The main characters are detailed in ink crosshatching and the backgrounds are lightly laid in with pencil sketches to get ready for watercolors next.
Main Characters Are Inked
Orange Heart Logo Design
I’ve been working on this Orange Heart Logo design. I was surprised at the outcome, having this good of an impact. Rep. Richard Phennegher hired me to work on this with him. This is a developing cause to help raise money for Vietnam Vets who have had disabled children due to agent orange exposure.
Monkey in the Tree
Inking the random monkey in the tree makes me have to check out more wildlife images to remember how this guy would perch himself on a branch.
Inking a Snake
Inking a snake reminds me of how much I love doing ink work. I use an architectural pen (Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph) to draw these types of images. This snake character is a cylindrical object. He has a texture created by following the elliptical lines around his shape applying row after row of scale. I had forgotten how much I love doing ink work. Check out this SSSSSSSSSSSnake… I can almost hear him hissing. 😉
Preliminary Sketching
The preliminary sketching is complete. This children’s book is becoming quite fun! The characters are expressive and I love the African surroundings and wildlife.
Sketch an African Rhino, “Bummer!” said the rhino. Here is one preliminary sketch of a rhino character for a children’s book drawn out in pencil.
Am beginning this project about a baby rhino. I love looking up the info about the animals, and locations in Africa. There is so much wildlife there. Did you know that there are black rhinos who have a prehensile snout so that they can grab branches and strip the leaves off? And then there are white rhinos that have a wide grass-eating or grazing snout? Ohhhh!!!!! and guess what, they are born without the horns, I bet their moms are saying Yay! about that fun fact!!!
These are the first type of sketches done to begin the illustration process for a new book. As I read through the book I try to envision the character as the animal that he is, but, add some human emotion and gestures too. Like standing on his back legs, or making faces, or even gesturing with his front legs as hands. These all help to tell his story as he travels a desert expanse.
ARTWALK in Newport
Come visit me at ARTWALK in Newport THIS THURS 6-9. Please come and see new art – smaller paintings, prints, and sketches for sale at the ARTWALK Newport WA. 6/9/2014 I will have un-framed work to help make purchases more affordable. Artists will be in many of the stores on Main Street and there will also be various goodies to taste and drink.
https://www.facebook.com/EvergreenArtAssociation
I will be in the North Country Clothing Shop located on the west side of the street across from the Roxy Theatre. The owners are Lynnette Elswich and Holly Baldwin, have graciously set us up for a fun evening in their beautiful shop along with great food and musicians.
129 S Washington Ave, Newport WA 99156, and phone number is 509-447-1022.
It is also “Date Night” at The Gallery: ERGJ Newport – https://www.facebook.com/ergj1
medical digital illustrations
Just finished a batch of medical digital illustrations for gastric surgery procedures, it was for a great client who is setting up the Obesity Reporter website. This project is really a good incentive to stay good on my diet and exercise plan. YEP! None of these seem like good options or a lot of fun.
Gastric Banding surgery,
My client had directions and input about how he wanted all of these images for bariatric surgery options. Then it was time to research the surgical procedures and descriptions in medical books and my nurse’s study coloring books to get all the body pieces and parts drawn right. The final research stop for me is Google surgery images, so I can get the colors right.
Steps for Medical Digital Illustrations
I sketched the image first and scanned that into a digital black and white jpg format using Adobe Photoshop CS6. The rest of the steps were completed on the computer, doing the illustration of the shapes and colors in Adobe Illustrator CS6. The final step was to add descriptive text taken from the medical book references. I save the file then and submit it to the client and make any adjustments requested, according to what the client wants.
Gastric Bypass,
this image is on their website here.
Gastric Duodenal Switch,
and Gastric Sleeve…
All in all, I have to admit that this was an interesting project where I could learn more about the human body without dissecting anything or getting messy. It is a fun way to draw.
Metal Garden Markers
Visual Garden Markers
I handpainted some metal garden markers for a man’s wife in her rose garden. What a great idea on how to mark what you have planted in the garden.
These were tricky to paint because they are tiny being only 3″ wide by 2″ high and I am used to painting in a much larger size. Had to use teeny tiny, detail brushes to do all the images. It is always good to broaden skills our skills though… wait a minute, maybe I should say shrink our skills in this instance.
These markers are kind of slick on their surfaces. So, I had to roughen the surface with a green pad before I painted. I want to make sure the paint will adhere. After finding reference pictures to work from I painted each one with acrylic paints for each of the twelve different rose and flower species. Then, it was the lettering of the names on the front and back of each. The last step was a sealer over the entire surface.
Abraham Darby-English Rose
Apothecary’s Rose
Granada Rose – Hybrid Tea
Henry Kelsey-Climbing Rose
Lavender Mist Meadow Rue
Noble Anthony-English Rose
Rosa Mundi-Rosa Gallica
Sunsprite-Floribunda
Tango-Anise Hyssop
Vavoom-Floribunda
Zephirine Droughin-Climbing Rose
I painted the names on the back surface of the metal garden markers.:
Abraham Darby-English Rose, Apothecary’s Rose, Granada Rose – Hybrid Tea, Henry Kelsey-Climbing Rose, Lavender Mist Meadow Rue, Noble Anthony-English Rose, Rosa Mundi-Rosa Gallica, Sunsprite-Floribunda, Tango-Anise Hyssop, Vavoom Floribunda, Zephrine Droughin climbing rose
This couple must have a fantastic garden, with all of these gorgeous kinds of roses and climbing flowers.
Donkey Jesus Said
The name of this painting is, “Donkey, Then Jesus Said”. What would the donkey that Jesus rode into Jerusalem have to say? See dream inspiration below. I begin by drawing up a few sketches and arriving at one with the little donkey talking to me up close and personal, like in the dream.
The first part of the painting process for me is blocking in light washes showing where the background areas are. It is easier to see if my main character is positioned how I want then. With this donkey, it was important to see the sky, with a desert background but I also wanted some palm fronds because that is an integral part of the story in my dream. Once the location of the main figure is in I can then start to add the darkest areas on him to see if the figure is still working when it starts to look 3D.
I almost always have reference photography on the desktop with me as I paint or draw. I don’t have to follow the references exactly, because I am not trying to make a photograph. I use photography to check my sizes and where the light is casting.
I am adding darkness and detail at this point to the watercolor.
Here is the donkey finished, I am happy with him because I can almost hear him talking.
This Donkey, then Jesus Said watercolor painting made it into the juried charitable benefit for Lavender Dreams Farm & Donkey Rescue. These are truly wonderful people who rescue livestock, donkeys in northeastern Washington. North of Newport WA. Please take a second to check them out. If this painting wins in the show, I get some and they get some.
Jesus Dream Inspiration
Donkeys are quite important characters and have been friends with some pretty significant people. Really. After I had heard about this benefit, I was thinking about what I would paint just before I went to sleep at night.
A dream about a donkey appeared in my sleep, a talking donkey just like the old show I used to watch when I was real little. Did you ever see it? It was, “Mr. Ed the Talking Horse and it started with a Palamino horse looking over his stall gate saying…
Hello I’m Mr Ed…
A horse is a horse
of course, of course
and no one can talk to a horse
of course, that is of course
unless the horse
is the
famous Mr. Ed!
Well, this dream had a talkative donkey standing on a dirt road telling me about life as he chewed on some grass. He was telling me about the cool people he knew and the great things he had done.
He started to talk about a really neat guy that he gave a ride into a town once. He was brought to this guy that he didn’t know, who talked to him and patted his head, making all the nervous worry go away instantly. It was great to have a human pay some attention to him, instead of just ignoring him and expecting unquestioned perfect servitude.
This guy was on a mission and there were lots of people all around, so they headed out right away. This man did not hit him with a stick to get going but instead simply asked him to go as he sat comfortably on his back. There were crowds around and people lining the road yelling, it was a scene like he had never seen before or since, but the man on his back was calm.
The people were throwing palm fronds on the road in front of him, making the donkey afraid that he might trip so he had to look down and be careful with each step. They did finally arrive safely in the town and then this man named Jesus got off and came up to him saying, Thank you!
Isn’t that amazing?
Hunting in a Farmers World
Hunting in a Farmers World, a book by John Dini is not about hunting for wildlife, instead, it is a business book. You should check it out, especially if you are an entrepreneur. I like the way he tells about how things work in the business world for the different personality types. How these personalities interact in a company. When you think about it, if you know what your intrinsic gifts and skills are, your decisions change as you start out on your new venture.
Pencil Sketching
Here are some of the pencil drawings I did for John Dini. They are prehistoric era pencil sketches of hunting village people and hunting. He isn’t using these drawings in his book. He is going to use them in the slide show presentation that he does on his book tours. I love being able to envision what a book tour would be like through clients like him.
I have not gone out on book tours myself, but when I finish my book on drawing in perspective that may change. Leading a much more reclusive artist existence, I only share my desktop view with you of what I draw for others. Whenever I draw there are many references close at hand to help keep the style consistent throughout the project.