I Believe in Fairies!

Happy Friday everyone!

I spent Thursday watching my power fluctuate in and out, and working on my first of (at least) 12 in my new fairy.... series? direction? genre? Hmmm. Well, anyway, I love drawing them, and the response to them in the short amount of time I posted little online updates of my drawings (I post them on my FB art page, and I'm trying to remember to post them on my Google+ - which I accidentally deleted and then recreated, but I'm still trying to figure that out) was all good. It feels like I'm on the right track.

I was itching to start this painting since December! I received the commission for the peacock, fairy and a key, and my brain came up with two paintings. The first, I went with for the piece, Flight. The second I bashed about in my brain, thinking of how I wanted it to look. I knew I wanted a fairy and her faithful steed sort of image, and I had envisioned a sort of moonlit garden... but then I realized I was over complicating things.

I just needed to sketch out my fairy and take it from there. Then, suddenly, I found I was extremely nervous to do just that. You see, I had finally gotten her right in my mind after all this time... sometimes it doesn't reflect that when it takes physical form on paper.

After talking with a friend who asked how my sketch-booking was coming, I realized when I told her I had accomplished nothing that it was because I do it in my head. I was always that kid who did math in her head and got in trouble in class for not "writing the problem out with all the steps" because I could see it all so clearly in my head. It seems that I have carried on that tradition (for which many an hour in detention was spent, while I argued "But if it's correct, why do you care?!?")

I'm pleased to say she mostly looks like I wanted her to. This is where I stopped at mid-day and went for a run (inside, so I didn't get blown away to Oz):

Her hand was bugging me, it just never looked right. So, after I sketched in her feathered friend, Mr. Peacock, I reworked her hand. Again, and again. Argh! Hands aren't usually such a bother for me, but they were on this piece! Looking at the two pictures I might even like her hand positioning better in the first one (even if in person the second hand looks better.) I may rework it once more before I paint, but I have to be careful; the paper is only going to take so much.

All sketched out and ready to get painted!

I was also contemplating a harness on the peacock, but I rather like the idea of him being free, so I think I'll leave that out. Now it's a process about background, which I'm also mulling over, as well as color choices. I had thought about doing her hair in blue or purple, but her wings are going to reflect the peacock strongly, and purple might be weird. She may end up a redhead. (heh)

Anyhow, I plan on posting in progress updates daily, when I can (and likely shorter than this one. I'm very chatty today, I'm not sure why!)

Anyone have big plans for the weekend?