Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

My Christmas present to you.

If you would like a copy of this card to print for yourself, send me a message at: info@kytomaa.com and I will send you the .jpg file for a "half-fold" card for free.

The file size is 1.8MB, and the resolution is 300dpi. I use Avery® brand card stock, item number 3265, to print my cards.

Thank you for reading my blog!

What's on the Easel, and My Desk?

What's on my easel and desk, this week?

On my desk is a drawing I started this weekend, and worked on quite a bit today.

I also worked a little on this painting,

and the one below too.

This painting is actually 24" x 48", but when I take a picture of the entire painting, the photo distorts quite a bit (as the easel is tilted slightly). So this is only the center part of the painting.

Last, here's a much better photo, showing the colors much more accurately, of the drawing I finished last week.

"Firebird"

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Tuesday Post

What have I been up to? I finished a drawing I started earlier this summer. Here's the final picture,

"Firebird".

I took the above pic this morning. I am not happy with how the colors show up in the photo. I think it may be the difference between a natural and an artificial light source. I am not a photographer.

Below is a picture of an earlier drawing I did. The colors in this photo are much closer to the actual colors of the drawing. This photo was taken during the summer, with natural light, in my studio.

And last, this is the latest sketch (pen on paper) that I am working on. Although I often start sketching with no clear idea in mind, that was not the case with the sketch below. I started out with the idea of a man with an elaborate tattoo all over his back. The sketch turned into a woman, with some sort of thorny vine wrapping around her, and she's saying, "I told you to leave me alone".

I thought you might be interested to see how the original idea "morphed" into something entirely different.

And "no", I have no idea why it turned out the way it did.

It just wanted to be this way...

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Now it's time for me to get back to the drawing board!

What am I doing? What I'm doing.

The quest to figure out how to put my illustrated stories on the web... Here is my attempt at a comic style layout. At the moment, there is no actual story this goes in; this is a sketch I finished the other day, that also happened to included some text.

Yes, I know, it is definitely a work in progress.

Now it's back to work!

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Yes, I've been working.

Along with trying to figure out how I might put my illustrated stories on the web, I've been sketching this week.

3 of the sketches (Bic pen on paper).

I took the one on the far right made a large copy, and used varnish to attach it to a board. Right now it is sitting on our dining room table, drying. Once it is dry, I'll start adding layers of paint.

and, since I'm going to be painting, I'll work on adding layers to some other paintings I'm working on.

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I have updated my website!

I am happy to announce that I have updated my Kytömaa artWorks website, adding many new artworks and features.

There is a new feature, the Art Shop, which displays more original artworks for sale, which can be purchased directly from the website using either PayPal or a credit card.

Shipping is free within the USA.

Also, I have added a new set of cards to the Card Shop.

The In Progress page has been updated with sketches and sample illustrations from the story I wrote and illustrated, titled "A Teacup in Space".

Last, a new link on the menu bar takes you directly to this blog.

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Sketch of the Week

I always have more than one project going at once, and usually finish more than one sketch a week. This past week I was not feeling well, the usual fall cold virus is making the rounds, I only did one ink sketch.

The start was a small pencil sketch on the piece of paper I use to test my pens.

Then I did a larger ink sketch on paper (I use a Bic pen).

I made a quick book dummy, just for practice.

I was not feeling great, I'm not sure where this story is going.

My favorite thumbnail sketch from the book dummy is "Lino" (I made a typo, that's where his name comes from, remember I was sick, just saying), looking at the lamp post. As I am a huge fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, I guess you know why I like this one!!

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