Colorful Sketch of 2 Ostriches

From time to time I like to sketch different stuff from my usual pet art and landscape paintings. This time I want to sketch 2 cute ostriches, mother and son to wash the sketch with digital watercolor. I think the end result is adorable, I already put it on my Redbubble Shop.- feel free to check it out.
Here's the new sketch on some throw pillows, as always you can get it on other products as well.

Someone here ordered a pear?

Hi there!

Here is a quick fun illustration of a pear that I created just to kill time. I liked it very much and I'm intending to do a series of those illustrations (with other fruits and situations).

Take a look :

You can find this illustration and other art I created in my online stores, at Redbubble or on Zazzle

Stay tuned for more of those fun illustration! 

I Am Just a Cow!

Here is another quick fun loose painted doodle, that I created for my own relaxation and enjoyment :)
I deliberately kept all the loose lines and the blue uneven colors, I wanted to keep the graffiti/urban feel on this one.

It also looks great on shirts, pillows and many other products.

Here is a tote bag for urban cow lovers

More loose sketches are coming! Have a great day people :)

Digitally Painted Alley Cat

Hi there,

Last week I wanted to draw something quickly, since I'm a pet portrait artist, I paint mostly dogs. This time I wanted to sketch a cat. Quickly and loosely. I finished the sketched and started to paint it freely. One thing lead to another and I found myself looking at a dirty, tough alley cat, lying in a dark street. I kept the sketchy lines in order to keep a rough and urban ambiance.

I really liked the result and decided to share it with you.

If you like this Piece you can purchase it on my Redbubble Shop

Until next time! Have a wonderful day :)

Quick and Loose Portrait of Ringo Starr

I love the Beatles, and I guess that many of you love them too...

Naturally we all been focusing on Paul, John and George. Most of us have been ignoring Ringo, never considering him as a real singer and composer. Fortunately, I've been listening to the 'Record Store Day' on the radio, two weeks ago. Between all the songs there, they broadcasted an old Ringo's album from 1976. I liked it very much, and wanted to hear more of his stuff. His early records are real gems! I couldn't stop hearing them, especially his Country Album  "Beaucoups of Blues".

Check out this lovely song (from another album Ringo's Rotogravure) - not of his best, but quite entertaining :)

Well, after hearing Ringo all day, I unintentionally started to doodle his face, real quick. Just loose and fun portrait. A small tribute to this great fun loving musician.

Blue Parrot Sketch - "Polly"

Hi there,

Lately I decided to keep on practicing with new mediums and different kinds of portraits. Usually I paint dog portraits, and regular "human" ones :) I already sketched and painted, lizards, giraffes, flies and cats in the past month. The other day I wanted to sketch a parrot, just a quick little one. When I looked at the result I wanted to throw it away, it was just for practice. But I didn't. I decided to watercolor the sketch,  to give some life to the bird. I thought that the result was cute and funny, very lively if you will... I wanted that the viewer will feel happy and optimistic, while looking at it. What do you think, can you feel it?

If you like the painting, you can purchase a quality print of it - right here.

A Cat (Old Children Book Style)

Many years ago I got the classic Alice in Wonderland as a birthday gift. The book as you know is magnificent, but the illustrations are marvelous too, they immediately captured my eyes. In a matter of fact many illustrations of those old children books have a magical and mysterious feel.

Those images waited in the back of my mind for many years... Until now.

Two weeks ago I took some photos at the local dog shelter, one of the photos (of a cat) wasn't so good, but the composition and the shadows have triggered my imagination. Take a look at the picture:

I started to sketch using graphite, and those old children books images took over the paper. I really liked the final result: 

Retro Cat Portrait, Old Nostalgic Book Style Print

I definitely going to sketch some more images using this magical style.  

Innocent Looking Girl - Sketch

Hi there,

I've always thought that 'the simpler - the better'. You don't have to try too hard, just be yourself, try to keep things simple, and you'll see that everything is easier, beautiful, approachable and natural. I wanted to apply this thought on the following sketch. The subject is a young woman, sketched from behind. The lines are simple and clear, the atmosphere is innocent yet sensual, and it is just a simple classic beauty. I don't want to talk too much. So, just enjoy it:

Smiling Indian Girl - Watercolor Pencils on Paper

Hi there!

Lately I'm experimenting more and more with watercolor pencils, it's very portable and easy to use. The downside however (to my opinion) is the texture and the way it dries on the paper, it is not as smooth as regular watercolor, and the pencils don't blend so good (again to my opinion).

Anyway I decided to paint/draw another portrait, this time of an Indian girl. I wanted to use bold colors and to emphasis her smile. I used brush 4 on this painting and it was pretty ok, but not perfect. Luckily this week I'm going to get some watercolor supply including brushes, papers and colors from a relative who is a painter :)

Here is the portrait, hope you'll like it :)

Next time I'll use the new equipment I really want to see the difference - stay tuned!

A Day in the Life of a Pet Artist - Sketch

Hi there,

Last week I wanted to sketch something special, something different. I just sat in front of the table, and started to draw without thinking. I was sketching myself, in a point of view position - means I was sketching myself sketching. This unusual angle was very appealing and interesting, and I got a lot of nice comments on this draw.

In the little sketch that I was sketching, I decided to draw a portrait of a dog, as a symbol of my occupation - a pet portrait artist.

Take a look at the sketch and tell me what you think :)

By the way - if you want to see the actual dogs that I'm painting take a look at DigitalDogPortraits.com - Custom Pet Art.

Yoga - Watercolor on Paper

Hi there,

Lately I'm more focused on pencil drawings than digital painting. Last post I've mentioned that I love old school sketches, they are simpler, straight forward and have more soul. I began to color some of my sketches, and liked the results. So I decided to purchase some colored pencils and to use them more often, I went to the art shop and chose some. they looked normal and affordable, but to my surprise they were actually watercolor pencils - they work like regular colored pencils but they dissolve in water. I decided to take the chance and to try water painting for the first time.

The process was pretty easy : 1. sketch 2. fill with dried color 3. use the brush to actually water paint.

Here are the stages :

Sketch :

A friend's photo inspired me to sketch a yoga position, I liked the posture and the scenery, I really felt the spiritual uplifting. I imagined a free bird flying on top of a mountain, staring at the horizon... it was magical.

I loved the sketch, but I wanted to use the color pencils, so I didn't add more details with the graphite pencil. It was a bit risky to color the sketch with unfamiliar medium, but I took the chance :) (and took a picture of the original sketch with my camera, just in case...)

Coloring the sketch with the pencils:

Carefully, I started to fill in the sketch with some color,especially the main subject. The result was OK, nothing more. A little advice for those who want to use those watercolor pencils - use less color than you'd think! You can always add more color, but once the surface is fully covered, you can't undo it, and it might ruin your painting.

I wasn't too impressed with the result, but I knew that there is one more step...

Using the brush:

Using the wet brush on the paper has changed some things - first, the color, the tones were different and more intense, the other thing was the paper - it wasn't a proper watercolor paper so I had to handle it with extra care and try not to over abuse the surface. I had to use short and light brush strokes (and a lot of patience).

The sketch has become more colorful and vivid. Real watercolor paper and more brushes would probably help me create better paintings, however for a first attempt with limited equipment I'm pretty content :)  

The main advantage with the watercolor pencils is that you can carry them anywhere. You can sit in a cafe or in a park and just use them without any fuss or mess. You can watercolor on the spot, or just to fill the sketch with some color and finish it at the comfort of your own home. I think I'm going to carry them to the park next Saturday and try to paint some of the action!

Bananas - Colored Sketch

Hi there!

Using various graphic software and digital brushes is fun, but sometimes there's something about a good old, down to earth art, with some old school equipment like pencil and paper. Oh... and a live model (in this case my model was a banana ;)). It is very refreshing just to sit down and start drawing quickly, without any preparations or interruptions (when I'm using graphic software, sometimes it takes forever just to start painting). All I wanted to draw was a rough sketch of this glorious fruit, and to make it as interesting as I can. After I've finished the drawing, I thought that it would be a good idea to paint the bananas with vibrant color, just to stand out. I really like the result. It looks rough yet compelling.

Take a look :

If you'd like to purchase a poster or a canvas of this piece - you can find it here

While looking for a suitable quote for this sketch (like I always do), I've found those 3 funny quotations:
"Times flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana" - Groucho Marx
"Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana" - Bill Gates
"I'm getting so old, I don't even buy green bananas anymore" - Chi Chi Rodriguez

And last but not least :) a cute Brazilian song by Jorge Ben - "O Vendedor de Bananas" - The Banana Seller

Have a lovely Day!

Contemporary Elvis

Hi there!

4 days ago I heard  some Elvis' songs in the radio, it was his 36th annual day of his death. I grew up listening to his music, and saw many of his shows on TV. He was kind of a childhood icon (though he passed away when I was an infant). I decided to draw him, but in a different kind of style. More contemporary, an alternate take if you will. His hair style and his general look were adjusted to the new millennium :)

His portrait and the previous Marilyn Monroe gave me the inspiration to sketch other super icons in non conventional way. Stay tuned!

Gloomy Marilyn Monroe - A Sketch

Hi there,

Recently I've stumbled upon some photos of Marilyn Monroe that were taken by Life magazine in 1953. The photos were taken in her home, she was 26 years old, and looked more comfortable and cozy. To me she looked a bit different from the glamorous Marilyn that we all know. I could sense the vulnerability and the sadness in some of the photos, and I really liked them. Those photos were interesting because you could see the human being behind the icon. She was still beautiful in those pictures, but not in a glamorous way, just a beautiful woman in her own home.

Her eyes reflected some sort of pain, even when she smiled, and that immediately caught my attention. I decided to do a sketch of her, and to present her to the world as I saw her - Beautiful and sad woman.

Here is the sketch, notice how her eyes talk

The sketch was created using Wacom graphic tablet.

Hope you liked it! See you next time :)

These Pretzels are Making Me Thirsty!

Hi there,

Woody Allen is one of my favorites directors and actors, I just love his comedy and his neurotic Jewish character. I think I saw all of his filmography (even the so called "lousy" parts) and just enjoyed every minute of it! As a little tribute to this wonderful artist (and thanks to a brief boredom), I drew a little sketch, nothing fancy, and I immediately remembered the unforgettable line from Seinfeld : "These pretzels are making me thirsty!"

Here's Woody!

My Latest Sketch

Hi there,

I was very busy the past two weeks, transferring my site (DigitalDogPortraits.com) from GoDaddy to BlueHost, it was a nightmare but it's all over now :)

Let me share with you a little sketch I made during one of the breaks.

The title is "Woman who seek to be equal with men lack ambition"-Timothy Leary.

I just love to sketch women and the woman's body, it is so beautiful :) Soon I think I'll sketch some more women, and be prepared for some surprises ;)

I'll see you soon! Have a great day!

Digitally Painted Self Portrait

Hi there,

I've created many portraits through the years, but most of them of other people or pets. I wanted to try something different, to digitally paint my own childhood portrait. I decided to use an old black and white photo as a reference.

At first I wanted to sketch the portrait with a pencil and to leave it like that, but I changed my mind and decided to use my Wacom graphic tablet and Photoshop's paint brush. I want to show you some screen captures of the digital painting, and talk about them a little bit.

1. The original photo and the rough sketch

Here is the first step. I took the original black and white photo and sketched it loosely. Usually when I'm starting to create a digitally painted portrait I use Vector Art in order to build the basic image, but in this painting I wanted to try a different approach. At this step the most important thing is to capture the general shape of the face, and the correct position of the eyes, nose & mouth. It's OK if it doesn't look exactly like the original, but I find it easier to work on a well drawn image. The great advantage here, is that you can change almost everything quickly and effectively, as you'll see further on. 

2. Starting to digitally paint the face

As you can see, the face looks a little bit more alive. I took my time and painted the eyes, and the lips. Actually,  the highlights and shadows are the most important thing here. They give us an illusion of 3D, and help the painting to look more "alive". To create the effect I use the burn/dodge brushes and use them in different exposures and range. In this portrait, the light comes from the front so we should paint the highlights in the middle of the face, and the shadows on the sides.

3. Painting the hair

I've painted the hair - nothing special, just simple brown color for now (no tones or other enhancements). I wanted to see the general appearance, later on I'll use the burn/dodge brushes on the hair too. If you'll look closely you'll notice that the face is a bit thinner. I found the face wider than the original photo and decided to trim them, luckily on Photoshop it's easy! And in a few seconds the result was more to my liking.

4. Hair, contrast, some tweaking... and we're done!

We solved the hair issue with some shadows and highlights, it was a pretty easy and quick. Next - I thought that the previous image was too "nice", which means not so exciting. I wanted  the shadows to pop up, to create a dirtier look, more special, so I adjusted the contrast and that did the trick. Some more tweaks : the right eye (our left) - I  balanced the angle a little, and the nose was resized a tiny bit.
I really liked the simple background and the sketchy shoulders, so I decided to leave them like that.

As I said before, sketching and painting with Photoshop (or any other program), gives us the opportunity to try new things, to experiment colors and styles and to correct mistakes fast. That's why I like to use this medium, especially with the graphic tablet.

If you have any question or comment, please write it down.  I'd be happy to read and respond :)

Have a nice day!

It's too Late Baby

Hi there,

It's been a long time since I posted here. I've been busy with my site DigitalDogPortraits.com, but I wanted to post at least one post here in march. So... I made a special sketch for you, it's an artistic nudity, very tasteful and feminine. I hope you'd like it.

When I was looking for a phrase that will go with the sketch, I was listening to Carole King's wonderful song "It's too late", and thought that this phrase will be perfect - "Though we really tried to make it. Something inside has died and I really can't fake it." I really think that this phrase gave a new deep meaning to the sketch.

I won't say goodbye before I'll post here this wonderful song by Carole King. Enjoy!

A New Sketch Category on my Store

Hi there!

Just wanted to share with you, I decided to put some of my sketches for sale on my online store.

Those sketches are bit on the bitter/sweet side and I think they are very soulful.
You are invited to browse around and take a look :)


Here are some of them in a collage

Windy Sketch

I have a new sketch for you! I really like to do them on the weekend, it is so relaxing and fun, and I like watch my progress ;)


"The winds of grace blow all the time. All we need to do is set our sails." Ramakrishna.