Sally's Profile, Ink - Portraits of Animals

Sally’s Profile, Ink. The original art was 3.5″ x 5″ on vellum tracing paper, prints are made in archival inks on Epson Velvet Art Paper, Cold Press Digital Giclee Paper or Artist Canvas.

“Sally’s Profile”, 1987, ink on vellum tracing paper, 3.5″ X 5″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

About the Artwork

This is from my years of “practice”, before I considered myself an “artist”. It’s drawn in black ink using a Koh-i-noor rapidograph technical pen left over from college. I was so inspired by those photos of Sally, and at around that time the veterinary hospital where I took my cats and all my rescues had asked me about a set of proprietary sympathy cards for cats and dogs. In the days before digital printing there was little way to easily reproduce halftone artwork, as photos are, so I told them the best idea for simple inexpensive cards, which was what they wanted, was line art drawings, and I already had a few ideas, this being one.

I diligently went about working out a style that was popular in the clip art books we used for the direct mail—okay, junk mail—ads we were designing at the time, using lots of dots and patterns to create tones and shapes. I had little control over my hands in drawing at that time, so I just slipped the photo under a piece of tracing paper and started inking it in. This is the result. I was pleased, and still like this little sketch. Sally’s profile was so specific, familiar, and so dear to me, the rest of it could be an aimless pattern but as long as I captured that nose and forehead I was happy.

Sally, Turned.

Those sympathy cards never happened (guess I was destined to create sympathy cards, though) but I saved all the artwork I created; you can read a little more about this project, as well as other early ink drawings, here.

DAILY SKETCHES

I endeavor to do at least a small sketch each day as a warm-up to my aesthetic senses, so I have a small pouch of art materials and a few various sized sketchbooks available in the house and out. Usually, these are done in pencil, my first and favorite medium, though sometimes it’s charcoal, ink, colored pencil, ink and brush, whatever strikes my fancy at the moment, the greatest challenge to keep it quick and not get caught up in details, let the idea flow onto the paper.

Most often, the subjects are my cats because they are such willing models, though sometimes I’ll also wander afield, literally, and sketch in my yard or anywhere I go for errands. Medium and especially style vary just so I get a chance to do something new.

Every once in a while, they are meant for framing, and I’ve designed a series of notecards, notepaper and notepads using other daily sketches (see my notecards section). Often I use them as illustrations for graphics projects I’m designing.

MORE LIKE THIS

Visit my gallery Artwork > My Cats.

SHIPPING

Shipping within the US is included in all the prices listed. All shipping is via Priority Mail. Prints are shipped flat in a rigid envelope. Canvases are shipped in a box to fit with padding. Since this original is small it is also shipped in a box with extra padding.

FRAMED PRINTS

Full-size signed digital prints are matted and framed. Custom framing is available upon request. All framing is done by me in my studio.

DIGITAL PRINTS

Digital prints are made on acid-free matte-finish natural white 100# cover using archival digital inks. While digital prints are not the quality of a giclee in capturing every nuance and detail of color, texture and shading, I am still very pleased with the outcome and usually only I as the artist, could tell where detail and color were not as sharp as the original.

All prints are countersigned by me.

CANVAS PRINTS

I order canvas prints as they are ordered. Smaller canvas prints have a 3/4″ depth, larger canvas prints have a 1.5″ depth. All are gallery wrapped.

Other items with the same art or design To find all items on this site with the same art or design, use the search box for the name of the artwork and you'll find all that's available.

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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 to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit “purchasing” for availability and terms.