Last Two Months Recap

 A lot has been going on between family health issues and major projects.  Most of the time has been dedicated to creating and cataloging over 700 ATCs, creating stickers, and creating illustration book pages to be spiral bound as a Christmas gift.

This month I've actually spent a little time painting but mostly drawing on my Ipad.  

November

Spiral Book as a Christmas Gift to Oldest Son:  Had to create a template showing where the spiral binding goes to help with alignment on side margins.

December

Watercolor paintings:

  

Procreate Drawings:  The first two are using the initial pencil sketch (above) scanned and downloaded to the iPad.  The third flower was only created on the iPad and then worked a pencil sketch in my sketchbook which I'll finish at a later time in watercolor.

Most recent from 12/17/21 through 12/28/21:

Procreate drawings of hand-painted wood ornaments I painted back in 1990.  Worked these two different ways.

One Use Found for Stickers

After posting about the stickers I am making and asking myself what I might use them for, I found one use.........Gift Nametag Stickers.  Instead of writing the name of recipients, I have created stickers using sketches I've done of various family members.  Something different :-)

 

Cards and Stickers

This month has been a busy month with my creating ATCs and Stickers going back to my early days to present with favorite illustrations.

After creating the individual ATCs, I had to then set up onto sheets to be printed and cut.  Then I took the time to catalog over 700 cards I have created by assigning numbers to them and creating a list using Excel and a photo reference using Word and tables.

Next are the stickers I've started working on.  I had to figure out a way to make my stickers where my Scan n Cut machine can read an outline and then remember to use certain adjustments in the machine itself to cut just INSIDE the outlined area leaving a nice white border around the illustration.  I wasn't able to find a tutorial or video on setting up for cutting so I had to figure all this out on my own which took a lot of trial and error.  Once I found something that worked, I made myself a document I can refer back to along with step by step screenshots.  I'm sure there are probably other ways to do this but at least I found something that worked for me.

As I sit and type this post, I am asking myself why am I creating stickers?  I'm really not sure why but I think it's neat and something I might have a use for at a later time.

 

See, Hear, Speak No Evil - Opal

Using one of my newest Opal variations shown in previous post, I made additional arm/feet components to work this trio.

 

Reconstructing Pirate Opal and Color/Saturation Variations

Last month for my monthly challenge with Madison, I came up with the pirate theme using my miniature bear, Opal, as a model.

This month I have been more into playing with color variations and decided to use my Pirate Opal as my starting point.  Using Procreate, I took Opal apart creating individual components so I could dress, change arm positions, etc.  Most of my work was done in Procreate but also used Photoshop Elements as well since both applications share most of the same mechanics.  Much easier to see on a larger screen but some mechanics easier to perform in one application versus the other depending on what I am hoping to achieve.

This has been a three-day project (trial and error, several layers, several different file saves, and final results) and I could spend even more time if I chose to.  With each change in arm position and head, I had to make changes for each part to seamlessly blend in together.  That was accomplished by "pulling" area color using the "Smudge" brush tool within the individual parts to match up to the next section where they joined.  Same with any additions/changes with the clothing.  

Sample of individual parts:

Sample changing arm positions as well as the head (on one example), and my first attempt at creating different clothing and color of Opal:

After the initial change as seen in the center of the above photo, the real fun began - Various changes in clothing, color, texture, and variations of fur color.

With this final sheet, it shows where I started playing with using a selection tool making irregular shapes within an area, feathering the selection, and changing color to give a double color variation as seen in a few shirts and one of the bodies (bottom row, two over from the left).

 

Capturing the Moment

Lani and I were outside for a little while and as we were about to go back inside to the Sunroom, a dark shadow caught my eye.  I looked to see it was a Brown Anole sitting on our air handler's condensation drain pipe that extends down from the attic outside the house.

I don't know if this guy was just relaxing there or if he was headed to the drip of water at the end of the pipe.

This year we have seen green and brown (mainly brown) anoles at every turn.  They are everywhere on foliage, on the house, and even scampering across the lawn.  We've never seen this concentration of anoles in the seven years we've been here until now and wondering if it was due to the warmer winter we had this past year.

We've also taken notice of the larger number of geckos this year as well.

Handsewn journal with Fabriano Cold Press paper / TWSBI 580AL w/#41 Brown ink.

Magnolia Seed Pod

It took a few years before this tree would bloom.  Then we would miss the blooms and only find evidence that the tree had indeed produced a few flowers by finding dried up pods.  This year I was able to follow the blooming process of about half a dozen flowers from bud to pod with seeds.  

We were down to two pods remaining on the tree after hard rains and high winds knocked the other pods off prematurely.   One started popping seeds while the other still has a few days to go before it does (probably due to it being in a shadier area).  

I cut the pod off the tree while only a few seeds were popping out.  It's been sitting on my desk and each day more and more seeds emerge.

This was quite a challenge for me due to the complexity of the pod itself....especially those areas where seed had not started showing.  Part of the pod was a light tan to a pinkish tone to brown.  The flesh was still somewhat soft when I first cut the pod off the tree.  As the seeds emerge, the pod changes to brown and hardens.  My drawing is at the earlier stage showing the color variation when still soft.

UPDATE:  I thought I would remove the writing and date to print off as an ATC as well as adding another leaf to the left corner.  I haven't quite decided which I like better....with or without the added leaf.  (Fortunately, I can always revert back to without the added leaf if I need to.)

More Color Play to Existing Drawings

This is taking pencil sketches and adding color using Photoshop Elements and the color blending mode.  I like adding color to my pencil drawings while maintaining the original pencil work.  I then print off on quality art paper to either add to my sketchbooks or as ATCs for use in magnets or albums.

 

Something Different

This month has been busy with various projects I've taken on.  One project taking inventory of my art and craft supplies.  I'm still not quite done with that.  Plus I've been working on another major project, which for now I'm not writing about until after Christmas.  

Another project that's a bit different - my picking up crochet I haven't done in years.  Instead of crocheting practical items, I like working on novelty things like amigurumi.  Something different as I go through this drawing and painting lull I seem to be in at the moment.  What got me back into crocheting was my dear friend, Fay :-)  Like me, she's going through an art lull as well and has been crocheting.  She sent me a couple examples of what she's been doing and that inspired me.

Playing With Color - Ink Drawing from Jan 2021

Taking a break from a couple major projects I'm working on, I decided to play a bit with color.  I chose to use a pen and ink drawing I had worked back in January when my youngest son sent flowers to help brighten my day after a major family upset.  

I decided to make a print of the original on Stonehenge watercolor 140 lb cold press paper so that I could apply watercolor while maintaining my original as a pen and ink only drawing.

Once painted, I decided to play with some paper I had added only watercolor swatches to for possible backgrounds.  One with the original pen and ink and one with the watercolor version layered overtop for comparison.

Variation of Bees

My eldest granddaughter decided to go in with me working a challenge through the month and we agreed on sketching bees.  So far I have worked four different types in four different mediums.

This has not only been fun but very educational as well....even at my age :-)

 

UPDATE:  My granddaughter's bees (09/22/21)

First is using Procreate and the second is in her sketchbook.  She makes her "Mammaw" proud!!!