Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to wish all of my followers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I haven't had a lot of time to post on here, due to school and I have had no time to create any works of art. However, I did manage to squeeze in a quick graphite drawing for Christmas.

Joseph's Lullaby

This piece was inspired by MercyMe's song Joseph's Lullaby.
The lyrics are the following:
Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little head

Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?
Or does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?

Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace

I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child

Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You'll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, Sleep tight

Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Work In Progress, Color Pencil Tip of the Week and Resource of the Week

Hey everyone!
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I have been so busy sorting, cleaning and packing to move to our new home, I haven't had a whole lot of time to draw. I have been trying to catch some drawing time in between all the packing. I was able to catch a couple of hours to participate in Ellen Millions Sketch Fest http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/sketchfest/index.php

The first, is an ACEO inspired by prompt "Snow White" done in Ebony and Derwent graphic pencil. The second is a sketch inspired by the prompt "The Violin Player". I didn't quite get this one done, I still have the background and hair to work on. This will be done in color pencil and part of my emotional/music series.

Work In Progress

So here is my latest work in progress. It's a landscape. It is going to be for a step by step demo on rocks. So I have started with the rocks first. Normally I would have started with the background first, but I needed to get the rocks done first to get the demo completed in time. All work is color pencil and watercolor pencil on watercolor paper.

Color Pencil Tip of the Week

Like the old masters, try building your composition first by using grays, complementary, or neutral colors then layer other colors on top of those layers. This technique is called Grisaille.

Colored pencil artist Arlene Steinberg has used this technique in some of her still life and floral works. It makes the colors rich and they intensify, as you can see in some of her works at her web site http://www.arlenesteinberg.com 

Here is a thread over at Wet Canvas that explains the technique Arlene used and some useful tips and ideas https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/topic/grisaille-technique/

Resource of the Week

How to register copyrights digitally
http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/copyright-filing-time.html

I hope you all have a great blessed Sunday and 4th of July!

Keep on creating!

Independence Day Graphics @ dazzlejunction.com