Warren County - Complete

Here's the finished piece!  I am so proud of myself!  It's hard with teaching, mothering, and painting canvases to actually fill orders to carve out time to work on fulfilling my dream of being an illustrator. 

There's a gorgeous tree in the outer frame because Warren County is the "Nursery Capital"!  There are blue and gray diamonds in the inner frame to contrast with the red of the county.  Our county seat of McMinnville is marked as well as all of the smaller surrounding communities.

I can see this maybe being used in Chamber of Commerce materials.  It would be a great cover for a tourism pamphlet.

I wish my camera picked up all the little nuances that go along with using watercolor!  I did all of the lettering,  painting, and pen by hand.

I am currently accepting freelance illustration work.  If you have illustration needs, please email me at brandie_bc1@yahoo.com.  Thank you!!!

Warren County - In Progress

After getting the sketch just right in my drawing pad, I used my light pad to trace it lightly onto the watercolor paper.  I started by added color washes to start building the color and defining the space.

After getting some color built up, I began adding some pen detailing.  I like to do some of this early on to help me determine the color intensity and shades that I'm looking for.

 

Here's another shot of this same phase.  You can also see that I used some masking fluid to keep the frame defined.

Almost there!  

Even though I'd love to see it put to good use, this piece is just for my portfolio.  I am just now getting started as a true illustrator.  I've got tons of ideas bouncing around in my head and can't wait to get them on paper!