#OOTDsketches (46)

Throughout the week make a quick sketch of what I am wearing on that particular day, either as a warm-up or just to keep me loose if I don't have a lot of time to draw.  These drawings are then scanned and posted on my blog every Wednesday.  Enjoy!


I don't have a lot of sketches from last week due to the holiday(and those that I do have are still in the early stages...)—Hubbard and I had 7 Christmas parties to attend (and that's just family), so we were out of town for the majority of the week, celebrating, traveling and resting!

Christmas Eve was spent with my in-laws and I was super excited that the unusually warm weather allowed me to wear a skirt!  Woo!  Add a green sweater, a black/white/red plaid scarf and a stripy pair of fuzzy socks and you've got my look
Christmas day was with my parents/siblings this year and we are PAJAMA wearers for present opening and hanging out afterwards.  If you're really radical, you'll put on a sweater you just got, but the PJ pants gotta stay on!

Like what you see? Get your own custom, illustrative portrait for your home or blog here!

All Items are (c) Katrina Crouch. Do not use without permission

A Father-Daughter Portrait

I love, LOVE working on meanful gifts.
Hearing part of the story behind a portrait project gives me so much energy—like I am part of a wonderful scheme to bring a fun surprise to my client (or client's friend/spouse/sibling/etc).

This piece was certainly no exception.  After hearing the touching story of the father and daughter shown above, I was all in and very excited to partner with the girl's best friend to get this piece finished and delivered in time for Christmas.

All Items are (c) Katrina Crouch. Do not use without permission

Portrait: M&M Fashion Bites

I was recently commissioned to draw a portrait of Maria and Marina from M&M Fashion Bites—a fashion blog based in Greece, and here is the result of our collaboration.
Like what you see? Looking for somethings similar for your own blog/social media?  Order your own HERE, I'd love to work with you :)


All Items are (c) Katrina Crouch. Do not use without permission

A Wonderful Gift

Merry Christmas everyone!
I am taking some time off this week to enjoy family while we celebrate the birth of our dear Savior! However, I was able to get a little bit of drawing in while watching "It's a Wonderful Life"

I am so thankful that Jesus came to live the perfect life that I never could, and to pay the price that I am unable to pay.

Thank you, Lord. And Happy Birthday!!

All Items are (c) Katrina Crouch. Do not use without permission

Portrait: The Red Headed One

A few years ago I began a portrait of my sister during one of my attempts to fulfill my mother's wish for a portrait of each of her 4 children.  None of my attempts have made it past sketch form, and I rarely get beyond a collection of reference photos.
However, this piece made it past the "sketch" and even was half complete as far as the colored pencil was concerned before I had to return to school and focus on more intimidating projects.  (Let's face it, moms are a lot easier to please than professors!)

I stumbled across the piece again this last year (about 3.5 years later) and kept it at the back of my mind.  Eventually, I was bitten with the desire to finish it and began working vigorously—praying that my lack of practice with both my prismacolor pencils and realistic portraits would not hinder me from finishing well.
I discovered that 4 year old prismacolor is very difficult to blend and thus the side of the face that is in shadow is much muddier than it should be—the more I blended, the more the pigment would flake off!  From now on, I won't allow my projects to sit around for years before I try to finish them!! (as a result of my recent experience, THIS piece will likely remain unfinished)

Anyway, what do you think of the finished result?  I know it's not perfect, but I'm pretty pleased considering that it's the first piece like this that I've done in ages!

All Items are (c) Katrina Crouch. Do not use without permission

A Crafty Moment

I'm not very crafty. Artistic, yes, I would hope so—but crafty? Not really.
The closest that I usually get are my knitting and crocheting habits, but I feel like there is something different between making something functional that happens to look good and mod podge-ing, cutting and pasting or painting polka dots on things.  I get the "crafting bug" every once in a great while and it doesn't last long.  Many half finished crafts have found their way to the trash due to the lack of any real desire to finish something tedious, even if it is cute.

But yesterday (Thursday), I was feeling crafty!  Or rather, I was feeling like I wanted to skip out on some classroom cleaning that needed to be done and mess around with glitter instead.
Yes, you read that right—glitter. Apparently, I was feeling very crafty (just in time for Christmas, what luck)!

And these pieces were born (sorry for the sub-par iPad photos—better ones up soon)!  I drew out my design with a pencil on white cardboard before taking elmer's glue to a paintbrush and spreading the glue onto the drawing.  I had to work in stages so that the glue did not dry before the glitter was applied, but overall the project moved rather quickly.
I do have fun with the "crafting-bug" when she comes around, even if her visits are short and few in-between.

How about you? Are you a crafty person or do you find them boring?  Or are you a moody-crafter like me?


All Items are (c) Katrina Crouch. Do not use without permission

#OOTDsketch (45)

Throughout the week make a quick sketch of what I am wearing on that particular day, either as a warm-up or just to keep me loose if I don't have a lot of time to draw.  These drawings are then scanned and posted on my blog every Wednesday.  Enjoy!

Left:: Feeling all kinds of girly (but a bit monochromatic and dull).  This is one of my favorite dresses and it's so hard to go all winter without it.  So I cheated and wore it with tights (oops, not illustrated) and a long sleeved t-shirt.
Right:: Loving some bright red despite the dull gray sky.  It's hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner without any snow...

Another day at work—trying to mix up this wrap dress by adding the vest, but it gave me a funny looking bulge in the middle (not drawn, hah), so I let the ties hang down the side as normal.


Like what you see? Get your own custom, illustrative portrait for your home or blog here! 


All Items are (c) Katrina Crouch. Do not use without permission