Magdala

“Magdala” by Q. Rumbley

Well, well, it’s a holiday week and I managed to squeeze in this piece among all the hubbub. I experimented a little bit and tried something new with this drawing. Before inking the figure I added a layer of graphite for shading and blended it a bit with a smudge stick. Turns out doing so gave the base drawing this appearance of a light ink wash that I thought was interesting. From there I inked over the graphite. The finished drawing seems to have a bit more depth and the highlights stand out more. I might experiment with this technique a bit more in future drawings. Let me know what you think. You can see the before shot below.

Anywho, I can’t say I’ll be able to get much drawing in for the rest of the week ’cause I’ll probably to be knee deep in greens and sweet potatoes. And I won’t be touching any turkey this Thanksgiving, not that I got anything against turkey, I’m just not feelin’ it this year. Got myself a whole chicken that’s gonna get fried up instead. I’m going for a simple country dinner come Thursday. Nothing fancy. Hubby got a gift card from work to go get a turkey or honey baked ham but we weren’t feeling up to being out among the crowds. So we’re just keeping things simple and I’m all for simple. We got all that we need and if I feel like being a bit extra, I can just make some double chocolate chip muffins to go along with the ice cream we stocked up on . 😛 Anywho, I got plans for some “Magdala” handmade journals so if you’re into journal making, stay tuned to see how they turn out. Have a Happy Thanksgiving. 🙂

Olive

“Olive” – commissioned pet portrait by Q. Rumbley.

My first pet portrait is complete and off to it lovely owner. I’m a bit sad to see it go. I really enjoyed working on this. I was a bit taken aback at how over joyed the client was at the finished piece. It can be a bit surprising when you see how much your work means to someone else but that’s one of the reasons why I create art; it’s the opportunity to bring a bit of delight and awe into someone else’s life that means a lot to me. So I’m looking forward to my next commission challenge whenever it may come. Until then I’ve got my sights on doing something for Valentine’s Day.

Pet Portrait

It’s a new year and it’s back to work. I’m starting off 2019 with my first ever commissioned pet portrait for a long time collector. I was a bit hesitant about taking this on because it’s only been within the last year that I’ve been more focused on animal and nature themed art. But a little voice inside said “You can do it.” and so, I’m doing it. 😀

Davina (wip)

I really like how the hair has turned out on this piece. It’s a bit stylized without losing too much of that realistic look. Hair is typically troublesome for me so when I can achieve an appealing look, half my battle with the drawing is won. I still have the lilies to finish but the hard part is now out of the way so I can tackle the rest with a sense of ease without all the teeth grinding I’ve been doing. 😏

The Struggle

“Davina” (wip)

Sometimes it can be a bit of a struggle getting an idea from one’s imagination out on to paper, especially when you’re far more accustomed to using the left side of your brain to communicate ideas.
Last night I managed to scribble out a few preliminary sketches before getting some basic lines down before heading to bed. I fleshed out the rest of the drawing today with a heavy dose of cursing and mental anguish. I like for things to look exactly how I imagine them but in all honestly, I often feel like I have little control as to exactly how my drawings actually turn out when I’m drawing from my imagination. With this one I was going for something that felt ethereal but I turned out something that feels a bit more voluptuous, so I’m just rolling with it.
My first thought upon looking at the finished line work was Davina, the character from the tv show The Originals, so that’s what I decided to title this piece. I’m a bit hesitant to begin inking because, well, after the struggle, I really like this line drawing just the way it is. Maybe tomorrow I’ll feel differently and will be ready to ink, today though, I’m just gonna leave it be. 😊