I have a Writing Blog Now

Kristian, of Five Paws Studio, and I now have a writing blog called Parcae Writers. You'll find all types of things including poetry, which is my favorite type of writing. Check it out!

I Went to the Zoo!

ZooAmerica is a North American wildlife zoo, so it only has animals that range from Canada to Mexico. I was able to get some really awesome pictures. My favorite animals to photograph will always be birds of prey (if you can't tell).

Ask me in the comments for random animal facts. I went to ZooCamp for eleven years!

Many of these pictures will end up on Society6 in the coming weeks.  

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Some Pictures from Chincoteague and Assateague

I have put some of these pictures up on Society6. I'm adding more today if anyone is interested.

Creating References for Fantasy Art

For the past couple of weeks, I have been working on recreating my drawing final in oils. I'm nearing the final detailing phase and that means creating more references and taking photos. 

I started out with a shoebox lid and kinetic sand. I added in the glass beads that I used in the diorama that created the stone structures. I used the beads to form the altar-like structure in my painting that the runic markings would surround.

I chose kinetic sand because it's reusable and easy to clean up. Plus you can get it in different colors (they have glitter!) if you have trouble visualizing what your eventual piece will look like in the end when using the natural color that I've used. And it's fun to play with too.

I carved the runic markings in the sand using an Xacto knife. There was a bit of a learning curve when it came to writing in the sand - it kept collapsing in on itself the first couple of times I tried. I eventually got the hang of it and was able to get the runes to where I wanted them.

The next step was to take as many reference photos it took for me to be satisfied. It turned out to be around fifteen this time. Taking that many photos allows you to play around with composition and to see what reads the best. The pictures below show how different angles of the same object can change how you perceive it.

If you are creating a fantasy art piece (especially landscapes) I highly recommend building a diorama of your space before you start drawing. It helps transfer an image in your head into something more concrete. Having something concrete to draw from helps keep you organized while drawing. Once you have to basic structures down, you can always abstract them and make it your own.

Studio Update and Etsy Coupon

Greetings all! I hope you're having a great day. Today I'm in the studio bouncing between horses and paintings.

Both horses are portraits of Chincoteague ponies and have just been sealed. The larger one is a portrait of Poco's Starry Night and the little one is the beginning stages of a portrait Got Milk. 

I have a ton of body models that are itching for a new coat. Does anyone have any requests for models for the Feather Fund auction? I'm already planning on doing Diamond Jewel's foal, but am not sure who else I want to do. 

On the other side of my studio, I have this oil painting going. It's a version of my drawing final from this semester. I am in the process if adding in markings so the rocks resemble a gemstone like Tigers Eye. 

On a side note - I've discovered an incredibly useful tool - a natural rubber pick up. It picks up the little pieces of eraser that likes to stay stuck in your canvas. I don't know why I haven't used it until now, I've had it since I got my foundation kit at the beginning of the year. But now I know. 

And now for the Etsy Coupon - use HELLOSUNSHINE between now and June 11 to get 25% off of your purchase at Gyrfalcon Studios. 

A New Way of Working

Hey everyone! Whew, finals are over and I'm home for summer! I'm sorry for the radio silence the past couple months, but I had a lot more work this semester than I anticipated. Anyways, that turned out to be a good thing, because I discovered a new way of working in my flat art.

My drawing II class was intense. The smallest sized project we had to do was 18x24in. My final ended up being 8x4ft. However, this taught me something very valuable. I work really well when the space I'm working with in is very big. My final included creating a diorama of a space that we then would translate on to paper using mixed media. This was a great experience for me. I often hesitate to draw things from my head, because I can never get them just right. I found making a diorama really helps me visualize what I am trying to draw.

Now on to the pictures! My final was to create some type of space. I chose a sacred space and based it off of Stonehenge.

A picture of my diorama

Several pastels were killed in the making of this drawing. 8x4

This piece was created using pastels, watercolor, and acrylic paint. I am currently in the process of recreating this piece in oils.

I'm thinking of creating a series of these types of paintings/drawings. What do you think?

A Year of Art: Dreamlike

"I know you...I walked with you once upon a dream...." is the first thing I think of when I hear the word dream.

For this theme there are a few things you might want to consider:

The Style

One style you may want to consider is surrealism. "The aim was to 'resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality'. Artists painted unnerving, illogical scenes with photographic precision, created strange creatures from everyday objects and developed painting techniques that allowed the unconscious to express itself."

The Medium

In my experience, dreams come in two varieties - vivid enough that we remember them when we wake up and the type that drift away when you try to remember them. Some mediums you may want to consider are watercolor, oils, or pastels.

Watercolor can mimic that feeling of a dream just about to slip away because of it's transparent nature. It also allows for easy blending which also creates a dreamlike effect.

Oils and pastels are more concrete and can mimic those vivid dreams that you can remember for the entire day. These mediums can also be blended quite easily which creates a dreamlike effect.

I can't wait to see what you come up with! Remember if you post them on instagram tag me @gyrfalconstudios or use #GFSYearofArt.