intuitive portrait

Woter colours, Copic markers, ink, silver gel pen and coloured pencil.

I loved the cool yellowgreen next to the sky blue and ultramarine.

It is great playing this way with paint and shapes.

intuitive portraits WIP 2

intuitive Portraits WIP1

Having fun with these intuitive portraits, ATC size so I thought i woudl post a WIP - work in progress.

You can see the intital step of a wash or too. Then adding more washes and putting in details. Sometimes I have the card propped up on my desk for some days before deciding what more needs to be added.

I enhance some areas with another wash, or pick out more detail with ink or water colour, keeping in mind balance and having light and dark

lately

I have been doing more ATC's with a bit of writing rather than any journalling.
Strathmore have recently announced 3 more journalling wroshops for 2012 and I have put my name down for all three. See their newsletter for details
http://www.strathmoreartist.com/artist-newsletter.html


The first two are 'intuitive portraits' ATC size.
For these, I wet the watercolor paper and put in washes of acrylics and water colors. Then the shapes are picked out with pen. Fun.

This one is part of a Klimt swap I participated in. And it was published in the Art Trader magazine, This is an on-line and downloadable magazine devoted mainly to mail art. A new one is published every 3 or 4 months and they are full of informative articles on art and ATC's

Blue woods is in Water colour

Spring Meadow is acryllic

Journalling

I used plastic food wrap for texture. You lay this on the paint, scrunch up a little and leave to dry. The wrap peels off easily but as I wasn't using liquid acryllic, but acryllic straight from the tube, it left the suface shiny. I liked the shapes but couldn't think what to do and how to journal on it so .....

Painted more transparent yellow on the LHS.
Put blue on the right - don't ask me why. I didn't like it so added some yellow to make green. Still yukky - so ....

LHS. A copy of a horse I did in another journal and paper behind.

RHS. After dulling the background with gesso coloured with transparent yellow, I drew a horse. It needed more so I put some green dots on with bubble wrap. Still not happy. Put dark green around the horse. It was only when I put red colour pencil over the green that it started to gel.
I found that having little scrap of coloured paper I could see what colours might work. I may still play with this a bit more.

IFJM # 30 - last post for the challenge - see IFJM # 1 for details

Woohooo! I do believe Daddy Dearest has met his match! The Director received an order from DD and will not comply.

I could even smile at the gargoyles today.




Daddy Dearest arrives tomorrow - 1 May.

But I won't be here !!! Director is sendin me off on the Haldinger hunt
I'm Off !!
I won't be here tomorrow.

IFJM # 29

The ditsy doo-dahs can usually cheer me up but not today.
That Mondo couldn't stop himself from letting me know he messaged Daddy and he is on his way. He will want to throw his weight and money around to take me to a 'serious' job.

IFJM # 28

Wow. I'm so excited. The Director asked me if I would be interested in cataloguing and recording all the details of the animals he has.
Would I! There is a family board he has to check with first.



Not quite gnu, not really unicorns. This elegant creature is a quatroix.Off to research, starting with this one.

IFJM # 27

I Thought I was too harsh on Mondo yesterday but the accountant gave him a note from Dayy Dearest to pass on to me. Mondo had a smirk on his face as he handed it to me without a word. He's up to no good.

IFJM # 26

Mondo was less than happy. Why do some people sour themselves with jealousy?



Weasel dog (lives in burrows) reminds me of Mondo come to think of it.

IFJM # 25

Poured with rain last night but time for us to go back. Went past the large lizard enclosure - the Director's own gene-regeneration programme.



He was surprised by the colour variations.

IFJM # 24

There were large flocks of birds in the swamp lands. The Director knew where the fingers of hard land reached into them. This world is mostly low-lying and the zoo is looking to make more use of the land.



The director read my journal so now he knows. He also shared that his family owned the planet but asked me to keep that quiet.
PS. we found an ideal spot for tourist accomodation.

IFJM # 23

The Director's dog - yes he has a real dog. Not a man I thought would have a toy poodle.



Apparently she goes everywhere with him except the large animals' enclosures.

IFJM # 22

Mondo was sick and unable to drive. When I queried why he was needed the said They Director had wanted to go out to the swamp area to look at the viability of a wild-fowl area. He is an animal person - not at all mechanical. I sort of volunteered.



After a day's drive - the Director relaxing in the hut. I didn't realise we would be away overnight. I used some of Rondo's stuff that was in the 4WD.

IFJM # 21

You've got to be impressed by elephants. I am.

This poor old elephant is near the end of her days and has arthritis.
They are trying to find a replacement but they are becoming quite rare. This one was too old for breeding even when they got her.

IFJM # 20

Rock dog from the same planet as the jitterbug a very stony worls. A pack animal. Some drive the prey to the others lying in wait among the rocks. Their armoured backs are necessary because the prey herd gtallops over the top of them . Hooves made for travelling on rocks are very tough.



Of course, in their pen they are fed already dead meat similar to the tigers and cheetahs.

IFJM # 19

I had some explaining to do last night. I found the escaped haldinger for them but some **&%!!+* you can't please. In the end, all's well. They're still figuring out how to recapture him.

I said find an outside enclosure - like a canyon - and give him some company. He seemed happy with the herd of sprinboks.



These spots kept me occupied for a while.

IFJM # 18

Didn't get much sleep last night - much to-ing and fro-ing in the corridors. Before dawn I gave up and as it was my day off , grabbed some fruit from the kitchen and headed off for a good walk

Springboks getting their winter coats.
Uo-oh - haldinger hoof.



So - last night explained.
New Fact - haldingers like apples. We shared mine and he melted back into the bushes.

I crept back out of there before he decided this vegetarian was related to those human predators.

IFJM # 17

Simpson's Blue - a real mistake with gene manipulation. These animals are untamable, viscious but oh so beautiful to watch galloping across their large meadow.




I'm lucky most of my work is morning and evenings so I have time to wander for an hour or two in the middle of the day.

IFJM # 16

Raining. Had to copy from a large photo on the dining hall wall. Borrowed pencils.
Lynx.

IFJM #15

I got to thinking about haldingers. How come other animals that live in the same area are not annihilated by them?

Some of the animals are not very obliging when I am trying to paint them. My WC box was a great investment.

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For details about IFJM click on the icon to the right.




Today I had the task of escorting a tourist around because they have noticed I like sketching.
Roz sketching the gee-gawk - so called because of the sort of strangled sound it makes. Awkward except in flight or swimming.

IFJM # 8

They cheered me at breakfst. I am one of them now I have had the planet lurgy.
So now assigned to the small animal enclosures. The director says some one who likes numbers is suited to groups.

DUST BUNNIES give me the creeps. You have to admire their camouflage though. They stealthily surround their prey and then all leap together and smother the creature. - Janika

IFJM # 7

At dusk I can hear the high trumpeting call of the dinklops. (I had to ask though) Very distinctive herald of sunset.

If you are outside, a whirly bug might blunder past, fiskering.
It is early authumn. The only deciduous trees are imports - exotics. - Janika

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