Ta-da!

I just finished the Hagar color study!! I'm happy with the result and psyched to start the final tomorrow! All this finished this evening with the wonderful company of The Riches on netflix :)

I'm adding a new technique to my process - finishing the piece by adding opaque acrylic white to my watercolor for the highlights. I've recently been inspired by Kadir Nelson's children's books, where he uses transparent darks and opaque lights in some of the most beautiful ways. So, here's my first try:

Forward Motion! (Hagar Line Drawing)

Soooo, already a month of the semester is gone - holy cow.

I'm finalizing the sketches for my Ladies. Hagar is the only finished sketch that's pretty much ready to go to final - AFTER I complete my color study. Soooo, here it is:





As I type, the lovely Epson Stylus PHOTO R2880 is printing it on my watercolor paper - joy. of. joys! Transferring a line drawing onto the surface I'll be working on is hands down my LEAST favorite part of the process. I may stick to watercolors the rest of my life simply because I can run the paper through a printer. That way, I preserve my original drawing and don't lose anything by tracing it and then transferring it manually. I'm not a technology lover, but this simple advantage always gets me excited.

HOWEVER, I cannot take credit for the idea. My friend and fellow Illustrator and Craftmaker, Alison Berry, recommended I try it after she discovered the wonder of Epson. Please check out her blog!! www.alison-berry.com
Her work is often hilarious, creepy, and drop-dead-adorable all at once! And her hand-made dolls are stellar - AND FOR SALE :) I've been lucky enough to be given a proto-type named Mr. Bean. I love him. Wish I had a picture to share. Anways, check her out :)

Until next time - make me some figgy pudding.

Mary of Bethany

Another one of my Women of the Bible series, completed this past December.

Mary of Bethany, water color, 11"x17"

Women of the Bible

Here are two of the finished pieces from my Women of the Bible Series thus far. Unfortunately, I had trouble uploading the Esther final :( I'll try it again later. And Sapphira is still in the works.... For now, I have Delilah and Mary of Bethany for your viewing pleasure.

Delilah - water color, 11"x17"

Just today, I shot reference for the next lady in my series - Salome! The daughter of Herodium, who after dancing so well she pleased Herod, was offered by the king anything she wanted up to half his kingdom. What did she do? Ask for mamma's advice, of course. What did she say? Ask for John the Baptist's head on a silver platter, of course. And thus we have the beheading of John.

Can't wait to share the preliminary sketches - stay tuned!

Book Cover - almost finished

My book cover assignment is nearly finished!

Corel Painter X

I painted the majority of this all in one night. Phew! I'm pooped out. Goodnight!

Delilah Thumbnail and Value Study

This is the sketch I started with.


Next, I took reference, using a two model, a lighting studio, and proper equipment (it was my first time using the studio and equipment - it was great!). Using my photos, I made the drawing, which I then copied to a small size and worked on this value study - a mix of pencil and photoshop.

I hope to have the color comp underway - maybe finished?! - this weekend. And I'll shoot reference for another piece on Tuesday.

Only a few more weeks until these are all wrapped up - yikes! Wish me luck, pleeeaaasse!

Sapphira Sketches

So, I'm not finished Esther yet, but I'm moving on to another piece in my series: Sapphira.

You can read the story of Sapphira here.

Here's my thumbnail.



And here's a study for the face I've been working on tonight. In the unfinished one, I used my own face as a model because the reference I had of the other model didn't have the right expression. However, working for the reference of her and the reference of my expression, I was able to blend the two and finish the study with the intended model.



Now, I'll do the final drawing, so I can scan it and start the color study by Tuesday. Then, I'll shoot reference for Delilah on Wednesday and begin that sketch right away.

Forward motion!