Another Chapter

 Another new chapter starts today!

Around this time one year ago, I sat at my desk with my baby asleep in his bassinet next to me. I finally had just enough peace of mind and energy to paint! And I chose to paint his cute little face :) 

Introducing my Little-Guy!

Everything before and after that moment seems both far away and like it happened in a blink! Either way, today I sit with a one-year old sleeping next to me as I write, and I am again setting myself a goal to get back to my creative pursuits. It has been very difficult for me to carve out time for my art on any kind of consistent basis; or post things online! With a new determination to guard time and energy to make it happen, I will embrace this new month as a new start!

Happy March Pup

Happy Sunday!

Every day is a good day to appreciate doggos :) Don't you agree? Especially those with big goofy smiles!? So, today I sketched this handsome fella, a sweet german shepherd!

A good start for what I hope to be a very productive work-week. Hope you have a good one too! See you again soon :)

Spring & a Fennec Fox

Happy Saturday all!

As we close out this month, I wanted to share an extra blogpost with you.

This weekend, I encourage you to take a few minutes just to appreciate those good things around you. February came and went like a blur, and I am sure I am not the only one to feel that way! So as we welcome March, I hope that we all can be a little more present, and fully enjoy those little things that make life brighter. :)



To start this endeavor, here are some pretty flowers, a cute fennec fox, and some lovely creations by the wonderful artists of Carnaval de Nice (Click to go to the video)!

I was very lucky to be able to attend a Carnival celebration; the "Flower Battle" parade, or properly:  "Bataille de Fleurs" :) Performing artists including musicians and dancers dawn beautiful (and fanciful) costumes to entertain and throw flowers at the audience! :D We came home with a nice bouquet! Click on a photo on the left to go to a short video :)

Adventures & Appreciation

It is amazing how much a change of pace can do for your levels of energy and inspiration! A hike near the mountains gave such perspective, on many things! It has definitely been a week of nature-inspiration....while also sitting in front of a computer screen experimenting for maybe too long. :P

This week I focused my energies in two areas I've missed; 3D modeling and texture painting! There is a special kind of satisfaction when you update a texture painting onto the model and....viola!- it fits well and makes the model look that much more convincing!

First, the fun found feather (whew, alliteration!) that started my digital art obsession:

Next, you may recognize this plant from last week's post....but I used my painting in my texture mapping for this potted plant project (oh goodness, there goes the alliteration again!):

I have many, many more project ideas flying around my head, so there will be much more fun projects to come! Thanks for reading, and as always, have a great week!

<3 And Happy Valentine's Day!

Heart Leaves

As the flowers are starting to bloom in the park behind our neighborhood, I took special care to appreciate them as I walked by. One took my special attention....one with heart-shaped leaves and a happy yellow flower! I couldn't help but paint a study, and it became my favorite drawing of this past week :)

New Year & "New" Me

I really enjoy learning about different cultures' customs, so this past Saturday I found myself reading more about the Chinese New Year. Specifically, I got to learn about this being the beginning of a "gold rat" year :) (If you want to read an interesting article that I did, you can find it here). In honor of the new year, and my love for pet rats, I just had to stay up late to draw these little cuties:

Another challenge came my way during this last week, and that was the "toon me" hashtag I saw many a fellow artist having fun with on Instagram. So, I decided I'd join in! Here's my cartoon-self, and I'd recommend hopping over and seeing other artist's self-portraits!

Well, that's all I've got today! Thanks for visiting, and see you again in February!

A Workflow Experiment

To make this year a truly insightful one, I wanted to start off this month with a "bang!". This week I wanted to push myself to try new techniques and work flows in digital painting. Thanks to Udemy being a wonderful resource, I found a digital painting class by Hardy Fowler. It has been a great thing to get inside another creative's head and see their techniques and process!

So, the following work-in-progress painting project is one from this class. It's still not finished, and I will update it here when it is. But the most important part (and something that I am excited to say) is that I have learned some digital-painting specific tips that I think I will continue implementing!

Something especially enlightening is the technique he teaches for gaining more organic variability in digital painting. It is easy for digital paint-strokes to look "fake", or calculated and too perfect. His painting technique helps to soften that, and I am very thankful to learn it!

Pictured: (First below) Ink & color blocking mask, (Second Below) initial skin tone painting stage. Click each image for more info.

I look forward to finishing this guy up, and hopefully seeing you back here next week! Thanks for reading! And if you are curious about the course, you can click here. (P.S. I am not at all affiliated)

Welcome 2020!

Happy New Year!

Lots to look forward to this year! Included in the bunches of hopes and goals I have going forward, I am committing to two exciting challenges; the 365art/daily posting challenge on my Instagram (@BriannaLeahyArt) & a weekly blog post here! I will hopefully be able to keep my blog posts on Wednesdays :)

I am excited to take time to draw for myself every day, exploring new topics, media, and generally improving myself and skillset! So, check back often, good luck on your new year goals, and happy 2020!

Pictured:  Some of my challenge posts so far!

Thanks for visiting, as always!

Sea-Dragon Mermaid

:) Here's my last mermaid of "MerMay" 2019! I wanted to create a seahorse mermaid, so this lady is inspired by the leafy sea-dragon. Created in Photoshop with a Cintiq tablet.

My Favorite Childhood Mermaid

In honor of #Mermay & my favorite mermaid of my childhood, here's my own little mermaid! This painting-doodle is inspired by the "Under the Sea" musical scene in Disney's "The Little Mermaid" (which I was addicted to as a kid!). Created in Photoshop.*

*This is fan-art! As such, I do not lay claim to "The Little Mermaid" as depicted in Disney's film. :)

Thanks as always for stopping by! See you again soon!

It's Mer-May!

It’s Mer-May!!! 🐚 Kicking off the month with a little clownfish mermaid :) If you haven't heard of Mermay before, it's a fun art-challenge to create mermaids all of May! Let's see how many I can contribute this year!

Along a Footpath in Falicon

While exploring Falicon, France, I found that this little entrance was one of my favorite scenes. The community behind this archway was equally as charming, with its winding paths, unique buildings jutting against their neighbors, and small squares filled with a multitude of potted plants :) I definitely want to go back for another visit & hike!

Below:  Small, ink & marker sketch on paper. Footpath & archway in Falicon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwCkOPmheXA/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

^Above:  Original ink thumbnail in sketchbook.

Princess Pigeon

Today a friend shared with me a comic by @ChuckDrawsThings titled "self-worth", and it inspired me to draw this princess pigeon! Of all the "wildlife" of Nice, France, I must say I have seen more pigeons here in a month than I have ever seen before! They have been my constant companions out on the street :)

I also encourage you to go see the comic that inspired this lady-bird! You can see it on ChuckDrawsThings' Facebook page by clicking: here 

Learning on the Tram

Kiddos on the tram have been unknowingly helping me learn French, and to train my ears for correct pronunciation :) Yesterday a little one, staring out the window repeated “monsieur, madame, monsieur, madame....” until his mom told him to shhh! 😌

This is the first time in a good while that I have just let myself doodle with ink....oh how I didn't realize how much I've missed the feeling! We hope to be settled into our new home soon so I can really turn my focus back to my personal work (& this blog!)  :)   Take care & see you back here again soon!

Here's to 2018!

🎉What a year! 
I had so many new art-adventures, got married, and set up new plans for the new year! Here’s to 2018, and looking forward to 2019! 

Here's my 'best nine of 2018!' from Instagram:

A Batty Idea: Oregon Wildlife Art

One reason I love Photoshop; it's easy to create a seamless pattern! So as Halloween was drawing near, a batty-bat pattern seemed like a must-have :) I have wanted to create more artwork featuring local wildlife, so why not start with Yuma myotis?



A cute little bat, Yuma myotis can be found near my home in Oregon. I have always enjoyed learning more about creatures and plants, especially those who share the same wilderness that I do. Energized by the thought that creating this art can bring me both joy, and the knowledge to identify this creature in real life, I decided to start a new art series!



I am excited to say that I will be focusing on Oregon wildlife artwork for the rest of this year! I endeavor to create art that inspires interest in learning about the natural world, especially for Oregonians young & old :) To do this, I will focus on local species, & include a bite-size bit of educational information with each art piece!

Currently I'm working on naturalistic wall-art, illustrated notebooks (with wildlife facts inside the cover), greeting cards, & even getting my pattern-designs on cloth (pictured left)!


New possibilities are open to my art-gifts now that I am printing my artwork on cotton cloth, and I am so excited!


I hope to bring a fair bit to my art-booths at events this holiday season as well, so keep an eye out! :D

Nursery Artwork ♡

Today I would love to share with you a project I completed for a friend. I dearly loved the process, so I hope you enjoy seeing the work!

I was asked to create a piece of nursery artwork for my friend, who is expecting her first child! The criterium:  an adorable elephant, and a excerpt from Disney's Dumbo; "Rest your head close to my heart never to part, baby of mine".

This series of images show: (Left) an initial pencil sketch, (Right) a more complete sketch as I work in Photoshop, and then the finished piece, printed & framed!

 

*My apologies for the goofy smile, my photographer started cracking jokes :)

Thank you as always for visiting, and I hope to see you back here next Wednesday for more art!
-Brianna

Rainy Day Doodle

Another rainy day in Oregon, and I am getting back into the swing of blogging! I have been very fortunate to be so busy with commission work, but I have missed this! :)

So here is a new rainy day doodle. Inspired by Oregon's humor, teasing us with a sunny day before making us pick up our rain coats again the following morning!

Back to jackets & rain! Oregon just wont let us have more than one sunny day yet... Day 68 of #365art #briannaleahyart #art #artist #artwork #sketch #sketchbook #ink #doodle #pen #marker #copicmarkers #draw #drawing #illustration #people #girl #woman #red #redjacket #rainyday #design #dailyart #artofinstagram #cartoon #oregon #spring #youngwoman #fashion #pnw

A post shared by Brianna Elizabeth Leahy (@briannaleahyart) on Mar 18, 2017 at 12:35am PDT

A Bazaar Adventure!

Artist & a part of our booth!

A new year & so many art-adventures to share!

This weekend was my very first arts & crafts bazaar as a vendor! I was so excited to share my art shop, Under Sea & Stars Studio! To all of my wonderful family, friends, and the lovely patrons who came to the event, thank you for supporting my artwork!

Valentine's Day Cards

"A Bazaar to Love" was a Valentine's Day themed event, so I created all-new Valentine's Day mini-cards! My designs include love & friendship themed cards & nature themed mini cards, all with a gold sticker-seal.

I also brought along my new labor of love:  mini animal sculptures! All these little charms are sculpted & painted by hand, and make perfect pocket-sized gifts!

Animals at the Bazaar:

Zebra 

Elephant (Available here)

White & Gold Unicorn

Black & Gold Unicorn

By far the most popular this weekend was the white & gold unicorn :)

I was very lucky to share the booth with two other wonderful & creative ladies! Jessica of "Roosevelt Kid" (pictured left), & Meg of "Adornments by Meg" (center).

"Roosevelt Kid" brought her sweet sewn creations, which you can check out here.

"Adornments by Meg"'s delicate natural stone jewelry was lovely too! You can visit her shop here.

&... of course my shop is UnderSeaAndStars! You can see my shop here...

& my Studio's Instagram here.

Thanks as always for taking the time to read! Catch you next week!

Silly Animals in Ink: Art-Friday

Inktober fun! I had a great time getting back to my ink, marker & paper! The following sketches were started in pencil, followed in my brush pen, and then with Copic markers for color. I hope you enjoy these playful doodles.