Creepy Cute?

This may be the best way to describe my style of art. It's not my only style however it's the one I enjoy making the most. Now that I have that figured out I can relax and have fun making more of it. Who knew defining one's artistic style mattered? But I guess it does, people feel more comfortable when they know how to categorize something. It gives them an idea of what to expect. So there it is: Welcome to Made By CRO home of Creepy Cute Art.

Here's a step by step I did recently, materials used were watercolors, spray ink, water soluble pastels, and white acrylic paint colored fine-line pens.

Horned Dragon Girl  ©MadebyCRO

Six Months later

It's really hard to believe that half a year has already pasted and I haven't updated this blog! Oh the shame. Lots have happened over the last 6 months so I'll spread the updates over a few posts.  For this post I'm going to share some of the thing's I've been working on  artistically.

Like many artists I've been struggling to figure out "my voice" as well as the correct medium to express it in. One thing that I can safely say is that I really like drawing faces. I still struggle with drawing the full human figure but I that's something I'm working to improve.

One question I've been trying to figure out is what medium to work in? I dream of one day making large scale pictures but I haven't figured out the right material for the job. I have several large canvases just waiting to be painted but a fear of ruining them has kept me experimenting with smaller pieces. I've been dissatisfied with the work I've done on canvas so far. I haven't been able to master acrylics so I've been trying other materials.

This first picture was done on a piece of cardboard that is found at the end of a pad of paper. I just wanted to use a toned surface. Using water soluble pastels I quickly discovered this surface is far too porous and piles too easily to be of any practical use, however the use of a dark background was interesting.

Mixed Media paper gives interesting results. I used distressed inks and stamps in the background, then used water soluble oil pastels mixed with white acrylic to color the girl. These results were more satisfying but won't work on a canvas.

Still using water soluble pastels mixed with white acrylic I painted this on a small wood panel. I didn't prime or seal the wood first so the surface is a bit rough and it took a few layers to make it look less blotchy. This piece could still use a bit more work, I wanted to add more shadows and highlights but I haven't gotten back to it.

I found that using Masonite with the pastels gave the most interesting result. The pastels go on smoothly and hold the color well. It has the added bonus of being a toned background. I think I'll explore this material some more.

 For this one I went back to using a wood panel. This time I used old book paper to collage the background and then sealed it with matt medium and gesso. I then used acrylics to under paint the whole thing in pink before adding the final paint over top. This system may work, I'll probably try it again.

Finally back to mixed media paper watercolors and markers. I think I'm most comfortable using these materials. Unfortunately I find they don't lend themselves to large scale works as markers are too pricey to use in a large way.




















So that's some of the things I've been working on thus far. I think I'm almost ready to try something big!
What materials do you like using for you artwork?

Comic: Kat & Muss gets ready for Con season 2

I'm really excited to be taking part in this year's Ottawa Comiccon. Less than 100 days away!

Comic: Kat & Muss gets ready for Con season:

Ahh yes,  time to start planning for this year's comic con season. Do you have a cosplay plan?

Winter Blahs

"The Random Thoughts of a Disconcerted Bunny"

Hello, it's been awhile since I've updated, I do apologize. After the crazy busy time I had October through December, packed with shows, followed by the holiday break with the kids home from school, I let things slide, update wise.

Now that all of that excitement is over and the weather has been less than stellar, for example today's lovely daytime high is -20 C, I think that a sort of seasonal depression has set in. *sigh*

Looking back over 2013, it was an experimental year for me. For the first time I “put myself out there” in the sense I tried selling my work, I did 6 shows in all. I needed to have a really good idea of how things work. The experience has been very enlightening and gave me many things to consider, going forward.

"Party Chick"

Most of my friends can attest to the fact that I've always had difficulty figuring out where I belong, my interests have never really been “mainstream”, whether it’s music, art, books or television I’m forever being drawn to things that are a little “different”  but not “extreme”, perhaps it’s the “quirky”  I like. I appreciate birds of a different feather J

I get bored easily, and predictability (at least entertainment wise) is deadly for me. That’s part of why I love to draw so much. Keep the pencil moving and you’ll never know what will pop out! 

I've set many goals for myself again this year …an Etsy shop, a website, a short animation and a graphic novel rewrite, not to mention working hard to improve my drawing skills (there is still a mountain of things I want to learn). Oh yeah, and make some money, that would be nice ;)

I’ll be doing a few select shows again this year, although not as many as last year. I’m going to try hard to not fall in the trap of doing what I think people want verses what I enjoy making. I started drawing because I wanted to tell stories, so that’s what I’ll focus on.

I’ll be sharing updates on what I’m learning, experimenting with and other random comics, I’m looking forward to a very unpredictable year!