Merry Christmas

I wonder if I ever get those christmas-cards drawn and painted, that I have thought of for a couple of years.

Untill then, you will have to do with my quickdrawn e-mailcard, drawn in sketchy style with ink and with a PhotoShop border around it. The words "God jul" is Merry Christmas ;)

A merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you

He's my favorite

I've started coloring. I don't underpaint with the values, just use my valuestudy for support. I apply values, textures etc as I go.

Valuestudy 2

Related to my last post:

I have changed my valuestudy as I've started the painting, and I think the trees better be of lighter value to be seen as distant.

My working - and perhaps final - title of this is: "He's my favorite".

Valuestudy

This is a valuestudy for my next painting. The values are painted with acrylics in a 5 value-scale. I plan to paint this in oil-pastels on canson mi-tentes.

The composition is a mix from references, the wonderful Jutland horse, I saw at an agricultural-fair this summer. The small girl is my daughter.

Karelian Beardog

My Karelian beardog painting is finished. It did take another direction as far as media, as I finished it in pure acrylic and repainted some parts in acrylic too. Still a mixed media though; acrylic, watersoluble colorpencil, colorpencil and ink, but primarily acrylic paints. I use the fluid type of acrylic paint.

FMP show 2009

My colored pencil painting: "Eyes of the Wilderness III - Arctic wolf" are into the un-juried show of FMP online Magazine. Enjoy the beautiful entries. FMP Themeshow 2009

Practise with acrylics

I know I have been quiet for a period, and I don't have any updates on the Karelian bear dog yet. The reason is simply that I practice my brushes and acrylic paints. And practice work is all I produce - lots of fun but also frustration. Even I would love to continue my dog-painting, I have to accept that the practise takes my time for now.

Karelian bear dog

As I mentioned yesterday I was really not satisfied with the background. So I have altered it into a more soft and less chaotic one. I might have to apply more layers, but I like it better already.

Karelian bear dog

Worked a bit more on the dog.
I am starting to think, that I'll change the background, making it much less grassy and just in green values.

Karelian bear dog

Here is an update, you can see the square format 30x30 cm, and just how much fur I still need to paint.

Karelian bear dog

An update on the karelian beardog. I am still alternating between media. No area is definitly completed.

You can clearly see the way I work area by area. You'll see different artist' working in different manners, some working all over by each layering, others like me, find it easier to work like this - at least in this media-mix.

Karelian beardog

Right now I am working on a mixed media painting - a headportrait with background - of a karelian bear dog. The materials used are ink, colored pencil, watersoluble cp's and acrylics. Here is a shot of my drawing table in the process.

Graphite drawing; japanese

This cute little dog - a japanese - are my latest graphite drawing. His name is Fabian, and he is a very fine dog of his breed.

Show picture

I didn't get many shots at the opening night at my unions art-associationshow, but here are 3 framed of my 5 drawings/paintings.
I feel very comfortable being part of this - my first ever - artassociationshow.

I had some very nice comments on my work. All shown here.
The show hangs for 2 months, I am thrilled if anything sells. I found the pricing very difficult. Almost all of the other paintings are abstract art, not so comparable in pricing. Looking at the list of artwork, mine are priced in the upper half.

New blog

I have started a new blog presenting pattern-designs. Take a look if you like. Patterndesign by Lene. I am sure animals will be a part of most of my designs.

Konkurrence for mine danske læsere

Vind et portræt af dit kæledyr. Deltag i konkurrencen, læs her

Message concerning danish readers only

My first art-association show Denmark

Today I went to my unions art-association with 5 paintings/drawing for an artshow that will run for 2 months. This is my first show in an art-association in Denmark, so quite exciting. Thuesday is the preview. I'll have to price my artwork - that's not easy! These are the artworks ("Eyes of wilderness" - paintings are framed as one picture.)

"Grazing Days" - graphite, "Colorful pattern I - Zebra" - colored pencils, "Chameleons" I + II - watercolors, and "Eyes of Wilderness I + III" Wolf + Arctic Wolf - inktense and colored pencils.

Goat-kid - loose watercolor

I am sure many of you recognize this kind of goat - they are seen in many children-friendly zoo's, playgrounds etc. They are fun and often some small bandits too.

While waiting for response from my client of the graphite commission, I did practise loose watercolorpainting. This might seem an easy task - believe me, at least for me, it is not. Being used to drawing in details and not being used to brushwork this is fun but challening for me. Heres the result of a days painting. It's approx. 40x50 cm.

Silent

I know it has been a very silent blog for quite a while. But due to different causes, I have not been at my drawing-table for nearly a month. And that is not satisfying for me. I finally got time, and at the same time got a commission to draw a dog. I'll post when the drawing is deliverd. It's a small graphite drawing.
I am then going to practise some acrylic painting, but at a very basis level, simply getting to know my acrylicpaints better. Hopefully I will have time to do some more finished drawings beside that.

UKCPs open exhibition

Take a look at the accepted colored pencil drawings and paintings from UKCPS open exhition. I am glad to be chosen to participate with "Colorful pattern I - zebra". Congratulations to the award winners.

Great Dogs Amazing Artists

The book of Dog art is soon avaliable.
You can have a preview of the artwork in the book:

Preview

I have my Black Cockerspaniel drawing in the book.

Grazing Days

I went on a photo-shoot for a white horse, I saw in the field. He was a little far away even for my zoom. Did get some shots though. On my bike home, I saw some other horses too. I took a few photos. But when I saw the images on the PC, one photo from the second horse-shoot, grabed me immediatly, so that was my first choise to draw. With a little compositional changes I went to the drawingtable. I find the composition original, and want to emphasize the sunlight and shadows + express a calm mood. It's 8x11 inches on Hahnemühle Nostalgia (a paper I also like for cp).

Book review: J.D. Hillberry - Drawing realistic textures in pencil

Title: Drawing realistic textures in pencil"
Author: J.D. Hillberry
Publisher: Northlight
Pages: 128

Stars: *****
Level: Mediate to advanced

(please read this to see how I rate the books)

Drawing in graphite.
J.D. Hillberry is very talented and draws the subjects in the book extremely good. Together with graphite the author uses a variaty of tools; different pencils, charcoal and blendingtools. The book is based on combining these tools with ordinary graphite pencil. Splendid chapters on light, values and light effects on textures. Different stroke and blending techniques are covered. The lessons are in many steps and with good instruction. The majority of objects drawn are man-made objects, but there are also a portrait of a baby and a dog and cat. I find the authors greatest abilities are on the man-made objects. The book is very helpful on learning to draw those and will appeal mostly to people interested in drawing such things. Yet the chapters on light and values and how to combine the different tools will be usefull for all subjects.

Book review: Draw real animals - Lee Hammond

Title: "Draw real animals"

Author: Lee Hammond
Publisher: North Light
Pages: 80

Stars: ****
Level: Beginner to mediate

(please read this to see how I rate the books)

Drawing in graphite.Lee Hammond is a good teacher, she explains things in a sympatic and easy to understand way. This book is great when starting to learn about shapes, values and shading. Drawing from photos the shapes are drawn via a grid-method onto paper. Shading and values are very well explained for beginners. Emphasis is on blending values first and later apply fur/textures with pencil or eraser. Chapters on facial features, hair and fur, textures and patterns, composition. 3 to 4 step lessons on the subjects. Animals include; cats, dogs, birds and wildlife from reptiles to mammals. Also a book for teachable children from age 10. I find the author uses too much blending in some of her drawings and the quality of her drawings are a bit varying. A fine book for beginners and mediate in need of understanding values.

Book reviews

I've decided to start blogging book reviews. I am a book-a-holic and I find it helpful myself, when other artists give their reviews on books. The reviews are on drawing and painting books, there are older and newer titles and in no particular order.
To simplify things, I made a 5 star rating:

1 star: Disapointing *

2 star: Not very good **

3 star: Good ***

4 star: Very good ****

5 star: Excellent *****

and this is accompanied by a written review. The stars given are measured with the level I also consider:

a. Beginner

b. Mediate

c. Advanced

So a beginners book can get 5 stars as well as an advanced book.
Please remember this is my subjective view of the books. I hope you will find it helpful when searching for books.

Do you collect artwork - with Poll

I've added a poll with the question : Do you collect artwork?

The poll runs for a year, you can choose several answers. Please take a minut to answer the poll, thanks. It's just below the "About me" information
You are welcome to tell more as a comment here

...working ....

Just to let you know that I am working indeed.

I started a cp drawing, as an experiment I only wanted to draw with a black cp. Thought it might be a bit like grapite drawing. But not so at all. I did spend hours on it, but it just didn't develop as I wanted. I might return at another time, to see if I could do something else with it, but for now it is on hold. The picture is of this drawing. Very often I have a title from start, and this is no exception. "Waiting for you" - and waite it must:)

I have then started a new graphite drawing. I went on a photo-shoot for a white horse, I saw in the field. He was a little far away even for my zoom (aka 300 mm). Did get some shots though. On my bike home, I saw some other horses too. I took a few photos. But when I saw the photos on the PC, one photo from the second horse-shoot, grabed me immeadiatly, so that was my first reference to draw. With a little compositional change I started and is working on it now. I intend to send this to a competition if it turns out good and I'll post it when finished.

UKCPS exhibition

I have recieved a mail that my colored pencil painting "Colorful pattern I - Zebra" is accepted into UKCP's8th Annual International Open Exhibition.

This is my first entry send to this competition, and I am very proud to have been accepted.

The Exhibition 2009 is being held at the home of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists

License work

For companies interested in license work, I have drawings for easily direct downloading and payment at Image2Use. If you would like to license other pieces or new pieces you are welcome to mail me. Galleries

Blue ribbon

A very close-up view of a chestnut horse. I intend to show a relaxed, calm mood. The blue ribbon giving a contrast to the all over reddish color of the horse.

The painting is mixed of ink, watercolors, colored pencils and acrylic paint. I used watercolors as the underpainting + ink in darkest spots and then applied mostly cp's and a bit of acrylic. Fabriano 5 wc-paper. The size is approx. 16,7 x 20 centimeters.

Painted - western style. Finished

I finished my Painted - western style. I hope you like it.

Beside the nice colors I also wanted you to get the pleasant feeling of the relaxed walking-pose of the couple

Painted - western style wip

Here is an update after hours of work.

Painted - western style wip

this is how far I got today - still working all areas though.

The title Painted relates to the horsebreed; a Paint, but also to the very colorful suit the westernriding lady wears.

Painted - western style - wip

I really enjoy this, but also realize it is very different to handle than other media I've tried. Details are not that easy to get - even I have some oilpencils. Looking at the scan the work seems a bit more hard-edged to me than the original piece - but even so I probably will go over these areas again in the process.

Painted - western style wip

Due to vacation I have not been drawing or painting for a couple of weeks, but before leaving I started this new painting titled: Painted. This is a whole new media to me; oil pastels. I've had them for years (!) and finally got around to try them out for more than the simple doodles I did so far. They are not like other media I know off - but resamples mostly dry pastels if any - and yet - very different.

Support: dark grey Fabriano Tiziano. I took the ref photo at a western horsebackriding show. This particular lady looked awesome in her very pink suit, and I found this closeup cut - focusing on the pink suit and the painted horse colors, was nice. The background will be left as the grey paper

competition

I had hoped to announce a winner of my print competition today - but sadly I have recieved no mails

Prints and gifts

Professional prints avaliable at Imagekind

Giftware, tshirts and stuff at cafepress

bassett hound - finished

Here are the finished drawing. I really enjoyed drawing this charming dog, with all the wrinkles and folds - and those lovely large paws !
The drawing is avaliable as a print

Bassett update

sorry the pic is a little yellowish.

bassett - update

A new update - now a bassett with almost one leg

Basset hound - wip

an update - the back not being the most interesting part, still have to work your best at if of cause - but I cannot wait to get down to those folds on the legs and ... the paws !! I love dogpaws

Basset hound wip

I am working on a graphite drawing of a basset hound. I took the ref-photo at the Danish Kennelclub yearly Dogs day last year. I think he is cute and he is fun to draw. The drawing will be a nearly fullbody drawing - he is sitting - with no background. Size approx. 16,5 x 21 cm on Daler Rowney.

Weddingcoach horse

This is the remaining part of a larger painting. I started in watercolors but felt the whole thing looked too flat. I then reworked a bit with colored pencils and acrylic paint.
Originally there was 2 horses, but I managed to destroy no. 2. Instead I have a small painting of this horse.
I took the ref-photo in Austria, where they pulled a weddingcoach