Lulu with Paper Lanterns, Copic Markers

 

Lulu, 6″ x 6″ Copic Markers

Once again I was not able to stay away from the edges. Sometimes I sketch out a frame about an inch or half inch from the sides but then I ignore it! Will have to work on that. Lulu is the latest in my horse drawing adventure Season of the Horse.

I think I will do more paper lanterns because they are really cool. I’ll probably have to figure out how to make them glow, so let me know if you have any tips!

Meanwhile, I have been sick for three days and it is super sucky! I am drinking tea and hope to recover soon. Totally sucky to be sick on the weekend. Alas!

Hello to Paint Party Friday! Thanks to everyone for dropping in!

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Donkey Fae, Season of the Horse

 

Donkey Fae, 5″ x 7″, Copic Markers

I started with this image for some color inspiration, but didn’t really stick to it.

I might try a feather mane with larger feathers for clearer detail at some point. Overall I can’t really decide what I think. That happens a lot a lot when I’ve spent a few hours and can’t really step back to assess the stopping point.

Linking late to Paint Party Friday! Thanks for dropping in.

Festivus, a Kingly Stallion in Pen and Ink

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Festivus, 4.5″ x 6″
Copic markers, fine liners, gel pen

Reference photo. As I was posting I realized the Pinterest link has no attribution. So, I looked it up on TinEye (reverse image search),  and he looks to be a white shire named Gustav photographed by Makarova Viktoria. I think attribution is important!

The image at the top of the post is cropped down from the original 5″ x 7″. Mainly because I botched all those leg and chest muscles. The hair is trouble, too, as it looks too stiff and not quite right. But that’s ok! Just need more practice (and a little luck).

And one more thing – I sort of wish I had left it at this point:

Festivus, Sparkling
5″ x 7″ Copic markers, gel pen

Though the background needs to be finished better, I think the bright white swirls look pretty cool like this. They became more muted in the final product than I intended. The eyes are also very different. Do you have a preference in the swirls or eyes?

Thanks for dropping in!

Blue Buckskin Pony, Copic Markers

 

Buckskin Blue, 5″ x 7″
Copic markers, Prismacolor, Staedtler, Uni and Signo fine liners

I like the name Buckskin Blue, but originally I called this one the Festival Pony. (Please tell me if you have a strong preference one way or the other!) :)

As I mentioned previously, I am going to have a table at a small fantasy convention in November, which may help explain all the horns and bright colors. Perhaps it should have been called The Season of the Magical Horse!

Season of the Horse, the first six 5″ x 7″
Copic markers, pen and ink

Maybe you’re wondering, when will she get to like, a leg? A body? Aaaaaah, I don’t know! Soon.

Reference horse for Buckskin Blue.

Linking to Paint Party Friday a day late! Thanks for dropping in!

More Smoking Fish. In Clothes, with Pipes.

The Smoking Fish Banner
Copic marker art, arranged digitally

Blue jeans. Victorian ruff. Kilt. Tuxedo pants. Did you wonder if they were stylish? They are so stylish!

It’s Version 1 of a new Facebook banner for the band The Smoking Fish.  I may try to increase the size of the text but with my unpracticed Photoshop Elements skills, the digital part of this took ages and I figure I’d give it a rest for the moment. (The slideshow below has more close-ups of the drawings.)

You may have been following the smoking fish illustrations on my Facebook page. (Or, you could!) I do put a bit more art up there. I’m also still updating Flickr. My Tumblr and DeviantArt pages are ancient history. I think with blog-Facebook-Flickr, three is my maximum. I don’t have time for more, holy cow!

Thanks for dropping in! Boatload of progress pics below (though none of the digital part – maybe next time.)

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Otherworldly Equines with Serious Ears

The Solstice Foal, 5″ x 7″
Copic markers, Staedtler and Prismacolor fine liners, gel pen

The Season of the Horse continues in fine form. Though, a very few attempts at  a whole horse body have been feeble at best. One of these days!

Guardian of the Glade, 5″ x 7″
Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Reference donkey. (I usually use a photo as a very general guide. The final product is not meant to look like the photo. I think most people know that!) I had trouble with the fuzzy ears, probably needs more shadow. Will need to do more of those.

Both of these have bits of wonky perspective, but overall they are rather happy magical equines. Happy Paint Party Friday to folks visiting from there! Loads of progress pics. Thanks for stopping by!

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Post 300, Themes and Schemes in Pen & Ink

The Smoking Fish, model #1
5″ x 7″ Copic markers, digital background

Themes I’ve been working on recently:

Here’s another witch, somewhat mummified.

The Ritual of Josephin, in progress
2.5″ x 3.5″ ink, markers, prismacolor pencil

Thanks for dropping in! Woooo, 300 posts!

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Silver Unicorn and a Pouty Witch, Copics

Moira, a Kladruber Unicorn
5″ x 7″ Copic Markers

In today’s installment of the Season of the Horse (a new project to improve my horse drawing skills), we have a unicorn based on a very old Czech breed, the Kladruber, found on Pinterest! The convex facial profile (rounded out instead of sloping inward), is an identifying characteristic of this breed. Here is an insanely adorable foal.

Hoping to get back in the swing of Paint Party Friday! Meanwhile, I’m still in early-Halloween mode with witch ATCs. This is Marciana, captured with a crabby scowl because her prized Fancy Chiggerwort spoiled. Bummer.

Marciana, in progress
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Thanks for dropping in! Still super busy at my day job. And I have to decide very soon about September’s 30 Paintings in 30 Days! Are you going to do it?

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If Witches were Horses

Mule Fae, 5″ x 7″, Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

When I started this post, I thought it was going to be witch and horse ATCs, hence the title. Then this fae mule happened! I’m leaving the post title because this is clearly a magical, and possibly witchy, mule.

The Mule Fae is horse-like creature number seven in the Season of the Horse project! The reference photo is a gorgeous red draft mule (whose nose is much longer. But I ran out of room.)

And here is a cat witch in glasses! I messed with the glass quite a bit and could probably stand to read up on reflective surfaces.

Uta the Cat Witch, in progress
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copic markers

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Giraffe in a Catalog! Also, a Horse.

I have landed on page 34 of the new Blick Art Materials catalog (aka Dick Blick)! So crazy!

Blick Art Materials summer 2014 art supply catalog, pg 34

Holy cow! This is an image from 2011, but it’s the one they wanted. I had almost forgotten because they asked me many months ago.

Maximillian Likes Opera
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

And here, a very silly horse. Because my new project is The Season of the Horse! And many horses will be practiced.

[Also, I may have done something strange with my subscriber list, because occasionally I get people who say they do not get the emails, who want them! I’m not sure how to check whether I made things better or worse, though.]

One more thing! This board game looks super fun! And is so cute! It is one of those Kickstarter dealies. If you like games, you should totally watch the video. I only found it because the creator knows a comedian I like, and she mentioned it in her newsletter. :)

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