It's in the Details

How Now Brown Cow?

Here I am showing more close up details of this work in progress. 

• PHOTO ONE: details my use of Starbucks bags to create the pasture grasses, I love how when you rip this paper, the rough edge is brown, from the paper bag. That brown edge is so much more interesting combined with the green, I make extra tears just to show it off! Notice how the cow in the pasture is simple without much detail, I use only solid white and no type for her spots, I want to keep her in the background with simplicity.
  
• PHOTO TWO: highlights the eye. Since every face I do is some version of a self portrait, I have given my cow blue eyes! I use many tiny bits of paper for a more expressive and realistic feeling here, I never make the iris from just one color or just one piece of paper, the movement of many little pieces gives more life.
• PHOTO THREE: highlights the little illustrations I found in the French text book, especially the one of the horse which I incorporated just below the cow's chin. The French textbook pages are off white, almost yellow and I use them for white areas which would be in the shadow, rather than the highlight.
• PHOTO FOUR: details the wonderful texture of the handmade paper I used for the nose, paper made by local artist and friend, Judy Segal. I tried to save some text that says "in his father's barn" for the bridge of the nose as a treat for anyone looking very closely!