A bit of drawing and some Photoshop...

I thought I should pay a visit to this blog as my mom reminded me that I had written months ago that I would be posting more often and I haven't kept that promise. Shame on me. *waves at mom* So, here is a post. Since I am creating a website about elephants, I am still drawing them a lot. Well, I can't say a lot as it has been rare for me to have a pencil in my hand this month. I did, however, manage to draw something last night that I have worked on a bit more today. I have also been messing around with Photoshop lately and I am beginning to feel like I'm finally mastering its intricacies (yeah right). Well, maybe not mastering it, but getting more of a feel for how it works. There is so much a person can do with Photoshop and the creative possibilities are endless. Too bad it's such an expensive program. Anyway, what I did to achieve this effect was rather simple. I just laid down a layer of brush worked stars and then reduced the opacity of my drawing and laid it over the layer of stars. I like how it created an interesting (well, kind of starry, I guess;)) texture and gave the drawing a smidgen of color. Photoshop is way too much fun!

Oh, and here's the original drawing as well.

More elephants

I am done with school, so now I should have more time to draw and blog. Well, I am almost done with school, anyway. Before I graduate I have to do this computer proficiency thing that is so outdated that the links that I'm supposed to click on don't even exist anymore. It really is ridiculous that someone that has completed a Master's of Library and Information Science degree has to do this very elementary computer test anyway. There's no way someone could have completed the program without knowing how to create and send documents and other ridiculously simple things like that. It's just one more hoop to jump through and I'm annoyed.

Anyway, we were supposed to get a snow storm here today, but it has been downgraded. Right now it is actually raining. Hopefully that rain isn't going to freeze. Since I don't have to go out today, I was hoping for a snow storm. I am not a huge fan of snow, but it kind of fun when you don't have to go anywhere.

Going back to the drawing above, I did this about a month ago, when I needed a break from school work. I loved my class, but reading 5 books per week left little time for drawing. I did, however, manage to sneak in some time for these elephants.

Elephants

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm back in school. This is actually the last class in my graduate program, which means I will done soon! The class that I am taking is called Library Materials for Young Adults and I'm just loving it so far. It entails reading about 5 books per week, which leaves little time for drawing. However, I wasn't feeling well today and took a sick day. After finishing one of my books this morning, I decided to do some drawing. These elephants are the result. Tomorrow is my day off, so I'm thinking that if I finish another book, I will do some painting. I haven't painted in ages!

5 Little Pigs

Where have I been all summer? I don't even know where I've been, really. It just all went by so fast it was one big blur. Summers tend to be like that. I didn't do much drawing all summer and I really am starting to miss it. I guess it could be the fact that I'm back in class and that once I have homework to do, I'll do anything to avoid it... But I don't think that's it. I think I just have really been missing it. Anyway, just to get back in the swing of things, I sketched these little piggies. Hopefully I'll do some more sketching in the coming days...

Yes, it's a cow...

As promised, I'm posting something other than a rhino. It is a cow, in fact. I do love cows. Love their eyes and their always nosy expressions. They always look like they are demanding to get in on the secret--whatever the secret may be.


It has been such a nice day today, but I've spent most of it inside being lazy. I did go out earlier and bought a pot of purple petunias. They're beautiful, but I hope I can keep them alive. I have this tendency to forget to water things. I put them right outside my living room window, so seeing them right in front of me (as I am on the ground level) should remind me to give them a drink now and then.

OK, another rhino...

OK, here's another rhino in colored pencil. I promise I'll post something different next time.

more rhinos

Well, what did you expect? I will always draw rhinos. Anyway, more playing around with colored pencil. I am finding colored pencil, once I get started, to be very relaxing. Now that I have a pencil sharpener that is working well and sharpening things wicked sharp, I am happy. The colors that I keep reaching for over and over tend to be black cherry, black grape, indigo blue, dark purple, peacock green, peacock blue, slate grey, and light cerulean blue. I guess these are my rhino colors. One of these days I'm going to try another portrait.

I'm feeling distressed as I'm supposed to be hosting the weekend drawing event this weekend and the wetcanvas site has been down for a couple of days. I did receive an e-mail from them that it should be working sometime soon, but won't be back to normal until somewhere around the end of the month. I was really looking forward to hosting and I have a feeling this will put a damper on my fun:( I did just e-mail one of the moderators and asked her if I should plan on business as usual. We'll see what happens...