Another Face

Well, folks, here is another face for the 29 Faces Sept. 2013 challenge (see the face at the right for more info or to view other entries).  This face was one I hoped to finish during the last 29 Faces challenge in February 2013 and I posted the unfinished face as an entry then here.

I finally got around to finishing the piece earlier tonight.  It is an ACEO (2.5 by 3.5 inches) done with Prismacolor Verithin colored pencils on 100 pound smooth Bristol board paper.  I had to darken the original scan in Paint Shop Pro because my scanner had trouble picking up the blue (the face area is actually a very light blue) and still couldn't get a completely accurate representation.  The lightest areas are the pure white of the Bristol paper.

"Water Elemental"

The original art was scanned at 300 dpi.  The version above is 100 dpi.  Again, click on the picture for a larger view and I hope you enjoy looking at my newest face.

Three More Faces

I am woefully behind on the 29 Faces Challenge for September 2013 (click on the face at right for more info or to see other people's entries).  I decided to do some more photo manipulations.  First, I edited an ACEO sized (2.5 by 3.5 inches) piece from a photograph I took of a statue at our local arboretum in October 2009 and resized it from its original 480 dpi to 300 dpi.  The result is below:

"Forest Face"

The version posted above is 100 dpi.  I then experimented with the photo in Paint Shop Pro 8.  The picture below was done with the Virtual Painter Collage plugin, but I don't remember what settings I used.  Again, it would be an ACEO size if printed, but the version below is 100 dpi.  I also had to run Sharpen on it when I reduced the picture size to capture the original detail.

"Forest Face Collaged"

For the last manipulation of the picture, I ran Artistic Effects, Colored Foil.  I started with the Custom 4 setting, kept the default gray (RGB 192) color, kept the default Angle of 133, changed the Blur to 17 and changed the Detail to 24.  I think it gives a cool, funky effect to the picture.  Again, it would be an ACEO size if printed and the version below is at 100 dpi.

"Forest Face Foiled"

As always, click on the pictures for larger views and I hope you enjoy looking at them.

Two More Faces

Here are the next two faces I've done for the 29 Faces Challenge run by Ayala Art (click on the face in the upper right for more info and to view other entries in the challenge).  The first is a doodle I did with black Micron ink on smooth Bristol board where I kept the pen on the paper (I did retrace over lines at times).  It was an interesting experiment, although the results weren't stellar by any means.  This piece is ACEO sized (2.5 x 3.5 inches) at its normal 300 dpi resolution.  The version below is 100 dpi.

"Face Doodle"

My fifth entry into the challenge is another ACEO using two different origami papers.  The woman's silhouette is cut from blue metallic paper (not sure if you can tell in the scan) and glued to a floral origami paper.  Then I glued the floral piece to a piece of heavyweight Bristol board paper.  I may decide to embellish it further, but for now I think it's an interesting piece.  The original scan is at 300 dpi resolution.  The version below is 100 dpi.

"Silhouette"

I feel like this piece needs a better title.  What do you think?  Anyway, click on the images for larger views and  I hope you enjoy looking at my faces.

Faces 2 and 3

My second entry in the face challenge (click on the face at the upper right for more details about the challenge) is an alteration of a portion of a photograph of me taken in 2010 at the Frontier Culture Museum by my daughter.  First, I resized the photograph in Paint Shop Pro 8 to 2 by 3 inches at 300 dpi resolution.  Then I ran Posterize on it at the 3 levels setting.  Next I reduced the picture to two colors, with the red components selected, Stucki Error Diffusion and the Weighted palette chosen.  Then I made the image Greyscale and adjusted the color balance by running Black and White Points Cool.  I ran JPEG Artifact Removal, Low, with a crispness of 50 and followed that with Moire Pattern Removal at Fine Details 2.  The result is below.

"Portrait of the Artist"

The version posted above is at 72 dpi.

My third face is an old sketch originally done in black ink on tracing paper, which I decided to scan, resize, and alter a bit in Paint Shop Pro.  The original piece is about 3 by 5 inches.  I decided to resize it to fit an ACEO size (2.5 by 3.5 inches), clean it up a bit, and give it a beige background that I hope looks like aged paper.  I altered the color of the ink to give a more aged appearance too.

"Vamp"

The uncopyrighted image is at 300 dpi resolution.  The one above is 100 dpi.

I'm working on using this image to make a colored Halloween flavored digital piece at ACEO size.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed looking at these pieces and do check out the other entries other people have been making (or even enter some yourself).  Click on the pictures for larger views.

29 Faces Challenge - Face 1

Ayala Art has issued another challenge to do 29 faces in 30 days in September.  I participated in the last 29 Faces challenge in February and decided to give it another go.  For my first face, I've reimagined and made some changes to a digital art piece from February 8th ("Pink Girl").  She's now out on the town for an evening of fun.  Maybe she's going to a Mardi Gras party or maybe just a costume party.  At any rate, she's now a "Party Girl."

At her original 300 dpi, she would be ACEO sized (2.5 by 3.5 inches).  This version I'm posting here is 72 dpi.
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"Party Girl"

I'm starting late so I don't know how many faces I'll be able to do.  But do check out the link in the upper right of this post (29 Faces Sept. 2013) for info on how you can get involved or just to check out the other participants' entries.

Click on the picture for a larger view and I hope you enjoy "Party Girl."

Third Challenge Entry

Here is my third and final entry in  the aceo challenge #26, Think Spring.

"Mountain Spring"

This is an ACEO sized (2.5" x 3.5") original artwork done with watercolor pencils.

Click on the image for a larger view.  Hope you like it.

Another Challenge Entry

Here is another entry in the aceo challenge #26, Think Spring.  (I discovered I couldn't have both pictures in the same blog post.).  Again, it is an ACEO sized  portion of a picture I took with my digital camera at our local arboretum on April 1 of last year.

"Spring Tulips"

Click on the image for a larger view.  Hope you enjoy this entry too.

The Aceo Challenge

Here is a photographic ACEO for the aceo challenge #26, Think Spring.  It is an ACEO sized  portion of a picture I took with my digital camera at our local arboretum on April 1 of year.

"Spring Flowers"

Click on the image for a larger view.  Hope you enjoy it.

Dragon Face Listed on eBay

I just listed this new mixed media ACEO on eBay and I have several other ACEOs up.

"Dragon Face"

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=151020864526

Click on "See other items" on the listing page to see the other ACEOs I have up for sale.

Thanks for looking and I hope you had a Happy Easter.

The Birds at Madicon

March 8-10, 2013 were the dates for Madicon 22, a science fiction/fantasy/gaming convention held at James Madison University (click on the convention name for more info).  I have attended this convention several times and usually enter art in the art show.  Unfortunately I missed the registration deadline for this year's con and consequently didn't get to display any of my art.  But I did go and enjoy the convention on Friday and Saturday anyway.

Madicon supports as its charity for the convention the Wildlife Center of Virginia, an animal hospital for healing and releasing back into the wild (if possible) native Virginia wild animals.  Click on the name for more information.  A representative of the center appears at the convention with usually three birds of prey and talks about the center's mission and answers questions.  This year was no exception, except that I actually remembered to bring my camera and take pictures.

The birds that made their appearance this year were an American kestrel, a red-tailed hawk, and a barred owl.  These birds for various reasons could not be released back into the wild and so are used to illustrate the center's mission at appearances at schools and other events.

Unfortunately, due to the girl and the birds moving, I didn't get a good picture of the kestrel.  But here are a few pictures of the hawk and the owl.

 

Click on the pictures for larger views. Sorry they aren't better, but I hope you like viewing them.

Five More Faces

I worked on a few more ACEO size faces today (the 28th).  They are all original works.

"Ghosts"

 

"Ghosts" was done with Prismacolor Verithin colored pencils on gray Canson Mi-Teintes paper. 

 

"Mister Moon"

"Mister Moon" was also done with Prismacolor Verithin colored pencils, on smooth Bristol board paper.

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"Redhead"

Finally, "Redhead" was drawn with Prismacolor markers and Micron pen ink markers on 140 pound watercolor paper.
 

These works bring my face total to 24.  Click on the images for larger views and I hope you like them.

More Faces

Well, today is the last day for the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge (see face at right for more info).  I don't know if I'm going to make it to 29 faces, but I do have three more that I worked on yesterday to show you.  These are all ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5") original mixed media works.  They are a combination of watercolor and Micron pen ink on 140 lb. watercolor paper.

"Face of Pain"

"Straw Face"

"Dragon Face"

As always, click on the pictures for larger views.  Hope you like them.

I've enjoyed participating in this challenge.  Check out the other participants awesome work.

Space Face

Well, I finished another face for the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge (click face at right for more info).  This is a combination of original and digital art.  I took the pen sketch of Spock I posted earlier and used Paint Shop Pro to color it, crop it, and create a background for it.

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"Space Spock"

Again, this would be ACEO sized (2.5" x 3.5") if printed at 300 dpi.  The version posted here is at 72 dpi.  I hope you like this piece.

Three Faces

Time for another entry in the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge (click on the face at right for more info or to participate or view other entries).  This time I decided to take a portion of a photograph I took of Natural Chimneys in Mt. Solon, VA on June 25, 2011 and use Paint Shop Pro and a mouse to draw faces on the cliff face.  I tried to follow natural face shapes in the rock, but I did take license and add a mouth to the central face that wasn't apparent in the rock itself and a nose on the face on the left.  Anyway, the altered picture now contains three faces.

"Cliff Faces"

The size, if printed, would be ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5").  Click on the photo for a larger view and I hope you like it.

This entry puts my face total at fifteen.  I'm still behind, but I hope to catch up.

Five More Faces

The last couple of days I've been working on more faces for the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge (click the face photo at right for more info or to participate).  The first two are similar.  Their creation is part original, part digital.  The flower background is from a sheet of origami paper in which I cut a heart shape and glued to an ACEO card.  I decided to scan this partly completed ACEO and use Paint Shop Pro to color the heart and create a face in it.  They are below.

"Heart Face 1"

"Heart Face 2"

I couldn't decide which one I like best so I decided to show both.  Which one do you like best?  These would both be ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5") if printed.

I also worked on another original ACEO, this one done in black Micron Pen ink on smooth Bristol board paper.  He is my favorite character from the original Star Trek series.

"Spock"

Finally, I have two works in progress ACEOs to share with you.  The first is so far a pencil sketch on watercolor paper.  I plan to use watercolors or colored pencil to finish it.

"Mermaid Goddess"

The second has been sitting unfinished in my art drawer, but I really want to finish it by the end of this challenge.  It is colored pencil on Bristol board paper and again, it is ACEO sized.

"Water Elemental"

Click on the photos for larger views.  I hope you've enjoyed looking at these faces.

Face 7

Well, I decided to do another photo alteration of a photograph I took in 2009 at our local arboreteum.  It's a statue of a little girl holding two bowls which act as bird feeders.  Anyway,  I spent some time trying different effects on this second photo and finally decided to go with the following alterations.  Using Paint Shop Pro 8, I reduced the picture to two colors, with the blue components selected, Stucki Error Diffusion and the Weighted palette chosen.  Then I made the image Greyscale.  The result is below.

"Arboretum Girl"

I think it has a rather gothic, unworldly quality.  The image is 300 dpi and would be 4" x 6" if printed.  Click on it for a larger view.

Hope you enjoyed this, my seventh face in the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge.  For more information on the challenge and how to participate in it, click on the face at the right.

Face 6

Time for some another entry into the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge (see the face at right for more details or to participate).  Another participant gave me the idea of altering photos.  The photograph is of a goat I took at a zoo in 2009 which I called "Zoo Goat" (I made cards of it in my zazzle shop). I altered it in Paint Shop Pro 8 by applying the effect of Colored Pencil, Stippled to it.  The size, if printed, would by 5" x 7" at 300 dpi.  The version posted here is 72 dpi.

"Zoo Goat 2"

I worked on another photo alteration, but just now realized that the photo was taken by my daughter so I guess I'll have to try altering another photo some other time. 

Click on the photo for a larger view and I hope you enjoy looking at it.

Face Five

Time for my fifth entry in the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge (click on the face at the right for more details).  This piece started life as a pencil sketch on tracing paper, which I scanned and then colored and refined using the painting program Paint Shop Pro.  The original sketch was larger than ACEO size, but that is the size it would be if printed.

This piece had been sitting unfinished in my computer for a long time, but the faces challenge motivated me to finally complete it.

The portrait is of the main vampire from the television series, Dark Shadows.

"Barnabas 2"

 

Click on the image for a larger view.  Hope you enjoy this piece.

Face Number 4 and an Etsy Update

Here is my fourth entry in the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge (click on the face at the right for more details).  It is another digital art piece and would be ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5") if printed.

"Midnight Kitty"

Click on the image for a larger view.  Hope you enjoy this piece.

For anyone interested, I have put up my "Hearts A Poppin'" original ACEO from the 31 Hearts Challenge in July up for sale on Etsy. 

Two Digitial Faces

Well, it took me a couple of days, but I finished some digital art for the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge.  I have two to show you today.  They were done using a mouse and the painting program Paint Shop Pro.  Both, if printed, would be ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5").

 "Pink Girl"

 "Fairy Light"

Hope you like these.  Click on the images for a larger view.

If you'd like to join the challenge or view the submissions of others participating, just click on the face at the upper right. 

The First of 29 Faces 2013

I've decided to participate in the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge for the month of February run by Ayala Art.  She has established a separate blog with more details.  Just click on the 29 Faces 2013 image at the right.  I enjoyed participating in her 31 Hearts in July challenge last year so I thought I'd give this challenge a go.

Anyway, here is my first face, an older original pencil drawing done in ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5").  I call it "Victorian Lady." 

Hope you like it. Click on the image for a larger view.

Valentine's Day Art

It's been a while since I posted to this blog.  I've recently been working on some new digital art for Valentine's Day.  Here is my most recent gothic flavored piece.  Click on the image for a larger view.

"Tangled Heart"

Check out this link below for a gothic flavored Valentine using the above art that I have listed in my zazzle shop.

"Tangled Heart Valentine" Card by nitelvr
Browse Tangled Cards

This card is also available as a blank card with no writing on the cover or inside of it.

Here is another digital card design that can be used for a Valentine.

"Dual Hearts 3" Card by nitelvr
Make custom notecards at zazzle.com

I also have made cards (and some other items) from my "Dream Heart" and "Neon Hearts" digital art pictured in my Hearts 6, 7, 8? post.

Anyway, if you want to see more of my recent offerings on zazzle, click on New Products.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy my art.