Color Abuse

I have this terrible habit when I work digitally...

...of changing the color of the entire piece, over and over and over again.

Because it's so easy! You just move a slider back and forth and suddenly, "Oh hey! This looks even better in blue!"

If I were painting in oils or acrylic, I would not have this option. I would have to choose my colors ahead of time and hope I made the best choices because once it's on the canvas
-BOOM-
you're committed to it.

But I don't have that problem on the computer. And I do abuse the hue/saturation sliders. I'll admit that.

It's not just for my wishy-washy non-committal self that I do this. It's for YOU, really.
Cuz now you have more options!

Both of these (and the original green) can be found on Redbubble and no-background versions can be found on Design By Humans
And another pleasant surprise for you:

I finished the Hobbit Puppets!

*victory dance*

I hope this proves to be the beginning of more puppet paintings based on characters from books (and/or movies, I guess). More Lord of the Ring puppets are in order, and I've got some Alice in Wonderland puppets on the back of my mind, too....

What book/movie characters would you want to see as puppets? Tell me in a comment below!

Hobbit Calendar

I've been awake since 5:30 this morning and after 3 hours I finally got The Hobbit calendar put together.

Click here to look at it now!

It's available to order from the Redbubble shop (link is at the top of the page) for $24. No lie, calendars are my FAVORITE Christmas gift. I'm really depressed when I don't get a calendar for Christmas, so I'm really happy this is done in time for the holidays.

And because I'm feeling generous, I want to give out some FREE art in celebration of the calendar being completed. To the first 5 people who buy a calendar, I will send one of the original sketches of The Hobbit illustrations.

Want free, original artwork? Order a calendar and then talk to me. One of these could be yours:

Hurry!

Hobbit Illustration #12 is DONE

Behold: In Search of a Burglar, the beginning of the adventure.

Now I have enough to put a Hobbit calendar together. I'll be using Redbubble to put the calendar together, so if you are interested, that's where you can go to order it.

To commemorate finishing the Hobbit illustrations, let's have a puppet.

A Legend of Zelda puppet!

Inspired by Majora's Mask, which I've been rediscovering on the 3DS lately

Surprise.

This can also be ordered on Redbubble on almost all their products - phone cases, tablet cases, notebooks, journals, mugs, etc. Give it a look, tell me if I should change anything.

Gotta sign off now. Lots to do today.

The Last Homely House

Hobbit illustration 11 of 12 is completed.

Here is Elrond, revealing the secret of Moon Runes to Thorin & co.

Originally these illustrations were supposed to be quick, cute and simple.
This one took forever. What took the most time?
The. MAP.
Freaking jeez-louise, why do I obsess over details??

It turned out, though. So no regrets.

But srsly, on the next one, I have got to loosen up and finish quicker.

Next: In Search of a Burglar.

Also!! I am crocheting some trinkets to sell at GAM Con. I've started the Totoro plushies,

Adorbz, right?

What about you? Are you coming to GAM Con? Is there anything you'd like me to paint/crochet for you? Cuz I'll do it!

Still Painting for GAM Con

Behold: The Baggins Estate Auction.

I hope you can see Bilbo's face. But if you can't on your screen, come see me at GAM Con to see it in print. You'll love it.

This will also be in print available to purchase at my table:

Questions about the convention? Want a print? Message me on Facebook or email me at kj.hennefer@gmail.com

I hope you can come!

GAM Prepping... Part 2

Painting painting painting

It feels so good to be painting painting painting.

Worked for about 4 hours straight this morning, no interruptions, because my awesome husband wants me to finish these as much as I do. Thanks, hon!

Here's some more of what will be at my table at GAM Con:

More Dwarves?! -poor Beorn

Barrel Rider!

Hide and Seek with Smaug

Gotta paint more. The Hobbit pics still need a scene from Elrond's House, running from the Wargs, and I think we need to see the look on Bilbo's face when he arrives to the Shire just in time for the Baggins Estate Auction. :)

Back to painting painting painting!

Bilbo in Mirkwood - In Color!

Finished!!

It has crossed my mind that these pictures would make a fun coloring book. Anyone know where one would go to have a coloring book printed, bound, and distributed?

Share if you do. And if you don't, head over to Facebook.com/KennaArt and leave your mark.

Peace out.

Problem-Solving

When I look at this picture, I imagine this puppet is hard-core problem solving.
You can almost see the wheels turning in his head, right?

Which is fitting, because this painting sat for a LONG time, waiting to be finished, waiting for me to solve the problem I was having with the colors.

Took me (freaking) long enough. But now he's done!

I'm having similar issues with color and The Hobbit illustrations -

- but I have some exciting news about that. I'm going to collaborated with an artist I've been wanting to collaborated with for years (our styles just differ too much for us to do projects together before now), and she's agreed to paint them for me. :D

This may be premature to announce, she hasn't started yet and it may not work as harmoniously as we're hoping...but I am optimistic!

The artist happens to be my sister, Good Moe-Jo!
(aka: comicstrip, to some)

I think her more graphic approach to coloring will be just right. I'll post finished pieces for you as we complete them!

More Smaug!

Now Smaug has wings, you can all rest easy.

Colored versions of these Hobbit illustrations are coming soon, and they will bring with them an awesome giveaway. Stay tuned, tell your Middle-Earth friends!

Hobbit Illustration: Smaug

Didn't have much to do today and realized I haven't drawn any Smaug scenes! ¡Que horror!

So I finalized a dragon design that matched the aesthetic I'm going for, snuggled him up against some gold, and here he is folks!

Next, I'll draw some interaction between him and Bilbo.

Re-reading The Hobbit

Nothing can quite capture the satisfaction that comes from exploring Middle Earth with Bilbo Baggins. I've been drawing scenes from chapters as I go. Here's what I've done so far.

Still figuring out Smaug. I'm trying to NOT illustrate these characters to look like they came out of the Peter Jackson films. These are mine, my own imaginings that come to life as I read the book. No offense to the Peter Jackson movies, they're great but too departed from the original story for me. 

So I'm working on a smug, but fierce, Smaug dragon. Tricksy, but I love doing it.