Mountain Quail new background

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

After finishing the mountain quail picture, the background continued to nag at me.  It seemed incomplete, and so I pulled out my pencils and reworked it again.  And now I can say with confidence that it is finished! :)

Happy Flying!

Sunset Orchids

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

A very dear friend of mine recently had a birthday, and my gift to her was an original colored pencil drawing of her choice.  She wanted white orchids, and so I embarked on the new adventure of creating flowers in colored pencil.  Above is the result, and I must admit that while my real love is animals, I'm definitely going to be adding floral subjects to my project pile.  I have so many beautiful photographs of plants and flowers that I would love to recreate in colored pencil.  

Until next time: Happy Flying!

Peacock Update #2

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I finally have an updated picture of the peacock to share!  In my mind, the male peacock with all his vibrant colors is a testament to God's craftsmanship.

Happy Flying!

Peacock Update #1

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I made some progress on the peacock.  He is starting to look handsome ;)  This piece has a very different color scheme than the majority of my work, so it is shaping up to be an adventure.  The tail plumage is going to be a challenge, but I can't wait to get started! :)

Until next time: Happy Flying!

Phoenix Pumpkin Carving

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I love carving pumpkins, and every year I end up trying something elaborate.  This year I decided to do a phoenix during our church group's pumpkin carving contest.  It was so much fun!  I'm thinking of trying this again on a fake pumpkin.

Happy Flying!

Peacock beginnings

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
Here is the progress on the colored pencil peacock so far.  Below you can see the initial drawing:

I can't wait to get to work on the tail feathers! :)  Should be a fun challenge.

Happy Flying!

Barn Owl finished

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

My barn owl is finally finished! :)  The markings on the wing feathers were especially fun to create.  

I've already been working on my next project: a handsome peacock.  Stay tuned for an update later on this week ;)

Happy Flying!

Barn Owl update at last!

 

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Look who is back!  The barn owl is nearing completion at last :) 

Happy Flying!

Monarch Door returns

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I finally finished the knob on the monarch door!  Hope to have the rest of it finished soon.

Happy Flying!  

Mountain Quail finished

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

The mountain quail is finally finished!  I had way too much fun making the moss on the branch he is perched on :)  The background was a bit of a challenge.  After coloring in the mountains and the sky, I layered white over the entire background.

Well it is time to get back to the drawing board.

Until next time: Happy Flying!

Black Marble Arch

Greetings, my fine feathered friend! :)

So I decided to try to make a black marble painting using a black canvas I had laying around.  I first painted on the arch using a very fine brush.  Then I used a sea sponge to apply the different shades of grey.  And then the real fun began: using a goose feather to apply the white and gold veins.  Unfortunately the picture didn't capture the metallic quality of the gold paint that I used, but you can get the basic idea.  When the paint was dry, I applied a satin varnish to give it that smooth "stone" quality.  I would like to do a larger version with a little bit of ivy.

My white version with the roses sold this past weekend :) so now this one is hanging in its place at the art league's gallery.

Until next time: Happy Flying!

Jaguar finally finished!

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

After four months, the jaguar is finally finished! I'm sure some of you were wondering if he would ever resurface again.  Good things come to those who wait :)

Happy Flying!

Rose Window

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I decided to experiment on that marbled canvas that I painted a while back.  I didn't go into great detail with this; it was more about seeing if the concept worked.  But it turned out to be a nice little painting, and I will definitely be pursuing this idea further.

Happy Flying!  

Making a "marble" canvas

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
I had an idea for an acrylic painting that had a marble background, and feeling adventurous I decided to give it a try.  Thankfully there is a lot written about how to paint faux marble so I had a generally idea of how to go about it.
Like a colored pencil piece, this involved lots of layers.  First I started with a solid base color.  Then using a natural sponge I dabbed in more colors.  I used a goose biot feather to paint the veins in the "marble."  The biot is from the leading edge of the primary wing feather in case you were wondering.  I lightly glazed white over the various layers to give the illusion of depth.  Lastly I put a thin layer of gloss medium over the canvas to give it a "smooth" look.
The next "marble" experiment will be using black canvas to make a dark marble.  Should be fun! :)
Happy Flying!

Another barn owl feather

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
I tried a new experiment today: a time limit on a colored pencil drawing.  I grabbed one of the feathers from my stash and gave myself only 30 minutes to work.  Turned out better than I expected! :)  It's a nice exercise for the days when I don't have the time to work on my more involved projects.
Happy Flying!

Barn Owl feather drawing

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

A few years back a barn owl took up residence around our house and left behind plenty of feathers for me to collect.  The other day I decided to make a drawing of one of the feathers on some tan paper, and I fell in love with the effect! :)  I have a sketchbook with this paper in it, and I've decided to fill the book with drawings of all the different bird feathers I have in my collection.  I know what you're thinking: not another new project!  I am a glutton for punishment ;)

Until next time: Happy Flying! 

Mountain Quail Update: Part 2

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I finally finished the mountain quail, and now I'm working on his environment, which includes one of my favorite things to draw: a gnarled tree branch! ;)  I'm thinking of adding some moss or lichen to the left side.  

I hope to have another update for you soon, so until then: Happy Flying!

Painted Butterfly Raku Jar

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
About two weeks ago, I was invited by a friend to go to a raku party.  "Raku" is a type of low-firing pottery process inspired by the traditional Japanese raku firing.  In the western-style raku that was demonstrated at the party, the pottery was removed from the kiln while still red hot (which is an amazing thing to witness!) and then covered by buckets filled with newspaper.  When the newspaper ignites, it produces what is called an "intense reduction atmosphere" that effects the colors in the glazes and clay, and usually produces crackling.  It is an awesome process to watch! :)
I had a wonderful time at this raku party and got to take one of the jars home.  I have a habit of embellishing things, and so I started painting the jar.  This was the first time I'd ever painted on a non-flat surface, so it was definately a learning experience.  What you see in the pictures above are the results of my experimentation.  So technically, I can say my art is now in 3D! ;)
Happy Flying!

Mountain Quail Update

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
Here's the progress I've made on the little Mountain Quail.  I've had to use three different photo references for this piece: one for the position, one for the detail, and another for the color.  Actually it will be four photos when I fill in the background and the gnarled tree branch he is perched on.  It is a good experience for me, learning to add in multiple references for one subject.  
In researching this subject, I have become fascinated by game birds like the quail and grouse.  So more of these plucky little birds will be finding their way onto my drawing board.  As if it wasn't crowded enough, right? :)
Happy Flying! 

Mountain Quail sketch

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
I thought I'd share this drawing of a mountain quail I did the other day.  I will be doing a colored version of this plucky little fellow for my grandfather.  
Happy Flying! 

Jaguar Update: Part 6

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
A few more hours of work and this jaguar will be finished! :D 
Until next time: Happy Flying!

Jaguar Update: Part 5

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
See a familiar face? :)  I finally worked on my old friend the jaguar.  I'm not sure if he will receive my undivided attention during this week, but there will be plenty of drawing going on.  It's that time of year where our average temperature is over 100 degrees fahrenheit, so naturally I'll be indoors as much as possible!
Happy Flying!

On the Drawing Board: Cheetah

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
I've been trying to get more organized--a vast undertaking I assure you! :)  Part of that process involves my art projects.  If you've spent any time on this blog, you know how I flutter from project to project rather frequently.  I don't want to leave projects unfinished for years like I have done in the past, so when I get a new idea I just do the preliminary drawing and go back to the one I'm working on.  Hence the drawing of the cheetah you see above.  I saw her picture the other day and knew she had to become part of my "Big Cat Series" that I've been slowly building.
Well, I had better get back to the drawing board or all these pieces will never get done ;)
Happy Flying!

Another update on Monarch Door

 

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

All the monarchs are finally finished :)  The next step will be the amber glass doorknob, which is the part I've really been looking forward to coloring. 

Until next time: Happy Flying!

Colored Pencil Tutorial: Monarch butterfly

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
Today I am sharing the step-by-step process I used to create a monarch butterfly in colored pencil.
As always, start with an accurate drawing:

 

The first layer of color I used was sunburst yellow.



I then added yellowed orange, layering it darker on the top wings.

Pumpkin orange was used to darken up the top wings, followed by another layer of yellowed orange.  More layers of sunburst yellow and yellowed orange were added to the bottom wings.

I then added sepia to the wings and body of the butterfly.  Some pumpkin orange was lightly layered over the bottom wings.

And finally, black was layered over the sepia on the wings and body.

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial! :)
Happy Flying!

And then there were three...

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
Update on the monarch door project.  I will also be posting a colored pencil tutorial of the monarch butterfly within the next few days.  So be sure to perch here again for a behind-the-scenes look! :)
Until next time: Happy flying!

Monarch Door Update

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
Here is the progress I've made on the monarch doorknob drawing.  A funny thing happened the other day while I was working on this piece.  You see, it has been years since I've spotted a monarch around our property; the Tiger Swallow Tail butterflies rule around here.  I had just finished working on this piece and went outside to do some chores, and a monarch floated right past me!  It was as if the little creature had sprang to life from my drawing board.  God truly has a sense of humor! :)  
Happy Flying!

Monarch Door beginnings

 

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I needed a little break from doing the jaguar so I started on the monarch door drawing.  Hope to finish this butterfly today! :)

Happy Flying!

Jaguar Update: Part 4

 

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I have made a little more progress on the jaguar but still have a long way to go.  What has been keeping me from the drawing board you ask?  Well I'm in charge of doing a craft night next week so I have been very busy getting ready for that.  Here is what we will be making:

 

The saying on the back of the mirror reads: "If God sees greatness in you, how then should you see yourself?"  Color choices will be pink, purple, or blue.   

After the craft night is over, I'll be back to the drawing board again! :)

Happy Flying!



On the Drawing Board: Monarch Door

 

Greetings my fine feathered friend!

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that I usually work on multiple pieces of art at the same time.  So here is the latest new project on the drawing board.  The doorknob is a gorgeous amber color in real life, and the butterflies are monarchs.  I actually have a series of these planned using different types of old-fashioned doorknobs and animals. 

Until next time: Happy Flying!



A little progress on jaguar

 

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I haven't had a lot of time to spend at the drawing table lately, but here is what I did manage to get done on the jaguar.  

Until next time: Happy Flying! 

Jaguar Update: Part 2

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I think I'm going to keep seeing spots before my eyes for a month after this drawing :)  Now it is time to bring this cat to life by adding color to the fur.  

Until next time: Happy flying!

Storybook Fantasy

 

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I decided to take a break from my jaguar drawing and have a little fun with my pastel pencils.  It is very difficult to get a good photo of artwork done on black paper :p  I'll have to remember that for the future.

And since I am on the subject of the fantastical, I should update you on my Sketchbook Project 2013 entry.  You can now view my entire sketchbook online courtesy of the Brooklyn Art Library's digital library.  Here's how:

~go to www.sketchbookproject.com

~click on the "digital library" tab

~in the "artist name" field enter "Sarah Crumpton"

~in the "project" field enter "SBP 2013"

Be sure to take some time to browse through the other sketchbook entries.  It is great fun! :)

Happy Flying!



Jaguar Update: Part 1

 

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Here is the progress on the jaguar so far.  With the warm weather we've been having here lately, I've been spending more time outdoors helping with the yardwork than I have at the drawing table.  I've also been taking lots of photos, which I plan on using to create more colored pencil works.  So many drawings, so little time! :)

Until next time: Happy flying!   

 



On the Drawing Board: Bobcat

 

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Thanks so much to all of you who share your thoughts about my work! :)  I really enjoy meeting new people and getting to know more about my old friends.  Art certainly has a way of bringing people together. 

There has been a lot of traffic on my drawing board lately, which is typical for this time of year.  I'm still working on the jaguar, but took a break the other day to draw the feline fellow pictured above.  When I was younger, I ran into a bobcat near our pond.  His fur blended in so well with the oak trees that if he had been standing still, I never would have spotted him!  I have been truly blessed to live in a place where I can enjoy God's creations :)

Happy Flying!   



Colored Pencil Tutorial: eye of a jaguar

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
Creating realistic eyes can seem a daunting task, but it really is just a matter of layers.  Today I am going to show you how using one of the jaguar's eyes from my current project.

Start with an accurate drawing

This eye is on the more shadowed part of the face so the colors will be more subdued than the other, but the steps are still the same.

 

Put down a light layer of base color

In this case, my base color was yellow ochre.

Lightly add in highlight color and other main colors

I added a thin strip of canary yellow where the brightest part of the eye will be.  Then I added limepeel near the pupil and pumpkin orange along the bottom.  Yellow ochre was then layered over the eye--except for the lightest part--to unify the colors.

 

Add more value to colors by putting down more layers

More yellow ochre was added and also a layer of goldenrod.  Terra cotta was added to the bottom to darken.

 

 

Color in pupil, add shadows, and refine colors with more layers

Sepia was added to pupil and to area shadowed by the eyelid.  Remember to leave a space for the reflection of light in the eye.  More limepeel and goldenrod layers added.

 

Deepen shadows and darken pupil, define dark eyelid

Add more layers of sepia to darken up the eye.  When shading, be sure your pencil barely touches the surface of the paper.  Shading is all about how many layers you put on, not how heavy you put the pencil on paper.  Also use sepia to draw in the dark eyelid around the eye.  This will help you to see if you need to add more color to the eye.

 

Add black to pupil & the darkest shadows of the eye

Just like when adding the sepia, add the black with a light touch and build up the layers.  I also toned down the color in this eye by adding a thin layer of sepia over it.  Again, keep your touch very light!

 

Add color to reflection of light in eye, touch up other colors as needed

I added a little jade green to the spot of light in the eye, and also softened its edges with a white pencil.  I also did a little touching up to some of the colors until I was satisfied.

 

And there you have it!  Colored pencil is all about layers, layers, and more layers :)  So the next time you think to yourself "I can't make that!", just remember that your subject is merely layers of color.  As always: Happy Flying!