Process: Kermit the Frog Thank You Note

Deleting images from my phone to save space, I ran across some snapshots I took while working on a thank you note for a client. I haven’t posted in a few weeks, so I figured I could turn these pics into a quick, informal, process post.

You can almost feel the texture of that cold press watercolor paper.

That’s the Kermit sketch, done in pencil on cold press watercolor paper. It’s a typical Kermit pose — hanging out in the swamp, sitting on a log, playing the banjo. I based it on the diorama that Michelle and I made earlier this year.

There’s a better shot of this entire diorama in the gallery.

So here’s my basic set up for a job like this. I tape the illustration to the table with painter’s tape, then get out the Daniel Smith watercolors, some cups of water, and a few brushes.

For some reason, it took me forever to realize Kermit is a lefty.

The brushes I used for this illustration were Winsor & Newton University Series. Just something small enough for the 5x7 image, and decent enough to hold their point. This next photo’s a little fuzzy, but you can see I started by mixing up some greens and browns and blocking in some color.

My goal with this was to avoid inks, and let the pencil line lay back a bit. I wanted something soft and not too in-your-face.

At this point, it’s just a matter of layering in the colors. Browns and greens. After the main colors were blocked in, and before I brushed in the sky or water, I pencilled in my word balloon, and covered the parts I wanted to leave white with a liquid mask. Apparently, I didn’t take any photos of that, but it’s just a brush-on masking fluid available at most art stores.

The masking fluid was Winsor & Newton, just like the brushes.

Once the masking fluid is dry, I can paint in the sky and not worry about the word balloon disappearing. Just some quick strokes of blues and greens, and when that dries, the mask is removed to reveal the text. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. Glad I took these photos. It’s a good way to remind myself of my process and work on my progress.

All I have to do is peel up the tape and it’s ready to go.