Using Colored Pencil on Ampersand Aqua Board Osprey Colored Pencil Artwork Finished

New Work

So, I like to explore and try experimenting with different surfaces when using colored pencils. So I decided to experiment with Ampersand Aqua Board. It has an acid-free textured clay surface that supposedly can absorb watercolors just like watercolor paper. What piqued my interest in using this type of surface, is that your artwork can be sealed with a sealer or coating and it doesn't have to be framed under glass. How nice that would be, not to mention more affordable. As in my last blog post, I thought in order for me to use this surface I thought if I primed it with Brush and Pencil's Colored Pencil Textured Fixative the colored pencil might adhere better to the surface. After finishing this artwork, I would not recommend this type of surface when working with colored pencils, mainly because the surface of the aqua board makes it very difficult to apply many layers of colors using colored pencils. In addition, the surface makes it difficult to complete a lot of detailed work using colored pencils. It also really eats away the colored pencil leads quickly. Ampersand Aqua Board, however, is definitely well suited for watercolors and gouache.

Title: Osprey

Medium: Derwent Watercolor Pencils, Prismacolor Colored Pencils, Marco Raffine Colored Pencils, and Yasutomo Pearlescent Watercolors

Drawing/Painting Surface: Ampersand Aqua Board

Reference Photo: My own

Artist of the Week

I stumbled across this UK artist in reading Making the Mark's Blog on Derwent's Exhibition Winners. Artist, Sarah Gillespie, had an entry that was mind blowing. All the little details of crosshatching. It was just an incredible piece.  You can check out her pencil, graphite and charcoal artwork here http://www.sarahgillespie.co.uk/

Colored Pencil Resource of the Week

Here is a great video tutorial on how to draw a bird by the virtual instructor using Derwent Colored Pencils. 

Keep on Creating!

Have a blessed weekend!

Colored Pencil Cat Drawing, Ampersand Aqua Board and Colored Pencil Resource

Colored Pencil Cat Drawing

I finally finished up this cat portrait. I forgot how tedious and time-consuming fur can be. I did not have a great photo to work from, a lot of guesswork on the white part of the fur. Arden was my daughter's cat who disappeared during a  rainstorm.
Title: Arden
Medium: Colored Pencil
Paper: Canson Mi Tientes
Reference: Own

Arden

Ampersand Aqua Board

So my next project experiment is using watercolor, watercolor pencils and colored pencils on Ampersand Aqua Board. First I have to say, the board's surface does not have the tooth to hold a colored pencil at all. I tried applying a layer of Colored Pencil Texture Fixative to the surface, to see if it would help add some tooth to the surface of the board but, unfortunately, it did not help. However, once you lay down a few layers of watercolor, you can apply colored pencil on top of the watercolor layers. I am using Copic Colorless blender to blend the watercolor pencils and colored pencil. I used Yasutomo Pearlescent Watercolors, Derwent Watercolor Pencils and Prismacolor Colored Pencils on the sky.
So here is the beginning stages of an Osprey I am working on. The reference photo is my own.
I will be showing updates as I progress...

Falcon

Colored Pencil Resource of the Week

Artist Lisa Clough gives an excellent demonstration on how to draw hair in colored pencil  http://lachri.com/drawing-hair-in-colored-pencil/ using colored pencil artist tools - Touch Up Texture and Titanium White Powder from http://www.brushandpencil.com .

Keep on Creating!

New Colored Pencil WIP and Drawing a Cat Colored Pencil Resource

Happy 4th of July

Like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe 4th of July weekend! I have no big plans but just plan on spending time with family.

New Work In Progress

So I started a new colored pencil piece last week. I am working on it in-between design projects. It is a very special portrait to me, as it is of our cat, Arden. He disappeared several years ago during a rainstorm and never returned. It has taken me a long time to finally decide I could draw him and I thought it would be great practice for me to help get back into using my colored pencils again, being as when I was in school last year, I didn't really have a lot of time to do what I love most and that is drawing with colored pencils. 

When I draw fur, I don't have the patience to draw really every line like some colored pencil artists do. I draw mostly the shapes that I see, which gives an illusion of fur. I usually use a lot of various colors. Sometimes, I will use more than 50 colors for one piece. It just depends on the subject and background. For this particular piece, I am using Prismacolors and one of my other favorite brands of  colored pencils Tombow Irojitens. I love Irojitens colors. I am using masking fluid for the whiskers.

I always start off with the eyes. I have been told by other professional artists I should start off with the background first, then work on the body and then the eyes last. I have tried that method before, but I find it easier for me to judge and scale the whiskers and fur with the eyes done first.

 


Originally, I had every intention using Alyona Nickelsen's products (Colored Pencil Texture Fixative, Powder Blender and she gave me a gift of the final fixative) that I purchased on this piece, however, I totally foobared my attempt. The paper I am using is Canson Mi Tientes on the smooth side. Before I started applying layers of color to this paper, I sprayed a layer of the Colored Pencil Texture Fixative just to see what it would do. This particular fixative, which I have discovered is not meant for regular drawing paper. As you will find out if you buy this product, as I did with experimentation, it sprays on very wet and will buckle your paper as it dries. And you know Alyona, does stress that in her video that the products are not meant for regular drawing paper. I just figured Canson Pastel paper would be okay to use cause it does have a textured surface. Artist, Lisa Clough, had a similar problem and came up with and idea to solve the dilemma by applying some thin watered applications of gesso to the drawing paper's surface, but I only discovered this solution after I started work on this piece. Anyways, I hate to throw away paper, so I did tape this piece down to help straighten out the buckling after I sprayed it.  But really for Alyona's products, you need a more durable thick sanded pastel or gesso paper or a pastel board such as Ampersand Pastelbord. So I plan on using her products using a non-absorbent pastel board or paper and will be giving her products a review on my next piece.
Here is a video by artist, Lisa Clough , giving a demonstration on how to use Alyona's products and a review on Alyona's colored pencil products. These products produce a look very similar to pastels. So real excited to get my paper and using these products.

Colored Pencil Resource

I thought I would share this wonderful demonstration by artist Emmy Kalia on how to draw fur using colored pencils. Her method, which is different than mine, achieves more realistic fur. Enjoy!

Keep on creating everyone!

Bigfoot Commission Finished, New Colored Pencil Lesson and Review on Marco Raffine Colored Pencils

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to everyone! I was just wanted to say thanks to all the veterans and God Bless.

Commission

My latest commission is completed. I used Marco Raffine colored pencils, Prismacolor colored pencils, and iridescent watercolors. The iridescent watercolors do not show up in the scan but the background was done in iridescent blues and colored pencils. Reference was mainly from a photo I took on our trip to Newport, Oregon of the Bigfoot wax image at Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. However, I felt that it looked to zombielike so I made his face a little more realistic.

New Colored Pencil Lesson

Well, I started this piece last spring but school and other clients kind of got in the way of me finishing it. So I hope to finish this up tonight or tomorrow. The free colored pencil lesson will be viewable and accessible on my site later next week. 

Review on Marco Raffine Colored Pencils

So, I completed my recent Bigfoot commission piece using the Marco Raffine 72 colored pencil set that I received a few weeks ago. I only paid $21.99 for the set. Pretty affordable when you are a poor starving artist. 
I decided to compare the Raffines to the brand I normally use which is Prismacolor Professional Grade Colored Pencils. I compared the two throughout the Bigfoot commission process.

First, a little bit about the pencils themselves. They are oil-based colored pencils and are creamy, smooth and blend well. There is presently no lightfast testing done on this brand.

Positive Points: The Raffine colors have 72 pre-sharpened colors to choose from. They blended well with the watercolors and Prismacolors. They also blended and dissolved well with a Copic colorless blender marker. I had no problems layering multiple colors to create fur. However, I would want to test this brand doing a portrait of a person just to see how well colors blend and layer. Colors are easy to erase with an electric eraser.  All Raffiné colored pencils conform to ASTM-D-4236 Non-Toxic requirements.

Negative Points: I did notice that the Raffines have more of an inconsistent pigment than the Prismacolors. They are not as rich as the Prismacolors they are more softer as you see in the image below. If they weren't oil-based, I would say they have more of a waxy pigment due to the softer colors. I thought also that they don't easily sharpen to a real sharp fine point as Prismacolors. Prismacolors I can get to a real sharp point which I like for details. You cannot purchase these pencils in open stock only in sets.

If you are a beginner colored pencil artist or into the adult coloring books then this is a great brand to set you off in the right direction and a great set to add to your colored pencil artist tool box. There might be colors in this set that you may not have found in any other brand set. It's all about the colored pencils and if you love this medium as much as I do, you will continue to create works of art with colored pencils and will find the brand that works best for you whether as a hobbyist or professional.

There are other reviews out there on this brand each with their own perspective and viewpoint you can check them out here:
http://aprettytalent.blogspot.com/2015/07/comparing-marco-raffine-coloring.html
http://la-artistino.com/2015/10/01/marco-raffine-pencils-review/
http://www.aurella-art.com/colored-pencils.html
http://www.aminoapps.com/page/art/8226094/marco-raffine-color-pencils-review

Hope you all have a great Memorial weekend!
Keep on Creating!

New Bigfoot Commission and Marco Raffine Colored Pencils

New Commission

I haven't picked up my colored pencils in over a year. This week I start working on a new commission for a client of Bigfoot. Of all the years drawing I have never been asked to draw this particular mythical creature. I will be basing it on the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum Bigfoot display.

copyright © Ripleys Believe It or Not

Making the Mark

There are many artists concerned about protecting their art online. One basic and easy thing to do is to post up only pictures that are 72dpi or small enough that the image quality if increased in size, is very poor.
Here is a  great article by Katherine Tyrrell on how to protect your artwork online
http://makingamark.blogspot.com/2016/04/how-to-protect-your-art-online.html

New Pencils 

So I purchased some new colored pencils - Marco Raffine 72 set. A great buy on amazon and great reviews. Anxious to give them a try and I will be using them on my latest commission piece. They seem to have the same creamy wax base as Prismacolors. Will be providing a further update on this brand.



Hope you all have a great week!
Keep on Creating!

New Colored Pencil Art Work and Logo

New Color Pencil Art Work

Hi Everyone!
My newest colored pencil art work is now complete. I started this piece quite a few months ago but school kind of took over my life and I just didn't have any time to work on it until now. This is my vision of Miriam from Exodus. I was inspired by verse 8 in Exodus 15 "By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea."
Title: "Nobiscum Deus"
(latin for God is with us)
Medium: colored pencil, watercolor pencil, and acrylic

"Nobiscum Deus"

New Website Logo

So since school ended and I have gotten my degree in web design, I have been working on a whole new website and two other websites. Fifty pages of coding to be done on my site.  Here is a peek at my new logo.

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

Happy Creating!

New Colored Pencil Artwork Commission Donation of Dragon Fairy

New Color Pencil Artwork of Dragon Fairy 

Finally done with the dragon fairy. My first attempt at a dragon fairy. The winner of this auction commission was very happy with it and this particular dragon was inspired by artist Amy Brown. I love her dragons. This piece was done in colored pencil and watercolor pencil.

Hope everyone is having a blessed week!

Happy Creating!

Update on New Colored Pencil Commission Donation

New Work

New commission donation of a fairy dragon. Presently working on the rocks, wings and dragon. Done in colored pencil and watercolor pencil.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Keep on Creating! 

Graduation and New Commission Donation

Graduation
What seemed an eternity, I finally graduated from college in June with an A.A. degree in Computer Information Systems. It was a difficult journey, but with God's help I succeeded.

 

I am now working on my web design portfolio and hope to start applying for jobs next month sometime or working on starting up my own web design business. While I am working on my portfolio, I am working on commissions and new art pieces.

New Commission
I started a new commission donation piece yesterday - a fairy dragon. I will be posting the step by step on my blog here and on my Facebook page.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!!

Happy Creating Everyone!

New Colored Pencil Artwork Breast Cancer Awareness and Updates

Hey Everybody!
It's been a while since my last blog post. I have been so busy working around the house trying to get things situated and doing some deep cleaning before school starts back up again for me on the 29th I really haven't had a lot of time to draw as of late. I have a week left of vacation.  Also during the summer time, I managed to crash two laptops. Lost some of my stuff, but fortunately, I had most of the important files backed up. So, I have been without a computer most of the summer. I just got my new laptop this week and I am very happy with it. It seems to be able to handle all the adobe software quite well.
We had a great time down at Depoe Bay and Newport Oregon for our vacation in August. So much to see and do. Love watching the whales and checking out the lighthouses.

Depoe Bay

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

New Color Pencil Art Work
Well, I have pretty much finished my last work in progress "Remembering Mom" This piece is for sale at my Etsy store http://mooresart.etsy.com/
Twenty-five dollars of the sale will be donated to Susan G. Komen.
Title: "Remembering Mom"
Medium: Color Pencil and White Gel Ink

"Remembering Mom"
Medium: Color Pencil and White Gel Ink





Work In Progress
Here is my latest work in progress "Slave No More." I might change the title of this piece. It's not quite coming out like the way I was envisioning it. It's been a challenge to create and capture what I was envisioning. The idea behind this piece is the sea is parting, a pillar of cloud is behind her and the woman is one of the Israelites that God has led out of Egypt. I still have a bit more to do on this piece. I am taking a two-day break from it and to see what areas need more work on and how I will finish it up.

Medium: Color Pencil, Watercolor Pencil and White Gel Ink

Updates
Now that I have a computer again I can start working on my website. I have so many ideas for designing it that I have learned in class. I am so eager and excited to start working on it.
Also, I have a bunch new listings of artwork for sale now available at my Etsy Store http://mooresart.etsy.com/

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

Happy Creating Everyone!

New Graphite Works, New Colored Pencil Work In Progress and New Colored Pencil Tutorial

New Works

First, I have a whole new background tutorial on clouds now available for purchase and download at my site.

All new work in progress for October's Breast Cancer Awareness theme. 

Medium: Color Pencil

A new graphite piece I completed that I started back in February.

Title: Sacred Promise

Medium: Graphite

And sketches from Sketchfest 52 available for sale at the sketchfest website

http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/sketchfest/index.php

Art Resource of the Month

Wonderful video about CPSA signature artist Denise Howard and the techniques she uses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZovsLdDEkzg

Happy Creating Everyone!