Warrior Victorian Evening

While avoiding housecleaning and shopping, I suddenly had an idea for an illustration project that would be fun.  My rule for starting it was that it had to be fast.  I really wanted it to take about an hour but it took two - still not too bad.  I love figure drawing, I want to practice it, and I love historical fashion.  So I thought I'd do a fast figure drawing and then change it by making a character and adding clothes!

I have a favorite figure drawing online site here, and searched the Metropolitan Museum of Art site here for a dress.  Screenshots of the images I used from those sites are above.  My fast rough sketches are below.

I did a quick revision of the woman on tracing paper and then traced it onto bristol board using a light box.  The final drawing was done in pen and ink.  I didn't do a final sketch due to time;  I just did the final details right in the ink drawing.  I like how it came out.  I'm sure I'll repeat this project again soon!

A Quiet Moment

She's thinking of something pleasant I hope, unaware that she's a pencil sketch with digital color.

Illustration Friday: "Creature"

"Mind Over Matter"

It's great to participate in Illustration Friday again!  Sorry it's been so long.  This drawing was done with pen and ink on cream-colored drawing paper.

A Plate for Orb

Orb's connections liked their Preakness souvenir plate and wanted me to design and paint one to commemorate Orb's Kentucky Derby win.  I wanted the plate to have a unique design but also to look good sitting next to the Preakness plate.

When I paint these plates, I always use acrylics that are meant to be used on glass.

Illustration Friday: "Hybrid"

Fog

                                          The fog comes

                                          on little cat feet.

                                          It sits looking

                                          over harbor and city

                                          on silent haunches

                                          and then moves on.

                                                                    -Carl Sandburg  

Illustration Friday: "Travel"

Drawn with brown ink on Arches cold-pressed watercolor paper.

Something I'm Working On

Greetings!  I hope everyone is having a good summer.  I'm happy to stay out of the heat and draw!  I can't show the commission I'm currently working on because it's a custom gift.  But I can share what I'm up to on the side.  I'm working on creating a style I like for drawing historical figures as characters rather than more formal-looking portraits.  These are Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia, drawn from the influences of television series characters, descriptions in reading, and paintings of the Renaissance period.