Ann G Rusky
  • My Drawing Board Blog
  • More About. . .
    • . . .Me
    • . . .Mackinac Island
    • . . .Influences & Inspiration
    • . . .How to contact
    • ...Links and Web sites I Like
  • My Portfolio. . .
    • Book: THAT DOG!
    • Book: Mac's Mackinac Island Adventure
    • Various Portfolio Pieces
    • Line Drawings
    • Abstract Idea Illustrations
  • Make >LESS< Work
    • < Less in my Wardrobe
    • < Fewer Household Products
    • < Fewer Processed Foods
    • < Fewer Boxes & Stuff
    • < Getting More Organized
    • My 2014 30-day DeCluttering Challenge

THAT DOG Is Something Else!

8/2/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Let me tell you about our little dog, Windry. She is something else!

From the moment we got her, she challenged and delighted us. She is a beauty from all angles. I wanted to capture her bold personality and stunning looks in a book for my son, but just knew I had to share her with the rest of the world.

The idea for a book about her started simmering in my mind when Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, was popular. I have his books and followed his teaching, but I did everything wrong. She, or I, was the poster child for what Cesar says shouldn't happen. She liked to challenge everything we said (a trait Shiba Inu's are known for). The more calm and assertive I tried to be, the more she did the opposite. She definitely had her own ideas for who is the boss and how things should be, and she made that known. I liked to imagine what SHE was thinking in those instances and that is how the idea of this book came to be.

Personally, she was a learning experience for me to draw and paint. From a drawing perspective, she was difficult because where the shadows fell on her, and should be darker, she was lighter in color, and where the color wraps the form and usually is grayer, then she was warmer and oranger in color. It took me awhile to figure her out a formula for her. I love this brown sketch paper and thought it was perfect to enhance her coloring, and have her emerge from the paper.

I love this little girl so much and am so grateful for her company. She is currently fifteen years old and nearing the end, so I wanted to make sure to capture her spirit on paper. I have other books planned in this series, and hopefully she can continue to entertain us all, long after she has left this Earth.

Picture

​I created the illustrations in two different mediums to show the contrast between what is happening, to what we imagine Windry is thinking. For the drawings, I used Prismacolor Premiere Colored Pencils on Bee Company Brown Recycled Sketchbook paper. The paintings were done with gouache on Arches Watercolour Paper. 

This is my first book in which I both wrote and illustrated. I have other books published which I illustrated but this is the first in which I wrote, drew, painted, and layed-out the design and type . . . everything. It's my baby! Since it is self-published, if I can recover the cost to produce this first one, that will go toward the cost of printing the second in the series, then third, and so on.



Picture
1 Comment
    Picture
    Picture

    Hi. I'm Ann.

    Welcome to
    My Drawing Board Blog.

    This is where I post my current thoughts and ideas about the topics that resonate with me, and how I work them out as illustrations. This is my work in progress.

    As an artist, I love to see the beauty in the world around me. I enjoy the play of color, patterns, and light. It is a challenge for me to try to capture the thoughts and images that inspire me.

    Sometimes, I like to quickly scratch ideas on paper. Other times, I like to take my time and work through images with color. 

    Each day brings a new perspective. This blog is my opportunity to share my thoughts and drawing process with you. 

    Thank you for visiting.

    You can keep up with me on Facebook, as well:
    https://www.facebook.
    com/AnnGRusky/

               ____________

    Blog Categories

    All
    Chalk Pastel
    Charcoal
    Colored Markers
    Gouache
    Influence & Inspiration
    Line Drawing
    Make >LESS< Work
    Memories
    Pen & Ink
    Poetry
    Prisma Pencil
    Quotes
    Shiba Inu
    Sketchbook
    Summer
    Urban Sketches
    Watercolor
    Winter


    ​Archives

    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    September 2018
    June 2018
    June 2016
    February 2016
    July 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    RSS Feed



    ​Getting Creative About Functioning with LESS
    .


    Creativity takes on many forms. Currently, I am on a journey to live with LESS and I am trying to Make <LESS> Work for me and my family. 

    Hopefully my goal will inspire my whole household to make conscious decisions about our home environment and what we REALLY need to own. 

    My personal goal is to eliminate clutter, and make our surroundings creatively functional and beautiful.

    I am grateful to be able to share my thoughts, and illustrations with you.

    We'll see where this journey takes me!


    Make <Less> Work
    < In my Wardrobe
    < Household Products
    < Processed Food
    < Boxes & Stuff
    < Getting More Organized
    ​
Proudly powered by Weebly