u/Exciting_Bus3108

This is a large scale project that I'm working on with a private student. We're telling the story of the Goblin King. We started with a collage layout, and are each working on our own version of the drawing. I'm slowly chipping away at this digital sketch. I work with graphite pencil "brushes" in a program called Pixelmator Pro, and as always I draw in purple. :)
I'm almost done with the layout. Next step will be to take it to the physical drawing board. Stay tuned for updates.

Believe it or not, I've actually never colored a mandala. Not once, not partially. I did draw a symmetrical mandala-like design with portraits once upon a time, but that's quite different.

The Black Line H&B pencils I like so much came with a super cute set of tiny mandalas on black paper and I'm kinda considering doing one. But I fear I'll get bored. I like having a character and a story.

Tomorrow, April 7th, at noon PST, I'll be test driving my new favorite budget brand and comparing it to Prismacolor pencils. Buckle up for 2 hours coloring, chat, and art supplies revelations. https://youtube.com/live/x51HJpTMRuM

I find that this technique creates amazing gradient transitions, that are nearly metallic in nature.

This is my take on a movie Pan's Labyrinth, done in ballpoint pen on grey paper, and fine tuned with Prismacolor pencils.

All in all, with designing, and drawing, and shading, and detail it took ... close to 18 hours, if memory serves me right. It's easy t olose track of time when you're having fun.

... but come one, who here actually hangs their art outside, exposed to direct UV light?

Let me know in the comments if you've ever actually experienced poor lightfastness, or a lightfastness fail, and what were the circumstances.

Coz I've been drawing with ALL sorts of crappy art supplies since I was three years old, and everything is still shiny.

Another ballpoint pen dog study by me. What emotion does this face give you?

Will keep you guys updated on this project. So far it's in a very rough digital sketch form. Drawing in Pixelmator Pro with pencil brushes. As always, sketching in purple :)
This will be a very large and involved composition, basically retelling the main movie plot of The Labyrinth.
Stay tuned for more progress.

Sometimes I like drawing imaginary places. Something is always floating or hovering in one of these dreamscapes.

It's amazing the depth and shine you can get on a gemstone with just five pencils. I did this citrine with Prismacolor pencils on lilac cardstock paper, and it only took about half an hour. LOVE gemstones!

This is a drawing of Sir Lord Jimmy Christal from The Bone Temple. Because I wanted him in black and white and with white highlights, I had to splice in a grey toned page into my journal. I always do this. I buy pretty journals, discover that they have white paper, and tape my own pages into it. (You can see that previous page in brown)

It would have probably been easier to draw him on a drawing board, and THEN cut him out and tape him in, but I don't have this much forward thinking hahahaha. Plus, the joy of drawing in a journal is just that - drawing in a journal while curled up in a fuzzy blanket on the couch.

I was sick with a fever when I did this, and working with super fine ink pens and white charcoal is remarkably therapeutic for me. Everything here is done with the three tools you see in the photo.

FUN FACT. I shared this in another group a few weeks ago and immediately got slammed with ai accusations. :D buahahaha because the "fingers come off the page."
No, folks, this is an actual drawing done by hand, and his fingers are cut out with an amazing miracle of modern technology, called scissors. :D And it was actually planned. "Fingers" are kind of important to this character. If you've seen the film, you know.

I cut the edge of his page shorter than all the other other pages. This way his fingers aren't sticking out of the journal when it's closed.

As far as the scene itself, that pose is from a still frame in the movie, but I gave him the pile of skulls and flames, because Hell is where he's headed.

After 15 hours of coloring, I finally finished my vision of Frankenstein's Elizabeth.
I usually draw and color on toned cardstock paper, and my average coloring projects take about 2 hours to complete. More involved ones like this can take up to 8 hours, but not 15!!!!

So what was different this time? I chose Strathmore Artagain paper for this project because of the beautiful color, artisanal inclusions, and a bit of texture. And I was surprised at how much longer the project took. Granted, I had an AMAZING time and didn't want the experience to end, so there may have been an element of stalling, like starting to read slower to avoid finishing a good book. ;)

But there were technical reasons too. Though the tooth of this paper is very mild, it's toothy enough for me to have to blend more and use more layers for a smoother more painterly look.

This wasn't even my first paper choice. I actually started this project on Starthmore Pastel. Gorgeous colors, but that tooth - oof! I got half an hour into it and started all over on a new pager. That tooth would have set me back by another 5 to 6 hours, and the experience wasn't all that pleasant. At least not for this level of tiny detail. I still have plans for the Pastel paper, but now I'm thinking of a simpler portrait closeup.

I am now 12 hours in on this Elizabeth piece (Prismacolor pencils on Strathmore Artagain paper). Had lots of fun with that background, the light and the 3D effect. The only thing left now is the dress.
I miss working on her face already. That was the best part so far. I may have to do a closeup portrait of her next.