Amur Leopard - Mixed Media

'Vantage Point - Amur Leopard'

16.5 x 11.5 inches

This is the first piece of completed artwork for 2013, an Amur Leopard in mixed media. It is mainly watercolour with some of the details added in coloured pencil on Arches hot pressed watercolour paper.

The leopard on my reference photograph was lying on a shelf so I substituted a rock from another of my reference photographs.

Work in Progress A Red Maine Coon - Stage 1

I've decided to do a work in progress in a bit more detail, highlighting some of the stages I go through to create a portrait. This will be a fairly large mixed media work. There will be no background other than a shadow to ground the cat so once I've drawn the outline and main fur clumps on my paper I start to select the colours.
I'm working on Arches hot pressed watercolour paper.

1. Selecting the Colours
I make a fairly quick initial selection of pencil colours I think I can see in the cat and draw a small square of each on the edge of my paper. I remove this edge from the finished portrait but it helps me to see how the colours work on my support.

2. I compare my selected colours with the reference and discard any that don't work.
Tip - For a red cat I discard any pencils that tend to look yellowish as they end up giving the orange/red fur a greenish tint.

3. I select the colours for the eye and  complete it before moving onto the surrounding areas of fur.

4. If you look at the tail you can see I'm putting down a base of watercolour before adding the coloured pencil.

Spaniel in Mixed Media

I started a painting of a spaniel while demonstrating at the Patchings Art Festival.
First of all I added watercolour using a barely damp brush and then picked out detail in coloured pencil. The size is approximately 16 x 12 inches and it's on hot press watercolour paper.
I found that the addition of the watercolour really speeded things up and also created a really soft fur effect, I'll be using this technique again.

Thanks to all who came to talk to me at Patchings and also those that bought my work. It was lovely to see old friends and make some new ones. It was also nice to come away inspired after seeing work from so many talented artists.

Portrait of a Tabby Cat and Kitten in Coloured Pencil

'Sleep Over'

Mixed Media on watercolour paper 4.5 x 6 inches
To purchase click here

ACEO Cat on Blue Pastel Paper

'Wish Upon a Star'

Sold

I've done almost no art this last week due to a four footed addition to the family, I'll share some photographs soon.

I did have time to do this ACEO, 2.5 x 3.5, coloured pencil and watercolour on blue pastel paper.

Mallard in Mixed Media

I've got back to the Mallard at last. This is a terrible photograph as the light is poor but it gives you an idea of how she's progressing. There is definitely no orange tinge to the sky in real life and the eye is darker, the touch of charcoal reflected the flash.

Maine Coon Cats Continued

I'm working on the cats and the mallard so I'll show you thye update on the Maine Coon Cats today.

I'm painting an undercoat in watercolour then using the coloured pencil on top.

Mallard in mixed media

After my graphite and coloured pencil Woodpecker I decided to do another bird using the same technique. This time a Mallard, 16 x 12 on Arches. It is the first of (hopefully) a trio of Mallard drawings.

I've used a combination of two photographs that I took last year at Martin Mere.
I will post an update of the cats tomorrow.

The 2009 Cat Series

I decided I'd better make a start on my cat series which will be aimed at the SOFA exhibition in September.

This is watercolour and coloured pencil on Arches, approx 18 x 14. The finished picture will be a mother and two Maine Coon kittens. You can only see the bit that fit in my scanner.

I ordered some Fisher 400 paper today together with some Clairfontaine pastelmat in three colours. Artists who use pastelmat describe it as being in between colourfix and velour to use, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Wolf in acrylic and coloured pencil

I have a couple of things that I need to do this month, one is finish my snow leopard the other is paint a wolf. I will finish my ground squirrel, hopefully over the weekend.


I've made a start on a portrait of a wolf, it is my usual mixed media technique in acrylic and coloured pencil, approximately 16 x 12 on blue colourfix paper.
I think I might have drawn the nose a bit too straight, I'll alter it when I get more fur in if necessary.

Ground Squirrel Demonstration - Part 4

I've added several more layers to the top stripe and am happy that it now looks to have quite a lot of depth. I've left the bottom purely coloured pencil so hopefully you can see the difference. I've also started adding layers of acrylic to his head, the top part is finished as I don't think I will improve it by adding any more paint. I do find it difficult sometimes to know when to stop before I create mud.
At this stage he does look quite flat so I'll do some work on giving him some shape next.