Look Into My Eyes . . . Sketch Is Painted!

Look Into My Eyes . . .

8x10 mixed media on canvas board

Once again, thanks to all of you for your nice comments on my last post! I finally had a chance today to paint her! So here she is all dolled up (as my grandma would say) !

You all know how much I struggle with color palettes. Well, I have to say with this one I decided to go with lighter colors. And I really like the tone of the painting. I thought that pink with white would be too blah which is why I have been making myself crazy with picking darker colors, complimentary colors etc when this is truly what I love. So I should do it right?! :)

These words were written in the top left of my last sketch. I didn't want to forget them. And in the sketch I had a barette in her hair. What do you guys think? I am on the fence as to whether she needs it . . .

It is also my first time painting this type of eye. I have so much fun with the eyes. Especially when it comes to lashes, shadowing and that kind of stuff. To me its like makeup! lol

Well, I hope you all like her painted as much as you did sketched!

Love Is All Around Us . . . She's Painted!

Love Is all Around Us . . . Falling Like Rain

8x10 mixed media on canvas board

Thanks for all of your comments on yesterday's exciting news! Later on in the day I found out that my card was featured in another treasury! My little Bosco was quite popular!

Today I finally had a chance to get to painting my sketch of this angel that I showed you last week. I am always on the fence as to whether I like it better as just a sketch. I suppose it is just a different look!

I am thinking my background has too much gray but I wanted to go for a rainy theme. This time I made her wings heart shaped. I kinda like them that way!

Oh, and I signed up for my very first Suzi Blu class! I am excited to jump in and get started!

Hope you are having a beautiful creative day! :)

Let The Sun Shine . . . She's Painted!

Let the Sun Shine . . .

8x10 mixed media on canvas board

Thanks for all of your lovely comments on yesterday's post! I will be starting on the new sketch for this weeks challenge soon and am excited to see how I do with it.

So I finally had a chance to get my recent angel sketch on canvas. I did the background a few days ago and actually thought it made a pretty good landscape on its own! Yesterday I transferred the sketch and the only color I debated was her clothes. Originally I used folk art italian sage but then changed it to white. I almost switched her to another color because I was unsure of the white but left it alone!

Hope you like her!

Stretching To Sketch Challenge Week One

This is my sketch for the Stretching to Sketch Challenge over at Kelly Berkey's blog. Each week Kelly will post a picture of herself in a ballet pose for you to sketch or paint.

I had never sketched the human form before so this was intimidating for me. I used graphite pencil and a pitt artist pen. I plan to participate in this challenge each week and hopefully improve on my skills especially in sketching hands! That was the hardest part of this for me. The hair was the easiest. lol

You can check out the original photo for this sketch here.

Check out the rest of the artwork in this challenge here.

Hope you will join us!

Let The Sun Shine . . . New Angel Sketch!

I sat on the couch last nite sketchbook in hand and out came another angel! I don't know what it is with me and these gals but obviously they are in my mind! I went small with the face (unintentionally) and hence the small eyes. I thought I would be the big eyed girl with the latest paintings I have been doing and then this. I am learning not to fight what comes through my hand onto the page. Just trying to let it flow. The words popped into my head after I finished sketching her.

I plan on painting her. Not sure how I will handle painting those small eyes though. That will be some fine detail I may have trouble with. Anyone ever use markers for eyes instead of paint? I know that is avoiding the paintbrush but my hand is not too steady yet!

As I look at this sketch I am trying hard not to stress over the potential color scheme!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous day! Here in NY the heat has finally lessened and it is starting to feel like fall! My favorite season! Just wish it lasted longer. It always seems so short doesn't it?

Back To My Angels . . . New Painting

Thanks to all of you for your lovely comments on my last post! As an update I have decided to keep the hearts as is for now. After walking away for a bit that day I went back to it after a few hours and it popped out to me. I really liked all the colors and the hearts!

Here is a painting I did yesterday . . .

Look To The Other Side . . .There Is Hope

8x10 mixed media on canvas

You may recognize her from a sketch I previously posted (see that post here). I woke up yesterday morning earlier than usual and saw her in my head. The texture I would use, the color palette and rambled over the details until I couldn't go back to sleep. That has never happened before. It was like she was calling to me and telling me what she wanted!

I used molding paste for texture around the outside of the canvas board. Although I was leery about the dark colors and the black hair as they are new for me I tried to just go with it. And I am pleased with how it came out.

I find that I am having trouble getting a good shot of my paintings as far as lighting for the colors to show accurately. Are you photographing your art or scanning it?

Love Is Falling . . . Sketch Painted!

Love Is Falling

8x10 mixed media on canvas

This is a painting of the sketch I posted Friday (see that post here). I got caught up in my color scheme again but in the end I am happy with it.

One problem I was having with this one is in going from the sketch to painting I feel like I was unable to get the hearts to pop out. The sketch is grayscale so it was easier to get them to show up on white paper with a black pitt pen! Here I was unsure if the pink outlined with the black pitt pen is enough to make them stand out. Or perhaps I am just obsessing again and haven't stepped back long enough!

Would love your input on this!

Hope you all like the painted version as well!

Sketching Out A New Painting . . .

This image just popped into my head yesterday and I sketched it out last evening. I used my gray colored pencil and pitt artist pen. I am beginning to realize to not question as much and let the image take its form. Can you tell I like hearts?!

I am excited to get her on a canvas! My mind is still playing around with colors and I am hoping I don't let that stall my process. I should probably not think so much and let the colors come to me with the paintbrush in my hand.

Ever get caught up in trying to figure out the color palette for your art? Or does it just come to you easily?

A Little Landscape Today . . .

First let me say that I was overwhelmed with all of your lovely comments on yesterday's post! Thank you so much! Being able to interact with each of you makes this creative blogging journey so fun!

And now here is my art for the day!

Untitled

9x12 mixed media on canvas paper

I did this landscape yesterday on 140 lb canvas paper that I gessoed and then added molding paste for texture. I have never done a landscape with molding paste. I am becoming a big fan of it though! This was from a sketch I did and upon painting it took a life of its own. I was stumped on the colors but in the end I like how it turned out.

I have to ask for those of you who use canvas paper . . . how do you keep it from bubbling while you paint. I added gesso hoping that would prevent it from happening but it still did. I am wondering if I didn't use enough? Or does this just happen with canvas paper?

Lets Fly Away . . . New Painting

Lets Fly Away

8x10 mixed media on canvas board

She started out as a sketch I did over the weekend. I was excited to paint her. My background was a little blah at first but at the end I used my distress ink (which I love) and smudged some all around with a cotton pad. Then she felt complete. I changed the color of the baloons 3 times before I settled on the pink. I used black colored pencil on the balloons and dress to give some depth and outline. The only thing I was sure of was the color of her dress. And then somehow all the rest came together. This time I didn't struggle as much with her hair. I am pleased with how it came out. The original sketch had barettes on both sides but I am on the fence about adding them. What do you think?

I find that I sometimes struggle with colors. Funny though that I originally thought I would make then pink and then tried 2 other colors I didn't like. I guess I better just let go and listen to the muse!

Take Me Home . . . Something New I Tried

Take Me Home

8x10 mixed media on canvas board

I have to admit I almost didn't post her. She started out as a sketch and then I had to paint her. This is the first time I have tried one of my faces/figure onto a landscape background. I like how the background came out and am warming up to her slowly!

I am still finding my way. Trying to find my own style and what I like. It is hard when I try something new. That is when I can be most critical of my work. Have any of you felt that way when you go in a different direction for a piece of art?

Be Still . . . New Angel Painting

Be Still

8x10 mixed media on canvas board

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. I wanted to share another angel painting I did yesterday. She is a similar style to my recent post Listen to the Angels . . . She's Painted!(see that post here) I am just not sure about the hair thing. I am a fan of the wavy hair because it is easier for me to do! I had to stop myself from starting all over with her hair. I transferred the sketch onto the canvas board after I did the background. It is strange to see how different it looks with paint versus the pencil.

The words I wrote just popped into my head. I suppose because she told them to me! I like her and I hope you do too!

Any tips for doing straight hair? I always appreciate any input you have!

Listen to the Angels . . . She's Painted!

Listen to the Angels . . .

8x10 mixed media on canvas

She was calling to me yesterday. I have to admit that I freehanded the sketch onto my background. So she looks a bit different than the sketch I posted the other day. I did use that as a guide. I had fun making the background. I put down the yellow first and then mixed some red and raw umber to wipe around the outside. I like how the yellow makes her look as though she has a glow behind her. That was something I didn't plan. I am finding that most of what I do with these paintings has no plan. And that is the way it is meant to be.

I picked folk art italian sage for her shirt but wanted to leave a little of the background showing through. Have you used that color? I so love it! I wasn't sure how the lashes would come out on the painting but I used the same technique as the sketch and I really like her eyes. As you can see I am a fan of large eyes.

I have always been drawn to angels. Maybe because I feel as though those I have lost are watching over me amongst them now. I like to think that now I have my own personal angels protecting me.

Are you still amazed at the far off land that your creations seem to come from? I know I am!

Listen to the Angels . . . New Sketch

Thanks to all of you for your lovely comments on yesterday's post and for the transfer advice! I haven't started painting yet but I did more sketching! This one seemed to be calling for angel wings. I used the dark grey colored pencil again along with my Pitt artist pen and my trusty shading tool . . . a Q-tip.

I really like her too. For me the sketching can be just as fun as painting. And both are meditation for me . . .

Sunday Sketching . . .

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Yesterday it was a rainy day here in NY so I got out my sketchbook and here she is! I used a dark gray colored pencil and outlined some areas with a Pitt artist pen. I use a Q-tip to smudge the pencil...comes in handy for shading.

She is different from my other faces and I like her. She is cute and I love her big eyes! I have been wanting to try eyelashes. And this is the first time I drew a nose and did not connect it with the eyebrows and I like it. I wonder what she will look like painted? Hmmmmm . . . that may come next!

Any suggestions for transferring a sketch to canvas? I know if I try to replicate her free hand it won't come out the same. Strange how that happens! But I guess that's part of what makes art original!

"Believe" . . . New Painting!

Believe

8x10 mixed media on canvas

I had fun painting this one! And with the more I learn the more fun I have! I really love her!

I painted her with acrylics, colored pencil, black Pitt artist pen, distressed ink, and added butterfly stickers. I am loving the effect the distressed ink gives to the background. I enjoyed watching her come to life! I have to say she looks better in person.

I am still trying to figure out where to add the word "believe" or maybe I should leave it out. What do you guys think?