Owl

Felt Fox

A felt fox for my baby's first room. 

I started by drawing and cutting out the separate pieces in paper.  Making sure it fitted in the frame I wanted to use.  Using the paper shapes I cut the pieces out of felt and sewed the pieces together. 

I mounted it onto light green card using double sided tape. 

Stag Silhouette

I haven't painted for a while so wanted to do something simple to get me back into it.  I did cheat a little.  I hand drew a silhouette from the internet. Using modelling paste and blue acrylic I got the texture of the stag.  I tried to do the background in strips of different shades of green to give the impression of trees.
DollyX

Baboon

Last summer my husband and I visited Berlin.  While we were there we went to the Berlin Zoo.
When we got home I painted this baboon from a photo a took.
I actually drew this a few months ago, but forgot I done it.
Here it is let me know what you think.
Dolly.

The photo I took and a photo of work in progress

Game of Thrones - Arya Stark

The new series of Game of Thrones is coming up.  As I was watching the last series to refresh my memory, I decided to paint one of the characters.
I find it incredibly difficult to capture watercolour. The first is taken with a camera the second is a scan.  

 I've used sticky backed plastic to mark out the house stark emblem.  I stipple watercolour with a stiff brush, in hindsight I went too far and went much darker then a originally wanted.  

Guinea Pigs

I've been away for some time now, I moved house so it took a while to find everything.  I spent ages thinking "where did I put that paintbrush" etc. You would've thought that all art stuff would be in one box, but no it just doesn't work out that way.
I was lacking inspiration, so I put a call out on facebook to start me off.

There is a painting of two little guinea pigs called Sylvia and Olive.

 I always get asked how I do the background on paintings like this one.  It's actually really easy.  I draw my sketch on to some clear sticky plastic.  I usually use a light box for this and remember to do it in reverse as you will be drawing on the paper side of the sticky plastic, so you have to draw back to front.  Then with a stiff brush I stipple watercolour paint around the masked out area.  I build the colours starting with lighter shade ending with darker.

Then it is fully dry I peel the plastic off revealing the clear paper to draw onto.

 I don't think my guinea approved me drawing other guineas.

I chose a font and used my light box to draw the lettering onto the drawing.

The Beatles

For my husband on our 3rd year wedding anniversary I made him a cross stitch of different Beatles references. I mounted it on card, padding it a little.
It took me about 2-3 months, but I was doing it during my lunch breaks, so he wouldn't see me making it.  He was really pleased with it and at the moment sits on our mantelpiece.
Dolly X

The Wombles

I am currently working on a exhibition on the 1970s  and decided to do canvas inspired by
The Wombles.

I will show you how I did it.
   First I drew my initial sketches on paper.  I used http://www.thewomblesbooks.com/ as a reference.

Using a light-box I redrew the characters onto watercolour paper.  I use extra smooth hot pressed paper, as I much prefer using the paper without the rough texture.

By combining white acrylic paint and modelling paste I start to fill in The Wombles fur.

Here you can see the textured effect the modelling paste creates.

I then start adding watercolour on face, hands etc

I've taken a close up of  Great Uncle Bulgaria's shoes and Madame Cholet's pinafore, so I can show you how I did them. 

On the slippers do a base wash of yellow and once that is dry do lines of different shades of brown all in water colour.

On the pinafore do a wash in pink watercolour and then in acrylic do a collection of three pink dots and a green line at each.  

So I then started on the background of my canvas.  Using green card I cut a hill shape, which would cover half of my canvas.   After visiting the Warhammer shop I used their glade grass to cover the green card. In hindsight I should of just got grass effect card or felt, 

I painted a 12"x12" cavas, using blue aryclic and then glued it all together. 

From this angle you can see I used half a water bottle, painted silver as a bin.  I had to glue gun this in place, which seems to work.  I decided to put The Wombles motto 'Make good use of bad rubbish' as a sign on the outside of the bin.  Also on Great Uncle Bulgaria's hat and scarf I used tartan pattern paper instead of painting it. 

What you think? 

DollyX

Robin

This is a ink and watercolour I done based on a friends photograph of a Robin.

I've always loved Robins ever since reading The Secret Garden as a child. 

I then wanted to try the composition in a different media.  Here I cut cardboard into the different shapes painted over them in acrylic paint and then glued them together.  I sometimes prefer being a bit messier and making pictures like this one.  It's much like my Green Man picture, have a look. 

As always, Share and Subscribe -  - Dolly x 

The Green Man

This is a card I made for my husband.  It's the image of The Green Man.
I cut card in the different shapes, then I painted over them using acrylic paint and then layered it on the card.
What you think?
Dolly
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Illustration Friday: Search

Hi everyone! This is my contribution to this weeks theme, search.
As a child I remember pretending that I had a dragon and I would play and hide and seek with him.
This was the inspiration to this drawing, I hope you like it.

Share and subscribe - Thanks Dolly

Lemur Couple

I submitted 2 pieces of work to the Luton Art Show a few weeks ago and I recently found out that one got in.  I am so happy it was my 3rd year trying, it's good to know that persistence pays off.
The one that did get in is actually featured in a past post titled Pinecones. see it here
It means that it will be on display at the Luton Museum in Wardown Park from December till March 2014.  It is up for sale, but I'm not worried whether it will sell or not I was just happy to get it in and go to the private view.

If you are wondering what was the second piece, the one that didn't get in?
Well this is it.  A watercolour of a male and female ring tailed lemurs, from a photo I took at Whipsnade Zoo.  

This is what it looked like in it's frame.  

Even though it didn't get in the show, it turned out quite well.  I really enjoyed doing this style and I think I might do it again for other animals. 

It was quite convenient because this weeks illustration Friday theme is 'tail'.

As always enjoy, share and subscribe ---->

Dolly