Color My World

Today's post is all about color, (if you didn't guess that from the title already)! Before I get down to business, I have another crap-tastic picture of old to share with you...
It's not nearly as bad as the other rendering I showed you a few posts back, but still has some crazy-bad problems. Check out how HUGE I made all those bricks (not to mention the AWFUL color!). And don't even get me started on the importance of shading.

In fact, the only good thing about this drawing is the center tree, and it kinda steals the show (cause your eye is instantly drawn to it), which is a no-no when you're trying to showcase a house :(

Anyway, it goes without saying that I've tried to improve my coloring habits in the last 10 years! Like my last post, I've pinpointed some of the huge changes I've made:

Click on the picture to see a larger view

1. Highlights: Colored pencils can be your best friend...ESPECIALLY white. I use my white colored pencils on practically every part of a rendering. It's perfect for defining the edges of the house, and showing detail in the foliage.

2. Shading: I try to always layer my colors, because no object is ever just one color. There is shading and gradations in everything. So when I approach my roofs, it's not uncommon for me to throw in a small splash of purple or blue to add character. Don't be afraid to use color, but always make sure your color choices can blend smoothly together.

3. Reflections: Okay pretty obvious here. What does glass do? Reflect!! It's my final touch to all of my renderings. That punch of black in the glass and the background pulls everything together, and makes the rendering come alive!! Without it, the whole project would seem dull and light.

4. More reflections: Notice how the concrete picks up some of the blue from the sky! Also look how it reflects back part of the house. At first glance these little details aren't noticed, which means the whole rendering looks cohesive...YEAH!! That's when I know I've done my job right...when you have to REALLY study the drawing!

5. Diffusing: You wanna know the biggest difference between these two renderings. It's the steady diffusion of color. Unlike my earlier work, I realized that if I put my deepest, boldest colors towards the center of the rendering (mainly the house and immediate surround) that your eye is instantly drawn to those areas. This is why the trees in the background are darker next to the house than they are at the edge of the page! Same concept applies to the driveway and landscape. The point is to always draw the eye back towards the house.

Well that's it for now, I'll try to add in some other pointers along the way...and maybe even give you a preview of the materials I use.

Oh, and I know some of you have probably been wondering what's up with Casey these days, I'll try to work on a post soon to get you all caught up!

Starting with Black and White

I've learned over the years that if I wanted to have a good finished product, then I would need to perfect my penmanship before I even got to the color. Inking out a rendering is by far the most important part, even more important than the color choices I make (and I've made some really BAD color choices). It makes sense though, the ink is basically the bones of a drawing, and if the bones don't look good, nothing I place on top will look good.

So I've compiled a list of things that I've learned over the years, in regards to inking out a rendering. And I'm providing you with a handy-dandy cheat sheet (rendering) to follow along. Yeah!!


1. Depth: It's extremely important to show the surroundings and dimension in a drawing. Even if I'm drawing a one-point perspective drawing, I need to add depth. So foreground and background are key. But at the same time, I always want the viewers eye to be drawn directly to the home.

2. Dead Space: When I'm drawing I like to add in empty pockets (especially to the roof). This gives an overall more finished/polished look (weird, I know). And it also helps add in the idea of sun reflection in those areas.

3. Ink Dimension: This is probably the most crucial lesson I've learned. Not all lines are created equal. My job as an artist is to show you what needs to stand out. So the outline of the roof needs to be darker/thicker than the shingle hashing. The same concept applies to every other part of the house/drawing.

4. Reflection: All surfaces can be reflective, even the drive way. So I try to tie in all the individual elements with subtle reflections. This comes in a little more prominently when I get to the coloring phase of a rendering, but still plays a big role in the inking.

and last but not least...

5. Texture: Everything has texture. Whether that be smooth and sleek, or rough and bumpy...every surface has a feeling. The tricky part is showing that feeling. So look for texture in everything from stucco to concrete to glass!

I hope you've enjoyed my mini-tutorial! These lessons took me a long time to figure out...and even longer to pull together and put into practice! Lord knows, I wouldn't be the artist I am today without a LOAD of practice!!

Workin' 9 to 5

Come on...you all know the words!

Anyway, I thought today would be a great day to introduce you to some of my work. I bet a few of you out there in Blogland didn't even know that I worked! Heck, sometimes I forget too!!

I'm very fortunate to own a business that is more seasonal in nature than other companies. It gives me time to commit to other projects and family filled activities! But enough about all that...here's what I do:

I'm an artist who specializes in color renderings for residential and commercial use. Haven't heard of someone like me before? You're not alone! Most the time I'm met with confused looks when I tell people what I do. So it's so much easier showing people...then telling people!

If you're a Wichita native, then you'll know all about the Home Show that is coming up this next month (Feb.). I'll be there, helping out with my Dad's booth. He's a draftsman (so much easier to explain!), and it's because of him that I got started in the construction industry.

Nearly 10 years ago I started drawing for my Dad. Making presentations that he could present to clients. I wasn't that great back then. In fact, here is what my first few renderings looked like:

I know, major YIKES!! I usually cringe when I look back at these AWFUL photos. But I've been able to slowly perfect my skilz (that's right I just said skilz)!

So since I'm honed in on my work right now, it seemed only natural that I share some of my experience with you. These next few weeks I'll try to post some examples of the things I've learned over the years...as well as some more terrible blasts from the past!

Be prepared, some of them are doozies!

And if you're interested in a custom drawn house plan, check out my Dad's company at: www.rbdrafting.net

Angie's Thoughts of the Day

So I thought I would try something new out today...and maybe it will catch on in the rest of my blog posts! But I'm going to make an effort to try to maybe, kinda, see what would happen, just spit balling, you know, give it a whirl/post some of my "Random Thoughts" (I know, this could be dangerous). And if you could follow all of my circling trains of thoughts above, then you'll probably, maybe, sorta like this!! HA

Anyway, here is today's though:

The last few days I have completely run out of necessities in my fridge. I have this bad habit of trying to only go to the store once a month, and to use up everything before I go back. It probably stems from a dislike of shopping with out the Hubs. Anywhoo, I was in dire need of some food.

But I realized the one item I was missing the most was MILK! I love fresh milk, and thus it made me think of this great comic I read YEARS AGO (Actually, it was almost exactly 2 years ago on Jan. 25, 2009).


Enjoy, you might have to click on the picture to read it!

Sincere Support

So I've been thinking about this post for a while now. When it comes to a support system, I really am blessed with great family and friends. Since the "Hubs" been gone, I have been overly looked out for, and I couldn't thank everyone enough!!

But today I want to zero in on my greatest support (or should I say 2nd greatest...'cause God Rocks!!): My Mom and Dad! Now I know there are going to be some Nay-Sayers out there, that are going to spew out the obvious: "Of course your parents are your greatest support!" or "What about me?" or "How come I'm not mentioned?"...but hear me out (either that, or quit reading my blog!).

I know I've mentioned this before, but when it comes to family...I have the BEST. My family is one of those unique breeds, where we actually enjoy spending time together. And it isn't uncommon for us to see each other every week. Not because we don't have lives (well some of us don't!), but because we genuinely LIKE spending time together! What a crazy concept!! And when it comes to the care I receive from my family, there is no difference.

My parents are there for me and Casey 200%. Let me give you some examples to explain how:

1. It's not uncommon for me to get constant questions on how Casey is doing (in fact, it's natural for people to want to know!), but for some reason, people don't generally ask how I'm doing. Now either that's because I'm around them enough to know, or because I appear to be doing fine...either way I'm not usually asked. But when it comes to my Momma, no question is off limits! She has this great gift of knowing something is bothering me (even when I can't pin-point my own annoyances!), and offering herself as a listener. In fact, my Mom usually goes out of her way to call me every week, just to catch up with me (not in a nosy way, but because she genuinely loves me...AWWW!).

2. My Dad and I have lunch every week. Again, not because we have to, but because he likes spoiling me and spending time with me. This is something he has always tried to do with us girls. Father-Daughter time!

3. When it came time for Case to come home for Christmas, my parents helped pay for the tickets. With no prompting or preambles attached, they simply wanted to GET HIM HOME! I can't tell you how much of a blessing that was (especially with Christmas being such an expensive time of year!). I didn't even ask, they offered, freely. This is saying a lot about the way my parents give: Not out of their wealth, but out of their hearts.

These are all just small examples of the way I am loved! I can honestly say that this journey Casey and I are taking would be a LOT bumpier without my parents whole-hearted support! So my challenge for you today is to discover who your greatest support is, and go give them a great big HUG!!


Oh, and a side note: I beat 'em at Scrabble again!!! OH YEAH!! I got my first 7 letter word, resulting in a staggering 74 points!!!

Scrabble Champion!!!

This year I actually made a New Years Resolution. I know, I know, no one ever reaches those goals! But unlike resolving to loose weight, or drop 3 pant sizes, I wanted to actually enjoy my goal achieving process.

So this year I resolved...DRUM ROLL PLEASE...




...to beat my Mom at Scrabble!

Laugh all you want, it's a hard goal. My Mom is the QUEEN of Scrabble...I mean Supreme Ruler. She's turned Scrabble into a mammoth competition! This is a women who not only owns the official Scrabble Dictionary (We're on to the 2nd generation...the first one got torn up from constant use!), she has all the 2 letter words memorized...not to mention most of the "Q" and "Z" words too. It's not uncommon for her to get 50-60 points per round, or for that matter, to play all 7 chips (which gets you an extra 50 points...I bet you never knew that...'cause you've never played my Mom!). It doesn't help that she's a teacher either, and thus surrounded by vocabulary words!

So I knew this would be a huge undertaking. I have NEVER beaten her before, and trying it would be even harder (Side Note: Dad and I usually don't even try to win! We just try for 2nd place!). The hardest part about playing my Mom though, is trying to not set her up. She is the best at finding a way to play on the ever-awesome "triple word scores"...and if she can't play on them... she'll make darn sure you can't!! Talk about some tough competition!

So this last weekend I went over there to try my hand. Let it be known I had no intention of winning this early in the year...but fate was on my side! That's right...I actually BEAT her!! Hallelujah!!

That being said, I'm sure it was all a fluke. 'Cause I was getting some REALLY AWESOME words, and to make things even better, Dad and I kept blocking every place Mom wanted to play. Heck, we even blocked her from playing a 7 letter word...OH YEAH!!!

So I've already accomplished my New Years Resolution! How awesome am I!?! Needless to say, the next time I play my Mom, I'm bound to loose...the woman doesn't take loosing lightly, and she's bound to up the competition level!!

Some Final Christmas Memories

After looking at a few other blogs lately, I realized something: I didn't post anything from Christmas. Truth be told, I had planned on "eventually" doing a huge post, complete with plenty of pictures and commentary. But now that Christmas time is over, I don't really feel up to posting EVERYTHING. Does that make me a lazy blogger? Probably! But I could care less.

Anyways, you already know the most exciting part of my Christmas: having Casey home...followed closely by all my paintings (just kidding Honey, you are light years ahead!!). So there didn't seem to be much to blog about, at first glance.

Then I came across these two pictures, and realized there were still a few "Christmas" stories I had to share:
This first pic is one of my favorites of Casey and Cole. If you know my nephew, then you will know the absolute miracle this was having him LOOK and SMILE at the camera at the same time! Especially on Christmas, when his attention is focused on all the toys!

But the really awesome thing about this picture is the ornament in Casey's hand. Cole bought that! This year for the first time my sister (Meagan) took Cole shopping to buy everyone's Christmas gifts. She wanted to teach him that Christmas was more than just getting presents, it's also about giving to those you love. So Cole picked out a gift for each of us this year...and we all got a little ornament for our tree!

Which leads into this next (slightly fuzzy) picture:
Ever since we got married, Casey and I have bought one new ornament every Christmas. It started out as a way to slowly add decorations to our tree, but took on some new meaning this year (last year? how ever you want to categorize it!). I wanted to remember 2010 as the year that Casey joined the Air Force. So we chose an ornament that would symbolize that for years to come. Get it, a dove...wings...just like the Air Force! Anyways, it was between this and a poof-ball-shaped-owl that Casey REALLY liked! In the end, we figured the dove would fit in better with our other decorations.

So there you have it, two more Christmas stories for ya!

Tree with a Tail

Well this is it: the final painting (for now)! I hope you haven't been bored to tears by my semi-craftiness of late! I plan to do more paintings in the future, and YES they will most definitely end up on my blog. So be prepared!!

But for today, I give you my final Christmas painting: Kellie's!

Unlike every other painting I did, I had ABSOLUTELY NO idea what to do for Kellie! Originally I had planned on doing something VERY abstract...and VERY pink, but I wasn't very sure how much she would like that in the future (and I wanted her to like her painting for the rest of her life!). So I was stuck with a huge dilemma, which consequently put Kellie's painting at the bottom of the list.

When I finally did get around to Kellie's painting, I made some huge changes. I decided that blue-green was more her color (not to mention a more lasting color). And I made the executive decision to forgo the abstract look all together. Whew!! After that, everything fell together nicely!!

So here's how I started: After the base coat was down, I sectioned off the top 1/3 of the board with a thickened creamy white paint...and the bottom 2/3 with varying blue-green colors. I then seperated those with a wavy black ground line. Here it is:
After thinning down the black paint considerably, I went over the surrounding area with a wide brush, just to add some contrast.
I really wanted the colors to deepen as I got closer to the bottom of the board, but I also wanted them to be vivid. This is the best picture I could come up with for the gradual color change:
After all was said and done I added a tree to the top of the painting. I really wanted the tree to be muted. Mainly because I liked the contrast between barren colors on top, with the vivid colors on bottom. So I stuck with golden/beige colors. Lastly, I added some reflection to the tree in the water (Did I mention it was water? Oh well, you probably got the idea!).
Kellie was so excited when she opened it...Then shocked when she found out I painted it! Incidentally, Dad thought it would be "fun" to name all my paintings...this one became "Tree with a Tail"...thanks Dad.

Back to the Paintings

Sorry if you've been waiting the last few days for more posts on my painting projects. I haven't forgotten about them, just took a small hiatus.

But I'm back now, and today's post is all about my Mother-in-laws painting. Just like Meagan's painting, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do for Jacque. She has a thing for grapes, and originally I was going to make a three section painting for her. But since I didn't have enough wood, I settled on a large single painting. Here it was in concept form:


Jacque's was actually the first painting I did, so it was my "tester" painting. I was so nervous to get started, knowing that I would make a mistake. But once I did start, it all fell into place easily! Unlike the other three paintings, I didn't add any thickening medium to this one. So it has more of a faux finish look. Once I got the background down, I started on the branches:

Then came All the grapes. I kept adding layer upon layer of varying colors, until I was happy with the mix. I also shadowed some of the grapes to give it more of a dimensional look. The last thing I did was add a thin layer of glaze, to give it more shine:

So here it is, concept - finished product:


And here was Jacque on Christmas after she opened it!


Needless to say she loved it, and had it hung up by the next day!

I'll try to get my last painting post up in the next few days...so keep an eye out for it!

update on my life

Yesterday was a VERY rough day. Once again I had to say goodbye to my husband, and send him off to Tech. School. You would think after saying goodbye twice already this last year, that I would be more prepared...WRONG. I was a total mess when I got home, and couldn't stop crying (even when I was on the phone with him).

To make things worse, I kept walking around the house, picturing him. Not good.

But today I am doing better (not a lot, but better). I'm not randomly breaking down every 5 min., and I even got out of the house this morning...a huge feat! I'm also trying to look forward to the future, and everything it holds.

Looking back, I feel overly blessed to have had Casey with me over the holidays, even if it was for a short time. We were able to see friends, family, and spend some much needed alone time together! It really was a perfect holiday!

Hopefully the next few months will pass by quickly, and I'll get him home for good. Until then, I'll be needing prayer :)