Sketchbook Project 2012 page 13 Inked

I said I would finish this project by the end of the year ... hmm, with Christmas coming up and the end of the school year, I've been busy with other things.
Still, I just finished inking page 13, a view from within the Mont Saint Michel, with only 2 pages left ... yeah!

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3 Most Popular Zazzle Photos

For practical reasons, I have 2 zazzle stores: one for all designs, drawings and illustrations, and one for photography. And since that photography store is absolutely entitled of its own Most Popular nomination as well, here we go.

The 3 Most Popular Images for the zazzle/RiverbyNightPhotos gallery, are:

First place, the Mont Saint Michel from Normandy, France:

Mont Saint Michel by RiverbyNightPhotos

Second, Natl. forest from Vaudewoo, WY image:

Vaudewoo - WY, USA by RiverbyNightPhotos

And third, the Irish Pub in St. Malo, Britany France:

Irish Pub in St. Malo, France by RiverbyNightPhotos

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3 Most Popular Zazzle Designs

Continuing with the Most Popular Designs of 2011, now looking at the various Zazzle shops ...

In the past Stanley the Sloth had always been in the lead, though to my surprise he was upstaged this year by FOOD! Yep. All 3 most popular designs this year have to do with food!

The 3 Most Popular Designs for the Zazzle/RiverbyNight shop are:

First, the Strawberry!

Strawberry by RiverbyNight

Second, the Pineapple!

Pineapple by RiverbyNight

And Third, the Dancing Blender!

Dancing Blender -I Green Smoothie by RiverbyNight

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3 Most Popular Greeting Cards for PurpleCactus

For the second post in our week of Most Popular Designs of 2011, I am including images from my mother's sites, brand name PurpleCactus.
Why? Well, simply, because she is my mother afterall, and also because I happen to design most of her greeting cards and and items in her zazzle painting site. :D

So ...

From the PurpleCactus brand, the 3 most popular categories in the Greeting Card section are:
- First, Father's Day
- Second, Mother's Day,
- and Third, Flower & Garden Cards

PurpleCactus' MOST POPULAR DESIGNS for 2011:



I have to add the very close 4th design here, just because it's funny and I happen to really like it:



Cheers everyone!

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3 Most Popular Greeting Card Designs of 2011

It's December and time for the Most Popular Design post.

Out of the Greeting Card shop, the top categories are:
- First, as expected, Birthdays
- Second, Wedding Anniversary
- Third, surprisingly, Graduation .

Keep in mind that the actual designs for Most Popular do not necessarily follow the above categories since, for example, "Birthdays" would be spread out over numerous designs while "Wedding Anniversary" has fewer options.
so ...

The MOST POPULAR DESIGNS for 2011, in Greeting Cards, are:



Thanks everyone!
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Sketchbook Project page 13 Mont Saint Michel

Took a little break on all the projects for the Thanksgiving holidays, and now I am motivated to finish this one before Christmas ... so, better get to it.

This is the sketched layout for page 13, a view from within the Mont Saint Michel, to be finished in markers.

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Sketchbook Project 2012 Cover

Back on the Sketchbook Project... working on the cover design and text pages, namely title page and other information I want to include.

Below is the cover minus the lettering, which is what I'm about to do next along with coloring, most likely in the form of color pencil. Recognize the car? Yep, there it is again...
I do plan on adding some sort of protection finish once completed.

On the home stretch with this project... yeah!

Only 3 or 4 pages left.

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T-shirts Stickers and Postcards

I just got my very own "Why Rush" tee -from my zazzle- that I'll be wearing at the next Cowtown Comix Festival in a couple weeks. I love it.

Three of my T-shirt designs:

Postcards from "TOOT: The Order Of Things" collection, stickers, and new business cards:

The boat sticker is from mother's zazzle PurpleCactusPainting store.

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Sketchbook Project page 12 the Mont in Color

The Mont Saint Michel, finished with watercolor. I am resonably satisfied with the result... I tend to "color" rather than "paint" per se, being more of a cartoonist and illustrator than painter, so I'd say I did pretty good.

Illustration Friday theme: Scary.
Don't know about you, but I think this might have been a somewhat scary place to live in during medieval times, what with the weather, the sea, the cold and humidity, and the constant potential for assault by various factions.
I'm very glad to visit the place today though, and would love to stay the night at least once, preferably during high tide, to get the full effect of being surrounded by the sea.

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Sketchbook Project page 11 Mont Saint Michel

The Mont Saint Michel from a couple posts back, done with India Ink.

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Sketchbook Project page 10 map

The transition map page going from St. Malo to the Mont Saint Michel.

This also fits this week's Illustration Friday theme: Fuel.
My parents had a 2 CV (2 Chevaux; i.e. 2 horses) for a while, and it was the most fun car to drive ever. It was also very fuel efficient. At the time it would take $5 to fill up the tank, and that seemed to last forever.

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The 2 CV Citroen

The 2CV Citroen is like no other in the history of the car, and if you've ever had the chance to drive one, you'll remember it for the rest of your life.

This will become part of a collage map page for my Sketchbook Project 2012.

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Sketchbook Project 2012 Mont Saint Michel

As this section of my Sketchbook Project is now all about the Mont Saint Michel, a complete view of this marvel is due before setting foot inside.

This is my pencil drawing, finished just moments ago.

**Note: all pages to date here: Sketchbook 2012 page.
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Sketchbook Project 2012 page 11 Finished

Finished page 11 of the Sketchbook Project: that's the Mont Saint Michel in the backdrop, where we're headed next.
This is a somewhat less "serious" illustration compared to the previous two and more in the vain of fun comic book type, which is fine, as it does provide a variety of style and approaches for this little book.

I'll most likely be working on page 10 next, the map page, and choosing my next pictures as we get closer to the Mont Saint Michel.

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Sketchbook Project page 11 Inked

Got the lovely sheep all inked up and colored today. They're looking pretty cuddly me think. :)

See all pages done to date here.
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Sketchbook Project 2012 page 11 Sketch

Skipping page 10 to work on page 11... and moving from St. Malo, Brittany to the Mont Saint Michel in Normandy, right next door.
Here's the page layout, to be finished with a fine marker.

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Cathedral Illo Available in Zazzle Shop

The cathedral illustration from a few posts back is now available in the Zazzle shop, except for the poster / print version, which is apparently having issues with distorting images... hope they fix that soon.

In the mean time, enjoy stickers, mugs, tees, etc.

St. Malo Cathedral by RiverbyNight
See other Architecture Mousepads

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Sketchbook Project 2012 pg 9

Finished late last night and very happy with the result... page 9 of the Sketchbook Project.

I'm also submitting this to Illustration Friday for the theme: Ferocious.
Though it may not look it right now, anyone who has grown up on the coast knows that the sea is to be given a healthy respect, as it can turn pretty ferocious anytime -and does so on a regular basis.

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Coloring page 9 part II

Here's how far I got yesterday with the coloring:

See all pages of my Sketchbook Project 2012 done to date.
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Coloring Page 9 of Sketchbook

I've started the coloring on pg 9 of the Sketchbook Project.
I'm using a blue color pencil for the outlines -rather than traditional black- for a more uplifting and fun result.
The plan is to get most of the page done through the weekend, if not finish... keep your fingers crossed.

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Sketchbook Project pg 9 Sketch

I'm drawning out the layout for page 9 of the Sketchbook Project.
It's the "Tour Solidor", or Solidor Tower from St. Malo, Brittany, France. This is to be a fun and colorful illustration with color pencils.

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IF - Mesmerizing

Here is pg 8 of my Sketchbook Project 2012 - it just so happen that it fits this week's Illustration Firday theme perfectly... mesmerizing.

Seagulls are a very important part of my childhood memories, and as such remain one of my favorite birds.

I am mesmerized by them.

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Sketchbook Project 2012 pg 7 Finally Finished

And here it is, page 7, St. Malo Cathedral, finally finished... what do you think?

I'm scanning it before adding it to the sketchbook itself, and will make prints/posters available in the zazzle shop sometime this weekend most likely.

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Sketchbook Project pg 7 in Progress

With school and weekend trips into the high country for some mountain hiking, I have not had much time to work on my cathedral page...

this is now the original drawing, in inking progress.

I'm using my usual 2 markers, the Pigma Micron 05 and 03.

(see previous entry for inking studies)


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Sketchbook page 7 Study

School is back on full time and putting a serious damper on my drawing schedule...

nontheless, page 7 of the Sketchbook Project is drawn out, awaiting inking.

Here is a first study of possible ink style:

***update***

I'm adding a 2nd study to this same post.

Slightly more contrast -or heavy darks- in a few places would make some of the features more visible I think.

Also, more complete white areas in the walls facing left, for the same reason.

(just realized the upper left building is incomplete -that will be rendered in dark, similar to the building below it)

What do you think?
Which one is your favorite?

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Sketchbook Project 2012 - page 7

This is how far I managed to get today on my next page of the sketchbook: the St. Malo Cathedral, in (where else) St. Malo, Brittany, France.

We're packing the camper for a last weekend getaway in the mountains before school starts up again next week...





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Sketchbook Project 2012 - page 5

Page 5 finally done, after a couple re-starts on it.
What do you think? Does it look enough like a postcard?
That was the intent anyway.

See all pages done so far on my Squidoo lens.

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My Sketchbook Project on Squidoo

This morning I created the first draft of a squidoo lens that will eventually feature my entire sketchbook.
With each illustration, I add a few details about the image or place.
My theme is Travel with me... will you?

see:
My Sketchbook
Project 2012

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sketchbook Project 2012 page 5 color

Here is the finished version for page 5: the Excalibur cafe and pub.
I've never been in, but it's a really neat business front when you come up on it.

**page from my Art House Sketchbook Project 2012**

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Sketchbook Porject 2012 page 5 Pub

Took me a good chunck of the afternoon drawing out this sketch from one of my own pictures.
This is an Irish pub in the streets of St Malo, Britany France.
The pub is actually green, which makes it stand out quite a bit from the general grey rock walls of most of the city.

**pages from my Art House Co-op Sketchbook Project 2012***
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sketchbook Project 2012 page 4 ink

Finally getting back to the sketchbook project and inking page 4, now ready for some color.

Phileas and Tangerine are sending you a postcard:

**page from my Art House Co-op Sketchbook Project 2012**

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IF - Perennial

I was on the last page of a Juliette story when I checked the Illustration Friday theme: Perennial.

Definition:
1. present at all seasons of the year.
2. a. persistent, enduring. b. continuing without interruption: constant. c. regularly repeated or renewed.

I call on all cat owners out there to support my case that this is a perfect example of perennial activity:

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2nd Set of Framed Watercolors

This is the 2nd set of my mother's watercolor, ready and framed for a coffee shop show next month.
These images will also find their way into her zazzle shop PurpleCactusPainting as I get time to do so.

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Sketchbook Project 2012 page 4

This is the sketch for page 4. I'm thinking ink with a light watercolor wash... will see, might change my mind as I get it going.

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