Running Silent

I haven't been blogging lately, largely because my internet response time has been just atrocious in the early evenings - the time I have been blogging.  So now I'm switching my schedule around a bit in an effort to get back to this activity that I actually enjoy so much.

So, to catch up a bit........

Here's a small (5"x7") drawing of two chipmunks, a companion piece to one I did a few months ago.  Small mammals, and particularly rodents, seem to be sadly overlooked as art subjects.  So I'm out to change that.  "Rodent Resurgence!" will be my new motto.  I don't see chipmunks around here but remember them so fondly from my childhood in Ohio.

Here's another little (5"x7") drawing - this one, of a ringtail cat.  These little creatures really captured my imagination when I visited Tuscon last October.  I didn't see any, but I could vividly imagine them scampering around, and they seemed to be iconic figures to the locals.

I tried out a new product on this piece - liquid graphite.  The product I used is Derivan Liquid Pencil, which comes in either permanent or rewettable formulae as well as a couple different grey values and a yellowish brown.  I used the rewettable, but think I would prefer the permanent.  Anyway, I used this product in the lower part of the picture where I wanted the light branches against a darker background.  I masked the branches with a liner brush and masking fluid, then applied the liquid pencil just like watercolor.  When all was dry, I rubbed the mask away.  And then I put some pencil over the top to tone down the lights a bit and add more detail and tone variation.  I like this product a lot and will use it again!