Grand Danios - update 31.12.08

Here are my last update for 2008 - I didn't have time to finish it, so I know what to start with in 2009 ;)
Finally a pic taken in daylight...
A Happy New Year to my readers !

Grand Danios - update

An update of my Grand Danios portrait. I am not sure I'll finish the drawing this year ! Still need a lot of fur down the neck.. As you can see on the yellowish photo, I am still working at night.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I would like to wish my readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
At this time of year you can jump into a new year without any thoughts about looking back at the old one. Or you can evaluate if you had some goals, and what happened to those goals...
Artistically I had goals, and I achieved it. But then, is was not that "high" goals. I thought about doing more art and enter some competitions, and of cause to improve. Well, as I see it, my goals are reached. BUT at the end of this year, 2008, I am going to write (!) down more and have more specific goals. That way at the end of 2009 I have a much better scale to look at. Hopefully my list of goals will keep me more concentrated, more striving and in the end of the year give me an even more rewarding feeling.
Hope you all have a fruitfull and happy year...

Grand Danios - update

an update on my Grand Danios drawing. Sorry about the yellow tinge ... this time of year when I only have time to draw at evening/night it is not easy to get a shot with good lightening...
This will proberbly my last 2008 drawing...

Grand danios portrait

I've just begun drawing a Grand Danios Portrait. A beautiful Harlekin coated dog.

Juried into ArtHorseMagazine competition

EX Arte Equinus II. International Equine Art Competition presented by Art Horse Magazine.

Waaauuuu ... for the 2. time I am juried into the ArtHorseMagazine on-line competition with a graphite drawing.... I am over the moon !! "All Tied up for the Show" is among the 18 finalists chosen from entries from around the world.

Here is a link to the drawing category with placed winners and juried-in drawings: http://www.arthorsemagazine.com/exarte2/gallery_drawings2.html

amazing drawings to be seen there ! ... don't forget to look into the paintings too, gorgeous artwork also. My drawing will be on the on-line show and in the yearly printed competion book.

Loose watercolor - boston terrier

As these loose watercolor paintings are much much faster to do than other medias and painting styles I am used to, I already have a new one to upload. Again I've used the watercolor board, the painting sized 22,5 x 24 centimetres. The breed is a Boston Terrier. I've used a limited palette just as with the grand danios painting, but different colors this time.

I find the loose painting style includes continuing practise of "holding back and letting go". I dont just splash colors on with no regards to the underlying structure of the motif, but still have to take care not to be too carefull. As I am used to going quite detailed in drawings, it is definitly a learning process. But I love it ;)

Story behind the picture:

"I saw 2 charming boston terriers at a dogagility show, they were wainting for their owner and I took several pictures of them."

loose watercolor - grand danios

Hi. As I wrote in my last post I am doing some "loose" watercolorpaintings at the moment. I really enjoyed the "freedom" of this kind of painting style. Well, do not get me wrong. A strong drawing is needed to keep the basic shapes fine. Some pencil-lines can be seen on this, but I love the look of delicate pencilstrokes together with watercolor, so that is another nice thing about this less realistic style.

I have for the first time used watercolor boards, and I love it. I can only get Reeves Bockingford watercolor boards where I live, and they are great.

I hope you like the look of this, as I am certainly gonna paint more like this...

Story behind the picture:

"At a dogshow with the Danish Kennelclub I took several pictures of Grand danios' which I think are beautiful dogs. This painting is a mix of 2 pictures. I hope the painting shows the strength, beauty and attitude of this majestic breed."

Just info

No new drawings or paintings yet.
Even I have not been very busy at my drawingtable for some time, I do manage to find time to do something. I am in a period of trying to paint in a looser style in watercolors. Not to change my detailed style but to experiment with new styles to add to my portfolio. I love drawing in graphite, but I also love colors. That is why I also like colored pencils, pastels and watermedia. Watercolors are the perfect media to "loosen up" with. Giving myself the opportunity to emphasize the aspect of colors in the artwork is really enjoyable. And not giving details and likeness the highest priority, even it is realism .. But still my own expression of motifs of cause... So when I have a painting I think is worth showing, I'll post it here... Untill then, happy painting to you

All Tied-up for the Show - Friesian Horses

Having been away on vacation for 3 weeks and not touched a pencil for almost 4 weeks - cannot wait to get going again :)

I do have a drawing to post though, as I finished this graphite drawing. It's called "All Tide-up for the Show" and it is frisian horses. 22 x 32 cm.

Story behind the picture:

"I was at an agriculture-fair, taking a lot of photos of different lovely farmanimals. But these frisian horses was so beautiful and powerful-looking I just had to draw them. I hope to show the horses characther and movement, allthough they are all tied-up; hence the title".

My recent post of a little video showing me drawing on this had a very bad comment on YouTube, where a girl - supposed to love horses according her site - writes that this is fraud and false - that I didn't draw this. Well, you cannot do much in cases like this, except turn the whole thing, and see it as the drawing is so good she didn't believe it was a drawing - smart thinking, yes ? Well if she comes around here, she can see the drawing finished and my other similar styles of drawings. But moreso I hope that you enjoyed it. Thanks for looking.

"Story behind the image"

I've decided to add a little "story behind the image" for my future drawings and paintings. I have already done this in a few sentenses about a couple of my drawings, but plan to do it on each one. I hope you'll enjoy that "extra look" into my studies....It will appear only on this Blog.

From the drawing table

For the last period I've been working on a graphite drawing, that I intend to submit to a competition, in case it all turns out well. It shows 3 frisian horses on white background. Lots of pencilmarks I tell you :) I'll post the final drawing later in the year...

A small video of me drawing :)

ACEO cards

ACEO (Art Cards, Editions & Originals) is growing more and more popular.

Anybody can afford to buy art when these nice, small cards (measure 2.5" x 3.5" (64 x 89 mm) are an option.

Very popular to collect, you can gather them in maps or frame - individually or many - for decorating.

So far I have 20 different prints (limited editions) to purcase. Take a look - perhaps there is something for you.

I plan to also do some original ACEO-cards (one of a kind), so bookmark my page and have a look later ;)

http://www.artcardswanted.com/artist.cfm?MID=1411

Description about my cards: ArtCard from original drawing or painting. Printed on white, smooth 230 gsm card. Title and artist-name printed on back. Edition no. written on back. (copyright sign not on print).

Gap in postings !

Now, why these gaps in my postings ? (like between my latest 2 postings)...As I want to keep my art-blogs about art and nothing else - I can still answer this, because it has to do with art. Not that I haven't worked on art (even not as much as I want to !) - but now and then you just make something that wasn't worth the effort. I mean, spending a lot of hours, not willing to give it up, but in the end have to realize; not for public view ! Still, art-wise, these occasionally disasters can be a learning-step as well as succesfull pieces. Therefor I don't throw out such drawings or paintings. Nevertheless, just a bit unsatisfied with the hours spend..
After that last disapointment I had 20 (!) days not being at my drawingtable. Horrible for my state of mind I tell you ! I then finished the "Black Chevy" you can see in my last post and finally started a new drawing .... hopefully next time, I can post before a month from now !

American Dream - Black Chevy

For a long time I have wanted to do a series with classic american cars. Now I've finished the first: "Black Chevy". It is 15 x 26 cm, colored pencils on matboard. More drawings in the series will follow in time. Quite different from drawing and painting fur (!) but I am facinated by these classic cars, I find that they - visually - overpowers all later car-design !

Chevrolet - Bel Air

"Performance of Power"

My lion drawing is finished. The title is "Performance of Power". I love titles, and I found this was appropiate with his attitude !

new album

I have added a new album in my Picasa-web gallery.
It contains simple whimsical, imagninative drawings - hope you enjoy it
A direct link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Le.Daugaard/WhimsicalImaginative

"Hidden Beauty" - colored pencils

Earlier I mentioned, that I would show my cp painting entered in FMP Annual member show. The competition has found its winners. Even I was not among the chosen, I find this piece to be an important step in my journey as an artist.

The painting is on Stonhenge paper, approx. 9 x 13 inches and took more that 40 hours to complete.

Even I am facinated by waterlilly-flowers; while painting this I actually found the most interesting to depict was the large leaves and the look of what is "under the water".

"Performance of Power" - Male Lion

I've started this drawing in colorpencils on Hahnemühle Nostalgie paper, another cp-artist recommended the paper. At first I found the paper felt quite thin (190 gr). But it turned out to be very fine to work on.
It'll take several layers of cp and is easy to erase with a battery operated eraser. The paper has a light yellow tone compared to many other white papers.

I am drawing the whole lion, size approx. 12 x 17 inches (29,7 x 42 cm). I use FaberCastell Polychromos and Derwent Artist' colorpencils. "Performance of Power" / Male Lion.

German Shephard - Pastel Finished WIP

The painting is now finished. I hope you have enjoyed the WIP, thanks

German Shephard - Pastels WIP 6

I have been working on the mouth. I'll soon be finished with this painting

German Shepard- pastels WIP 5

Todays update:

German Shephard - Pastel - WIP4

Todays update:

German Shephard - Pastels WIP3

Here is an update of my painting. Including a close-up of the eye

German Shephard - Pastels WIP-2

I been working more on the painting. You can see details from the ear, and the whole stage so far.

German Shephard - Pastels WIP

The cp-painting I mentioned in my last thread has to wait to be shown untill the competition deadline arrives...
I'll then show some steps of my pastelpainting of a German Shephard. It is on 21x30 cm Ingres paper. I took photos of this beautiful dog at a competition held by a Danish Dogmagazine, looking to find Denmarks most cute dog. I got several good photos that day as the weather was so fine. I had my own dog with me, but after standing in line a very long time, she was sooooo tired when we reached the judgdes. Still - my favorite of cause... I have included a photo of her too ;) - she is a norwegian buhund, 12 years old and named Björka.


For my painting I use both pastelpencils and hard pastels. I pay much attention to the eyes in a portrait. They have to look very lively. After this stage, I found I had to correct the left eye (our view).



I have applied some of the pastel with a brush, new technique for me.
This is how far I am now.

... working on cp-painting ...

I haven't posted recently - I am working on a cp-painting, that takes quite some time. It is my entry for the FMP Show (competition) (From My Perspective - online cp Magazine by Ann Kullberg), so I will not show it untill later. After this painting I have another in mind, also for a competition. But probably painted with watercolors.

New Blog in Danish / Ny Blog om Farveblyanter

For the Danish viewers/til de danske læsere:
Jeg har oprettet en dansk blog om farveblyanter. Hvis du har interesse i farveblyanter, så kig endelig her. Kom gerne med kommentarer, eller send mig forslag via mail
http://farveblyanten.blogspot.com/

Cocker Spaniel on YouTube

Steps of drawing this Cockerspaniel is now on YouTube. The animations is made of photos through the process.

Link

European Bison - graphite

"European Bison" - graphite on 8 x 10,8 inches Fabriano Disengo 4 - smooth.
The bison has been exterminated in Nature in the 1900. An effort to replace groups of the animal is still going on, and there are now wildliving bisons in eastern Europe.
I have used a technique with impressed lines.

The eye is drawn with care and detailed. Several layers builds up the iris and pupil.

Textures of the horns are defined. I've used a blender to spread graphite evenly.




Fur are made of impressed lines and graphite.

Closeup of the eye and surrounding fur.




The background are build up with pencil. No blending with other tools.

Cocker spaniel in graphite - WIP video

Hi I've made a small video with steps from my drawing of a black Cocker Spaniel.

Ara - wip in cp

Here is a small wip of a ara in colored pencils.
I've drawn the bird using both grids and tracing. I was getting quite cross-eyed with the feathers using grids, so I checked and corrected with tracing afterwards.
I made a "grisaille" pattern with a dark-violet color, and added local-colors upon; A variaty of blue hues.
the drawing measures 10 x 20 centimetre, but it took around 12 hours to complete, due to many layers....

Restriction on comments

Sorry, but having some real nasty comments in my blog I have to make restrictions on comments, so that I have to approve of your comments. I still hope that some of you nice people out there will comment my work. Always makes me happy :)
Lene

Amazonas - the Roof

I had this idea of drawing and painting motifs from the Rainforest. In this case it is from Amazonas. On the thumbnail my idea is sketched in small format. I have photos from a rainforest-zoo and ordinary zoo that I used for reference. Then I composed the view. I really wanted to show that we look at the top of the trees, hence the title : "Amazonas - The Roof".
I find the sloth a very strange and interesting animal and wanted to draw it. The parrots with their beautiful colors are painted as a pair, to balance with the larger sloth.
I underpainted with watersoluble colored pencil - dark sepia, and then layers of ordinary cp's on top. Size is 21 x 35 centimetre.

Two of a Kind

My latest cp-drawing "Two of a Kind" - jaguars. It is 19x29 cm on mountboard. This took me 20 + hours to complete, especially the black panther includes multiple layers of color.
17. january:
To show some steps of the process

I have drawn a composition made from 2 different photos from a Zoo. I draw the composition via a grid for accurracy. The whiskers are impressed.

The eyes are very important, so I paint those first. Want to achieve the glow of cats eyes, and the strong look of these particular jaguars.
Later in the process, I change the black panthers eye - so far it is true to the reference, but I like it to be more open.

I start the fur. I've made some color-tests in advance. I use strokes in fur-direction.

Building up fur...

The spotted fur is build up. It takes less layers than the black cat. It is important to make the spots look like fur, by either overlapping the lighter fur or let the lighter fur overlap the black spot.
(I am sorry about the hype, cannot seem to control it in blogspot !?!)