Week Four, a Little More

This week I did manage to do some drawing every day. However, instead of doing individual finished drawings, I kept a running collection of practice drawings. I'm trying to work with my faun girl and get to be consistent in drawing her so she can be a recurring character in my art. At some point I plan to work on practicing the faun guy too. As it is, in considering a couple of changes to her design. I might change her from being a faun to being a dryad. As much as I like the look of her with antlers, it just doesn't make much sense, since does don't normally have antlers. Anyway, here are my sketches for practicing different expressions, and a couple of attempts at a chibi version. 

One more thing. A friend had requested a drawing of manta rays, AKA majestic sea flap flaps (the Internet has renamed them thus). So, while we were at a charity gaming event on Black Friday, I drew him his majestic sea flap flaps :)

Week Two, Not Much New

Best laid plans of mice, as they say... well, I'm sure you know the rest. My Art Every Day Month was sadly interrupted by a family tragedy. My grandfather passed away very suddenly. He was a great man and a great father and grandfather; he had a great sense of humor, a great faith, and a great heart. I travelled out west with my parents to see him laid to rest, and to spend a few days with my dad's side of the family. As you can imagine, I didn't have much time or energy for art after the first couple days of the week. When I did, I worked on lettering a title page for a notebook I'm using to keep notes as I work through a tarot card book. 

So, here's my meager update, with two fauns I drew before we had to travel. 

She's supposed to look like she heard something behind her and is turning to look. 

He's supposed to be what she heard, and he likes what he sees ;)

I still need to ink these, and then I plan to Zentangle inside the outlines. 

Tonight I felt more culinarily creative, probably owing to my inclination to nest at this time of year combined with having spent time in the kitchen with my aunt who is a home economics teacher (and a fantastic cook and baker - she and my other aunt made our wedding cake!).  So I tried a three-ingredient beer bread recipe I found, and threw together a butternut squash and cranberry something-or-other to put in my bento boxes this week. 

Next week, I hope to be back on the wagon with seven days' worth of art to show!

Spirit Animals

I tell ya, making art every day is a lot easier when you're drawing.  I don't need much in the way of supplies, and I can keep it simple.  For the beginning of Art Every Day Month, though, I've been mixing my media.  Drawing but also adding a bit of my favorite mixed media techniques.  Later in the week, though, I started not having as much time, so I ended up with just plain drawings.  I'll add the pizzazz later. 

I kind of stuck with a theme for the week, and it was forest animals.  I wanted to try a more minimalistic, expressive style, rather than my old semi-realistic style or the manga style I've been trying to learn.  In the end, Mr. Pocket said they have a mystical or spiritual look to them, and that maybe I should call them spirit animals.  I think he's right.

My fox was well received on my tumblr blog, and overall I think it's my favorite of the series.

I'm mostly happy with the squirrel, but not so much with the background.  I kinda just didn't know what I wanted to do with it.

Of all of these, my stag was the most liked and reblogged on tumblr.

A tumblr friend of mine said my bear looks gentle, like he's "thinking cute bear things."  I kinda think she's right.

I had fun doing this little wren.  Wrens are so cute.

Not my best two.  The raccoon is better than the hedgehog.

Hummingbird, on a suggestion from my mother-in-law.  I think he turned out okay.

 

I'm really enjoying exploring ink drawing.  In case you're wondering, I'm sketching in pencil and then inking over that with Sakura Micron pens (for these I've been using a sepia set that I got recently, using black only for eyes and noses and such), then erasing the pencil lines.  The highlights in their eyes and beaks are done with a white Sakura Gelly Roll pen.  If you need a white gel pen, that's the best I've ever used.

 

My animal ideas are running out of steam a bit, so I think I'm putting aside the animal series for a little while.  I've already started feeling limited by it.  So this week I'm starting something new, and will probably be mostly drawing people (though not necessarily human ones :)).  There will probably still be a strong woodland theme running through the drawings, but more fantasy oriented.  But we'll see, I may change my mind ;)