Cat ATC

My cat ATC finished. 'Rigsby' is for a private trade with a fellow artist and Flickr friend who is doing me a barn owl based on Soren, one of the owls in the Ga'hoole fantasy series. I've actually seen my barn owl already - he is beautiful and I will be delighted to have him as my first ATC.
Rigsby is on Clairefontaine Pastelmat in Faber Castell Polychromos and Prismacolors, 2.5"x3.5"

Cat ATC wip

My first attempt at an ATC (Artists Trading Card) for a swap with an artist friend in America who is doing me a lovely barn owl based on the owl Soren from the Ga'hoole fantasy series. ATCs must be 2.5" x 3.5" and it is really hard for me to get the detail I like in such a small size, even using my optivisor. Quite a lot more work needed on this one to build colour to get some depth - though I'm reasonably happy with her eyes. It is on Clairefontaine Pastelmat and I'm using various coloured pencils, but mainly FC Polychromos and a few Prismacolors.

amur leopard with a little more work

After some constructive criticism from my cp group the leopard went back on the drawing board. I've made a few small adjustments over the last few days and hope there is an improvement.

Now to decide on my next piece - I have two or three in mind.

completed amur leopard

I've spent a few hours today completing this picture. As I thought, not happy with the final result but there are things I like about it. Her eyes and nose!
I have booked myself a place on a two hour workshop in a couple of weeks time, I am hoping for some useful hints and tips. I would love to know how best to render fur!
I haven't decided on my next piece, but I don't think I'll use the pastelmat.

More on the Amur

I didn't get any colour suggestions yet so decided to get reckless and wade in anyway. I've added some Derwent Studios and FC Polychromos to the mix, I couldn't get what I wanted from the Prismacolors.

When I began drawing I thought that eyes / noses / mouths were the hardest, now however I think it's fur! This is because when I started my fur looked so unrealistic. It isn't much better now - but at least I know that, lol. Still lots to do on this leopard, I do think she is progressing reasonably well but I already know I'm not going to be satisfied with the finished picture. Working on a piece this small has been really difficult for me - how artists do miniatures and get amazing detail I have no idea! Part of the problem I think is the surface, I'm almost certain that I won't used the pastelmat for coloured pencils again (I prefer a smoother surface) but will try it for pastels at some point. But probably with my vision difficulties I will be better sticking to larger pictures, easier for me to see what I'm doing though of course things will take longer to complete, which I find frustrating. Patience, patience........

Colour choices

I've having trouble with colour choices - I usually do! I have asked for some advice in my cp group and will wait to see what suggestions they have before I continue. I know that I don't 'see' things as an artist should, but I am trying hard to really study colour and form. I guess that after a full year away from drawing I must expect to be almost back to square one, and actually it's not as bad as it could be, *smile*.

Of the work I did today, most is ok, but the neck fur needs some work! I was trying for a softer looking fur and tomorrow I will try using either a stump or just a scrunched up tissue to blend the colours more so the lines aren't as obvious. At the bottom left of the picture, what I thought was dark fur, is actually part of the background - I have darkened all the background area in that spot to cover up this mistake!

Difficulties........

..........with the bridge of her nose. This is the fur I find hardest to get right, it's short, slightly bristly and I have no idea how to create that effect with the pencils. Oh for some proper lessons.

As always when I'm having trouble I moved on and began putting down colour for the dark 'spots' in her fur. Yes, I know that yesterday I said it would be the lighter fur but somehow it just seems best to do it this way. At least I think she is now beginning to look like a leopard.

I was reading the site of cp artist Christina Langman at Big Cat Art yesterday, she has some amazing big cat portraits and a superb tutorial -parts of which I am using to get help with this piece but the tutorial uses a smooth paper so it isn't ideal - but for my next piece I think it will be invaluable. One of the big cat portraits took her 400 hours to complete!! Such patience and dedication. I should have a mantra and repeat it night and morning, "I must take my time, I must slow down", lol. And on another blog I read an old post which is also relevant for me. I easily get disheartened and think my work is rubbish and that I will never improve. This blog post said that natural talent, while useful, is NOT the most important thing - hard work, dedication, practise, practise and more practise is what counts. I'm encouraged by the thought that if I do that, I will improve. So no more self pitying, "I can't", I must go back to my Learning to Draw book and work through the exercises from the beginning again. Enough rambling, hopefully back tomorrow.

amur leopard

Striking while the iron is hot I have made a start on my next picture. This Amur Leopard is from a photograph I took at Marwell Zoo during 2009. I was lucky enough to be able to zoom in on her face and avoid the wire fencing. This is again on Clairefontaine pastelmat but I'm using my favourite Prismacolor pencils. It is the smallest piece I've done, being just 7" x 5". The eyes already have a few very light layers but still a long way to go. I upped the contrast a little after scanning in the hope that you would be able to see the outline but it is very faint. It is the right way up though, in case you were wondering - the leopard was lying on her side.

First layer of fur

I'm plodding on with the tabby cat, still finding the pastelmat an unfamiliar support to work on. I don't actually dislike it but it is very different, particularly as I was getting used to working on drafting film which is so smooth and the pastelmat is like a sanded surface. I have to remember to keep sharpening my pencils! The light has been bad for working, so wet out it makes indoors very gloomy.

Although I'm not happy with this piece it will be worth finishing it. I'm really hoping it will get me back on track. I'll never be able to work for hours at a time again as I find my eyes get sore and start watering after a fairly short time. But short spurts will be better than nothing.

he now has a nose

A quick post just to show that I haven't given up! I did a little more on the eyes and started his nose - I'm sure when I look at it tomorrow I will decide it need more work.

Back with a tabby cat

It's been a long time! I really thought that 2009 was going to be good year for my drawing. Instead, I did nothing at all. In March I was diagnosed with a posterior vitreous detachment in my left eye. It has left me with hazy vision and floaters and coupled with my extremely poor vision it makes it difficult to see fine detail. I've also spent a lot of time on photography!Still, I'm going to try again and I'm starting with a tutorial piece of a sweet tabby cat by Pauline Longley. I'm trying a new support - Clairefontaine Pastelmat and mainly Derwent Coloursoft pencils with a few Prismacolors thrown in. As you can see, not a lot done yet - I've just transferred the line drawing to the grey pastelmat. At least my scanner still works!