Drawworm is drawing

Earth without art is...

2012-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Etsy today and it made me laugh.

Recycled flowers

2012-01-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

I saw a bouquet of withered flowers sticking out of my neighbor's trash can. I picked out these two flowers, since they looked like they still had a few days of life left in them. "Come on, little guys," I said. "You can stay with me."

That was over two weeks ago!! Every day I look at the flowers and think they'll probably start withering soon, but they're like the Energizer bunny. Look how happy they are in the California sunshine. Does anyone know what kind of flower this is?

The stereotypical artist

2012-01-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

"The Frustrated Artist" by BlotoAngeles

"The artistic temperament is a difficult one to deal with...the things that make artists sensitive to beauty and truth are the same things that can make it difficult for them to get along with others. Let's face it: artists are not accountants. Many of them cannot handle their finances, much less their emotions. Of course there are exceptions, but the tortured, angst-filled, manic-depressive artist is a typical character that everyone recognizes in books, in film or in their personal lives."
-from "Pure Scum: The Left-Out, the Right-Brained and the Grace of God" by Mike Sares

This does not describe me. I do not have trouble getting along with others. Sure, I'm terrible at math, but I like money very much and I do my best to take care of it. I can be emotional, but no more than the average girl, I guess. Okay, fine, maybe my husband would disagree with that last one but I AM TRYING TO MAKE A POINT HERE.

When I first went to art school, I expected to meet lots of weird, artsy people. I was surprised to discover that my classmates and teachers are remarkably.........normal. They're quiet. Hardworking. Funny. Perceptive. Kind.

Exhibit A: my landscape painting class.

What a bunch of tortured, angst-filled crazies, right? Especially that girl on the far right, she's a real basketcase.

As for artists not being able to handle their finances, that's just silly. Most fine artists and illustrators work freelance, which requires both creativity and business sense. They need to know how to market themselves, run a website, contact galleries and agents, price their work, and manage an income that varies from month to month. Artists who can't handle money will eventually be forced to work as Subway "sandwich artists." (ba dum ching!)

The one generalization about artists that I would concede to is that they suffer from a sense of insecurity about their work - at least young artists do. They wonder if they're good enough. They feel continual guilt about not working harder. They constantly compare themselves to other artists. They wonder if they should just give up and go back to their cubicle job. I don't know if I've met a single classmate who couldn't identify with this.

But for the most part, I see this insecurity drive them to work harder. They bravely press on, not indulging depressive episodes with cigarettes or whining about how no one understands their vision. They just get out their sketch pads and keep drawing. Because that's what artists do.

What do you think? Have you known anyone who fit the "temperamental artist" stereotype? Do you wear a beret?

The abandoned factory

2012-01-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been interested in industrial styles. So I put together this treasury, inspired by the now-defunct twine factory in my hometown.

If you don't know what industrial means, it means a lot of rusted metal, bare lightbulbs, weathered old carts, burlap fabrics, giant metal letters and vintage glass bottles. It's kind of rough and spartan, sure, but I guess I like the masculine, urban edge to it. I'm sure that a lot of interior designers out there are "so over" the trendy cart coffee tables and tripod floor lamps, but I still think it's awesome.

Amazing Pushpin Portraits

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Try looking at this picture from a distance. I've found that it appears to become more lifelike as you back up.

Michigan artist Eric Daigh creates these incredible portraits using ordinary pushpins!! According to his website, between 25,000 and 100,000 pushpins are used for each piece.

via

Here's the artist and his wife.

Crazy, right?

I wonder if he's built up a lot of strength in his fingertips?

Here's an interesting article on Eric Daigh if you'd like to see more of his amazing work!

Ugly Renaissance Babies

2012-01-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

I shall be forever grateful to my friend Molly for introducing me to the blog Ugly Renaissance Babies. It's a collection of old paintings drawn by artists who were clearly skilled painters, but had apparently never seen a human baby before. Most are of Mary and Jesus, but there are also some cupids and portraits, all accompanied by hilarious captions. It's guaranteed to make you feel better about your own artistic skills.

An urban Christmas card

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Forge Church commissioned me to illustrate their Christmas card this year. They had a very specific vision of a traditional nativity in an urban setting, with lots of charming details. We talked about ideas, but it took me a while to realize that they wanted me to draw exactly what they were describing. They kindly sketched out their ideas on a whiteboard:

Sure, it's rough, but it actually helped tremendously. I basically just drew what I saw and got their feedback.

Next I did the digital linework, once again sending it to the church for feedback. I also added a few details of my own, such as the cat and Christmas tree in the window.

I received a few copies of the finished product today. I think it turned out really well.

Drawworm 2011 report

2011-12-28T12:37:00.000-08:00

2011 was one crazy year. I had a record 23 total sales - almost 2 per month. Since one custom pencil portrait takes about 2 weeks to finish, and since some of those orders contained more than one portrait, I was consistently working throughout 2011! Even after I vacationed my Etsy shop in November for the holidays, people were still asking for drawings!

I had several international orders, sending drawings to Germany, Spain and Australia. Another first was delivering a drawing to a customer in person, which was exciting. And a little awkward. But that's just me, really. The customers were a totally nice and cute couple.

Here are my Etsy resolutions for 2012:

Raise my prices. I am going to be busy next year with many different things, people, and I need to reflect that in my pricing. So, I have raised my prices by about 20%. But fear not, if you've ordered from me in the past, I still love you and want to keep you as a customer. So if you're a returning customer, contact me for a special discount.
Ask how people are finding me. According to Google Analytics, my Etsy shop is only getting about 15 views per day on average, which in internet terms is practically nothing. I don't even advertise, except for this blog, which helps with SEO ratings. Somehow people who are determined to get a custom portrait are finding me. So I'm going to try and remember to ask my customers how they managed to find my shop.

Joy portrait

2011-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everybody!! This here is officially my last custom portrait for 2011, so it's only appropriate that it includes a festive Santa hat.

I love you all!!!!

Wallpaper that doesn't suck

2011-12-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

Via Emily Henderson

The later half of the 20th century was a dark, dark time for wallpaper. I think many of us have memories of busy floral wallpaper in the ubiquitous 80's shades of forest green and dusty rose. (barf)

Via the Decorologist

Or hideous, yellowing wallpaper from the 50's:

Via UglyHousePhotos

So I think it's awesome that wallpaper is making a comeback with fresh, modern designs. I've recently discovered the brand Pottock, which I like because their designs are kind of illustrator-y and funny too:

How cute is this whale wallpaper in the bathroom?!

This design, called "dead trees" is definitely weird and not particularly pc. But I kinda like it. Maybe it's just because it's purple, though.

Alas, I live in an apartment and can't paint or wallpaper my walls right now. Sad. So I've got my eye on this "tapestry" from Urban Outfitters. It would be a great way to add some color to an apartment:

Little Angel Portrait

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

When I saw this photo, this little boy immediately made me think of a little classic cherub, and I knew this would make a great portrait. Just look at that innocent sleepy face!

The customer explained that she and her husband wanted this portrait of her son as "a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law. She is going through cemo right now for breast cancer. We thought this would make a lovely and special gift for her and my father-in-law." I hope the portrait brightens up her Christmas!

Cinderella illustration

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Fairy Godmother waved her hand and a mirror appeared. Cinderella gasped. There in the reflection - standing in the same disordered kitchen, among the drying laundry and dirty pots and pans - was the most beautiful princess she had ever seen. Could it really be her?

My final project for one of my classes was to illustrate the above passage in two-point perspective. Here's how it worked. First I did a little sketch of my idea:

After getting some feedback from my professor, I laid out a two-point grid and started constructing the scene on top.

Next I drew the line art on top of my grid constructions.

After getting more feedback from professor and classmates, I started adding shadows. I established the top of the magic mirror as the main light source, and used measurements to establish where the shadows would be.

Then I just sort of experimented with the colors and textures until I got something that worked. And that's the finished image.

My professor really, really liked it, and I am quite proud of that, because he is notoriously difficult to impress. I'm looking forward to doing another Cinderella illustration soon.

Like a winter cabin

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Woodburned Daily Reminder by rcm619 - $58

I guess it's the chilly winter weather - and, being Californian, by "chilly" I mean "60 degrees" - but lately I've been drawn to rustic things. So here's a collection of forest-y, winter-y, cabin-y things from Etsy.

Woodland Edge Wallscape by The Bent Tree Gallery- $175

8x8 Farmhouse photo by felicitycrew - $21

Root Table by realwoodworks1 - $195

Wool Felted Acorn ornaments by greenbaboondesigns - $15

Clay antler mobile by ARTISANIEeurope- $345

Natural white birch wood coasters by urbanplusforest - $24

And because I am cold and hungry, I'm going to throw this into the blog post as well:

Baby Cinnamon Roll Soap by soapopotamus - $8

Yes, it's SOAP. Soap! I don't know whether to feel amazed or disappointed right now.

Kelley's recommended podcasts

2011-12-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

I have sort of a short attention span, and during long hours of painting and drawing, I sometimes need a little extra entertainment to keep myself focused. Here are some recommended podcasts, all of them free.

This American Life. One of the most popular radio shows today, you've probably heard of this one - and my love for host Ira Glass - before. It's sort of a variety show. Each episode they choose a theme, and feature various stories about everyday people, some humorous, some poignant, some fictional, some topical, but always fascinating.

Stuff You Should Know. Every episode Chuck and Josh choose an interesting historical, scientific, or cultural topic - such as "Who was America's first murderer?" - and discuss it thoroughly. They keep it entertaining with their witty repartee and frequent references to the Simpsons and Ghostbusters. The casual format is like listening to two funny, well-read friends having a chat. My recommendations: "How Lobotomies Work," and "What are Japanese Stragglers?"

RadioLab. Similar to This American Life, RadioLab often starts with a philosophical question such as "What is the mind?" and ponder it from various scientific angles. Jad and Robert keep it upbeat with their unique style of quick editing and imaginative sound effects.

Snap Judgment. Normal people tell interesting stories from their lives. Simple formula, endlessly entertaining.

WireTap. A little different from the others, WireTap consists mostly of short comical skits between host Jonathan Goldstein and his continually scheming friend Howard. This podcast makes me laugh out loud on a regular basis.

Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me. Part quiz show, part comedy, and part news show. Every week they feature a different celebrity and quiz them on ridiculously obscure topics. Very, very funny.

Hint of drool portrait

2011-11-29T11:14:00.000-08:00

I am pretty gosh darn proud of this one. He really seems to pop out of the paper in a 3D way.

This portrait is for Jessica of the wonderful stationary shop Tulaloo. I was very excited when she sent me this lovely photo to work from. How can you be sad when looking at a baby smiling at you like that? Jessica's one request was that I minimize the...uh...cleavage going on near the bottom of the picture, which I did.

I really enjoyed drawing this baby, from the drop of drool on his chin to his gigantic forehead which takes up almost half the page. Thanks for the wonderful photograph Jessica, and I hope that your friend enjoys her portrait. :) I'm sure it will be a very memorable Christmas present.

Here's the portrait in progress:

As if you care what I'm thankful for

2011-11-24T10:52:00.001-08:00

Not to sound like a complete suck-up, but I am thankful for my wonderful Etsy customers, every one of whom has been a joy to work with. I am grateful for this chance to make people happy through my art, and to have them pay me to do it! Ha!

I am thankful for my sweet husband, shown here assembling some healthy salads for us, back when he was going through his healthy salad stage. I seriously could not ask for a more thoughtful or loving husband, even though I don't know what he's talking about half the time because he's a lot smarter than I am. (And I mean A LOT.)

I am thankful for our cozy and sunlit apartment, even if it doesn't look this tidy every day. :)

I am very thankful that I have the opportunity to attend art school, and for all the awesome people I've met there. (That's me in the center of the bottom row. The pale one.)

Lastly, I am thankful for this bunny from Cuteoverload, just for existing. Thank you, bunny. Thank you.

Snow bunny

2011-11-17T08:40:00.001-08:00

Snow bunny boxed set of 8 - $18

These are probably the cutest Christmas cards I've ever seen in my life. They're handmade letterpress by fugufugu press - gah, even the shop name is cute!! It's run by a husband and wife team out of Pasadena, California. Here's some more of their greeting cards:

Drawworm on vacation!

2011-11-16T09:38:00.001-08:00

That's right people, drawworm is on temporary haitus. I put my Etsy shop on "vacation mode," which is kind of a joke because I am not on vacation. Between several different commissions to work on (pencil portraits and otherwise), a project with my husband which requires artwork, and some very demanding classes at school, I am a very busy little worm. I'll re-open for business once the semester ends in mid-December.

But in the meantime, I'll still be updating this blog, so you can still get your daily dose of Kelley. Well, not quite daily. You know what I mean.

Promotional postcards in the mail!!!!

2011-11-12T09:08:00.001-08:00

I'm currently majoring in illustration with an emphasis on children's book illustration. At the encouragement of my professor, I've just started sending out promotional postcards to various children's book publishers, most of whom are located in New York. When I dropped the postcards into the mailbox, I wished them good luck! It's very exciting. :)

I don't really expect any job offers from this little mailing campaign, and I intend to send out more every few months. The idea is to get my name out there and see if I get positive responses. The children's book industry works slowly, and it's possible some art director will keep my postcard on file, then will call me up in a year or two when they've found a book that needs my artwork.

Vintage wedding portrait

2011-11-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

This custom pencil portrait was commissioned as a Christmas present for the customer's mother (the bride in the picture). The customer originally contacted me about doing this portrait back in September! Wow! That's planning ahead!

When she received the drawing, the customer left this feedback on my shop page: "I absolutely love the drawing (Kelley) did of my parents' wedding picture. They had spent 50 years together before my dad passed away. We thought we would surprise my mom for Christmas with the drawing. When it came it more than met my expectations. Even though I was able to see previews as she was drawing the picture, I was even that much more happy when we received the drawing!"

This photograph looks very, very similar to another vintage wedding portrait I did last year. Seems like those cat-eye glasses were all the rage back then!

The faces were quite a challenge! Although the portrait is a large 11x14 size, because this is a full-body portrait, each face is only about the size of a quarter! So every tiny little pencil stroke really makes a difference.

My Wish List

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love giving and receiving presents. I get excited about planning what presents to give to whom. As a kid I used to store all my Christmas presents for friends and family in an old trunk - it was like a treasure chest full of treasures for other people! I would list the presents I'm planning to buy for my family, but they read this blog, so here's some stuff I want!

This long dress. Not sure what I'd do with it, but it's pretteh!

"Color and Light" book by James Gurney.

This cute avocado necklace. Because avocados are delicious!

This beautiful poster by Nick Dewar.

This robot with a heart.

The Kings Speech DVD. I loved this movie!

This bunny!

And this bunny!

100% girl

2011-10-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

There has never been a "before drawing" period of my life. I've always loved drawing. Here's some of my early work. I loved drawing ballerinas, angels (or "angles"), pretty dresses and Disney princesses.

If I drew this in 1995, the year the Pocahontas movie came out, I would have been 9 years old.

I drew a lot of these "storytelling picher"s, although I doubt that this was actually #101. I don't think there was really a story here either; I just liked the idea of having multiple dresses to choose from. I still do. It's one of my favorite dilemmas.

I love you, Ira Glass

2011-10-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

I love this quote. (Although I do question the idea that all creative people have good taste. I mean, just check out Regretsy. Shudder!) In art school I've heard people say that it takes 10,000 bad drawings to get to the good drawings. That's why our teachers are always urging us to draw a lot, because the sooner we get through those 10,000 bad drawings, the better.

If you don't know, Ira Glass is the host of the excellent radio show This American Life, which I often listen to while drawing and cannot get enough of. Ira looks like this:

He definitely knows how to rock the sexy geek radio producer look. And that is why I give him my money whenever he asks for it.

Landscape paintings!!

2011-10-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

I am taking a Landscape Painting class this semester from Dean Larson. I am very blessed to be taking this class in beautiful San Francisco, which provides many beautiful scenes to paint and plenty of mild weather. Last week my class went to the Presidio, where I hiked around until I found a bench with this incredible view:

I set up my stuff and painted for about an hour and a half. Here's what I did:

Yes, I realize the bridge is small and squished and the perspective is totally off. Just appreciate my choice of colors, ok?

Here are a few of my other landscape paintings:

Santa Cruz. Painted from a friend's photograph.

Takayama, Japan. Painted from one of my own photos.

Tennessee Valley, Marin County. Painted from one of my own photos.

Alcatraz Island. Painted from life.

Custom airbrushed visors for the hip crowd

2011-10-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

Who needs custom pencil portraits when you can have a custom airbrushed beer cozy! This video is from Everything Is Terrible, a website which posts clips from strange and obscure VHS tapes.

Clearly I should be adding more starbursts to my drawings! Anyone else inspired to get into the airbrushing industry? 80's fashion was experiencing a comeback last year, right? Do you think it's too late to jump on the bandwagon?

Blonde things portrait

2011-10-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

Look at these cute little shavers. This 11x14 custom pencil portrait was ordered as a gift for the parents of these children. I'm excited to hear what they think of it.

As you can see, I combined two photos into one portrait. It was an easy combination because the photos were taken in the same setting at the same time, so the light was consistent across both faces.

These two kids really remind me of this photo of my brother and I, circa 1990:

My Dad used to affectionately refer to us as "blonde things." (Neither of us is still blonde, sadly.) I doubt if any baby, before or since, has even come close to matching the perfect roundness of my brother's head.

Does your home need an embroidered seallama?

2011-10-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

I've been inspired lately by some of the wonderful embroidered hoop art I've been seeing on Etsy. I wanted to make one of my own. At first I was going to embroider a skyline pattern, like I've seen in Moxiedoll's shop, but then I thought - why copy someone else's idea?

So I decided to go with a seallama - a mythical animal my husband is very fond of (and I'm 99% sure he made up.) I bought all the materials for $5 at Joann's Fabrics. Next I sketched some seallamas on paper.

Once I had a llama I liked, I drew it on the fabric with a white charcoal pencil. Then I embroidered it, using the pencil marks as a guide. I used white thread for the top half and light blue for the tail. When it was finished, I superglued the ends of the fabric to the back of the hoop, so it will all stay in place.

The whole project took me about an hour. Now the seallama, that beloved symbol of dignity and hospitality, greets all visitors who enter our home.

Memories in details

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a custom pencil portrait I did a few weeks ago for an Etsy customer. The customer did not provide the story behind this photo, but you can definitely sense a lot of warmth between the two people in the picture.

I cropped the photo in order to get the maximum amount of detail in the faces. Sometimes customers ask me to leave out the background or leave out certain details like the logo on the baseball cap. I try to leave out any detail that I feel would distract from the faces of the subjects.

But sometimes details can hold important sentimental value. I learned that lesson with this anniversary portrait I completed back in 2009:

In the original photo, the man's tie had a very...um...bright pattern on it, so I decided to leave the tie blank. When I showed the drawing to the customer, she asked me to include the tie pattern. "I know it's a little wild and swirly," she said, "but it's my dad's favorite (designed by Jerry Garcia) and he was quite proud of

how well it matched my mom's dress that day." So I took an extra 5 minutes and drew in the pattern.

The customer loved it. So ever since then I've tried to be aware of what details should be left in or left out. You never know when a necklace or t-shirt might hold special memories.

I don't get high fashion

2011-09-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

The list of things I don't understand is a very, very long list. Math is #1 on the list. The list also includes nightclubs, abstract art, Canada, and small dogs. But one thing I absolutely will never, ever understand is high fashion. Seeing photos from the recent New York Fashion Week just really left me muttering, "whaaaa?"

image source

This is the Italian luxury brand Fendi, and this model has a placemat from the 1970's stuck to her chest. She also forgot to take off her safety goggles from Chem lab.

image source

According to Rebecca Minkoff, style is denim skorts with an elastic waist, pulled up high and with your shirt tucked in. Mmm-hmm!

image source

This model made her dress out of one of her grandmother's towels.

image source

I like to think of this look as "Sesame Street chic." This outfit is the fault of Oscar de la Renta, a legend among the fashion industry. I mean, look at the expression on the face of the woman just to the right of the model. You can actually see her brain about to explode.

This is fun. I could go on and on with this, but I need to get back to homework.

Chive vases

2011-09-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Chive is a company that specializes in unique and funky flower vases. I love the playful, futuristic feel that their products have.

The vases are totally affordable, too. This square-shaped one above is $10!

These guys, "koski," are my favorites, because 1.) they look like river rocks 2.) they look like something from the set of Star Trek. Either they would be aliens or maybe a hippie alien's collection of medical instruments. I think a group of them gathered on tabletop would look really cool, especially if your home had a hippie alien theme.

Laura Roslin pencil portrait

2011-09-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

For the last year or two, Etsy commissions have been keeping me busy, so it's been a long time since I did any pencil portraits just for myself. My husband and I, after watching every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Stargate SG-1, decided that we were still not as nerdy as we could be, so we turned our bloodshot eyes to the show Battlestar Galactica. And we loved it. I was particularly touched by Mary McDonnell's performance as the serene and dignified President Laura Roslin, so some fanart was in order.

Now that I look at the drawing on the computer screen, there's something a bit off about the eyes. So I may adjust it a little. But overall I'm very satisfied with how this came out. This 11x14 portrait took about 8 or 9 hours over the course of a week. I love Roslin's big, curly hair so I was very, very careful about drawing it to look smooth and shiny. Here's the drawing in progress:

Here are some detail closeups:

Yes, I'd say that my Geek Quotient is very high now. *gives self a high five*

Keiko Lynn

2011-09-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

When I'm not drawing pencil portraits, this is the kind of thing I like to draw. This was painted digitally with a Wacom tablet.

On Saturday I went to a meeting of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators in San Francisco. At the conference, they had a room set aside for us to display our portfolios. The art directors and other speakers there would leave little post-it notes in our portfolios, indicating which pieces they thought would be best for a promotional mailer. The above drawing got a few votes, and someone wrote "I like this character - how about giving her a story?" Another person added, "agreed!"

That's the second time someone has suggested that I give this girl a story - but the problem is, she's a real person. Her name is Keiko Lynn and she's a well-known fashion blogger.

So I guess that if I drew a story about her, I'd have to simplify or alter her appearance significantly enough that she doesn't sue me. :P

It's definitely a tempting idea, though. I find a lot of inspiration in the world of fashion blogging.

100 Years of Fashion

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

How awesome is this video?

This video was created to celebrate the launch of a shopping center in London. What's your favorite fashion era, from the ones they showed? I think the 1920's looked the best.

Grandson's portraits

2011-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

No, they're not twins - it's the same baby boy! This customer wanted two custom pencil portraits of her son, as gifts for each set of grandparents.

When the customer saw the finished pieces, she said, "These drawings are absolutely wonderful and capture the personality of my little man very well." I always enjoy the chance to draw from really clear, closeup photos. I'm so lucky that I get paid to stare at the faces of cute babies!

Revolt against boring wall art

2011-09-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing that bugs me in this world, it's "decorative art." By that, I mean a certain type of art you tend to find in hotels and waiting rooms, art meant to fill an empty space in the wall and nothing more. It's the visual equivalent of muzak: meant to blend into the background, generic, unobtrusive, vague enough to be inoffensive to everybody. Stuff like this:

"Spring Chorus" by Don Li-Leger

"Teal Lily" by Carol Robertson

Sure, there's some decorative art that's not so bad. But if you want to decorate the walls of your home, seriously, don't visit the home decor aisle of Target or Kohl's when you get can some really unique, fantastic art on Etsy. Of course, a custom pencil portrait is always a great conversation piece. Hint hint. Here's some of my favorite wall art from the endlessly fascinating world of Etsy.

Personalized Little Flower Hearts by sarahandbendrix - $72

Veronika is based in the UK, and creates these customizable heart pieces in various sizes, materials and colors. They come framed, too!

Polka Dot Owls art print by boygirlparty - $20

Susie has a unique and instantly recognizable style. I've been following her work for several years!

Bouquet by Genine - $30

I have been a huge fan of Genine's bird watercolors ever since I discovered Etsy. They are colorful, cheerful and sophisticated.

Hand Embroidered Beetle Bug by Moxiedoll - $55

Moxiedoll's embroidered hoops and fun and playful. Instead of the traditional cottages and flowers, she embroiders things like VW Beetles, Polaroid cameras and cassette tapes.

6 Prints by PerlaAnne - $100

Stacey's block prints have a graphic, rustic feel to them. I love how they look all grouped together like this.

Let there be Light by PragyaK - $70

Pragya's artwork is super bright and happy. I think it would be perfect for a children's room or any room that needs a pop of color. (Sorry, I know that phrase is totally cliche, but it just works, ok?)

Demeter and Persephone by stephaniemartinart - $120

If you're looking for something more traditional, Santa Cruz-based Stephanie sells original etchings and oil paintings that have beautiful color and texture.

Love to Read by bunnydee - $25

Hailing from San Francisco, Danielle's drawings are hilarious (in a good way) because she finds a way to work a little rabbit into almost every piece. Her style is quirky and cute with some pop and 1960's influences.

While original art can be expensive, there are many Etsians who sell prints that are comparable in price to what you might find at big-box stores. So while a print is only "handmade" in a very loose sense, you still have the opportunity to buy directly from an artist, and decorate using artworks that have style, humor, and a story behind them.

So I could go on forever about all the amazing stuff on Etsy. In fact, I've spent way too much time on this blog post already. Hope you guys are happy. Do you have a favorite from among the above pieces?

Paper Anniversary Portrait

2011-08-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

This enormous (16x20!) custom pencil portrait is a combination of three images:

This photo of the couple dancing...

...this pretty sash, which was actually on the right side of the dress, I drew on the left side to make it more visible...

...and this monogram sticker thing I added to the floor beneath the couple's feet.

This triple combo was the customer's idea - and that's the fun of getting a custom drawing. You can be really creative with it!

This young couple ordered this pencil portrait to celebrate their first anniversary, because the traditional 1st anniversary gift is paper. What a creative idea, right? Because the couple was local, I had the pleasure of delivering the drawing to them in person, which was a first for me! "So happy to have our money go to a local artist versus a jewelry store!" they said. I completely agree: the biggest pleasure of buying on Etsy is knowing that your work is going directly to an artist rather than through a big corporation.

(Just in case my husband is reading this: there is nothing wrong with jewelry stores. I completely support you buying from them. For me.)

The One Where I am Reunited with an Old Drawing

2011-08-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Last week my husband and I went to our friend Doug's wedding. The ceremony took place in his family's walnut orchard on a calm summer evening. They began and finished the ceremony with quotes from Battlestar Galactica, which we thought was a nice touch.

During the reception a very petite woman spotted me and said something to me in a thick Southern accent which I really didn't understand. I figured that this was probably Doug's mom, whom I had met once before way back in college, which was, like, forever ago. I assumed that she probably didn't remember me, so I said, "Hi, I'm Kelley-"

That was as far as I got before Doug's mom latched onto me and literally dragged me into her house. She pulled me over to her desk and pointed to a framed picture sitting above it:

It was a drawing of Doug that I had sent to his family over three years ago. "It brings sunshine into my life every day," his mom gushed. "When I first opened the envelope you sent and saw the drawing, I just burst into tears because it was Doug! I treasure it so much!" Throughout the course of the evening, she hugged me and thanked me over and over again for the portrait - which, again, I had sent her three years ago.

I was quite touched by the fact that Doug's mom remembered me and still loved and appreciated the portrait - even though, as I look at it now, it definitely has room to improve. This would be an interesting drawing to do again, and compare the before and after.

Talent, hard work, luck

2011-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

My new website!

I am currently studying illustration in graduate school. I entered the school because I knew that I needed to do art for a living. But I wasn't quite sure what kind of art.

This semester I took a Children's Book Illustration class (you can see some of my homework here) and I believe that this is the fit for me, because I've always enjoyed art that tells stories. Furthermore, most children's book illustrators work from home, which I would like very much.

So, at my professor's urging, I am trying to get my career started now, even though I won't graduate for a year and a half. I designed a website to display my illustration work and my amazing brother-in-law Dusty put it all together for me. Just yesterday I ordered some business cards and postcards as well.

Taking these steps is kind of scary. Everyone says that children's book illustration is a very competitive field, and there are so many talented artists out there. But I believe that with talent, hard work, and maybe a little luck, I can make it. Talent I have. Hard work I can do. Luck I can only pray for.

Memorial portrait

2011-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I was honored to receive a commission for a memorial pencil portrait. The customer's grandmother, above, passed away at the age of 99 - wow!

"Here is the photo we all love of her," the customer said. Usually I do not recommend using faded vintage photos like this one, so the customer and I went through many other photos of her grandmother. However, in the end it was clear that this picture best captures her warm personality, so I did the best I could to reflect that in my drawing.

Drawworm re-brand

2011-08-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Recently I decided to give my drawworm "brand" a facelift, with new business cards, packaging stickers, Etsy shop banner and (if you noticed) blog banner. I believe that good branding is an essential ingredient for success on Etsy, and it's good to freshen things up every once in a while. You want all your materials - from the products that you sell to your online graphics to your packaging - to have a cohesive "theme" or feel to them.

First I decided that I wanted a font with a more hand-drawn look to it. I found a great font called Jellyka Estrya's Handwriting. Here is my old Etsy shop banner compared to my new one, which you can see at the top of my Etsy shop.

Next I decided that I wanted to bring some more color into my branding. Previously I used grey, to match my pencil portraits, but it was time to punch things up a bit. I decided to go with purple. Anyone who knows me well knows my love for purple! Purple is also associated with elegance and creativity, so I thought it was the perfect color for drawworm. Here's my old sticker design, used to seal shut the wrapping around a drawing.

Here are my new packaging stickers:

I also updated my business cards. On the back of my card, I have a sample of one of my drawings. This bridal drawing of my friend Lanie was done several years ago, and I no longer felt that it represented my best work.

Here are my new business cards, with a more recent drawing (one of my favorites so far) on the back. Unfortunately, the drawing printed out a little bit faded and not very good quality, so I might try to have these reprinted. That's disappointing.

These materials should last me at least a year, so it will be a while until the next rebrand!
Have you ever rebranded your shop? Do you have any tips?

http://etsy.com/shop/drawworm

Amazing toilet paper rolls!

2011-08-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

Enjoy these amazing toilet paper roll cutouts by Anastasia Elias!

I wonder how she came up with this idea, and how she is able to cut such precise shapes inside the roll? Her website does not say how she does it. Maybe she takes apart the roll, then glues it back together again?

You can see more toilet paper roll cutouts here! I tried to choose a favorite, but there are so many great ones!

Baby Boy portrait

2011-07-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

At 16x13", this was my largest custom pencil portrait yet. I meant to take a photo of myself holding the finished portrait, to show the size, but I was so excited to mail it out to the customer that I forgot!

I enjoyed working in such a large size and with such a cute photo!

By the way, I have been featured on the blog Gypsy Lane Designs , who features Etsy sellers who make products for children and babies. While my drawings are really for parents, not babies, that's okay because parents read more blogs than babies do. (This is called knowing your audience. See how smart I am?)

Carmel by the sea

2011-07-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

The 20th of July was me and my husband's 3-year anniversary. In the morning he surprised me by taking me to Carmel, which is where we had our honeymoon!

When I say that he took me to Carmel, what I mean is that he said "let's go to Carmel!" then fell asleep in the car while I drove. But that's okay, I still love him. <3

Just look how cute he is!

It was a beautiful, perfect day. Husband and I had a picnic lunch on the beach, and went for a hike at Point Lobos.

Colorful wildflowers were blooming everywhere, and the sea looked so blue!

I loved gushing over all the amazing houses along the coastline.

This lovely house was right along the bluff, with windows facing the sea. Do you like it? It's up for sale, priced at $7,000,000! What a steal! I think you should go for it.

After our day at Carmel, husband and took me out (again, sleeping while I drove) for Indian food and tapioca milk tea. Thanks, husband for an amazing 3 years and an amazing 3-year anniversary. :) I love you very much.

A wife's birthday gift

2011-07-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

This portrait was ordered by a husband (again! A man using Etsy! Amazing!) for his wife's birthday. All together now: aaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! He was great to work with.

You know what's kind of crazy? Whether buying or selling, I have never had a bad experience on Etsy. None of my customers have been anything less than a total pleasure to do business with.

There was one person who messaged me, wanting some x-rated line drawings done as patterns for a quilt. She even told me that she could provide photo references for the different positions. (Yikes!) But she was still super polite when I turned her down.

Great story, Kelley!

My Ideal Life

2011-07-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I drew this for fun yesterday, inspired by all the cool books we've been looking at in my Children's Book Illustration class. This is a pencil drawing with digital coloring. I tried to give it a bit of a retro feel, like children's books in the 50s. It's titled "My Ideal Life."

What would your ideal life look like, and would it include squirrels?

60th anniversary portrait!!

2011-07-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of drawing a portrait of this lovely newlywed couple as a gift for their 60th anniversary. See those dates on the bottom of the drawing? 60 years, people!! Next week I am going to be celebrating my 3-year anniversary, which is cool and all, but I'd say that as far as anniversaries go, this couple wins.

The couple, who live in the Netherlands, will be receiving their portrait pretty soon. Congratulations, Afra and Gerard! You are an inspiration to everyone.

Romantic and charming art by Nidhi

2011-07-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

Chinatown print by Nidhi - $25

Nidhi Chanani's Etsy shop is filled with romantic, charming illustrations inspired by her dual Indian and American backgrounds. I was instantly drawn to her colorful style because I love San Francisco-themed artwork.

City Lights print - $25

Morning Snack print - $25

Tree Songs print - $25

The Gate print - $25

Buddies portrait

2011-07-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

The customer who sent me this photo has ordered from me twice before! I guess I have a fan. :) I should do something special for her.

Here is the finished drawing.

I just realized that I am probably commissioned draw boys more often than girls. Weird, huh?

Abigail's Elegant Creations

2011-07-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Turquoise small fabric bird by abigailbrown - $148

I was in awe when I discovered abigailbrown's Etsy shop. She creates little birds and creatures by hand. I love how she uses loose threads and scattered stitches to replicate the texture of feathers. I just think her stuff is really beautiful.

Little White Swan - $107

Ponsenby Owl - $300

Fabric species bird - $300

The Yarn Tree, by Kelley

2011-06-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

This summer I am taking a Children's Book Illustration class. It is really fun and I look forward to every class. Last week our assignment was to sketch a five-page, wordless story. I chose to depict a little girl who plants a ball of yarn. Enjoy!

Portraits...embroidered?!

2011-06-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is crazy.

This is not your grandmother's embroidery. Artist Daniel Kornrumpf creates these incredibly realistic hand-stitched portraits. I couldn't find any info about his process, but you can see in the photo below that the portraits are actually very small:

His depiction of skin tones is really beautiful. Also notice how the direction of the threads follows the contours of the face. It really helps enhance the 3-D illusion. I wonder how in the world he developed this technique, since I have never in my life heard of a man doing embroidery. More power to him, though! Wouldn't it be cool to have your own portrait embroidered by Daniel?

Best Recipes Evar

2011-06-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite recipes from around the web. I love cooking, and I am always hunting for recipes that are healthy, easy and delicious. I've found some really good stuff!

Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta - from veganyumyum

Personally I consider this to be the Holy Grail of recipes. It only takes about 20 minutes to prepare, it's healthy and is some seriously satisfying comfort food. Best of all, it's a vegan recipe that requires no specialty ingredients or tofu. I love making it with homemade pasta.

Turkey and Corn Quesadillas with Guacamole from Finecooking.com

Although quesadillas are often known as the food of children and college students, these babies will change your mind. They are simple to make and are a great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken. The fresh guacamole just brings it all to a new level.

Pasta with Peppers from realsimple.com

Oh boy. I made this last week and I cannot wait to make it again. I cooked it with spinach instead of arugula and it was great. I would recommend giving this a try while bell peppers are in season!

Creamy White Chili from melskitchencafe.com

This is a great twist on traditional chili. It is very easy to make and very comforting. To lighten it up a bit, I like to substitute monterey jack cheese for the cream.

Six Threes Ice Cream from allrecipes.com

It's hot these days, so it's the perfect time for homemade ice cream. The strange name comes from the fact that the recipe requires 3 cups sugar, 3 cups cream, 3 cups milk, 3 bananas, 3 oranges and 3 lemons. That's it! It tastes kind of like a super creamy Jamba Juice.

Let me know if you end up giving any of these a try! I'd like to hear what you think.

Do you have any recipe recommendations?

Kelley provides pet portraits

2011-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I ran a giveaway for a portrait. The winner (who has her own Etsy shop) was very excited, but she took a while to decide on a photo that she wanted me to draw. A few weeks ago she sent me this excellent photo of her cat, Necco.

At first I was a little apprehensive because I haven't drawn very many animals. I've drawn dogs, rabbits, and cats, but not nearly as often as I draw people. But actually it ended up being a fun process, so I've decided to start offering pet portraits in my Etsy shop. Should be exciting!

The Weirder Side of Etsy

2011-06-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

Angler Fish the Cuddly Creature from the Deep by sleepybowie - $50

Etsy has sometimes been accused of being all "owls and cowls," meaning that they tend to favor and promote a particular style and look among their sellers - generally the cute, the soft focus, the pastel-colored, the "shabby chic." (Hate that phrase.) So here's a shoutout to those Etsy sellers who are not afraid to be a little crazy. Like this stuffed angler fish. Now that is crazy - crazy awesome.

Anna and the Meat necklace by mabgraves - $155

Xbox Controller Soap by digitalsoaps - $15.50

The description says, "scented with Mountain Dew fragrance oil, a gamer's best scent."

Rectangle magnet by mincingmockingbird - $4

Small fleece Squid Hat by ObeyMyBrain - $35

This whole shop is full of hilarious photos of various marine life on this guy's head. Check it out.

Irresistable portrait

2011-06-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

I love love love this photograph. The blue eyes, pink cheeks, adorable little smile - this little guy is just killing me. I was super excited for the chance to draw his portrait.

I am so happy with how this turned out. Honestly this is my favorite portrait of the year, so far.

His shiny blonde hair gave me a little bit of trouble at first.

Look at those long eyelashes! Wow!

Etsy discovery: Theatercloud

2011-06-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

A wave of gold by theatercloud - $18

I don't remember how I discovered theatercloud's Etsy shop, but I'm glad that I did. Her photographs have a dreamy storybook quality to them that I love. The photo above reminds me of the song "Into the West" from the Return of the King.

Lift - $18

She says, "I make these images by inking yupo paper and cutting it into layers that I set up in a miniature theater. I play with the lights and filters to create atmosphere and then photograph the scenes." You can see a little more about her unique process on her blog.

Steam and Sails - $20

Only on a harvest moon - $18

The creativity of Etsy artists never ceases to amaze me!

Progress in Portrait Painting

2011-06-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

I took a portrait painting class this semester. This was my first time trying out oil paints, and I have really grown to love them. When I picture my ideal retirement, I imagine living in a cottage, maybe with a few pet rabbits, painting all day and selling my stuff in galleries.

But I'm a long way from selling any paintings. Here's where I started.

At the beginning of the semester, things were kind of a mess. Although I had drawn lots of pencil portraits, of course, I really hadn't worked in color very much. So my skin tones were looking sickly, my shapes were all out of whack and I would leave class each week feeling frustrated.

But I'm slowly learning that you have to push through those frustrating times in order to improve. I've noticed that the classmates who never really made progress were the ones who tended to give up, leave early and never really finish their work.

By the end of the semester I was enjoying this class quite a bit - although a big part of that was having great classmates and a great professor. This fall I'm going to take a Landscape Painting class, and I'm looking forward to that too. Maybe I'll be able to sell some of my homework for that class on Etsy.

Monday Motivation

2011-06-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today I just happened to stumble onto all sorts of great motivational stuff on the topic of pursuing your goals and dreams, totally by accident, too.

I found the above graphic on the blog Making Things Happen. Once I heard an art teacher say that his students sometimes moan, "it's going to take me ten years to become a good artist! Why should I even try?" He says to them, "ten years is coming no matter what." Meaning, in ten years you'll either be a good artist or you'll be looking back and wishing you had put the effort into being a good artist.

Why Not Pillow in Sunshine - $45

Secondly I found this awesome pillow. I love the font, the colors, everything. What an inspiring message to wake up to in the morning, right? Too bad the price is way more than I'm willing to pay for a pillow. I'm going to see if I can DIY an imitation pillow.

Thirdly, a friend on Facebook posted this quote, "If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done." -Bruce Lee

Good stuff!

Charming Portrait, finished

2011-06-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hooray! This portrait definitely took a while to complete, but I think it will go really well with its corresponding bride portrait.

Awww.

The light is hitting the top of his eyebrow and highlighting a few hairs, so I used an eraser to draw them.

The line disappearing on the side of the mouth helps it appear to be 3-D.

Out of Print t-shirts

2011-05-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Caged Bird Sings shirt - $28

I just discovered a cool website called Out of Print t-shirts. They sell t-shirts printed with the designs from vintage book covers from great literary classics. They have a very nostalgic feel to them, and definitely appeal to the hipster in me. Here are some of my favorites - surprisingly, I have read all of the books listed below! Go me!

Okay, fine I only made it halfway through Atlas Shrugged. Minus 5 points for Kelley.

Radiant portrait, finished!

2011-05-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

The portrait of the beautiful bride that I've been working on is finished, and here it is. It's a very simple, minimalistic portrait, but I like that about it. The softness keeps the focus on the eyes and smile. The flowers on the left, which are really part of the dress, look kind of like an abstract accent.

Next I am going to draw this groom. These two portraits are for the same customer, so I am trying to give the two drawings a similar feel.

Did I mention that these portraits are going to Australia? I am psyched about that. So far drawworm drawings have been sent to England, Germany, a few overseas APO addresses, and now Australia too. Awesome.

Twenty Five

2011-05-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

I am 25 years old today!

Radiant portrait, part 1

2011-05-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

I've been given the chance to draw a very lovely bride and groom. Although I received this commission over a week ago, I've been so busy with finals that I only recently got started on it. Thankfully, the customer was very gracious and understanding.

But now finals are over, and I'm happy to get back to my pencil drawings. As you may know, I did a lot of oil painting this semester, and I learned a ton of good stuff! I am really excited to apply what I've learned about value and edge control to pencil drawing, to give my portraits a more artistic look - and this is the perfect photo to start with!

Cool Dad Painting

2011-05-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

Here it is, in all its glory. It's due on Wednesday.

Things I want to do once finals are over:

Thoroughly clean the apartment
Put together a cookbook of favorite recipes for my parents
Get a haircut
Watch "Tangled" and "The King's Speech"
Put together an disaster preparedness kit (the press seems to have forgotten about the earthquake in Japan, but I haven't)
Draw all the things I've been wanting to draw but haven't had time to
Clean out the closet in the second bedroom
Paint something purely for fun
Take naps
More naps

I know there are more things for the list, but I can't think of them right now. I'm so exhausted. I think the oil paint fumes are starting to affect me. Pleth dont make mee paint animor.

Thought of You

2011-05-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is seriously one of the most exquisite and touching works of art I have seen in a long time. Just watch it.

If you're interested, there's also a fascinating "making-of" video.

I'm On A Bike

2011-05-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

As you can see, in my oil painting class we draw a lot of models lying around looking lethargic and sad. Often the models are actually struggling to stay awake. This is not my favorite class, because of this boring subject matter. But my professor seems to like it. "It has emotion," he says.

Whatever.

Our final homework is a little bit different than our usual classwork. We are supposed to paint a full-body picture of someone interacting with their environment rather than posing for a photo. I looked through my photos and found this picture of my Dad looking way cooler than dads his age are supposed to look:

I brought the photo to class to get my professor's approval on it for the final project. I also brought along a photo of a young girl sitting in a flower field looking lethargic, as backup. Of course the professor immediately gravitated to the latter photo. But I guess he must have seen my disappointed look, because he asked who the biker was. "My Dad," I said. "Do that one, then," he responded.

As you can see, I have once again transformed our breakfast nook into my personal studio. We have a lot of beautiful sunlight in that room.

I think Dad is pretty excited about this painting. He keeps asking if it's finished!

Did I mention that this project counts for 60% of my grade in that class? Yikes!

Nancy's Dogs' Portrait

2011-05-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Sometime last year...wait, maybe even longer than that...a long time ago, I decided that I should try branching out into pet portraits. I asked my friends if anyone wanted a drawing of their pets. My coworker Nancy, who is the biggest dog lover I know, jumped at the opportunity. I told myself that I would work on her drawing when I didn't have any other Etsy commissions going on at the moment.

It's kind of amazing that it took me over a year to finally get around to Nancy's drawing. Recently Etsy commissions have been few and far between - which is actually okay with me, since I have so much homework right now.

Here are Nancy's dogs, giving the camera the ol' puppy eyes. I'm pretty sure that the black one is named Sabbath, (get it? Black Sabbath?) but I'm not sure of the other two dogs' names.

Drawing animals was an interesting change of pace from humans. I'm still not sure whether to offer pet portraits in my shop, though. No doubt that it would bring in more business, but I'm just not sure if I enjoy it as much as drawing people. We'll see!

By the way, there are FOUR DAYS LEFT to vote on my drawing and help me win a scholarship! Please take 30 seconds and give me a little push towards winning a $1,000 scholarship. I will love you forever if you vote. :)

Best of Etsy Bunnies

2011-04-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

I love rabbits. But weirdly enough, I hate cartoon rabbits. I mean things that look like this:

I know, it's a cartoon and not supposed to be realistic, but still. So ugly. I've discovered that there's a lot of ugly rabbit stuff on Etsy too. But in honor of Easter, I sifted through all the weirdness and brought you some super cute stuff. Enjoy!

Tiny Wool Felt Bunny by julieblanchett - $25 each

Follow the White Rabbit Ring by UntamedMenagerie - $9

The Front Porch fine art photograph by CreateLoveLaugh - $35

Leaping Rabbits Mobile by ARTISANIEeurope - $216

Tiny Knitted Brown Bunny Brooch by iroirocrafts - $14.40

Cute and Simple Bunny Necklace by MDsparks - $12

Hay Saver Box by SaveABunny - $65

It's a sad fact that, a few months after Easter, animal shelters tend to receive a high influx of unwanted rabbits. People purchase these rabbits as Easter presents without realizing how high-maintenance rabbits can be, and abandon them once the novelty has worn off. If you're interested in donating to a charity this Easter, I would suggest SaveABunny, a non-profit rabbit shelter. I have visited their shelter in person and the rabbits are very well taken care of - spoiled, even. SaveABunny also has an Etsy shop!

(By the way, please don't forget to vote for my drawing so I can win a scholarship!)

We Are...

2011-04-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

I first heard this quote in a sermon at church, and my husband immediately wrote it down on a piece of scrap paper. I designed this poster in Photoshop, printed it out, and hung it next to my desk. (If you like it, you can download the full-res version by clicking on the image above and saving it to your computer.)

This quote inspires me to work hard on my art, even when I don't feel like it. Although I love drawing, I also love to be lazy. Sometimes I'll think to myself, "I should be drawing," and then I'll think, "or I could play video games." This poster reminds me that if I continually make the decision to procrastinate, I won't be an artist; I'll be a procrastinator.

The second part of the quote goes, "excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." I recently discovered a great illustration of this. There's a kid at my school whose paintings are absolutely phenomenal. "He's a prodigy," I said to a friend. "He's not a prodigy, he just works hard," she replied. "I asked him what he did for his birthday, and he said 'I painted.'"

And that's why he's amazing.

Do you have any quotes that inspire you?

Painting Pretty Dresses

2011-04-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

This was some homework I did for one of my oil painting classes. The assignment was to copy an "old master" portrait. I chose a pretty portrait by the unbeatable John Singer Sargent. Above is my painting, below is the original:

I did some research on the girl in the painting. Her name is Catherine, and she was one of seven children. This portrait was painted when she was 22 years old; sadly, she died two years later. I guess she must have liked singing or music, since Sargent chose to portray her with one hand on the piano.

My husband says she looks like a man. :P

I got a B+ on this assignment. The painting now sits happily on my dresser, along with two porcelain birds from mudpuppy, pinecones we picked up on our honeymoon, and art by Lois Van Baarle.

Help me win a scholarship contest

2011-04-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

VOTE FOR ME HERE

I recently entered a scholarship contest put on by a diploma frame company called Church Hill Classics. The idea was to submit a picture on the theme of "Frame Your Future." I decided to draw a picture of myself drawing illustrations for children's books. Above is the digital illustration I submitted.

As a child, I loved reading fairy tales, especially the ones with beautiful princesses in them. Every single day you could find me at my little white desk, drawing princesses, fairies, unicorns, ballerinas, mermaids and swans. I'm still basically the same super girly girl, and I'd like to illustrate books that inspire children with stories of adventure, magic and romance. Hence the slightly Lisa Frank-esque imagination cloud above my head, with a princess smack in the center! (Also some bunnies, for good measure.)

The rest of the drawing is more or less accurate depiction of my desk area: the bulletin board with notes and old receipts on it, the photo of my parents taped to the wall, a mug filled with pens and pencils, the birch-colored IKEA drawers, papers lying on the floor, my terrible posture. I do not have gigantic picture frames on the wall, though - I threw those in for the contest theme. Also, I do not have a cat, I am allergic to them. There was just an empty space and I felt like drawing a cute cat.

Out of 9,000 entries, my drawing was chosen as one of 24 finalists!

Like American Idol, the winners of the contest are chosen by popular vote. So, could you take a few minutes to help a starving art student (me) win $1,000 in much-needed scholarship money? Click here to see my entry. Then click the "vote for this entry" button and follow the instructions. Be sure to click on the confirmation link they email you. (The email may take a while to arrive.)

If you want to be super awesome, please repost the link on your blog, Facebook or Twitter page. I don't have a ton of friends, so my best chance to win is if my friends and their friends vote for me.

Thank you very much in advance for your time and support. :) It means a lot to me.

Sincerely,

Kelley

P.S. I would really appreciate it if you left a comment here, letting me know that you voted! Thanks!

Character Design Sketches

2011-04-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here's something different from the stuff I usually post on this blog. These are some sketches from my character design class. We spend about 3-4 hours just drawing quick sketches from live models in costume. We've had a lot of awesome models in fun costumes, so it's a really enjoyable time.

Right now all my sketches are of girls, because we've only had a male model once, and I was having a bad day that day so none of those drawings are worth sharing. Girls are more fun to draw anyway.

That drawing on the right is not upside-down. The model actually stood on her head, perfectly still, for 3 minutes. I was freaking out about it, saying, "guys! guys! look!" The teacher, completed unfazed, calmly looked over and asked her, "yoga?" "Yeah," she replied.

Sakura

2011-03-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

"For Japan" 8x10 Canvas by DefinnativeArts

The cherry blossoms are blooming right now in Japan. Traditionally, sakura (cherry blossoms) are seen as symbols of the fragility and beauty of life, because they fall so quickly after blooming. The trees must be a very poignant symbol for the Japanese people right now.

I made these sakura branches yesterday, after seeing a spring decorating article on Martha Stewart. Because of the recent stormy weather, there were plenty of fallen twigs outside that I could use. I made the flowers from Japanese origami paper and stuck them onto the twigs - it was a really easy project.

Isn't it pretty? Say it's pretty.

GIVEAWAY

2011-03-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is coming up, folks. Are you prepared? If not, don't worry, I am here to save you.

I've decided to jump on the giveaway bandwagon. Visit my friend Amy's site, Ponder & Stitch, and leave a comment on her blog post for a chance to win a 9x12 custom portrait from yours truly! These portraits make awesome gifts for Mother's Day - believe me, they eat this stuff up.

Giveaway ends April 6th. Good luck!

5th Anniversary Portrait

2011-03-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

I really had a good time drawing this handsome couple. In fact, this is one of my favorite 5x7 portraits that I've done in a while. I especially like how the bride's satin shawl came out - it was kind of tough to get right!

I'm trying to apply some of the principles I've been learning in my oil painting classes to my pencil portraits, such as "edge control." (One of my professors' favorites phrases.) I hope this will give my portraits a more fine art feel to them.

The customer - the lovely bride in the photo - was very happy with the portrait as well. "The drawing is fantastic! Thank you! It's going to be the perfect anniversary gift!"

Here's the drawing, ready for shipping. I packaged it carefully, spanked it on the bottom, and delivered it into the capable hands of the postal service - the organization, not the band.

Self Portrait in Oil Paint - finally finished!!

2011-03-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

FINALLY.

I'd say this sucker took about 25 hours total. I hope I get a decent grade on it. (Update: I got a B+! Yay!) I discovered that oil paintings are difficult to take photos of, because they're shiny. So a lot of these photos are kind of blurry.

My professor kept telling me to "add more detail," and I would think, "what else can I possibly add??" Easy enough for him to say - you can see his blog and mind-blowingly amazing paintings here. (My professor actually graduated from my school last year! In fact, he does quick demonstration paintings in class for us, and then he sells them! That's how good he is.)

It sure was hard to hold the brush steady for such tiny areas. Painting is not the same as pencil drawing at all! I admire artists who sell custom oil portraits on Etsy, but I don't think I'll be selling them anytime soon!

Tribute to Edward Scissorhands

2011-03-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

By Nicolas Duffaut

So apparently last year was the 20th anniversary of Edward Scissorhands. I know I'm a little late to the party on this, but today I discovered a blog showing a collection of artists' and illustrators' tributes to the movie. It's really interesting to see such a range of styles and treatments - some of it is funny, some cute, some dark. Kind of like the movie!

By Nicolas Leger

By Amélie Fléchais

By Ken Garduno

Check out the Scissorhands 20th blog to see more great art!

More cute boys

2011-03-05T17:12:00.000-08:00

It seems that I have been drawing a lot of cute little boys lately. What a tough life I have, right?

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a customer with an interesting challenge. The customer had three sons, but she already happened to have a portrait of one of them. Here it is:

She wanted me to create two more portraits of her sons that match the style of the first portrait. It was an interesting process, trying to imitate someone else's style while still being true to my own. I thickened up the outlines, lightened the shading and used less detail than usual. The customer was very helpful in providing guidance about how to match the portraits to her existing one.

In the end, I quite like how both of these came out, even though it's different from what I usually do. They have a nice simplicity to them. After receiving the drawings in the mail, the customer said "I LOVE them! The portraits are stunning... thanks so much for working with me to get them just right."

All in another day's work for Drawworm!

Self-Portrait in -gasp- oil paint!

2011-02-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

This is me.

I am taking a portrait painting class this semester, and we have to use oil paint. I have never used oil paint before, so although I can draw faces alright, I'm stuggling with learning to mix colors and get the paint texture right.

Our homework assignment for next week is to paint a self-portrait, which means I will be staring at this photo of myself for hours on end. Today I set up a studio in our kitchen, which gets lots of beautiful natural light.

I'm too cheap to buy an easel, so I taped an empty Kleenex box to a chair and placed the canvas on that. Please ignore the pile of plastic bags in the background - I'm taking those to be recycled soon, I promise. Here's a fancy animated GIF of the painting in progress.

After about 3.5 hours of work, the painting is definitely in its "ugly" stage. Seeing my face in this condition can be alarming, but after nearly a decade of going through my own ugly stage, I've learned to persevere. With a few more hours of work, this too shall pass.

At least I hope so. I really want this painting to turn out well, although I have no idea what I'm going to do with it after it's finished.

Men are from Mars, Etsy customers are from Venus

2011-02-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

Aren't these brothers adorable? I love how they each have a dimple on the left side. These are two portraits I recently drew for my first male Etsy customer. Yeah, I know! A male Etsy customer is like seeing a white elephant! And he was great. Thanks to his helpful comments, I believe that these two portraits are some of my best yet.

Since my customers are usually women, they tend to leave really gushy feedback, like "I love the portrait, it made me and my entire family weep uncontrollably! I will treasure it forever and cry every time I see it! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! <3" Compare that to the feedback this guy left for me:

"Extremely pleased with the quality of the portraits and the overall level of service provided."

My best regards to you too, my good sir. Thanks for the opportunity to draw from your photos!

Artist Jodi Fuchs

2011-02-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

"Collective" by Jodi Fuchs

I saw this canvas art today at Cost Plus World Market and instantly fell in love with the fresh, cheerful colors. You really can't look at this painting and feel depressed. It's just really lovely. I would love to hang it up in my home office.

After Googling the artist's name, I was surprised to find that she actually has an Etsy shop, where she sells decorative art. Here are my options:

Buy the canvas art from World Market. I love the way stretched canvas art looks on the wall, and the canvas adds a great texture to the artwork. But priced at $103 on sale, realistically this isn't really an option for me.
Buy the poster from the artist's Etsy shop. At $34, this is much more affordable, and the money would go directly to the artist. But the poster just doesn't have the same presence as the canvas art.
Get my mom to make a quilt version. This would be free for me and would look awesome. My mom's quilts always impress my friends. But this probably has a low chance of completion. No offense, Mom.
Buy a blank canvas and paint myself a copy. This has the coolness factor of being one-of-a-kind, if not exactly "original." I'm not sure how much this would cost; I might be able to snag a big canvas for about $40 during a sale. Although it might be fun to paint, I would prefer to support the original artist somehow.

Maybe I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope that World Market comes out with an awesome Groupon! Do you have any other ideas?

Three and a Bunny Portrait

2011-02-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Custom triple portrait - in my shop!

I recently finished this portrait for a returning customer. You can see how I modified the photo she gave me:

Besides obviously cropping the photo and removing the red eye, I scooted the little boy closer to the other children. I'm quite happy with how it turned out. :)

Feathering the Lovenest

2011-01-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

Vintage Chandelier from VintageChicFurniture - $275

Ever since I was a little girl, I've had a fascination with pretty chandeliers. I guess it's because they have a sort of fairy tale palace quality to them. This chandelier is way too elaborate for my little apartment right now, but you know...one day. Here are some other handmade things I picked out to decorate my dream home. Usually I like things that are simple, with clean lines, bright colors, and just a little something different about them.

Teal Owl Pillow by lolley - $35

I recently wrote on Facebook that "asking a wife not to buy decorative pillows is like asking her not to breathe." My friend Doug, who is soon to be married, seemed annoyed by this idea. I told him to get used to it.

Hello Pillow by HoneyPieDesign - $34

This would be great on our couch, which is usually the first thing guests see when they walk into our apartment. Although I really enjoy supporting artists on Etsy, I'm thinking about making this pillow myself in order to save a little money.

Vintage Metal Bird Cage from 86forthehome - $54

I would put fake birds in here, then I would hang it from the ceiling, then true, lasting happiness would finally be mine.

Porcelain Pomegranate Vase by NewMoonStudio - $38

This vase is beautifully and simply designed. And I like red things. It would look beautiful with a bunch of white baby's breath flowers in it.

Modern Squirell (sic) Clock by decoylab - $68

Because my husband loves squirrels.

Mid Century Lamps from ethanollie - $125

These vintage lamps remind me of something from my grandma's house. Maybe because she's also from the mid century.

Beginner vs. Advanced Portraits

2011-01-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

Let's just jump right in here. There are three basic characteristics which tend to show up in the pencil portraits that beginners draw.

Strong outlines
Light or minimal shading
Dull, messy hair

Here are some examples:

"Ann" by Evelinepoodle

The artist got all of the facial features in the right places, and the lips have a very good shape to them. But there are really only two shades here: white and light grey. That's why the face appears flat. Also notice the line around the jaw, mouth and nose.

I don't want to seem like I'm picking on anyone, so here is a drawing I did back in 2002. Although my little brother is instantly recognizable, the drawing still looks flat. Again you can see a dark outline around the jaw, the shading is very light, and the hair is just a mess. I think I put more effort into my super girly high school signature than I did on the hair.

T.H. by MinnemannE

This portrait is a little different because the artist was able to get some dark greys and blacks into his drawing - but there's very few values in between. The face is basically white and black with a little light grey shading. Because there's no shading to render the forms, the artist had to draw lines around the forehead, nose and ear.

Now let's look at some really outstanding portraits, to compare:

Richard Jenkins by anticosmic

The reason this looks so photographic is because the artist used a full range of values: black, dark grey, medium grey, light grey, white, and everything in between. That's what makes the glasses look shiny. The artist also used an eraser to define the edge of the face instead of drawing a dark line around it.

Twiggy by DarthHoney

Do you see a line around the edge of the face? Nope! It's not needed because the skin is much darker than the background, so the edge stands out even without an outline.

Catherine Deneuve by Stanbos

Can you believe this is done with pencils? Now that is how you draw hair. It looks soft because the lines are all flowing in the same directions instead of being sketched haphazardly. The strong highlights and shadows are what make it look shiny.

I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad by pointing out these typical flaws in beginner drawings. I have to continually push myself to use value instead of outlines to define forms in a face, and I hardly consider myself to have mastered it. Hopefully you've learned a little about the kind of thought that goes into a portrait!

Drawing across the Pacific

2011-01-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a 3-week vacation to Japan. My husband and I went with some friends, and adventurous times were had. But I'm glad to be back. I managed to do a little drawing while I was there.

On my way to Japan, I had a 2-hour layover in Canada. I met a Japanese girl named Masumi who was waiting for the same flight. To pass the time, I offered to draw a picture for her, so she loaded up a photo of her cat. (I took this photo with my cell phone.) She was very happy with the drawing.

This is my husband and I, and the cute young couple who ran the hostel we stayed at in Japan. I drew a picture of their 4-month old baby named Moka. The picture they gave me is kind of funny, but she really was a cute baby! Her hair was always sticking up like a mohawk!

More pastels!

2010-12-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Well, my figure drawing class has finished for this year, so these will be the last pastels I show for a while. Hopefully I will be able to continue my work with them next semester. I have two oil painting classes in the spring, so that should be interesting!

This last one is my favorite so far, I think. The face and the white pants came out nicely. I think he looks like a circus performer.

Serenity portrait

2010-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

This was a lovely commission from a lovely customer! She sent me this photo, which is a combination of two different photos of the same baby. They meshed together remarkably well, which makes my job a lot easier!

The customer saw my sepia-toned drawing for Amy and wanted her drawing on sepia paper as well. I'm really glad she had this idea. Not only is this paper really forgiving to work with, but the soft and old-fashioned look of the sepia paper really works well with this particular photo. The drawing has a sweet, peaceful look to it that I'm really happy with.

More pastels!

2010-12-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone for your comments on my last pastel post. It was very encouraging! Now that I am really having fun with them, I would like to keep practicing pastels after this class ends. Here are some more sketches from my figure drawing class.

These are 2-minute poses.

This was a 20-minute pose.

This was an 1.5 hour pose. That sounds like a long time, but we take a short break every 20 minutes so the models can stretch. This model was funny; she really got into character and set up a scene with all sorts of props. It's nice when the models are enthusiastic. Sometimes they just wear their street clothes and sit there looking bored.

I had extra time, so I tried drawing this portrait.

Two more 1.5 hour poses. The cowboy with the banjo is definitely not my best, haha. Sometimes I just have "off" days.

Sweetheart Portrait, in progress

2010-12-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful little girl. Love her hair! And those long eyelashes too!

Curly hair takes a lot of careful work and attention to shading, but I enjoy doing it.

Paintings have Spirits

2010-12-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

Portrait of Mrs. Carl Meyer and her Children, by John Singer Sargent (1895)

This is my favorite painting from my Art History textbook.

Yesterday my illustration professor said, "Paintings have spirits. When you paint something that you really love, a part of you goes into it. You can tell just by looking at a piece whether or not the artist loved what they were painting. There's a lot of spiritless paintings out there."

Two years ago I would have rolled my eyes at this. I hate it when artists take their work too seriously and act like it's super deep and meaningful and blah blah blah. But my illustration professor is not that kind of person at all, and what he said rang true to me.

Having run drawworm for two years now, I have discovered that these portraits really do seem to have spirits. Several of my customers have told me that when they first saw their drawing in person, it brought them to tears. The drawings have some sort of emotional quality that the photographs don't.

I can also look back at a few of my works and see the lack of spirit there. The Bible says "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart," and I'm beginning to believe that that's especially important for artists.

Practicing Pastels

2010-11-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

I've been working with pastels for about two months now in my figure drawing class. At first I hated pastels. They are messy and difficult to use. This was my first attempt at drawing one of the live models in our class. I really had no idea what I was doing, and it was frustrating.

Over the course of a few weeks, though, I began to figure out pastels. Now I really enjoy using them, although it's still a bit hit-and-miss sometimes!

My professor says he is surprised by how much detail I'm able to draw in the tiny faces - no doubt this comes from my love of portrait drawing!

I've noticed that male models love to stand with their feet spread apart. They also love to pose with weapons.

Jammies portrait

2010-11-15T09:20:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of drawing this cute little girl a few weeks ago.

It's pretty hard to feel sad while drawing happy children. I've noticed that I also tend to imitate the facial expressions of whoever I'm drawing - if I'm drawing a smiling person, I tend to smile without realizing it.

A gift for grandma

2010-10-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

(image source)

My grandparents recently moved to a different state, to be near my aunt. I have a lot of memories of collecting oak leaves and acorns at my grandparents' lovely forest home, so I bought this necklace as a housewarming gift for my grandmother.

The Etsy seller ArtisanHandcrafted makes these necklaces from real leaves by "electroplaning" them in metal. (Don't ask me what that means!) The necklace arrived in a pretty little box, and looks even more beautiful in person than it does in the photo. I told the seller about why I was buying the necklace, and she sent me the sweetest reply. That's the fun part about shopping on Etsy: the personal connections between artists and customers. It makes every purchase seem extra special.

Here are some more necklaces from her shop; I especially like the Japanese maple leaf.

Japanese maple leaf necklace

Eucalyptus Leaf necklace

Black Oak leaf necklace

2010-10-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

Continuing my series of portraits of cute kids, look at this little guy!

I don't usually enjoy drawing clothing very much, but the overalls were a lot of fun. All the details made them interesting!

Elephant Man Portrait Postcard

2010-10-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

(image source)

I found this on Etsy today: a postcard with an original drawing of The Elephant Man on it. Imagine mailing this postcard to someone you dislike. Just the blank postcard, with no message written on back. I think it's a great idea.

But am I willing to pay $75 just to make someone feel confused, and maybe a little threatened? At first I would say no, but then again, the postcard comes with a signed "certificate of authenticity." So now I'm kind of on the fence. What do you think?

Little Fairy portrait

2010-10-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

I completely understand the look of happiness on this little girl's face. I personally believe that few things in life are better than a good pair of fairy wings.

This photo was great to work from. The cute pose, the lighting, the girl's expression are all really nice. I feel like the drawing needs something more, though. Maybe some background shading, perhaps?

Paper Cutouts come to life

2010-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Flower Fireworks by Papercutdiecut - $90

Paper cutouts have become extremely popular these days. There's some real stunners on Etsy, which all the more amazing because they are made by hand, not with lasers!

San Francisco mapcut by studiokmo - $1,100

Can you believe this one?! Amazing!

Autumn Kiss by tinatarnoff - $70

When I Die I Shall Become the Stars print by monpetitfantome - $15

My friend sent me this video, commissioned by the New Zealand Book Council. It's like a papercut come to life. I can't understand a thing the narrator is saying, but it's still fascinating.

Young and Old portrait

2010-10-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

I recently completed this commissioned portrait of a young man with his (recently deceased, I believe) grandmother.

The challenge was to combine these two different photographs. I was a little worried about how well they would mesh together, since the lighting is different on each one. But I think that the drawing ended up looking pretty natural, like the young man and his grandmother are really standing side-by-side.

I've discovered like I like drawing elderly people. They may not be as easy to draw, like babies, but their faces have a lot of character.

Norman Rockwell's References

2010-10-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

Does this photograph look familiar to you?

Norman Rockwell had the photograph taken to use as a reference for his famous illustration, After the Prom. You can see more of his photos at this great article I found on Photo District News. NPR also has an article comparing Rockwell's photos and paintings.

Because I've always drawn portraits from photographs, I used to worry that maybe I was "cheating" somehow, and that a "real" artist would be able to draw portraits without the help of a photo. In art school I have been relieved to discover that illustrators often use photographic references for their drawings - very few, except maybe comic book artists, work purely from imagination.

(Look how he exaggerated the policeman's shoulders!)

I've always admired Norman Rockwell, and it's good to see that his artwork came from both photographs and his imagination.

Realistic vs. stylized

2010-09-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

I'm back!

I've been working hard at art school. We had an interesting assignment during last week's illustration class that I wanted to share with you. The professor gave us several photos to choose from, including a pirate, an elephant and a queen. I chose this photo of two gypsies, or bellydancers, or something.

We had two hours to draw two versions of our photo: one realistic and one stylized. Two hours sounds like a lot of time to be drawing, but it went by way too fast! I kept looking up at the clock, thinking "oh crap!" and quickly returning to my furious sketching.

Here is my realistic drawing. I spent a little too much time on this one, and to be honest, I think it's kind of boring!

Here is my "stylized" drawing. As you can tell from my pencil portraits, I usually do realistic drawing. I've never really tried to do anything stylized, so I was just making this up as I went along. Inspired by my friend Elizabeth, who draws very rubbery-looking people, decided to emphasize the gypsies' flowing, curvy clothing and give them tiny feet. Although I didn't quite finish the bottom half, this is my favorite of the two drawings. The professor said, "there are some fun things going on here."