Category Archives: Progression Photos

Scouting Team, from Black and White to Color

Submitted to Illustration Friday for the topic “Silence” because silence is one of a scouting team’s most potent weapons!

Scouting Team, 6″ x 6″ pen and ink with Copic markers
Inked version for Inktober and final color version

I must say this was an interesting exercise! For Inktober, I attempted a black and white image but you can see on the left where I got stuck and started to add color. I was going to fill the whole background with black, but I decided I should at least TRY an interesting background of some kind. And hopefully keep it from clashing or interrupting the figures in the foreground.

The final version seems a bit overly busy, but I don’t think it is competing with the figures, so that is one victory! I don’t tend to plan ahead, so maybe that’s something to work on. Here is one of the horse photos I used for reference.

I’ve also noticed that this orange-green-purple (red-violet, really) palette has followed me through three projects! Here they are all together. This is a departure from my usual VERY bright colors. Who knows what colors I shall use today! Maybe it will be ones that do not need to be filled. Haha.

Annabelle, Scouting Team and Stacked Housing
pen and ink with Copic markers

This is horse number 15 of the Season of the Horse project, in which I draw horses in hopes of improving that skill. Thanks so much for stopping in!

Stacked City in Pen and Ink, Inktober Day 2(.5)

Oh my gosh, you guys, it’s so much cuter in color! The black and white on the left was my #inktober production for Day 2, Inspired by this photo of Norway.

Stacked Housing in progress, pen and ink with Copic Markers
Final image 2.5″ x 3.5″ art card size

And here is a progress shot of the Scouting Team from the other day. You may notice I changed the eyepiece on the horse, as well as the drape of the hood. Also working on the background.

Scouting Team, in progress
6″ x 6″, pen and Copics

Thanks for dropping in! Hello to Paint Party Friday!

Sullen Witch, Tiny Things in Bottles & Happy Inktober!

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

It is the first of October and also the first day of Inktober! Are you going to do some? Hilariously, on the very first day of Inktober I forgot to scan this sullen little witch before adding color. For tomorrow and the rest of Inktober I hope to remember to scan new projects in ink before they get color.

And here’s some tiny bottles for a “Things in Bottles” swap at illustratedatcs.com. I have to do two more. Perhaps I will post them for Inktober and then color them. Or perhaps there will be other plans!

Model Home and Abandoned City
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ ink, Copics, gel pen

New plans might be made. Some plans might be broken. And so it goes. Thanks for dropping in! The plan is to post every day this month… we shall see!

Horsing Around in Pencil

Scouting Team, 6″ x 6″ pencil sketch

I like this one because there’s more of a story with the accessories and additional figure. But this horse is more cartoonish than I would like. Don’t know if I’ll color it.

 

Seaworthy, 5″ x 7″ pencil sketch

I did this one last weekend and I may be done with it. I do love the tiny ship! But the rest is all too close to the edge of the paper (again) and I sort of moved on to other things. But you never know what might show back up here!

Is anyone doing Inktober? Another month-long challenge! To draw in ink every day. Thanks for visiting!

Lulu with Paper Lanterns, Copic Markers

 

Lulu, 6″ x 6″ Copic Markers

Once again I was not able to stay away from the edges. Sometimes I sketch out a frame about an inch or half inch from the sides but then I ignore it! Will have to work on that. Lulu is the latest in my horse drawing adventure Season of the Horse.

I think I will do more paper lanterns because they are really cool. I’ll probably have to figure out how to make them glow, so let me know if you have any tips!

Meanwhile, I have been sick for three days and it is super sucky! I am drinking tea and hope to recover soon. Totally sucky to be sick on the weekend. Alas!

Hello to Paint Party Friday! Thanks to everyone for dropping in!

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Donkey Fae, Season of the Horse

 

Donkey Fae, 5″ x 7″, Copic Markers

I started with this image for some color inspiration, but didn’t really stick to it.

I might try a feather mane with larger feathers for clearer detail at some point. Overall I can’t really decide what I think. That happens a lot a lot when I’ve spent a few hours and can’t really step back to assess the stopping point.

Linking late to Paint Party Friday! Thanks for dropping in.

Festivus, a Kingly Stallion in Pen and Ink

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Festivus, 4.5″ x 6″
Copic markers, fine liners, gel pen

Reference photo. As I was posting I realized the Pinterest link has no attribution. So, I looked it up on TinEye (reverse image search),  and he looks to be a white shire named Gustav photographed by Makarova Viktoria. I think attribution is important!

The image at the top of the post is cropped down from the original 5″ x 7″. Mainly because I botched all those leg and chest muscles. The hair is trouble, too, as it looks too stiff and not quite right. But that’s ok! Just need more practice (and a little luck).

And one more thing – I sort of wish I had left it at this point:

Festivus, Sparkling
5″ x 7″ Copic markers, gel pen

Though the background needs to be finished better, I think the bright white swirls look pretty cool like this. They became more muted in the final product than I intended. The eyes are also very different. Do you have a preference in the swirls or eyes?

Thanks for dropping in!

Blue Buckskin Pony, Copic Markers

 

Buckskin Blue, 5″ x 7″
Copic markers, Prismacolor, Staedtler, Uni and Signo fine liners

I like the name Buckskin Blue, but originally I called this one the Festival Pony. (Please tell me if you have a strong preference one way or the other!) :)

As I mentioned previously, I am going to have a table at a small fantasy convention in November, which may help explain all the horns and bright colors. Perhaps it should have been called The Season of the Magical Horse!

Season of the Horse, the first six 5″ x 7″
Copic markers, pen and ink

Maybe you’re wondering, when will she get to like, a leg? A body? Aaaaaah, I don’t know! Soon.

Reference horse for Buckskin Blue.

Linking to Paint Party Friday a day late! Thanks for dropping in!

More Smoking Fish. In Clothes, with Pipes.

The Smoking Fish Banner
Copic marker art, arranged digitally

Blue jeans. Victorian ruff. Kilt. Tuxedo pants. Did you wonder if they were stylish? They are so stylish!

It’s Version 1 of a new Facebook banner for the band The Smoking Fish.  I may try to increase the size of the text but with my unpracticed Photoshop Elements skills, the digital part of this took ages and I figure I’d give it a rest for the moment. (The slideshow below has more close-ups of the drawings.)

You may have been following the smoking fish illustrations on my Facebook page. (Or, you could!) I do put a bit more art up there. I’m also still updating Flickr. My Tumblr and DeviantArt pages are ancient history. I think with blog-Facebook-Flickr, three is my maximum. I don’t have time for more, holy cow!

Thanks for dropping in! Boatload of progress pics below (though none of the digital part – maybe next time.)

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Otherworldly Equines with Serious Ears

The Solstice Foal, 5″ x 7″
Copic markers, Staedtler and Prismacolor fine liners, gel pen

The Season of the Horse continues in fine form. Though, a very few attempts at  a whole horse body have been feeble at best. One of these days!

Guardian of the Glade, 5″ x 7″
Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Reference donkey. (I usually use a photo as a very general guide. The final product is not meant to look like the photo. I think most people know that!) I had trouble with the fuzzy ears, probably needs more shadow. Will need to do more of those.

Both of these have bits of wonky perspective, but overall they are rather happy magical equines. Happy Paint Party Friday to folks visiting from there! Loads of progress pics. Thanks for stopping by!

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