Pencils and Pixels Art Blog

Most Viewed Artwork

2010-11-17T10:22:00.001-08:00

I was browsing through my statistics today on Fine Art America.com and Red Bubble.com to see how many visitors had stopped by to see my artwork. I was surprised at which pieces had the most views, and also how high some of the numbers were! Interestingly, the popular artworks on the two sites are completely different from one another. Here is a quick look at the most popular original art,

Artist Gallery Site Reviews

2010-02-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

I plan to review 3 websites that have free artist galleries, and allow comments, contests, prints, etc. for artists. These reviews will be posted under the Articles and Reviews section of my website. I have personally joined each of these websites, and so I hope to offer information for artists who may be looking to promote their work using these sites.These are the 3 sites that will be reviewed,

Customizing Portraits

2010-02-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

Pencil portraits from photos make great gifts, but let's face it, not every photo is perfect. Sometimes the wind blows hair around, the person doesn't look right at the camera, or bad lighting emphasizes flaws. Everyone likes to look their best, and this is especially true for a hand drawn portrait, since it will be a lasting memento. I offer customizing of portraits and can work with you to

2009 Review

2010-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is almost then end of January 2010 and I am finally able to post a review of 2009. I was surprised to look back and see that I had posted quite a number of drawings. You can see a sample of some of those drawings and also photographs from 2009 below.However, another pleasant surprise was the increase in the number of visitors to PencilsandPixelsArt.com. It has grown steadily since

Gift Certificates Are Now Available!

2009-10-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

Now you can purchase gift certificates for any pencil portrait or photo editing service. Certificate amounts start at $20, and increase in $5 increments. Certificates are hand lettered with calligraphy. Good for one year!Learn more and buy a gift certificate now!

New Art and Photography

2009-10-12T12:01:00.001-07:00

I recently posted a new portrait commission and some photos.The portrait commission was for a first anniversary. It is a size 16x20 and I created it using graphite and charcoal pencils and powdered graphite. My favorite part of this drawing was the brides gown. It was time consuming, but enjoyable drawing the different folds, and it seems to glow against the stormy background. The most

At the drawing desk . . .

2009-09-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Whew! It has been a busy couple of weeks. I completed 2 pencil portrait commissions. One is already posted on my website, and the other will be shortly. Here is a look at the 6x8 commission from Fine Art America:This has already gotten some really nice comments on Red Bubble.I have some celebrity works in progress on my desk, and have a new original piece in mind as well.More later!

Current News

2009-09-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

It is a rainy day here in my neck of the woods so I finally grabbed a minute to update this poor, neglected blog!I am currently working on a 16x20 anniversary portrait, which is coming along very well. I have a celebrity portrait of Rita Hayworth that I have been working on and off again for quite awhile. Other projects keep taking priority. Harrison Ford, winner of the last celebrity vote, is

New Website Features

2009-02-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well, after months of planning and building, PencilsandPixelsArt.com's new look is finally launched! Here is a list of some of the new things you'll see:1. Streamlined design that is more user friendly than the previous one, and better colors!You will notice a lot less clutter. Web sites are a lot like houses - once in awhile they need to be straightened up and get rid of what is no longer of use

Using Art To Help Charities

2009-02-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

I am sure we all have our favorite charities that we donate something to every year. Of course with the economic struggles, sometimes it is hard to make ends meet, let alone donate to a worthy cause. However, I have found there are a couple ways artists can help charities without stress.First - Auctions and FundraisersDoes your charity have a yearly auction or sale to raise money? Consider

Way Behind!

2009-02-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

Wow, I haven't posted here in ages! Not for lack of things to write about, just a lack of time. So, here is a quick post to try and catch up.I have posted several new digital photos in both my Red Bubble and Fine Art America galleries. You an see one above. I posted some other beautiful sun rise and sunset shots, as well as some fun ones of my cats at play. I plan to donate a portion of sales of

More Art Contests

2008-11-04T09:25:00.001-08:00

I have been entering contests lately for fun and to try and get some recognition. I am limiting to myself to what I consider the reasonably priced ones. Some of them can be pretty expensive! Of course those are the ones that usually offer the best prizes, so it's a catch 22. Here are a couple I found that look interesting:FALL 2008 ART CONTEST - "PORTRAITS"INTERNATIONAL ARTIST MAGAZINE'S ART

Red Bubble Promotion

2008-10-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

To celebrate selling 100,000 items, Red Bubble.com is offering free shipping. The coupon code is ‘100000masterpieces’ – just enter this during the checkout process to receive the free shipping offer. Hurry! This expires at midnight (GMT) on Oct 30, 2008.So now is a great time to buy cards or prints of my art and photography!

Some New Works and a New Gallery Site

2008-10-14T12:30:00.001-07:00

I have completed a couple things recently, one just today in fact.I had been working on this one for a long time off and on. I would get bored and did something else, but I finally finished it up, and am quite pleased with the results.This one was just for fun, and gave me a chance to play with Pastel Chalk pencils. Those pencils are quickly becoming a favorite.I have also found another fabulous

Art Contests

2008-10-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

I found an interesting art community website called A Singular Creation. One thing I like is that they run free art contests every month. The Art Showdown Contests all have different themes, and there is small prizes, normally $50 for the winner. The winner is featured with a small statement form the artist, but 4 pieces also receive honorable mention. Each artist can enter 3 pieces. See the Art

Time Slipped Away!

2008-09-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been so long since I posted. It has been a busy summer with work and vacations, so that is my excuse!I have recently been experimenting with pastel chalk. I really like working with these. General's makes some in pencil form, and there are also pastel chalk sticks. They lay down very soft colors that blend easily. I have used paer towels and q-tips to blend them. I

New Artwork

2008-08-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

I added my new art work "Sasha" to my Fine Art America gallery several days ago.Sasha is the name of my recently adopted cat. I found out the name means "moon" in Hindu, and a cat with the moon seemed to be a perfect fit! I really wanted the moon to have some detail, so I based it on a royalty free high res picture of the moon. It was neat to be able to see all the craters on it's surface.I added

Back Again!

2008-07-20T16:06:00.001-07:00

Well, my blog has suffered again because I was on vacation. I had a fantastic time with my family. Unfortunately, it seems to be my routine to go out of town and come back sick!Enough about that though! On to drawing news. I am working on an original, that is really coming along quite nicely. Sometimes pieces surprise me and wind up being easier than I expected. I am going to be very vague, so

New Page on Squidoo About Powdered Graphite

2008-06-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was inspired recently after working with powdered graphite to create a Squidoo lens about it. it really is a great useful product, but I think many artists shy away from it because pencils are the old standard. On this lens you will find tips on working with it. I hope you'll check it out!General's Powdered Graphite is my favorite to work with.

Busy, Busy

2008-06-12T08:52:00.001-07:00

Well, I see I have neglected this blog for awhile, so thought I better show it some attention! So, here is my recent news. I am working on 2 new original pieces. One is about half way finished and the other I just started. Both are in graphite, although I plan to incorporate some chalk pastel into one of them. I normally keep my hands in 2 or 3 projects at once. That way if I get bored or

New Original Graphite Work

2008-05-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

I have posted an original entitled "Cover Girl" in my Fine Art America Gallery. I was hoping to capture the look of a vintage magazine, with maybe a little old Hollywood thrown in. It was a lot of fun to do, though I have to admit it didn't turn out like I wanted. I guess we are always our own worst critics though. :) However, I do like the contrast the carbon borders created with graphite

Finished Celebrity Portrait

2008-05-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

Finally got Nicole Kidman's finished pencil portrait posted on my website. There are still a few days left in the current celebrity vote. Really looks like Sean Connery might be the winner . . . It ends May 31st.I am currently working on creating some more original works and am happy to have a couple close to completion and ready for posting. Stay tuned!

A Rainy Day in the Neighborhood

2008-05-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well, there has been lots of wet stuff here today, and very little sun in the sunshine state. :) So, I decided to include in this post, some suggestions for protecting pencil portraits from the elements, and helping them stand the test of time.For those who purchased a pencil portrait:Keep your pencil drawing from water and direct sunlight.Well, these are obvious! Water is a given, it will cause

Celebrity Pencil Portraits

2008-05-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on my pencil portrait of Nicole Kidman. She was the winner in the last celebrity vote on my web site. The voting for the current list ends May 31, 2008. So, if you want to cast a vote, you better hurry! Currently it looks like Sean Connery may be the winner, although Harrison Ford and Nicholas cage are close behind.I plan to add much more detail, especially to her hair and

Just a reminder . . . Back Up Your Important Files

2008-05-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

Not long ago I had suffered a loss. My computers hard drive kicked the bucket. It all happened quite suddenly and without warning. It started up fine and things were running normally. However, right in the middle of sending an e-mail, I received the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death." The screen was filled with lots of technical jargon, which I will by no means try to repeat. Suffice it to say, it