For all of us that love Etsy, we all have our favorite ways of browsing I'm sure! My favorite way to browse Etsy is to use the "Pounce" tool. Not only is it fun, but it's a great way to see what's trending on Etsy and see the kinds of things that are actually selling. I use it to make sure I'm up on the trends and to find new supply ideas for products. I also use it to find gifts for birthdays and holidays.
If you've never pounced before, you should definitely give it a try. Just go to www.etsy.com. Click on the "buy" button at the very top left. Then scroll down until you see "Pounce" and click on that. You can choose to pounce either the "Undiscovered" shops which have yet to have their first sale or the "Recently Sold" items. Both choices are a good way to find neat things. After that, just hit "Pounce." It will bring up 3 items. You can keep pouncing and it will keep refreshing the items.
This is my favorite way to browse because it's completely random! You will find all sorts of things that you never thought to search for. And if you want to look at an item or a shop, it opens a new window automatically, so you don't lose your place. It's a great way to spend a few extra minutes here or there.
With all the new avenues to browse Etsy (circles, taste test, etc...), share your favorite way in a comment below! Maybe we can all learn a new way to find our favorite things. =)
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
A Tip When Buying Original Artwork to Save Money on Framing
Are you new to buying original watercolor artwork? If so, my one big tip is to think about the size of the painting before you buy it! Unless your new original painting is ready-to-frame (i.e. painted on a stretched canvas, panel or already matted and framed), you will need to figure out how to display it yourself. Custom matting and framing can be super expensive, so it really pays to purchase a painting that is already a standard frame size.
Here in the United States, some of the most common frame sizes that you can find ready made are 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20 inches. If you purchase a painting that is one of those standard frame sizes, you will easily be able to find a frame to frame it yourself cheaply and easily at home! My best resource for beautiful standard size wall or table frames is Hobby Lobby or Michael's.
If you live by a Hobby Lobby, make sure to wait until their frames are on sale. To check current sales, visit this link. They will eventually be up to 50% off, so I'd wait to purchase until they are running that special. Also, another good tip is Hobby Lobby usually only has either their wall frames or table frames on sale and not both. Table frames (those are the ones with the little stand on the back so they can sit on a table) generally only go up to 8x10", so if you want something bigger, wait for the wall frames to go on sale. If Michael's is your store of choice, they usually have a 40% off coupon every week in the newspaper and it's good for one non-sale item, so make sure to grab that before you head to the store.
I definitely suggest matting your new piece of original artwork. Matting can really complement the piece and help to make a statement on your wall. Just because the painting may be smaller, doesn't mean that it can't have a huge impact on your wall. You can also find standard frame size mats very cheap at Hobby Lobby and Michael's. If you purchase a 5x7, you can mat up your painting to an 8x10. If you purchase an 8x10, you can mat your painting up to an 11x14 and so on. This is another reason why it's great to purchase an original painting in a standard frame size.
I have gotten in the habit of painting my original watercolor paintings in standard frame sizes to allow my customers to easily frame and mat their pieces. You can see all of my fantasy original watercolor paintings in my Etsy store here. However, that's not to say that originals painted in non-standard frame sizes aren't incredibly beautiful and deserving of being purchased! Having a very uniquely shaped original painting, like a long skinny piece or a round piece, can also be very lovely and eye-catching. But just keep in mind the expense to mat and frame a piece like this will be much higher.
If you purchase a piece of original artwork that is not a standard frame size, don't fret! You can still cut your costs significantly by just purchasing a custom mat that will mat your painting to a standard frame size. Say for instance your painting is 6x7." You could purchase a custom mat that would mat it up to an 8x10" size. Just talk to the friendly people at your Hobby Lobby or Michael's frame counter. Then you can purchase a ready-made 5x7, 8x10, 11x14 or 16x20 frame as I mentioned above. You will save a lot more money doing this than if you were to purchase both a custom frame and a custom mat.
Here's an example of a framing job that I did for my own wall. This is an 8x10" print of my fairy painting, Arden. The original has sold and gone to a good home, but I loved the piece and thought that she was deserving of a place on my wall, so I decided to hang a print of her! I found this gorgeous, ornate frame at Joanne Fabrics on sale. The total price was around $20. This particular frame was great, because it came ready with a mat that mimics elaborate carving. This also shows that even though the print is only 8x10", it can still look big and impressive on a wall just by matting and framing it a certain way.
Of course it all comes down to personal preference and what works best for your budget. Most of the time, when we have our heart set on a new piece of art we will buy it no matter what the size! But hopefully you all found this little guide helpful so that you can save a few extra dollars which you can then use towards investing in your next original painting!
Here in the United States, some of the most common frame sizes that you can find ready made are 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20 inches. If you purchase a painting that is one of those standard frame sizes, you will easily be able to find a frame to frame it yourself cheaply and easily at home! My best resource for beautiful standard size wall or table frames is Hobby Lobby or Michael's.
If you live by a Hobby Lobby, make sure to wait until their frames are on sale. To check current sales, visit this link. They will eventually be up to 50% off, so I'd wait to purchase until they are running that special. Also, another good tip is Hobby Lobby usually only has either their wall frames or table frames on sale and not both. Table frames (those are the ones with the little stand on the back so they can sit on a table) generally only go up to 8x10", so if you want something bigger, wait for the wall frames to go on sale. If Michael's is your store of choice, they usually have a 40% off coupon every week in the newspaper and it's good for one non-sale item, so make sure to grab that before you head to the store.
I definitely suggest matting your new piece of original artwork. Matting can really complement the piece and help to make a statement on your wall. Just because the painting may be smaller, doesn't mean that it can't have a huge impact on your wall. You can also find standard frame size mats very cheap at Hobby Lobby and Michael's. If you purchase a 5x7, you can mat up your painting to an 8x10. If you purchase an 8x10, you can mat your painting up to an 11x14 and so on. This is another reason why it's great to purchase an original painting in a standard frame size.
I have gotten in the habit of painting my original watercolor paintings in standard frame sizes to allow my customers to easily frame and mat their pieces. You can see all of my fantasy original watercolor paintings in my Etsy store here. However, that's not to say that originals painted in non-standard frame sizes aren't incredibly beautiful and deserving of being purchased! Having a very uniquely shaped original painting, like a long skinny piece or a round piece, can also be very lovely and eye-catching. But just keep in mind the expense to mat and frame a piece like this will be much higher.
If you purchase a piece of original artwork that is not a standard frame size, don't fret! You can still cut your costs significantly by just purchasing a custom mat that will mat your painting to a standard frame size. Say for instance your painting is 6x7." You could purchase a custom mat that would mat it up to an 8x10" size. Just talk to the friendly people at your Hobby Lobby or Michael's frame counter. Then you can purchase a ready-made 5x7, 8x10, 11x14 or 16x20 frame as I mentioned above. You will save a lot more money doing this than if you were to purchase both a custom frame and a custom mat.
Here's an example of a framing job that I did for my own wall. This is an 8x10" print of my fairy painting, Arden. The original has sold and gone to a good home, but I loved the piece and thought that she was deserving of a place on my wall, so I decided to hang a print of her! I found this gorgeous, ornate frame at Joanne Fabrics on sale. The total price was around $20. This particular frame was great, because it came ready with a mat that mimics elaborate carving. This also shows that even though the print is only 8x10", it can still look big and impressive on a wall just by matting and framing it a certain way.Of course it all comes down to personal preference and what works best for your budget. Most of the time, when we have our heart set on a new piece of art we will buy it no matter what the size! But hopefully you all found this little guide helpful so that you can save a few extra dollars which you can then use towards investing in your next original painting!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Weekly Wrap-Up #20!
Hi everyone!! I have had a really great past couple of weeks and have lots to share with you about what's been going on with me and my artwork!
My family and I went to celebrate my sister's birthday at the lake this past weekend. We rented a big house by the lake and everyone stayed for three days. We had an absolute blast! It was great being able to see everyone for a concentrated amount of time. My sister and her husband have a boat, so we had a great time boating, tubing, skiing, hanging out on the dock, swimming, etc...! Lots of great food and good times. =)
And this weekend, my husband and I have our good friends visiting us from Ohio! We are absolutely thrilled they decided to come down to see us. I'm typing this as everyone's sleeping! I'm trying to finish it up before everyone gets up because we'll probably head out to do something fun! We may go to Stone Mountain or Helen or...who knows! But we'll definitely have fun. =)
There has been so much going on with my artwork that I wanted to tell you all about! I have released my tattoo inspired mermaid, Mina, on all my products, I have a new painting in the works, I have an awesome giveaway to tell you about, Uniquely Different Bags has created new bags featuring my artwork, and I also took pictures of my inventory and production area that I wanted to share with you all.
This past week, I made Mina available on all my prints and products! The original of Mina sold very quickly, so if you had your eye on her, now is a great time to pick up something with her on it! She is now available in my Etsy store and my website on ACEO, 5x7 and 8x10 prints, stickers, magnets, bookmarks, pocket mirrors, buttons and printable coloring pages.
To view my Mina products in my Etsy store, click here.
To view my Mina products in my website store, click here.
I am hard at work on a brand new painting and a brand new series! I decided to create a series of fruit inspired witches. All the witches will be sitting on fruit and have outfits inspired by that fruit! They will also have similar backgrounds so they will look fantastic arranged on a wall all together...maybe in a kitchen? =)
The first installment is strawberry! I had a naming contest which Heather Savino won! I decided to name her Sydney. I thought it fit her perfectly.
Here are a few pictures of Sydney's work in progress. The first picture is the sketch which will be available for purchase at some point. The second picture is the black and white digital lines I created in Photoshop which will be available as a coloring page very soon. The third picture is the current state of the painting. I just got the background finished and will be starting on the witch next. I hope you all enjoy her!
I recently hit 200 fans on my Facebook Fan page and wanted to have a giveaway to celebrate and to thank everyone for their support! I am giving away 3 of my printable items (including coloring pages and printable collage sheets). Please see this blog entry for more details!
My family and I went to celebrate my sister's birthday at the lake this past weekend. We rented a big house by the lake and everyone stayed for three days. We had an absolute blast! It was great being able to see everyone for a concentrated amount of time. My sister and her husband have a boat, so we had a great time boating, tubing, skiing, hanging out on the dock, swimming, etc...! Lots of great food and good times. =)
And this weekend, my husband and I have our good friends visiting us from Ohio! We are absolutely thrilled they decided to come down to see us. I'm typing this as everyone's sleeping! I'm trying to finish it up before everyone gets up because we'll probably head out to do something fun! We may go to Stone Mountain or Helen or...who knows! But we'll definitely have fun. =)
There has been so much going on with my artwork that I wanted to tell you all about! I have released my tattoo inspired mermaid, Mina, on all my products, I have a new painting in the works, I have an awesome giveaway to tell you about, Uniquely Different Bags has created new bags featuring my artwork, and I also took pictures of my inventory and production area that I wanted to share with you all.
Mina - Now Available on All Products
This past week, I made Mina available on all my prints and products! The original of Mina sold very quickly, so if you had your eye on her, now is a great time to pick up something with her on it! She is now available in my Etsy store and my website on ACEO, 5x7 and 8x10 prints, stickers, magnets, bookmarks, pocket mirrors, buttons and printable coloring pages.
To view my Mina products in my Etsy store, click here.
To view my Mina products in my website store, click here.
New Work in Progress - Strawberry Witch, Sydney
I am hard at work on a brand new painting and a brand new series! I decided to create a series of fruit inspired witches. All the witches will be sitting on fruit and have outfits inspired by that fruit! They will also have similar backgrounds so they will look fantastic arranged on a wall all together...maybe in a kitchen? =)
The first installment is strawberry! I had a naming contest which Heather Savino won! I decided to name her Sydney. I thought it fit her perfectly.
Here are a few pictures of Sydney's work in progress. The first picture is the sketch which will be available for purchase at some point. The second picture is the black and white digital lines I created in Photoshop which will be available as a coloring page very soon. The third picture is the current state of the painting. I just got the background finished and will be starting on the witch next. I hope you all enjoy her!
Printables Giveaway
I recently hit 200 fans on my Facebook Fan page and wanted to have a giveaway to celebrate and to thank everyone for their support! I am giving away 3 of my printable items (including coloring pages and printable collage sheets). Please see this blog entry for more details!
Uniquely Different Bags - New Purses
This is the main area where I make all my products and also where I keep all my inventory! The left shelf is mostly where all my inventory is. I don't keep a huge inventory as I make a lot of things to order. On the right side, is where I keep all my papers and other materials that I use in product creation. The table is where I create everything! You can also see some of my paintings hanging in a grouping in a wall and also a fun acrylic flower painting that I did.
This is the side where I keep all my inventory. Most everything that I have made is on the first two shelves in a lot of bins. Luckily, pretty much everything I make is really small (stickers, mirrors, bookmarks, etc...), so you can actually fit a LOT of inventory in those small bins. The prints are all on the top shelf. On the bottom shelf you can see some of the bins that I keep my button maker and button parts in. And there's also some cardboard on the bottom shelf that I use for shipping.
This is the side where I keep all my paper. I have so many different types of paper, so I try to keep it organized. You can also see some of my reference/inspiration books - though there are many more spread out lol.
I'm so excited to finally have some of my very own artwork hanging up in my home! I chose Arden, Tracey, Mina and Heather...matted and framed them, then hung them up in a grouping. I really like how it came out!
And a picture of my production area wouldn't be completely without my two cats! They are always around me and helping me make your products lol. That's Jensen on the left our tuxedo cat we've had for about 6 years now and that's Willow on the right, a torti who we just got this past Christmas.
Well, that's all for this week! I am probably not going to have a lot of time to do much of anything this coming week. It seems to be that time of year where there are just so many things going on in my personal life. My husband's birthday is this Tuesday, I have a graduation party and Father's Day this weekend. So I may be a little quiet, but you know me, I always find time to do a few things! I will definitely be working on Sydney. I think she will paint up quickly, so you may be seeing the finished version very soon. Hope you all have a great week!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Printables Giveaway!
I just recently hit 200 fans on my Facebook Fan Page! To celebrate and to thank all of my wonderful fans, I am going to have a giveaway!
The person who wins the giveaway, will receive any 3 of my printable items. This includes my coloring pages and digital collage sheets! To see all my available printable items, please visit the printables section in my store here.
In order to enter you must be a Facebook Fan. So if you haven't, make sure to visit my Facebook Fan Page and click the little "Like" button at the top.
Secondly, you must make a post on my blog under this entry and let me know what your favorite piece of mine is and why! You don't have to be super descriptive. You can just say "Cassia because I like witches" or "Vienna because I like hearts." You can see all my images here.
And lastly, make sure to put the name you use on Facebook so that I can verify you are a Facebook Fan!
My blog is set up to accept anonymous comments, so you can post if you don't have an account. If for some reason, you are having difficulties posting on my blog, you can email your favorite piece, reason and Facebook name to nikki@aurella-art.com!
You must post below before Wednesday, June 15th at noon EST. I will randomly select one person that posts and announce that winner sometime Wednesday, June 15th after noon.
If you have any questions, let me know and thank you so much for your support of my artwork!
What you get:
The person who wins the giveaway, will receive any 3 of my printable items. This includes my coloring pages and digital collage sheets! To see all my available printable items, please visit the printables section in my store here.
How you enter:
In order to enter you must be a Facebook Fan. So if you haven't, make sure to visit my Facebook Fan Page and click the little "Like" button at the top.
Secondly, you must make a post on my blog under this entry and let me know what your favorite piece of mine is and why! You don't have to be super descriptive. You can just say "Cassia because I like witches" or "Vienna because I like hearts." You can see all my images here.
And lastly, make sure to put the name you use on Facebook so that I can verify you are a Facebook Fan!
My blog is set up to accept anonymous comments, so you can post if you don't have an account. If for some reason, you are having difficulties posting on my blog, you can email your favorite piece, reason and Facebook name to nikki@aurella-art.com!
Deadline:
You must post below before Wednesday, June 15th at noon EST. I will randomly select one person that posts and announce that winner sometime Wednesday, June 15th after noon.
If you have any questions, let me know and thank you so much for your support of my artwork!
Friday, May 27, 2011
New Sketch & Naming Contest!
I have a new sketch to share with you all tonight! I have decided to create a series of witches with fruits and outfits based off of those fruits. Fruits are so beautiful and delicious. I find their colors, textures and shapes very inspiring, so I can't wait to design outfits to reflect that. I also have many fall and Halloween themed witches, so I thought it might be fun to fill out my portfolio with paintings featuring witches in a whole different way.
For my first witch in the series, I decided to feature strawberries! I love their pinky-red color, bright green leaves and the texture of the seeds. They are also very yummy! This cute witch, dressed in all her strawberry themed garb, is perched atop a gorgeous strawberry. I will add a background when I create the lines in Photoshop. I plan on creating a stripe design with a scalloped/lace type effect on the top and bottom with some polka dots. I should start on those lines very soon. I hope you all like the first witch in the series!
I will also be having a naming contest for her! If you would like to participate, please post your name suggestion below. You can post as many names as you like and you can also post if you've won a contest of mine previously. I always choose the name that I feel suits the piece best regardless if you have won before or not. The person that suggests the name I pick will win a 5x7" print of the finished piece! Thanks so much to all who participates. I plan on announcing the winner as soon as I post the digital line version which should be fairly quickly. I'm going to have a lot of time over the holiday weekend to work on her, so make sure to get your names in!
For my first witch in the series, I decided to feature strawberries! I love their pinky-red color, bright green leaves and the texture of the seeds. They are also very yummy! This cute witch, dressed in all her strawberry themed garb, is perched atop a gorgeous strawberry. I will add a background when I create the lines in Photoshop. I plan on creating a stripe design with a scalloped/lace type effect on the top and bottom with some polka dots. I should start on those lines very soon. I hope you all like the first witch in the series!
I will also be having a naming contest for her! If you would like to participate, please post your name suggestion below. You can post as many names as you like and you can also post if you've won a contest of mine previously. I always choose the name that I feel suits the piece best regardless if you have won before or not. The person that suggests the name I pick will win a 5x7" print of the finished piece! Thanks so much to all who participates. I plan on announcing the winner as soon as I post the digital line version which should be fairly quickly. I'm going to have a lot of time over the holiday weekend to work on her, so make sure to get your names in!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Weekly Wrap-Up #19!
Hi everyone! It's been a few weeks since my last wrap up, so I have a lot of stuff that I need to catch you up on!
I've been having a lot of fun in my "off" time lately. My husband took us to this awesome dine-in theater for our date night a couple weeks ago. They had tables set up in the movie theater and you got to eat while you watched the movie! It was a lot of fun and definitely an experience trying to eat and order off a menu in the dark lol.
We watched Thor which was really, really good!! I knew nothing about the movie going into it, so that's always a lot of fun. I highly recommend seeing it if you're into comic books, fantasy or if you just like a good story. I love the way they combined science and magic and the way they fought in the movie was so cool! You just have to see it to fully appreciate it. The costumes and scenery were also top notch. I've actually seen it again since then and would probably go see it again! I saw it in 3D both times, so I would definitely recommend that as well.
My husband and I also started playing a game that we used to play all the time called EverQuest. It's the original EverQuest that came out in the late 90's. It's a massively, multiplayer online role playing game were you choose a class (like cleric, mage, rogue, etc...) and play with other people to conquer monsters and other bad guys! My husband and I actually met while playing this game almost...wow...8 years ago now. And we also met our best friend through the game as well and many other good friends that we continue to stay in contact with. So, it holds a lot of sentimental value to us.
The game was released in 1999 and has evolved since then into a totally different game. They're continually adding expansion packs and changing things, so playing the real game now is nothing like when we used to play it. But they opened this special type of server called a progression server. Basically it starts out as if the game first launched and they gradually release the expansions as they originally released them. So it's like starting the game all over again! We have been enjoying it greatly and it's a fun way to spend our free time together.
Ok enough jibber jabber...onto the art! I have a lot of stuff to tell you about art-wise. The most exciting thing is, I finished a brand new painting!! I also have Giselle prints and products ready for you to buy, there's a Rosalie blog giveaway to tell you about, Creative Design Outlet has a new tube pack of mine and Uniquely Different Bags has some brand new purses out featuring my artwork!
I've been having a lot of fun in my "off" time lately. My husband took us to this awesome dine-in theater for our date night a couple weeks ago. They had tables set up in the movie theater and you got to eat while you watched the movie! It was a lot of fun and definitely an experience trying to eat and order off a menu in the dark lol.
We watched Thor which was really, really good!! I knew nothing about the movie going into it, so that's always a lot of fun. I highly recommend seeing it if you're into comic books, fantasy or if you just like a good story. I love the way they combined science and magic and the way they fought in the movie was so cool! You just have to see it to fully appreciate it. The costumes and scenery were also top notch. I've actually seen it again since then and would probably go see it again! I saw it in 3D both times, so I would definitely recommend that as well.
My husband and I also started playing a game that we used to play all the time called EverQuest. It's the original EverQuest that came out in the late 90's. It's a massively, multiplayer online role playing game were you choose a class (like cleric, mage, rogue, etc...) and play with other people to conquer monsters and other bad guys! My husband and I actually met while playing this game almost...wow...8 years ago now. And we also met our best friend through the game as well and many other good friends that we continue to stay in contact with. So, it holds a lot of sentimental value to us.
The game was released in 1999 and has evolved since then into a totally different game. They're continually adding expansion packs and changing things, so playing the real game now is nothing like when we used to play it. But they opened this special type of server called a progression server. Basically it starts out as if the game first launched and they gradually release the expansions as they originally released them. So it's like starting the game all over again! We have been enjoying it greatly and it's a fun way to spend our free time together.
Ok enough jibber jabber...onto the art! I have a lot of stuff to tell you about art-wise. The most exciting thing is, I finished a brand new painting!! I also have Giselle prints and products ready for you to buy, there's a Rosalie blog giveaway to tell you about, Creative Design Outlet has a new tube pack of mine and Uniquely Different Bags has some brand new purses out featuring my artwork!
Mina - New Original Mermaid Painting
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Weekly Wrap-Up #18!
Hi everyone! This past week was an interesting week because I had my wisdom teeth taken out. The dentist has been telling me to get them taken out since I was about 16 years old, but I've put it off until now because I've been terrified! There was really nothing to be afraid of though because it wasn't as bad as I made it out in my head. The worst part for me was the laughing gas they gave you before they put they put you fully asleep. It made me feel like I couldn't breathe. But once I woke up, everything was fine. I had some swelling, but not too much pain...mostly just discomfort. A week and a day has passed and I'm almost back to normal! I have some pain in my jaw when I open my mouth too far, but I'm back on normal food and so glad that they're out!
Now that those are out, I can concentrate on my art once again! Even though I had all that going on, I still have some exciting things to tell you all about. Firstly, I finished a brand new painting, I also created a new sketch for my next painting, Sweet Pea Stamps has released a new set of my rubber stamps and my artwork is now available on fabric transfers as well as fabric patches through Kat's Magical Patches!
I finished up a new painting in the past couple of weeks! Her name is Giselle and she's a beautiful Roman-inspired mermaid. I really enjoyed working on this painting, because it had so many details in it. My favorite part is her hair. I love all the intricate braidwork and flowers in it. I also tried to perfect my hair technique and I think that it's where I want it to be! I found that adding straight black to the shadows really sets everything off and makes the highlights pop.
I also loved the way the columns turned out. I tried a new technique for making them look water stained. I started with tan colors, but then added a very dark purple with a lot of water to make them look like they have been stained over the years. These were also some of the biggest flowers I've painted in a long time. I work in 8x10" size for the most part, so flowers turn out to be teeny tiny. But I made these more of a focal point, so I was actually able to add specific flowers like calla lilies for example.
The original painting of Giselle has been sold and is going to a wonderful home! But, I will soon have prints and products available with her. And, I also still have the original sketch which I will be selling, so be on the lookout for that.
I also created a new sketch this past week which I am SO excited about! I think this will turn out to be one of my favorite paintings that I've done. I've been inspired by tattoo art for a long time, so I finally decided to do a tattoo inspired piece. I loved creating the lighthouse, rope work, anchor, banner, heart, swallow and all the other tattoo... qualities to the piece.
Now that those are out, I can concentrate on my art once again! Even though I had all that going on, I still have some exciting things to tell you all about. Firstly, I finished a brand new painting, I also created a new sketch for my next painting, Sweet Pea Stamps has released a new set of my rubber stamps and my artwork is now available on fabric transfers as well as fabric patches through Kat's Magical Patches!
New Mermaid Painting - Giselle
I finished up a new painting in the past couple of weeks! Her name is Giselle and she's a beautiful Roman-inspired mermaid. I really enjoyed working on this painting, because it had so many details in it. My favorite part is her hair. I love all the intricate braidwork and flowers in it. I also tried to perfect my hair technique and I think that it's where I want it to be! I found that adding straight black to the shadows really sets everything off and makes the highlights pop.
I also loved the way the columns turned out. I tried a new technique for making them look water stained. I started with tan colors, but then added a very dark purple with a lot of water to make them look like they have been stained over the years. These were also some of the biggest flowers I've painted in a long time. I work in 8x10" size for the most part, so flowers turn out to be teeny tiny. But I made these more of a focal point, so I was actually able to add specific flowers like calla lilies for example.
The original painting of Giselle has been sold and is going to a wonderful home! But, I will soon have prints and products available with her. And, I also still have the original sketch which I will be selling, so be on the lookout for that.
New Mermaid Sketch - Mina
I also created a new sketch this past week which I am SO excited about! I think this will turn out to be one of my favorite paintings that I've done. I've been inspired by tattoo art for a long time, so I finally decided to do a tattoo inspired piece. I loved creating the lighthouse, rope work, anchor, banner, heart, swallow and all the other tattoo... qualities to the piece.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)