Study Sketches

I just started these study sketches of the eagle. These two are of the Golden Eagle, but the composition is basically the same for most eagles; with differences in size and coloration. Some of the other birds of prey(raptors) are very similar too, they're just a little bit smaller. Doing study sketches in a sketch book is a great way to practice drawing a particular subject. It helps you to perfect the subject's specific physical characteristics which make it unique, and it allows you to experiment with color and shading. Best of all it gives you the freedom to see what works and what doesn't, without the fear of messing up! Just remember that it's not supposed to be a master piece; you don't even have to draw the whole thing every time. You can focus on different parts of it at a time, like it's eyes, it's beak, it's wings, or whatever part it is concerning your subject.

Two Can Toucan

Here are a pair of Ariel/Channel-billed Toucans I recently finished. This was a birthday gift for my mom, but there are so many colorful varieties of toucans out there that I will most definitely be doing more portraits in the future!

New Bird series

Greetings!

My apologies for not posting in a while, thank you to my blog followers for your support and encouragement!

I have been pleasantly surprised at the great response my "Regal Pelican" piece has been getting, and it has definitely lifted my spirits! As a result I have decided to continue with an entire bird series, which I've already gotten a lot of positive feedback about. Among the list of upcoming birdie subjects: A Toucan, a pair of small colorful parrots, a larger red and blue parrot, some lesser-known hawk varieties, and eventually some flamingos! I'd like to open it up for more input; what birds out there do you find particularly lovely? If you have a suggestion of a kind of bird you think would make a beautiful piece of art, let me know and I just might add it to the list!

Prints Available

Hi everyone!

You can now buy prints of the Regal Pelican pastel (see previous post) on the following link:

http://society6.com/JenniferELankford

The Pelican is finished!

My Pelican pastel is finally finished; I am very proud and excited about this one! This piece is a combination of chalk pastel and watercolor pencils. Watercolor pencils are a water-soluble colored pencil that can create watercolor-like effects when used with water and a brush. You can also dip them in water and draw with them that way, which creates rather unique lines. This is the first time I've ever used chalk pastels, and I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

I have to say, that before I started working on this guy, I really didn't think of pelicans as "pretty" birds. A google search on the internet changed my mind! My mom and I found a beautiful pelican painting at a local art walk, which inspired me to investigate the world of pelicans. I discovered that male pelican can actually have some quite beautiful colorings on their beaks and heads, which I was surprised by. My pelican is a drawing of one of the photos I found online. He was a rather handsome guy sunning himself on the beach! I find it interesting, and amazing, that God gave such stunning color variations to a bird that most people would think of as being awkward and funny-looking! Framing for this guy is coming soon!

A frame can make a big difference! I finally got this painting framed and it came out beautiful. We now have it hanging in our dinning room. Just a couple of tips: Make sure to choose framing that will accentuate/complement your artwork, not distract from it. Darker frames tend to look nicer on lighter colored walls, and viceversa. If you are going to use matting and glass, choose subtle colors that already exist within the picture; by doing this the viewer's eye will be drawn into the art itself, rather than focusing on the matting. Framing, whether using matting or not, should always make the artwork the focal point.

Recently Married, and Greetings!

Hello, and thank you so much for visiting my new blog. First thing's first, for anyone who has seen my previous works, I was recently married this June, and therefore all of my new artwork will be under my new last name. My older works were done under my maiden name, which was Sherman. Lately I've had a lot of people asking me about my art, so I primarily created this blog to make it easier to share my latest works with everyone. I am also now putting my art up for sale, as well as offering to do more commissions for those who are looking for something special and customized. So take a look around and check back periodically, and if you see anything you like let me know! :)