Peppermint easy - WIP

Colorfur Critters · #1 05-16-2012, 10:47 PM

This is a 5"x7" of one of my cats, Peppermint. She is laying on a carpeted cat thingy - a cradle on top of a pole, whatever you call it.

I've been using an exacto knife and the fg brush so far. I have a long way to go. I am going to color this with FW acrylic inks...my first completely colored scratch!

Garbonzo · #2 05-16-2012, 11:31 PM

This is looking very nice so far. I think a little color would do it up nice, but then I like color.

Foxyheart2002 · #3 05-17-2012, 12:29 AM

Everything looks very good, all in proportion. Color will be wonderful. The words you were looking for is 'cat tree'......

Kaz in NZ · #4 05-17-2012, 01:51 AM

Lovely work, look forward to seeing how you colour it. Never heard of acrylic inks! just learning how to colour too!

Harry Seymour · #5 05-17-2012, 07:28 AM

Looks great. Not familiar with acrylic inks but sounds interesting.

FoggyMountain · #6 05-18-2012, 08:56 AM

That is just darling. Love it.

**PatrickHedges** · #7 05-19-2012, 07:55 AM

Gee this is an awesome start - and adorable!!

Colorfur Critters · #8 05-20-2012, 03:24 PM

Here's an update and warning: it's at an ugly stage! I have found out the the acrylic white ink is not very transparent so I will be adding some black back in. You can really see the effect on the paw. Also the body is too yellow. I have a bit of scratching to do!

snoball · #9 05-20-2012, 05:35 PM

Loving the effect so far, you are doing great! You can dilute the acrylic inks with water and mellow them out.

Anxious to see how it turns out.

Rodman · #10 05-20-2012, 06:05 PM

looking great.. my only advice at this point would be . keep an eye on the hint of a dark outline along from to beauties right ear to almost all the way under the paws.

Colorfur Critters · #11 05-21-2012, 02:29 PM

Yea! I've finished. This was quite the learning experience with these acrylic inks. Next one should be better, as I couldn't quite get the colors I wanted. Does the highlight color on the left side of her head (her right side) look too orange? I'm debating some recoloring and scratching. What do you think?

This is a present for my husband's birthday and he has seen it and is really excited.

Garbonzo · #12 05-21-2012, 07:08 PM

I think the orange highlight on the cats face looks fine. Something about acrylic inks, if you aren't aware, if you are, I apologize. Acrylic inks are pigmented and it settles to the bottom of the bottle if sitting long. It needs to be stirred sometimes not just shaken to get the pigments dispersed. It does affect the colors and you can thin the colors with water so that you can layer them to build the intensity or overlay one color over another to get a third color. They make a product for acrylic paints that I think helps with the inks also, called "Flow Aide". I think it's made by Liquitex, don't have the bottle handy. It breaks the tensile strength of water used to thin the inks. The tensile strength is what makes water hold itself into drops, so, using the flow aide helps the inks blend a bit better with the water used to thin them and helps the colors blend better. Just my humble opinion. I've used both acrylics and acrylic inks but you be the judge.

Colorfur Critters · #13 05-21-2012, 11:49 PM

Thank you Harold, I did not know that I need to stir the inks in addition to shaking them, but that makes sense. I did add water, but not enough, apparently.

I want to purchase some Flow Aide now that you have told me about it - I didn't know there was such a product.

Harry Seymour · #14 05-22-2012, 08:57 AM

Lola, you've done a good job with this piece.

FoggyMountain · #15 05-23-2012, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garbonzo

I think the orange highlight on the cats face looks fine. Something about acrylic inks, if you aren't aware, if you are, I apologize. Acrylic inks are pigmented and it settles to the bottom of the bottle if sitting long. It needs to be stirred sometimes not just shaken to get the pigments dispersed. It does affect the colors and you can thin the colors with water so that you can layer them to build the intensity or overlay one color over another to get a third color. They make a product for acrylic paints that I think helps with the inks also, called "Flow Aide". I think it's made by Liquitex, don't have the bottle handy. It breaks the tensile strength of water used to thin the inks. The tensile strength is what makes water hold itself into drops, so, using the flow aide helps the inks blend a bit better with the water used to thin them and helps the colors blend better. Just my humble opinion. I've used both acrylics and acrylic inks but you be the judge.

This is an awesome tip; thank you.

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