What I did on my "Summer Vacation"

So, "vacation" might not be the right word for when you've been too sick to work much, but let's just gloss over that for the time being (except to say, if you're old enough for the shingles vaccine, go get it!!)  (NOW!)  (If you want to be seriously grossed out by my shingles story, click here.)

I actually have several graphics I've gotten wrapped up and haven't told you about along the way, and have a portrait of one of my favorite dogs EVER on my table at the moment.  Sadly, it's a memorial portrait, which I still cannot believe.  *sigh*  Truman was one of the few of my portrait clients that I've actually had the honor and joy to know in person.

Let's start with the graphics and illustrations, shall we?  

After completing two logos for Brian Southwick (the his real estate logo here, and this real estate development logo here), Brian's wife got in touch with me to work up a logo for her. Also a real estate agent - broker, actually - she wanted something to reflect her own interests in gardening as well as to give a sense of the sophisticated homes she sells, with colors that would work with the identity colors of the company she works for. We kept this very clean and the symbology clear.

Kiens Logo
©Xan Blackburn 2014

SilkenFest 2014 (primary logo)
©Xan Blackburn 2014

I have had a lot of fun working with Iola and Penny on this next one.  An earlier project they were involved with resulted in some graphics that ended up on the cutting room floor, but which had a lot of support.  We recycled part of that un-used imagery to create a logo for the 2014 SilkenFest; the big annual event for fanciers of the Silken Windhound.  This one has three versions, so far, which can be used in various settings, including a backdrop for photographs of the winners of the various events.

SilkenFest 2014 (variant)
©Xan Blackburn 2014

Awhile back, we took a jaunt down to California and stopped in at a tiny dog show in the Sierra foothills.  I met a woman who was showing her Lagotto Romagnolos, a breed I'd never run across before.  We got to talking, I gave her my card, and we've worked on three projects so far. The first was a logo for the Lagotto Club of America,  which I talked about here.  These two are for the Lagotto club specialty; one for the specialty logo, and the other for a custom wine label.  I really enjoyed building up a watercolory effect with these two.  I tried doing actual watercolors for the wine label, but the learning curve was too steep to get the effects I wanted with the editability we need for logos, so back to Photoshop we went!

Lagotto Specialty Logo
©Xan Blackburn 2014

Larcan Lagotto Wine label
©Xan Blackburn 2014

Starfyre Silken Windhound Kennel Logo
©Xan Blackburn 2014

This one was fun!  (I have such nice clients!!)  Working from a photo of one of my client's gorgeous hounds, we played with the wonderful silky fur, and the kennel name (Starfyre), for this treatment.  They thought they might even want a black line version as a tattoo (now that's a lot of like!), so we also have this version.

Starfyre Logo/tattoo design
©Xan Blackburn 2014

Illustration for water field guide
©Xan Blackburn 2014

Work continues on my husband's field guide for water use.  I mentioned the cover design here.  It's been enjoyable doing this pen and ink-style drawing.  I'm doing the drawings digitally, but they still feel very old-school to me.

Illustration for water field guide
©Xan Blackburn 2014

Now, on to Truman's Portrait

Truman - work in progress
©Xan Blackburn 2014

Truman was a big, beautiful greyhound, a blue brindle, which is a coloring that never fails to just make my heart go pitter-pat.  Besides being a knock out physically, he was a knock out personality, too.  Huge.  This portrait captures an especially quiet moment, I expect after so much throwing himself around that he was exhausted.  Lying in the grass in the cool shade of summery trees, I want to focus in on his pale amber eyes, that resting-but-ready attentiveness, and of course the classically long greyhound schnozzle.  

On the left you can see the beginnings of the under painting.  I've transferred my drawing to the canvas, and have basically nailed down the main elements using my old pal, Payne's gray.  The next steps show the building up of the underpainting, establishing the darker tones, building up what will be almost a full grey-tone painting, to which I will then add the colors.  

Truman - work in progress
©Xan Blackburn 2014

Note that the pupils are a little out of control, and that I have reclaimed them in the next phase below.  His spare brindling is also becoming more noticeable, as well as the overall light/dark focus.  His face will have the most light, the most contrast, while his body will recede into the shadow a bit, and the background will hold atmospheric light to allow us to feel the sunny day surrounding this quiet moment.

Truman - work in progress
©Xan Blackburn 2014

So, that's where I'm at as of today.  Always plenty to do, right?

The idea got tossed out that I might do a graphic novel/comic book using sighthounds ...

(and other breeds, probably) as the characters, maybe some super-hero action, maybe serialized, maybe digital and/or print-on-demand ....  Anyone have any thoughts on that?  Would you actually buy something like that?  What kind of story-line would be more compelling, to you?  I'd love to hear from you!  Drop me a comment!

Split Personality: Graphics & Portraits

I have gone back and forth over the last few years:

Keep graphics on my menu of services vs. concentrate on portraiture.  

On the one hand, I want to grow and develop my skills and career as a fine artist, which argues for being exclusive to the non-commercial work.  On the other hand, sometimes (like all winter long) I'm just not there, but I still need to make a living, which argues for continuing with the graphics.  

Okay, well, I guess I'll do both.  Still.  Again.  Okay, I never actually stopped, but I did sort of quietly take any mention of commercial art off my website.

So now it's back, but it's kind of its own thing.  It's over here.  Let me know what you think of the look and feel of the new site!

Spring Forward

Shawn in the spotlight

Shawn on Dewey Beach

This portrait has been gestating since ... Oh my ... April, 2008!  Kelly won a portrait by me in a raffle, way back when, and we never did pin down just who was going to get the treatment.  Kelly finally decided Shawn would take center stage, we actually chose a photo, and the first layer of paint is on the canvas.  Whew!  Look at those EARS!  The painting is 9" x 12", acrylic on canvas.  I'll let you follow along as I go, as usual.  At this moment, the drawing is just about to be transferred to the canvas, which has had an underlayer of soft blue laid down already.

Nice warm graphics

While my muse has been thawing out from her winter hibernation, I've been doing a little this and that to prime the pump (that is what is known as a mixed metaphor).  I find graphic work easier in this state than portraiture, which is good, since it was time to design this year's Hope for Hounds artwork.  That was fun.  After a rough start earlier in the winter, I put it aside.  When I came back to it, I started from scratch and just blew right through it.  In case you missed my last post, that design has gone live, with a very exciting raffle for the first collar to be made!  You can still buy tickets, at $10 for one, or $25 for three, so hop on over there!  We've got some big new ideas this year, too.  You'll want to make sure you're in on them!  ;)

On a related design note, I also enjoyed designing a couple custom fabrics that will be exclusive to 2 Hounds Design.  It's always fun working with my good buddy, Alisha!

In the last few weeks, I've had three more requests for graphics.  One was a logo that both the client and I shelved last fall, one is for a dog breed club's national event (using a previously designed element from an unused graphic - recycling!), and one is for a custom wine label for a previous client (is that also recycling?)  All are in progress, so I can't unveil any of them yet, so you'll have to take my word for it for now.  I'll show you when I can.  I'm champing at the bit to show you!

My hubby has also been availing himself of the in-house design department (that would be me) to update his logo (which I designed years ago*) and his blog's banner.

Okay, it's not fancy, but it works, and it's purty.

He's also working on a book, for which I'll be doing illustrations.  I worked this up for a working cover image.

Looking forward: Feedback appreciated!

In a previous post, I talked about my plans for this year, and next winter specifically.  I've added another idea to my pile.

Last year, I created a custom greyhound art doll (aka stuffie, plushie, stuffed animal, soft sculpture, cloth portrait ...) as a fundraiser.  I've had many requests for more, and also for the pattern.  If you were following that epic saga, you'll know I really made it up as I went along, with a lot of trial and error, but I did end up with a pretty cool pattern.  So, what do you think about an e-book of instructions (lots of pictures, of course!), including a pattern that could be transferred by grid to whatever size you wanted?

If you like that, how about this added bit: the book would have a link to purchase a cut-and-sew fabric printed with the pattern, for the option to let me take some of the work out of it for you?

Liking this so far?  Okay, how about if I created several versions of the cut-and-sew patterned fabric for different color dogs (fawn, fawn and white, brindle, black, etc.)?  Once you have the instruction book, with the fabric link, you can buy as many of the fabric patterns as you like, of course: make a whole pack!  Use them as fundraisers!  Give as gifts to your houndie friends!  Sound like a good concept?

Considering how sewing challenged I am, I'm considering recruiting a beta-tester and proof-reader who already knows how to sew (any volunteers?  :D )

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*The leaf that brought us together!  Long story, but let's just say I threw myself at him, artistically speaking, and the rest is history!

Capturing Silkens

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm planning on being a vendor at a silken windhound event towards the end of next month.  However, I have nothing silken-related to bring!  So, I've been in panic mode to get stuff together (drawings, paintings, send those to printers for prints and cards, get prints and cards matted and packaged, get display prepared, get some kind of payment situation figured out, line up pet-sitter ...).  That means I spent a few days staring at photos, talking to owners about permissions to use photos, combing the web for printer prices and display oddments, going window shopping for display furnishings, and generally being in a non-productive dither!  Anything but actual art!

Yesterday, I told myself, was to be a day of ART, gawrsh darnit!  Pick ONE photo, study and reinterpret it, then start painting it!

Sometimes that works.  ;)

work in progress, silken windhound puppy
©Xan Blackburn, 2011

Luckily, this is one of those times!  I got two paintings up and running.  Well, H says one still looks, "nice and blank", but that's just 'cause he can't see the faint pencil drawing on the toned panel via Skype (he's on a business trip).

Here you can see where I'm at this morning on the first painting.  (This is a patched-together scan that didn't get the whole 11 x 14 panel even in two passes, so there's some photoshop re-creation involved.)  I started with a wash of deep green to give depth to the following layers, fading towards the top to create a misty horizon.  I washed in some pale yellow over all, including the sky, to give it some reflected warmth from the land below.  More yellow in the lower portions. I washed a very watery layer of white into the dog's outlines, which I may regret doing.  I certainly regretted it when I had to paint around it for following layers of green and yellow, with more to come!  Then I glazed on some warm red, just a blush, to warm the dog and set it off from the background.  I followed that with just the beginnings of some payne's gray shading, touching the nose and eyes, and moving around the form a bit.  I already kind of like the washy, ghosty  feel to this ... but I'm going to move it along.

Can anyone of my silken windhound friends guess yet who this is?  Or who's pup it is?

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Over the weekend, my lovely step-daughter, Sarah Harris, asked me to design her a logo for her new business in Boise, ID; Derma-Luxe.  If anyone needs a skin spa day, look her up!  She wanted something to express sophisticated luxury, not too frilly, but definitely feminine.  Here's what we came up with.  Sarah is joining the family tradition of entrepreneurship after years of training and experience in her field.  Go get 'em, Sarah!

New Project: Silken Windhounds

Lego (Allagante Mai Tai Davan, FCH, OTRC, SRC)

Okay, I really want to hear from you if you are a silken owner, or admirer, or maybe just now found out what they are.  My next push is to get some silken windhound art together for sale at an event in July.  That means a few portrait-style paintings, maybe some prints, a few greeting card designs, and blank books made with this art.

I'll be offering these new pieces on my website as well.  At least the ones that aren't sold after this first event!

During development of a logo for a SWH club this last winter, I developed a real affection for these sweet little sighthounds, with their combination of whippet size, borzoi coat, and overall grace and charm.  I'm looking forward to creating a bunch of art starring these pretty dogs, starting today!

I've asked on the various Yahoo groups focussed on silkens for reference photos to work from, and have gotten a nice lot to get me started.  If you'd like to share with me some photos of your own silken to work from, please send them to my email address: xan (at) xans-art.com.  The deal goes like this: by sending me your photos, you give me permission to use them as reference for my art.  In exchange, I'll give you first shot at buying any originals produced.  I love it when people tell me something about their pets along with sending the photos, to give me a sense of personality.  Nice clear, high-res photos are always best, of course!  :)

I'll show my progress on these pieces here on the blog, so stay tuned!  

Other Irons in the Fire

I thought I'd let you all peek behind the curtain a little more into what else goes on in my studio.  No worries!  I'll be getting back to Nikki's painting as soon as I finish writing this post.

I've been working on a trade show display for my husband.  His water treatment business has been a major client of mine for about 12 years now.  Of course, the pay has always been negotiable, but I'm happy with the return on investment.

Last year, we developed a large (6'h x 4'w), re-usable, adhesive vinyl graphic, which he'll be re-using this year.  It was part of a set of three such graphics which made a very impressive and sophisticated display for his booth.  All together, they looked like this:

total dimensions: 8'w x 4'h

Developing these pushed my aging Mac's resources because of the large file sizes, but they really look great!  He has them on his office walls now.
This year's set up will come together like this:

You can't get a good look at the two smaller graphics on either side at this size, I'm afraid.  Suffice it to say, a fair amount of work went into each element of both of them!  They're being printed on vinyl banner material, with grommets, to fix them to whatever clever support H gets worked out on the pop-up display  wall.  Exact placement isn't set in stone yet.  We are hoping to get some overlap, with some curving of the side panels, and some horizontal popping-out, which will take some engineering ingenuity, which I will defer to my hubby.  I hope to get a good picture of it all set up in the exhibition hall.

I've also been putting some energy into developing some art and products to bring to a Silken Windhound event in July.  Such pretty little dogs!  I've never been to an event with coursing or racing of any kind, or conformation or obedience or any of that, so this should be interesting.  Since these little ones are not competing to win money for their owners (at least directly, although showing well will benefit breeders of those dogs), the attitude seems much more about the fun the dogs have than profit-based racing (of which I strenuously disapprove!)  Although I find breeding any animals for human amusement, consumption or profit to be wrong, the animals produced are innocent, and lovable, as we all know!

 Watch this blog for upcoming requests for 

  silken windhound reference photos,  

  from which I can make some art!!  

Now, as I promised, back to work on Nikki!