A good friend asked me to do these. Two of the dogs are hers, and one is her sister’s dog.
These were so much fun to do. Now my husband gets to make the frames for all of them. He does such a great job.
More Pet Portraits…!
A Couple New Things…
Just finished a couple pen/ink/watercolor renderings, so thought I would post before I forget.
The Pickle House was very quickly done, basically freehand pen and ink SketchBox with a little watercolor. It’s called the pickle house because of its olive green color. It was given as a gift to the owner for letting folks stay in the house 0ne weekend. Particularly loved the whimsy of the old metal chairs on the right hand side.
The second rendering wasn’t quickly done, and as it says in the caption, it is The Rotunda at Longwood University in FarmVille, VA. We will mat and frame it. My husband cuts the mats and makes the frames out of hardwood – not something you can find in Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, or some other framing place.
This will be a gift for my husband’s granddaughter because she finishes her studies there in December – a semester early! It also happens to be the same school where I graduated, and where her mother and father went to school. gotta keep at all in the family!
Another Rendering…!
Yes, I know…3 posting in one week is quite unusual, but I’m really trying to do better about showing the things we do here. This particular house portrait was done VERY quickly for me, and I also drew it free-hand…some I use a ruler, and they look more architectural that way. This one I used a micron black pen, sketched the house on watercolor paper, and then went back in with watercolor. Yes, it’s looser than other house portraits you may see on here, but have to say, I enjoyed it a lot more. The other way is quite time consuming, and that’s,ok, but I want to train myself to work a little faster. This is the end result.
The house is called “the Pickle House” because of it;s rich green-olive color, and accented in a burnt orange. As always, my husband made the frame, a beautiful walnut. We chose an orange colored mat to complement the trim on the house. And I just loved the old rust yellow chairs just to the right of the porch in the yard.
This was given as a surprise to the owner of the house, and even though we weren’t there when he received it, we’re told he really loved it, and made comment about the old chairs. You are very welcome, Alexander!
#SketchBoxNovember 2025…
Surprised…??? So am I…I’ve already done the monthly SletchBox for November. This month’s box included Gouache, which I havn’emused month in some really fabulous colors, along with some of the best paper, I’ve ever used, and a really, really kool brush.
Shin Shan Professional Designer Gouache 15ml (Permanent Yellow, Cobalt Green Pale, Carmine, Prussian Blue), M. Graham Artists’ Gouache (Burnt Umber), SketchBox Signature Bright size 4, Stillman&Birn premium cold press mixed media (4 x6 270 gsm, 15 sheets)
Prompt for this month is “peacock”, and oh how I love a good peacock. And the gouache colors were perfect for mixing to obtain the brilliant colors in a peacock. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m really not good at color mixing, but the tutorials that accompany the monthly SketchBox boxes are very informative, so I had pretty good luck with that, and took notes and what I did. See…you can teach an old dawg new tricks! And I paid attention, which usually helps – ha!
This was done mixing the above colors, and using the short tip end of the brush in light short and long strokes. I was going for a more feathery look. Whaddya think? 😁
The second try was fun, too, using the head/shoulders of the peacock, and the illusion of its feathers all around. Again, @getSketchBox has sent a wonderful monthly box, and I had way too much fun! 😎🥰👏
Meet Cooper…
After receiving colored pencils in a @getSketchBox monthly shipment sometime ago, I realized I loved using colored pencils. Good friends of ours have a beautiful dog, and I got access to some good pics of him. So…meet Cooper…he is a great inspiration for artwork!
October SketchBox Review…!
So I’m one day late writing about the October SketchBox, even though I indulged in the wonderful things sent a couple weeks ago, I’m slow to post.
Speedball Calligraphy Acrylic Inks (SketchBox Exclusives): Carmine Res, Cool Grey, Black Pearl, Metallic White
Sketchbox Signature Ink Brush, SketchBox Signature Quill Brush Size 0, Custom Arnhem I6I8 Sketchbook 3.5 X 5.5 300 fan, 30 sheets, 60 pages
First let me say, I love using red, black, white and gray color palettes. And was then excited to see these acrylic inks that are shimmery, or iridescent. SketchBox is great about sending new, unique, and interesting things! The prompt this month was “movement”, and all I could think of was someone running, or dancing, and then I thought of carousel horses, moving up and down, and round and round. Most of the horses have tails and manes made to look like there are flowing and blowing in the wind, so that’s what I chose as my subject.
The small travel sketchbook/watercolor included was a little small for me to work with, and couldn’t accommodate my horses, so I used another sheet of paper. I like the watercolor sketchbook, but I’m older, and it just cramped me up to try to go so small. Loved the inks, and ink brush, although I experienced a few big ink blobs! And one in the middle of my horses…you “love and learn” as my mama used to say, so I had to do damage control.
So thanks @getSketchBox for another great premium monthly SketchBox…you hit it out of the park as always! 👏🥰😎
Colored Pencil Renderings…
Because of getSketchBox.com, I’ve gotten hooked on colored pencil, so here are a few of my most recent…learning as I go. All have come from my very own photography over the years.
Really enjoying the pencils…and stay tuned for more!
ALL CAUGHT UP…Finally finished all the current 2025 SketchBox monthly boxes…!
My goal this Summer was to finish all 28 months of SketchBox monthly subscription boxes I had accumulated. Yes…I’m proud of myself for reaching this goal, and I did it before Summer was officially over. (Actually finished last Tuesday, Sept 16th). So here we go…
#SketchBoxJuly 2025 was a great box of goodies…
Sketchbox Signature 12-set Professional Travel Watercolors (Canary Yellow, Pumpkin, Lipstick Red, Beet Red, Payne’s Grey, z Berlin Blue, Caribbean Blue, Eggplant, Imperial Purple, Emerald, Yellow Ochre, Chestnut Brown), Sketchbox Signature Long Round Brush (size 4), Caran d’Ache Neocolor II (Dark Grey), Hahnemuhle Zig Zag Book
This is a great set of travel watercolors, and brush. The Neocolor crayon was new to me, and works so well for sketching. The accordion travel watercolor zig zag book is a great addition to my travel supplies.
#SketchboxAugust2025 was interesting. I haven’t done much work in utilizing “vanishing point”, which was the prompt for this month.
Sketchbox Signature 6-set Acrylic Brush Markers, Karin Pigment Real Brush (lilac, ochre), POSCA PC-350 Brush (gold), Prismacolor Vol-erase (pink), Clair-Fontaine Bristol Pad (4 x 6, 205 /gsm, 10 sheets).
The marker colors are so vivid, and loved the sketching pencil.
#SketchBoxSeptember2025 was too much fun, and I think I have a new favorite brush in the SketchBox Signature wedge brush…it can do most anything…so versatile! This month’s prompt was “in flight”.
Thanks @getSketchBox for a fun 28-month’s-worth art supplies and tutorials. In the future, I will only blog for the current month (unless I get behind again.) Ha!
Three more months of SketchBox…this includes #SketchBoxApril 2025, #SketchBoxMay 2025, and #SketchBoxJune 2025…
I actually finished these the first of last week, but have been pokey about posting. (It also means I have finished all for 2025, and am caught up, but will brag about that in my next posting). YaY!
Can you say acrylics…??? That’s what the April monthly box had in it, complete with paint, brushes, and canvas pad!
Jacquard Matte Acrylic Paint (Turquoise Blue, Lime Green, Deep Red), Karin Pigment Realbrush (Rose Pink), Copic Acrea Marker (cloud white), Princeton Select Angular Shader (#6), 4 Premium Gold (#4), Strathmore Canvas Pad (4×6”, 100% cotton, 10 sheets)
Lots of fun things in this box, and as always, items I haven’t used much (I repeat…I’m a watercolor, and pen and ink girl). But I enjoy everything @getSketchBox sends. Some are more challenging than others, like these acrylics. They dry so fast, and I need lots of practice in mixing them because I make LOTS of mud colors when I mix paint. The brushes and real brush marker were very complimentary for this box.
For May, the box included bunches of different types of markers, and the “prompt” was “sprout”. I utilized pictures I had taken of plants and shrubbery in our own yard. I was happy to utilize my photography. I think that’s always better than using pictures others have taken, even if noted as being “free to use.”
I typically use markers in my pen/ink house portraits done for commission, but I’ve seldom used them for a whole drawing, and will employ them more this way in the future. They are very versatile, and can provide more detail than I had ever realized. Again…I thank SketchBox for taking me out of my comfort zone to use markers in a different way!
Finally, for the first half of 2025, the monthly box for June contained pastels. I may have mentioned before that I hadn’t used pastels since high school, and have fallen in love with them now.
Van Gogh Oil Pastel 6-set (White 100.5, Carmine 318.5, Phalo Blue 570.5, Yellow 200.5, Fir Green 764.5, Blue Violet 548.5), Senniler Oil Pastel 3-Set ( Red gold, Reddish Brown Gold, & Transparent Blue), Sketchbox Signature Colot Shapers 3-set (Bullet, Cup round, Flat chisel), Legion Stonehenge Oil (4×6”, 300 gsm, 12 sheets)
Love, love the consistency of oil pastels and the colors they bring. The prompt for this moth was “fresh fruit”, and I got a little hung up on oranges, so tried a pineapple, too.
I enjoyed drawing the leaves of the pineapple as much as the actual fruit. As for the oranges…they almost look real in close up. Keep sending these wonderful boxes @getSketchBox.com…and I’ll keep challenging myself!!!!
And Here Goes 2025 and more SketchBox Reviews…
This review will include #SketchBoxJanuary2025, #SketchBoxFebruary2025, and #SketchBoxMarch 2025. Let me just say that I’m so happy to finally be in the current year with my SketchBox monthly reviews! This means I;m getting caught up!
First we have January’s box:
Art Graf Tailor Square 3 Set – Primary Colors (Magenta, Yellow, Blue), Princeton Snap! Angle Shader 1/4”, Derwent Tinted Charcoal Pencils (Sunset Pink & Slate), Sakura Pigma Medium Brush Pen, Speedball Fluid Watercolor Paper (140 lb/300 gsm, 4×6”, 12 sheets)
Who knew (obviously not me) that tailor’s chalk came in different colors, and could be used this way. Yes, I’ve been behind the door on this one, and thoroughly enjoying creating this way. The Derwent Tinted charcoal pencils were also new to me…but then most of what SketchBox sends me are unique.
This box was a lot of fun, and kept me occupied, just thinking about what to do, and how to do it.
Next we have February’s box:
Sketchbox Signature Artist Pastels (Cloud White), Bruynzeel Design 8840 Pastel Pencil (#45), PanPastel Artists Pastels (Dairylide Yellow, Magenta Shade, Turqouise Shade), Sofft Art Sponge Bars 4-Pack, Pastel Blender Pencil 2-Pack, Pentel Hi-Polymer Soft Eraser, Rembrandt Pastel Paper – Cream (75 lb/160gsm, 4×6”, 10 sheets)
As usual, pastels, and in particular, pan pastels, are a novelty for me, but have to say I might be getting the hang of it. The prompt for this month was “desert”, and the colors of the pan pastels were perfect! Had so much fun that I tied 3 different scenes or themes.
I will utilize these pastels in the future, for sure. It was great to mix the colors, and they captured the colors of any desert perfectly.
And finally, there was March:
Sketchbox Signature Quill Brush #2, Bear Claw Pencil, Rockwell Coffee Watercolor (American & Espresso 8ml), Sketchbox Signature Alcohol Marker (Caramel), Pigment Real Brush Almond), Derwent Drawing Pencil (Wheat), Paint on Pad (Natural, 4×6”, 15 sheets)
And leave it up to SketchBox to send me another novelty…watercolors derived from coffee…two different colors, and they smelled so good while using them. I don’t drink coffee, but I do love the smell.
Obviously this month’s prompt was coffee-oriented…latte!
And finally, we have a beloved kitty that fit the bill…she looks a bit like an espresso, and a latte all rolled into one!
And this completes the first 3 months of 2025. Thanks to @getsketchbox.com for more fun!
hailey-stout studio 