Pretty Lady - Last night I put together a frame made from simple pre-cut matte, a clear acetate sheet, and matte board cut to size for backing to showcase this pencil sketch. For less than $10 the sketch is protected and looks so much classier than a loose piece of paper. I posted an earlier version of this sketch the other day (see here). At that point I'd stepped back from this drawing for a little while while working on other things. I discovered two things upon finishing it this week.

1 - Tools make all the difference - It had been so long since I sketched something that required this level of detail, I'd forgotten how much proper paraphernalia matters. I completed the Eric 2011 sketch and the majority of this one with only a mechanical .7mm pencil. I didn't have the proper eraser either, but struggled through illustrating like that, kind of oblivious to an easier way. Between then and now I bought a 12 pencil set, rubber eraser, kneadable eraser & good sharpener.  The new tools made me eager to complete this sketch and start another one. Investigating different brands and types of equipment is inspiring and worth the investment.

2 - I wasn't feeling this piece when I set it aside for a few weeks. Putting it on the back burner turned out to be the best thing I could have done. Returning to it didn't feel like a chore, but something I looked forward to & by picking it up with fresh eyes I was able to see what areas needed the most work right away, and therefore finished it quickly & confidently.

1 - Seating in the Scalzi  2010

2 - Angels of St. Peters  2010

Greater than the sum of their parts - Pairing two images is one of my favourite tricks. It's an easy way to make images that may fall flat if viewed independently of one another into something much more dynamic. 

1 - Two subjects in two different places - As long as there is at least one unifying feature in each photo this type of pairing can easily show patterns in colour, shape and composition without seeming like a weird set.

2, 3- Two subjects in the same place - Sometimes one image just isn't enough to convey the atmosphere of a room or the breadth of a moment. By showing more than one part of the environment viewers are able to grasp the scene more fully.

4 - One subject from multiple angles - Often a scene looks marvellous pulled back, but there is a smaller component of it that demands special attention too. By taking one photo of the whole scene and another to showcase a smaller element within it, it can highlight the importance of that element or draw attention to a detail that may otherwise be missed.

P.S. When two images work together it should be apparent immediately - if you have to do tons of perfecting to get it just right then you are probably trying too hard.

My First (and only) digital painting! No one told me the hardest way to attempt this was on a laptop, using only the trackpad instead of a wireless mouse.... but hey, if it's not challenging, why try it?

I used two photos for reference & created it 100% with Photoshop with a lot of trial and error brush work. I thought framing it tightly around the crocodiles head would illustrate the appropriate tension, making it seem like the dragonfly has nowhere to go (Mwahahaha!). I picked orange for the background to really make the prey pop.

I ended up being very happy with the result. It gave me the desire to try out digital painting some more, though I haven't decided what my next subject matter will be yet. I think I'll stick to an animal theme for now....

Using three stock images (tiger, strawberry & wall clock) I made this kaleidoscope image by isolating each subject from it's respective background with the pen tool in Photoshop and then patterning them together in a new blank document. It was created for a contest on deviantart.com and logical reasoning for using one cat, one fruit & one clock together wasn't provided. It ended up being pen tool/compositing practice more than anything.

I'd like to try this technique again, except I'd use my own photos & a more cohesive theme like kitchen utensils or street signs.