Color Me Creative Challenge - Anything Goes!

It's an anything goes challenge at Color Me Creative (CMC).  No limits, no boundaries - a free and easy challenge - much like the Wryn Hanging Around digi from Tiddly Inks.  I'm using her as a B-day card for a friend who is one year shy of 60!

I'm not trained in art at all (not even an art class in elementary school).  I've taken a Copic class online, attended Copic Certification two summers ago. I've tried to relax and give myself permission to learn, practice and develop my skills. It's helped by concentrating on one thing at a time in my Copic coloring.  Hair has been my most recent focus.  I thought I had it down - until I came across this girl!  I am really happy with the end result because I was able to give her hair the movement I was going for.  Let me tell you that it took a while to get there!




Here's a close up of the final version.

But she started out looking like the girl to the right.   I didn't like the color and because there wasn't much variation in her hair color, the movement I was trying to achieve was missing.  (The photo looks better than she does IRL.)






Then, I got out my pencil and tried to 
think more strategically about light and shading and where the sun would reflect
on Wryn's hair.  After I put the pencil in, I got out my markers and just messed around.




I still wasn't happy, so at that point, I went to my favorite tutorial spot "Google - images" - and typed in the name of the digi and looked at what other people had done. This allowed me to really study ideas for Wryn's hair.  I found a card that Amy H. posted on her blog.  From her work, I used a new image to pencil in the shading I saw on Amy's card.





Then I got out my markers and tried again.  This time was a lot closer! Woo!  Some of the shading needed to be adjusted.  I was in the ballpark and gave it another try. . .   




 
. . .  and here she is!  So for those of you who are working on your coloring, hang in there - and keep practicing.  I actually love to play around like I did here.  It's so satisfying to have an idea in my mind and be able to get it on the page.  

I hope you will find an image to color and play along with us at Color Me Creative.  The anything goes challenge runs through August 30th - that's two weeks! Check out the DT inspiration and join us.  Our sponsor is MarkerPOP! 


Copics used:
Skin:  E11, 00, 000 & R20
Hair:  E37, 35, 31, & YR21
Shorts:  W5, 3, 1
Shirt:  Y02, 07, 26 & YR 04, 07

Challenges Entered:

Creative Fingers - anything goes

Crafting by Designs - anything goes

Cute Card Thursday - Button Up

Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog - Birthday 

DL Art Thankful Thursday - August challenge

613 Avenue Create - anything goes

7 Kids College Fund - anything goes

Make It Monday - anything goes