Nautilus

From the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences.

Our friend, the chambered nautilus. I sketched him and took notes for colouring.

You aren't supposed to take flash photos of them because of light sensitivity. I DID take a non-flash photo with my iPhone before I saw the sign, but fortunately, not with a flash. Anyway, he was holding still and I thought it was a good sketching opportunity. Waaaay easier than the Seattle Aquarium where I constantly had people walking in front of me, even though I'd taken care to pick a tank with multiple vantage points.

This one had some really interesting cracks in his shell, and the banding pattern doesn't go all the way round, like it does on some of the other nautiluses. (Nautilii?)

Painted in Photoshop. The colour isn't strictly accurate--I have a couple layers where I painted the shell creamier, but in the end, I liked the dramatic colouring. (If you'd like to see what more accurate colouring looks like, here's a shot from the California Academy of Sciences: www.flickr.com/photos/calacademy/4463407840/in/set-721576... )

Turtle Detail

Turtle. On a stick.

One of two turtles in the picture. I have no idea why I spent this much time rendering the little devil. God knows he's not even going to be saved at 50% likely. (I paint at 300 dpi. Web dpi is 72 dpi.)

Returning to an Old Piece

Finally got back to the Fawn and Dag picture. Redid the background. Still a ways to go, but I'm happier with it than I used to be.

Previous in progress shots:

www.flickr.com/photos/pixelfish/3387149668/in/set-7215761...

www.flickr.com/photos/pixelfish/3463381837/in/set-7215761...

www.flickr.com/photos/pixelfish/3463869506/in/set-7215761...

(This is my depiction of a scene from the second book in the Sharing Knife series by Lois Bujold.)

Eye Study

Eye study following the tutorial in Digital Painting Techniques (Focal Press).

Colour Studies: Eyes, Nose, Mouth

Cordelia

Random sketch of woman, but after playing with the hair colour a bit, I decided that she was Cordelia Vorkosigan in my head. (My husband thinks she's too young to be Cordelia.)

This is the passage I had in my head when painting this: "She lifted her chin, above the stiff white lace collar of her blouse, adjusted the sleeves of her tan jacket, and kicked her knee absently against the long swirling skirt of a Vor-class woman, tan to match the jacket. The color comforted her, almost the same tan as her old Betan Astronomical Survey fatigues. She ran her hands over her red hair, parted in the middle and held away from her face by two enameled combs, and flopped it over her shoulders to curl loosely halfway down her back. Her grey eyes stared back at her from the pale face in the mirror. Nose a little too bony, chin a shade too long, but certainly a serviceable face, good for all practical purposes. "

Obviously, I've got the eye colour wrong--I'd make them grey if I revisit this.

baencd.thefifthimperium.com/24-CryoburnCD/CryoburnCD/Nove... - The book is here. In the second half, Cordelia has one of my most favourite moments in books EVAR with a memorable scene which I will not here describe other than to say it establishes her as a total badass. As TV Tropes calls it, it's a crowning moment of awesome that I don't want to spoil for you.

Tonight's Sketches

A fountain. (Bonus points if you can tell me where this is. :) I took the reference shot with my cell phone camera.)




Value Sketch done from observation.