The Color of the Day Is...Coral

Coral...the lovely pinkish-orangeish-reddish color that just conjures up pictures of underwater reefs and beautiful tropical fish...that's going to have to be next on my list of things to draw. Some day I may even get to see one in person, but until then, let's go see what we can see!

If you go to susansheehan's shop, you will find these and other exquisite lampwork beads:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10668435



And this really cool recycled notebook can be found in subu's shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9803062



For those who love to knit...or just love looking at those as talented as iWunder is, you gotta check these out:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9800816



You can find a lot of journals and notebooks on Etsy, including this awesome notebook found in LadyGil's shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10608222



Tired of using the same old pincushion your Great Grandmother used? Then go to verybigjen's shop and get your own!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9906069



As for my newest creation...I haven't yet decided on a name for the drawing I'm using for this Work In Progress...or WIP from here on out. But after I picked the colors, I started adding color to the lifeless drawing on the obnoxiously blank paper.

I first laid down the Orange on the inner most parts of the wings...the little pointed ovals nearest her body. I then took Maroon and colored the outside of these little ovals, blending it with the orange. After that, to brighten it up and blend it more, I colored over that entire area with Red-Orange, making it stand out a bit more.
For the outer part of the wings, I used Pink nearest her body.





I did come across a problem with the second wing. Only part of it was visible, and just shy of outlining the whole drawing in black, I didn't want it to get lost back there, so I colored lightly in Magenta first, then Pink, so that it was darker than the closest wing. (you can see this in the above pictures)

I then took Magenta and colored in the next area of color, being careful not to cover the wing edges. I blended the Magenta into the Pink, and then went over both with Pink again to get a subtle fading of color from one to the next.




Then it was Blueberry I added to the outer edge of the wing, blending it into the Magenta much the same way that I blended the Magenta into the Pink. I then drew the wing section 'lines' with the Blueberry.




And that's when it happened...
The worst possible thing to happen to an artist as obsessive/compulsive (anal retentive) as I am...

I MADE A MISTAKE!!!
...and I'll tell you all about it next time

(gotcha again)

The Color of the Day Is....Light Blue!

Man, this whole blogging thingy is a lot harder than it looks! Sure, anyone can talk and talk...or should I say type and type...but to get in here everyday as I had hoped is turning out to be quite difficult! I'll get it all organized yet, though. Don't you worry! I did manage to snag an Etsy Treasury, showing off some of the many wonderful items made by my fellow Iowans. Check it out here for one more day:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=35152

Today's color is Light Blue! Why light blue, you ask? Why not just blue, or dark blue, or cobalt for that matter? Because I LIKE light blue...that's why :)

Here are some outstanding earrings from rgrdesign's shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6873995



Check out this necklace and earring set from cherryscreations' shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6924334



This lovely ocean scented bar of soap from tworiverssoaps' shop would make a terrific gift!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10202563



Not to mention this fine example of beadery from BeadedArt's shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6445328



And make sure to check out JANETLILY's shop for more elegant and beautiful jewelry:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10426779



And don't forget to check out my shop while you're visiting Etsy.com I gladly accept custom orders for colored pencil drawings. If it can be drawn....I can draw it!

The Color of the Day is....Purple!

Well, all right then. I haven't been on the ball this week, for which I feel quite ashamed of myself. I can't get the word out about Etsy and its wonderful community of crafters if I don't make a more serious effort, can I?

Today, it's all about Purple! Lots of cool stuff out there comes in shades of purple...purple mountains majesty...purple people eaters...you know, stuff like that :)

Here is a great purple and cream pair of leg warmers from LanaHandknitting's shop:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9709761


Here is a wonderful flannel lobster from sojournquilts' shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6145251



This is an exceptional lavender travel candle from GoodScents' shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8911362



This beautiful inspiration bracelet is from carolinesdesign's shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9931776



And last for today, but definitely not least, is a beautiful bracelet from struckmyfancy's shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10035140



I also intended at the start to give tips on drawing with colored pencils. There are so many styles and techniques that I feel a bit overwhelmed with this task. I do that more than I should...think too hard about something and make it larger than it should be. So I made myself rethink my original idea. Obviously, I can't teach anyone something that I don't know how to do, right? So here goes...

The very first thing one should do when they want to create a masterpiece is decide on the subject matter. To draw a realistic looking piece of art, you must have a very good reference, whether that means drawing it out on the spot, or using reference photos as I do. If you use reference photos, be sure that they are clean and crisp so you can see the details, or at least know your subject well enough to be able to make an educated guess on something that doesn't show up well in your photo. I take my digital camera with me everywhere...and I mean everywhere. I've got hundreds of reference pictures saved to disc that I print out on my inkjet printer.
Proportion is everything when it comes to realistic drawings. I prefer to sketch from the photo I've taken, but if I need to make my main subject larger or smaller, I'm not against graphing off my picture and my drawing surface. I'll get more into that in my next blog.

What kind of colored pencils to use? That one is easy! Whichever kind you want to use. Some are softer than others, and blend more easily, but because of that, it is more difficult to get a crisp, sharp edge. (I didn't say impossible, just more difficult) If you are on an unlimited budget and money is not a factor, buy the best you can. Prismacolor is just one of the many great, yet expensive, colored pencils out there. I happen to be a starving artist, so Crayola is my pencil of choice. They have harder leads, but with practice can be manipulated quite well. On the down side, they will accept fewer layers without getting 'muddy'.

Colored pencils need a surface with some tooth to it. Rough artist paper is a good choice. Rough illustration board is more costly, but well worth the investment. Pencils must be layered at times, and maneuvered in other ways, and while artist drawing paper is good for a few layers, it does flatten out and get a 'warp' to it's surface if you push it too far. Illustration board is more forgiving than a mother is to a wayward child. Again, that starving artist rears its ugly head, so I draw with acid free artist drawing paper.

When it comes to sharpening my pencils, I love my handy dandy electric pencil sharpener, but it doesn't play well with the softer leaded pencils such as Prismacolor...so I keep a good hand held pencil sharpener in my art bin as well. Mine has a removable stainless steel blade that I can remove and put an edge on if necessary. The cheaper plastic ones from the dime store are not recommended for quality pencils, as you have to twist the pencil to get them to sharpen, which will most likely break the lead inside the wood casing.

If you are outlining with your pencil, get as sharp of a point as you can, using care not to press too hard on your drawing surface at first. This also helps get that crisp edge. If you are laying down wide areas of color, use the side of the pencil, laying it more horizontal to the paper. (yeah, I know...everyone knows that, don't they?)

Well, that is going to have to do you for now. Stay tuned for my next exciting installment of 'How to Get Realistic Effects With Colored Pencils Without Losing Your Sanity'