SH Xmas Card Musings

I'm thinking it should have something with Signy (and maybe Gabby too).

Santa's workshop?

Pulling off Santa's boot as he goes back up the chimney?

An ornament or a snow globe with a castle motif?

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Googling Santas and chimneys (or variations on the theme).  Also snow globes, with a thought to either containing or reflecting the SH castle.

I really like this idea, with Signy pulling off Santa's boot.  ;->

I need to do a notan drawing on the lights, darks & mediums.  

More Carving

More carving.  

BW.

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They're a pair, so I need to match up a few things ~ like drawing the cloud outside the lines, making the sky the same, etc.

Back to Work On Steampunk Nicky

Nicky's coming along.  Getting those fiddly details in.

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BW scan of block.

BW/MIR scan of block ~ faux print.

More carving.

More carving.

Taking a break now.

Paleo Rustlers ~ Carving

Hmm.  Block doesn't fit on the scanner bed.  Hangs over one side or the other.  That'll make scanning the print a little irksome as well.  Oh well, it'll work out.

Following the grain for the most part.  About to branch off from it to create a stream.

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Carving a little more on the "stream."

Paleo Hunters (Aliens)

Drew cartoon onto block.  I followed the grain in the wood as much as possible.  I like the ripples expanding out from the knot especially.

Ready to carve.

ochre colorway

Color Play

Playing with color on washi.  Doesn't take pastel well.  I'll be printing on sturdier paper.

She's a kewtie.  8-]

Gabby Test Prints

Test prints in gray and taupe.

gray on washi paper

taupe on washi paper under wax paper and baren

block cleaned and powdered ~ I'll brush it when it's dry

assorted test prints in shades of gray and taupe

May try black next time, just to compare.  I was hoping to make Gabby look more natural.  I plan to add pastel to the background.  WIP.

Gabby block Nearly Done

Might be done.  At least for a test print.

Faux print ~ greyscale mirrored image to see what it'll look like printed.

I'll be printing it with grey or tan or beige for Gabby's shading.  I'll be adding pan-pastel for color.

Of course I know I'll have to recarve some lines after I print.  The wood always swells and my lines are chronically too fine.  ;- j

More Gabby

Gabby Block Scan

Gabby so far.

BW view

Even darker to show what stands out.

More Gabby-girl

Gabby So Far

More Gabby Block

Lots of little fiddly bits.  I know I'm avoiding carving on Gabby.  ;- j

More Gabby

Carvity-carve.

Gabby and the Wild Blue Yonder

Back to work on Gabby.  8-]

Gabby and the Wild Blue Yonder

I want to finish it in time for xmas. ;-]  I plan to print it in a very light grey or a tan or ecru (ochre?), then add pastel for color and highlights.

ES Chop

Carving my chop today at Tina's.  Made a chalk print.

I like it.  8-]  I need to cut the block down smaller and make a handy backing for it.

~*~

I'm going to hacksaw the chop off/out of the block.

Steampunk Nicky

Transferred the Nicky Steampunk cartoon.  Started to carve and froze.  I wasn't sure how I wanted to carve it, so I ruminated about it.  I printed a light version of the Nicky "selfie" and got more detail.  Then I got the brilliant idea to print the block in light gray.  I'll be adding pastel anyway for color, and I can add black the same way.  But Nicky is a gray kitty and that's the best way to get his color.

Also, I'm going to make the airship much bigger in the background.  It'll only show the nose, maybe a bit of the gondola.

Busy Art Day

Tina sealed my pastel woodcuts with final fixative.  They look more jeweltone.  All along I was thinking they'd look muddy or dark, but I guess fixative has improved since I was in high school.  
;-}  I'll have pics later.

Pastel'd a mini-dragonfly ~ from an ATC exchange.

3-color technique (red, green, yellow-orange) with purple and a reddish brown in the background.  Also a thin line of dark blue under the body to make it more 3-D.

Worked on a new chop.

I prefer the rectangular one.  Looks more like two separate letters.

Square is ok, more chop-like.  Have to see if it reads like an e and an s. 

So what size?

Smaller?

About that I'd say.

Or this?

Gabby ~ Gabrielle

Gabrielle with steampunk wings.  8-]

Steampunk Critters

Working on a new woodcut.  Nicolas (Nicky Chong).  I've decided to carve a 4"x6" block.

Still thinking about a matching one for Gabrielle (Gabby).