As the holiday season approaches and I start to get requests for portraits, I thought I’d share a little bit about what goes into making a portrait. Partly because I thought it would be an interesting subject, but also as a reminder that if you’re looking for a portrait as a gift, especially if youContinueContinue reading “Creating a Portrait”
Tag Archives: art
Quick Tip: Overlay
When I’m working on a portrait and I can tell something isn’t quite right, but I’m not sure how to fix it, one of my best strategies is using Photoshop. I’ll scan or take a picture of my art, import it into Photoshop, and then overlay it on top of the original reference photo. ByContinueContinue reading “Quick Tip: Overlay”
Drafting Film
For the last few months I’ve been experimenting with a new type of paper called drafting film. Specifically I’ve been using Dura-Lar Grafix paper, which is a little different from true drafting film (from what I understand), but for simplicity’s sake I’ll just refer to it as drafting film. I wanted to write a postContinueContinue reading “Drafting Film”
Trying New Things
Mastering a skill tends to involve years of practice and effort. So it’s no surprise that many artists find a favourite medium, and specialize in it. I’m certainly one of those — now that I’m very comfortable with coloured pencils, that’s my go-to medium, and I rarely work in anything else. And there’s nothing wrongContinueContinue reading “Trying New Things”
Looking Back
One of the really challenging things about being an artist is self-doubt. It plagues us all, and often times that nagging voice that tells us we aren’t good enough is hard to silence. I’ve written posts that touch on this before (Am I Good Enough?, Staying Motivated), but today I wanted to focus on oneContinueContinue reading “Looking Back”
Coloured Pencil, Pastel, or Ink?
Did you know I offer pet and wildlife portraits in three distinct media? Each option showcases your pet a little differently, so I thought I’d share some details about each one, so you can pick the perfect style for your pet! Coloured Pencil This is my most popular style, and is a great way toContinueContinue reading “Coloured Pencil, Pastel, or Ink?”
Tool Tip: Pencil Sharpeners
I’ve gotten a lot of questions recently on what kind of pencil sharpener I use for my coloured pencils. For a long time I was using a basic metal sharpener, which did the job just fine, until my pencils started getting really short. Once they were about half of their normal length, the majority ofContinueContinue reading “Tool Tip: Pencil Sharpeners”
Pollinators in Danger
My drawing of a Western Bumblebee. Reference photo by Stephen Ausmus Last year I was approached over the Christmas holidays to produce some art centred around pollinators that are threatened by climate change and human activity. While I was aware that pollinators and bees in particular have been declining in numbers, I didn’t know whichContinueContinue reading “Pollinators in Danger”
You’re So Talented
When I share my work, in person or on social media, it’s always gratifying when someone tells me how much they like it. I put hours of careful work and detail into each piece, so I love getting positive feedback. One of the things I do hear about my work is ‘you’re so talented!’ WhileContinueContinue reading “You’re So Talented”
Is It Done?
I find that no matter how much time I’ve spent on a piece, or how meticulous I’ve been, there’s always a part of it I feel I can still work on. When I look at one of my portraits, I always see something I could refine, something I could do better. So how do IContinueContinue reading “Is It Done?”
Adlaya's Art 