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.

snow leopard completed

This is scanned, so hopefully the colours are more accurate. As you can see I have altered the crop, mainly because I couldn't get the paper to take any more pastel and I felt the fur on his body didn't look quite right.

I've added more white and dark grey, some light touches of pinky brown and peach to the fur and a hint of grey to his eyes.

I will definitely use velour again, but must get some soft pastels for the early layers and just use the pencils for detail, then naybe I will get better coverage.

A little progress

I've not had much time for art in the last few days but did a little on the snow leopard today. I'm finding him harder now, the softer fluffy looking fur is proving tricky.

I've darkened some areas on his head and lightened others and put in his whiskers - they don't show up as well as I'd like. Hopefully the next time I post, he'll be finished.

I'm taking photos of the wips rather than scanning and I notice that the colour is looking different on each one due to the different light and time of day that I've taken the photo. I shall have to decide whether to risk scanning the final one or if I'll just play around with the colour to get it as close as possible. Even scanning doesn't reproduce the picture perfectly.

snow leopard work in progress 3

I was able to spend some time drawing this morning while waiting in for a delivery, usually such a sunny day would have had me grabbing the camera and departing for the forest - especially as last week the weather was so bad.
Anyway, he is progressing quite nicely I think and even Clive has said it is good!! This one might even be framed and hung on my wall.

Snow Leopard progress

I'm happy with the way this picture is progressing - at the moment anyway! Today I've added some basic shading for his fur and done more work on his mouth, teeth and muzzle. I would have got more done, but had unexpected visitors. Probably a good thing, making me put it to one side and give some thought to the next stage, instead of rushing it, which is what usually happens.

Ruby

Here is Ruby, completed but for the mount and frame, ready to give to my sister. I have found drawing Ruby quite emotional - my sister is in residential care and it is unlikely that she will even recognise Ruby. I will just be glad if the picture can give her even a small amount of pleasure.

In the end I used pastel pencil for the background on the reverse of the drafting film - which nearly ended in disaster. The first layer went on fine, I blended it with a tissue and then attempted to add a lighter colour on top - it wouldn't blend! I eventually rubbed hard with my finger and it blended enough to not look too bad.

I shall have a break for a couple of days before starting my next piece. I think I'm going to do a snow leopard, using a photo I took at Marwell last year. The plan is to use pastels on velour paper which I haven't tried before.

more of ruby

Several hours yesterday and an hour or so this morning have brought me to this stage and I'm relieved to say that it is going quite well. It actually looks better in reality - even my husband says it's looking good and I don't often get praise from him!

Now onto her neck and chest, then the background, then mounting and framing ready for my sister's birthday.

Ruby wip 3

I've made reasonably good progress today and I feel that Ruby is now coming along nicely. I'm working on both sides of the film which I hope will add a bit of depth to the fur. As I work I am making small changes here and there to the work I've already done, a bit more colour on the inside of the ears, a slight darkening of the eye rims.

I have given some thought to the background - if I decide to do one I think I shall use Prismacolors as they blend easily and I will add it on the reverse of the film.

ear ear

Ruby is making very slow progress but at least she now has both her ears! It is a long while since I have worked on drafting film and I don't remember struggling with it like I am with this portrait. Maybe it is because I am using different pencils - polychromos - I don't know but it is frustrating. I can't give up and start over for the second time as my sister's birthday is fast approaching. Fingers crossed I will make better progress tomorrow.

Ruby 1

After a few busy days I finally got back to the drawing board. I began this new version of my sister's cat a few days ago, I was busy on it this afternoon when I remembered I hadn't done any scans. So you are seeing it a bit further on than my usual first wip - probably about 6 hours work so far, excluding the line drawing.

This is on Polydraw 050 double matt drafting film, using Faber Castell Polychromos. Black paper behind the film as I work and for the scan.

Already I am finding it difficult - with the polychromos I am finding it hard to get more than a three layers which isn't giving the depth of colour I would like. With the eyes I have worked on the reverse of the film to overcome this. Now I'm getting to the part I dread; choosing which colours to use for the fur. The colours in the photograph I had printed look way too bright and garish so I am toning them down quite a bit, referring to the computer for the colours and the photograph for the precise detail. I am using my new Optivisor for the first time, it is very helpful but at present gives me a headache after just a short time. I guess it is similar to having a new pair of glasses!

parrot workshop piece

This post was meant to be the first stage of Ruby, my sister's cat, but after spending about six hours working and getting increasingly frustrated I have decided to scrap it and begin again on a different support.

Giving myself a break before restarting I have finished off the little parrot from my last workshop.

He is in Derwent Coloursoft pencils, 6.5" x 9" on cream mountboard.

Parrot workshop

Today was my second workshop with artist Karen Coulson. Our small class worked on this parrot with lots of helpful instruction from Karen. This is as far as I got in the two hours, I do work slowly and rushed this a bit in places to try and keep up. I will try and finish this over the next couple of days. Then I must get some photos taken of my sister's cat, get some prints done and begin work.

This is in Derwent Coloursoft pencils on mountboard.

The Churchyard Cat

A few more hours work since the last post and here he is, finished.

As usual, the hardest part was rendering the fur. I had thought it might be easier in pastels but no such luck and I'm still not getting the realistic effect I would like. A little later this year one of my favourite artists is bringing out some 'how to draw fur' instruction packs; I'm hoping these will help me overcome my difficulties.

I have another art workshop this week, this time working on a parrot - that will probably me my next blog update - unless I get time to play with my new Derwent Graphitint pencils which arrived in the post today. I found them half price while looking for something else online and couldn't resist such a bargain.

More on the churchyard cat

Here is the next stage of 'the churchyard cat'. Overall, I'm happy with how it is developing. It isn't going to be perfect - by a long way - but I do feel I'm learning and improving. I did a comparison with the original on the computer after I uploaded this wip and it isn't too far off - I overlay the original photograph over my drawing and then use the transparency brush to reveal the drawing underneath. I find it a good way to see where I have gone wrong. In this case I have somehow got the left ear slightly off but everything else is pretty much as it should be. I probably spent about 4 hours on this today, yesterday I only did about half an hour - and that was to try and improve the nose.

The Churchyard Cat - work in progress

Well, here's my second posting of the 'churchyard cat'. I know his nose isn't right so I'll need to try and alter it tomorrow. I feel I'm muddling through this piece rather, only having used the pastel pencils once before and then I followed a tutorial. I'm unsure of how many layers to put down and what colours. Why do I always have so much difficulty picking colours! Still, it is all practice and experience.

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.

Puppy in pastels - finished

A quiet boxing day has meant time for me to complete my first attempt in pastels, working from an online demonstration by Colin Bradley. I like the softness of the result though it wouldn't suit all subjects - I still prefer the precision of coloured pencils but I can still see that I will use pastels again for some pieces. The colours haven't come out that well in thus scan but good enough to get the idea. The finished picture is approx 11" x 8".

Drakkar - finis!

A couple more hours today did it and I'm happy (well reasonably) with the final result. After erasing yet again I remembered the first exercise in my drawing book (yes, the one I'm meant to be working through) and turned both the reference photo and my drawing upside down, vbg. Ok, it isn't perfect but is better than I expected yesterday when I was almost ready to give up. Amazingly it helped quite a bit, at least I think so! Feedback is appreciated as always. It will probably be after Christmas before I get started on my next piece - if I can stay away from drawing that long - after so long not doing anything I'm now wanting to draw all the time! I'm just about to order some pastel pencils so it is just possible that I will be brave and post my first attempt, then again, maybe not. Here is Drakkar, as good as I can get him. Edit, after some feedback in my UKCPS group I have darkened the shadowy area under his chin, I think it is an improvement.

A difficult kitten!

Today I erased, redid, erased, redid again - and I've still not got it right! I am really struggling to get the fur just above his nose correct. I'm almost tempted to leave it as it is but I think I will try just once more, then if it is still wrong it will just have to be one to put down to experience.

Here we are again

I sneaked in an hour or so this afternoon when I really should have been writing Xmas cards. It was such a dull afternoon that I drew under artificial light - never a good idea. I'm not happy with how this drawing is going, I have a feeling that when I look at it again tomorrow a large part of today's work will be erased and redone. Posting it always helps, I can be more objective when I see the picture on screen. I ask myself what would I think if it was someone elses work? Now I can already see there is a lot wrong but I will leave it for tonight - but expect changes tomorrow!