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Luxembears
Here is SERGEI. He is a new design I wanted to share with all my friends. He is 17 inches from his head to the bottom of his foot. He is totally airbrushed from head to toe. He started out completely white.
SERGEI's airbrushing is all freehand. There are no templates, or masking of any kind. Every detail is done entirely with an airbrush, no markers or hand painting. I started with yellow ocre, then burnt sienna, then umber, lastly black.
This is probably the most detailed peice I have done yet. He does not even feel airbrushed. No stiffness anywhere. Just the soft feel of the German mohair.
I have also added needle felted details to his upper eyelid area and to all four paws..the upper white toes and fingers and the bottom of his feet and palms.
There are 17 pieces in his head design. He is a prototype. I plan on making more like him in various large cat style, lions, cheetahs, leopards.
Thanks for looking. I had so much fun creating SERGEI.....I am keeping him.
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
WOW - Judi, I am so in awe of your work. That is incredible. you rightly deserve to be proud of yourself! 
As I wrote in the felting forum, where Judi also posted pictures... just, absolutely, breathtakingly, spectacular. This guy deserves to be a contest entry, at a minimum. He looks like a winner, to me.
Really gorgeous and fantastic, and Judi, it shows off your talents both as bearmaker, and airbrush artist, to the absolute hilt.
PS I know from making my skunk last year that those extra head pieces, sliced in to add different fur types to the mix, can be so tricky to get symmetrically placed. Great, great job on his cheek ruffs!
LuxembearsThank you so much. I would like to enter him into the TOBYS and Golden Teddy (Tiger) this fall.
I really wanted to show what can be done with an airbrush. Copic would not work for this kind of work...in case anyone was wondering.
I was so excited to show him to you all that I kind of over posted him in three places. I will take them down after a while..... 
:redface:
Kim-Bee BearsI think he will win! :hug:
Judi, your work is in a class of its own. This piece is outstanding ... he's not just very, very clever, he's absolutely gorgeous too!
Past Time BearsJudi, I am just speechless!! This guy defies simple language! To say that you are multi-talented is, indeed, a huge understatement and I would certainly keep him, too! Backing you all the way to enter the competitions, my friend!! Sergei is superb!!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Apple Dumpling DesignsDon't take him down....he is breathtaking and beyond words. I can only dream to ever be as creative as you are my dear. He's.....I can't put it into words...
Baird'sBears
Judi :hug:
Your tiger is beyond mere praise. Worship might do it.
Wow. Stunning. I'm glad you plan to keep Sergei, though I would have traded one of my kids for him! This is an absolute, unqualified, big honkin' triumph!!
Eileen
BEAR ME SHOOTKAJudi, I logged in this morning and found your...your....your...
See, it's breath catching and beyond word description.
You bears are wonderful, but Sergei (by the way,he's got Russian name! :love:) is is a master-piece and very creative and talanted.
Just love him
Hugs, Julia
aerBearsUnbelievable work! You are inspiring!
Aerianna
I can totally see why you would enter him for the competitions. When you are good at something it you make it look easy to others...but of course it isn't. Years of practice enable you to do that. I have a copic set...which is rubbish...splatters everywhere...but it wouldn't matter what I used ...I am no good at airbrushing...period.
He's superb
Annapolis, MarylandWhat an absolutely BEAUTIFUL tiger!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :dance: :dance: I love him!!
He is just glows! I am guessing (I've no airbrush experience) that the paint is pretty transparent - so light bounces off the white "ground" of fur underneath - just like in a painting. :rose:
He looks lit from within - truly lovely work!! :rose:
Oh boy would he get my vote - I bet that he'll win first place in both!
Lynne
West Palm Beach, FLJudi -
My Goodness - I am completely mesmerized!!!!!!!!!!! You are something else. He is beyond beyond.
Jill
LuxembearsThank you very very very much...I am going to have asuper day after reading all your comments. :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
Julia, He has a Russian name on purpose. I showed him to my mom ( I always show her everything) and told her he was a Siberian Tiger, so she said, "Oh, he must have a Russian name." She came up with Sergei and I think it suits him very well.
Jenny, I am not a fan of Copic. You cannot get any detail and there is a residue feeling. You also cannot control the pressure. I like Copic markers but with out the "airgun". I learned on commercial fine art airbrushes. Paasche H and VL, Thayer and Chandler, and Badger. If your only experience with airbrushing has been Copic then you have not experienced airbrushing. My tiger only feels like mohair...you cannot feel any paint at all.
The piants I used were Golden Liquid Acrylics. These are translucent not transparent . They are color fast and flow wonderfully through my airbrush. I am very pleased with these paints. For stripes..they were first painted with umber (dark brown) then I airbrushed over them with Createx Black paint.
When you want any kind of black effect on yor bear or critter, you should always paint in brown first. This will make the black look much richer.
Anyway...rambling on here.....hugs everyone! :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: 
Terries BearsJudi, he is absolutely amazing!!!! He is not only a work of art, he is adorable. I would vote for him in a minute. You are so talented!!!!! 
Rufnut Teddy'sWow well done Judi, you are very talented, thanks for sharing hime with us. 
UKJudi your tiger is just AMAZING!
Kiprie BearsOh Judi, SERGEI is absolutely beautiful tiger baby !!! :clap:
This is airbrush heaven.
