Just a quick note to say that I posted an illustration for this week's IF on my Illustration Blog. I decided to create two separate blogs; keeping this one for my more elaborate endeavors and the other for IF fun. If you'll notice, I left a couple of IF posts here instead of moving them. I did this so the links from the IF site would still work.

Anyway, check out the illustration and leave a comment...it's kinda lonely over there at the moment.

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Tiger Swallowtail

Tiger Swallowtail

5 x 7

Prismacolor Colored Pencils

on Strathmore Bristol

Vellum

This small drawing was done from one of my reference photos and, after being sprayed with a fixative, will be given to my daughter.

Weaver - 97% Complete

Weaver - 97% Complete

Weaver - Stage 2

Here is the second installment of Weaver, I would have had a bit more to show, but I worked on something else yesterday an didn't get around to doing anything to this one.

 

I've only progressed a bit today; adding some color to the ground and deepening the existing values. I also added more shading to the front of Weaver, a bit of shadow on the rear legs, and used a colorless blender pencil in a few areas. I layered indigo blue over the black in the background to try to darken it a bit while still trying to maintain the fairly even texture that I've got going on now. I know that it doesn't sound like much, but even these little tweaks took quite a bit of time.

 

I still feel that the background needs darkened more, but I am hesitant to add more layers or colors. I'm also trying to go for a more abstract muted background with only specks of detail here and there to keep the focus on the subject.

 

What do you think, do I need to go darker with the background? Don't be shy...I could use the help. I'm a very indecisive person.