Rottweiler - Work In Progress - 3 - Finished!

Hi All,

Well.... I'm calling this one finished.  I'm going to be delivering this to the person who commissioned me to do, tomorrow.  I'm excited about the timing of getting this finished.  The person I did this for has been at the dog show for the last three days and in just three days she got her Novice Obedience title on her male Rottie.  Not only did she get her title in just three days her scores were really high, they were 195.5, 196.5 and 190 out of 200.  That was so awesome!  She will be at the dog show tomorrow and I think it will be fun to deliver this to her after the last 3 great days she had at the dog show, she's been anxious to have me finish it.

I pretty much used the same pallet throughout the drawing except on the tongue.  There I used most of the pinks that Prismacolor has as well as some blue violet, henna, black grape, cool grey 90%, white and clay rose.

Now  I'm going to get back to my Raccoon I started, so watch for the updates on that piece.

If you should have any questions or comments please let me know.
Keep Scribbling!
Gemma

Rottweiler - Work In Progress - 2

Hi All,


Here's another update to the Abby Portrait.  I'm continuing to use the same pallet as I did in the last post.

Abby seems to be coming along nicely, I'm going to start working on the mouth next.  

As you can see I am continuing to draw in the color on the contour drawing.  I like finishing each little square inch as I go because that way I don't loose the contour drawing.  I also like working this way to keep me from being bored.  Every little square inch that is complete makes feel like I accomplished something even if I only work for a few minutes on the drawing.  Colored pencil can take quite some time to complete, some times up to 150 hours for one drawing.  If I finish one square inch at a time I have at least completed something, LOL.  As far as I'm concerned, there is really no right or wrong way to do it.  I know there are purists who think it's better to work on the drawing as a whole but..... I just don't do it that way and that doesn't mean it's the wrong way to do it.

I know I may seem like I am rambling regarding this issue but I have to say I have had more than a few people try to tell me that drawing in the fashion I do isn't the correct way to do it.  My answer to that controversy is..... as long as the end result is finished and looks correct who cares what I did to get to that finished product.  We all have our own way to "skin the cat" as they say.

If you have any questions by all means speak up......  And most of all Keep Scribbling!!
Gemma

Rottweiler - Work In Progress - 1

Hi All

As I mentioned in the last post, I had to stop working on the Raccoon to do this commission of this Rottweiler named Abby.

Abby is owned by a friend of mine named Judy. She also owns Dutch, Dutch was bred with my female, Harlow and I kept one of the pups. I also did a commission of Dutch, if you're interested in seeing it you can find the post listed under Rottweiler.

The first picture is the reference drawing I'm working from. It was taken by Jack Fields who has given me permission to use his photo.

When creating a piece like this I start by drawing my contour drawing on sketch paper and then transferring it to the mat board. I do not do a detailed drawing, I just simply do a contour drawing. To get the proportion correct I use the grid system to draw the contour drawing. I then use transfer paper to trace the contour drawing onto the mat board. This piece is done with Prismacolor pencils on suede mat board. The nice thing about the mat board is you can leave the mat board as your background. It looks really nice for portraits and also helps speed up the process.

The colored pencils I'm using so far in this piece are 10-90% warm and cool gray, slate grey, deco blue, goldenrod, mineral orange, terra cotta, cloud blue, light peach, sunburst yellow, dark umber, indigo blue, true blue, white, black, chocolate, cream, greyed lavender, pumpkin orange, sky blue light, powder blue, blue violet lake, peach and sienna brown, these are not in any particular order of use. If you have any questions or comments don't hesitate to let me know.

Keep Scribbling!
Gemma

Juried In the Artists for Conservation

Hello Everyone!

I'm excited to announce that my Mountain Lion artwork titled "Reflections" has been accepted into the Artists for Conservation annual exhibition.

I am honored to have my artwork displayed with some of my favorite wildlife artists such as Robert Bateman, Terry Isaac, Val Warner and many more. If you are interested in seeing the virtual exhibition just click on this link: http://www.artistsforconservation.org/virtual-exhibit

Also... I thought I would let you know that I had to put the Raccoon on hold for now because I have a commission I'm working on. I'll post the progress on the commission soon.

Keep Scribbling,
Gemma

Raccoon - Work in Progress - 1

Hi All,

Well, here is a small update. I decided to put the background in first because the raccoon is so furry and the fur has to overlap the background.

The one thing I don't like about doing it this way is I really prefer to work on the animal so doing the background first tends to get boring for me. LOL

So far it is 100% colored pencil. I know I said I was going to use pastels but I don't know if I will. We'll have to wait and see how it goes.

I'm using predominantly Prismacolor colored pencils but have used one or two of the Derwent Colorsoft. When I lay down the layers on Suede board I put down the medium color first and then add the darks and lights on top of that. The size of the piece is 16" x 20 and I haven't come up with a title yet. If any of you have a good idea for a title let me know, I would appreciate the help.

If you should have any questions let me know, otherwise.... keep scribbling!
Gemma

Raccoon - Work in Progress

Hello Everyone!

Here is the reference photo of the next "Work in Progress" I'll be posting here on my blog.

This photo was taken by Barbara Krans Jenkins who gave me the photo for my birthday. Thanks Barb!!! She took the picture of this guy in the tree in her backyard.

I couldn't believe how he was hanging in the tree as if he were a leopard or something, LOL. I already started the piece and should be posting the progress in the next day to two. I'm doing this piece on the Suede Mat board, the color of the mat board is an off white color called whisper. I'm using colored pencils and a little bit of pastel here and there.

Keep checking back to see the progress and don't forget..... Keep Scribbling!!
Gemma

Mountain Lion / Reflections Series WIP 04 Completed

Hello All,

Well.... I finally finished this piece. I'm going to title it "Wild Reflections".

I continued to use the same technique and color pallet as mentioned before. 80% of this piece is done in colored pencil and the rest of it is done with pastel. I don't normally use pastel but thought it would be fun to give it try. Most of the pastel is used in the water area. The mountain lion is 100% colored pencil. After I sprayed it with workable fixative I went back with colored pencil and redefined some of the reflections in the water. I really enjoyed working on this piece. I plan on entering it in the CPSA "Explore This!" Exhibition, lets hope it gets accepted.

I am now working on another piece of an adorable Raccoon. Keep checking back, I should be posting the work in progress on the raccoon soon.

If you have any questions or comments let me know. Don't forget to keep scribbling!
Gemma

Mountain Lion / Reflections Series WIP 03

Hi All,

It's been a while since I have been able to work on this piece. Between the Colored Pencil Society of America Convention and vacation I just didn't have the time to work on it.

The Mountain Lion has been done with colored pencil with just a little bit of pastels for the highlights. The water was done by laying down 3 layers of colored pencil using Prismacolors, Moss Green, Dark Umber and Black and then blending it with a brush dipped in Gamsol and then slightly dried on a paper towel. I then created the details using Prismacolors Nupastels and the new PanPastels. I really like the effect this gave the water. If I get this piece done in time it will be my entry for the "CPSA Explore This!" show. I'm now starting to work on the Mountain Lions reflection, I plan to do that predominately in CP. Although, I will probably use pastels for the highlights.

If you should have any questions don't hesitate to ask and don't forget..... Keep Scribbling!
Gemma

New!! 9 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise Colored Pencil Workshop!

9-night Mexican Riviera Cruise aboard the Carnival Spirit
November 4-13, 2011
Class size firmly limited to 24. Book early this class will fill!
To register or for information: 1-800-253-0116

$899 includes all three workshops! (Interior stateroom/double occupancy, price subject to availability, taxes and departure fees are additional; group rate available for guests not taking workshops)

The three Colored Pencil Instructors are:
Ann Kullberg
Gemma Gylling
Linda Lucas Hardy

To see the cruise itinerary and more info on the workshops go to to: http://www.annkullberg.com/cruise_home_mexico9.php

Mountain Lion / Reflections Series WIP 02

Hi All,

Sorry I haven't posted an update before this. As Conventions Director of the Colored Pencil Society I have been really busy lately. We are finishing up all the final details of the Convention and I haven't had a lot of time for art. Hopefully after the end of the month I'll be able to spend more time on this piece. Even though we have been busy I always love seeing everyone at the convention and really really look forward to it. I hope to see many of you there this month.

I am almost done working on the mountain lion and will start the water and reflection of the mountain lion very soon. I'm enjoying working on this piece and hope it comes out as I imagine it should be. We as artists always seem to have a vision but often times the piece just doesn't come together as we envisioned. I have decided on a title for this piece.... I think I will call it "Wild Reflections". I want to thank all of you for your title recommendations I really like some of them. I think I will definitely use them in the series pieces to come after this one.

The image above is the full artwork so you can see I haven't gotten a lot done at this point. The one below is a close up of the mountain lion. If you should have any questions at all let me know. Don't forget...... Keep Scribbling!!!
Gemma

Mountain Lion / Reflections Series WIP 01

Hi All,

I decided to do a series of this Mountain Lion with Reflections. I'm not sure how many I will do but I do have a bunch of pictures of this Mountain Lion playing in and about the water. I figure I could at least do 3 to 5 pieces. I would also like to have the title of all of pieces in the series to include the words reflections, reflection, reflected or reflecting in the title. The first piece of the series was titled "Reflections". If any of you can help me with a title for this one I would really appreciate it. This first picture is the reference photo.
This piece will be done on the Suede board again. The color of the Suede board is called moccasin. I plan on doing this piece using Colored Pencils and pastel. If it turns out the way I hope and if I get it done in time, I plan on entering it in the Colored Pencil Society of America's, Explore This 7 exhibition.

So far it has predominantly colored pencil with very little pastel. I plan on using the pastel more in the background than on the cat. However; I did use pastel on some of the white highlight areas.

This is my beginning, I haven't got a lot done yet but hope to be able to work on it quite a bit next week.
Here is a close up of what I have done so far. As I mentioned before the pastel is only in the white areas. The rest of it has been done with Prismacolor colored pencils and Derwent Colorsoft colored pencils. I just love the way the Colorsoft pencils work with the Suede board.

If you have any questions or suggestions for the title please let me know.

Keep Scribbling!!
Gemma

CPSA Silent Auction Donation WIP Finished!

Hi All,

Well.... I'm calling this one done.

I titled it "Solitude", it's 100% Prismacolor colored pencils on an 8" X 8" piece of gray Suede Mat Board.

If you have any questions let me know.

And.... Keep Scribbling!
Gemma

CPSA Silent Auction Donation WIP 4

Hi All,

Actually I'm really pleased with the outcome of this piece so far.

I'm very close to being done so I hope to have it finished by the end of this weekend. I have dog training tomorrow so probably won't be able to finish it then but, for sure by Sunday.

I'm continuing to use the same layering technique on creating this. I can't express enough how the Suede mat board allows me to create fur very easily. I just love this support and if you haven't tried it yet.... you gotta give it a try.

I have several photo references of this wolf and others from the same photo shoot so I am sure I will be creating more artwork from this subject. He is a very beautiful animal and photographed very nicely. If you are wondering how I get some of these great shots you should visit the following site: http://www.tripledgamefarm.com. They have trained animals where they take you and the animal out to a natural site and you can take a bunch of pictures. I love going to this place, it has been a while since I have been so hopefully there will be another trip in the near future.

If you have any questions let me know and I'll be happy to answer them.
Keep Scribbling!!
Gemma

Colored Pencil Workshop At Sea!!

Canceled - See the newest scheduled 9 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera! Information on the newest cruise is posted August 2nd, 2010.
Our first ever 14-night Panama Colored Pencil Workshop Cruise!
Join us on the Celebrity Constellation - Around $100 a day, including workshops!!!!!

Class size firmly limited to 30. Book early!
To register or for information: 1-800-253-0116

$1,559 includes all three workshops! (Interior stateroom/double occupancy, price subject to availability, taxes and departure fees are additional; group rate available for guests not taking workshops)

The three Colored Pencil Instructors are:
Ann Kullberg
Gemma Gylling
Linda Lucas Hardy

To see the cruise itinerary and more info on the workshops go to to: http://www.annkullberg.com/cruise_home_panama.php

CPSA Silent Auction Donation WIP 3

Hi All,

Well this guy is coming along, it looks like I am going to be able to meet the deadline, phew.

I'm continuing to use the same process as I have explained in the prior posts.

I'm really enjoying doing this piece, I love the wolf's fur and his colors. He really is a gorgeous creature!

If you have any questions let me know. Keep Scribbling!!

Gemma

CPSA Silent Auction Donation WIP 2

Hi All,

I'm sorry I haven't posted before this, I was on vacation and when we got back I came down with a really bad cold. We had a wonderful time while we were in Costa Rica but it was a real bummer coming down with a cold afterwords. LOL.

I am continuing to follow the same layering process as I described in the previous post. Again... as I mentioned so many times before, I love creating animal fur on the Suede Board, it allows me to add light, dark and medium colors as if I am painting with opaque paint rather than transparent colored pencil.

If you have any questions regarding the process I use, don't hesitate to ask in the comments area of this blog.

Enjoy and Keep Scribbling!!
Gemma

CPSA Silent Auction Donation WIP 1

Hello All,

Here is my first update on the wolf. I probably won't get much done this week on this piece because I have a lot of stuff going on.

I plan on doing this piece with all Prismacolor colored pencils. It's done on gray Suede board. As you can see I haven't gotten to much done yet but I thought I would go a head and post the progress because it will be a week or so before I can work on it again.

When doing animal fur I lay down a medium color first then I add several light and dark colors on top of that. I keep playing with it until I get it where I want it. I always draw the fur in the direction it grows on the animal. This is very important to do to get that realistic look.

If you have any comments or questions just let me know.
Keep Scribbling!!! Gemma

CPSA Silent Auction Donation WIP

Hello All,

I was invited to donate an artwork to the Colored Pencil Society of America Silent Auction at the convention this year.

I decided to draw this wolf for the silent auction. I photographed him while I was in Montana a few years ago. What a beautiful animal they are!

I plan on doing the wolf on gray Suede Mat board and of course using colored pencils.

I have several shots of this wolf so I'm sure I will do more artwork from my reference photos in the future.

Be sure to check back because I will be posting updates of the progress on this piece. Don't forget.... Keep Scribbling!! Gemma

A Golden Retriever Named Reba - WIP Final!!

Hi All,

Ok... well here she is.... all signed and approved and ready to deliver.

Thanks everyone for your kind comments and thanks for following this Work In Progress.

My next drawing will be a wolf, which will also be on suede board and will be my silent auction donation for the Colored Pencil Society of America Convention.

Keep Scribbling!
Gemma

A Golden Retriever Named Reba - WIP 4

Hi All,

I'm going to call this one done.... I haven't sprayed it with a fixative or signed it yet because I want to have my client approve it first.

I really enjoyed drawing this sweet little face, Reba is such a sweet dog, so I hope I was able to capture that look.

As soon as I get an approval I will sign it, spray it and re-post it here on my blog then.

Comments and questions are welcome and thanks for following this Work in Progress.

Don't forget to keep Scribbling!
Gemma

A Golden Retriever Named Reba - WIP 3

Hi All,

Here's another update of Reba. I'm very close to being done.

I'm continuing to use Prismacolor and Derwent Colorsoft pencils. What I do when drawing hair is I lay down the medium color first and then add the lighter and darker hairs on top of that. I continually play with the hair going back and forth with the light, medium and dark hairs until I get it looking the the way I want it. One thing with the Suede Board is the earlier layers are always a bit ugly. When working on Suede board, you need to hang in there with the drawing because it does go through ugly stages.

I tend to always draw a small patch to completion as I go. It's not necessary to draw that way on the suede board, it's just the way I do it. I work that way no matter what support I'm using.

As I have mentioned before, the suede board color is moccasin. If you should decide to try the suede board, be careful not to pick a color darker than moccasin, it would be difficult to cover if it were darker.

If you should have any questions at all, let me know.
Keep Scribbling!!
Gemma

A Golden Retriever Named Reba - WIP 2

Hi All,

Here's another update on Reba. I haven't gotten a lot done this time but I still thought it would be nice to keep you posted on my progress.

I just love the lighting on the reference photo and I'm having fun creating that lighting in the portrait.

I'm still using Prismacolor pencils and Derwents Colorsoft pencils. I have to say..... I just love working on this Suede Mat board. If you haven't tried it you should.

Keep Scribbling!
Gemma

A Golden Retriever Named Reba - WIP

Hi All,

I thought I would share the latest commission piece I've been working on.

This piece is being done on the Suede Mat board, the color of the suede is moccasin. I will be leaving the background as the suede. I'm using Prismacolor Colored Pencils and Derwent Colorsoft Colored Pencils. I really like using the Colorsoft pencils on the Suede mat board and I also really like the nice colors they have to offer. I am still working on the right side of Reba's face as well as the left side of the top of her head. Reba has a lot of red in her coat so I need to be careful to capture that and not be tempted to lean more towards the golden color that most of the goldens are.

The reference photo I'm using is the clients photo. I love how my client captured the lighting on this photo. It's very dramatic with a lot of highlights on the right side of Reba's face. It's a nice photo at a high resolution and very clear. The most important thing to remember is the finished piece is only going to be as good as the photo it's being created from. I don't know how many times I have been given a really bad photo and asked if I can fix it. The big problem with that is it's very difficult to draw what you don't see.

I will continue to post the updates so be sure to check back and remember..... keep scribbling!
Gemma

A Brand New Colored Pencil Kit!!!

Hi All,

Well... this is the reason you haven't heard from me for a while. I was working on my brand new "Ann Kullberg Colored Pencil Kit" and it was a secret until Ann announced it on her E-zine. This Kit will give you step by step instructions on how to create this cute little Yorkie on Suede Mat Board.

The kit includes the Suede board, the step by step instructions, a reference photo to work from, a contour drawing to trace and seven demo pictures of each stage of the drawing. The kit will be released for sale in about two weeks and you can purchase it on Ann's site at http://www.annkullberg.com.

As soon as Ann has the kits available I will be posting them on my site for purchase as well. When I do I will post a link of where it can be purchased.

This cute little guy is my Mother's dog (my brother.... lol) and his name is Chico. He is just as cute as a little bug. He doesn't realize just how small he is, only 4 pounds! He and my Rotties get along great but, as I said, he forgets just how small he is. I had a lot of fun drawing him so I hope you will enjoy drawing him as much as I did.

If any of you should purchase the kit and need help in anyway be sure to send me an email with your questions.

Keep Scribbling,
Gemma

Reflections - WIP - Finished!!! Again, LOL

Hi All,

Well.... isn't it funny how you post your piece on online and then see it on the monitor and start finding things you just didn't see before it was posted. That's what happened to me, so.... I tweeked on it a bit more and now I think I am happy with it, LOL.

Enjoy... and keep Scribbling!

Gemma

Reflections - Work in Progress - Finished!!

Hi All,

Yayyyy!!! I finished it, what a relief!

When creating the water I laid down a layer each of Moss Green, Dark Green and Dark Umber. I then used Gamsol to blend the three layers into the tooth of the Suede. When doing this I use a bristle brush, load the brush with the Gamsol and then dab it on a paper towel before I start blending the three layers.

I then finished the reflection of the lion completely. Now that the under layers of the water is down and the reflection of the lion I start glazing Moss Green, Bronze and Artichoke over all the water and the lion. I then went in and added some blue and light reflections.

I then sprayed it with fixative. It's all ready to enter into the CPSA Exhibition..... lets keep our fingers crossed.







Here is a closeup of the upper part of the drawing.

















Here is a closeup of the lower part of the drawing.









I hope you enjoyed this work in progress and if you have any questions at all please let me know. And....... don't forget...... Keep Scribbling!! Gemma

Reflections - Work in Progress - update 5

Hi All,

Well... here is the next update. I'm continuing to work my way down using the same techniques as before.

One of the things I noticed about the suede board is it actually seems to work better if you use a duller pencil. Although; I am using a fairly sharp pencil when laying down the fur. It's interesting.... drawing on the suede board really doesn't feel like drawing, instead it feels more like I'm painting. I just love it and I have to say I think this will be my support of choice more often than not.

I can't remember if I told you where to get the Suede Mat board.... I get it from my framer so, if your looking for it check with your local framer. It can be quite pricey but it comes in a very large sheet of 30" X 40" so you can do several pieces from that sheet. The color I used on this one is called Moccasin. One of the things I learned from a fellow artist is you don't want to work on the darker colors of the suede board, you will have a problem covering it.

If you have any questions just fire away and.... by all means keep Scribbling!! Gemma

Reflections - Work in Progress - update 4

Hi All,

Well I'm moving right along on this one. I really don't have a lot to say about it at this point. I've been using the same colors and technique and just moving my way down the support.

Oh.... I do have one thing to say, hahaha. When it came time to do the splash, I found I was having a bit of an artist block. So I decided to do what I preach to my students in my workshops... well fancy that, LOL. I cut a little square in a white piece of paper to make a very small window. I placed the window over the area where the splash was on my reference drawing and Voila..... it no longer was a splash. It suddenly became nothing but colors, shapes, lines and values. Another thing I will do at times is have my laptop near by with the reference photo on it and zoom way in on a small area, that helps too.

If you have any questions at all let me know.... and.... Keep Scribbling!! Gemma

Me and My Dog

Hi All,

I thought you may enjoy what I did today. My other passion is showing my dogs in Obedience. Today I showed my Rotti, Harlow, at a dog show. This is a movie of her and I doing our thing in the ring. Just click on this link to view it: http://www.glassgems.net/HarlowDogShow022110/HarlowDogShow022110 .html

Let me know what you think by commenting.... it may not be drawing but it is another art.
Keep Scribbling,
Gemma

Reflections - Work in Progress - update 3

I finished the lions face and started working my way over to the grasses on the right side of the artwork.

I have about a third of it done now, I sure hope I can finish it before the Colored Pencil Society of America Exhibition deadline. The deadline is March 31st. so if I keep working hard at it I should be able to finish it. I tend to work very slow but I am trying really hard to finish this in time.

As you can see the grasses are starting to grow out of the water. Water is always fun to create but doing it on this suede board makes it so much easier. You can lay down your dark colors and then draw the reflections on top of the dark. It is so much more like painting than colored pencils usually are done on Stonehenge or Watercolor paper. I did the grasses also by laying down the darker colors and then drawing in the individual grasses on top of that. Then I came back with black and drew in some negative space to give it the depth I was trying to achieve.

I also like the softness I am able to get on this suede, it is wonderful to do animal fur on. The Suede Board can be hard to find at times but all you need to do is go to your favorite Framer and ask them to order it for you. It comes in sheets of 30" X 40" and in lots of really nice colors. You do want to be careful and not choose a color to dark because you may have a problem covering the suede board.

If you have any questions or comments just ask away. Keep Scribbling! Gemma

Reflections - Work in Progress - update 2

This is the upper right section of the drawing so part of what has been drawn on the left is cut off in this section of the image.

I'm using lots of different brands of pencils on this one. I'm using Prismacolor, Derwent Studios, Derwent Colorsoft, Lyra and Polychromos. I really like the way the Derwent Colorsoft pencils work with the suede board. It almost behaves like pastel, it is very cool.

One of the things I really loved about the reference photo is the dramatic morning lighting. The subject is very light on one side and dark on the other. This type of lighting gives the painting a very dramatic feel and a warmth that catches the viewers eye. Hopefully I will be able to pull this off because this is what, I feel, will make or break this painting.

I'm layering lots and lots of colors to give it the real fur look. In the lighter areas I laid down the lighter colors first and worked in some darker colors and then went back to the lighter colors. In the darker areas I laid down the medium color and then the lights and dark on top of that.
One of the things I noticed in my last update was, I didn't get the values quite right on the log and the shadows from the lion on the log needed to be darker as well. This is something I corrected in this update. Personally I like the log much better now.

Here is a close up of the Mountain Lion head. You can see how I use lots and lots of colors.

If you have any questions just ask and I'll be happy to answer what I can.

Keep Scribbling!! Gemma

Reflections - Work in Progress - update 1

Here is my start on my colored pencil piece titled "Reflections". This is the upper left corner of the piece. The size of this artwork is 10" X 24". As you can see I tend to start in the upper corner (or the eyes) and work my way down and across.

I chose Moccasin Suede Mat board as the support. I love applying colored pencils on the suede board. It allows me to lay the layers down as if I am painting. I can add the highlights on top of the dark colors and still have them really pop. Typically I would have to save my highlighted areas because Colored Pencil is transparent, but with the suede board it reacts as if it is opaque.

I start out by drawing a very detailed contour drawing and then transfer it to the Suede Board. When I'm doing the fur on suede board or a sanded surface I tend to lay down a layer of medium color and then feather in the dark and light hairs. That tends to give it that real fur look. I used the same approach on the log, lay down a layer of medium color and then added darks and lights on top of that. I also use Gamsol to blend some of the areas. This helps dissolve the pencil down into the tooth of the suede board.

When I am creating my colored pencil artwork I break each piece of the reference photo down to little squares. This way I am looking at lines, shades, color and shapes. This approach makes it much easier for me to get the realistic look. If you decide to try this approach yourself you may want to take notes of what colors you used for the different areas. I personally don't take notes because I have worked with colored pencils long enough I almost always use the same color of pencils to achieve a certain look, but at first, I did keep notes. If you have any questions let me know and I will be happy to answer them.

Mountain Lion with Reflections - Work in Progress

While in Montana a few years ago I took this photo of this Mountain Lion. I love how the reflections reflect the face in full view along with the splash of the water and ripples as he is stepping in. I got several shots of this Mountain Lion and hope to do several of them with Colored Pencil and maybe do a piece in pastel.
I decided to do this one on beige Suede Board. I will be filling in the drawing completely, there won't be any of the suede board showing as I did with the Rottweiler below. I love how the suede board works with the colored pencils. The interesting thing with the suede board is you can add your highlights on top of dark pencil and it shows up quite nicely. The suede board works very similar to a sanded surface. If you haven't tried it you should.
I now have the contour drawing done and I'm starting to color it in. I should have an update of my progress in a few days or so. If you have any questions at all feel free to speak up.

Finally Back - Zebras Are Done And A New Portrait Too!

Hello Everyone,

It's been a long time since I posted and I do apologize for that. We had a few deaths in our family and my Mother was very ill for quite some time. She is doing well now and things are finally coming back to normal.

The Workshop I taught in Livermore was a wonderful success and I had a great time teaching it. I finally got a chance to get back to drawing and was able to finish Zebras. I decided to title this "LOL". It was very interesting working on the Artboard and I have to say I would definitely do another piece on the board. The arches paper attached to the board accepts Colored Pencil quite well and was really fun to work with. If any of you are interested in looking into the Artboard surface you can go to this link: http://www.art-boards.com/

During the time I was away from my blog I was asked to do a portrait of a beautiful Rottweiler named Dutch. Dutch is the Father to the litter of puppies my dog, Harlow, gave birth to in August. She had seven cute little puppies and we decided to keep one of them. We were able to find homes for all of the others. We named our puppy “A National Treasure” and his call name is Cage. I just hope he turns out to be as beautiful as his Mom and Dad.

Well anyway…. The portrait I did of Dutch was done on Suede mat board, the color is called Moccasin. I love the way the Suede board works with the Colored Pencil. One of the things I like best about the suede board is you can add the lights on top of the darks and they show up very nicely. It behaves a lot like a sanded surface. The other nice thing about it is you don’t have to do the background; you leave the suede board in that area, which seems to work quite well on a portrait.

I’m glad to be finally be back updating my blog and I promise I will be doing updates much more often than I have in the last 4 months, so please come back and check for more updates.