Frog Prince

 

This totally majestic "Frog Prince," is from a tutorial by Tamara Laporte for "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales." This fellow took several days and a couple of drawings to get started, but boy am I happy with this piece!

I drew this fella with a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil on Canson watercolor paper. I used two sets of watercolors: Jane Davenport and Prima. It took a lot of pencils and pens too.

I learned so much working on this "Frog Prince." I just thought I would mention that I love how the sky looks. What do you think?

Challenges: 

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-anything-goes-w-optional-twist.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-202605-may-2026-anything-goes.html

https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-322.html 

https://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-276-anything-goes-woptional.html 

The Ghillie Dhu

 

This magical lesson of "The Ghillie Dhu is tale from Scottish folk tales and is from a tutorial by Lucy Brydon for "A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales. He is a mysterious woodland spirit.

 I followed the videos and reference material provided, to draw this fairy tale, with a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil and painted this piece in Arteza Gouache. Some small details were done using a Molotow liner pen.

I love how this painting came out. I must say drawing so many leaves, was so over whelming at times!

Challenges: 

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-anything-goes-w-optional-twist.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-202605-may-2026-anything-goes.html

 https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/classic-design-challenge-04-2026-marapr.html 

https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-321.html 

Victorian Gentlemen

 

This "Victorian Gentlemen" is from a tutorial by Karen Campbell for Awesome Art School. This 3/4 portrait was a challenge to draw. As I drew it, following Karen Campbell, I really wasn't sure how well it would come out.

I drew this gent in my Ohuhu Marker sketch book with my Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil. I did the outlines with Molotow fineliners. I tried to continue and color him with the Ohuhu Markers, but I don't have many of the colors Karen used. I substituted some colors and also used a different brand (Copic Markers). I blended Prismacolor Pencils into the hair and a Gelly Roll pen for highlights around the "Victorian Gentlemen."

I was surprised and happy with how well I did!

Challenges: 

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-848.html 

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/05/may-2026-anything-goes-w-optional-twist.html 

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/classic-design-challenge-04-2026-marapr.html 

https://alessandrasangels.blogspot.com/2026/04/allys-angels-105-anything-goes-theme.html 

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-202605-may-2026-anything-goes.html

Art Postcards

Day 5 Play Ball

Plum Daily Doodles for May

#plumdd

 

 For a couple of months, I have been mailing postcard art to my eight year old granddaughter. I've been enjoying making art on the cards and writing notes to her on the flip side. The icing on the cake is watching the videos my son sends of her going to the mailbox and receiving the card! So fun!

                                                                                         

This time the art work is a version of a digital image from Plum Loved Art by Shelley Plum. The image is of a girl softball player. My granddaughter plays softball. The day the digital image arrived in the online group, my granddaughter just happened to go two for two with a triple in her game!

The image is among the freebies offered this month at Plum Loved Art. I worked on that card right away and mailed it. I couldn't wait for her to get this very special card! Which she loved!

Challenges:

https://craftinghappinesschallenges.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-211.html 

https://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-636-use-colours-pink-blue-or.html 

https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-321.html 

Bear at the Circus

 

 

This "Bear at the Circus," is from a digital image that was a freebie from Plum Loved Art by Shelley Plum.

I drew the "Bear at the Circus," with a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil using the reference picture of the bear for a guide. I added the tent and ticket booth details. I shaded the piece with pencil and a paper stump and went over my work with black Molotow liner pens. Small details were also added using these pens.

I used Jane Davenport watercolors to paint this piece.

Challenges: 

https://creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-99.html

https://craftinghappinesschallenges.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-211.html 

https://alessandrasangels.blogspot.com/2026/04/allys-angels-105-anything-goes-theme.html

https://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-636-use-colours-pink-blue-or.html 

https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-321.html

Pretty Girl

This "Pretty Face" is from a You Tube tutorial by Karen Campbell, to show how to use gelatos and how to solve an issue while working on a portrait.

I followed Karen with a Graphgear 1000 Pentel Pencil as she drew this lovely girl. She's on a page in my Canson XL cold press watercolor book. I used a couple of Molotow liners over the pencil lines and shaded her with a blending stump. I painted her with both Prima and Jane davenport watercolors. 

I tried the Faber Castelle Gelatos, but no matter what I worked with, they did not blend. I'm happy they show as much as they do.

I'm really happy how this girl came out!

Challenges:

https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-848.html

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/04/april-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-202604-april-2026-anything.html 

https://creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-99.html 

 

The Prince and the Swallow

 

This piece is from a tutorial by Eulalia Mejia for A Year of Magic and Fairy Tales. Her reference is to "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde. The tale is "The Prince and the Swallow," the tale is of selflessness and love featuring a statue of the prince who, with the swallow's help gives away his jewels and gold to help the city's poor. The Happy Prince wasn't happy, when he saw the city's poor suffering. It's a sad tale.

Eulalia uses acrylic paints throughout the project. I don't paint in acrylics and substituted gouache paints. Instead of painting a sheet of paper with acrylics for the background, I used Stonehenge black cold press 240 lb. watercolor paper. The gems were painted on computer paper. The snowy city was drawn on the black paper with a white Prismacolor pencil. I used Carn D'Ache cryons for the snow on the roofs.

Challenges: 

https://avenue613.blogspot.com/2026/04/april-2026-anything-goes-w-optional.html

https://hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-202604-april-2026-anything.html 

https://classicdesignchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/classic-design-challenge-04-2026-marapr.html 

https://creativecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/2026/04/challenge-99.html