Bodacious Bovine

6x6 watercolor on Masters Touch 80 lb paper done last week, another imaginary contemporary cow painting focusing on colors not ordinarily seen in livestock cattle. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Got the Blues Holstein

6x6 mixed media using watercolor, ink, and Montana acrylic marker over a contour drawing on Masters Touch 80 lb paper. Done recently, I thought the Holstein cow looked rather sad hence the title about having the blues. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Springtime Cow

7.25 x 3.5 mixed media on paper done last week using Micron 01 pen, watercolor (White Nights paints), gel pen, black India ink. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Cow Expression

4x6 mixed media collage on 140 lb cold press Grumbacher paper done last month in a series of comical cows. This particular cow I have painted about 3 times. Collage is with handmade and decorated paper fragments. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Cowabunga

15x22 watercolor and ink on Italia 140 lb soft press paper using 3 color limited palette: Quinacridone burnt orange, ultramarine blue, and Peachy Keen. I drew them first in pencil, then added black India ink sparingly, then applied paint wet on dry. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Funky Cow

11x14 mixed media collage on matboard, a reworked Holstein cow done previously that I finished yesterday. I used paper collage on the black and white areas only. The cow was a large fake head I saw in an antique store. Mod Podge was used as my adhesive. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Charolais Cow

15x22 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper completed today of same cow painted earlier and  reworked.  Lots of value challenges with this one!
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Charlotte the Cow

11x15 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done this afternoon.  Part of a timed WetCanvas event, participants have 2 hours to choose a subject from their photos then paint it.  This sweet Charlotte cow took me one hour.  Starting with Koh-i-Noor Magic multicolored pencil, I lightly sketched the scene, then with black Tombow brush pen put in darkest darks of her eyes and the left side of her head.  This blended well with wet watercolor added next and throughout the composition.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Mad Cow

10.25x9 mixed media on paper done today, another in my weird cow series. Media used: Watercolor, Staedtler Calligraph Duo 3.5mm pen, white gelly roll ink pen, black India ink, light blue Montana acrylic marker (background), and white gouache.Working from black and white photocopy all color is imaginary for this Hereford.   I tried to keep the values correct and put small bursts of colors here and there such as ultramarine blue and cadmium orange for this whimsical farm animal.
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Colorful Cows

15x22 watercolor on 140 lb Lanaquarelle hot press paper that is today's work.  I sketched these bovine beauties with black India ink applicator on dry paper.  With a loaded brush #12 Escoda round I put random colors together instead of the usual boring black and brown or tan.  When almost done I wet a few areas then dropped ink in splotches.  The girls say hello and happy moo and where's the beef?
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Thai Cows

6x8.5 watercolor and ink tip pen on ColorSketch paper done recently from a WetCanvas weekend drawing event featuring Thailand scenes.  I loved these unusual looking cows walking along with soft greenery in the background.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Brown Calf and Cow ink sketch

5x7 ink sketch using black Tombow brush pen on Strathmore Bristol 400 series, doing only dark areas first, then using a rigger brush with water for grey midtones.  I used one of my old photos taken at my mother's west Texas farm in the late 90s.  The calf was brown and the cow black.  This was done today and already posted in WetCanvas! Southwestern and Western forum in the Sketch Thread, where your work cannot be longer than 1 hour; my time was less than 30 minutes.  I was captivated by the shadows as well as their bovine shapes.