Horse 'n Hound Table Tennis Association
I stuck to a color family! I am very pleased with that aspect because I often try and rarely make it to the end. I mean even here, wouldn’t a pair of blue eyes or a purple background be neat? That’s the trouble with having collected half a metric ton of Copic Markers (ok hold on, I’ll check) (ok, about 115, various sizes, collected over 10 months or so).
I am once again feeling the necessity to branch out into more than headshots. However, Illustration Friday has been providing for that nicely. Oh! So my last post is heading toward 70 comments (about 8 are mine). Can I just say thank you so much to every single one and also holy cow! If I didn’t reciprocate, it is only because you did not leave your web address!
On a related note, because I was curious, I decided to count how many comments I had left so far this week for Illustration Friday. One hundred fifty-one. Haha, is that insane or what? I doubt I will be able to keep it up, but I have been finding so MANY great art blogs. And I don’t have kids. For all you folks with a regular job AND kid(s) AND doing Illustration Friday, my hat is off to you. Seriously!
What I do is visit the IF site every day, several times a day. I know that other people don’t have the time to do this. On the other hand, I feel like I am building this wonderful, mutually supportive community. I have been able to identify a whole bunch of folks who visit regularly,and who I visit in turn. (If you are looking for folks who are more likely than the average to comment back when you’ve commented at their site, I suggest visiting the commenters from my “Capable-IF” entry just before this one – just click on their name. You will find so many great things!)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, here is how the Horses ‘n Hound thing happened:
Horse n Hound Ink
Horse n Hound Color 1
Horse n Hound Color 2
Horse n Hound Color 3
I’m thinking of starting to put together a book with some of my goofy beasts, each with a silly/weird/non sequitur type caption. (In case you wondered about the table tennis thing.) Thank you so much for coming by. You’re the greatest!
Oh! I almost forgot! I just wrote a how-to for Illustration Friday thumbnails (in my sidebar, here). If you’re someone whose thumbnail never works, give it a try.
Go color family! That works, it brings out the animals’ expressions even better.
Hi Cindy, have just found you. Love your illustrations and mad stories…great fun. Horse n Hound Table Tennis what a hoot…:)
You do the greatest expressions, Cindy! It’s so easy to try to imagine what they are thinking. this group looks like they’d stay still for you as long as it takes… like they are enjoying watching you work. LOVE it!!
I do like that color family, too. So warm and comfy feeling. :)
I think a book would be interesting. You’ve created so many cool characters it would be nice to see them all together in one place. Like a party for Beasts!
Isn’t IF fun!!! :) I love it too.. Nice work – I do think you should let yourself branch out into full bodies – you will feel much more free once you’ve done it. Just do lots of sketches before and use lots of references :)
hey Cindy-
Your animals are always great! I loved the Cape-a-bull post! He was awesome!
A note about a book idea…I have a friend who does a comic strip for a living…and he wanted to make a book for his son ( a favorite story of his) He used this website to do it: https://www.createspace.com/3777450
That is the book- but the menu has lots of info for publishing! Best of Luck! oh- and you inspired me to go out and buy a few copics to play around with! :)
Cheers
Cindy you just keep getting better and better. I hear you about how one earth people with outside jobs and kids manage to get any art done, kudos to them! I would never manage it if I were in their shoes. Anywho, I haven’t stopped by to say Hi for a while and just wanted to see what wonderfullness you were up to!
Keep on illustrating and thanks for showing us the stages a piece goes through…it helps lots!
Talks again soon,
Hugs,
Beth P
These turned out great! I love how subtle the differences in their expressions are. You gave them personality without anthropomorphizing (is that even a word?) them too much.
Congrats on all the comments. I’d take that as a good sign that people like your work and a book might be a great idea. I love the patterns in your art. Nice job!
I like the patterns and colours in your animals, especially the pink blaze and mane.
Cool style/ I like the decorative quality and the fun characters. I also noticed your great taste in blog links. Mardiart is by my good friend Mardi Speth- we were in grad school together. Art is a small world huh?
Thanks, Greg (and everyone)! And yes, despite the fact I seem to find seventeen (or so) great new art blogs every day, it’s amazing to see the links and other connections between them. I feel like I am a ways behind all the people who started blogging years earlier than me, but I am trying to catch up!
Oh man, those are some serious players. I don’t think I stand a chance against them. I’d be too busy admiring them, and then the next thing you know, I’d have a ping pong ball lodged in a nostril. I’d end up with a horse sized nostril. Not nearly as attractive on me as on Lara or Alison.
Hey Cindy,
LOVE this week’s color palette! (But I DO also love it when you are less restrained!!) Just the right amount of texture, too! Nice work!! Hoping to sit down & work on mine tonight. I don’t have the kids, but I do have one of those pesky job-things!!! would rather be drawing!! ;)
If you are considering a book, try blurb.com. My old college professor has had several made here & loves them!
-Mit
I really enjoy the patterns(gives the animals a cool texture) and colors in your illustrations.
115? Really? 115? That’s 51 more colors than my largest box of Crayolas. I am green with envy…Caribbean Green. Or G19 if you speak Copic. ;)
Yes, please do a book…the Herd is definitely bookworthy, especially if it has amusing vignettes. I love vignettes.
Lara, Bonz and Alison turned out so well! Enough fade and fuzz in the background to make them pop forward and the color palette is most pleasing.
Cheers!