Tale of Two Giraffes

Welcome to Day 19 of the 30 day challenge!

A New Friend
5″ x 7″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

This giraffe was a request by a friend at illustratedatcs.com, intended for a nursery. I offered to add a bunny, but ended up adding a ladybug. On a very tall flower. I think s/he’s pretty cute.

My first try was a giraffe in acrylics, because of the painting challenge. I’ve done quite a few paintings recently so wanted to continue the run. But alas! The giraffe, while not finished, was just feeling too somber for a nursery (see below). Anyway, I was under a deadline to produce a giraffe and figured my best chance for success would be ink, my old standby.

Here’s the painted giraffe in progress. (Stay tuned, it may change dramatically between now and the next time I post it!)

Giraffe (in Progress)
5″ x 7″ Acrylics on canvas board

Note to subscribers! I am posting every day this month for the challenge, but only emailing twice a week. Just so you know. Thank you! (Also, apologies for dust and eraser bits on the scanner!)

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Winnie McIntyre Was the Only Witness

Challenge Day 18 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

Winnie McIntyre Was the Only Witness
5″ x 7″ Acrylics on 250 GSM* cotton vellum
(cropped in paint.NET with thin border added)

I almost posted this without the red splatter. I suppose this is number two in my Dark Side series. (Hmm, not a bad idea.) Here was the first, which also includes tiny portrait(s) and blood splatter. I blame these impulses on the women of wonderstrange. (The only reason I almost didn’t do it is because I worried it would splatter in a non aesthetically pleasing manner. I wish there were more contrast in spot size, but it’s not too bad.)

It was an interesting experiment. I gessoed this heavy Stonehenge 100% cotton paper then taped the edges with masking tape so it wouldn’t warp. As you can see (below), the bottom piece of tape was very crooked. Dangit! If I were going to do it again, I would fade out the background wallpaper more. I don’t love the color combination of the wallpaper with the picture frame.

I don’t know how I feel about painting on paper. I think it has lots of potential but I’m still struggling with the proper consistency of paint with which to paint tiny fine lines. I could use a pen but I like the idea of paint only.

Thanks for stopping in! Progress pics (under yellowy lights. Ugh.)

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*GSM – grams per square metre (I had to look it up, so I thought I would share.)

Day 17 and Paint Party Friday, Acrylics

Day 17 of the 30 day challenge! Also joining Paint Party Friday because I have been painting! This is canvas number 7. (The other ten days of the challenge thus far were made up of pen and ink or acrylics and ink as I gathered acrylic supplies and started learning to paint.)

Daphne, Portrait in Blue
5″ x 7″ Acrylics on Canvas Board

Fortunately it occurred to me to scan this one. (Much better quality than my terrible pictures, as in the progress pics below.)

I have done several maidens in frames, and an art pal named Sarah Trumpp, doing a painting challenge of her own,  reminded me I might like to paint one. So I did! Lots of progress pics below, as her face went through various incarnations before settling on this one.

Here’s a few of the early tiny framed girls:

Three Maidens in Tiny Frames
Each 3.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Lost Portrait of Emily, Tudor Maiden Portrait, and Anastasia of the North. Because if I’m going to spend that much time on 2.5″ x 3.5″, it’s gonna get a nice name. :)

Thanks for dropping in!

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City Dog in Acrylics and Ink, Challenge Day 16

Day 16 of Thirty Paintings in 30 Days!

City Dog (Not Really a Dog)
5″ x 7″ Acrylics, tie and nose detail in ink and gel pen

Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hound (which I just realized I spelled with only one L), this fellow went through quite a few dramatic changes before settling here. He’s called City Dog but is not really quite a dog. Or cat. Or other thing you’ve heard of. He is his own thing.

Cityscape tie close-up

Many shots showing his various incarnations below. Thanks for stopping in!

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A Maiden Called Celeste, in Acrylics

Celeste in Her Favorite Hat
5″ x 7″ Acrylics on canvas board

If I wasn’t doing a 30-day challenge (it’s Day 15 already!), these might all get lots more time. But I must keep moving forward! And I still need sleep and to go to my regular job. So, despite the fact the hair and fabric would be improved with more detail, and the background got no attention, I must call it done. No ink this time, just paint.

I referenced this image to get the sketch started but I prefer not to copy a photo very closely. She looks strangely familiar to me so I might have some particular image in mind. Or maybe just the style. Any ideas? (1970’s McCall’s pattern  illustrations?)

Thanks for visiting!

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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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