Flower sketches

I'm going through old sketchbooks and deciding what to keep and what to toss, and it made me realize that I should actually draw in my sketchbook more often. I've regressed back into my old habit of drawing on scrap paper, which doesn't inspire high quality drawing. So here are some recent sketchbook drawings, both inspired by my summer vacation.

Me and Nikki update

I ended up coloring this all in one go, so now I can wait for it to dry. I had a lot of fun working on this one, and the subject matter is very dear to me too. It looks so much better than the original painting, and I am also glad I fixed Nikki's face. I'm finally getting comfortable with how I draw cats.

Main colors used:

• Titanium buff (Cobra) - general white
• Persian Rose (Cobra) - shirt and shorts
• Naples yellow light (Cobra) - Nikki
• Naples yellow (W&N) - skin (lighter tone)
• Naples yellow red (Cobra) skin (darker tone)
• Yellow ochre (W&N) hair
• Cadmium red hue (W&N) 
• Burnt sienna (W&N)
• Phthalo blue (W&N) shorts

Even though the painting is incomplete, I still think it looks quite nice as it is. The blue shorts are very loud, but once I add in the other details it won't feel like the main focus. There are a lot of things I would still like to do to this painting.

• Add red stripes to shirt
• Emphasize Nikki's orange-ness
• Add hints of blue or green to the staircase
• Fine-tune details and outlines
• Small color corrections
• Shading on face
• Make foot smaller
• Fix Nikki's front paws

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Dante progress update

This time, I added a layer of phthalo blue, which is a very strong staining pigment. I tried glazing magenta over his fur which wasn't a very good idea - yes, the pigment is transparent but still looks better over certain colors than others. It's fine though, I can easily cover this up with another layer.  His whiskers are coming along nicely!

Once this dries I want to add some finer details, especially on Dante. Make his facial features a little more defined. Thinking about what else I could dad to this painting to make him look nicer.

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Winter painting progress update

I made a lot of progress on Winter over the weekend, and she is starting to come together. 

Last time on Dragon Ball Z: we were off to a shaky start and I was feeling uncertain. But things are starting to turn around.

Here is a list of the main paint colors I used.

Cobra

• Titanium Buff
• Persian Rose

Winsor & Newton

• Ivory black
• Payne's gray
• Magenta
• Ultramarine
• Phthalo Green
• Phthalo Blue
• Naples yellow

Overall, I am very excited with how she is coming along. The black takes a very long time to dry, despite its matte-like surface suggesting otherwise. I am planning to glaze it to bring out the depth of her black fur. I would also like to make her eyes more soft.

I am satisfied with my decision to include a wintry backdrop. A lot of the detail is still rough around the edges, but once the paint has dried, I plan on adding a little more color and definition.

Oh, that hand! I regret picking naples yellow for the skin tone. I should have mixed it with something darker. The mismatch in values makes it stand out too much. It especially distracts from Winter’s yellow eyes. Hopefully glazing over the hand with a darker color will help. Because that yellow is LOUD! 

Other than the color of the hand, I am mostly happy with the direction this painting has taken. I think the risk has already paid off - the risk of painting over an existing picture to create a better version. This is still a work in progress, but there is still so much potential and I look forward to really making her stand out.

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Mini painting practice update

My mini practice paintings are finally dry, which means I can add a new layer of paint! It was mostly color glazing, but I added some full body paint in other areas. This extra layer of color really helped bring the pictures to life. I could do more, but because of the small scale, it's better to leave them alone.

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Gel gloss + Ink = ???

Yesterday I found this mini canvas with a brick-like pattern that I never did anything with. I'm dying to know what happens when you mix ink with gel gloss. Ink is transparent, so it should dry clear, right? Let's do a little experiment.

I borrowed a little jar of ink from my sister and mixed it with the gel gloss. It was a rough mixture as I want it to be inconsistent. It looks like I slathered it in glue, but just wait until this dries...

Dude. I was so excited to check on this the next morning. And the result did not disappoint. Photography does not do it justice. My favorite thing about the gel gloss is how the light passes through it. This is something I am interested in exploring more thoroughly.

This canvas is just a practice piece. Much like with this picture, I'm planning to use it for my spare paint that I don't want to waste. Because the picture is already toned, whatever I paint on top of the gel will still be faithful to what's underneath. Hopefully. We'll see. It's just experimentation, after all!

Winter redux

Making good progress on Winter. There has been a lot of uncertainty especially regarding her face. But I am fairly confident I can pull this off. For part 1, click here.

Drawing on top of the painting. 

Toned the canvas with neon orange and neon pink acrylic paint. Added values using raw sienna and burnt umber acrylic paint. Then, I drew over it using a fine-tipped Posca marker. 

Here is where I left off. Her face needs more work, but once this coat of paint dries, I will be able to make the proper adjustments. Her eyes and black fur need to be a little darker and more solid, that's all.

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