Sunflower baby

Time for cutie drawing instead of grown up girlies for a change.  I'm doing another sketching workshop because I want to find my own style and I think that to do that I need to have experience of lots of different methods of sketching.

I think that eventually something will just click and then I will just draw MY way :D 

If you like sketching as much as I do why not check out the pencil drawing techniques at Monica's ning group... there are lots of amazing workshops on offer too including mixed media fabric art, mixed media faces and lots more :D
Back tomorrow with some awards that I need to share.  See you then.
hugs
Chris xx

Opposites

Sharing more of my pages for February's Sketchbook challenge today.  More on the theme of opposites... the first page containing the opposites of colour and greyscale and also circles and lines. It's good to have a play without having a finished sketch in mind... just going with the flow is so relaxing.

The second page is the opposites of line drawings and shaded  facial features. I had drawn the part face (top left) and decided to continue on the page...turning it as I went so I could fill most of the space with boxes.

I am enjoying filling my sketch book like this and it will be great to look back on to see what I have completed.
Have a great day
hugs
Chris xx

Meet Eloise....

...no she isn't anyone I know,  but I decided it would be rude not to not give my girlie's a name.... instead of face1, face2 etc..lol

Don't ask me where THAT name came from... it just sort of popped into my head...so Eloise she is :D

Now I know that some you prefer just the pencil version.... but I just can't stop playing in Photoshop although I just coloured the eyes and mouth in this one.

Thanks for looking
hugs
Chris xx

My latest pencil offering...

is another of my girlie's. Really happy with the way this one turned out.

I particularly like her nose.... I know sad or what .... but well noses I find the hardest to get right so I'm pleased that this one turned out to be a cute one :-) Bet she would be too if she could talk ;-)

Couldn't stop there either... after I scanned her I did a little bit of photoshop magic... love the transformation that colour produces.

Brings her more to life don't you think?
hugs
Chris xx

It's a mans world...

and you men can have it!!!  Isn't that a cool saying..it really made me laugh.  Sorry can't remember who the stamps are by cos I did this tag a while back and just found it in my folder.

the background was done using distress inks and acrylic paint.
hugs
Chris xx

Fish boy tag

I love the  stamps I used on this tag....which were designed by the lovely Hermine... the little boy just has the cutest smile :-)

I used Tim Holtz distress inks fro the background, stamping and colouring.

Would be really cool if we could ride on a fish...just think of the fun we could have...lol

hugs

Chris xx

Once upon a time Twinchie

I much prefer making twinchies as opposed to inchie... simply cos I can fit more on them and they aren't as fiddly for my fat fingers.  The alcohol inks came out for the background....


and then I added a bit of magic with the toadstool fairy and flowers from Lisa's altered art.
Simples :D
hugs
Chris xx

Life isn't black and white...

so I thought I'd give my favourite girlie the colour treatment.  I love to play about in photoshop and it is amazing what you can do with just a few clicks of the mouse :D Mind you this transformation did take me a little while but I think it was worth it.

It's a huge change from my original sketch which you can see here if you didn't already.  Let me know what you think.
hugs
Chris xx

Tissue paper...

is my best friend when I'm drawing... I have tried paper stumps, a brush and fingers for blending but the tissue just gives a much more delicate result.  I've also been playing with white tack (same as blu tack but white) as an eraser and it's so cool and cheap as chips.  It makes getting those highlights in the eyes mega easy.

I know her hair is a bit wierd but I'm experimenting :D

hugs
Chris xx

Sweet dreams

There's nothing like a good night's sleep....nuff said :D
hugs
Chris xx

Doin' it digital

Sometimes I just like to play.... and sometimes I like it to be easy.... so sometimes I do it digital :D

I think I've got a thing going on with sad faces.... gotta learn to make them smile!!
hugs
Chris xx

Midnight and Jade jewellery set.

A little change today with this jewellery set I made. 

Lots of shiny black beads with jade to add colour and some bead knots that I saw in a magazine tutorial.  They looked quite difficult but turned out to be really easy and fun to make.

hugs
Chris xx

Angelic

but she looks a little sad don't you think.  I am really liking the effect of plain graphite with colour and this time I've tried to add more interest to my sketch and challenged myself to draw her with a body this time.  Still not very confident with hands... so she has none...lol Blimey there's such a lot to learn with this drawing lark!!

The obligatory close-up :D

She doesn't look as sad at this angle... maybe just thoughtful eh.
hugs
Chris xx

My first PROPER sketch pad...

by that I mean A4 size... purposely meant for sketching and here's my first sketch in it.  I use all sorts to draw on but up to now have mainly used A5 spiral bound sketch books of the 99p variety...lol  Not quite what a REAL artist would use I'll bet.

 So I thought if I am to take myself and my art seriously it is time to play with the big girls and use Artist quality supplies. 

It won't stop me using my cheapy bits and pieces...cos I do like them... but I want to improve and I need to learn to draw on a larger scale I think.  Mind you the surface of this paper is sooooo different from the ones I usually use that it brings up new challenges all of it's own.   I'm getting  another step nearer to braving that first 'real' portrait ... which is why I took up sketching again. Wish me luck ;-)
hugs
Chris xx

Milliande journal challenge day12

I'm still doing my pages for Milliande's journalling challenge but keep getting waylaid with other things.  I WILL complete them all though... even if it takes me a while.  I've sort of skipped a couple that didn't appeal to me but will do them at a later date.  The good thing is that you can dip in whenever you like :D

Day 12 (Daily debris) really appealed to me... so much so that I did a double page (which I hardly ever do).  The pencils took a beating as is usual nowadays but I also added some collage, oil pastels, acrylic paint, watercolour and some toilet roll .... yes I did say toilet roll...rofl ... well I was using some to take the wet out of my brushes so I decided to stick some on my page too ;-)
I also used some book pages, a stamped image that I had coloured previously but not used and pens for the wording. 
hugs
Chris xx

The Sketchbook challenge-February-Opposites

The pencils just WON'T stay in their box...lol  So it's just as well that it's time for February's Sketchbook Challenge.  I had lots of ideas for this theme but I couldn't resist doing another face.  I wanted to experiment with coloured pencil and graphite in a combined sketch.  It was quite difficult because my eye kept being drawn to the coloured part when I was trying to draw the grayscale bits.  I really enjoyed the challenge though and was quite happy with the result.

When I had finished I couldn't resist a little play in photoshop so that I could change the placement of each side and I think I like this even better :D

Have a great weekend all
hugs
Chris xx

Home hanger

I previously used the hearts from a Home hanging set from Tando Creative to make jewellery with and had the letters left over so I have used them to make this hanging plaque. 

I used some gorgeous Basicgrey paper to cover the base and to make the flowers and covered the letters with some metal that had been embossed with a script embossing plate.  The metal was coloured with peel off markers and then sanded to reveal some of the original silver.

I used more of the metal to add small hearts to the centre of the paper flowers.

Don't forget to check out the Tando blog to see what gorgeous things the other DT girls are creating.
hugs
Chris xx

Green crochet necklace

It's soooo long since I made any jewellery and it was a nice change to get out the crocheting hook and these are so easy to make they are a breeze.

 I used fabric covered wire... there are so many gorgeous colours available so you can create a piece to match any outfit.

I added a black shiny bead to the centre and two small ones at the end of the ties for a bit more glamour.  I think I've got the jewellery making bug again... watch this space :D
hugs
Chris xx

Artist Trading Club- Guest Artist

I was asked to be Guest Artist for February over at The Artist Trading Club.  I decided that rather than offer a theme for this months challenge... I would leave that choice up to the individual... instead I am asking everyone to make an ATC easel card for which I have provided a template and tutorial which you will find below. 

This is one of my completed atc's... I used a print of one of my paintings and a public domain quote by Helen Keller which I love, some ribbon, bling, watercolour crayons and acrylic paint.  (Sorry for the pants photo)

Ok here we go :-)  You will see the template below... please click to enlarge before saving to your computer to print out. 

If you prefer to cut without the template the three piece sizes are one each of the following :-

7" x 2.5"

3.5" x 2.5"

2" x 1.5"

Step 1...  Fold the long piece in half  then open it back up and decorate the bottom half ... also decorate the atc size piece and the smaller one.  You can use any medium you wish... paint, collage, stamps, etc...

To assemble the Atc easel card.... take the long piece and bring the undecorated outer edge in to the centre fold and use a bone folder to flatten as shown below.

 Now when you bring the outer edge forward from the centre fold you will have a shape as seen below.  Cover the part of the undecorated piece that faces you with glue (or as I did...DS tape).... this is where you will adhere the bottom of your previously decorated  atc.

Your easel card will look like the pic below once you have adhered your atc and the smallest piece to the bottom of the card to act as a stopper.  You may wish to use a button, brad or something else in place of this piece depending on the style of your atc.  As long as whatever you use is not totally flat... the sky's the limit.

 I hope you will join in with the challenge and I will be looking forward to my swaps :-)
hugs
Chris xx