Category Archives: sketches

Silver Unicorn and a Pouty Witch, Copics

Moira, a Kladruber Unicorn
5″ x 7″ Copic Markers

In today’s installment of the Season of the Horse (a new project to improve my horse drawing skills), we have a unicorn based on a very old Czech breed, the Kladruber, found on Pinterest! The convex facial profile (rounded out instead of sloping inward), is an identifying characteristic of this breed. Here is an insanely adorable foal.

Hoping to get back in the swing of Paint Party Friday! Meanwhile, I’m still in early-Halloween mode with witch ATCs. This is Marciana, captured with a crabby scowl because her prized Fancy Chiggerwort spoiled. Bummer.

Marciana, in progress
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Thanks for dropping in! Still super busy at my day job. And I have to decide very soon about September’s 30 Paintings in 30 Days! Are you going to do it?

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If Witches were Horses

Mule Fae, 5″ x 7″, Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

When I started this post, I thought it was going to be witch and horse ATCs, hence the title. Then this fae mule happened! I’m leaving the post title because this is clearly a magical, and possibly witchy, mule.

The Mule Fae is horse-like creature number seven in the Season of the Horse project! The reference photo is a gorgeous red draft mule (whose nose is much longer. But I ran out of room.)

And here is a cat witch in glasses! I messed with the glass quite a bit and could probably stand to read up on reflective surfaces.

Uta the Cat Witch, in progress
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copic markers

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Season of the Horse

Lilac in Progress
5″ x 7″ pen and ink, Copics

I finally decided that if I want to be good at drawing horses, I need to draw lots of horses. So please, if you have tips about horses, do not be shy about sharing them. Unfortunately I don’t have any or live near any, but I look at TONS of photos.

Past Horses, ATCs and an 8″ x 10″
Pen and ink, Copics (click to enlarge)

These are some horses from the last couple years. The unicorn on the bottom left, Thistle, is from just a few days ago.

In any case, expect lots of horses around here! Including donkeys, unicorns and ponies, steampunked and fancy-dressed. Maybe some carousel types. At the end I hope to have a Horses poster. In the meantime, there’s always the cats or the dogs!

Another reason horses (and unicorns) are a good choice right now is that I may have a table at a small fantasy con near Chicago, in November. And I need to make stuff to fill up my table. I think unicorns might go over well if I can manage to scrape off some of that cloying cliched reputation they have accumulated. Through no fault of their own, I might add.

The Season of the Horse is the fourth in a Slumbering Herd tradition of Projects, including 200 Maidens (started as 100!), the Art Card Dogs Project , 100 Cityscapes (currently at 26), and 100 Tiny Houses (just hit 50). Hooray!

Tons of progress pics below. Nice to see ya!

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Copic Marker Art Cards, Fanciful Fantasy

You guys! This post was going to be about a tiny castle and a young witch, which you will find below. However, I am most pleased with this unicorn I made today, so I have decided to make her the star of this post.

Thistle in Progress
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ pen and ink

Thistle is a rare horned pony of the Lilac Herd. Her mother is Shadowfast, a Wisemare. Thistle has shown signs of of the following Talents: Empathetic DiscHorse, Minor Raincalling, and Soothsense.

Horses are a favorite art subject but I am so afraid of doing them terribly that I get no practice at them. However, a unicorn was requested as a trade and I decided to give it a go. I think I went through five sketch cards, but she turned out not bad!

Fenrick’s Castle and Young Agnes
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, uni PIN pens, white gel pen

And here we have a tiny house castle (belonging to Fenwick), made for an art card trade. I am fond of the mailbox. This tiny house is number 48 of 100 Tiny Houses!

And a young, somewhat stylish witch – very early for a Witches swap due in October. (I wish I’d left her eyes red but as often happens, I screwed about with them too much. Alas!)

Thanks for stopping by!  All horse drawing tips and suggestions welcome!

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There Goes the Neighborhood!

Four Little Houses
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

So WordPress (or my theme or a widget or I don’t know what) has decided to stop informing me when my blog gets a comment! I hope not to miss any but I may miss some. I mean, I won’t miss them forever, but I might miss them longer than intended.

The pair of houses at the top are named Lucy and Ethel. The architect’s signature, when building two houses on adjoining lots, was to name them after sweet memories from his childhood.

A bit of perspective on those left houses. Terrible perspective! But perspective nonetheless. I don’t mind that it’s terrible. I mean, I would prefer to know how to do it better, but one must start somewhere.

Hello to Paint Party Friday! Thanks to everyone for dropping in! I have a new shop!

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The Twins Who Parted Ways, Pen & Ink

The Twins Who Parted Ways
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Mila and Delia were born twelve minutes apart on Atari Prime, one of earth’s closest habitable planets. Their parents were scientists preparing for an influx of new colonists. Both believed their daughters would stay but if not, then surely they would at least stay together. They did not.

Mila chose the Earth and joined a commune committed to reforesting the former South of Italy, now part of the New Mediterranean Landmass.

Delia chose space and became a Raptor Pilot, making stellar light runs into unknown star systems in search of adventure and lucrative mineral resources.

Both art cards were recently made for no particular reason except to practice fancy things. And also because I was avoiding doing a different project.

Thanks for the visit! Progress pics below.

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Bright Blue Maiden and Poster Progress

Brigid the Acolyte
5″ x 7″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

I’ve been getting up to something larger than 2.5″ x 3.5″ (ATC size) lately. With this I couldn’t decide what to do with the background so I doodled. It’s a bit sparse but I didn’t want it to compete with the figure. Submitted for the topic “Mask” at Illustration Friday.

ALSO! I have ordered test prints of a Dogs poster (finally) and one with animals in fancy clothes.

Art Card Dogs poster, Version I.
16″ x 20″ and including twenty individual art card dogs

Fancy Clothes Animals Poster Version I
Aesop’s Stables Theatre Company, 12″ x 18″

People seem to prefer the black background but I may do both. All opinions welcome! Sorry for so much stuff in one post!

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Stop the Fancy Presses. A Countess Cat.

Very. Fancy. Cat.
5″ x 7″ pen and ink, Copic markers

Very. Fancy. Cat. Oh yes. But I am up far too late to explain further, except to say I believe she is a Countess who lives on a remote estate and takes in lost kittens.

I listened to Slipping Away while doing art recently. You should try it! Or not. (I even bought a proper copy on iTunes.)

Hello to Paint Party Friday! Lots of progress pics as this one developed over many days.

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Whole Lotta Fancy, Ink and Pencil

Emily the Munitions Expert and Mara with Veil
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

A couple ATCs for the week. Work has been busier than ever. Ugh! But as long as I can get a few pieces done in the evenings, I can muddle through.

Very Fancy Antelope
5″ x 7″ Staedtler Mars 2H pencil

This is more pencil than I usually do. Can’t decide whether to ink it. Or maybe get colored pencils? But I don’t think I like colored pencils. So I can’t decide!

Thanks for stopping in! Progress pics!

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The Princess Violet, Sheep and Songwriter

Princess Violet and Fiona Riona Bologna
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

The Princess Violet was a difficult sheep child, a source of rarely ending exasperation for Fiona, her governess. When feeling particularly cheeky or impatient with her studies, Violet would sing little songs about a wise old fruit seller called Fiona Riona Bologna who sometimes played matchmaker to a succession of curious characters in a small Italian village.

Copic marker art cards for Paint Party Friday. Thanks for dropping in!

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