Three Moons

[Lahree]

I am also going to X-post this in the fantasty forum.
Maybe I should call it Four Moons, 'cause the fairy has her nekkid bootie hanging out! lol! Anyway, I think this is about 16X11 and is the first in a series of fairies drawn in monochromatic colors. I love working this way. I can go a lot faster than I usually do and actually composing the original drawing takes almost as long as the coloring now. I am working on Oyster colored Canson Mi-teintes paper and I just love it.

As always, c/c most welcome and most appreciated.

[sassybird]

This is a beautiful piece. I love the detail in the woman, her wings, and the vine. What a wonderful imagination you have:)

[lene]

Hi
what a lovely and delicate drawing :clap:

[CindyH]

Wonderful Lori! I love the wings and I really love the monochromatic color scheme.

[Greg]

Great job Lori. It's amazing how well you do monochrome. I'm thinking I'm looking at tons of colors, then look back again and see it correctly.

[Lahree]

Thank yo so much everyone for your fabulous and kind comments!

I wanted to do something a little different. There are a ton of colored fairies "out there" (especially done in watercolor) and I wanted to do something a little different and do a monochromatic series. I am still learning and always have a generous amount of room for improvment, so comments and critiques are always welcomed and encouraged.

Thank you so much for taking time to look and to post comments! It is VERY much appreciated!

[Greg]

Lori, a question for you...... cause you ARE the burnishing queen, :p . When you burnish, do you use a light color or white, or do you use a colorless blending pencil. Or something else. I am starting to really like to burnish, but there are times I don't want to lose the brightness of the color by using white. In other words, what is your secret?

And, I really like this work. Great job.

[Lahree]

Yes, Greg...I AM the burnishing queen! You should see the big ol' crown I wear when I am drawing! :p :D

I use different techniques to burnish. On large backgrounds, when I was to blend the colors together, I use odorless turpenoid and a q-tip to do the job. On flesh tones, I use color on color--never white on color, because it makes the flesh tones muddy and dull. I do use a colorless pencil to blend in tight areas and I HATE colorless markers! Hate 'em! They just smear stuff around in my opinion and leave streaks and I also think you can't get wipe the color off them to use them on any other color other than the color you just smeared around with it. I will use white to extend out a highlight, let's say in a rose or something--where the white of the paper is the main white in the highlight and I need a soft edging. I start with the white in the middle of the white paper and will push the white pencil into the edge of the surrounding color.

There are a lot of fabulous cp lessons at the colored pencil challenge. www.cpchallenge.com I think there is one on burnishing? I am not sure. But you should really look there for a lot of fabulous lessons. There is even a lesson by ME--althought it is NOT on burnishing! :D

Hope that helped answer your question!

[Greg]

That is really helpful information. I also use solvents for the large areas. I also hate colorless markers for the very same reason. I'll try the colorless blending pencil. I think it will give me more the results I want. Thanks a bunch. I'll have to look your lesson up on the CP challenge.

Next time you wear your big ole crown, draw a self portrait. Gotta see that!!

[Jazz]

Lori this is a beautiful faery,

She has this childlike quality although seeing as she has breasts she cant be, it gives the overall scene an otherworldly feeling, am I making any sense?

I love the limited pallette -gives this piece the look of a victorian painting, I think as well because of those beautiful flowers.

Ethereal and delicate!

I love your banner -I see there another monochromatic painting of a faery -can we see it , pretty please :D

I really look forward to seeing your work and I get such a buzz of excitement when I see you have posted a thread :)

Thank you for sharing your work Lori, it is always a joy to view.

Greg -If Lori is the queen of burnishing then I must be the apprentice princess, LOL if your interested at all -I only use the Prismacolor colourless blender pencil on light colours, when I want to burnish darker or brighter colours I use the same shade of pencil I have been using and just keep layering with it and on the final layer burnish. Just thought I would add my little bit of knowledge, paltry as it is :blushing: .


Huge hugs,


ALI

[Greg]

Thanks both Lori and Ali for some great ideas on burnishing. Sorry to crash your thread Lori. I will behave from now on.

I'm with Ali. Can we see the other fairie?

[Belinda]

Beautiful Lori :)

You have definately done something different than the typical fairies, its fabulous :)

[kim]

This is a great pic,i am into fairys and fantasy art big time,and i love the monochromatic tones in this.How do you find working on Canson Mi-tientes and do you you use the wrong side for this type of pic?Looking forward to seeing the rest of the series :) :clap: .

[Aggie]

I love this...the bronze look ( at least that is what I see) is wonderful...

[KarenCardinal]

Well, it's alright I guess... :devil2: ;)

You know I LOVE the rhythm and movement in your fantasy work (especially your deco peices)!

I am still at the "trying to make an apple look like a real apple" stage. I hope that once I am ready to advance beyond that, I will have the eye and the talent to have such a wonderful, reconizable style like you do. :D

btw: If you haven't been to Lori's site yet, you should. She has all her new work up (including the second fairy).

Now I'm waiting for the third fairy... I can't wait to see her! :D

[Lahree]

Wow! Lookie at all the new posts! :D

Thank you thank you everyone for taking time to look and to comment!

Ali--Your comments are always welcome and helpful. You are the burnishing queen too--you live and rule in another country! :D It is my intention to post the second fairy as soon as I have this current one critiqued. Stay tuned! Your posts are always so insightful and thoughtful. I love it when you post to my works! {{{HUGS}}}

Thank you Belinda! I was trying to do something a little bit different with my fairies than I have seen "out there." I am so glad you like my style!

Hi Kim! I LOVE working on Canson MT! The paper takes a lot of abuse and erases well and comes in such beautiful colors. It is more grainy than Stonehenge, so it takes longer to make areas smooth (if this is what you want to do). I use the "correct" side of the paper (the less toothy). The only downside to the paper IMHO is that is can crease very easily. it is not as weighty as Stone henge. If you are not careful moving ti around or very careful storing it, you get little bend marks in it, which I have not figured a way to get out. :( But for this type of subject and work, I adore this paper!

Hi Aggie! Yes, it is more of a bronze look that the typical monochromatic pallets done in browns. Tha is because in addition of using beige, light umber, dark umber, black and white, I use a Polychrome pencil called Brown Ochre. This has a wonderful gold/bronze color to it that I just love. Gives the picture a little something different.

Karen, Karen, Karen....Look at your tiny head! :eek: Your gorgeous! Look at that hair! You're a red-head girl! (Stating the obvious. This is mentioned in case you hadn't looked in the mirror and realized you are a red-head :rolleyes: ). You did all my updates so quickly!! You ROCK! Thanks for loving my work! I love yours too!! XXOOXX!

Thanks again for everyone's kind words and encouragement in this venue! It means a LOT to me!!

[Denise]

Lori- it's sooo beautiful! The Canson feels so thin I'm amazed at the results you get w/ it!!! I've got a BUNCH of tobacco Canson MT...maybe I'll try using some..

I love the smooth skin tone. Very clever flower placement, too ;)

Denise

[Lahree]

Hi Denise and thank you for such kind comments. Yes, Canson does seem like such a weenie paper when you feel it (that's why it makes bend marks so easily) but it is amazingly tough to work on! It takes a heck of a lot more layers before any burnishing can occur and even then it is difficult to do, so I would not recommend it as a paper to use if you want shiney subjects. I'd use Stonhenge for that. But it is my paper for choice for most all things now. Just as personal preference. This fairy was done on the color "oyster."

Thanks for taking the time to look and comment!