Wordless Wednesday

Cat Eyes

Well I am glad to discover that the Bruynzeel design pencils blend well with Prismacolor pencils. Now I want to see what they look like with mineral spirits!

I think I just may do a red feline next, I've had an idea for one on the back burner for awhile.

Hmm, Can't Decide!

I started this small piece that is focused on a cats very green eyes. As I was about to color the fur I stopped, grey pencil in hand. I realized, why grey when I can do deep purple or deep red!

So I ask you which should it be?? Purple or red my friends, I am letting you decide!

Wordless Wednesday

The Bruynzeel design Colored Pencils

First off, Happy New Year! I hope most are in slightly warmer temperatures then I am tonight in the below zero range. I know there is a ways to go but I really can't wait till mid-spring! Mostly just so I can play in the garden :)

I got around to finishing my piece that I used my new pencils on and wanted to share my thoughts; trying to be as thorough as I could think of.
Since the Bruynzeel design colored pencils are new to me, I wanted to do a review on them. With Prismacolor premier colored pencils being the only other brand I have used, I will be using them for comparison. (I am not counting the Derwent water color pencils or watersoluble pencils into this since I use those with water). When first picking up one of the Bruynzeel pencils, I noticed they felt slightly heavier then a Prismacolor.

First thing I did was make a compare sheet for them. Most of them did not share the same names and I had to sort of eye ball them to get the closest colors. Yet even some of the ones that do seem way off like the light green, so I found another Prismacolor color that was closer.

The Bruynzeel pencils have a very creamy feel and lay down to them. You can see too that the colors are very vibrant. Layering is very smooth and many can go on one another. They also sharpen very well and I do not see any problems of cracking or breaking off of the core in the process; they seem very sturdy.

On the drawing I used them on, the goal was to only use the Bruynzeel pencils. This didn't work out when it came to the golden yellow parts and the nose. Since I couldn't replicate the desired color with the Bruynzeel, I used Prismacolor on those parts. I did not mix the two brands together.

"Shinx"
4in. x 6in.
Colored Pencil on Drawing paper

The light blue and cobalt blue were the most used in this with a little white, black, and havana brown. I loved that it was easy to sharpen them to a fine point so that I could make thin, solid lines. I think the only 'problem' I had was working around the fact that I didn't have extra blues to make shading easier. I am a little spoiled on that with my Prismacolor pencils since I have almost the entire set.

I wouldn't recommend these for a beginner to colored pencils, I did have to work them out a little bit to get the right feel for layering and shading. Also they are a little higher in price and this may be discouraging. (What convinced me to buy them was that they were on sale AND free shipping was offered at the time).
I enjoyed using these pencils and am currently considering whether I want to buy a few more of them or not. Unfortunately they are harder to come by here in the States and I have only seen them online and by a small number of sellers at that. Next I want to try mineral spirits on them, then see if maybe they mix well with the Prismacolors.

If I forgot anything and you have questions, please feel free to ask!

Bruynzeel-sakura website: Site

Art Update And New Toy

This is as far as I got with it before I got...bored? Restless? Something. Maybe I'll go back to it, really don't know.

So I have had these urges to do fanart. I think I have been looking at too much of other peoples art and now want to do my own. Contagious I guess but I also look at it as a way from me to explore with drawing as some might present challenges. Of all things I have started with Pokemon, yes I still play the games and no I don't watch the anime. So a few of them are going to show up till I get this all out of my system and move on.
Here is the first one:

"Plusle and Minun"
6in. x 6in.
Colored Pencil on Bristol smooth

I read this interesting article on using mineral spirits on colored pencil. I loved the demonstrations they gave and had to try it myself. I used mineral spirits on the background of this and love how it looks. I think it did a better job of blending the two colors together then if I had done without or used a blender. So I will definitely be exploring more with the spirits in other drawings.

Today I got my new colored pencils I ordered super early. This is the first time since I started using Prisma pencils that I have bought any other brand of colored pencil.

They were on clearance with free shipping so I thought they were calling to me :D I am now going to go use them on my next drawing!

Oh and I have twitter now! *points to right side bar*

This Busy Life

I honestly hadn't planned on being away from the blog for two months but things picked up and now I have no idea where the time went! Thanksgiving was ridiculous, had to work the night of into Friday morning for Black Friday. I really hate whoever came up with the idea of having big sales the day after you say what you are grateful for. Since then people have been rude, inconsiderate, and just down right nasty. I can't wait till Christmas is over.

Speaking of, we have an interesting tree this year. I wanted something different, so I ordered orange lights online.
Yes, orange.

My husband wants to order other colors next year since they have almost every colored light imaginable on white wire. I am totally all for that!

I also got new stockings this year since the family has expanded. I had a lot of fun putting the names on them.

Since my Dad and Jake moved in that made five but...who is this Sweetie?!
Why this beautiful girl here:

Sweetie Belle, is a Bull mastiff and is only eleven months old. Already she is almost full grown and too tall for her own good :D
A friend had gotten her and couldn't handle taking care of her so we gladly took her in. She is the biggest baby, loves attention and will sit or lay on me every chance she gets. We tried to keep her off the bed and failed miserably so now she keeps me warm at night as she has to start out laying right up against me. They say money can't buy happiness, they are full of shit. I paid the person back what they paid to get her and all of us are very happy that she joined our pack and she is happy to be here.
So now I have three dogs in the house and I couldn't be happier with the two most important men in my life to boot. Hopefully after Christmas things will calm down work wise and I can do other things besides...work.