Daily Sketch Reprise: In Afternoon Sun

Mimi enjoys her daily sunbath while Mewsette watches the birds from my studio window on the second floor.

One more experiment with this brush pen, partly just because it was there. I love it when the cats are partly lit by sunshine, and dramatically. Here it pours in the window from nearly directly above, just enough to highlight them where they are near the window but leaving the rest in silhouette.

I didn’t want to leave out their mahogany highlights, so I’ve added those. Because the second floor window looks right out into a maple tree from this angle, I wanted to catch the dappled and speckled effect with watercolors. Not sure how well I like the speckles, perhaps I’ll try a bigger brush next time to get bigger blotches. And the paper buckled in that odd darker area above Mewsette, common with watercolors.

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Last year I wasn’t sure about the speckles and droplets in the background, but this year I like them very much; I think they truly capture the fluttering sparkling effect of the sun on the leaves in the maple tree, and I like how their random shapes and patterning contrast with the very stylized sketch of Mewsette and Mimi. It was another where I sketches the cats and really liked how they turned out, but was frightened I’d screw the whole thing up if I spattered on the background as I was envisioning. Practicing art gives me many gifts, and the courage to take risks is one of them.

I’ve been surprised at the popularity of this sketch, both on its own and on products, like keepsake boxes. It’s actually become one of the most popular garden flags, in part because of the two black cats.

Click here to see other daily sketches.

For a gallery of the ones available for sale, visit my Etsy shop in the “Cat Art and Prints” section.

Read about the reason for the daily sketches in One Year of Daily Sketches.

And download your free desktop wallpaper calendar for computer or mobile, usually based on a daily sketch.

Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

Find your muse! During Adopt-a-Cat Month, you can save a life and find inspiration for art, poetry, prose, music, or any number of creative or professional careers by adopting a fine feline or two!

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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