Category Archives: Progression Photos

Little City in Acrylics for Day 14

Day 14 of the 30 Day Challenge!

City Under Yellow Sky
5″ x 7′ Acrylics, OTHO and Zebra ink pens, white gel pen

Photos outside would be much better! But it’s usually dark when I am taking them. Arrgh!

I added white gel pen at the very last shot, to try to give a bit of definition. Overall I’d call it a bit messy. Not sure about the pink landscape in front. But it is done, for Day 14. My 4th acrylic painting, this one also with ink outlines.

I’m not happy with the colors. They all seem a bit muddy. They seem to need white for increased opacity, but that also seems to dull any brightness. I should get a book. Or watch some acrylic painting videos. Ink on bumpy canvas isn’t so great either, so I really need to try some illustration board or something else smooth. (I did try gesso and sanding, but I think I was rushed. Because of the challenge!)

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A Maiden in Acrylics. Fancy Hat Included.

It’s day 13 of Thirty Paintings in 30 Days!

Exotic Maiden in Fancy Hat
5″ x 7″ Acrylics with brown Uni-ball Vision Elite ink pen

I feel like I could continue to work on this for another few hours. Some spots are still messy, and some colors could be improved (though they are far less dreadful than at the beginning – see below). Facial features could use some work. But, I am writing this at  thirty past midnight on a work night, and we’ve got 17 more days of paintings to go, people!

So this one is done (for now). A detailed pencil sketch made a lot of difference. So did outlining with a smooth, dark pen. No way I could have completed all those lines with a tiny brush and 1. make it work tomorrow, and 2. kept my sanity.

I didn’t use a reference photo because I’ve been drawing so many women in crazy hats lately. This one is Maiden Number 141. Photo references can make a big difference so next time I’ll try to use one. Thanks so much for stopping in!

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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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Dr. Jekyl and Mister Hound

Red Hound Dog
5″ x 7″, Acrylics on canvas board

Hello fine visitors! If you happen to be from, or are familiar with, this Thirty Paintings in 30 Days Challenge, of which today is day number 11, and which I am trying like the Dickens to complete, I would just like to say:

If I don’t finish in the normal way, I reserve the right to use the approximately seventy-three hundred versions of this painting as at least, maybe, four of the 30 paintings. A small sampling:

Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hound
Various stages of 5×7 acrylic painting

Thanks for stopping in for the occasional horror of my novice acrylics adventures! As you can see I’ve fallen back on some things I am familiar with, like outlines. And swirly backgrounds. Behold the transformation below. (All tips and criticisms welcome!)

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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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The Challenge Continues, Mostly in Ink

It is, in fact, day eight of the Thirty Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. I skipped day seven in hopes of catching up on the weekend. Work has been more tiring than usual, probably because of the recent holidays. Bah!

Posh Treehouse
2.5″ x 3.5″, Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

This stylish abode belongs to a gnomish clock maker. He is inside right now, cleaning the hands that belong to that clock window on the top floor. This is Tiny House #34.

It is for this reason that I am also submitting this illustration for the topic “Time” at Illustration Friday, from which I have been absent for ages! Topics are posted each Friday, and anyone who illustrates the topic in some way is invited to submit their link.

Hound in Progress, 5″ x 7″ acrylics

Above, we continue the gripping adventure of the unfinished hound. As you can see, I really need to reference a photo for the direction of that hair on his face. Stay tuned! Thanks for stopping in!

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Day Six. The Acrylics Fight Back.

Day SIX of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

My first acrylic went well, but subsequent attempts have proven frustrating! I’ve got several small canvases in all sorts of stages, but only this little red tree to show yet. (The 5×7 hound dog is still far from done [see below]. Alas!)

Red Tree Hollow, acrylics, ink, gel pen on canvas paper
Treehouse of the Bird Maker, Copics, ink, on Bristol board
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ art cards

My two latest treehouses, the left one mostly acrylic. I experimented with fine line pen and white gel pen. I did not get the Micron nib pen to work very well over the acrylic, but the gel pen went on quite smoothly.

Hound in Progress, 5″ x 7″ acrylics on canvas board

The unfinished hound. I think he was cuter and goofier in the first one with the orange details. And then it went another direction. Curse you, acrylics! It shall be one hundred different hounds before it’s “done”.

Perhaps, in addition to the daily painting, I’ll just keep doing updates on this one for the rest of the challenge month.

p.s. If you are one of the two hundred or so really spectacular painters from the challenge, I hope it is not too painful to see things this early on the learning curve.

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Inked Elf Maiden and Acrylic in Progress

Day five of the 30 Day Challenge! So, I think I may alternate ink and acrylic days. Mostly I just don’t think I could do 25 acrylic paintings in the next 25 days! (Particularly with full work weeks ahead.)

Elf Maiden
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Here is the finished elf maiden from yesterday. She is Maiden Number 138 of 200. Her name is Maire and she is a veteran of the Blue Goblin War. Some of her jewels are military honors.

And this fellow may show up finished tomorrow. Or might not! The only thing I am sure of is that the background will not be green.

Pup in Progress, 5″ x 7″ Acrylic on canvas board

Thanks for stopping in!

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Challenge Day 3, Tiny Dwellings

Day 3 of the 30-day Challenge! I am venturing out into the snowy world today, and may return with some acrylic paints. But since I also expect a long day at work, I am posting two items completed last night before I brave the roads.

Treehouse with Orange Door
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

A tiny treehouse – home to Maury, the gnome family therapist. And below, a tiny apartment building, home to various denizens of a tiny city. Both are art card size 2.5″ x 3.5″.  These are tiny houses 31 and 32 in my 100 Tiny Houses Project.

The Peapod Apartments
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

I recently answered some Copic marker questions by email. I think I’ll put up a new page with Copic information I’ve learned in the last 2+ years. I also need to post a new photo (or 2!) of Wilson. Maybe tomorrow! Progress pics below. Thanks so much for stopping in!

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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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