Another Van Gogh-style ATC

2.5" x 3.5" oil pastel on canvas paper

I’ve been in a bit of a drawing slump and fighting a cold, so not much art is getting done these days.  Here is another Van Gogh-style card from the swap I mentioned on my last post.  While I tried acrylic paint on the last card, this one was done with oil pastels.

I hope you are all staying well and drawing happily! Thanks for stopping by!

Lazily Copying From a Master: Van Gogh ATC

2.5" x 3.5" acrylic on canvas paper

One of the ongoing swaps over at Illustratedatcs.com is the Art History 102. Each month the host chooses an artist and we can make cards adapted from one of the artists works or create a work in the artist’s style. I signed up for the Van Gogh month and this is the best card of the three I did.

I wanted to try some acrylic painting.  Since I have a tendancy toward muted tones I thought working from some Van Gogh paintings would be an excellent way to experiment and practice.  I had no real interest in copying the painting exactly.   I just wanted to focus on color and see if I could get through a painting without it turning out brownish and dull.

I’m pleased with how this turned out.  Now that I look at it again I wish that I had kept it.

ATC: Graphite Portrait Sketch

Here’s a sketch I did for my pal Kati. It’s been a while since I’ve done a graphite piece.

Fall is here. Back to Blogging…

Hello there! Can’t believe it’s September already. Now that summer is almost over I feel a little more like spending more time at the computer. I’ve spent most of August trading a lot of custom portraits on atcsforall.com and illustratedatcs.com. It’s been challenging and fun.

Here’s one of the cards that I made for a trade on illustratedatcs.com.  I like the way the eyes turned out in this portrait. I’m still not comfortable with watercolor, but it’s not bad. Just a year ago I was so terrified of watercolor. I’m so glad I decided to just get over myself and give it a try. Perhaps I’ll be able to take a class next year, but right now I’m just going with my instincts.

I’ll post a few more of these portrait cards next week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Back to the Sketchbook

It’s been a long time since I’ve just played around in my sketchbook.   I forgot how fun it is to just scribble and hack away without any real attachment to the outcome.   I had spent some time working on an ATC for a self-portrait swap.  It just wasn’t working .  The drawing was okay, but I didn’t capture myself at all.   I  was suddenly just so fed up!   I needed to relax and loosen up.  There was nothing left to do but grab a few pens and my book and just cut loose on the page.  The results were surprising–and pleasing.

ATC: Turtle Portrait

2.5" x 3.5" colored pencil

I needed to draw a turtle artist trading card for a trading partner last week.  I looked through some pictures I had taken at the zoo and came up with this guy.  I like the expression on this face.  What a grumpagus, if that’s a word.  If not I’ve just made it one.

I’m planning more regular posts for August.   I’ve finished a large stack of artist trading card requests and now I can get back to my daily drawing.  I’ve noticed that my drawing has become so tight and careful lately.  I want to try a few different things to get the fun back into my drawing practice.  Hopefully they will pass muster for posting.

Thanks for stopping by.   I always love to read your comments.

ATC: African Gray Parrot

2.5" x 3.5" colored pencil

A fellow art card trader asked me to  draw  her parrot.  Her name is Miss Duke (the parrot) and she looked like a charmer from the photo I received.   It was fun figuring out what colors to use.   Oh and look, no pen lines!

Crows, Crows, Crows

2.5" x 3.5" pen, watercolor, and markers

I’ve been enjoying our neighborhood crows lately.  They are all out and about teaching their youngs ones to be afraid of humans and hunt for their own food.  Once we noticed some crows on the ground and one was obviously just a youngster, but close to the same size as the parent.  He was making the usual “feed me” noises.  The parent was looking at him and then pecking around the grass.  He was trying to show the younger crow how to look for food.  The young crow finally looked at the parent and then half-heartedly pecked the same spot three times like he was pecking a code.  Then he looked at the parent like, “Okay, I did that.  Now FEED ME!”  I could almost see the frustration in the parent crow.  I guess parenting can be tough for birds too.

2.5" x 3.5" pen, watercolor, markers

I’m still trying to convey the intelligence and the trickster quality I admire in these birds.   But I feel that I’m off to a great start.  I could easily sketch these birds the rest of my life.

Here’s a great video from TED.com:  Joshua Klein on the intelligence of crows.  He shares stories and evidence of how these birds adapt and thrive.

Offline for a Bit

2.5″ x 3.5″  pen and watercolor pencil

Thanks for stopping by!  I’ve been offline quite a bit and will be for another week.  I have visiting relatives and my computer and drawing time is limited.  I’m hoping to be back by the 17th!

Here’s one of the drawings I put up for World Drawing Day.   I managed a little bit of drawing on that day.  Here’s a link to the Drawing Day Flickr group.  They were one of the various venues hosting Drawing Day events.

Remember Drawing Day, Saturday June 6

Back in April I mentioned Drawing Day, a yearly event that celebrates the joys of drawing.  Well, it’s coming up and I just wanted to mention it again.

The goal is to get folks to make 1,000,000 drawings worldwide.  So pick up a pen and pencil and give it a go.  Draw a picture of something outside or around the house.  Then post it to one of  many communities participating in Drawing Day on the web.   I’m going to post my drawing(s)  in the Flickr group.   Join in and have fun with it!