Illo Friday - Spring

Spring Is...

...the excitement of the first sign of color in a world of grey.
Pen, Ink Wash, & Colored Pencil

(Bid on this item or other pieces by me.)

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Illo Friday - Monsters (3 & 4)

They are just so fun to doodle... I couldn't help but doodle some more of them. :)

Pen & Ink Wash



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ACEOs - Motherhood series

I created the following ACEOs today to be a part of my motherhood series.

#7.

#8.

#9.

#10.
Pen & Ink Wash

Click here if you want to see the eBay auctions for these items.

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ACEOs for sale on eBay!

So I have just started selling my work on eBay. I'm starting with some of the ACEOs I have created and previous posted on here. ACEOs #2, #3, #5, and #6 are for sale (below).

#2 #3
#5 #6

Click on any image to enlarge, and click here if you want to bid on any of them or any other items I currently have for sale. Good luck!


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Illo Friday - Monster (2)

I felt like a break from all those motherhood drawings I've been doing (here and here), so I thought I would return to this week's Illo Friday topic for another go at that monster theme. This is from a doodle I was doing in my sketchbook.
Pen, Ink, & GIMP.

And the original sketch...
Pen & Ink Wash

Maybe this is just why I do so many B&W images... I think I prefer the B&W sketch over the colorized one. Then again, I am still learning how to use GIMP to add color/depth to my drawings. Maybe when I get better at that, I will like those versions of my drawings more.


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Motherhood (cont'd)

Motherhood series, 6-7 -- Pen & Ink Wash

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Motherhood

I drew these yesterday to possibly sell. They are on the theme of motherhood, since Mother's Day is coming. They could also be used for like a baby shower gift or something too.

Motherhood series, 1 - 5 -- Pen & Ink Wash
(Click on any image to enlarge.)


These were interesting to draw. I experimented with a thicker pen width, which, to me, seems to give them a really cartoony/folksy vibe. I like the strength of these wider lines. Makes the images a little more graphic and less ethereal, which is an interesting thing given the subject matter.

I will probably draw some more in this series. I will post them up when I do.
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Illo Friday - Monster

He was a monster on the slopes. - Pen & Ink Wash.


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ACEOs #5 & 6

#5. #6.

Pen & Ink Wash

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Anthony's Icing

Pen, ink wash, & color pencil.

While everyone was busy looking at how cute the birthday girl was, big brother Anthony was busy sneaking tastes of the cake.

If you are interested in how I did this one, keep reading. I have notes & photos. Oh and please forgive the nasty scans, Our scanner is just a hair too small for this size art.



The materials:
A pen, a paintbrush, ink, water, paper, and a reference photo (which I made in GIMP from collaging different photo elements.)

And now that you've seen the original photo, let's not dwell on how different the drawing is!


Ok. So first I started with a sketch in pen:



Then I did a light ink wash to fill in some larger areas:



After that, I started doing some shading & building up some darker values with layers of ink wash & also some slightly darker tones of wash:



Then I went in and started really developing depth with darker shades, and more layering:



As it turns out, I went a bit too far on this one, when (during the adding of more darks & further depth) I decided that my Anthony drawing needed corrective surgery to give him a shorter forehead.
I also put some pink coloring pencil shading in to emphasize the icing and add some further visual interest.


So there you have it. The process for this one in a nut shell.


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ACEO #4

#4


Pen & Ink Wash

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ACEOs #1, 2, & 3

Well, really I don't think I have sturdy enough paper. It's only 65lb. But here are my first efforts with ACEOs:

1.2.


3.
Pen & Ink Wash.


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New Obsession!

I have just discovered the world of ATC/ACEOs. In English that is Art Trading Cards or Art Cards Editions and Originals. Here is a website devoted to the subject. Basically this swiss artist came up with the idea of trading these little 2.5" x 3.5" guys (that's wallet photo, trading card, business card, and playing card size) with other artists in 1996. Then, later, people began selling them on eBay and other art auction sites. Most of them go for really cheap, but some are pretty pricey and are selling even more than artists' full size work. Of course, if you have your own to give away, you can get some for free.

Apparently the most fun part is attending a swap. That does sound really cool. Big gatherings of artists giving each other art for free. Don't know if there are ever any swaps anywhere near Denver though.

I'm so excited, I think this is my new hobby. I just have been bidding on some cheapies on eBay. Expect to see a collection developing in our house soon.

You'll have to excuse, me. I have to go make some ACEOs now. Tata!

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CONGRATULATIONS!!!

To my cousin Patrick and his wife Stephanie. They had a baby girl named Emma last night.

Welcome to the world, Emma - Pen & Color Pencil

I can't wait to see pictures. Hint Hint! ;)

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Flowers of Sympathy

As promised, here are some flowers I drew for some sympathy cards I made. They have probably received them by now, so I don't feel quite so weird posting them.


Click to enlarge.

Flowers 1-4 -- Pen & Ink Wash.


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Happy St. Patty's Day!

And Happy Birthday to our buddy, Jason S.! :)


I hope you're wearing green!


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Illo Friday - Feet

Watching the Sunrise - GIMP.


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Illo Friday - Tattoo (Second Submission)

GIMP.

I watched GERALD MCBOING BOING last night and was a little inspired by the style. Can you tell? ;)


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Happy Birthday Omma

From an old notebook doodle...
Hanna Jacobsen, (March 1910 - December 2005). Ink Pen.

I miss you.

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Allaboo!

My new Allaboo!
GIMP



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More Alien Story Sketches

Well there have some opinions about the other post I put up earlier on some different variations of "Allaboo" a character from a story I wrote. People (some cast their votes via email instead of by comment) seem to prefer the older one, because the newer one is creepy. I am not sure I mind the creepy aspect. I would rather that than have my illustrations be too cutesy. I am not a fan of cutesy styles. I like the style of the first Allaboo, but worry he is too cutesy. Plus there is that whole thing that I mentioned about wanting to give him more human eyes. Anyway, I have some other versions of characters here. And then some other illo sketches for other things. Let me know what you think!

Still playing with style (above). Some ideas for the other children in the story.


I had forgotten about these altogether!
I came across these in an old school notebook:


I think this Allaboo is my fave so far as far as style, etc.. Maybe I will try and make a cleaned up version with GIMP and post him again.


And here is another drawing of that character I had drawn before:



Here are some other drawings I did that aren't related to this story:

The one on the left was for a poem I wrote about rain. The one on the right was a stylized drawing I did of myself when I was a bit thinner and had short hair. Can't remember what I was planning on using this for. I think I was fiddling around with some wedding invite design ideas.


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