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!