Finished #4 in the "Expressions" Series

This is the finished piece in my series of "Expressions".

I did a little something different in this piece...I used Gel Pens to color her jewelry...like the head piece and the earring...I really like it because it gave it a metalic shine...not sure how it will look once it is matted and framed behind glass. We will see if the shine still shows????

I really enjoy making the "Fairy Wings" because no one can ever say I never saw "wings" like that...lol

Expressions Series #4 The drawing & Coloring

These are some of the steps in the creation of Expressions #4...of course you know how it is? I get into the process of drawing, inking and then the coloring and I forget to take pics. I tried to record the process...but sometimes I forget even though I have my camera right beside me. Oh well I think I did better on this one than I have the others, so maybe you can get the gist of my progress. First I do the drawing...and I even remembered to leave a boarder this time...it makes it so much easier to mat and frame if the finished piece has a boarder of 1" to 1 1/2"...I usually just use the width of the yard stick which is a little over an inch...I started with a piece of Strathmore drawing paper that is 18"x24"...that seems to be the size that I find the most comfortable to work on...or maybe it is comfortable because that was the size I had handy when I started...lol..
you know "roll with the flow" and what ever is handy...lol

A little more drawing...

Once the drawing is completed then I begin the inking process...I used an extra fine Sharpie permanent marker...this process takes almost as long as the drawing...because I seem to make it so complicated and have to really watch to not cross over any lines...unlike pencil there is no erasing errors at this point.

Now comes my favorite part...the coloring...this is when I think about being a little girl again and coloring in the multitude of coloring books that I colored when I was young. I use Prisma Pencils,

my all time favorite colored pencils.

The red poppies in the right hand corner are from a picture taken by my good friend Dawn Gold,

from the UK...she took the pic one day while walking her dog. The pic was awesome and she gave me permission to use the image as a reference for my drawing. I like to us photos as reference material for my flower drawings. Most of the other images that are in the drawing are from my head. Sometimes I use magazine pics of girls to achieve different expressions and skin tones...but most of the ribbons, butterflies and of course the wild hair are just my imagination. And yes I do thank the "Big Guy" for my imagination. My mother says I was born with this imagination and she even has some drawings I did when I was 3 yrs old...I used to wonder why mothers save stuff like that until I had children and grand children of my own. LOL

Some more coloring...I decided to make this a little risque...lol.

Don't forget to click on the pics to make them bigger if you want to see the details. :)

Here is the #1 Drawing in the series

This is #1 in the series of drawings of girls with lots of hair...lol...the series is called "EXPRESSIONS"...several people said they didn't see #1 so I decided to repost it before I post #4 (which I just finished last night).

This piece is 24"x30"...it is a mixed media (pencil/ink/Prisma Pencil).

#3 in the Mixed Media Drawings

This is #3 in a series of mixed media drawings that I have completed. It is 18"x24". First I draw in pencil and then I ink the drawing with an extra fine point permanent marker, then I erase the whole thing and color in the parts that I want to be in color using Prisma Pencils. I like leaving the "Hair" in black and white with all of the embellishments in color. The drawings usual take be about 3 to 4 days. I started this one while we were in Santa Fe, NM. Then the inking takes about 8 to 10 hours. After inking I erase the entire drawing to remove the pencil marks, I don't like for the pencil marks to interfer with the Prisma Colors...because it tends to make the colors blurry or darker. Taking this one to be framed and am starting #4...It seems I am on a drawing "kick" never know how long it (the "kick" lol) will last...but I have a lot of fun while it does last...:)

Altered Book Yahoo Group 10 Year Celebration

I belong to one of the oldest and longest lasting Yahoo Groups on the web, Altered Books Yahoo Group, and it is the 10 Year Birthday of this group....there are over 7000 members...and to celebrate this occasion members were ask if they would like to create a page (4"x6") to be made into a book. So far about 200 members have signed up. That is really exciting. Each person that participates will get a coping of their own to keep. Wow!
This is my contribution to the book...this is an original hand carved lino stamp that I made. Then I embellished it with gel pens, and used my "chop" as my signature.

Drawing almost finished.

All most finished. This is a Prisma Pencil/black marker drawing...I draw everything out in pencil, do the editing that I want and then go over the drawing with Fine Tip Sharpie, then color the parts that I want to be in color with Prisma Pencil.

New Drawing on the Table

There is a new drawing on my drawing table. I haven't been drawing enough lately, when I say drawing I mean that I haven't started a drawing that is intended to be a completed piece of art work...I draw all the time sketches, drawing in a journal or an embellishment in an altered book.
I really draw all of the time, but this is the first drawing that I have started as "just" a drawing.
I am sure this sounds a little redundant...but you get the idea. I have been working in mixed media for quite a while and haven't drawn a piece to stand alone..

So these are a couple of "Progress" pics, I don't usually take pics of the progress o my paintings or drawings...simply because I am usually into doing the piece that I don't take the time to take the pics...but decided to use a little self discipline on this and see how they would look.