Casino WIP PastelMat 3

Wow, I am way behind on posting here.
Here is where I'm at with this portrait.
Really enjoying the process of learning how to use pastelmat and polychromos together.
I've also been experimenting with Zest-it.
For those of you that don't know, Zest-it is a liquid that dissolves the binder in the colored pencils when applied.
You need to have a few layers before using it to get the benefit of using it but I really like what it does and it also speeds up getting the pigment into the paper.

It's also great because after it's been applied, the Pastelmat tooth is now able to take more layers of colored pencils with ease.
Anways, enough babble.
Here is the WIP shots since the last post.
Hope you like it!

This is what I have done so far
See the steps below that led up to this point.

Step 3
Step 1 and Step 2 are on a different Blog Post

Step 4 - Blended with Zest-it

Step 5 adding in the forelock and still working on more layers

Step 6 Blended with Zest-it again

Step 7 Working on the mane

Thanks for stopping by :)

Casino - WIP on PastelMat 2

Hello Everybody!
Have you ever started something and just weren't sure where to go from there?
I've sorta done that with this piece.
Normally when I work in my colored pencils, I have a tin that I place the current colors I'm using in and then keep them out until I'm finished. 
Well, we recently rescued a feral kitty that was born in our hay barn, weaned after 6 weeks and left on her own until we found her.  We've actually had her now for almost 6 months so she's not so feral anymore and is quite the love.
Anyways, she's quite a handful and loves taking pencils, pens and anything else that size.  So, after I worked on my piece last time, I put all my pencils away without even noticing the colors I'd pulled! I didn't even think to write down the colors I'd used so far.

So, now I have a slight dilemma.  Where do I go from here??
Here's what I've gotten done so far.
5x7 PastelMat with Polychromos

Hope you like it so far!

Casino - WIP on PastelMat

This is my own gelding Casino.
It's so hard to paint or own animals, at least I think it is.
5x7
Colored Pencils on Pastel Mat
First time using Pastel Mat and first time blending ColoredPencil.
Currently using Gamsol but just got some Zest-it in my newest order so now will be experimenting with it as well.

Hope you like it so far.

Thanks for stopping by!

Watercolor Black Poodle

Hello Everybody!
I hope you are doing well on this sunny Wednesday.
What better thing to do when you are sick and coughing up a lung.
I finished my black dog challenge to myself piece.
I used some artistic license for the eyes (they are too dark in the photograph) and also the fur. 

As many of you know by now, I love animals, all kinds, probably since birth.
I remember bringing home kittens after school. "Look Mom, look what followed me home from the bus stop?"
Of course, I would pet, love and encourage them so that they would follow me home. We always had to take them back to the owners. Which broke my heart as a young child.

It wasn't until we discovered Poodles that we were able to have any pets.
Poodles have a different type of dander and my Grandma wasn't allergic to them.
The first pet I grew up with was a beautiful miniature black poodle that we named Tracy.

Painting this picture really brought back the memories of growing up with Tracy.
Here's my poodle piece on watercolor paper 5x7.
I may have to do this full picture. Image is from pixabay.

Horses Eye - My Reflection

Did this little eye study. This is my mare's eye and my reflection in her eye.
I was doing this study and using gamsol orderless blending spirits.
Can you see me?

Gum Balls - Strathmore tutorials

This is a Strathmore tutorial done by Kelly Eddington on https://www.strathmoreartiststudio.com
If you follow my work or even just look at the majority of my work, you'll see I'm mostly a pet portrait artist that paints realistic portraits.
Doing this tutorial by Kelly was completely out of my comfort zone lol.
AND Disaster struck...In many ways lol.
So this was not an easy painting. I Might actually have to try these gum balls again.
One of my disasters was I decided to tape the side of my work and the tape I grabbed I thought was my lowtack artist tape and it wasn't.
So even though I pulled it away gently and slowly it ripped the top corner of my paper.
Now I don't have a nice clean white border all the way around. So, I cropped it.
Here's the taped tear and then the cropped piece.
Thanks for looking!
I think I'll stick to mostly animals from now on lol
Except I'm starting Kelly's second tutorial on human features in watercolors :-O
As always, thank you so much for stopping by, leaving your comments and supporting my artwork!!

Poodle Tutorial

Following loosely a speeded up youtube video tutorial by Rebecca Rhodes for this dog study.

Watercolor on watercolor paper.

Thanks for stopping by!

Casino - PastelMat

Using my new PolyChromo's and have started a new little piece.
This is a 5x7 on Pastelmat and it's of my horse Casino.
I've barely started it at this point but here's what I have so far.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cat Eye Tutorial

If you've followed me for any length of time you know that I draw and paint in a mostly realistic way with a slight painterly feel.
I strive to create realistic art that captures the unique character of the animal or person I am painting. I have never been considered a loose artist.

Well tonight, I tried something a little different and it was so liberating?
Hope you enjoy my little 2"x5" watercolor CatEyes
Loosely based on a cateyes tutorial from Rebecca Rhodes.
What do you think? Would you like to see more art in this style?

Thanks for stopping by!

Dog Eye Tutorial Finished

Completed as far as I'm going to take it.
I was following a Dog Eye tutorial from Rebecca Rhodes but I've taken it past the eye and filled in the face that fits the 5x6 image.
There is a lot wrong but a lot right as well.
What a great lesson and what fun to practice more techniques and learn new ways of doing things.
Hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Horse Tutorial Cont. - Adding the Bridle and Blue Accents of Color

Still working along on this Horse Head tutorial offered by Carrie L. Lewis.
Today I added the Blue Accents, increased the contrast and started on the bridle.
Wow does that Blue make this piece POP!

What do you think?
Thanks for stopping by!

Dog Eye Tutorial

Following a Dog Eye tutorial from Rebecca Rhodes but I've taken it past the eye and filled in the face that fits the 5x6 image.
Here's what I've done so far

Thanks for Stopping by!

Adding the Cast Shadows and Form Shadows

WIP Still ongoing with this fabulous tutorial provided by Carrie L. Lewis 
Now I'm starting to add the layer of Indigo Blue to darken the darks and cast shadows. This is where I ended last night.

Thanks for stopping by!
Starting to layer the Dark Brown to establish base values

Now adding in some Indigo Blue to increase the contrast

First Time with CP on Toned Paper

First time with Colored Pencils (CP) on Toned paper!
Here is the start of my next project. It is actually an emailed tutorial I got just before Dad passed away last June.
It is/was offered by Carrie L. Lewis and for those that don't know her, she is an Equestrian Artist and Teacher. This piece is on Canson Mi Teintes Grey Pastel Paper. My First challenge was how to get the image transferred. I've never drawn on toned paper with CP before. You can't erase on this paper very well without damaging it so the first thing I tried was to coat the back of my line drawing with a light colored Pan Pastel layer. Then transfer the image. While I've had great success with that technique for other drawings, it didn't work so well on this paper. I happened to have Saral waxfree transfer paper. So, I tried that next. That worked fairly well but I find I have to remove it before I can apply the CP because the CP doesn't cover it up.
So here is the image all transferred.
Thanks for stopping by!

Paint on Paper - 3rd layer

Put a little more paint on my "paint on paper" watercolor painting
Reference photo by Artist Reference Photos by Karen
Hope you like it so far.
It still has a ways to go.

Thanks for stopping by!

Practice piece 2 - Final

Peggy Covic

Just now

Practice piece for working on color matching etc... This is Jo....again

Photo used with permission by Artist Reference Photos by Karen  :)
PolyChromo CP on Canson Multimedia 7x10

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Practice Piece 2

Remember Jo?
This is on different paper - Canson Multi-Media
He's not finished yet
Still working on color matching and learning my set of 24 Polychromos

Thanks for stopping by!

Paint on Paper - Second Layer

Paint on Paper has a little more paint.
Not sure how many hours I worked off and on with this beautiful boy today. At one point I was NOT Happy with it! Now? I'm really happy with how it's turning out!
Feel Free to Like and Share and Leave a comment and let me know what you think!!
9"x12" Watercolor on watercolor paper
Reference by Artist Reference Photos by Karen

Thanks for stopping by!

Horses Eye

A little something I did today. This is a 2.5" x 3.5" Bristol Board Smooth Reference photo is from Keana Buckley Art of the Horse Horses Eye Let me know what you think!

Thanks for stopping by!

Paint on Paper - First Layer

My next project has started!! Paint on Paper :) 9"x12" Sorry about the crummy photo. It's dreary here today and has snowed on and off all day. Luckily, nothing has stuck on the ground but still...it is April! My horses are shedding. Ah, springtime in Montana :) The Gorgeous Horse is Referenced from Artist Reference Photos by Karen and is used with permission.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look :)

Practice Piece

Practicing with my Polychromo's and my new Jakar battery operated eraser. Learning what works, what doesn't and also trying to get the colors right with a set of 24 pencils.
Not that easy for sure but it's entertaining while I'm laid up.
Learning what to do and what not to do with Polychromo's Colored Pencils.
The biggest thing to not do is use the wrong paper lol.
Sketch BookPaper is not the greatest for these pencils!!
This is a practice peace for sure and I hope it helps you to see that you can't just sit down and start using a new medium. It takes lots of practice. I;m familiar with Colored Pencils but they are Prismacolors (wax based) and Polychromo's are oil based and slightly different to use.
This is Joe 6"x8" Sketch Book Paper

Reference from Artist Reference Photos by Karen
Thanks for stopping by!

Fox - Graphite

I found a really cute picture on Pixabay of a Fox looking up with his tongue stuck out so I decided to complete it in graphite on my sketchbook paper
6"x8"
I give you Mr. Fox.
Thanks for stopping by!

Doodles

While I've been working on my drawing almost everyday, I've been lacking on getting it posted here!
I've been doodling at work during my lunch hours and this is what I've created with doodles. It's fun to challenge myself with the quick draws and see how much I can get done during my lunch time.
Thanks for stopping by!

Anatomy sketching

I've been putting time into my art almost everyday.


Last night I had fun with ProCreate but created a very sad looking horse that I'm not going to share unless you really want to see it haha.

I've been studying horse anatomy and that sketch was a real quick loose example of that without having a reference photo to look at. Hubby said it was a sad looking horse.  He quickly said , "not the drawing but the expression".  The horses eyes looked sad hahaa..I said I think the whole thing is sad looking hahahahaha

I Added a Stylized Name Tag to Tucker.
I haven't stylized my writing since I took Jewelry class in MiddleSchool.


What do you think?


Artist Reference Photos by Karen
This is an anatomy head study.
Have a long ways to go with this one. Still need to compare to the reference photo with this image and see how close I am before continuing.
It's so much easier to trace an image but that doesn't train the brain or the eyes. 
I always start freehand and I'm no longer using a grid as that takes too much time and then the lines used for the grid might not erase and it can sure mess up the final drawing if they don't erase completely!.
So, I freehand to start with.  
Then take a picture of my image and place it over the reference in photo shop.

That shows me how far off I am, then I start making changes based on what I see is off.
As this is a sketch and practice, it's on the 5.5 x 8 sketch book.
 
Well, after getting that image into photoshop and comparing, the top of my horse from the crest up was spot on...However, the perspective and proportions for the bottom half were so far off it was laughable.
So after much erasing and altering.
Here is the finished sketch.

Thanks for stopping by!

Day 8 - Horse Portrait

Day 8:
Tucker is finished!
I had a lot of fun with this portrait but learned a lesson on using the appropriate paper as well. I fought this sketch book paper all the way to the final.
Really like how he came out though.

Reference photo with permission Artist Reference Photos by Karen
5.5"x8" Graphite
Thanks for stopping by!!
I pope you like it!

Day 7 - Horse Portrait

Day 7: Spent 7 days on this one now.
Still pushing the darks and now need to accentuate some of the lights.
Approaching the finish line with this one!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Day 6

Day 6:Working some more on this beautiful boy!
Still pushing the darks and still have more to go.

YAY the cough is mostly gone and I can work on this without ruining it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Day 5 - Horse Portrait

What do they say about best laid plans?
Life got in the way again and I've missed two days because now I'm sick but was able to get a little bit done tonight between coughing spells.


Day 5:

Hope you like it so far!

Thanks for stopping by!

Day 4 Horse Portrait

Day 4:
Today was all about the mane and forelock.
Really like how they came out and are capturing the light.

Thanks for stopping by!