100th Post! **GIVEAWAY**

Hedgehog Party, watercolor and graphite on Rives BFK, 7x9", 2013.

I made it to 100 posts on this blog! Whew!

I know it took me much longer than most bloggers, but I still want to celebrate. Everyone has been so supportive of me, so I thought having a GIVEAWAY for my readers would be fun.

I am giving away a custom 5x7" drawing!
I'll draw a portrait of you, your favorite animal or place, delicious food...whatever you want.

Here's how to win:
Simply leave a comment on this post (Google+ comments work too).
Tell me what you'd have me draw. If you're indecisive, just say hello!

Want an extra entry?
1.Retweet this post on twitter:

I'm giving away a custom drawing! RT this post to win... details here: sarahdrawsthings.blogspot.com/2013/04/100th-…
— Sarah Ryan (@SarahRyanDraws) April 21, 2013

2. Like this post on Facebook:

If you feel like it follow me on twitter or like my Facebook page too :)


I'll pull a name on May 1st.

PS: The hedgehog drawing in this post is available on a notecard in my Etsy shop or at The Art Dept.

And the winner is:

Paul!  
Congrats... and thanks to everyone who entered!

Preliminary Drawing: Thumbelina

Preliminary Drawing, graphite on bristol, 11 x 14", 2013.

Here's the start of a new illustration I've been working on.  I don't have enough on my portfolio website; I'm hoping that when this is finished it'll be good enough to add.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend!!

Miniature Cats

I'm not a cat lover. I know that's horrible to say on the internet since everyone is obsessed with cats. I'm allergic to them, and I just don't trust them... they make mean faces at me.

My sister, however, has two cats and loves them. I drew her tiny portraits of her cats, FDR and Cliff Lee, for her birthday. The photo below is one of the preliminary drawings so you can see the scale.

Happy Birthday, Emily!!

Illustration Friday: Wool



Squirrel, watercolor, graphite & colored pencil on watercolor paper, 5 x 7", 2013.

 This little squirrel is wearing a nice wool scarf to keep warm. I'll be drawing lots and lots of squirrels pretty soon!

I recently downloaded the Vine app, and took a short video of my process:



Does anyone else have Vine? I'd love to see some great illustration profiles! I'm registered under my name, "Sarah Ryan".

Illustration Friday: Storm

Storm, micron pen, watercolor & gouache on watercolor paper, 7 x 9", 2013.

I should be working on something else, but I had an idea for this week's Illustration Friday. So, I did a super quick little drawing to get that idea down. Maybe sometime I'll do a bigger more finished version.

Three Little Birds

Goldfinch, Sparrow, & Cardinal, watercolor and graphite on Rives BFK, each 5 x 7", 2013.

I've been drawing lots of backyard birds... here are three!

I'll post more up soon.

My Workspace

I recently signed up for ArtHouse Co-op's "Encyclopedia of Workspaces" They are collecting photos of work spaces from all over the world. I love to look at photos of work spaces... not the kind that would be in a magazine or decorating blog, but real, used work spaces.

I live in a house with five other people, so my workspace and bedroom share a room. The space might seem small to other people, but it works perfectly for me! 

The chart above is from Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. I haven't really posted on my blog much lately, I feel like every project I've been working on has been stuck on "Dark Night of the Soul".  I figured this "Encyclopedia of Workspaces" project was great to participate in because it's simple to complete, and it would get me moving. There are a bunch of other really great, free Arthouse Co-op projects on www.sketchbookproject.com. If you are an artist, photographer, writer, or just looking for something to do, sign up for one!