Society6

I've started uploading some art to Society6.com, which is an interesting site that will print and ship artwork in different sizes.  Check it out!

I may be a bird, but I'm not angry

I've been playing a lot of Angry Birds on my phone (I'm done with the regular version, Rio and I'm currently on Seasons), and I've been admiring some of the backgrounds.  I especially liked the clouds in one of the Seasons series, and the cityscapes in the Golden Egg.  This cityscape is inspired by Angry Birds, but there are no birds in it and no one is angry.

Below is the sketch I did with markers, followed by the cleaned up Photoshop version:

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

It's been a while since I've posted, so here's a summary of some of the stuff I worked on during the holidays.

Hanukkah cards:

Felt wreath (this took days and days and hours and hours but was totally worth it).  Don't expect me to make it again though!

Magazine trees:

I got this from Martha Stewart.  Take a magazine, fold up each page 3 times, spray paint and sprinkle glitter all over.  Easy and super fun.

Wall hanging/house decoration (though I just propped it up instead of hanging it):

Piece of wood + acrylic paints + glitter = joyful awesomeness.

I'm hoping to come up with some new stuff for valentine's day, but in the meantime, I have some valentine's day cards up on my Etsy shop that I worked on last year.

Snowflakes are falling on my head

Here's a new set of holiday cards with snowflakes.  Like a previous design, these can be customized to pretty much any colour combination.  Here are just a few variations.

I made the snowflake in Photoshop by drawing a pattern, reflecting it, copying it and rotating it to make sure it was perfectly symmetrical.  I ended up with a big clump in the middle so I made a 2nd design just for the middle and inserted it (also by reflecting, copying, etc.)  I like the ornate design and though it's not a traditional snowflake, it has a holiday feel.

ABCD Dinosaur...

...That is what the D stands for.

Here's a simple 8x10 wall art print for a kid's room.  I still need to put it up in my kid's room, though he knows his alphabet and is now working on 2-digit numbers.

3 little kittens have lost their mittens

So they'll just stay inside.  Here's one looking out at the snow and moon.  You may think they're stars, and that's fine too.

'Tis the season to be...

... holiday card shopping. 

This series of cards came about pretty unexpectedly.  I wanted to make a pattern that looks like a wall in old Indian structures.  I have a photo looking out of the Fatehpur Sikri mosque where the wall looks black from the inside and you can see colours of people's saris outside through the holes.  I thought I'd play off that idea, and I still might, but in the meantime this series of cards developed.  The colour possibilities are endless, but these are a few that I came up with:

The original pattern:

 

These are all available at my Etsy shop and can be customized in any colour combination with a custom message on the front.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Can it already be November?  It's only just started to be jacket weather.  Anyway, it's time to start on the holiday cards.  If you've been following my blog from the beginning (almost a year!), you may remember this doodle on a post-it that I gave some colour to in Photoshop:

 

I quite liked the doodle, but wanted to clean it up a bit.  Here is take 2 of this doodle for 2011:

 

and of course, the greeting card version:

 

Available in 2 sizes: 5"x7" greeting cards or 3.5"x5" note cards.  Order them now to share with your friends and family!

On the dotted line

While looking for rugs recently, I ran across a few with big concentric circles outlined in dots rather than solid lines.  Here is an example.  I liked the technique and wanted to try it out in a drawing.  I whipped out my markers and made a multicolor flower drawing.

Here is the original drawing:

Here it is with some colour adjustments and layout for a card, now available on Etsy:

Let the good pumpkins roll

We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend and picked out 3 small white pumpkins.  We also went to a regular store and bought 3 huge pumpkins for carving.  I was sitting in the family room watching another episode of original Melrose Place on Netflix (yes I'm addicted), holding my drawing pad.  I saw the mini pumpkins on the shelf and started sketching.  Then I whipped out my aquarelle pencils to add colour, dabbed my wet paintbrush over the picture and came up with this:

 

After loading into Photoshop I made a few contrast adjustments and added a paint daub filter.  Since it's a bit late to be making/selling Halloween cards, I decided to make Thanksgiving cards (coming soon to an Etsy store near you).  

Ta da!

 

Hydrangea power

We have a couple of hydrangea plants at our new house.  Though they are mostly finished, they're a nice mix of blue and purple.  I made the original drawing with Caran d'Ache watercolour pencils (aquarelles), and then used a small paintbrush to blur the colours and make it watercolour-like.  In Photoshop I brightened the colours a bit and applied a splatter filter.

The result is a wedding invitation set and a thank you card. 

Hurry hurry call the moving truck...

One (of many) reasons there's been nothing new to show is that we recently moved house which has kept us plenty busy.

I did manage to get in a "we've moved" card design which I turned into a postcard and mailed to friends and family with our new address.  Here is a generic version for your viewing pleasure.

For Carol and Katy

When I was a kid I used to make a variation of this drawing, with a rainbow, bunny rabbit, swing set and tree.  My friends Carol and Katy probably still remember it, so this is for them.

I think I'll turn it into a birthday card or it might be a standalone piece for a kid's room.

 

As a card:

Follow me on Google+

I was on vacation for a couple of weeks so haven't had anything new for a while.  I have some fun ideas that I'm excited to work on so stay tuned!  In the meantime, if you'd like to add me to a circle on Google+, here is my profile: https://profiles.google.com/archana

Friday Feature on Masala Mango Mantra Blog

I was interviewed for a Friday Feature on the Masala Mango Mantra Blog today!  Thanks to Ahkriti for featuring me.  She makes lovely jewelry found here.