Karen Gillmore Art

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Category Archives: Uncategorized

Galaxy Day

December 21, 2020by karencomics 2 Comments

Happy Winter Solstice, to those of you in the Northern Hemisphere! Soon the all-too-short days will be getting longer, and before you know it, green things will be popping up […]

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Cats, Colouring Pages, Quadra Cats, Uncategorized

Drawing a Crow in Coloured Pencil

March 13, 2018by karencomics 10 Comments

Seems like crows are everywhere these days. For us urban dwellers, they’re one of the few representatives of wildlife we see on a regular basis. Social media is full of […]

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coloured pencils, Technique of the Week, tutorials, Uncategorized

Studio Journal 3: The Easy Stuff, and a Photo Safari

January 24, 2018by karencomics 4 Comments

When faced with overwhelming details in a big job, if there is no clear beginning point, I often start with the easy stuff just to get started. From there, order, […]

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Photography, Studio Journal, Uncategorized

Jurassic Lark!

November 7, 2017by karencomics Leave a comment

If you’ve been following me for a while, you may remember that back in January, I was working on a comic about dinosaurs for an anthology. I wanted to wait a […]

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Comics, Digital colouring, Digital Drawing, Uncategorized

Sneaky’s Interview of Spam, Purranormal Cat Detective

August 2, 2017by karencomics Leave a comment

Originally posted on Sneaky The Library Cat's Blog:
Have I got a treat for you, and it’s better than catnip. I have a purranormal cat detective here to cat…

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Book Covers, Cats, Spam & the Sasquatch, Uncategorized

Ask an Elephant!

October 7, 2016by karencomics Leave a comment

I’ve been having an ongoing conversation with a lot of my friends lately over the lost art of map-reading. Seems all this GPS usage is eroding the ability to read […]

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art challenge, Drawing-a-Day, Inktober, Uncategorized

Meanwhile, in Australia…

October 3, 2016by karencomics Leave a comment

Day 3: Today’s Inktober word was “collect”. I suppose I could have just drawn my animal model collection, but it was too obvious. Also, too many animals! So… what’s the […]

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art challenge, Inktober, Uncategorized

Inktober: a Whale of a Tail

October 2, 2016by karencomics Leave a comment

It’s day two of Inktober! I’m still putting in long hours on a book project, so didn’t have much time to do today’s offering—but it turned out all right, I […]

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Inktober, Uncategorized

Now is Come September

September 16, 2016by karencomics 1 Comment

… which is a line from a traditional song that I really like to sing this time of year. Not that it has anything to do with anything else in this […]

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It's an artist's life, Uncategorized

Takeout Planet!

May 11, 2016by karencomics 1 Comment

I’ve been working like mad on the new book of the Quadra Cats stories. It’s based on the single-page episodes, but with much, much more added to link them together into […]

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Cats, Comics, Uncategorized

Quadra Cats Book!

April 29, 2016by karencomics 7 Comments

I’ve been working on a mini-comicbook of the Quadra Cats cartoons! I’ve got the script done, which will tie together most of the existing cartoons into a continuous story. Because they […]

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Cats, Comics, Uncategorized

Mistaken Identity — Quadra Cats

December 15, 2015by karencomics 2 Comments

It’s time for another Quadra Cats cartoon. I do these quarterly for the local neighbourhood newspaper, the Hillside-Quadra Community News. These little one-pagers are a lot of fun, and I’m thinking […]

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Cats, Comics, Uncategorized

Travelling with Comics

August 14, 2015by karencomics 1 Comment

I’m on a short trip to the interior of BC with my band, The RabbleBerries, and drawing comics as I go! Trips always seem to go this way for me: […]

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Uncategorized

Mermaid Music Returns!

August 9, 2015by karencomics 8 Comments

I’ve just resumed, after a summer break, my webcomic, Mermaid Music. I thought I’d celebrate by documenting my working process for the first page of “Chapter Two — Over the […]

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Comics, Technique, Uncategorized

It’s A Book!

May 11, 2015by karencomics 4 Comments

It’s A Book! I’ve just birthed a book! Now I can get back to blogging… .

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Uncategorized

Up and Running, sort of!

February 2, 2015by karencomics Leave a comment

Originally posted on Mermaid Music:
I’ve just put the first five pages of Mermaid Music up for the world to see, and I’m still having a few issues with the…

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Uncategorized

FATHER CHRISTMAS, Spam the Cat’s First Christmas serialized through Dec. 24

December 13, 2014by karencomics Leave a comment

Originally posted on spamslitterature:
Dear Readers, Happy Holidays! Over the next two and a half weeks, culminating on Dec. 24, I will be serializing FATHER CHRISTMAS, Spam the Cat’s First…

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Uncategorized

MY Graphic Novel Starring Me, Me, Me-ow, SPAM!

July 13, 2014by karencomics 2 Comments

Originally posted on spamslitterature:
My dear furrriend Karen Gillmore has created a brilliant graphic novel starring none other than meow! SPAM AND THE SASQUATCH is full of adventure, danger, heartbreak…

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Uncategorized

Nagged by the Muse

July 9, 2014by karencomics Leave a comment

Summer Drawing Challenge Day 17   I realize Iris has a point here… For more Iris the Art Muse comics, click her tab in the menu bar at the top.

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Comics, Drawing-a-Day, Uncategorized

Writing with Seaweed

June 28, 2014by karencomics 4 Comments

Summer Drawing Challenge Day 6 You know those heaps of seaweed that pile up on the beach, making wonderful abstract patterns in intricate, green-amber tangles, like liquid stained glass? I […]

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Design, Digital colouring, Uncategorized

A Day Off

May 14, 2014by karencomics Leave a comment

I’m taking the day off of blogging today; This is my day to fly home. Back again tomorrow with more artist spotlights, and some photos from my day today exploring […]

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Uncategorized

Featured TCAF creator: Sam Logan (and a trip to the ROM)

May 12, 2014by karencomics Leave a comment

As promised, today begins a series of short features about some of the creators that were at TCAF this past weekend. My methodology for choosing them was highly personal; let’s […]

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Comics, It's an artist's life, Uncategorized

Off to TCAF!

May 7, 2014by karencomics 8 Comments

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m off to the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, to meet other artists, publishers, and fans. Take a look at the link — there is a lot […]

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Uncategorized

New — Colouring Thursday!

April 10, 2014by karencomics 18 Comments

A few days ago, I got a message from a lady in New Zealand who had found my line drawing version of Eostre, Saxon goddess of the dawn, and downloaded […]

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Uncategorized

Iris the Art Muse has Her Own Page!

March 27, 2014by karencomics Leave a comment

I’ve added a page in the menu bar at the top of the screen just for Iris! Here’s the coloured version of the Iris-does-collage drawing that I never got around […]

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Uncategorized

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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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