White Tail Deer

This is a birthday card for my Brother-in Law, Danny.  He is the hunter and likes the chase for them each fall.  This was done with watercolor pencil and ink pen.

Autumn Monarch - Update 2

I worked on the Monarch today.  I am happier with the foliage and I have started working on the Elk to get the details and color right.

Autumn Monarch - Update

I worked in the Autumn Monarch adding the basic body position and further refining the foliage.  I will complete the body and the antlers.  I also think I need to add more of the bright yellow foliage and change the shape of it to make a better composition.

Yukon & White Pass Diesel Engine Sketch

This is a pencil sketch of a Yukon & White Pass Narrow Gauge Diesel engine.   This is a rail line built to access the gold fields of the Yukon Gold Rush.  The line then was part of the World War 2 effort.  We rode the line in 2013 and it is well worth the ride with unique engines and spectacular scenery in Skagway, Alaska and Canada.

Sunset Oak

Sunset Oak tree.  I went back to actually painting.  I had worked on the sky and the sun for a bit and I was not happy with it.  Eventually I liked how it was set and then started the tree.  I will probably leave ths alone and consider it finished, but I am undecided.

Narrow Gauge Water refill sketch

This is a pencil sketch of Cumbres & Toltec Steam Engine # 484 getting a water refill into its tender.  This is a pre-liminary sketch for a latter painting.

Kerri Scuba Sketch

This is Kerri, my middle daughter. A few years back we went to Belize and did some snorkeling and scuba diving.  I took a photo of Kerri coming up at the end of a dive and I always thought it would make a good piece of art. I sketched this in pencil and will probably do it larger and in oil later.  So this is the start.

Elk - Preliminary sketch

I worked on this tonight.  I am undecided as to how to add my Bull Elk to my painting.  So I will continue to experiment with the sketches.  Pencil on paper.

Autumn Monarch - pre-paint sketches

I have been gone with work and a Wife Birthday trip, so no posts. I did work on this pre-paint sketch done in pencil.  I probably won't use this exact sketch, but I want figure out the best possible set-up for the Bull Elk, so I will play with the pencil before the brush.

Autumn Monarch - more work

I did not like the background of the mountain i last night's post, once I woke up and looked at this this morning.  I remixed the paint and added grey and yet with a cooler and grayer color mix with just a little warm in it.  I then started to work out the foliage for this one.  I have it started and it will need some work to finish.  I will work out my Bull Elk Monarch in pencil sketch separately first before committing it to the canvas.

Autumn Monarch - Block-in

Tonight I started a new painting, one I am calling Autumn Monarch.  This will be a long narrow painting so no sky.  The background is the mountains purple behind fall foliage of gold and crimson.  The Monarch is going to be a Bull Elk. It should be good when I get it all worked out.

Oil Sketch Portrait

As an extension of the practice of pencil sketches of heads, I did this oil sketch of a head.  Basically it is white and black oil and no underlying drawing, all brush work.  This is not bad for the first one, but I can see where it needs improvement.

Winter Sunset - re-worked

I pulled this out of the vault and re-worked it closer to a finish.  I reworked the sky and the snow with shadows.  I did not like how it was originally and that is why it was set aside.  I will redo the tree trunks and then add the branches.

Sunset Snow stream - Block-in

Since it is hot here today, I felt like painting a snow study.  This one is a Snowy Stream while the sun sets so you have a good angle of light to make things interesting.  This is a larger painting but it is a decent start.