Flying Squirrel

castleberry (73)Xenomorphin Alien Art Hive • 3 years ago (edited)

~ Finito ~

So, i finally did a thing for myself. I've been so busy curating the Splinterlands weekly art contests, the Alien Art Hive Community, and the Photography Lovers Community daily that i don't get time to post much for myself. The last couple of posts that i have made for myself were actually oriented in helping the community. Mostly, to help the learning curve for newer users.

I'm not complaining at all... but i am excited to finally get back to doing some things for my own sake. I made a post describing this artwork in it's inception which you can read here! You don't really need to check that one out if you haven't already since i will recap a bit.

I finally finished the art though and i am glad to present you with my 'Flying Squirrel.' The only reason it's flying is that it's riding a giant flying butterfly.

I really enjoyed creating this artwork. I originally did a minimal and very light pencil sketch. Then inked that pencil sketch with some micron pens. After that i erased the pencil and began to color with Prismacolor colored pencils. I didn't really find a brown that i wanted so i had to mix and match and blend quite a bit.

I did this artwork on some high-quality printer paper but i can tell the paper is high quality for ink printer printing but not for layering wax-based colored pencils. There are some subtle differences from one image to another... some less subtle than others. As i finished one stage of the progress of the art i would scan it. So, all of the images seen in this post are scans.

I tried to get a realistic look to the squirrel. I think it was successful in that regard overall. Though if i could go back and start over i can tell i would have done a few things differently. My lady likes squirrels and butterflies... so i was inspired to create an artwork that would marry those two things together but in an unconventional manner. I had a mental image of a squirrel riding a giant butterfly using the antennas as the reigns.

~ Furry Friends ~

I was also inspired by a friend i made last year. I have a post about My Little Buddy from last April where i was having a squirrel come eat peanuts out of my hand. We bonded a lot last Spring and Summer. I was even able to get a video which you can see in that post. Kind of made me actually feel like Bob Ross a little bit.

_{Bob Ross & Friend}

Well, this little buddy use to come to my back patio almost daily for some peanuts. We ended up having quite a tight little bond... even if it was just so it could score some peanuts. It would often gnaw on my fingers from time to time reaching for the peanuts. However, it was always quite delicate and gentle even then. I will never forget the experiences i shared with my little buddy.

So, this artwork kind of commemorates those experiences for me and immortalizes the character as well. Each successive image just shows more progress during the creative process. I probably should have done like 20 more scans to show each actual progression but i think y'all will be content with what is presented here.

A majority of these images were shared in the last post already. But i didn't feel like it would do the finished art justice to only show a few of the updated images without all of the build-up to get there.

~ The Sky Is The Limit ~

When it comes to using your imagination and creativity the Sky Is The Limit. In this sky, i wanted to have a flying squirrel because it's riding a giant butterfly. That's the beauty of art... whatever you can imagine, you can create. Color also is something that can boost the unlimited potential to actualize fantasy and dream.

_{Artist's License}

So, i finally got back on the job and finished this piece of art. I could probably continue to work on it and perfect it... but there is also a high probability of overworking it and corrupting the image.

I guess this is one of those times where less if more and you have to know when to call it quits. Overall, i am pretty happy with the finished work though it is not without it's flaws.

So, that's it. It's finally finished. I decided to mint this bad boy and sell it as an NFT at the NFT ShowRoom. I made the first edition available for auction here. I priced the first 3 editions a little higher than the rest but i made 11 total NFTs. They are all quite affordable but i wanted to tier the pricing from the first edition down. So, you can scoop one up for 7 swap.Hive at the lowest or buy one of the top 3 editions for 15. Not too bad considering how many hours i put into it. You also get the super High-Resolution file as the unlockable bonus after purchase.

_{My NFT ShowRoom Gallery}

I forgot one of the things i spent a bit of time on that wraps it all up... the process gif. So, i edited the post to include this... My Bad!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and appreciate the art. I hope you enjoyed the beauty and that this post has added some value to you. If anything, i hoped it gave you a smile or sparked your own creative thoughts. Take Care and feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments.

_{Thanks Again For Being Here Now}

#art #illustration #nftart #cryptoart #nft #whimsical #rubarbia #cartoon #fantasy #analog

3 years ago in Alien Art Hive by castleberry (73)Xenomorph

$214.30

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cyboule (66) 3 years ago

Hello Castleberry, apparently all is well with you and your creativity too! This meeting with this wild animal is very interesting, you have created a bond of trust. The animal sensed if he approached you that he could trust you and that his life was not in danger. It is rare to meet wild animals that accept this promiscuity. I have a female blackbird (local bird) who comes to visit me every day, she scratches the ground looking for food. I help her by adding cereal to the soil. I also pay attention to the cats that prowl so that she does not help herself to meals.
The more the day passes, the less she is afraid and approaches less than a meter from me to eat without being suspicious of my presence. For the moment she hasn't decided to eat from my hand, I haven't had the chance you had.
I really like your creation, especially the idea of the squirrel riding a butterfly to conquer new horizons. His gaze is positive and without malice. His little acrobatic animals have always fascinated me. They are discreet and it is difficult to see them if they have not taken up residence near their home. I also like the representation of the antennae of the butterfly which serves as its rudder. He looks good and ready to explore the magical art world of Castleberry. Thank you for your creation.
I would like to be able to reproduce what I imagine but the dexterity of my hands does not allow it for the moment I do not have your experience. I'm on a project to melt metal and cast lost wax bronze. I have copper and tin in my workshop. A few years ago, I had fun pouring beeswax candles into silicone molds, the wax I had bought from a beekeeper. I don't have a post to submit to you on this subject but I will do one when I receive the material to melt the metal. My difficulty will be to produce the representation to be molded.
You devote a lot of your time to the hive and treat yourself more often and given your creativity you should create a lot more of it for us to benefit from your work. Thanks again see you soon my friend!

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