Illustration Friday Cracked II

Pig sat with his rear stuck tightly in the cannon and listened while the fuse sparkled and cracked. Suddenly there was a big KABOOOOOOOOOOM! He popped out like a buttery ball of dough. The crowd roared their approval.

Illustration Friday: Cracked

This elephant is a little cracked in the head.

Good Dog!

Off to School

I'm doing these recent paintings to practice and figure out which styles I want to do my books in. The book sketches are almost done so I'll have to make up my mind very soon!

I added some 'ink' digitally since my scanner isn't picking up the softer pencil outlines too well.

Illustration Friday 2: Contagious

Margaret came down with a cold, and has been banished to the lonely side of the lake so others won't catch it.

Illustration Friday: Contagious

Grumpiness can be contagious.

Wow It's a Cow Sketch 2

Here's another sketch from Wow it's a Cow. The squared off area is where the flap will be. I'll draw and paint another illustration so that when the flap is lifted, a bird is sitting on the branch instead of a cow. A really cute and funny idea, I've enjoyed working on this one.

Sketch from recent book: "Wow it's a Cow!"

Publishing date 2010
Scholastic

Talent Show 2

Another more detailed version of the "Talent Show" post.

Reading

Painted this for my Mom for Mother's Day :)

Illustration Friday: Parade

He watched the parade of cars circle around the track, their tiny lit windows sparkling like stars. "It's raining," said Bernard. "Shouldn't we head back?"

All That's Left To Paint is the Bear!

This is going to be my illustration Friday submission when it's done. I'll probably complete it by tonight.

Bad Review

A quote for those of us who have received a bad review or few..

"A critic is someone who never actually goes to the battle, yet who afterwards comes out shooting the wounded." -Tyne Daly

Things to Be Thankful for As An Illustrator

"This book was illustrated using..."

Don't you just love when they include this information in the copyright info of books you admire?? I'm only unhappy when they say 'mixed media'. Which media did you mix? More details please!

Train Set

Boy do I love drawing any kind of scene that involves rain!

I'm working on a story right now (not connected to the sketch above) that I'm so excited about, but it needs to be fully dummied out in book form before I can present it to an editor. It's one of those books where the illustrations tell a little over half of the story and the text alone just wouldn't do it justice. Of course the minute this happens all my other projects suddenly pile up (very fun projects so I can't complain about that)! I guess I'll have to weave a little bit here and there while I'm racing deadlines. A page after dinner, a page when I get up in the morning - eventually the dummy book will get done...right? Right?? :) We shall see.

Ho Hum...

Ever get that feeling that if you keep pushing through the jumble of drawings that just aren't exciting and inspiring to you, that you'll finally hit on something that reminds you of why you started in the first place? I'm seeing sparks of things, but I'm not quite where I want to be.

Outside of the projects I'm hired to do, I've been working hard on my own, struggling to find some sort of solid voice that is mine. I guess I'll keep plugging away. My thought is that if I can narrow down my work to one or two styles, then I can get so comfortable with that style I'll only have to worry about the emotion and content in a drawing instead of all my energy going into the execution/draftsmanship of a drawing. If I could get it down to where it turns into pure poetry with even the simplest of spot illustrations, I would be a very happy artist. Now if I could just get my mind to agree instead of flitting all over the place. Ha.

Yet another library fee that sucked the wind out of my lungs, recently--ouch. I'm going to put a giant piece of paper in my studio with current library book due dates written in thick red marker. I'm all for contributing to the Library system but my goodness.

The Talent Show

Hippo Tales

Dad's Boots

A hierarchy of shoes (for illustration Friday : Hierarchy).  I know it's a stretch lol.