Forlorn

I was in the middle of drawing the art nouveau women of color, when I was inspired to do this particular piece. I was using tonal paper on a small sketch book. Though the pictures make this image look bigger then it is, it is only 5x7.

For some reason, I started coloring the image before inking - again. I think I was just too excited to see if I could complete a full image of color. I hadn't done so in a little while. I also started the foundation of the skin in gold. All while I was putting in the color, I was second guessing myself if the finished product was going to look like a reject from the Simpsons. It was about then when I was doing the eyes, did I realize to establish where the light was coming from for the shadow to be placed around the strands of hair. It started to get tricky around the eyelids and I was about to start all over again if I hadn't stopped and stepped back to see what I had done thus far.

I think I used about 7 different colors to get the skin right. I never thought I would ever have to use olive to tone the skin down from being too gold or too orange. It was good to know. I had made a mistake thinking I could use gray or lavender as I would for Caucasian skin. For black tones it came out ashen.

Thinking I had finished the piece, again I stepped back only to see that the fingers as well as the strap of her garment needed some shading. I also saw where the whites of her eyes are too white. I saw an artist on you-tube practically colored the whites of her subject's eyes all a light gray and then came back to put "China White" only where the light was hitting. They looked very realistic. I'll have to do some more practicing.

  I will link the finished piece here when I figure how to shade the arm without it looking strange. I tried once already and looked like another strap. The sides of her fingers need more detail as well as the sides of her face and more shading in the eyes.  I might be over thinking it. I am already looking forward in doing the next one.

New Artist Trading Cards

Here are some new cards that I am currently trading.

There is a difference in how I was drawing them before. I was inspired by some other artists that were doing a lot more work on their tiny little canvas then I was and having a better response. I get some comments as you can see in my gallery, but it is not nearly as much I could be if putting a little more effort then what I have been doing.

The cards shown below are my favorites to date. I think with most themes requiring 3 cards to swap, I would like to use as a storyboard so the cards can stay together or the owners of the cards can negotiate something to keep them together. I believe they will be worth more that way - some day.

Adding more depth to each card makes the card more interesting. Portraits are fine and as quiet as it is kept,they are so much easier. Its just I would like for there I to be more of an interest in my cards then just, "aw, they are pretty." For that to happen, it would seem filling the entire space with color and subject matter is the way to go. It also takes more time to do.

I will post more of them a little more often as they appeal to me. Thanks for viewing.