Finally Finished

The finished product. Image is 4.5 x 5.5

Almost There

A little more progress

This is where I am at now. Unfortunately the gold doesn't scan very well but I think you can get the idea. Little bits here and there to do and I want to add more gold but am not sure where yet.

Illuminated Heart Next Step

illuminated Heart progress

Here is the next step and a little more. I chose blue and while browsing through a book on illuminated manuscripts I decided to outline it in white... there will be more too. I haven't done the outside yet because I am not sure what colors I am going to do it.

Illuminated Heart in Red

Well, I have chosen the colors. Red and... hmm... what do you think would go with red? I have it all planned out but I would love to hear other opinions. I stayed up way too late painting swatches and testing different methods trying to get the effect that I want. I finally figured it out. I will post more when I get the next step done. I know it is too late for Valentine's Day but I don't care. I am just enjoying this. The red is done in gouache. I was thinking of doing it in acrylics because I have a beautiful Quinacridone Crimson (dark burgundy red for those, like me, who don't have a clue what Quinacridone Crimson is) but I just really like working with the gouache. The color is Rose Madder for those that care. =) I think one of the things I like the best about gouache is that it doesn't harden while you are working with it. It drys but you just add water and keep going unlike the acrylics that dry up and then you have to get out more paint.

Twisted Letter S

Today I was going to get the color done on my illuminated heart but I saw something that sidetracked me... It was just a glimpse of something that triggered an idea. I want to do a series of letters. I know, I know! Everyone wants to do letters! Well maybe because they are fun. Anyway, I have been trying to come up with some ideas and here is a sketch of one of them. I think I will do a few different letters in a variety of designs and then any letter can be ordered in any style if I haven't done it already. Another reason that I haven't finished the heart is because I can't seem to decide what colors to use.

illuminated heart sketch

Here is the illuminated heart that I was talking about in an earlier post. On theleft is the pencil sketch and on the right is the pen and ink done over the pencil. Now I need to decide what colors to use and start filling it in. After I get the colors on I want to go back with either white colored pencil or white paint and add little dots and details in the larger sections of color. I am not sure yet if the black pen lines will show when it is done or if they will get covered, or maybe I will go back and put them in if they get covered... hmmm... It is done on illustration board... my new favorite surface to work on. I am also enjoying this kind of work more than anything I have done before. =)

Rose Valentine

Here is the finished product... I think I like it better than the last one... yah, I do. Pen and ink with gouache fill on Bristol or illustration Board. 4 x 4 inches.