Cherylmcnulty's Blog

Four New Acrylic Paintings

Cheryl McNulty — Sat, 04 May 2013 02:04:55 +0000

Here are four new acrylic paintings I have been working on. It was fun to try these new ideas and just practice the blending techniques and brushstrokes. It’s all so new to me, but now I just want to try all types of pictures. I can’t wait. Hope you like these.

A Picture ReDo

Cheryl McNulty — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:16:23 +0000

I think sometimes it pays to look back on your artwork and really look at it. If you’re not happy with a piece after it’s all completed, sometimes it’s good to set it down and wait awhile and really look at it and see if it could be improved in some way. Maybe make the colors more saturated, try another media to see if it works a little better with the picture itself. Whatever.

Well, that’s what happened here. I love pastels, but I tried rendering an old watercolor picture of Santa singing with his reindeer (originally designed for my husband’s Christmas birthday) with pastels. I never really was happy with it. Pastels work lovely on portraits, but when I have a lot of detail work in a picture, it just doesn’t cut it. I can’t work in the tiny details, and it looks like there is no “punch” factor….it just sort of sits there, almost like a bad copy of a picture.

See for yourself here as I have attached the original pastel and the new watercolor. I think I will take the watercolor. It’s so vibrant and I can see all the detail work. This is also what the art licensing companies look for, vibrancy. So that’s what I am doing now. Taking my portfolio and re doing all the old pics that just “sort of sit there”. Hope you like this new one! Enjoy!

Two more Scarecrows…and a Santa

Cheryl McNulty — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:55:09 +0000

Here are two more scarecrows to continue the Friendly Scarecrow series. I really like the one where he is jumping in the leaves!

I had sent my online art portfolio to Porterfield’s Fine Art and the president of the company sent me back some encouraging words within 10 minutes of sending it to them. He suggested I try acrylics for more color saturation as art licensing companies look for saturated color. He said he could not use my art this point in time. but it was “Awfully good”. I’ll take it! Usually you get nothing back but a rejection letter. This was nice.

He did like my scarecrow and my santa holding a present, which explains the reason for all the scarecrows. The more the better! Hope you like them.

Santa In Pastel

Cheryl McNulty — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 06:06:17 +0000

I forgot to post this picture. I keep creating the Christmas designs because that is always the most popular with any kind of Licensing company or Greeting card Company. So even when it is hot and summer-like, I probably will still be pumping out Christmas. Oh well, at least it’s a fun holiday and you can think of so many ideas.

But anyway here is the latest and as you can see it is in my new banner overhead. I posted one with and one without text, just for interest. Hope you like it.

Santa peeking

My New Blog Banner

Cheryl McNulty — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 06:44:41 +0000

Just put a new banner/header on my blog page and I like it! Do You! Lookin’ good!

The Best and Most Beautiful

Cheryl McNulty — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 05:19:36 +0000

Reblogged from Cherylmcnulty's Blog:

Here is a picture I did awhile back. It is a quote from Helen Keller, and a beautiful one at that. I did this in colored pencil and since it has many hearts and since Valentine's Day was only yesterday, I figured this would be great to put up. Hope you like this oldie but goodie. :)

Cheryl

This is a great one for Valentine's Day

Pastel Angel Girl Completed!!!!

Cheryl McNulty — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:02:47 +0000

Well, I finally finished my picture . Problem is, I want to keep touching it! I feel this is done…for now! Hope you like the finished piece.:)

Pastel Girl completed

Pastel Angel Girl In Progress

Cheryl McNulty — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:01:17 +0000

I am now taking a needed break from watercolor and trying my hand at doing pastels again. I love pastels! I can do them rather quickly and I love the realistic result. I just love adding highlights here and there and making the wispy pieces of hair. The pictures seem so alive. I can’t wait to finish this one. I am having a hard time trying to decide what color the background should be, and just praying I don’t mess this up! Oh well, back to the drawing board. Hope you like what I have done so far.

angel girl in progress

3 Finished Pictures

Cheryl McNulty — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:53:39 +0000

Well, here i am again, and this time I have 3 pictures I have finished and hopefully ready for the portfolio.

The Piggy Pudding picture makes me feel like I still have to add something, whether it is pockets on the apron or corner pieces of pines and berries. I may still have to add to this one. But the other 2 I am sure are finished. I hope you like them…it took me quite awhile…watercolor!!!! Enjoy!

Piggy Pudding – A Work In Progress

Cheryl McNulty — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 04:16:03 +0000

I know I have not posted anything in awhile, but with Christmas just being over I have not had a lot of time to sit and draw. I do have several items I am presently working on to add to my portfolio before sending it to art licensing companies at the end of January. One is this little piggy I named “Tiny” as he is a micro or teacup pig. I am trying to get some themes together, as I feel they have a better chance of being accepted than single drawings that stand on their own.

I have 3 other pig pictures that I have done, but were all done in pastels. This is the first one I have tried in watercolor. I must say, I like the way this is turning out. Well, this is almost completed, but it still needs some work. When it is completely finished, I will post it again. But for now, here is Piggy Pudding…almost ready for next Christmas..I hope!