Between serious painting, there is a layer of fantasy fun. This is yet another old watercolor I have reworked and I am playing a little bit with text. Enjoy the fantasy. Believe me, I think we can all use some of this.
If you want to purchase, just go here to my Red Bubble store
This illustration with extra color and a few symbolic waves of grain is an older drawing that I have completely redrawn and repainted with watercolor pencils. I love the flourishes and references to plant and animal life. I have digitally removed the background so the image can be printed on different color textiles. There is another red deer in this series which will appear soon.
This process is really long and tedious. I don’t understand why I am making so much work for myself….except, I started with this idea and I can’t break the mold now. When you have high resolution images, bottom line is that it is what you need to publish your work.
I first do a pen and ink with fine line nib on to bristol paper, which is great for detail. If I am happy with that, then I transfer that drawing to a heavy watercolor paper. I am using my 12″x16″ light table to make the transfer. I am doing this with a thicker nib and heavy emphasis lines are darkened to balance the amount of black on the page.
Then I scan the b&w into a large scanner and upload the b&w to my online store. When I have the new darker black and white on watercolor paper, I paint it. The composition defines whether or not I leave a lot of background white in the image or paint it in.
I have been playing with gouache and my usual clear watercolors, which is either Winsor and Newton or Maimeri Blue. Why do this complex process? I have learned a lot by this process. It is remarkable how if you discipline yourself, you can accomplish a lot. These drawings are giving me a lot of pleasure. I can’t wait to get to a place when I can assemble them into some kind of storyboard book.
I studied this book building and illustrating in 1988 with Uri
Schulevitz but here I am now, so many years later, actually stepping into scary waters with a style that is actually the first one I adopted such a long time ago. I discipline myself to doing 3 things every day, studying Spanish, working on the treadmill and drawing and/or painting. I actually am very satisfied doing these activities.
I hope people will enjoy what I have to say. My story really never changes. It’s only the way of telling it that is new.
You can find my art here.
Fish are one of my favorite subjects lately. They are accommodating and generous. They let me play all I want to with their shapes and patterns. This will be fun to paint in watercolor. This is another page in my WIP coloring book. Soon it will come together. Wish me luck.
If you like it in black and white the way you see it here, there’s another option for your custom laptop setting.
If you want it in color here it is.
This is one of several fish that is hand drawn from my imagination. The world is fun when you can create a place where “troubles melt like lemon drops”.
The process: Once this little fellow gets plopped into a collection of black and white illustrations, then I transfer his image to watercolor paper and hand color it. The two versions of my book (one black and white and one color), give me a great option for two audiences. All it takes is twice the work. ha ha I feel like a kid again, but with technical tools.
If you are interested, this artwork is for sale on my online store in both paper and textile and metal.
Painting Mexico 
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