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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The Harvest Oracle, Acrylics

Face 25 of 29 Faces! Hooray, back to painting after a week or so of ink and markers.

The Harvest Oracle
8″ x 6″ Acrylics on Canvas Board

You’ll see in the progress pics below that I whited out the eyes at one point. I thought maybe instead of standard eyes I’d try some more spooky ones. The other thing I thought about doing was a ghostly figure behind her. Or some other kind of floating spirit. I ended up with a greenish sun in an alien sky. Which happily works for the topic “Space” at Illustration Friday.

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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Two Tall Hairstyles for 29 Faces

Faces 21 and 22 for 29 Faces!

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

The first says, “Good manners and kindness are always in fashion”. (I could not find an author for this quote.) The second says, “Sydney did not like for the tea to be late. It annoyed her greatly.” (Written by me. High art.) :)

I like these faces, the lips continue to be better than before! But I do not like the text style and if I want to add text to art I will have to work on it. (The purple background and pale hair in the left one is acrylics. The rest of both is Copic markers, ink and white gel pen. Made for a “Skinny Pages with Text” swap at illustratedatcs.

Note to self: Uniball Signo gel pen + acrylics = no. Sakura Gellyroll white gel pen + acrylics = yes.

I’ve been asked how I produce so much art. I don’t have kids. I think that’s quite a lot of it. And I just get to it every night after work. Most all day on the weekends. As many hours as a second job, certainly. But I want to be better and I don’t want to wait. So I don’t have a choice. :)

“The trouble is, you think you have time.”  ~Buddha

Thanks for stopping 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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Another Girl and Her Dog, Acrylics

The Slumbering Herd post number 250 is Face #14! And it is Valentine’s Day. AND, also Paint Party Friday!

She Lost Him in the Divorce
6″ x 6″ Acrylics on canvas board

Sarah Trumpp and I briefly discussed whether this cross-posting, double-duty business was wrong. I believe we decided in the end not to worry about it too much. :)

I have a feeling I should try some things without the black outlines all the time. With this one, I went back to sketching and I like the result. Sometimes a sketch is nice way to go about it.

I had to stop last night at about the 9th frame, below. I haven’t been getting enough sleep and that makes for a rough workday. However, I think it benefited from drying completely before I took another run at it. More patience I must learn. Pffft.

Thanks for stopping in!

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Sheila Green Eyes, Acrylics on Black Canvas

Sheila Green Eyes
4″ x 4″ Acrylics on black canvas board

Face #13 omg! Working on lips. I think she’s pretty cute.

She is also Maiden Number 159. Which seems crazy! But it started as 100 Maidens in July 2012. And then a whole bunch of time just went whoooooshing past.

Finally started using my Masterson’s Sta-Wet palette, partly due to encouragement from AnnD, who also recently got a Sta-Wet palette. (And yes, I think we both agree that sounds dirtier than maybe it ought.)

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