I have always been fascinated by the Sphynx cat. Their special appearance - the naked, wrinkly skin, the big ears and the intense gaze – combined with their lovable and fun demeanor.
The Sphynx is a very energetic, curious and playful cat, that demands a lot of attention from it's family. They are very social animals, and loves the company of both humans and other animals, such as cats or dogs. Today's breed is a result of selective breeding that started in Canada in the 1960s. The lack of hair is caused by a natural mutation.
Then, if I'm so fond of the Sphynx, why don't I own one? Well, I'm allergic to cats, and I couldn't even live with a hairless one... I have my Whippets though, and they are pretty close to being cats. ^_^
My drawing process
The sketch
I initially sketched the drawing on cheap copy paper. The cat is referenced from a real Sphynx and the moth is drawn without a reference. I decided to add a moth since that's kind of the insects equivalent of the Sphynx. Many people fail to see the Sphynx' beauty, and the same applies the moth. When we think of beautiful insects, we think of butterflies, but the moth can be even more interesting, spectacular and colorful. When I was happy with my sketch, I transferred it onto quality paper.
For this drawing I used Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper. This paper is amazing for line-less work, such as this drawing. There are several reasons for why I love using Copic markers on this paper:
- Absolutely no feathering (color that bleeds past the intended line)
- It allows for endless layering
- Smooth blending
However, there are some negative sides with it that one should keep in mind:
- The texture of the paper damages the marker nibs (tiny paper hairs get stuck in the nib)
- It sucks up a lot of ink, causing the makers to dry out faster than with a non-watercolor paper
- Since it sucks up a lot of ink, coloring large areas with a flat color is very, very hard.
The transferred sketch
For transferring drawings I use a cheap lightbox that I bought on Ebay. I highly recommend using a lightbox for anyone who are messy sketchers, like myself. I can't paint or draw on top of my original sketches, since I basically ruin the paper with all the erasing and sketching the paper endures until I'm happy with the sketch.
I used a regular mechanical pencil, and very light strokes. I didn't want the pencil lines to show under the markers.
The coloring process
I don't use references for my coloring, it always comes out looking better when I shade and color from my head. I prefer to start coloring the body, since that kind of allows me to warm up and get used to the colors and paper. If I mess up, it won't be as noticeable as if I had messed up when coloring the head or other more important parts of the drawing.
The Eyes are the window to the soul
The eyes make up such an important part of the drawing, so I always try to put at much details in them as possible. It truly makes a huge difference if the eyes look expressive and interesting.
One eye without detail and one eye with details. I added details in the eyes using colored pencils and white gel pen. Adding details really brought the sphynx to life ^_^
The finished Sphynx
I added a small amount of details to the sphynx using a white colored pencil, just bringing out the highlights a bit more.
The Moth and the Background
I struggled a lot with the Moth. I couldn't decide on how I wanted to color it or what colors to use. I initially colored the violet parts bright pink, and ended up hating it. I had a small breakdown (and unfortunately I didn't take any photos the bright pink moth), but then I remembered that the paper allows for a lot of layering, so I decided to try and change the color. I used a dull violet on top of the bright pink, and the color turned out really nice.
I used the same violet color, in several different shades, on the background.
We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents
Or so Bob Ross has told us... I dropped my Copic cleaner (removes Copic ink) over my drawing.. Luckily, it only hit the background (a huge blob...), and not the cat or moth. I decided to just go with it, and added more drops all over the background. I actually ended up liking it.. So I guess Bob Ross was right ;)
The finished drawing
I added detalis using white gel pen and white colored pencils to make the moth and the Sphynx pop a bit more.
Time-Lapse Gif
My support crew
Apparently. I'm supposed to include these two in all my posts, or so I've been told in the comment section... Anyway, here they are – The Whippets aka Giant Rat Dogs
(Yes, I have an embroidered pillow of one of my dogs...)
Postface
If you want to know more about me, check out my:
- Introduction post
- Steemit blog
- Instagram: @pixielolz
- Etsy: www.PixielolzArt.etsy.com
THAT is an art post! Wow, pixielolz. You are gooood! I love the shot of your babies at the end. What is life without dogs?
Thank you so much :D And I know, right. They bring me so much joy and comfort. And also laughs. My whippets are notorious food thieves, which can be fun at times...like observing them trying to figure out how to get to the tomatoes on the counter without getting seen.
awesome stuff..i love your art
Thank you :D
Bellisimo arte
Your art looks amazing man. Never let go your creativity. Keep sharing @pixielolz
<3 Love the art and especially the support crew! Really good vibes :)
Mad skills Pixielolz :)
Thank you ^_^
This post deserves so much more love. From one artist to another, great job!
Really dig the eyes, you have a very smooth style. Must try some of the Arches Hot Press paper with my promarkers. Anyways nicely done.
No one would have know that was an accident :) It's how the artist wanted . Lovely drawing!
Yeah, I think it turned out really interesting with the effect. Thank you :D
^V0Te
wellcome
https://steemit.com/art/@romanskv/4w9zru-hi-steemit-i-present-to-you-my-outsider-works
https://steemit.com/photography/@romanskv/the-kittens-that-i-raised
beautiful! and flawless blending skills, really love this one and the colour scheme
Thank you so much ^_^
So gorgeous and inspiring. Thank you. :)
Also, following because I truly LOVE your art.
Thank you so much :D
great @pixielolz I like your atr very much) I have a Sphynx , its not so bald, but brush
Thank you! :D And you're lucky! I really want a sphynx or a devon rex.. Allergies sucks...
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you ^_^
That is amazing! and such a cute cat! (and dogs, lol)
Thank you :D
First page!! You are so awesome, knew you would get a huge following! :D
Thank you so much :D I'm so grateful for all the support ^_^
Your art is amazing @pixielolz it gets me so calm! <3
Thank you <3
I liked the time-lapse gif. Glad to see this was well-accepted. You make amazing art pieces.
Thank you! Yeah, I'm so grateful for all the support I have received, it means a lot ^_^
Very cool art.
Thank you :)
WOW !! I so love the color saturation and you nailed the eyes! Your style is way different than mine probably why I love it so much! Following and upvoted. Show us more!! Here's the last "kitty" I painted...
That sure is a kitty :D Thank you, and I already follow you. I immediately recognized this photo from one of your posts!
I want to own a sphynx cat so bad
I thought the post was already amazing, and then I saw the dogs and my heart was won :D
Thank you, they are the best :D
I love your dogs 💚
Thanks :)
I love your happy accident and how you added stars to it. Nice touch.
Thank you so much :D I think it turned out better in the end, not as bland. So I'm glad it happened :)
nice. your good. you are a great artist. up for you
Thank you :)
hi, just letting you know someone has stolen your work
https://steemit.com/art/@steemit44/sphynx-and-moth-step-by-step-of-my-drawing-process-from-sketch-to-finished-artwork
Thank you for letting me know! Looks like it's been downvoted plenty already. Thanks ^_^
Amazing! I was sure this was digital as it's so 'perfect', and then I read the article...just wow :o) Amazing that you can shade and blend like this with marker pens. Incredible!
I'm sad that I didn't see this post in time to upvote you into more Steem $s for celebratory steak dinners for the Giant Rat Dogs, but I have upvoted now fwiw and also hit the 'follow' button... I'll be looking forward to seeing more of your posts, and I know that my daughter (who is into hand-drawing figurative art) will be getting a box of Copic markers in the post very soon... :o) xx
Thank you so much :D Haha, they are lucky dogs, and get served raw meat every day. But they sure would have appreciated a celebratory steak dinner :D
That's cool. She will love them (after she gets used to them, they are hard to use in the beginning). I'm planning on writing a copic marker beginners guide sometimes soon. Where I discuss colors and different tools and paper and such :)