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!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope you all get to enjoy this time with your friends and loved ones! I got to celebrate with my husband and our American friend here in France this year! We had such a nice time and a yummy spread; the illustration below shows just a handful of our creations. I was so excited to make my very first pie & vegan gravy, and both were a hit! 

Brush Rabbit!

This little bunny completes my Oregon Wildlife trio! This is a Brush Rabbit, a species that I would commonly see at home in Oregon. Drawing him truly has satisfied a bit of my longing for the west-coast, for now!

This drawing was created in Photoshop on my Cintiq, mimicking pencil. Additionally, if you would like a print for yourself or a friend, you can pick him up on my online shop! 

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!

"(Friendly) Bull in a China Shop"

Watch out bull!
This cartoon is an original take on the "bull in a china shop" idiom. Unlike the traditional meaning, this bull is kindly and concerned at his predicament (even as we all know his situation spells disaster!).

Pictured left:  My "Bull in a China Shop" on screen! Audiences at the Karen Gail Miller Conference Center (Sandy, Utah) got to view this artwork as talking point during a presentation by guest speaker Dave Feldman.
April 17-18th, 2019.

Though I did not attend, the thought of my artwork being shown to an auditorium of people is always exciting!


Thanks for reading, and see you next week!