Thursday, May 29, 2014

LITTLE PRINCESS OF COLORING

Presenting Delaney (aka Laney, Laney-Loo, Loo, Looly, Girly-Girl) East Harris — Artist Aficionado — at my drawing table. A pure labor of love.






Wednesday, May 28, 2014

IT WAS TIME TO SPLIT.

Never say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. After YEARS of using a huge array of markers and Prismacolor'd pencils as the medium for my illustration work, the last few days I've put my heart and soul into learning and working with watercolors. Bye-bye markers. You're no longer the star (sorry if I sound cold-hearted). HELLO watercolors!! 

I've found that: 
A. Doing serious research to know what you're doing is a must.
B. The placement of the watercolor color doesn't HAVE to be the end result.
C. Helllllloooo soft pastels and smudge sticks! Yes - that's the trick! 

Paint brush in hand, tiny speakers hooked up to Pandora, playlist selected: Michael Buble, Chris Botti, Billie Holiday, and I'm in my own special creative piece of heaven.  :o)


OUT WITH THE OLD

IN WITH THE NEW!


Saturday, May 24, 2014

A RUNNER-UP FOR THE PRINCESS OF COLORING PICTURE

My younger daughter has very definite ideas about what she puts on the walls of her kids' room, and I love her choices. When I sent her the Princess of Coloring picture I'd first drawn (top pic) she came back to me with "I like your cartoon illustration style more. This looks too real or portrait like. I prefer no shading or much detail, but that's just my opinion." 





I get that, and agreed that it is a bit stiff. But.... different strokes for diff' folks - I know. Anyway, I decided to give a more whimsical style a try, and the one at the bottom is what I came up with. The coloring is just a practice run using Photoshop - not the final. (Apparently the hair style on this one is the trend for 3 year olds today.) 

I'm not sure which to put up on my Etsy shop. Maybe both? Your input please!




Wednesday, May 21, 2014

THE CROWN PRINCESS OF COLORING

Excited, but nervous! I've decided to start working in watercolor! I've done a tiny bit before, but this time, since I'm selling my wall art on Etsy, I'm taking it way seriously. I've done TONS of research (Love love love Susan Harrison-Tustain's work and website!!) and bought suggested brushes, paper, and good watercolor paint. After doing the acrylic painting Say Say Oh Playmate, (first time using that medium) for my granddaughter's nursery, I'm thinking I enjoy the painting process more than I do using my usual technique of markers and Prismacolor'd pencils. Here's the pencil work scan of the project I'm about to begin titled Crown Princess of Coloring. My subject and inspiration is that same granddaughter, now almost 4 years old. She LOVES to do art, so recently I lifted her onto a tall stool at my drawing table and took a couple of candid shots of her at work. Love her focus, fell in love with the whole subject matter, and can't wait to get started painting it! ..... jitter jitter

Btw, I'm having some issues with wondering if I should simplify my drawings to be less detailed and a bit more cartoony. That seems to be the look of today. Any opinions on that are welcome!