Thursday, November 28, 2019

Thursday Art Date: Grays and Browns and Paint Party Friday!


πŸ‚πŸ‚ Happy Thanksgiving to my American Friends!!! πŸ‚πŸ‚

Welcome to Thursday's Art Date, today our theme is Grays and Browns. Was this a challenge for you? It was for me at first!!! I had a few ideas for the browns but I was completely stumped for the grays...Bugs Bunny decided Charlie Chaplin's brown outfit would fit the theme very well. He looked the part, but try to get him to stay quiet for a silent movie, no such luck!! 


When I lived on Prince Edward Island in 2010, I saw foxes all of the time. I watched this little fella for a few minutes and got some great shots. What a beauty with his hues and shades of brown!


He was the inspiration for my watercolour fox. I painted this using the more reddish browns of Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber.

I am not a fan of gray paint and I didn't know what to do for the gray portion of the theme! So I took a leap, and I tried something new and very exciting!


Charcoals...my new art obsession!! I L♥️VE them!!! I happened upon a few tutorials on Patreon, the first one was this deer. I don't normally subscribe to Patreon because a) the site is painfully slow to load and b) basically I don't want to spend the money...but I really wanted to learn some techniques so I took a monthly subscription to one of the artists on there.


Here's my elephant. I'm very proud of myself! I've always said that I can't draw but I think I wasn't giving myself enough credit. Each of these tutorials took between two and a half to three hours. When I used to think of charcoals, I thought of black only. I never imagined I could create so many shades of gray using one or two pencils!

Charcoal Jack

Of course I had to draw my Jack! 

I'm not a very good student if I'm 100% honest. I have trouble with my concentration and a lot of things go over my head; but I found that learning how to create artwork with charcoals was super easy for me to comprehend. I learned great techniques so I have confidence. I started with a "beginner" set of charcoals...I had issues with them - so now I'm going to invest in some good quality pencils and tools! Note to self: Artists Loft brand products, (that's the Michaels house brand) are SUB PAR...I've had trouble with that brand's paints, brushes and now the charcoal pencils. Sometimes you do pay for what you get! πŸ˜’ Lesson finally learned! (Told you I'm not a good student lol!!!)

Charcoal Marlene

Here is Miss Marlene. She was more challenging to draw than Jack because she has colours where Jack is just black and white. I'm particularly proud of these two because I did these without a tutorial, I just took a few photos and dove right in! I decided I'm going to draw all six of the pets over the next few weeks. 

You will likely see a lot of charcoal work in my future, but I won't give up the painting and drawing! I just want to create art all day long! 😊

Well, that's all for now folks, please check out the link widget below to see more Grays and Browns artwork! And please join me on Sunday for my food and pets post. πŸΎπŸΎπŸΎ Christmas is coming πŸŽ„πŸŽ„ so there will be lots of delicious goodies and recipes to share!!


I'm also linking up with Paint Party Friday tomorrow!

********************
I made this Lemon Curd Ice Cream Pie for Alex's birthday in 2018 - Talk about Flavours and Aroma!!

December 5th: Next Thursday's theme is Flavours and Aroma. Click on the link for ideas and inspiration! Remember it's all about creating. You can showcase your paintings, drawings, photography, sculpting, baking, poetry...whatever you like! πŸŽ¨

Thursday Art Date With Rain. Click on the link for a description of the art date as well as a list of upcoming themes. Check out the themes for 2020 here!

Don't forget to add the URL link to your post (not your blog) to the link gadget below to share your wonderful creations! The link gadget expires Sunday at noon (EST).

⚡⚡⚡⚡  Be forewarned ⚡⚡⚡⚡ If you include a link that doesn't follow the art date theme, it will be removed! Thanks for your understanding and for respecting my fellow artists who put their minds, hearts and souls into creating art for the themes!

********************

62 comments:

  1. a fun Max Bunny painted for Thanksgiving
    The fox is great and your painted pictures are fantastic again, every single picture. You've drawn the dogs wonderfully!
    I wish you Happy Thanksgiving
    Elke

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Rain! Looooove your art today, the charcoal drawings are wonderful, and I know it is not easy. You have mastered this technique really well. Love that you Jack, too, and the elephant is fantastic. Bugs Bunny as Charlie is great too, what a fun idea. Fab photos of that fox, what a handsome creature. Great painting, too. And that lemon pie - oh my, what a treasure. I just got up and a slice would be good with my coffee! Have a wonderful day Rain, and thanks for sharing all your lovely art and photos. Hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very stunning art work Rain!!! You are really terrific at capturing the soulful spirit through the eyes of your subjects! Great Post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great animals - both real and your depiction of them Rain. Your elephant IS fabulous - definitely takes me back to my safari days when the elephants were so majestic, came so close, and I actually got to ride them!

    Stay warm - we are celebrating Thanksgiving today, mild and sunny - plenty of pies here too, especially pumpkin!

    Mary x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well that is a dapper bunny! Your charcoal work is amazing, interesting that you kept the colours separate, no combined gray and brown. That ice cream pie looks so good. Thanks for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awesome artwork, Rain! I really enjoy all your creations.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice charcoal work! I like how much easier it is to shade with charcoal, but I'm not fussy about how messy it is to work with. I'm just too prissy for my own good!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Some day i will have to join your challenge.
    Gray and brown, reminds me of hair when it begins changing color ;-)

    Your drawings are lovely.
    And I so enjoyed your fox images!

    lovely day to you!

    ReplyDelete
  9. You are an inspiration! I've been too ill to concentrate long enough to draw. cheerio

    ReplyDelete
  10. Rain,

    I love all of your art! You do such marvelous work. The fox is nice and I love the charcoal Jack sketch. :) Sorry to be so short but I just have a minute to spare. Thanks for hosting, dearie. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Not giving yourself enough credit??? You bet you haven't been giving yourself enough credit, Rain! Those drawings of Jack and Marlene are wonderful because you caught their personalities perfectly! And the deer, fox, and elephant are really good! I felt badly looking at your PEI fox. My great Uncle Harry had a fox farm in PEI. He was married to my Great Aunt Maude. Maude's sister was my grandmother Myrtle MacBeath, and Nana used to wear a fox stole: feet, tail, head complete with glass eyes. It horrified me when I was a child and still does. Bugs looks very dapper. And that pie ~ OMG! I got fatter looking at it! Just kidding ~ It's the gigantic Thanksgiving feast I had today ~ LOL! All the best to you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Rain
    Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    what an excellent art you created here ,just ENCHANTING !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    i am stunned with your charcoal painting ,such perfection specially jack and Marlene made my mouth opened ,you are AMAZING ,the very first painting in gray is also SUBLIME :)))
    if you did this with withered concentration i can imagine the magic you will create with your focus :)))

    either i am proud of you :)))
    Bugs in pause of Charlie is so amusing and impressive :)

    wishing you BEST OF LUCK for you art adventures Rain ,one can learn so much from you as whatever you do ,you do it beautifully :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. my favorite of the drawings is the elephant. It is stunning. Love the foxes too. I rarely see them nowadays. :(

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy PPF Sweetie, have a great weekend, hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  15. I do love the rusty tones of your fox Rain but again Jack has stole my heart. What a character he is, adorable. I miss my dear pooch so much. Browns and greys give so much warmth and depth to a design, they are extremely under rated. Wishing you a very Happy PPF Tracey xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh my goodness, Rain. I don't think I could come close to the results you have with your pastels and, if I could, I sure wouldn't think of myself as a "bad" student. These are wonderful and impressive. And, I love your little fox. When we lived on the lake we had a fox family that came around every few years. They would clean the place out of vermin then move on, only coming back when there was time for more vermin to move in. They were beautiful and I too have some cute pictures of the pups, but was never able to get a picture of Dad and he was most impressive. Sorry I am a day late, but I had to spend my day with my family and our Thanksgiving dinner. Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving ... though I am guessing, judging from what I have seen of you, that every day is Thanksgiving at your house. Still wish I lived closer to you ... Ha! Be well, Rain ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

    ReplyDelete
  17. Aha i remembered to link up today
    Have a nice weekend

    Much🦁love

    ReplyDelete
  18. You drew wonderful charcoal animals as well as watercolor paintings. Love them all.
    Happy weekend πŸ˜ƒπŸΏ️

    ReplyDelete
  19. gorgeous artworks!!! You do have a special touch with the animals for sure. And I love those photos of the fox. I hope to one day see one of the red foxes that are sometimes in my area:) Happy PPF!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm really liking your charcoal work, you've done very well.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I really love your art. You have a way with shape and color, a very good talent.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Goodness, Rain - you can definitely draw. I love all your artwork here, but your charcoal drawings are truly awesome. I can practically feel that elephant swaying. The other drawings are great, too.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I like the one of your doggie most of all, what a cutie. The elephant is excellent, it really does seem like it's moving!😊 Well done Rain.

    mypoeticpath.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh my - what wonderful pieces! Love the fox, the elephant and Jack! Wonderful work!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Beautiful critter artwork ~ I love foxes and had a Siberian Husky ~ she was a love ^_^

    Happy Moments to You,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Ah- Rain- You are SO very talented. I wonder if you give yourself enough credit for how good you are? I love coming here to visit.
    I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend. xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  27. I think Bugs look quite smart in that outfit :) The fox photos - great capture and your watercolour fox certainly captured the fox spirit. I think you did quite well with the grey colour. Charcoal is one medium I have struggled with in the past. Your drawings are fabulous! That is a delicious looking pie! Enjoy :D

    -Soma

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wow! Your charcoal drawings look brilliant :)

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  29. Rain, I really liked Bugs dressed up for the seasonal holiday. But what really impressed me was your charcoal artwork, and my favorite is the one of Jack. I am not an artist in the least and methinks you are definitely a good one, and so do others I am sure.

    ReplyDelete
  30. These are so absolutely amazing!!! I LOVE your fox photos, as well as the painted fox. He is so cute! Your charcoal sketches are incredible. Wow. Beautiful, beautiful work. Thanks for sharing!!

    Your pie looks super tasty as well. yum! Hope you have a great week. Happy PPF!!!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Better late than never! Sorry everyone for the late replies, I'm trying my best to answer every comment and visit everyone's blog!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thank you Elke :) I had a lot of fun learning to draw with the charcoals!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thanks so much Valerie :) I didn't think it would be so easy for me to learn! I had a lot of trouble in the past trying to draw things. I had a good teacher and that makes all the difference!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Thanks Dino :) That means a lot! :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thanks Mary :) That's pretty cool that you got to ride an elephant! I would be too scared!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thanks Christine :) I never even thought of combining the colours to be honest. Although Bugs is gray!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thanks Martha :) So glad you enjoyed them!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Lol Debra :) I learned some tips on how to keep it clean with the charcoals and so far it's not too messy! Oils though, I get that paint everywhere for some reason.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thanks Tammie :) Oh I hope that you join in sometime!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thanks Jenn :) Sorry to hear you are sick, I hope you're better by now!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Thanks Cathy :) I think my favourites are Jack and the elephant. I'm so pleased with how the charcoals turned out!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Thanks Louise :) That is horrifying about the fox farm and the stole...I would have been traumatized by that. They are beautiful creatures. My grandmother had lots of fur coats and to this day it makes me feel bad thinking about that. Fur for survival is a different story of course.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thanks so much Baili :) I have to admit I surprised myself with the charcoals - especially of Jack and Marlene! The others I followed a tutorial, but I used the same techniques and it worked! So happy and thanks for your support!! :)


    ReplyDelete
  44. Thanks Monica :) I loved doing that elephant! It was my first charcoal but not my last!!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thanks Tracey :) It hurts to miss a pet who passed away...I've been through it too often. They don't have enough time on this earth!! But yes, Jack is quite the character. He's just adorable and a total mama's boy lol! :)

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thanks Andrea :) Oh yes, every day is Thanksgiving here! For gratitude and for FOOD!!! :)) I'd love to see photos of those baby foxes you had at the lake!! You are sorry you're a day late, heck I'm a week and a half late in responding lol!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Thanks Gillena :) So glad you linked up!!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Thanks so much Sirkkis :) I really enjoyed that new medium!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Thanks Linda :) I'm really enjoying drawing animals! We don't see many foxes around here anymore but when I lived closer to the coast of the Atlantic, they were everywhere. It was quite special!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Thanks Linda (Lin's Art) :) I had a lot of fun learning how to use them! :)

    ReplyDelete
  51. Thanks Nicole :) I really appreciate your comment!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Thanks Becki :) Besides Jack, my favourite is the elephant. When I first saw the tutorial I kept thinking I'd never pull it off. Sigh...I needed more confidence, but after I finished it, my confidence was there. I've done a few more since and I'm really enjoying it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  53. Thanks Geraldine :) I'm so glad you saw movement in the elephant! :)

    ReplyDelete
  54. Thanks so much Jean :) I'm so happy with the results! :)

    ReplyDelete
  55. Thanks Carol :) You were blessed with a husky too? Very nice. They are such gentle dogs!

    ReplyDelete
  56. Thanks so much Diana :) I really appreciate you comment! I'll start giving myself credit, promise. :)

    ReplyDelete
  57. Thanks Soma :) I have struggled with drawing all of my life...I guess I never really learned how to look at the subject and draw it. So charcoals weren't a medium I ever considered, but I'm so glad I tried again. Having the right teacher (in my case on Patreon) and the right techniques really does make a difference!

    ReplyDelete
  58. Thanks so much Jan :) I really enjoyed trying them out!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Thanks Dorothy :) My favourite was Jack too, but I'm biased lol...I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to try this medium!

    ReplyDelete
  60. Thanks Courtney :) I need to make that pie again - SOON. :) Your comment meant a lot to me! :)

    ReplyDelete
  61. Your charcoals remind me of the old-fashioned animation movies. That fox in the wild looks amazing; it's fur fluffy and such color. I've seen some on IG and they don't look as handsome.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Thanks Stefanie :) I found a great new medium in the charcoals, I want to try to keep improving!

    ReplyDelete

❤ Thanks for your comment, I love hearing from everyone! ❤ Why not join me and my fellow artists every Thursday for TADD? That's Thursday Art and Dinner Date! It's a lot of fun!
Love,
Rain