Woofie

Woofie
10x8 Coloured Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Finished. Neck area is now complete, and it has gone through the usual scrutinization process over the weekend to see if anything needs added, removed, lightened, darkened or tweaked a bit here and there. He is now awaiting approval and then I can add the final touch – my signature.

This weekend also saw me (at long last) adding PayPal buttons to my website which didn’t turn out to be as harrowing as I thought it would be. Actually it was all very straightforward – too straightforward if I’m being honest, which now makes me question if I’ve done it right and if they're actually going to work. If only Photoshop were as easy. Anyway, with my buttons added I now have my ‘Shop’ up and running. Here you can purchase limited edition prints, prints of your portrait, original artwork and eventually greetings cards. It is still a work in progress as I will be adding to it over the coming weeks but it’s a start and you have to start somewhere as they say.

Something else I have added to my website that may well go unnoticed if I don’t point it out, is a new portrait size. I have decided to go smaller and introduced an 8”x6”. It will be interesting to see how this goes and if it actually turns out to be a popular size.

Cocker Spaniel update

Woofie
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Made some more progress on the ears and, other than the odd touch-up here and there, would say they are finished. It never ceases to amaze me just how time consuming drawing all those curls can actually be but I do admit to a feeling of great satisfaction when they are finally done:)

Not much more to do now – just the neck area, which I’ll hopefully finish tomorrow.

Cocker Spaniel

Back in May of this year I, along with a few other artists, donated a portrait as a prize in a raffle run by Cockers Online who were running a charity fundraiser to benefit the Oldies Club. Very briefly the Oldies Club look after elderly dogs and help to find new homes for them so that they can see out their days in a loving environment. The winner of my raffle was Woofie whose portrait I have made a start on this week.

Woofie
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Woofie is actually the first in a run of four Cocker Spaniels I have to do (two single and one double portrait) which means lots of curly ears in store for me. I spent today working on Woofies ears and as you can see I managed to finish one and make a start on the other – only eight and a half to go (not that I’m counting:))

Twiggy

Twiggy
10x8 Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Twiggy is now finished and, if I can say so myself, I’m really pleased with how she turned out. This is one of those times when the drawing looks much better than the scan unfortunately, but then I’ve always found graphite drawings difficult to scan or photograph (as many of you will know:))

Although somewhat unorganised, I’ve been spending more and more time at my drawing board recently which I’m glad to report, and I’m feeling a lot more motivated with loads of ideas running through my head - both on the creative and marketing side. Lets hope they materialise and I don’t spend all my time procrastinating. The weekend has also seen me doing some much needed updates to my website – nothing major, still the same layout etc, but I want to get my ‘shop’ area up and running so have been working on this. Providing I don’t have any problems with adding PayPal buttons, which I very much doubt knowing my past history with technology, I’d like to say I should have this finished by the end of next week. Wish me luck:)

Puppy in pencil

I’ve been working on Twiggy, a Great Dane puppy, for the past couple of days and I’m happy with the progress I have made so far. I say this because I seem to be so unorganised lately that half the time I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.

Twiggy
Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Twiggy is only a few months old in this photo looking extremely cute and adorable don’t you think? I have seen slightly more recent photos of her and what a difference in size – mind you she is a Great Dane and has a lot of growing to do.

Harry finished

Harry
12x10 Coloured Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Thanks to one thing or another Harry’s taken longer than I originally planned but I’m pleased to say that he is now finished and awaiting approval.

Next up on the drawing board is an adorable Great Dane puppy. I’ll more than likely spend all my time fighting urges to get a puppy myself while I work on this portrait – I know my daughter would be delighted if I succumbed.

Harry

Back to my colour pencils though not a lot of colours to be seen in my next portrait – lots of greys and black are the main ones being used here.

'Harry'
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Something quick(ish)

'The Look'
8x8 inches, Pencil on paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Another graphite drawing except this time I set myself a challenge – to complete it in 4 hours or less. I can easily spend up to 6 times longer than this normally on a drawing (coloured pencil even longer) but I wanted this one to be more of a sketch. This meant of course leaving out a lot of the detail that I love putting in and, as it turned out, couldn’t completely leave out. It’s almost as if my hand has a mind of it’s own:)

I wouldn’t call the finished portrait a sketch as such although it is much ‘looser’ (for want of a better word) than I would normally do – maybe a ‘refined sketch’? I failed to complete it within the time I set myself and took 5 hours 15 minutes instead – oh well, there’s always the next one and there will be more.