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Coloursofts again! On illustration board.
on ebay

Well, I'm really loving these pencils. I wanted to try a new palette today. I'm getting very tired of grey. It was very foggy this morning, which made me nostalgic for San Francisco. But still, I didn't pick up the grey pencils.

This is the most colorful one I've done so far, and it also has the darkest background.

There's a slight impressed line running down the left side, which is barely noticeable. When I was drawing out the lines to cut the board into ACEO sized pieces, I goofed, and had to redraw and cut, then erase the line off. It left a little groove in the board. And for whatever reason I decided to use the piece anyway and work with it. I figured nothing in life is absolutely perfect anyway, and thought it might give the piece a little character. I could have turned the piece over and used the other side I guess, but this side's tooth seemed just a wee bit nicer. Funny, the decisions we make.

I want to say thank you to everyone who's sent me private emails about these pieces. I'm really touched. It makes me very happy to know that they're resonating with people for different reasons.
I will continue to do them, but maybe not every single day. I'd like to branch out into some different 'yarn' and 'knitting' themed pieces. I will still do these though because they're fun little exercises and give me a chance to explore some new ideas and media.

Derwent COLOURSOFT colored pencils on board
ebay

You know how you get into a rut and never try anything new? Like, you always order the same thing at your favorite restaurant. Or the same coffee drink. Or buy the same brand of (fill in the blank).
And use the same colored pencils.

Yesterday I tried the Inktense and hated them (but to be fair, I didn't use them the way they're really intended to be used, otherwise I'm sure they'd be fine.)

Today I looked at my tin of Coloursofts and thought "Why don't I use these?" What am I afraid of?" So I did, and I loved them! I loved them as much as I hated the Inktense.

They're soft and go on fast.
I'm not saying they're going to replace my beloved Polychromos, but they will definitely find a space alongside them on the shelf, rather than tucked underneath other things I don't use much.

The sun was out this morning and the birdies were singing. Now its all grey and cold again. But I felt like doing a bit more color on this one.

I also put it up for auction instead of in my store, just to be different.

Back to some art. Boy it feels good to just sit and fiddle with my colored pencils.

This was done with Derwent Graphitints, NOT Polychromos (GASP!).
I was trying to capture the mood of the day, mostly the weather. It was just grey grey grey, drizzly and cold, with muted plant colors and lawn and trees. It also reflects how I feel, kind of.
The holiday is over, its time to do year-end reflecting, all that stuff. I was also sad today because I learned my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Talbot, who I ADORED, passed away a few days ago.

I did this on illustration board like I usually do. But instead of leaving the background the 'board white' I did a very fine layer of grey.

I love these Graphitints (the image in my logo was done with these as well). They're really just tinted graphite, and the colors are so muted. I used Cloud Gray, Steel Blue, Shadow and Juniper.

I want to start framing some of these little pieces, and am using this cool place online to test framing ideas. I kinda like this:



It would cost $25 to do. Not sure if that's good or not. I guess so, considering its custom. Now if I can figure out how to add it to my ebay listing... (oh, did I mention, I put this in my ebay shop which I emptied out after Christmas and am now starting to restock).

I would love to do one of these a day, or every few days or something, like a journal. I know I won't be able to, but wouldn't that be cool? If they only took 20 minutes, sure, but they take a couple of hours. Well, maybe I'll try to at least do one a week. We'll see.

I'm babbling... Read the rest of this post

(That's what he's reading, but its too small to see.)

Polychromo colored pencils on illustration board, what else? (Well, I know I said I might do watercolor on this one, but changed my mind.)

I tend to draw the same furniture over and over. Do you do that? I draw pieces I like, or have, or would like to have.

This is for a story I'm doing about mice and socks. I invented these mice characters last Christmas, and I think they need to tell their stories. I will get to that next. (Well, after I finish about 12 hundred other things on my plate...)

Here is what they were up to last Christmas, in case you missed them: