I love creating the above sketch type portraits. Just a simple sketch on a colored background with a few highlights and the faint bit of coloring added here and there to the background. Always printed on art paper where splashes of oil pastel is added throughout making it a Mixed Media print!
Coming Soon…I have been asked enough times about creating sketches in Corel Painter, enough so I have decided to offer this as a class. New classes will be starting again in September. Check back for the dates and times of all classes.
I have so many images of the wild life found in our yard, especially the raccoons Several weeks ago our raccoon stopped visiting us…I am not happy about that for I tend to get attached and worry about them. Going by the past years it seems normal that we would stop seeing them….only the short period early summer are they really out and about during the day….and this one was. Oh well, maybe she will visit again with us next year….or I will happen to catch a glimpse of her for her favorite trees are right behind my home.
New class starting today at Paw Prints Studio. I opened the forum to the students yesterday and several have been busy making themselves comfortable, learning their way around. While class really did not start until today, I posted a little something about having everyone create a very quick self portrait (sketch) so that they could use it for this weeks avatars. While this course is about painting animals…this is a fun exercise to help everyone have a good time, laugh a little and just experiment and feel comfortable with the software, brushes and moving the pen around the tablet!
I posted a quick one of me….under 10 minutes…named a couple of the brushes used to create this very quick sketch and several took the challenge and ran with it. This was about having fun…no worries about it being good, bad….just play, experiment and fun with color and brushes. Thanks Cindy and Jeff, wonderful work! Looking forward to what the other students create
If your a student and would like to see your work on my blog all you have to do is e-mail me your permission to do so! Our next online Digitally Painting Animals course will be in Sept. Check back for the official date and time.
Yep, the time has come to have another Big Give Away. I love these This is just a little teaser to get you all excited…
This Big Give Away will be a Paw Prints Studio Tee Shirt…Stay Tuned for I have to make a new design for the Tee Shirt (I do this every so often)… and a video has to be produced. Maybe in a week or two.
It will be the same as our last give away…in order to get the tee shirt you will have to be a subscriber to both the Paw Prints Studio blog and Paw Prints Studio You Tube site. Just my way of saying Thank You to my faithful subscribers….you get the chance to win free stuff and all the discounts and special coupons come to you first! Once you have viewed the video all you have to do is leave a comment on the you tube site and your name will go into the the basket. Oh…one more thing…we actually want you to send us a photograph of you wearing the Tee Shirt (or even a You Tube video if you like) and it will appear on our blog. As in our last Big Give Away…one of the puppies willl be choosing the winner.
Not a subscriber, no worries you actually have up until we are ready to pick the winner to subscribe. Check back for further details and to get a peek at the Tee Shirt (oh, did I mention there will be something a little extra included with the tee shirt….it is a secret and only the lucky recipient will know what it is). Check back for further details
This lovely portrait of sisterly love was created in Corel Painter X.
Working on this portrait made me think of my sisters, I have two. Sadly…we are not very close. One sister I have not spoken to in over a year and a half…the other… once in a while. When I was younger I so thought family was important…I worked hard at keeping in touch with everyone when I moved to GA. I craved their friendship, companionship. I would imagine the fact that I am the “baby” of the family made those feelings stronger.
These days I do not work very hard at it. I never know just what “Not” to say to the one for she will just cut you out of her life over the littlest things and your left wondering just what you did, said. After one to many times I am afraid I have decided it is best to not put myself in that position, family or not. The other….well we are just so busy living our lives, living a distance away from one another….I guess too many years of that have gone by.
I know in my heart that one day there will be regrets. It is not that I do not want to be close to my sisters….after many years I just stopped trying. Still, I know that regret can be such a heavy burden. I often think that I could be the only one with those regrets. I learned over the years….and it really took me a very long time for this life lesson….you cannot force people to be part of your life, family or not!
It is heart warming and a joy to see a family that truly enjoys each others company and have the ability to be there for one another.
Our next online course for Digitally Painting Animals starts July 15th, there is still space available as well as time for you to enroll. The above was completed by Jack Heard one of our students who had so many nice thins to say about our online course. Thanks Jack….great work!!!!
Please know our class is geared towards those wanting to learn a few Corel Painter X techniques painting animals. Each week is broken down….painting the eyes and nose, backgrounds, fur (do you reallllly need a “special” fur brush)? Paper, textures and brushes. Last class is printing and hand embellishing your prints with acyclic paints. Four images are supplied for you to paint and practice with, however for those truly wanting to create their own art, your welcome to use your own images from the start. There are no filters used (unless adding a texture), this is a painting course. You are the Artist deciding on how painterly, colorful your masterpiece will be.
Dee is very free with her time for those students with a desire in improving their painting skills. The class forum is open to students only, a safe environment for you to visit at your convenience….class size is limited. There are also a few short videos for your viewing pleasure
Those students (such as Jack Heard) that have been the most successful with the course have completed the assignments and shared their work allowing the instructor to view for feedback…maybe a suggestion or two…then up to the student to work on until they are satisfied. This five week course goes by very quickly…and again, the forum is there for you 24 hours a day so you can work at your own pace.
Earlier today as I was painting the above, due to my eyes bothering me as of late I was continually having to stop and put a cool cloth over my eyes. Rather then detail I used color and my brush strokes. When you cannot see well the details are just not there for you paint….as for the use of color…again, not having the ability to see well you tend to use darker tones….lots of contrast in your paintings, at least that is how it is for me.
Taking off the reminder of the day to turn my attention to things around the house…the dogs. Still hot here in the SE so out door time will be short….my canine friends are not enjoying the warmer temps, like me they prefer it a little cooloer.
A fast portrait created in corel Painter X. Digitally Painting Animals starts up again in July! Please contact Dee if wanting to commission her to create a lovely, one of a kind portrait of your beloved furry friend. If in the Atlanta are she can photograph your pet, or she can work from your images.
It was bound to happen…went through my files and realized I have not painted a pom. So… how could I resist with such a prefect model right under my feet (yep, I mean that literally). After completing the painting I brought it into PS and created a Pop Art Poster…just for color and fun. Digitally Painting Animals classes start up again in July. Gift certificates available for Fathers Day!
Ziggy’s 4th day….we are still doing long line work to teach him to pay attention and to follow, depending on the dog (their attention) I will do this between 5-seven days. Sitting has improved, a little bit of a delay at times….no doubt if I could read his mind he would be saying….”Are you kidding me, I’ve done that a billion times today already” Of course the most important things have been implementing training into daily life….sitting and waiting for a release to eat…going in and out the door, gates. Funny….he does the little dog recall….he will come but stays a distance so you do not grab hold or pick him up. To stop that I walk away. The first day he really thought I was going to chase him…..not. So, I went inside and he soon was at the back door. Now, when he sees me heading to the back door he follows and then sits and waits for the leash to be placed on him. Please know it is not all about training but play, sniffing and just allowing him to be a dog….all very important and are wonderful rewards.
Ziggy, Rocky, Niki and Gemma (the two females were not wanting to hang out with the males).
The photos show the introduction between Rocky and Ziggy. Rocky is not very fond of little dogs due to an incident a while back….I will not mention any names For the last couple of days we have been walking together….Ziggy on my left, Rocky on my right, twice daily. Yesterday and this morning I allowed Rocky off leash after our walks. Ziggy remained on the leash for his safety. Little dogs often do not realize they are so tiny. Ziggy does this little bull dance, he looks at the dogs and kicks up those back legs spraying dirt every where….he postures, play bows and takes off at a 1000 miles an our. Really the worst thing you can do when that tiny….Gemma has herding in her and Rocky likes to chase anything that moves so I can just see the two of them in hot pursuit. Oh, for those reallly curous how I got them to pose….cheese…and I do not mean Say Cheese, a slice of good old American Cheese….yum!
