Silverthorne

I'm really into M. Pena's mythic statues. Had a few, wanted several more of them. I recently found a few sites that carry her stuff, including a couple that still have in stock some of the older stuff that you really cant find anywhere these days. I was thrilled. So, I was bad. And my bad arrived today. *g*

But this will also be the last purchase of this size I'll be getting for a while. There are a few more I want to get, but they're more recent, she's putting out new color styles for them, and I'll have plenty of time to snag them before they become part of the 'good luck finding this one' camp.

It also should be noted that I'm into dragons, big time. Not the ones that sit in their caves all day gaurding their treaure and then go eat villages at night--but the brave, intelligent, smart ones that are guardians of mankind, the heavens, and/or the gods, depending on your mythology. Pena makes dragons that could easily be put into the latter when you look at them. They're dragons, but you can, thanks to her craftsmanship, see that they are of the intelligent type with more than just an animal soul. I loves them, I do.

And, on the superstitious side, they make good guardians. *g*

Anyhow, some people share pics of kids, family, friends. I'm gonna share my dragons. Because, statues though they may be, I love 'em, they're mine (as much as a dragon can be, natch), and damn, but this woman's works are incredible and deserve to be seen.

( So here there be dragons )

After the eye doctor, unless something she does to you makes you blind again, you need to finish painting the hair in on that picture.

In other words, quit looking at it and going 'later' and finish it tonight.

And then start the next one.

Thank you,
Self

But I got something down, anyway.

Of course, it's taking me five days instead of five hours. Still...

Not finished with it yet, either.

( Artwork thing )

So I did two things today in relation to my resolutions. The first was to go and get two new sketchbooks to replace the ones I had. Although it's wasteful, the ones I still had were old, musty, and quite frankly, were gifts from the ex and never had much in them to start with.

I'd already trashed my older ones before I moved, saving just the pages that had some little merit to them. I'd kept these at first because, well, wasting paper is not good.

And promptly ignored them. Sure, I sketched a few things in them. Nothing I wanted to keep, and I was uncomfortable with them in my lap. I dunno. Maybe another artist or mucisian would get it; trying to create anything with tools you don;t feel right in handling? Just doesn't help. I dunno, maybe that's just a mental block on my part. Whatever the reason though, they're gone. There was actually surprisingly little I wanted to keep--just a few clothing designs that I'm likely going to re-sketch in the new books before trashing what I tore out of the old ones. At least now, though, I'm happy with my tools. Even looking forward to a little work this afternoon. And I don't feel weird touching them, either.

Of course, the bad news is that I found out that Micheals is all of three miles away--almost walking distance. This could be bad for my pocket book. Especialyl since I found both a portable drafting table and a floor lamp that I am positively drooling for (and will cost me a sweet 500 after tax and the like. Yikes. XD. Yeah, I think those'll be on the 'not yet, dear' list.)

Anyhow, getting that part settled, came home and went through my art supplies to see what died in the five-plus years that I hadn't used any of it.

I was surpised to find out that only five of my markers, three of my india inks, and one of my inking pens had died horribly. Which means instead of the few to several hundred dollars I might have been looking at to replace stuff, I'm only going to be out roughly 50-100. Which is very good. Of course, if I decide to add acrylics and oils back into it, that'll become a few hundred. BUt I think that'll be a bit in the future yet--I need to reacquaint myself with my chosen mediums first. :) Although...there will be 70 going towards a nice pastel pencil set. *cough*

And just a note; both Higgins and Windsor & Newton inks hold up nicely. Just in case anyone cared. Likewise the Prismacolor markers and pencils. :)

Any, step one done. And now I'm gonna go play with the water color pencil set and see if I remember how in hell to use them. *g*

When I said I wanted to get paid for what I loved doing, but it works.

The trucks never did show up, and I stayed until 4, which meant four hours was basically spent on freebie time and running stuff up to the floor when called.

Here's the result (pardon the smudges and dirty look--poor quality pencil on poor quality paper).

( Under here. )

Need an opinion from some folks who would have a better idea than me at this point of what to charge for a piece of art.

I know at least three of you have seen my dragon print that I did way back in 1991 (Clue, you were there when I inked the little bugger in Carol's Texas apt.).

I have a trucker friend who's interested in buying a print of it to take to a friend as a tattoo pattern. I know he's the type to keep his word when he says he'll destroy the print once the tattoo is on, and not leave a copy for the tattoist to reuse.

Question is...how much should I charge him for the print? And...any other thoughts from the art-selling savvy amoungst you?

As practice and because I lub my rp partner, I've taken to practicing my Mad Photoshop Skills on pictures of Priety for Junmun, who uses her as a live-action PB for shiratorijun

It's pretty fun.

Anyhow, just wanted to share today's offering...cause, you know, it's pretty colors.

( Pics under the cut to keep from overloading flists ^^ )

Last week's challenge on illofriday for some reason gave me problems with coming up with an idea, so I ended up with a sort of lame pic.

This one, though, is coming pretty easy, so if I keep with it, I should have a decent offering this time around. Anyway, just wanted to share the picture sketch before I took my technical pens and computer to to it. Obviously, the main subject of the title isn't in sight yet--I'm planning to use color and some of the paint brushes and filters in my comp programs to handle that part.

( Rain. The Sketch. )