The Art of S.M. Bittler

Werewolf Calendar 2012: Now For Sale!

2011-09-01T14:39:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I apologize for being offline so much; between work, our daughter, family stuff, and lately, Hurricane Irene, I've been busy, and I know I've missed a lot here, both good and bad. I hope you all are doing well!

I did complete a very big project (literally): my piece for the 2012 Werewolf Calendar. My theme was "urban werewolves".

NOTE: Sales now open! First 150 orders get free bookmarks and a sticker! Click the link below to go to the website for more information and details on ordering.

www.WerewolfCalendar.com

Join the Werewolf Calendar Community on DA: http://werewolf-calendar.deviantart.com/

About this image: I went with more of an "urban werewolf" idea, rather than a "hybrid werewolf". I love werewolves of ALL kinds, from big raging beasts to long lanky ones and everything in between, but I went with somewhat "average-sized", more lithe ones for this idea. I thought they might make more sense in a city where they don't want to stand out too much.

I wanted to try a night scene: moonlit, though the city's never REALLY dark, I suppose, with bare branches as the season is winter. I had done a sort of urban werewolf couple years ago, and this is kind of an update. The lion statue is "Patience", one of the two lions - along with "Fortitude" - from the NY Public Library. I hoped it might make a striking calendar image, plus I thought the idea of werewolves disrespecting a lion as top predator might be subtly funny.

Work notes: The original pencil drawing for this is HUGE: almost 20" wide. Last year I couldn't get in the detail I wanted working at actual size, so I drew this much larger. My pencil technique (lots of layering and push-pulling of the graphite) is very time-consuming, so this took me a very long time, but I did enjoy it. I scanned it in six sections, merged it together, then added color with a mouse in Photoshop CS3. I looked at hundreds of wolf photos and royalty-free and creative commons images for the lion and library, and the trees are based on a photo I took myself.

I hope you like it!

Just heard it's the centennial of the New York Public Library too! Neat. :)

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-23T07:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays, 2010. Feeling a bit brain-dead from all that's been going on lately, I wasn't sure what to do this year; Paulie very helpfully suggested penguins, so here are two very stylized ones!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Joyous Yule, and Happy New Year! Whatever you celebrate, Paul and I wish you all the best. :)

Done in Adobe Illustrator CS3.

I was really pressed for time this year, so unfortunately I didn't get to do a big card-mailing. :/ I hope this (sort of) makes up for it! I'm very sorry and I hope to be able to mail out cards as usual next year.

UPDATE: Art (Pen Sketchbook: 3 Lupine Shapeshifters), Werewolf Calendar Sales Closing!, Imagekind

2010-10-28T13:17:00.000-07:00
I'm chugging along at work and at home, but still trying to fit in some art time! Here are three pieces from my Pen Sketchbook II. The Fall (especially near Halloween) always makes me want to draw werewolves, or at least werewolf-type creatures; I don't know if these would pass for werewolves in the "this is what the general public thinks werewolves are like" sense (like The Howling or The Wolf Man), and I know people are very picky about them online too (judging by the comments I see everywhere), so to dodge the (silver?) bullet so to speak I'll just call them "lupine shapeshifters". I would like to thank all the books, calendars, and magazine clippings I've been sorting through in preparation for re-doing the living room for inspiration as well.


First is "Ruffian", who looks to be somewhat more of a red wolf or coyote-hybrid type guy. He came to mind while listening to Tori Amos' Don't Make Me Come To Vegas. Yeah, I know this idea has probably been done a million times before (and better, too), but who cares? He doesn't. Heck, I don't, either. I'm just glad to be drawing something!

Second is "Vagabond", a scruffy wolf-type guy, also more red-wolf-like. I love to draw big, muscular creatures with perfect pelts (as you can no doubt tell from most of my other stuff), but scraggly and lean is fun too. I tried to mix human features with the lanky frame, so his face isn't quite lupine, nor are his legs. Some wolves have surprisingly thin limbs!

Third is "Den Mother", also territory that has been crossed many times before by many artists, but it was still fun and enjoyable for me. I liked layering things up and I enjoyed doing the roundness/flatness of it. If I re-did it, or painted it, I might try to make it more realistic, as well as do a more general-public-pleasing hand/paw or full paw instead of the weird hand/paw mix thing I've got going on here, but when sketching for me I just draw what I feel like.

Thanks so much for looking! :D Also, two things to note:

Orders for The Werewolf Calendar 2011 will be closing November 12th! After that time, there will be a limited number for sale on a first come, first serve basis.

Imagekind: I've had a placeholder there since 2008(!), but only started uploading stuff there recently. I've been pleased with their printing, having bought a stretched canvas, a print, and a card from them, and even though I know print sales are slow and money is tight for everyone, I do still get asked about prints: so, if you're so inclined, please do take a look at my Imagekind gallery. I'm still adding things, and I'll have my Fantasy gallery up soon, too. Yes, I had some things in my Etsy shop as well, but they sold and I have to replenish things; at Etsy those would all be prints made and matted by me (as well as originals, like the Prehistoric Series pieces I had up there), but Imagekind has a really nice range of sizes that I do not sell myself, and the canvases are especially nice.

Thanks again for reading! I hope you all are having wonderful days. :)

Art Post: Cave Bear

2010-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here is another painting from my "Prehistoric" series, done for a convention (see the other three in previous entries). This one, like the Giant Hyena, is approximately 12" x 12", and also on Natural Fiber Painting Panels, painted in gouache. It is based on the cave bear, Ursus spelaeus.

Like the others, this was a learning experience, and I don't claim to be completely accurate; I have so little free time I wanted to make sure art stayed "fun" for me, so I did this one like the others - as a stylized and iconic interpretation, where I took liberties with scientific accuracy. I tried to keep the colors toned down and similar for cohesiveness, as it will be with all the paintings in this series.

As always, thanks for looking!

Art Post: Giant Hyena

2010-06-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here is another painting from my "Prehistoric" series for an upcoming convention (see the first two in the previous entry). This one is approximately 12" x 12", also on Natural Fiber Painting Panels, painted in gouache. It is based on the giant (or "short-faced") hyena/hyaena, like those from the genus Pachycrocuta.

Like the others, this was a learning experience, and I don't claim to be completely accurate; I have so little free time I wanted to make sure art stayed "fun" for me, so I did this one like the dire wolf and sabretooth - as a stylized and iconic interpretation, where I took liberties with scientific accuracy. I tried to keep the colors toned down and similar for cohesiveness, as it will be with all the paintings in this series.

As always, thanks for looking. Sorry I have not been on much. More art soon!

Art Post: Sabertooth & Dire Wolf

2010-06-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here are two paintings from a "Prehistoric" series for an upcoming convention. They are 8" x 10" on Natural Fiber Painting Panels, painted in gouache. I really like the surface - I transferred a xerox of my drawing using Saral Transfer Paper onto the boards, and the lines held up under multiple washes of color. Best of all, for me, the surface didn't buckle, shred, pill, or otherwise deteriorate, a problem I'd had with other paper-based surfaces.

This was definitely a learning experience for me. I still have a long way to go to improve my lighting, anatomy, etc., but at least I found a surface that seems to work with my style.

As for the images themselves, they are my stylized, iconic interpretations of a sabretoothed cat and a dire wolf. The sabretooth I did first, and was good practice. The dire wolf is roughly based on dire wolf skulls, which are a bit thicker and broader than today's gray wolf, but are overall rather similar. Obviously with both I was playing around and not going for complete scientific accuracy. I tried to keep the colors toned down and similar for cohesiveness, as it will be with all the paintings in this series.

Sorry to be out of touch; I have not been online much lately, and the last few days not at all.

Protectors of the Small

2010-05-14T08:16:00.001-07:00
For two wonderful people who do so much for animals...


Thanks for ALL you do, "laturner" and "gesthen"!
These are two little drawings (approx. 4" high) done the same way as my other sketch/art cards, on invitation stationery. The border is pearlized and embossed. I love the cards because they're small and easy to take with me, to work on in bits of free time; plus, the surface has enough tooth to take the graphite nicely, without smearing too much.

I know the animals aren't 100% accurate and in proportion (the badger is supposed to be large, more human in proportion to the bunnies, etc.), but they're meant to symbolize the recipients, so I took artistic license; they are slightly anthropomorphisized, among other things. The kittens and bunnies are loosely based on ones they've fostered, though I wanted to keep them somewhat unspecific to represent all the animals they've helped. I haven't drawn a realistic polar bear or badger in years (hmmm, if ever...?) so this was an interesting challenge for me (I like to try something/learn something new with each piece I do). I hope you like them!

So I was in a Bad Mood...

2010-05-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

...but, after some time outside in the sunshine, plus some sketching, and some MST3K on my iPhone, I feel better.

(the thing above is a result of crankiness + research on prehistoric creatures; it's just a quick scribble)

Beasts of Yore Preview: Bixie and Winged Lion; Lion & Unicorn Tale; Old Coat of Arms

2010-04-22T06:40:00.001-07:00
Hi guys! Been busybusybusy working on art, trying to draw at least a little every day, though lately I've been only managing maybe 20 minutes at a time!

Two things that have kept my busy are for the Beasts of Yore Portfolio (more info coming soon! Also @ Twitter); they are the Bixie (check out this guy!) and the Winged Lion. I'll go more into detail about the portfolio, the artwork, and the creatures themselves once the portfolio is ready and we're permitted to upload our full pieces. These two should be at AC, as well. For now, I hope you like the previews!


Also, for fun, here's two illustrations from a book I had when I was really little, that had a lasting impression on me. It's from Best-Loved Nursery Rhymes and Songs (1974 edition). I loved the way the lion and unicorn were done - not very accurate, perhaps, but wonderfully heraldic. I loved the soft colors, too. After that is *laughs* a project from 1991 for a color class - I chose to make up my own coat-of-arms. What a mess, but still fun. XD I always loved heraldry! I featured The Five (some other old images of them: 1, 2, 3) in it, though I played with their forms and colors. They show up in a lot of my work, though often only symbolically. Hm, I remember loving to paint on colored board; I should do it more.



I'm Still Alive...

2010-03-10T13:45:00.000-08:00
... just in the bowels of Trade Show preparation. This is typically the craziest time of the year at work (my 9-5 job, not my personal stuff), and this year is no exception.

However, I am still drawing in bits & pieces of spare time! I still have other things to post, but for now, here's a little ACEO-sized pen and white pencil drawing on some chipboard:

I've been inspired in part by all the prehistoric creature reference books I've been reading/researching lately, in preparation for a summer art show. Still hoping to have lots of new stuff! I would like to make this into a full-color painting, maybe with him as a white lion. Though I don't play it myself, I think there is something in the World of Warcraft game that looks like this, but he's not based on that; this is Amur, one of my very old creations, one of The Five and The Twelve. Back in college in the 90's I'd drawn him on the back of a spiral notebook, and the chipboard's color and texture reminded me of that cardboard back cover, so here he is, in 2010 form.

More soon! Hope you all are well!

New Group Project: Beast of Yore Portfolio!

2010-03-03T07:25:00.000-08:00
From the Official Website:

"The Beasts of Yore Portfolio is a collection of artwork by 19 different artists depicting many strange, unique and mythical creatures from tales of yore. The project will be unveiled in the summer of 2010!"

Stay tuned for more! :D

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-23T07:16:00.000-08:00
(click for full)

Wishing ALL of you wonderful holidays and all sorts of good things!

Update: Art (Werewolf Calendar 2010 - Presales Now!)

2009-09-02T13:15:00.000-07:00
I've been a bit behind in posting art, and for that I do apologize! I've been trying to finish some things up, but I think I will be working all weekend on some stuff I'm behind on. Good thing it's a long weekend!

Here is my entry for the 2010 Edition of the Werewolf Calendar! You may remember this was finished in June 2009, but I was given the go-ahead to post it in August.

This year's artists are: Balaa, Dark Natasha, Goldenwolf, Khaosdog, Loba North, Myenia, Rayndancer, Therese Larsson, Thornwolf, Vantid, Zakka, Zowolf, and myself.

-------------------------------

About this Piece: I decided to go with the "opposite" of last year's image. I used warm colors instead of cool, had the werewolf facing left with its back to the viewer, and drew darker fur (it's based on a Mexican wolf). Instead of Celtic style decorations, I used imagery that was Mayan in inspiration, though of course I adapted things in my own way; you'd not see glyphs arranged quite like that in actual Mayan art, for example.

Since the ancient Mesoamericans often depicted ornamentation, markings, and jewelry on their shamanic, transformational, and animal figures, I found it fitting to include them on this one as well. Though they are influenced by Mayan ornamentations, they are of my own design.

A note about subject matter: I understand werewolf appearance, lore and legend is very special to many people; this calendar is not meant to be the definitive resource on werewolves, or to present werewolf appearance, attitude, or action in a way that excludes others (for example, I like werewolves in many different appearances, and I love the snarly fangy ones, too); rather, it's a fun spin on wildlife photography calendars, and is not meant to compete or clash with anyone else's ideas about werewolves*. Enjoy the art and idea, if you like! If not, that's cool too. :)

Pencil sketch here, final pencil piece here. Detail image here.

Tools Used: Most of the work was done by hand, in pencil on Strathmore bristol board. I laid out some of the background in Adobe Illustrator CS3, then re-drew it by hand on the final board to make it more rough and textured. Color was added in Photoshop CS3... yes, with a mouse. I will be getting a tablet! Just need to order one.

*Personally, I love werewolves of all kinds, from drooly Hollywood ones, to more "civilized" ones, to ones from old tales and folklore.

Update: Art (Pen Sketchbook Project)

2009-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00
Here are some more sketches from my Pen Sketchbook Project, a random assortment. Some are from Spring, I'm so behind!


From left: A guardian-type creature, a re-translation of drawings I did as a kid of Guardian Figures from Asia. Though I didn't draw it in this picture, the bird legs fascinated me as a kid, and I drew many of them (albeit in my own style). Next are two more Krampus-type creatures. Last is something that popped into my head while listening to Muse's Supermassive Black Hole (thanks to for turning me onto Muse). I don't know, I pictured it bellowing "Supermassive black HOLLLLLLLLLE" or something.

More soon! Thanks, all, for looking. :)

Art Post: Pen Sketchbook (Random Imagery)

2009-08-03T07:57:00.000-07:00
Here is a second helping of sketches from my Pen Sketchbook Project, my ongoing series of personal drawings done just for myself, in little bits of free time. This post is shorter, don't worry. Also, I am just sharing these because you all share your work with me; comments are always appreciated but don't feel pressured to comment or anything. I know I've posted a lot lately, and these are pretty weird.

These were inspired by a variety of things, some more random than others.


First: Another one of my Tiger Gods. You can see more of them in this entry.

Second: Another of my many and varied skull-demons. I dreamt I was this thing (I have pretty lucid dreams).

Third: I was thinking about Shardik (by Richard Adams) earlier this year and drew this as a result. Great book, but a tough read - not hard to read, more that the characters went through so much.

Fourth: A random being. I had been watching Avatar, The Last Airbender at the time, as you can probably tell.

Fifth: A random alien thing. Looking at it now, it reminds me a little of Enemy Mine, though at the time I was watching Ben 10.

Thanks, as always, for looking! :)

Art Post: Pen Sketchbook (Music-Inspired)

2009-08-03T07:19:00.000-07:00
The following are sketches from my Pen Sketchbook Project, my ongoing series of personal drawings of weird things from my head, drawn just for myself, in little bits of free time. There is also a lot of personal blabber about my creation process which you are free to skip, don't worry.

This ended up being long so I split it into two entries. This first group has images inspired directly by a certain song or songs; they're what ~I~ imagined, not meant to be a direct illustration of the lyrics. You probably have your own idea about the songs, different from mine! And that's cool, too.

About the Project: Again, like all my Pen Sketchbook scribbles, they're really just glimpses of what I draw for myself, when inspired by a song or words or a feeling; they're not meant to be finished pieces (hence the pupil-less eyes on many of them), and many of them aren't meant to be any particular type of animal at all. When I draw them I'm letting the art go where it wants to; I'm not thinking about what other people will think, or worrying that everything's perfect, and so on.

Why are the drawings like that? Hm. Some people might look at, for example, this "face the rain" piece and say, "that doesn't look like a real lion!" — and they'd be right! But here's the thing: it's not meant to. That's the whole point of my Pen Sketchbook pieces: they're purely for myself, drawn to express certain things and/or for my own enjoyment, and though they may seem sort of like real creatures, they draw very deeply from my own personal mythology and symbolism. If someone asked me to draw a realistic lion for a project or commission, I would do my best, but my Pen Sketchbook pieces are just for *me*. There are a million artists out there who can draw more realistic lions than I could even if I tried, but that's not the point of my ~personal~ art, to draw things realistically. I LOVE very realistic art and I admire artists who can do it, but that's not the path I follow with my personal art; my own mythology pulls me too strongly.

Besides, I enjoy not knowing where the image will take me. It's a... high? - to just keep drawing along with the inspiration, not knowing where it'll end up. To me, that is the essence of *my* art (YMMV!): drawing directly from inspiration and personal symbolism. My artwork for projects and commissions is very carefully researched and planned, so my Pen Sketchbook stuff is a change from that. And yeah, it's fun to not be neat sometimes. Scribbling in pen is very tactile-y-pleasing. :) Plus, if I don't get my personal-art fix every once in a while I get frustrated and crabby.

Man, it's really had to put my process into words. :/ Thanks for coming along for the ride! I would love to hear about how YOU create (art, stories, music, crafts, anything!), if you ever want to discuss it, too. That's one of my favorite things to discuss.




First: Inspired by R.E.M.'s Hyena (NOTE: Video Link; I like the album version even more). I saw the hyena as a sort of ancient spirit/symbol: "Night time fell at the opening / In the final act of the beginning of time / Hyena, take your role, the stage is set..." The heavy, powerful teeth are what was in my head when I drew it more than anything; I was more interested in the feel of the teeth and snarly mouth and glimpse of expression than in drawing a real hyena.

Second: This is one I had in my head a long time, in various forms, and was inspired by Pearl Jam's Immortality — not the lyrics so much as the melody and the title itself. You may notice it has a little bit of the same symbolism as my 1993 Arak: Absolution piece. The claws are that shape on purpose. Is it a statue or not? Hm. Well sort of.

Third: Rammstein's Du Hast. This song was all teeth and hissing and snarly demon dogs.

Fourth: Alice in Chain's I Stay Away. This changed from the original image in my head, which was much more human-looking, of a guy furling his wings closed and pulling himself up and away. Maybe sometime I will draw that version, too.

Fifth: The Cure's Lullaby. Cure fans (and I am a HUGE fan!) will recognize the inspiration for this. ;) "On candy stripe legs, the spiderman comes / Softly through the shadow of the evening sun..." I love the actual video for it, too (love love love it, yay, creepy).

Sixth: Nine Inch Nail's Sunspots. He is somewhat like my 1990's Syn'Asp, and has six fingers like she does. Bonus points if you guess what "inspired" his face! Also, my FAVORITE video of this song, featuring images of the Mars Rover, is here. I also listened to U2's Magnificent when doing this, though I imagine a golden angel guy for that song as well.

Seventh: Erasure's Breath of Life, especially the lines: "Now I'm coming up for air" and "I never had to call the tune / 'Cause I always drifted with the tide of the moon (Ah la luna, my love, my love, my love)" Another water-spirit like (but not exactly the same as) Aqua'Demia. Her arms and fingers are extra-long on purpose.

Thanks, as always, for looking! :)

Quick Update: Art

2009-08-03T07:02:00.000-07:00
Here are some things I hadn't had a chance to post properly before:


From left: Photoshop-colored versions of my Pen Sketchbook Hyena and Tiger God IV that I had as matted prints for a show. I had an LE jumbo one of the Hyena. I still kinda like them better as pen-only sketches - they seem more austere and spiritlike in pen, as I'd originally imagined them. Still, I really wanted to PAINT them, as in gouache and watercolor or acrylic, but I didn't have time. Well, maybe someday! Next, another Photoshop-colored piece, this time of my Maple Rabbit. After that, the final pencils for my July 2010 Werewolf Calendar piece; you can see the original pencil sketch here. I'll have the final color piece posted in August, when I'm slated to upload it (it's finished, though; I had the color final as an LE print 1/1 at an art show). Lastly, a (somewhat crappy) photo of my favorite badge I did at a convention; the commissioner wanted a snarly hyena with those colorations. Yay for snarly things!

Hope you liked them! More soon! As always, thanks for looking! :D

Endangered Ark Art Cards Now Available!

2009-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00
Now available at my bigcartel.com store, the Endangered Ark Art Card set, both Open and Limited Editions!

(click for full)

The Endangered Ark Art Card Deck is beautifully designed art playing card deck featuring 52 unique endangered species, plus two Joker cards and an artist listing card. The cards I contributed to this deck are the Amur Leopard, the Black Rhino, and the Day Gecko images.

The Limited Edition decks are hand-numbered in gold and feature a leaf image on the side to differentiate them from the Open Edition, and are limited to 1000 decks; I only have a few of these. Also included with the LE decks are three (3) business-card-sized magnets: one each of the leopard, gecko, and rhino. The decks can be signed if desired.

An Open Edition is also available, signed or unsigned.

Photos of the beautiful artwork for this deck:

First half of the Deck
Second half of the Deck
Sample Images 1
Sample Images 2

For more information, please see the official Endangered Ark Art Card website. If you'd prefer to buy from the project organizer, you may order from that site as well.

Endangered Ark

2009-05-05T12:47:00.000-07:00
Here is the work I did for the Endangered Ark Art Card Deck. Presales are still available here! (there are also some neat things like keychains and LE prints). I will have some to sell online and at art shows, but for now, you can get in on the presale directly from the site! Remember, ten percent of the proceeds from decks bought directly from the site of the Project will be donated to charities decided upon by the participating artists.

As always, I like my pencils better than my originals... (more practice for me, eh?), so here are both, of the Amur Leopard, Black Rhino, and Day Gecko.


These are the images as I did them; they are slightly different (cropped, as necessary) for the final cards. In doing these, I kept in mind that they would be printed smaller, so I tried to be conscious of how they'd look scaled down - would they read okay? would they clog up too much? does anything jump out as wrong? - and so on. I attempted to be as true to the animals as possible, looking at many images of the animals to make sure I had a good sampling of references (mmmm, research) — though I am not a photorealist, so they are noticeably stylized.

Besides the decks, I will have prints available, and perhaps some LE prints too, as well as the pencil originals of the leopard and gecko.

Thanks, as always, for looking! :) More soon!

BigCartel.Com Store

2009-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:00
BigCartel: I now have a BigCartel store, if you are looking for a Pathfinders Totem Cards Deck, my ArtZone comic, or a 2009 Werewolf Calendar. I'll be updating it with more things too. I've also gotten a PO Box, finally!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00
(click for full)

More from my Pen Sketchbook Project

2008-12-17T07:11:00.000-08:00
Here are some more images from my ongoing personal Pen Sketchbook Project. These images were all done over the last year - mostly last Winter and Spring, and this Winter, too; I was busy with other projects for most of the rest of the year, and didn't have much in-between time to sketch for myself. Why did I sketch more last winter and this one? Well, schedule-wise it worked out that P's coming home on later trains, so I have more time to wait at the train station (where many of these are done). Also, while in the summer and early fall it's light enough at the train station in the afternoon to do nice work, in the winter it's dark and I can't see well enough to work on a good picture for someone else... so I scribble these instead. Here's a photo of where and how I draw at the station. XD Note, I am now going back and working on them more, as I feel like it. They evolve over time.

Click to view full picture - some of the thumbnails are cropped.

First is a guardian lion type creature (all-black, all-gold, and white lions are special to me) - not a real lion of course. Done to a-ha's Here I Stand and Face The Rain ("Trust me / For whom I am / Lay all your pains / Into these hands"). Second is a sort of manticore, though not a "by the books" one. Yeah, more weird human faces. Third popped into my head, a peaceful creature. I debated giving this one a mouth, but left it off - these are symbolic, after all. Fourth shows some random little owlthings. And Fifth is inspired by Nine Inch Nails' song, Letting You ("We are letting you GET AWAY!").


Have questions? Here's my disclaimer: Now, before anyone says (and rightly so) that the anatomy's wrong, or they're not researched well, or there are mistakes, or they're messy and unfinished, or asks where my "usual" type and style of artwork has gone - don't worry; these pieces are just weird things from my head, drawn at odd moments (waiting at the train, at lunch, while waiting at the barber's for my husband etc.), and actually give a good idea of what I draw for myself, when I am inspired and not worried about anatomy, or historical accuracy, or mass appeal. There is a lot of of stylization and symbolism here!

I hoped you liked this little glimpse into my mind. :) More soon, and thanks for looking!

Art Post: Projects and WIPs

2008-12-15T07:11:00.000-08:00
Well, as promised, here's some bits and pieces of what I've been working on, and some older pieces I haven't shown before, and some WIPs. To start off, here are some parts of my last big project for the year, a comic-sized collection of my art, which I did in the Fall and over the Thanksgiving break. The first is cropped and the second is a border for something.


Next, a trio of leopards for various reasons. First is a pencil sketch idea I had for someone that I didn't finish. Second is a piece for a very deserving friend of mine, with as many of her interests as I could fit in. The heraldic wolf at the end of the runner is based on an awesome design done for her by the wonderful and talented Angela Butt; the other designs on the fabric and the stag are adapted from Scythian art and artifacts. The leopard is supposed to be stylized, like my old leopard with a magazine.


Coming up, more art, a Sketchbook Project post, and a WIP post. And trades and gift art are still in the works, too. As always, thanks so much for looking! I really appreciate it. :)

Fifth Anniversary

2008-11-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

In all the rush and craziness, I just wanted to take the time to note, for myself if no one else: 11-08-2008 was our Five-Year Anniversary. As a matter of fact, we spent the day at someone else's wedding! My in-laws sent flowers, though and my parents dropped off a dinner treat for us. It was a nice day. We'll celebrate more when we're off next week. The image above is part of a silly little card I made for him.

Totem Cards for Sale!

2008-09-10T07:00:00.000-07:00
Now Available:
PATHFINDERS: The Animal Totem Deck

Featuring my Leopards and Thylacine art!

(photos courtesy of Laken)
The price is $25 per card set.
NEW: Downloadable information booklets ARE NOW AVAILABLE on the Pathfinders Website; you can find them HERE.

TO ORDER: Please see my bigcartel.com shop here. Thank you! :)

For more information, see the Official Pathfinders Website!

More from My Pen Sketchbook Project

2008-07-30T11:27:00.000-07:00
In an attempt to keep updated with my Pen Sketchbook Project, here are some pages I did in the fall and winter; I'll have newer stuff soon, I promise. :)


The first is a kitsune/foxlike thing (not trying to be realistic), that sorta inspired another small piece. The second is a random, horned snow-leopardy-cat thing. The third and fourth are more of my sphynx creatures; I like playing around with the facial features. I imagine the third is more muscular, and serves a guardian function, while the fourth is more of a sage-type - who I have dubbed "Sphynx Mulder" (though I didn't plan on him looking like that XD). I imagine him and others of his type in large, sun-lit rooms, discussing the workings of the world (or maybe tossing pencils at the ceiling ;>).

The last is actually from a while ago, but I forgot to upload it; it was inspired by the line "I've become... impossible" and the music leading up to it, from the song We're In This Together (note: YouTube link) by Nine Inch Nails (it's not supposed to be Trent Reznor*, though, just some random guy). Yes yes, over the years I've drawn a lot of NIN-inspired stuff; I have sketchbooks full of it. :D This is one of the more recent ones I did, but now that NIN's The Slip is out (download it for FREE!!! Legally!!!), I am just champing at the bit to draw some fangy, clawed, scaled, skull-headed things, as always happens whenever I hear their music. Argh, I am busting with ideas but need more time. :P Oh well, more soon!

*When we went to lunch at Quaker Steak & Lube a while ago when visiting the in-laws, we noticed a familiar-looking face in a photo on the wall. We asked the waitress about it and she said, "Yeah, that's Trent Reznor - he grew up nearby and stops in every once in a while. Nice guy." Glad to know he's nice! It just seemed - odd? unexpected? surprising? - to see him sitting there smiling out at us at a chicken-wing place XD

Mini Pencil Sketches

2008-07-30T07:00:00.000-07:00
For an art show this summer, I created four little pieces I did in the manner of my sketch cards (small pieces that are easy to carry and work on in bits of free time). I double-matted them all nicely, and sent them off to my agent there. They were a lot of fun - I did them in the medium I know best (graphite) and chose subjects I love (dragons, bunnies, horned cats, and vaguely-foxlike things). You can see a (quick phone camera) photo of the matted group here, and an individual one here, to give you an idea of the size. They are actually on white paper, but scanning them a bit golden preserved the shading. Maybe I will color them in Photoshop, someday, too.



Art Post: Papyrus Cats, Wolf Badge

2008-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00
Here are two small paintings I did for a summer show. They are 6-1/2" x 4-1/2", and in 8" x 10" mats. It was a nice size to work with. They're painted in gouache and detailed in Micron and gold pen, on papyrus. They look nicer in person; the gouache is much more luminous. Also: a gouache, Mircon, and Koh-I-Noor pen badge/mini-portrait for a friend.


The Abyssinian isn't supposed to be a religious icon; that's not a halo, just a circle background like the other originals up there. Those two papyrus cats do remind me of Egyptian Faiyum portraits, though.

Thanks for looking! :D

Art Post: Sketches and More

2008-06-02T07:00:00.000-07:00
Here are some small things I've been working on in between larger projects. The first is a little color test of my pen sketch of Aqua'Demia; just a little fun, not a finished piece, though I tried to make her skin look kind of translucent. After that, a brushpen drawing and the original RSVP pen sketch for a friend, and the pencil sketch/WIP for another friend, which is now transferred to black board and waiting to be painted. Also: a "hellcat", a "uniboar", and something named Zerfan, all gifts for other friends, too, based on descriptions they gave me.


Thanks for looking! More soon!

My Art - Actually Cross-Stitched

2008-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00
You know how cross-stitch-pattern makers sometimes contact artists and ask to use their art for patterns (I know that's happened to a number of you)? Well, I usually say yes, and in this one case, the lady sent me an actual pattern made from my Lion, King of Diamonds piece. The pattern was really complicated (calling for 99 different thread colors!) so I knew I would probably never do it, but I thanked her and saved it anyway. Well, now, my mother in law is a prize-winning Counted Cross-Stitcher (she has won many ribbons and Best In Shows for her pieces), and she actually wanted to try stitching it. When we were out to visit recently (more on that in another post), she surprised me with her work in progress. I was floored! It really was a lot of work to get as far as she has already - and it's counted cross stitch, not printed on the fabric (!!!), and I thought I'd share some WIP's of it.

They are not the best photos - I took them in a hurry with my iPhone - but you get the idea. I'll be sure to get better photos of it all when she is finished.


The diamonds are in metallic thread, even, and when you see it in person, it looks beautiful; and I'm not talking about the "my art" part of it, I'm talking about her handiwork and attention to detail. She really is amazing!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Click for full image

Merry Christmas, Joyous Yule, Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, and Happy New Year!
Now, of course lions, rabbits, and songbirds don't really look like that, and certainly you'd never find them all together peacefully in real life; however, my theme for this year's card was "my favorite things" (including fluffy-maned lions, birds, knotwork and bunnies), so I chose to do it in my favorite-to-do "not-quite-real" style. I just felt like doing something fun. It's a variation on my actual printed card, which had a different border and was printed on parchment-patterned cardstock. Original pencil drawing is HERE.

I hope your holidays are wonderful!

Sketchbook Work

2007-11-21T07:11:00.000-08:00
This year I've been trying to draw as much as I can; even if I can't draw every day or for as long as I'd like, I've been fitting it in whenever possible - though often that means drawing hunched over my sketchbook in the car, waiting to pick up my husband at the train station. Not that I'm complaining - any chance to draw is a good thing.

Here's an assortment of sketches from my current Pen Sketchbook Project, and a few assorted older pieces; as usual, most are done without reference, and all were done just for fun - they are not meant to be accurate by any means.



Wild Cats of the World Card Deck Art - Leopards

2007-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00
There's been so much gorgeous art for the WIld Cats of the World Card Deck posted already; still, I wanted to hold off on mine until they were available for sale (see below). So, here are my two leopards. The left is a more muscular, male tawny leopard (from Africa, with a Masai-type shield) and a sleeker female melanistic leopard (from India, with a temple-like sculpture piece). Yes, there's sort of a yin-yang thing going on. There are many wonderful stylized pieces in the deck, and many fantastic realistic ones; mine fall somewhere in between.



I know black-and-white / graphite pieces aren't usually as interesting to many, but since I feel my graphite pieces are better before I color them (or for those who are curious), here are the two pre-Photoshop:



I have some decks I may sell myself at an art show later this year; I'll post an update when I do.

Art: Pen Sketchbook, Tiger Gods, Dragon Dog, More

2007-11-02T07:00:00.000-07:00
Short & sweet this time, a mixed bag of art. Click for full image (many are cropped, all are resized).



1. A creature for the awesome and generous Mel. 2. More from my Pen Sketchbook Project, Synnabar: "Glance". 3. Desert-type creature I saw in a dream. 4. Big cat-thing I scribbled in a Licensing Meeting, and 5. the Sketchbook version (it's supposed to be huge). 6. Another "skull-demon". 7. & 8. Two more of my "wolf-cats" (see also 2006 and 1987). 9. Lastly, just for fun, a "dragon dog" from 1996 I found while going through older sketchbooks.


You may remember my Tiger Gods from 1995 and 2003; above, here's another, from my Pen Sketchbook. You can see I enjoy playing around with tigerlike anatomy and markings (these aren't supposed to be real): for fun, here is one from 1993 (book spine!), two from 1996, and another warped one from 1997. Except for the 1993 one, they usually do NOT have whiskers, on purpose.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00
HAVE PUMPKINS:

My husband and I had planned to do Bert & Ernie, but were too tired after work, so we ended up with a "Generic Jack-O'Lantern" and a "Generic Cat Thing" instead. Guess whose is whose!

Totem Card Project - Leopards and Thylacine Cards

2007-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:00
Here are two pieces I'd worked on prior to attending a summer art show, but didn't get to touch up in time to bring with me. They are for the Totem Card Project. First up is the Leopards Card: leopard (Panthera pardus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), and snow leopard (Uncia uncia) - (click for full)

I wanted to try using acrylic paint (which I haven't used full-scale in years), in a different style than my usual (LOTS of hair-detail) - but I struggled with this a lot. Apparently my acrylics are too heavy-bodied for fine detail work, plus I need practice. It's mostly acrylic, with some pencil and Micron pen, on illustration board. Suffice it to say, it was quite a learning experience, though an enjoyable one; leopards are among my favorite animals of all!

There are many variations in the various spotting patterns and coat colors of these cats, though I tried to go with more typical colorations for these.

Close-ups (though I tried to make sure it looked good at actual card-size; bear in mind this will be printed much smaller): snow leopard, clouded leopard, leopard.

Next, here is my card for the Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) - (click for full)

Having had enough of a time struggling with my leopards card in acrylics, I went back to my usual style (symbolic & stylized) and my favorite painting materials (gouache on watercolor paper). I love to paint skulls, so I added one in, to symbolize the fact that it is considered extinct, though I secretly hope there are some hidden and alive somewhere out there. The eyes are empty for that reason, too. Additionally, the skull provides a definite "up" direction - so it has, for totem deck purposes, a "reverse" if it is drawn from the deck upside-down.

I looked up hundreds of references for the thylacine, and did it in my own way, with a little bit of artistic license, as I'd seen - and enjoyed - in some other cards so far. Funny thing - the creature looks different in every photo! Sometimes the head looks long and narrow, sometimes more rounded and doglike, sometimes more like a kangaroo's; I went for an appearance that sort of averages them all. Please note that this was not meant to be completely scientifically accurate.

It's mostly gouache on Strathmore watercolor paper, with a bit of pencil and Micron pen. Slight touchups in Photoshop.