exactly a face. Well. Sort of! Started this one a few weeks back and finished for #6 of 29 Faces.

Hattie Peacock
5″ x 7″ Brown ink on Canson drawing board

And for #7, an inked cat maiden. In a frame. And with a fancy hat! She will likely re-appear in color.

Thank you so much to all the 29 Faces visitors. I am visiting back when I can!

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Margaret and Penelope, for February 4

Margaret, Who Collects Vintage Thimbles
6″ x 6″ Acrylics and ink on canvas board

Margaret is Face #3 of the 29 Faces Challenge. She is not the best of my recent acrylic adventures. But a fine exercise nonetheless.

A Pixie Named Penelope
2.5″ x 3.5″ Ink on smooth Bristol

This little pixie was started for a Fairies and Folklore ATC swap. She is Face #4 (and may show up in color down the line). Her bird friend is called Warrick.

Thanks for stopping in! Go Go 29 Faces!

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Day 12 and a Fancy Maiden

Day 12 of Thirty Paintings in 30 days! I am submitting a little ink work I finished today, with the hopeful promise of more acrylic paintings in the next few days.

Justine Lilly, Debutante
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

This (startled?) maiden is one in a series of art cards I have made to advertise (and trade in) an art card swap I am hosting at illustratedatcs.com, loosely based around fancy costume from various European eras (Victorian, Renaissance, Tudor). Normally the swap limit is six trades, but I usually make more as the months go by toward the deadline.

Eight in Fancy Dress
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, ink, gel pen

As you can see, I’m a bit obsessed with fancy hats. (Though based loosely on hats from the various eras, the hats are mostly from my crazy brain.) (Click to enlarge, if you like.)

If you are visiting from the painting challenge and are disappointed this is not a painting, you can see the orange hound in acrylics from yesterday, including LOADS of progress pics which demonstrate why my beginner skills are not quite able to handle an acrylic painting per day (but maybe January 2015)! Thanks for stopping in!

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Monochromatic Elf for Challenge Day Nine

Day nine of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. This is an experiment with ink and gel pen over an acrylic background. I’ve convinced myself that the actual acrylic canvas process will be greatly improved with various additional products I hope to pick up this weekend like acrylic glazing liquid and tiny jars with lids.

Blue Elf in Field of Loops, 2.5″ x 3.5″
Ink, marker and gel pen over acrylic

This blue elf is Maiden Number 139. I think I prefer the next to last image below, before the white gel pen. Should have stopped there. Knowing when to stop is not something at which I am an expert!

Thanks for the visit!

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