When working on an animal of a “single colour”, you really have to play up the values; focus on getting your darks dark enough and your lights light enough. This will really make the portrait pop and give it a sense of three dimensionality. Portrait drawn on drafting film.
Author: Kelly Murphy
Artist
Fox (finished)
I love the precise details I can create by using subtraction techniques on drafting film. A little bit of scraping and erasing can produce the most lifelike fur. I especially enjoyed using these techniques on his muzzle and in the coarse wavy fur of the scruff of his neck.
Fox (work in progress)
Here is my latest work in progress; I have decided to give drafting film another go. The thing I like most about drafting film is being able to use the “subtractive” technique, in which I scrape off or erase areas within the coloured pencil to create the finer details.
Grizzly Cub
Who says that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? I believe that it’s never too late to learn something new. Over the pandemic, I happened across a surface called drafting film. I was intrigued and had to give it a go, but it was so different to any surface I had ever worked…
Nienna (commission)
When you are looking at an animal that is predominantly one colour, how many colours do you think would be used to create that “single coloured” fur? There needs to be some variety to create the illusion of depth. Any guesses as to how many colours were used to create the lovely cream coloured fur…
Duckling
What does one do when the world is on lockdown? Try something new of course. I did a lot of experimenting over the pandemic. Tried new brands of coloured pencils, yes, they all have unique properties. Plus, it’s a good excuse to add to my ever expanding collection of coloured pencils. ;) I experimented on…
Plumeria Flowers
I love Spring! I love the fresh clean smell of the air, first blooms and spotting the first robin of the season. I especially love watching the fuzzy little ducklings/goslings waddle after their Mommies, but the thing I look most forward to is the first ride of the season on the mountain biking trails. Here…
Then and Now
My journey with couloured pencils began about six years ago with a “Mommy Stay-cation”. I was excited to have a week to myself, something I hadn’t experienced in over a decade, and decided to pull out the art supplies that hadn’t seen the light of day in twenty years. I started with a portrait of…
New Logo
What an intense two years it’s been! There have been so many changes we’ve all had to make in our lives. I’ve missed my family, my friends, my group activities and the art and pet expos I took part in each summer. But on the positive side, I have discovered I really love painting florals…
Poppy (commission)
This is Poppy, a Newfoundland Pony. She is one of about 500 that remain today as the Newfoundland Pony is a critically endangered species. The majority of them are located in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Ontario, and this beauty is just a hop, skip and a jump from my home.
Kelly Murphy, Fine Art 