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Category Archives: Pen and Ink

Colour the Muse!

July 28, 2014by karencomics 6 Comments

Summer Art Challenge Day 36 — making art every day! I’ve finished the ink stage for Iris’s latest adventure; I’m looking forward to colouring it! It occurred to me that other […]

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Comics, Pen and Ink

Down by the Sea

April 3, 2014by karencomics 8 Comments

Living on the coast as I do, one of my favourite places is down by the water. Whether it’s a beach on the wild west coast of our island, or […]

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Ink, Pen and Ink

Quick-Draw! Sheriff Bill Platypus

March 12, 2014by karencomics 3 Comments

Drawing-a-Day number 29 (one more to go!) I’d been drawing the graphic novel all day, and needed a change of pace. Tonight was the weekly gathering of several fellow comics […]

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Drawing-a-Day, Pen and Ink

A Feline Swashbuckler

February 28, 2014by karencomics 5 Comments

Drawing-of-the-Day 17 Here’s another character from my doodles of last Sunday night, turned into a finished painting. I tried an experiment that was suggested to me by my mentor today […]

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Character Design, Illustration, Ink, Pen and Ink, Watercolour

Technique-of-the-Week — Combining Pen & Ink and Watercolour

February 22, 2014by karencomics 17 Comments

It’s time for another dive into my vast pile of workshop handouts! I have been using this technique a lot lately, as it is my favourite method of colouring comics. […]

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Pen and Ink, Technique of the Week, Watercolour

Technique of the Week — Celtic Knotwork

January 25, 2014by karencomics 4 Comments

It’s Saturday, time to post one of handouts from the various and numerous classes and workshops I have taught over the years! This gives me a bit of a break […]

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Celtic, Design, Pen and Ink, Technique, Technique of the Week, Uncategorized

Embellishing and Colouring Celtic Design

January 24, 2014by karencomics 6 Comments

Today is the third in a series about my experiences in making  Celtic art. I have several designs that i have both the pen and ink original versions of as […]

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Celtic, coloured pencils, Design, Illustration, Pen and Ink, Watercolour

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The Quadra Cats, a webcomic

The cover of Takeout Planet, the first book in the Quadra Cats series

When the neighbourhood cats meet a takeout-obsessed Alien Cat, they become impromptu ambassadors for Earth! Updates Mondays and Thursdays.

Mermaid Music, a webcomic!

Mermaid Music, Book One cover

Mermaid music is the story of a girl who accidentally runs away to sea, and finds herself in deep water indeed! Click the image to read the webcomic from the beginning.

All text and images © Karen Gillmore 2014 -2017

...except as otherwise noted. If you share, please link back to this blog — you'll feel a warm glow right in your karma!

Celtic Art

Wolf and the Stones (pen & ink, watercolour, coloured pencil)
Wolf and the Stones (pen & ink, watercolour, coloured pencil)
Wolf and the Stones (pen & ink)
Wolf and the Stones (pen & ink)
Eostre (pen & ink, watercolour, coloured pencil)
Eostre (pen & ink, watercolour, coloured pencil)
Eostre (pen & ink)
Eostre (pen & ink)
Celtic Green Man (pen & ink, watercolour)
Celtic Green Man (pen & ink, watercolour)
Celtic Green Man (pen & ink)
Celtic Green Man (pen & ink)
Celtic Dragon (pen & ink, embellished version)
Celtic Dragon (pen & ink, embellished version)
Celtic Dragon (pen & ink, outline version)
Celtic Dragon (pen & ink, outline version)
Elemental Steed: Air (acrylic)
Elemental Steed: Air (acrylic)
Elemental Steed: Water (acrylic)
Elemental Steed: Water (acrylic)
Elemental Steed: Fire (acrylic)
Elemental Steed: Fire (acrylic)
Elemental Steed: Earth (acrylic)
Elemental Steed: Earth (acrylic)
Elemental Manifestations: Water (pen & ink, watercolour, collage)
Elemental Manifestations: Water (pen & ink, watercolour, collage)
Elemental Manifestations: Fire (pen & ink, watercolour, collage)
Elemental Manifestations: Fire (pen & ink, watercolour, collage)
Elemental Manifestations: Air (pen & ink, watercolour, collage)
Elemental Manifestations: Air (pen & ink, watercolour, collage)
Elemental Manifestations: Earth (pen & ink, watercolour, collage)
Elemental Manifestations: Earth (pen & ink, watercolour, collage)
Celtic Seahorses (linocut on banana paper)
Celtic Seahorses (linocut on banana paper)
Celtic Seahorses (pen and ink)
Celtic Seahorses (pen and ink)
Celtic Seahorses (pen & ink, watercolour, coloured pencil)
Celtic Seahorses (pen & ink, watercolour, coloured pencil)

Coloured Pencil

"Two Lips" — from a photo I snapped of a bunch of tulips someone had given me. As the petals started to fall away, they got more and more interesting. This one took quite a long time, lots of burnishing.
“Two Lips” — from a photo I snapped of a bunch of tulips someone had given me. As the petals started to fall away, they got more and more interesting. This one took quite a long time, lots of burnishing.
"White Rose" — I took a bunch of white silk roses into a class I was teaching one day, and we all had a good time trying to make them look natural, adding backgrounds and suggestions of colour.
“White Rose” — I took a bunch of white silk roses into a class I was teaching one day, and we all had a good time trying to make them look natural, adding backgrounds and suggestions of colour.
"Sheltered" — a demonstration on doing an underpainting in dark grey pencil to establish the values turned into this.
“Sheltered” — a demonstration on doing an underpainting in dark grey pencil to establish the values turned into this.
"Broken Seashell" — I like to pick up broken seashells, because their curves are challenging and fun to draw. For this one, I used a technique I often use for figure drawing — woking on toned paper and just picking out the deepest shadow and the highlights with white and black pencils.
“Broken Seashell” — I like to pick up broken seashells, because their curves are challenging and fun to draw. For this one, I used a technique I often use for figure drawing — woking on toned paper and just picking out the deepest shadow and the highlights with white and black pencils.
"Falling Apples" — When I teach a coloured pencil workshop, I often go buy a bag of apples and hand one out to everyone. Apples are excellent subjects for learning how to build up colour from light to dark. After my demo, he whole class goes back to their tables and becomes very quiet for a while — silence is the sound of creativity! One class I actually had time to draw my apple several times on the same page.
“Falling Apples” — When I teach a coloured pencil workshop, I often go buy a bag of apples and hand one out to everyone. Apples are excellent subjects for learning how to build up colour from light to dark. After my demo, he whole class goes back to their tables and becomes very quiet for a while — silence is the sound of creativity! One class I actually had time to draw my apple several times on the same page.
"El Morro" — the famous landmark fort at the mouth of Havana harbour. I got really caught up in the rocks on this one.
“El Morro” — the famous landmark fort at the mouth of Havana harbour. I got really caught up in the rocks on this one.
"Pink Rose" — One of the most burnished coloured pencil paintings I have ever produced. This little thing is the size of a greeting card, and it took me many hours.
“Pink Rose” — One of the most burnished coloured pencil paintings I have ever produced. This little thing is the size of a greeting card, and it took me many hours.
"Bear Hangout" — from a photo I took in Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. There were no visible fences, and everyone wanted to know how I'd gotten so close to the bears! Usually I would just smile and look mysterious.
“Bear Hangout” — from a photo I took in Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. There were no visible fences, and everyone wanted to know how I’d gotten so close to the bears! Usually I would just smile and look mysterious.
Woman in Blue — indigo and white Prismacolor pencils on toned paper
Woman in Blue — indigo and white Prismacolor pencils on toned paper
Relaxing Woman — burnt sienna and white coloured pencils on toned paper; a fifteen minute pose
Relaxing Woman — burnt sienna and white coloured pencils on toned paper; a fifteen minute pose
The Blues — Indigo and white coloured pencils on toned paper _ ten minute pose
The Blues — Indigo and white coloured pencils on toned paper _ ten minute pose
Man Forming a Triangle — coloured pencils on toned paper. Going through my sketches, I was amused to see how many similar poses I've drawn over the years — there are only so many ways the human body can fold up, after all. I thought this drawing made an interesting comparison with the previous one.
Man Forming a Triangle — coloured pencils on toned paper. Going through my sketches, I was amused to see how many similar poses I’ve drawn over the years — there are only so many ways the human body can fold up, after all. I thought this drawing made an interesting comparison with the previous one.
sm flower demo 9
"Golden Retriever" — coloured pencil. I got the detail of the brush in the background by indenting the paper through a piece of tracing paper with a pencil. The tracing paper protected the working paper from the pencil, and I was able to lightly colour over the indented lines with my coloured pencils, building up layers of mixed colours. I eventually decided the white lines this left were too stark, and went in with very sharp pencils in different colours to tone them down.
“Golden Retriever” — coloured pencil. I got the detail of the brush in the background by indenting the paper through a piece of tracing paper with a pencil. The tracing paper protected the working paper from the pencil, and I was able to lightly colour over the indented lines with my coloured pencils, building up layers of mixed colours. I eventually decided the white lines this left were too stark, and went in with very sharp pencils in different colours to tone them down.

Watercolours

"Mount Baker Dreams" — The ferry from Sidney BC to Anacortes , Washington puts in at one of the islands in between. This is what I saw from the dock.
“Mount Baker Dreams” — The ferry from Sidney BC to Anacortes , Washington puts in at one of the islands in between. This is what I saw from the dock.
"Sunshine" — funny how cats always find the warm spot in the house!
“Sunshine” — funny how cats always find the warm spot in the house!
"Bones of the Earth" — a mountain in the Montana Mission Range that has an oddly shaped top above the treeline. It is not a volcano, but I suspect there is a hollow at the top with a lake. However, I did not climb up there to see.
“Bones of the Earth” — a mountain in the Montana Mission Range that has an oddly shaped top above the treeline. It is not a volcano, but I suspect there is a hollow at the top with a lake. However, I did not climb up there to see.
Wickaninnish Wind — This tree stands by the parking lot at Wickaninnish Beach , in Pacific Rim National Park.
Wickaninnish Wind — This tree stands by the parking lot at Wickaninnish Beach , in Pacific Rim National Park.
"One Perfect Rose" — an anniversary card I made for my husband some years ago.
“One Perfect Rose” — an anniversary card I made for my husband some years ago.
"Willow Banks" — part of a large wetland park at the base of Montana's Mission Mountains that I visited once.
“Willow Banks” — part of a large wetland park at the base of Montana’s Mission Mountains that I visited once.
"Rainbow Pebbles" — many of the techniques described here are used in this painting
“Rainbow Pebbles” — many of the techniques described here are used in this painting
"Winter Tree" — a Christmas card I did for a friend; the white was all masked off with masking fluid, after which I could paint freely, knowing all that lovely snow would be preserved in pristine white paper.
“Winter Tree” — a Christmas card I did for a friend; the white was all masked off with masking fluid, after which I could paint freely, knowing all that lovely snow would be preserved in pristine white paper.
"Storm Building" — I used a paper towel to lift colour out of a solid sky wash for the clouds, then dripped in a bit of grey, then more water for the backwashes.
“Storm Building” — I used a paper towel to lift colour out of a solid sky wash for the clouds, then dripped in a bit of grey, then more water for the backwashes.
pebble sampler — I make samplers of many of the techniques during class, using pebble shapes.
pebble sampler — I make samplers of many of the techniques during class, using pebble shapes.
Wildly blooming
Wildly blooming
"Haunted River" — painted over a saran-wrap texture in multiple glazes; an example of mixing paint on the paper.
“Haunted River” — painted over a saran-wrap texture in multiple glazes; an example of mixing paint on the paper.
"Night Lights" — the background nebula-like blooms of sky colour are salt; the individual stars are dots of white ink.
“Night Lights” — the background nebula-like blooms of sky colour are salt; the individual stars are dots of white ink.
"Long Beach Sketch" — the backwashes created by dripping water into a wet wash created the clouds and the misty effects in the rocks on the right.
“Long Beach Sketch” — the backwashes created by dripping water into a wet wash created the clouds and the misty effects in the rocks on the right.
"Edge of the Woods" — I started with very light washes to build up the background and lighter tones of the foreground; the dark trees went in last.
“Edge of the Woods” — I started with very light washes to build up the background and lighter tones of the foreground; the dark trees went in last.
Cuban Tree
Cuban Tree
The UFOs are coming! Or maybe they are flying hats. Suggested by one of the students, I thought it was a great idea. This demo used salt and gouache to make stars and the explosions (or maybe they are fireworks). The city is just simple brushstrokes with a flat brush.
The UFOs are coming! Or maybe they are flying hats. Suggested by one of the students, I thought it was a great idea. This demo used salt and gouache to make stars and the explosions (or maybe they are fireworks). The city is just simple brushstrokes with a flat brush.
This demo was to blend a nice sunset wash, and to show how to make very quick trees with brush scribbles.
This demo was to blend a nice sunset wash, and to show how to make very quick trees with brush scribbles.
This demo was to show lifting paint out of a blended wash (and add some more for shadows) to make clouds, and how to make aerial perspective by making distant things lighter and bluer. I wasn't sure what the landscape was going to be, it sort of evolved as I went along.
This demo was to show lifting paint out of a blended wash (and add some more for shadows) to make clouds, and how to make aerial perspective by making distant things lighter and bluer. I wasn’t sure what the landscape was going to be, it sort of evolved as I went along.
Demo to show masking (I masked off the blue areas), and how to draw people in about ten seconds! This is kind of a bizarre picture because the blue areas look like holes in the sky, but I kind of like that effect.
Demo to show masking (I masked off the blue areas), and how to draw people in about ten seconds! This is kind of a bizarre picture because the blue areas look like holes in the sky, but I kind of like that effect.
"The Sky's the Limit" — a tiny painting, 4x6 inches, in which I demonstrated lifting wet paint to reveal the light.
“The Sky’s the Limit” — a tiny painting, 4×6 inches, in which I demonstrated lifting wet paint to reveal the light.
"New Horizons" — watercolour, 4x6 inches
“New Horizons” — watercolour, 4×6 inches

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#the100dayproject day 18. A sequel to yesterday’s. I didn’t have time to ink this one today, perhaps that will be tomorrow’s activity. #100dayswiththemuse #drawing #dragon #comics #wannabe #fantasy #bluepencil #sketchbook #sketch #muse #artchallenge #drawingoftheday #draweveryday #dragons
Iris the Art Muse is back! Time to get back to making some comics, methinks. #the100dayproject #100dayswiththemuse #dragonrider #muse #dragon #comics #artistsoninstagram #comicsoninstagram #fantasy #fountainpen #drawing
#the100dayproject day 16. I can’t stop drawing these li’l bilby dudes. To see the rest of the one on the right, go to yesterday’s post. #100dayswiththemuse #bilby #rabbitearedbandicoot #bandicoot #marsupial #animalart #sketchbook #sketch_daily #cute #cutecritters #cuteanimals #drawing #drawingaday #draweveryday #artchallenge #australianwildlife #australiananimals
#the100dayproject day 15. Past two weeks now and loving it! This is a bilby, this week’s Zooly Weekly prompt. I’ve never drawn one before, or even heard of one before it was suggested by one of the group members, but couldn’t wait to draw them after I looked up some images. This marsupial is invasive-species conscious Australia’s answer to the Easter Bunny; you can buy chocolate Easter Bilbies that support the conservation of this endangered species. #100dayswiththemuse #bilby #rabbitearedbandicoot #marsupial #animalart #sketchbook #sketch_daily #cute #cutecritters #drawing #drawingaday #draweveryday #artchallenge #australianwildlife
Waiting for Hubby at the old-time jam at the Spiral Cafe; first time I’ve done two drawings for #the100dayproject in my sketchbook in one day. There are all those backs of pages still to fill, as I’ve mostly been working on only the right side pages. #100dayswiththemuse #cat #savannahcat #fluffycat #sketch #sketchbook #artchallenge #cats #ink
Sitting in QV’s across from the Gate of Harmonious Interest tonight, eating chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. My goodness that is one complicated edifice! #the100dayproject #100dayswiththemuse #chinatownvictoria #chinatown #urbansketching #cafesketch #gateofharmoniousinterest #yyjarts #yyj #victoriabc #fountainpen #waterbrush #watercolorcrayons #sketchbook #sketching #doodle
Lucky 13! That’s how far into #the100dayproject I am! Today I’m doubling up the art challenges again; this week on the Zooly Weekly group the prompt is “hybrids”. #100dayswiththemuse #savannahcat #cat #artchallenge #animalart #gouache #hybrid #hybridcat #painting #sketchbook #painteveryday #drawingaday
I’m not neglecting my #the100dayproject in my sketchbook today, despite being fried from a very long day. In fact, this was a nice way to unwind - playing with watercolour crayons made me feel rather kid-like. I do hope Iris the Art Muse will take this in stride when she gets back from that dragon ride! #100dayswiththemuse #doodle #watercolourcrayons #crayon #bright #colourplay #colourful #studiofun #artplay
I had so much fun at CCAF today! Hanging out with the students and seeing the fine work they made this year was a treat. The launch of the Feline Federation was a great success too, with many Quadra Cats books heading to new homes; I’m feeling warm and cozy thinking of all those new QC readers curled up with the books and their own kitties tonight - just as I’m going to curl up with some of my own comics loot in a bit! #comics #catcomics #cat #comicsfestival #ccaf #sellingcomics #indiecomics #comicsartist #camosuncomics

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