Tag Archives: Copic Markers

The Maiden and the Parasaurolophus, Ink Art

Imogene and the Parasaurolophus
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Another day, another two inked art cards with an unlikely connection! The parasaurolophus and Imogene are faces number 17 and 18, which puts me slightly ahead of the February curve!

This is a detail of a larger tapestry that hangs in Imogene’s front hall. She claims it was inherited down several generations, originally stitched out of the imagination of a talented great aunt from Quebec whose husband was the owner of a parasaurolophus skull.  The story is somewhat tenuous, as the  parasaurolophus was first discovered in the 1920’s, after the woman in question had died.

Incidentally, this creature (who probably looked totally different than this!) lived 75 MILLION years ago (according to Wikipedia. Hold it, confirmed at BBC Earth). Did I mention – SEVENTY-FIVE MILLION YEARS. I can’t even.

Here’s my last week’s retrospective (as inspired by denthe):

Faces 10 -16, 29 Faces Challenge February 2014
The Slumbering Herd

Thanks for stopping in!

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Tale of Two Giraffes

Welcome to Day 19 of the 30 day challenge!

A New Friend
5″ x 7″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

This giraffe was a request by a friend at illustratedatcs.com, intended for a nursery. I offered to add a bunny, but ended up adding a ladybug. On a very tall flower. I think s/he’s pretty cute.

My first try was a giraffe in acrylics, because of the painting challenge. I’ve done quite a few paintings recently so wanted to continue the run. But alas! The giraffe, while not finished, was just feeling too somber for a nursery (see below). Anyway, I was under a deadline to produce a giraffe and figured my best chance for success would be ink, my old standby.

Here’s the painted giraffe in progress. (Stay tuned, it may change dramatically between now and the next time I post it!)

Giraffe (in Progress)
5″ x 7″ Acrylics on canvas board

Note to subscribers! I am posting every day this month for the challenge, but only emailing twice a week. Just so you know. Thank you! (Also, apologies for dust and eraser bits on the scanner!)

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The Challenge Continues, Mostly in Ink

It is, in fact, day eight of the Thirty Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. I skipped day seven in hopes of catching up on the weekend. Work has been more tiring than usual, probably because of the recent holidays. Bah!

Posh Treehouse
2.5″ x 3.5″, Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

This stylish abode belongs to a gnomish clock maker. He is inside right now, cleaning the hands that belong to that clock window on the top floor. This is Tiny House #34.

It is for this reason that I am also submitting this illustration for the topic “Time” at Illustration Friday, from which I have been absent for ages! Topics are posted each Friday, and anyone who illustrates the topic in some way is invited to submit their link.

Hound in Progress, 5″ x 7″ acrylics

Above, we continue the gripping adventure of the unfinished hound. As you can see, I really need to reference a photo for the direction of that hair on his face. Stay tuned! Thanks for stopping in!

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Day Six. The Acrylics Fight Back.

Day SIX of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

My first acrylic went well, but subsequent attempts have proven frustrating! I’ve got several small canvases in all sorts of stages, but only this little red tree to show yet. (The 5×7 hound dog is still far from done [see below]. Alas!)

Red Tree Hollow, acrylics, ink, gel pen on canvas paper
Treehouse of the Bird Maker, Copics, ink, on Bristol board
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ art cards

My two latest treehouses, the left one mostly acrylic. I experimented with fine line pen and white gel pen. I did not get the Micron nib pen to work very well over the acrylic, but the gel pen went on quite smoothly.

Hound in Progress, 5″ x 7″ acrylics on canvas board

The unfinished hound. I think he was cuter and goofier in the first one with the orange details. And then it went another direction. Curse you, acrylics! It shall be one hundred different hounds before it’s “done”.

Perhaps, in addition to the daily painting, I’ll just keep doing updates on this one for the rest of the challenge month.

p.s. If you are one of the two hundred or so really spectacular painters from the challenge, I hope it is not too painful to see things this early on the learning curve.

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Inked Elf Maiden and Acrylic in Progress

Day five of the 30 Day Challenge! So, I think I may alternate ink and acrylic days. Mostly I just don’t think I could do 25 acrylic paintings in the next 25 days! (Particularly with full work weeks ahead.)

Elf Maiden
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Here is the finished elf maiden from yesterday. She is Maiden Number 138 of 200. Her name is Maire and she is a veteran of the Blue Goblin War. Some of her jewels are military honors.

And this fellow may show up finished tomorrow. Or might not! The only thing I am sure of is that the background will not be green.

Pup in Progress, 5″ x 7″ Acrylic on canvas board

Thanks for stopping in!

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Challenge Day 3, Tiny Dwellings

Day 3 of the 30-day Challenge! I am venturing out into the snowy world today, and may return with some acrylic paints. But since I also expect a long day at work, I am posting two items completed last night before I brave the roads.

Treehouse with Orange Door
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

A tiny treehouse – home to Maury, the gnome family therapist. And below, a tiny apartment building, home to various denizens of a tiny city. Both are art card size 2.5″ x 3.5″.  These are tiny houses 31 and 32 in my 100 Tiny Houses Project.

The Peapod Apartments
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

I recently answered some Copic marker questions by email. I think I’ll put up a new page with Copic information I’ve learned in the last 2+ years. I also need to post a new photo (or 2!) of Wilson. Maybe tomorrow! Progress pics below. Thanks so much for stopping in!

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30 Days Challenge Day 2

Sherman Shoebill
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Day two of Thirty Paintings in 30 Days and I am still snowed in (Chicago area). I prefer not to complain because I get to stay home from work. But I am not looking forward to moving my car to the other side of the street this evening.

But the other thing about being snowed in – still no paints! I know that this challenge doesn’t require painting specifically, but it still has paint in the title and I intend to do it.

In the meantime, I did extra scans during the coloring process for this one and the dog below, both finished today. I use a lot of layers with the alcohol-based markers, and often it does give a nice painterly effect. I’m hoping this will give me a head start when I actually start painting.

Stewart Lodwick
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Thanks so much to all the 30 Day Challenge visitors! It is always my intention to visit any commenters back, but some of you do not have a comment system I am able to use. Or no comment system at all!

And one more note! Subscribers, I will be doing a new post daily for the 30-Day challenge, but I will not be emailing every day. Probably every third day or so, so as not to inundate your inbox. Thank you!

(Final final note, these are both going in my shop.)

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A New Challenge for the New Year

Happy 2014 to all! I plan to re-learn acrylics this year. I’ve been talking about it for ages, for one thing. For another, I was gifted Starving to Successful, a book about getting into galleries. And I’d love to do large scale work, but probably not in ink.

So! By happy coincidence I followed a link from Art Trader Magazine, and joined this 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge just yesterday, the day before the new year.

Brea the Bird Charmer
2.5″ x 3.5″ ink

Today is Day One and I am snowed in. So, I will not be getting any new paints today. I am instead going to submit this latest delicate flower, Maiden 137, in keeping with my recent fascination with decorative HATS. Made with Copics, my new Hi-Tec-C 0.4 pen and various Microns. (She was almost abandoned due to nose problems – never quite fixed, arrgh!) But I was very happy with the simpler style of the two birds.

Longa Kolo
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, Hi-Tec-C fine liner

This one is from a couple days ago. Longa kolo means “long neck” in Esperanto, (if Google Translate can be trusted). Lots of progress pics . Thanks for dropping in!

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More Santa Hats!

Santa Hats, 2013
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

From left to right: Butterscotch in Santa Hat, Santa Mime in a Light Snow, Earl in Santa Hat and Camelid in Santa Hat (It’s “camelid” because I am not sure if the original image was a llama or a camel, and camelid conveniently covers both.)

I’m also not sure how I ended up with so many fawn-colored creatures.  So here is a gray festive donkey! I would like a donkey. But the neighbors would not like that.

Donkey with Wreath
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copic markers

Not many pics for a slideshow. Next time there will be plenty. Stay safe, everyone! And stay calm, if possible!

Ink with Attitude. Serious. Attitude.

Blake, and an Evil Mime Queen
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Blake arrived closely on the heals of his cousin Maureen (seen below). This family much prefers their right profiles. You’d be surprised how plain the other side looks!

The evil mime queen was made for someone who like evil queens. And mimes. And pink with turquoise. And creepy cute stuff. She is maiden #126!(Any future mimes should have instead of this streaky white gel pen, a smooth application of white ink with a brush. Live and learn, and all that!)

Another Maureen
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

One side blog note. I believe I’ve got categories covered. Tags, not so much. For one thing, almost all of my (208!) posts have many of the same tags (Copic markers, pen and ink, illustration). (Which are separate, I think!, from keywords for my SEO widget.) Geez! If you are a person with insight into this tags business, do share.

Thank you for stopping in! Progress pics with attitude, below.

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