A Little Tigress

Tonight for my sketching everyday post, I decided to do a shelter animal sketch. Now that the Cedar Run Fund Raiser is over, I've been thinking a lot about the "Art For Shelter Animals" Project again. I went online to my local shelter's web site, and saw this little cutie # C-27468. She looks just like my Tiger cat, so I call her Little Tigress. She is a small, healthy, loving, declawed orange tabby who is about 3 years young. If you'd like more information about this kitty feel free to stop by the Burlington County Animal Shelter. If you call them please have the kitty's identification number handy.


Remember, your local shelters and refuges are happy and grateful to accept donations of a variety of items. During the spring and summer there is increased need for kitten milk replacement and kitten food. Toys are welcome for the kittens and younger cats. Newspapers and soft bedding material, such as fleece and towels, help keep the residents comfortable. Call your local shelter or visit their web site to see what other items they might need.

Red Tail Hawk Sketch And Demo

Today I did a Red Tail Hawk portrait from another photo I took this past weekend at Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. I documented the process and will post a new demo of my " 6 Steps To Sensational Sketches" online soon.

A Great Horned Owl

Today's sketch is another one of Cedar Run's residents. These animals live out their life in captivity because they have either been injured or have been humanized so that they cannot fend for themselves in the wild. Humanization of wildlife, although well intended, is probably one of the most detrimental injuries.

First Sketch For Drawing Everyday 2009

Wow, I can't believe another year has passed since I sketched Every Single Day! I've continued to sketch, mind you, but not as regularly as I have done during the past three summers. I'm really excited about embarking on my drawing everyday adventure once more this year. This is a sketch I did today of a Red Tail Hawk from a photo I took this past weekend at a fund raiser for the Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. This year, I'm posting a photo at the beginning of the week. If anyone chooses to sketch it and send in your results to sandy@sandysandy.com, I'll post them here on the following Sunday with my interpretation. Here's a photo of Squamie, the Barred Owl at the Cedar Run Refuge.


If you want to receive these daily posts and pictures via email, just contact me at: sandy@sandysandy.com with "Drawing Everyday Subscribe" in your email.

Drawing Everyday Starting Up Again Soon!

My last sketch of the summer ~ Sunday, August 31, 2008.

Only two more weeks until my "Drawing Everyday" project starts up again! This will be my forth year posting a drawing every single day from June through August. A little nervous and excited, like the Thoroughbred in the starting gate, I'm chomping at the bit in anticipation. I truly believe that one must know how to draw well before ever attempting to paint. If any of you artists out there are serious about improving your drawing and would also like to take this challenge, let me know and I'll come up with a plan to get you involved! If you'd like to get my summer blog posts,"Sketching Everyday" in your inbox, just write to me with "Drawing Everyday Subscribe" somewhere in your email and I'll add your name to that google group.

Realize that a drawing is not a copy. It is a construction in very different materials. A drawing is an invention. (Robert Henri)

Learning to draw, before you paint, is like learning to walk before you run. (Don Getz)

You can eliminate color and still have a painting that works, but you must have drawing, value and design. (Matt Smith)

You can only learn to paint by drawing, for drawing is a way of reserving a place for color in advance. (Andre L'Hote)

Every good painting must be based on a good drawing. Drawing is like the bones to the human body. (Diana Kan)

Katie The KindHeart

I've been spending a lot of time on the "Art For Shelter Animals" project.  See more about Katie The KindHeart here. I plan to do more pencil portraits like this one of "Katie" for the shelter. I will post them here in the near future. See more about this project on my web log here. See more about this technique and materials here.

April 5th Drawing Workshop

I held a drawing workshop here yesterday. We covered a lot of ground! We did gestures, blind contours, and pencil and wash drawings. Students learn how to better control the tricky watercolor medium. I lectured on one and two point perspective. We discussed design and values and even had a session on figures. All in all, I think the students left here enthused and inspired with lots of material to study and work on until the next workshop materializes. Here is one drawing from each student. I'm very happy with the work! See one of my workshop demo sketches today on my Spirit Art Blog.

Anatomy Of A Portrait

Here is the sketch I did for this portrait. The first drawing shows the first two steps of my technique and the middle image shows the sketch with the watercolor wash added. This is my forth painting for the "Art For Shelter Animals" project. I decided to do an additional three watercolors, as the oils I did are still not dry. This beautiful girl, ID#D-26033, is named Sasha. The Burlington County Animal Shelter's website says; "What a pretty white German Shepherd Sasha is! She is good with kids, but a bit shy with strangers at the shelter. Her former owner said she is very loyal and is used to being around women and would probably need time to adjust to a home with men. Sasha is very intelligent and likes to play with squeak toys. Can you give this young girl a loving forever home?" See more about this project here on my web log.

Free 10 Week Photoshop Course!

I'm repeating this info. from my web log today, as I don't want anybody to miss out on this great deal! I just signed up for Creative Techs' 10-Week Photoshop Course by Jason Hoppe. My friend, Nancy Louie, alerted me to this incredible deal! This course is FREE, but since it is already in session and I didn't want to miss any of the ones that have already aired, I opted to purchase the full 10 weeks of recordings on audio file and PDF handout for only $50.00! Wow, how awesome is that! Now I can listen to all of them at any time and repeatedly if I need to. Sometimes (or I should say usually) this technical stuff takes some trial and error and review with me. Each new weekly recording should be active by the Monday following each Thursday class.

Feb 26: Week 1 - Photoshop Basics
Mar 5: Week 2 - Photoshop Layers
Mar 12: Week 3 - Selection Basics
Mar 19: Week 4 - Advanced Selections
Mar 26: Week 5 - Masks
Apr 2: Week 6 - Pen Tool / Shape Layers
Apr 9: Week 7 - Drawing Tools / Brushes
Apr 16: Week 8 - Retouching
Apr 23: Week 9 - Color Correction pt1
Apr 29: Week 9 - Color Correction pt2

The Hummers Are Coming, Oh Boy!

Our Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are on their way! Check it out! http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html They've been spotted in Mid FL to NC! WAHOO!

Elephants Are Fun To Sketch

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - Frustration Remedy Sketches Ahh, Elephants!

From my Spirit Art Blog: "Seems like every simple task this week has turned into a major ordeal. Staying positive is hard when you keep banging your head against the wall. Putting all fragmented projects aside, I decided to do some therapeutic sketching to adjust my attitude. While I was drawing from photos posted online by my friend, Sally Vennel, simultaneously another FB friend, Abbey Brooke, IM'd me from Kenya. We chatted about elephants and cheetahs. I think my remedy is starting to work! Switching to something you love in situations like this can calm your nerves and heal your heart." Here's steps 1 and 2 of my sketching technique.



Thursday, March 5, 2009 - Finished Elephant Sketches

I'm gearing up for a drawing and watercolor workshop here on Saturday and Sunday. Part of what I will be covering is drawing techniques, including this pencil and watercolor approach. I drew and painted these elephants with permission from my photographer friend, Sally Vennel. Taken on one of her many trips to Africa, these particular elephants live in Botswana. Find links to all my sites on www.sandysandy.com.

Juliet, The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Portrait

I meet up with a long lost classmate from high school, Maria Czaplicki, on Facebook a month or so ago. What a wonderful age we live in! Blogging and social networking opens up our world to so many friends and experiences! Maria just got a new addition to her family, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy. What a neat breed! From Wikipedia: "The breed is highly affectionate, and some have called the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel "the ultimate lap dog" or the "love sponge" of dogs. Most dogs of the breed are playful, extremely patient and eager to please. This breed is one of the friendliest of the toy group. Some Cavaliers have been known to exhibit traits in common with cats, such as perching in high places (the tops of couches, the highest pillow, etc), cleaning their own paws and can also show some birding qualities. It is recommended that care should be taken when walking a Cavalier off-leash, as they can single-mindedly chase a butterfly or rabbit onto a busy road or other dangerous situation without regard for their own safety if not properly trained." This inspired the above sketch done from her posted photo which I quickly sent off to Maria.

She loved the sketch! I followed it up with this painting. She picked it up last night at a local art show where I was demonstrating my sketching technique. Maria was going to give it to her daughter, but was talking about hanging it over her computer desk when she left! I don't think she is wanting to part with it! I'd be more than happy to do another painting of this precious angel of a dog for her daughter though! : -D