Illustration Friday: Zodiac

Success! My first-ever completed Illustration Friday!  And it's even before the deadline :)

I remember sometimes gathering up groups of toys like this when I little, so it seemed like my kind of interpretation of the theme.

Tea with a Kitty

If you have a cat... or have ever spent time with a cat... this might look familiar!

This is watercolor.  I may have overdone the layers just a bit, which is why the scan isn't exactly true to life, but I'm pretty happy with it.  (I have a problem with stopping a painting once I've started).

And, discovered the magical effects of adding a layer of water over a water color painting! It worked so well I tried it three or four (or five) more times... until the paper just wouldn't absorb any more water... or paint for that matter. 

But all in all, I'm pretty happy with this... I think I'd go for a more dynamic composition next time but, I think it's an overall improvement in the watercolor department, so I'll take it!

More to come! (Still working on those vikings... I've restarted twice and I think it may take one or two more passes before it's suitable for the internet :) ).

New Blog, New Painting

Putting together a new blog/portfolio of my work (and getting into the habit of posting) is a major work in progress.  But, while I work on that, I thought I'd share a new painting...

This is watercolor, watercolor pencil, and a tiny bit of gouache.  The painting is loosely based on the fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red in which two sisters befriend and enchanted bear and later rescue him from the evil dwarf who cursed him.  The actual story is pretty bizarre, like most fairy tales, but it worked as a concept/starting point for this painting.

And, here are some of the bear sketches and a thumbnail of the preliminary drawing I worked from.  I'm glad I practiced beforehand, I think this might be the first bear I've drawn. :)

Thanks for visiting, more to come soon!