Tag Archives: liquid frisket

Illustration Friday, Puppy and Cow, Copics

Yield for Illustration Friday, Puppy and Cow

Before the new topic came out at Illustration Friday this week, I had sketched a very silly but promising cow:

Cow Sketch

I figured she made the perfect platform for something, but what? And then the topic “yield” was posted, so I thought about how I could use this cow and that word and what I came up with was to put a giant pie on her head with the words, “The apple tree produced more than double the yield of the previous year due in no small part to the fertilization efforts of Hannah the cow.”

Cow pie. Fertilizer. Yeah, not a highbrow moment. I’m ok with that. But I didn’t think a pie would be visually very interesting. I have since decided a pie would have been totally doable – but I went with cute, in the end. Which may be cheap but so is cow pie. ;)

Cow and Puppy Sketch

Cow and Puppy Mask

This was actually a really great blue that I lost with too many light colored coats. Alas!

Cow and Puppy Color 1

And this is the stage where I say to myself, ugh, this is not going well. But that always happens in the beginning color stages so I don’t despair quite as much as I once did. Which is good. Unless you’re one of those people who thinks inspiration is only sparked by misery. I am not.

Cow and Puppy Color 2

Cow and Puppy Color 4

I really need to finish all of the color before adding the black ink (which isn’t supposed to smudge, but does a bit!) Lots of muddy spots as a result. Probably could have done more with the background but a decent effort overall.  Thank you for coming!

Note: In case you didn’t know, I have put a detailed tutorial on how to make yourself a thumbnail for IF (or avatar or other tiny image), on my sidebar near the top of the page. I hope someone finds it useful! A thumbnail will get you more views than no thumbnail.

A Llama for Sven, Copic Markers with Liquid Frisket

A Llama for Sven, Copic Markers using Frisket

The complications of llama ownership weighed heavily on Sven the cat, who had been up much of the previous night trying to convince the llama that she did not belong on the bed. Or, failing that, at least not to rest her head on poor Sven. Liam the dog, Sven’s best friend and housemate, was not much bothered by the ruckus, as he is a heavy sleeper and prefers his kingly brocade cushion bed to the platform bed.

Why did you want a llama, again? asked Liam.

Sven scowled darkly at the dog. Then he glanced over at the llama and couldn’t help but smile. “Look at her. She’s so cute! And one day she’ll let me ride on her head. And we will conquer the world!” He sighed. “I do wish she was, you know, a bit quicker. About stuff.”

Liam rolled his eyes and went make a sandwich.

Before you ask, Sven is a softie so there is no way he is going to leave the llama outside. The llama he hasn’t named yet, I might add, though he’s leaning toward Doris. It all started here:

Llama for Sven Ink

Llama for Sven Frisket

Llama for Sven Color 1

 

Llama for Sven Color 2

A Llama for Sven, Copic Markers using Frisket

So what seems to happen, with these non-Illustration Friday illustrations, is that I pick an animal to draw (lately dogs, llamas, cats, sheep, goats, cows, mainly). Once he or she is done, I decide what other animal wants to be in the frame, too. And then another, if there’s room. And from there,a relationship becomes clear. Which is how I knew that poor Sven, the terribly weary-looking cat, had been up all night trying to take care of his new llama. And that Liam with the just slightly exasperated face, was not in favor of the llama particularly but you know, as long as he didn’t have to feed it or walk it.

Hello! Thank you for coming!

 

 

 

A Mountain of Mugs in Copics for IF’s “Fluid”

Josephine's Mountain of Soup Mugs, Copic Markers w/ Digital Frame & Text

So I recently launched an art challenge with the prompt “Catastrope” at the Etsy group Doodlers Doing Doodles. [I did not start this group (too wordy for one thing!) but as the only leader I became de facto Captain when the real one took off for destinations unknown some six months ago. If you want to join, just drop me a line!] Anyway, my idea was either a stack of dishes or a stack of monsters… or possibly a stack of dishes AND monsters. So I started a stack of coffee mugs and tea cups, and then the Illustration Friday topic “Fluid” was announced.

I believe I am stretching this topic further than I’ve personally stretched an Illustration Friday topic, to include what turned into a mountain of soup mugs. (Originally tea cups and coffee mugs but really, Josephine could hardly drink tea out of these monsters.) (Hey! It turns out I did do a stack of dishes and monsters.)

This will be my third outing with liquid frisket (the results of which are those white swirls in the wallpaper). The paper I’ve been using is Bee Paper Company’s Artist Marker Pad, recommended for use with Copic markers. It is insanely smooth and very nice for markers, but it’s only 110 lb. so the frisket buckles it a bit. That is part of the reason these particular swirls are much larger than my normal. Here’s how it all began:

Mugs and Rabbit wip 1, 2

I figured some sort of creature imminently at risk of toppling the stack was necessary for a looming sense of “catastrophe”. I also used color before black multiliner to cut down on smudging.

Mugs and Rabbit wip 3, 4

I thought about leaving it here, with just the outline of the rabbit beast. Many Illustration Friday folks employ two different techniques in one drawing or painting and it is usually a pretty neat effect. Perhaps I should have done a background but left the bunny as she is here. Actually, if I did it over again that’s what I would do.

Mugs and Rabbit wip 5,6

I think the background is too busy. Or I just don’t know how to make the foreground pop out. I suppose I could put an otherworldy glow around the objects but will have to look into additional methods. (Do you have one? Please let me know. Yet another item I would have learned in art school. Alas!) Oh! And one more fyi, because it seems like good info: the font in the final at the top is Cambria Math.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Copics and Liquid Frisket, Experiment No. 1

Kit Cat and Elliot Hound in Copic Markers

OMG. Seriously. My internet connection was down for three days. A terribly sad state of affairs, I’ll have you know. Yes, I read a book. And finished several drawings, among them the charismatic pair above. (Actually, I don’t know if “finished” is accurate, but close enough.)

An adventure with liquid frisket, is what it was! Many progress pics – scans in fact, with my CanoScan LiDE 700F, if you were wondering – shall illustrate the tale:

Dog Cat Sketch

I have been enjoying a recent enthusiasm for goofy, cartoony dogs. And I have also been trying to add more cats, because people like cats. I like cats, just not as much as dogs. She looks a little sad in this sketch. Perhaps you’ve noticed my clever placement wherein I was not forced to wrestle with drawing paws or legs. But I rather think she looks cute perched up there.

Dog Cat Ink

Dog Cat Color 1

Dog Cat Color 2

Dog Cat Color 3

Starting to show some life with a .5 Copic multiliner outline. The eyes are a tad vacant, which is something I need to work on.

Dog Cat Frisket 1

Ok, the frisket! It is a latex masking medium. So you paint it on, and then paint (or in my case, Copic marker) over it. In the first frisket shot above, I applied a curlique background of frisket, let it dry, then lightly covered the area in one color (Begonia, I believe). I should also note that the frisket dried to virtual invisibility but I could just gauge the shine of it. I decided not to fill the entire background (partly because that’s a LOT of background left).

Dog Cat Frisket 2

While the frisket was still on, I figured I should take advantage of some Copic color blending just around the bodies.

Dog Cat Frisket 3

And then, ta-da! Peeled it off. Note: The best pick up to use is a natural rubber pick-up. The clerk at Dick Blick’s was kind enough to let me know when he saw my frisket purchase. And it did work great, and was kind of cool. It comes right up, and can even be peeled. I didn’t scan it right after I peeled it off, but it was white as untouched paper below.  I decided to go over the whole background area with some very light peach and pink.

Kit Cat and Elliot Hound in Copic Markers

The final needed heavier lines, so I used my Copic black marker with the pen tip (as opposed to a multiliner), mainly just for the outside outline for both. Added a few more bits and bobs, not sure if it’s done, but there you have it!  Thank you for visiting! Let me know if you have any questions about these things.  Oh, and a special shout out to art blogger Leslie White whose lovely paintings employing liquid frisket inspired me to try it. Hooray!