Learn to Draw and Color a Realistic Water Droplet

Happy November everyone! 

Here is a video tutorial, How to Draw and Color Realistic Water Droplets. Hope you like it.

If you would like to download an image an image to color from Etsy ($.99) click HERE . 

The entire book, COLORING DREAMS is also downloadable on Etsy right HERE

On Sundays at 3pm EST please pop over to my FACEBOOK page for weekly color alongs.

Bring colored pencils, a fine line marker or pen, and and eraser.

Hope to see you there.

xo

Coloring for Your Inner Artist

Hello coloring friends!

There is nothing like opening a beautiful coloring book, picking up one of the many pencils or pens available, and settling in to start a picture.

It is relaxing, and even doctors are recommending it for calming the mind and creating focus.

There are many types of people in the world, but I do believe that we are all born creative. When we are small we fiercely search out things to keep our mind stimulated. We looked for and found beauty everywhere. Give us two sticks, a few crayons, and a couple of leaves and we would create a masterpiece.

Some of us were sadly talked out of our relentless search for creativity for more "realistic" pursuits.

I believe this is where coloring comes in.

It is a way to free our inner artist without intimidation. We don't have to be Picasso to create a beautiful image.

We have a reason to go to the art store and search through the Polychromos pencils, the Copic or Tombow markers, and the Conti pastels.

From the soon to be released coloring book COLORING DREAMS

Don't be afraid to try things that feel odd or different. Leaves do not have to be green!

Be brave with your art, and with every stroke you will become more of an artist.

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Have a great week!

xo Dea

How To Draw a Fat Budgie

On January fifth we celebrated National Bird Day.

I think it is wonderful to celebrate birds because they have always had a special place in my heart.

When I was a young girl I watched a practically featherless young mockingbird running in the street on a hot summer's day. I heard a crow in the distance and then saw his intentions were not good. After a few failed swoops at the little chicklet I could not take it any more and decided I either needed to find his nest or take him home.

Much to the chagrin of my mother, we ended up taking the little guy home, naming him Peanuts, and caring for the little featherhead for the rest of the summer until he flew away.

Since then I have had many birds: Algebra the budgie, Buddy the conure, Sky, Tweety, Nibble, Speck, Bubble, and Winter. I loved them all.

That being said I thought it would be a good week to learn to draw a fat budgie. The one I drew is much chubbier and more cartoon like than realistic, but I think you will find it fun to draw. Plus chubby budgies are just too cute.

Below is a video to follow--they are pretty simple but their shape takes a few practice runs to get. Don't give up!

Have fun!

xo

Music by loveyoujapan.

I LOVE comments and will visit you right back! Thanks followers!

Drawn with the Zebra fine point brush pen from Jet Pens.

KIDS! How to Draw a Slightly Sophisticated Pumpkin for Fall

When I was in third grade I did not like my art teacher but he taught me one thing I will never forget--how to make a pumpkin look like it has dimension.

 That started a whole 3D thing for me--block lettering, perspective--but that is for another post. Back to the pumpkin. 

Like the title of the post says, this pumpkin is a bit more complicated than a cut-out orange circle and black triangle eyes. It shows dimension, color blending, shading, and highlighting. It takes a bit of time, but the results are worth it, especially for kids who like a challenge.

First, lightly draw an oval--any kind will do. Draw lightly at first because you may want to erase the guidelines later. Mine is a bit wide. 

Then draw a slightly crooked rectangle (technically a rhombus) for a stem . 

Starting at the bottom edges of the little rectangle, draw big curved lines to the bottom of the oval, keeping them a bit apart like this. 

As the lines get close to the edge, curve them to the side of the drawing. And then curve them toward the back, like in picture three.

You should see a bit of dimension now.

To make the stem look 3D add a small oval on top to indicate where it was cut. Many times the cut is not perfect so go around the small over and make jagged lines. Then curve the sides of the rectangle in slightly.

Now connect the curved lines at the bottom and the top, and also around the stem to indicate the shape of the pumpkin. Keep these lines pretty close to the original lines, if they are too curved the pumpkin looks fluffy.

These lines makes it more like a pumpkin and less like an oval.

It should look pretty pumkinish by now.

Then erase the original lines.

Notice the curved lines under the stem also. This also adds shape to the pumpkin and makes it seem plump and round.

To color use any paint you like, markers, or colored pencils.

I'm using colored pencils in several shades of yellow, orange, brown, ocher (a brownish-yellow, great for fall), and russet, (kind of reddish-brown). These are Polychromos by Faber-Castell. I LOVE these pencils, BTW. BUY HERE

First color with the yellows. Use the lighter shades first. Then move to light orange.

When shading use slightly darker colors in the creases and lines, and leave an area lighter if you like to show where the sun hits it. The darkest areas will be behind stem, at the bottom, and in the creases on the pumpkin and around the stem 

Light brown can be used to show shadow around the stem, at the bottom, and in the creases. Don't worry, the pumpkin is not perfect. Wavy lines or mistakes can sometimes add to the charm.

Use ocher, russet, and even some greens in the stem. Notice the lines in the stem that add depth and make it look a bit cracked. Some green can also be used in the pumpkin itself.

If you'd like to make your pumpkin into a Jack o'lantern, with a black pencil draw two triangles to indicate eyes. A triangle for the nose draw and a nice wide smiling mouth. You can even add a few teeth.

To add even more dimension, sketch in lines in the triangles on the left side to show depth. It's almost like you can see the inside of the pumpkin. Do the same of the curved side of the mouth and sides of teeth.

Or you can leave it just as you found it in the patch.

Voila! A pretty realistic pumpkin!

Now you can draw a few more--make them tall, or round, or even in different colors. Here is one done by a boy who followed the directions. It looks great, and very different than mine.

Show me what you make and how you decorate with your pictures.

xo