Tag Archives: Copic Markers

Yet Another Forest Creatures Art Cards Post

People of the Forest Art Cards, Group 3
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″, Copics, Microns, Staedtlers and Signo Uniball gel pen

Perhaps it has become clear that I am not done with The People of the Forest. If you’re just joining us, the last two posts were also filled with ATC size humanoids and small details of their forest surroundings, the theme of a swap I recently started. Top row: Lavender Rabbit and Friend, and A Juvenile Forest Imp (his nose came out great I think!). Second row: Earnest Ernest, an antlered Pixie Troll, and Katje, a Forest Cat.

This makes a total of fourteen People of the Forest swap cards, as seen below all together. (This doesn’t even include a few landscape-oriented cards, a few that didn’t quite turn out as intended, and two foxes who have moved to the suburbs which I will post later!)

People of the Forest Art Cards 1-14
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″, Copics, fine liners, gel pen, by Cindy Dauer

People of the Forest is a super fun theme I most heartily recommend, particularly if things and people and politics in the real world are not contributing to your well-being in a positive fashion.

Next I hope to do an entry for “Liquid” this week at Illustration Friday. <cross fingers> Thanks for stopping in!

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People of the Forest Redux, Copic Art Cards

People of the Forest Art Cards, Group 2
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″, Copics, Microns, Staedtlers and Signo Uniball gel pen

Top row: Silver Pixie Princess, and Bear the Wise

2nd Row: A Flower Fairy, and a Fae Tracker

You may recall I was on a bit of a tear with Dog Art Cards for a while (and to which I will yet return!) At the moment, if you hadn’t guessed, it’s this fantasy/woodland theme, People of the Forest. And as I suspect there will be many more in the foreseeable future, I am submitting this post to “Future” at Illustration Friday!

I was working on eyes for a while, and I really need to work on noses. I am quite pleased with the Silver Sprite above, my first of the nose studies. In trying to replicate that nose, I had a lot of trouble with the Fern Fairies, below:

Two Fern Fairies, and Nose Troubles
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, etc

The one on the right came first, and I have yet to do an acceptable nose repair job on her. I started with a too dark (and imprecise!) ink line on the bridge of her nose, then kept going darker trying to fix or cover it. Aaaah! For the second attempt (on the left) I went with a lighter touch, and a much better result. Some inspiration for these two came from Lisa Ferguson’s fairies, which I love!

Thanks so much for visiting! More People of the Forest cards in my illustratedatcs gallery, if you’re interested. Some may end up in my shop. :)

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Beauties and Beasts, Fairytale Inspired Art Cards

Beauties and Beasts
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ art card. Copics, fine liners, gel pen on Bristol Board.

(Top) Lucy and Jake, Beauty and Beast; (bottom) Keko and Boris, Malia and Luther. These cards were inspired by a weekend Fairytale art-athon at Illustrated ATCs. You may notice this is quite a departure from my normal portrait-style art cards (just a head/face and usually facing forward). Of course, you could say these are just two portraits! But there’s a big difference. One is a simple study; the other is a relationship.

I decided to keep the first one (Lucy and Jake), traded the second at the fairytale a-thon (this weekend. LOADS OF FUN. Something about doing art with other people, and posting it up, even though you’re all in your own little space far away in the world). I really do a lot of good work and try new things, inspired by all the other great art.

The bottom two may go in my Etsy shop! (By the way, tons of other original art cards there, too. I don’t like to mention it every post. But sometimes.) :)

Two of my other favorites so far are the Alice in Wonderland cards:

Mad Hatter Louie, and The Time, Alice!
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Thanks for stopping in! Lots of progress pics! Feel free to leave a question or comment. :)

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Gargoyles Art Cards in Copics

Teeth Gargoyle & Mutton Chop Gargoyle
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Submitted for the topic “Wild” at Illustration Friday. Now perhaps you don’t think of gargoyles as wild because you think of them as stone statues. If so, you have clearly never seen one leave its perch in the dead of night!

Fortunately, these four specimens are not the man or woman eating type. They are pacifist gargoyles. However, they look extra wild and dastardly in order to hang with the other gargoyles. Though mostly the quiet ones keep to themselves, occasionally gathering for Mystery Science Theater night.

Canine Gargoyle and Denim Gargoyle
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

These four guys were created for an art card swap. I’m quite pleased with the eyes, which I’ve been working on improving.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Cat Girl in Orange Wig for Illustration Friday

Lana in the Orange Wig
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics on Bristol Board

The word is “Urban” at Illustration Friday, and Lana is nothing if not an urban girl. She is currently going to fashion design school in the Midwest, and longs to visit New York and the legendary Mood Fabrics. This wig is her favorite from a collection of twenty-two wigs (though last week it was the silvery pale blue mohawk).

After a second round of antibiotics I seem to finally be on the mend. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes! I had a hard time doing much art while under the weather, but I think Lana is pretty cool. :)

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Two Ruffed Queens Art Cards

You guys! I present to you these queens though perhaps they should be dogs, since I am sick like one. Ugh! I had a really bad cold a few weeks back that lasted far too long, and when it finally started to go away, I believe my boss brought in the flu. He claims he doesn’t have the flu. Whatever it is, it is horrible. For all of us who are sick at the end of this horrible too-long winter, I hope for speedy recoveries all around!

Princess Beatrice ATC
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copic markers, fine liners, gel pen

Though she preferred to dress in her brother’s breeches and help train the hounds, Beatrice was often forced to dress for important guests and occasionally – much to her chagrin – suitors.

Reference photos for Beatrice include Christine Marie of France and Portrait of a Lady in a Red Dress. I wanted to show how you can get ideas like costume styles from an image without copying it exactly, and also to show beginners that these things don’t spring fully formed from our heads!

Jory with Birds ATC
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Jory’s tutors were amazed when she taught her little birds Gretel, Gosling and Grim to perch on her bonnet when she was just nine years old and the birds were little chicks. As they got older, she had to build a sturdy armature into all her bonnets to hold their weight. Many little girls in the village have tried the same trick with their own birds, but none seem to have Jory’s magic touch.

Beatrice and Jory are Maidens number 70 and 72, and were made for trades at illustratedatcs.com. Thanks for stopping in!

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The Pitcher Mermaid for Illustration Friday

The Pitcher Mermaid
5″ x 7″ Copics, Micron pens, with digital sky

For the topic “Swim” at Illustration Friday. Have you joined yet? Why the heck not?

A bit of a departure from my usual goofy beasts, to mixed results. I stopped a bit sooner than usual. Maybe because she seems like quite a sad mermaid – and why not, trapped in a pitcher! Perhaps by an evil witch. Those darn evil witches! Actually, my favorite part is the way the tabletop blends into the sky. (The sky was added digitally with paint.NET). And the orange fish at the top. (You may be happy to hear that Nathan (the orange spotted fish) escapes the pitcher and has many exciting adventures in a nearby pond, attracting many followers and ruling a peaceful pond kingdom for many years.)

Well, I am a firm believer that every drawing teaches us things. They can’t all be our favorite one! Thanks for visiting. ;)

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An Eyeball, a Poem, and Purple Things (in Copics)

The Eyeball Jellyfish
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, gel pen, Prismacolor pencil

My first little art card to inspire a poem! (Don’t worry, it’s quite short):

The eyeball could not recall when, or how, it had ended up 
on the floor and in this quiet corner, away from the worst of 
the hard light of the sun. 

As the years passed, its bottom gently 
flattened and inside, the twin jellyfish circled
lazily, much as they had always done.

For a monochromatic swap at illustratedatcs.com, and a prompt with the ambiguous phrase “eyeball jellyfish” – which led to this card and this poem. Here’s the rest of the set!

The Mysterious Girl; Cat, Hat, Owl; and Purple Octi
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ pen and ink, Copics

I’m not sure it’s strictly monochromatic, what with the red-violets (verging on pink!) and the blue-violets, as well as black and white. But limiting colors is always a fun challenge! The prompts for these three were, “masquerade”, “owls in hats and/or cats in hats” and “octopus”. Thanks for stopping in! (No progress pics – but I’ll have some next time.) :)

A Woodland Book Club for Illustration Friday

Josey & Ivan at the Woodland Book Club
8″ x 9″ Pen and ink, Copics, digital sky

For the topic “Eye Glasses” at Illustration Friday.

The Woodland Book Club meets once a month to discuss a book chosen by popular vote. This week it’s Tailchaser’s Song, by Tad Williams. Every member of the Book Club wears eye glasses which is great business for Josey, an ophthalmologist. Some members don’t even need a corrective prescription – they just like to wear them as a token of membership.

Josey and Ivan always get to the Book Club early. They like to try to guess who has finished the book as each member arrives.

I was going to finish the tree more but decided to leave it. Thanks for stopping in! I’m really trying to get back to two posts a week.

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A Dogs and Ponies Show, in Copics

Niles with Fez, and Greta Dog
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ ATCs, Copics on Bristol

Like many of you these past weeks, I got sick! I think it is a nasty cold and not the flu. Still – arrrgh! I have been trying through the kleenex to complete some ATCs, including these two silly canines – one or both of which may join my Art Card Dogs project!

Niles is a bit of a hipster dog. He doesn’t even mind the label. The fez was a joke from a friend, and Niles thinks it’s an even better joke to keep wearing it!

Greta is a big fan of 80’s metal hair bands like Cinderella and Nelson. She doesn’t like the music much – she just likes the hair! She has recently dyed her ears purple.

I’ve also completed a couple horses for my first hosted swap at illustratedatcs.com – horses! Holy cow, have I had trouble with the horses. Many sketches went awry. So far I’ve come up with these slightly less realistic ponies. One day perhaps I’ll share the ones who did not make it. ;)

Luanne & Nelson ATCs
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics on Bristol

LuAnne is a bit shy but very sweet. Nelson is a bit of  modest prankster and also a big hit at black light parties.

And one more thing! I was recently interviewed by a brand new ATC site for kids, atcsjr.com. Maybe you know some young folks who would enjoy it! The interview is here. Thanks for stopping by!

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