Even Dragons like to give something back

Each year Dragon Con http://dragoncon.org/index.php holds a Charity Art Show auction and so far I have been able to participate in the past three years.  It is always so fun to create something and then see how far the bidding can go. We always raise a good bit for the Charity and have a lot of fun in the process. This year I’m especially excited about it because the theme seemed really neat… “Fantasy Baseball” the artists get to decorate baseballs and then they are auctioned off at the Art Show Voice auction with the proceeds going towards this year's Dragon Con Charity:  The Georgia Chapter of the ALS Association or better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. http://dragoncon.org/charity.php 

So since I’m really loving my little Dragons this year and they always enjoy helping out the community :) I decided they should get to be represented on the baseball. They have painted “Dragon Con” a crossed the front and are currently working on the date…well at least some of them are working LOL

What do you think?

Eeep I can’t believe the Convention is only a few days away, even though I have been attending for 5 years now, I still get very anxious the closer it gets. I will have so many new pieces at my booth. Including the Steampunk Myxie Dragon Pals, making their very first art show appearance. So make sure to stop by and wish them lots of luck :) See you all at the Con!

Thanks for reading!

~Caralyn   

I Feel so Special!

Hello Everyone!
I just wanted to let you all know about two lovely people that posted my work today.

Deb makes wonderful crochet gifts that are sold on Etsy.com. She was nice enough to feature me in a treasury she made on the site. A “BEARY” Cute treasury :)

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=72008 bear treasury Debs Crochet

You all know Fran Caldwell, she is the talented painter that blogged about my Myxies a few months back, well she’s done it again. Please take a look at the great blog she wrote about my sculptures and Please check out her site too.

http://www.francaldwell.blogspot.com Fran Caldwell

Thank you for looking and have a great weekend Everyone!
~Caralyn

How It's Going so Far...

Hey Everyone,
As you probably know I have been working on a Large Fantasy Painting for Dragon Con. This is a picture that I have been drawing and redrawing since I was a child. In all I have done this picture 4 times, it started out a small picture on notebook paper, then redrawn on 8x10 printer paper. The last one was about 11x17 colored and laminated then given to my mother as a present, not sure if she kept it but no matter because I’m doing it again. This time It is about a 30x24 piece and is the 2nd largest painting I’ve ever done so I’m kinda nervous as to how it will turn out.
I told you all I would keep you up dated on my progress so I included a few pictures so you can see how it is coming along.
Okay first I started with sketching a few of the creatures I wanted to have on it. I arranged the sketches on the canvas and once I had them where I wanted them I drew them on the canvas its self. After tracing over the lines in ink I started to paint the largest part of the whole painting…the Dragon…Ooooooo. I’m using a dark oil/acrylic paint to shade the dragon but once the shading is done I will paint over it in red.
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=201883352&albumID=1828666&imageID=29568590

I have a few more pictures to post as I finish so keep checking my blog for updates.
Thanks for looking.

~Caralyn

I’m no Van Gogh…I have both my ears :P

Greetings Friends,

I have a few projects I’m currently working on. The majority of them are paintings. I really haven’t done too much painting before. I prefer to color my work in photoshop…because there is an erase button…nah I’ve just used that for so long I’m the most comfortable with it. But as it is harder to create “large” pieces using photoshop, I don’t have much of an option but to do them on canvas. It’s not that I dislike painting, I just haven’t had as much practice.
Since I use acrylic paint for painting the features on my Myxies, I figured it would work the same for canvas. The only problem I have with acrylics is it dries a little too quickly, making it difficult to spread the paint as far as I need. Of course it works just fine for small detailed paintings because I don’t have to wait as long to add the next color. Lord I’m so impatient! Never the less I went searching for just the right paint for me. I have heard a lot about watercolors, in fact at shows many people ask if that is what I use to color my work…nope, that’s just good ol’ photoshop.
So I went to my favorite place…Michaels and picked up some water colors. But when I tried to use them, to my dismay, they didn’t work how I expected. The paint didn’t seem to soak into the canvas like other paints. It just sort of sat on the top and beaded up…Now that won’t work at all. Perhaps it was the type of canvas I use or maybe it could have been a cheap brand of watercolors but needless to say I was not impressed.
So until I found something that works for me, it looks like I will continue using acrylic. But since I am fairly new to the whole painting thing, I always appreciate any advise anyone can give me on what I should try. Thanks Friends!

Salutations!
~Caralyn

Computer Art is still Art.

When people ask me what medium I use to color my art, I usually answer Photoshop or MS paint. At this response they normally give me a look like my art has lost some value because it’s not done with watercolors or acrylics. I have tried so many different mediums including watercolors, color pencils, markers, and for me the one I like best for coloring is the computer. I don’t get mad at those people though, it seems to me if you aren’t impressed with art created on the computer, it’s because you don’t know all that goes into it. So I’d like to explain how my drawings are made.

First I start with a pencil and a piece of paper as most artists do. After I’ve drawn the picture, I ink it to keep it from being too light when I scan it onto the computer. Now it’s time to add color, and this is where the computer comes in. After deciding what colors my picture will have, I blend the colors. It’s much like you would with a paintbrush only a lot less clean up. I add and take colors using the color index until I create the desired color.

I then add my color to the picture. I make a base color, (a darker shade of the chosen color). I fill in the area with the base making sure to get every small detail by zooming in to color it. It’s not just a matter of clicking the icon, I use the mouse like a brush as I add the different colors. I then color over it with the chosen color, carefully leaving any areas I wish to be shaded open for the base to show through. Then starting with the chosen color, I readjust it to make highlights or shadows on my picture. Each small color difference is a result of adjusting and readjusting to get the precise color I want. True, I don’t have paint all over my face and clothes when I am finished, but I believe the end result is just as colorful and valuable as watercolors, and certainly as much hard work.