WIP - Mei

This is a WIP of my latest commission - a beautiful leopard called Mei. Doing this commission gave me a renewed passion to do some more artworks featuring Big Cats and so we took a flying visit down to the Canberra Zoo, where they have a wonderful array of big cats. Considering it is the middle of school holidays, we were amazed how quiet it was at the zoo, giving us a glorious day of meandering from enclosure to enclosure. Some of the Big Cats were more co-operative than others in posing for photos. I must admit I had to chuckle a few times, as I got the distinct feeling that a few of the gorgeous Cats knew exactly what I was there for and were deliberately playing cat and mouse with me. As they paced up and down, I would wait up one end of the enclosure for them to return from their pace, upon which they decided take a stretch or a roll up the other end. Quick as a flash I was up the other end for that amazing shot, only to find that they had resumed pacing again. Reminded me so much of my contrary Siamese cat!

'Amore d'estate, Firenze'

'Amore d'estate, Firenze'

A3 (12x16 inches)

Coloured Pencils and Watercolour wash sky on illustration board

This was the commission that I mentioned on my blog about a month ago that kept me quite busy for almost an entire week. I really haven't done a lot of artwork containing architecture before and so this was a pleasant, but challenging change.

Wishing everyone a very happy and peaceful Easter holiday!!! :)

Coloured Pencil Conversion Charts

Coloured Pencil Conversion and Comparison Charts now available in a kit from http://www.miniatureartbykhull.com/tutorials_34.html.Unsure about which coloured pencils to substitute when you are working between brands? Like to know which colours and brands stand out the most on a black surface? Which surfaces work best with which brand of coloured pencil? Like to compare at a glance which pencils have the highest lightfast rating? This kit will help you answer all those questions and more. There are colour conversion charts for four of the main brands of CP including Faber Castell Polychromos, Prismacolor Premier, Derwent Artists and Caran D'Ache Pablos. There are also charts showing each colour on six different surfaces: Fabriano 5 HP, Drafting film, Black mat, Colourfix Suede, Canson Mi-Teintes Tex and Stonehenge with a brief description for each surface.

The Mentor - Colourfix Suede vs Pastelmat

The Mentor

8x10 inches

Coloured pencils and Pan Pastels on Colourfix Suede

Well, as many of you may know, I have been working quite a bit with coloured pencils on Pastelmat and have been really loving this combination of media. I ordered some more Pastelmat from the UK a couple of weeks ago, and whilst waiting for the shipment to arrive, thought I would play with some other surfaces. I first tried the Art Spectrum Colourfix Suede surface 2 years ago when it was launched and at that time loved the way it accepted coloured pencils, but found the bubble like texture overpowered the artwork. I decided to revisit this suface again and to my delight found that the texture has been refined and it is now very similar in texture to the Pastelmat. It accepts about the same number of layers of coloured pencil as the Pastelmat, but is slightly better for getting crisp lines and fine detail. It also grabs the Pan Pastel pigments really well, meaning that there is less need for fixative. I was able to lift off both the pencil and pastel using a kneadable eraser. I have yet to see how it responds to having a solvent such as Zest-it applied in conjunction with the coloured pencils but will keep you posted. This surface is an excellent alternative for any artists who are struggling to source the Pastelmat and works out around the same price.

P.S. Have just gone onto the Art Spectrum site and cannot find this board listed on their site anymore, so will keep you posted as to whether this product is still available.

Adonis

Adonis

A3 (12x16 inches)

Coloured pencil and Pan Pastels on black Mat Board

This artwork was done just for fun because I am enjoying experimenting with coloured pencils on black mat board and am loving some of the effects that can be achieved. Only problem is that I find the darker backgrounds much harder to scan, particularly when you have to stitch scans together as I had to in this case. I am going to take a week off from art now as we have family arriving at the end of the week, so cleaning and tidying is on the agenda and hopefully catching up on some internet correspondence. I wonder if many of you find as I do, that once caught up doing art, (apart from all the other things that call on our time), there is very little time left over for browsing all the beautiful artworks that everyone else has been creating. It's nice to take stock and have a breather every now and then and just appreciate the beauty and creativity of other people's work and I also find that it spurs me on and inspires me to improve and be more creative myself. So looking forward to catching up on all of that this week! :)

A Couple of Commissions - Archie & Maisie

Maisie

8x10 inches

Graphite and Coloured Pencil on Bristol Board

Archie

8x10 inches

Graphite and Coloured Pencil on Bristol Board

For a while I thought I would readvertise the graphite portraits I used to offer as they are definitely the portraits I get asked to do most often. I see so many other artists doing amazing portraits using the graphite, but for me it is a struggle. I miss the strong contrasts that I find so easy to achieve with CP's. No matter how dark I go with the graphite, or even when I try charcoal, or some of some of the other mediums that complement graphite, I'm never a hundred percent happy with the result. These two lovely little dogs were wonderful to draw, and their 'Mum' seems very happy with her portraits, but for me it helped to clarify that I need to work with the mediums I like the best, and that is coloured pencils.

Grandpa Elliott

Grandpa Elliott

A3

Coloured pencils on mat board

The reference photo for this portrait was taken 17 years ago by my brother, when he and his wife were on their honeymoon in New Orleans, when Grandpa Elliott was a little known busker on the streets. Now, because of utube, he has become a legendary and much sought after street entertainer. Please take the time to browse some of the many videos on utube featuring this charming and endearing character and I'm sure you'll come away with a smile on your face and feel better about the world!!! :)