Wild Things Monster

This is a pen drawing of a monster from the children's book "Where the Wild Things Are."  This book was my middle daughter's favorite childhood book.  This is not an original sketch but I reproduced it for a birthday card fro her birthday on Sunday.  I have done this themed card before so she will love it.

Plains cloud study

I worked on this plains cloud study block-in.  It is easy to work on these mall studies after returning from the day job.  I will probably work on adjustments on over the weekend to these small studies to make adjustment in colors, values, and details.

Moonlight Winter tree

This is a small study I worked on this evening.  I thinly blocked in the night sky and then worked on calligraphy-ing the tree trunk and branches.  I will add some more branches and a little depth into the trunk to add some roundness to it.

Bufflehead Duck study

I have been practicing some different oil subjects and this is one, not a original design but I liked it as a challenge. It will need some work on the water and some of the feather design but it is a decent start for an interesting winter duck in Maryland.

Smoky Sunrise

Today's post is the start of a smoky sunset, like the ones you would see at Yellowstone National Park. This is the block-in details to follow.

Sunset study

This is the first stages of the block-in of a sunset scene.  I will smooth out the transition in the sky and I will add fir trees against the sky.  These are part of a series of practice studies I have decided to do to help with the improvement and the move to the level I want to reach in painting.

Horse - Dawn study

This is the block-in of a study in morning light with horses in the foreground.  I plan to work some more lights into the sky, refine the tree line, and add detail to the foreground.  These little studies are all part of the practice needed to get my paintings up to the standard I want to achieve.