Take a behind-the-scenes look at my artistic process
Hi everybirdy!
How are things going today? Things are pretty good around here. I’ve been a fairly busy birdy lately. How about you?
Today I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at my artistic process, from sketch to print.
The sketch
I start with a pencil, an eraser, and my sketch book. I play with ideas in my sketchbook, some I like and some, not so much. I choose one (or more) sketch(es) for the next steps.
Transferring the image onto watercolor paper
I copy my sketch onto a sheet of copy paper. I scribble all over the back of the page where the image is located using a graphite crayon. Using washi tape, I layer a piece of hotpress Fabriano Studio Watercolor Paper on a drawing board and put the copied image with the graphite crayon, image side up. I tape it all down with washi tape in the corners for a little stability. To transfer the image, I draw over top of the copy. I check to make sure that it’s working as expected every now and again. When I think I’m done, I take a look at the image underneath and carefully lift a corner of the tape to peek at the transferred image. When I’m happy, I take off the tape and am ready to move on to the next step. Painting!
Painting!
I play with acrylic paint colors on scraps of paper to see what I want to use for my piece.
Organizing to paint
I’m not going to lie. I’m not the most organized person in every aspect of my life. However, when it comes to painting I find that t’s nice to have a system and make sure that I’m I set up. I find it helps to prevent problems like “was I using the Carribean blue or the turquoise?”
I use a bin from IKEA for all of my supplies. Into my bin goes:
- Any swatches I made for this piece
- All of the acrylic paints I’m using for that piece
- The paintbrushes I think I’m going to want to use
- A paint palette
- Paper towels or rags to wipe my brushes off
- Brush cleaner
Things I use that don’t go into my bin:
- An apron
- A brush tub (to rinse my brushes)
- Drawing board (the one I used to transfer my image)
- An easel
Painting
I pour some paint onto the paint palette. Sometimes I mix paint to get a different color. Then I start to paint. And keep painting.
Details
After finishing painting, I add in some details with colored pencils.
Getting technical
- Scan
- Edit in Photoshop to clean it up.
- Test print at home and then at Staples. If I find anything out of place, I go back to edit in Photoshop. .
- Once I’m satisfied, I make an order from the POD company I work with to make sure it looks okay.
Commercial break
Want to add some whimsy to your space or your little one’s nursery? Or maybe send a fun gift? The print featured in this post is available in the shop! Head over to check it out here
Then I patiently wait
Hahaha! If my husband or sister are reading this, they're probably laughing. I track my order to see when it will arrive. On the day it's scheduled to arrive, I do my best to make sure I get the package right after it's been delivered.
I think this print of Peter looks nice framed but there are other options you can check out in this blog post.
Thanks so much for visiting!
I’m so glad you’re here and hope you have a great day!
