Carol Acosta
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carolacostaart.bsky.social
Carol Acosta
@carolacostaart.bsky.social
25 followers 20 following 71 posts
Traditional artist. Botanical art, pagan+fantasy art, master copies, and more. Third generation, mostly self-taught, but lover of old school methods. https://www.carolacostaart.com/
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Continuing with the mermaid fantasy series, which is pleasing me very much, and playing with unusual colour combinations to test my own abilities. Loving the dream-like quality that this mixture of green, blue, violet and yellow gave. 4/4
because they show a side of you that is more direct and vulnerable. I definitely love seeing the sketches of my favourite artists! 3/
This week, work has been hectic, so all I can post is a sketch – but, when it comes to art, all progress is good, no matter how small it seems; and many times, people fall in love with your less finished works, 2/
A second mermaid has got the first layer finished, and I could not be more happy about it – all these small boards I primed during the weekend are going to make such a joyous, sensual, colourful group. I've never been one for repeating ideas, but I may stay in this one for a while! 2/2
Artober Posts, #8
Theme accross the month: Worlds Of Fantasy
Fantasy III · Oil on primed board (not finished). 1/
#artober2025 #paintober2025 #artober #paintober #carolacostaart #oilpainting #traditionalart #fantasyart #mermaidart #tropicalart
If you are interested in my favourite priming, it's a 50/50% mixture of Zinc White and Yellow Ochre. It's warm and luminous, and perfect for the kind of work I do. These boards have got three coats already. 4/4
#artober2025 #paintober2025 #artober #paintober #carolacostaart
To be prepared for any opportunity is the best way to attract them, deserve them, and nail them when they find you! 3/
And if you think you can skip any of that, think again, because that kind of work is the very foundation in thich your success will stand, and the best discipline training you'll ever get. 2/
Artober Posts, #7
Very often, being a professional artist has nothing to do with creating; it's priming boards for future work, it's cataloguing the pieces at your website, it's working on updating your social media, it's cleaning and organizing the studio, it's accounting and inventory. 1/
It's always such an exciting feeling when you open the front page of the site where your art is hosted, and find your latest beauty on it. It honestly fills me with motivation for the rest of the day – and I certainly need it, because the weekend is my time to make new pieces!
www.carolacostaart.com
Artober is proving to be much more enjoyable than I expected! This is the best of challenges; you flex the muscles, work hard on your craft and reflect on your themes, and new and unexpected things bloom in your art – things that can start new chapters in your career. 3/3
This homage to Andrew Loomis, one of my favourite artists and teachers of the 20th century, turned from a simple study on the master's colouring techniques, into a full finished piece that I absolutely love. 2/
Artober Posts, #6
Theme accross the month: Worlds Of Fantasy
Fantasy · Faber Castell colour pencils on Canson paper, A4
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#artober2025 #paintober2025 #artober #paintober #carolacostaart #fabercastell #canson #andrewloomis #pinupart
The flowers were my addition, and I will be adding more as I go along – colour pencil is always really slow work, so this may take a couple of days to finish. 4/
This piece started as just a warm-up sketch after a lovely oil painting by master Andrew Loomis, and to be honest, I was looking particularly at studying his colour choices, which I find just as exquisite as his ability to draw. 3/
The theme I've chosen this Artober is Worlds Of Fantasy – and I've been reflecting a lot on the idea of fantasy itself, in what it means to me as an artist, and in how to take it in different and unexpected directions. And one of the ideas that came to me was pinups as the ultimate human fantasy. 2/
Artober Posts, #5
Theme accross the month: Worlds Of Fantasy
Untitled (After Andrew Loomis) 1/
#artober2025 #paintober2025 #artober #paintober #carolacostaart #fabercastell #canson #andrewloomis #pinupart
I've done other portraits of him, but this one is my favourite – since it is from a film still, the face expression was more complex and interesting to draw than posed pictures. 3/3
#carolacostaart #fabercastell #clarefontaine #petercushing #hammerfilms #horrorfilms #gothichorror #frankenstein
Few things say fantasy to me like horror films from the 60's and 70's – sensual, dark, technicolour, gothic, and in my opinion, really underrated. So, today, my Artober post is dedicated to fanart, with a portrait of distinction personified, british actor Peter Cushing. 2/
Artober Posts, #3
Theme accross the month: Worlds Of Fantasy
Portrait of actor Peter Cushing (from a film still) · Faber Castell colour pencils on Clarefontaine paper, 21 x 29 cms. 1/
#artober2025 #paintober2025 #artober #paintober
It was my first love as a child, and one of the reasons I became an artist; I could not be happier to celebrate it all through this month! 3/3
Artober starts with a piece featuring two of my favourite things: a horned creature and a gemstone geode.

The beautiful paradox of fantasy art is that, the more realist it is, the more believable it becomes, and the more magic it evokes in the viewer. 2/
Artober 2025 Posts, #1
Theme accross the month: Worlds Of Fantasy
Ivy · Faber Castell colour pencils on Canson paper, A4.
#artober2025 #paintober2025 #artober #paintober #carolacostaart #fantasyart #fabercastell #canson
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