The Best Sketch yet!

Well, not necessarily but I am very pleased with the outcome.

This is a sketch I inked for an upcoming workshop taken from existing manuscript text (not my own). After the AD comments I will revise and go to town with collage, and it should take on a whole new life. The subjects are goblins, a cowboy and Halloween candy. I have a feeling the boy's arms may need more flaying, and that better sizing of the goblins on the right may be in order. We'll see if I am right. Or if it is something else entirely that I am not seeing.

(UPDATE: And, of course, none of the things I thought would need changing was touched upon. And four things (three of which are easy to fix, and one requiring an outfit rethink) were things I thought about initially but wondered if they would come up. This Art Director is awesome with insight, and catches little things that can make a big difference.) He's right.

The challenge to me here was making candy smells tangible. But I LOVE challenges. And hopefully I solved that problem. (Actually that will come in to play when I do the final... surprise...surprise). (He helped me with this one, too.)

Still want to work on the candy names. A few of them are not good enough... yet.

Anyway, it was a blast doing this, and expanding on the text. I did it over the weekend in about six hours (we ((the illustrators)) had a very short deadline... like a week). I was a bit nervous about coming up with anything decent in that amount of time... but the ink and ebony pencil fairies sighed on and kissed my forehead. Every artist needs Ink and Ebony Pencil Fairies.

Exspearimintation

Last week I began an illustration of peppermints and such, and today I am tackling the clear candy wrappers.




(Except I can't do clear wrappers because they won't show well ((up?)) on my collage.) Minor problem. Heeheehee.



So today my project is to find a way to make clear candy wrappers visible and interesting on my illustration. This is one of the things that artists confront all the time. And it is called problem solving. And a bit of artistic license, perhaps? Some people call it creativity.

Except children and adults won't call it creativity if they can't "read" it immediately. Very important. You have to step away and look at your work thru someone else's eyes. And get others to look at it and tell you the truth. (Silent Wah.)


But Rome wasn't built in a day. And obviously, this collage won't be either.

But once I solve it, it will work and hopefully work well. The concept is there. And the execution today is in "exspearimint".

Peppermints anyone?



UPDATE: Figured it out. It looks great! Hawtness.

Time to move on to the next illo for this book project.

Picked up off the floor or "Would You Like to Have an Art Show?"

Just when you are feeling down you get "Upped". (No... not by watching that wonderful film.)

Because after all this time and work someone wants to have you exhibit your work and conduct a class about it.

Yes... really.

A former copywriter colleague (from my advertising years in New York) ran into me a few days ago. She is now a fine arts photographer and MEWsie with connections. She LOVES my children's book art and asked if I wanted to present it in an art show and to conduct a class.


Ummm. YES!! Yes. Yes. Yes.

Would I ever.

MADE MY DAY.

Now which pieces to pick.

(I'm "Up.". And I love that movie. too.)

Tyger Tyger Burning Bright

or how to pick the right postcard illustration.

It is hard and scary to do because your postcard is your calling card (or roaring card) and your first impression (or next first impression) with the publisher. And it has to read well (shrunken down from original size) and not lose details that matter. It has to speak like a child would and be heard over everything. It has to be taken seriously even if it is funny. It has to have personality and charm. It has to have something to say. And it has to be memorable. But most of all it has to say "Barbara" (or whatever your name is-- yes, you the creator).

So I picked Rory -- the angry tiger boy. I love him. He's got all of the above. And he shrunk well with this postcard (altho he hardly shrinks from anything in real life). And he's in a story I am working on too. And if that doesn't pan out he may very well be in his own story.

My goal is to now send out 3 postcard mailings a year. I've found a few reasonable postcard people who do small runs and a husband who can do my scans at work for free. Got editor lists, got art director lists, got a cute little tiger. I love tigers.



It is all coming together......Grrrrrrrrreat!

Update! Ninety Postcards sent to ADs and editors all carefully researched and targeted. Best postcard yet!!

And I expect a 10 percent return rate but I hope more.

I've become so good at stepping back and looking at things objectively. But I am so ready to start my own project or somebody else's I love.

Take that Look Off Your Face

and put it into your characters.

Do you get restless when your illustrated characters possess blank and vacuous physiognomies?

Do you droop when you produce rigid stick figures?

Then it is time for you to get Hands-fired!. Hands-fired! is the newest way to get some life into your stone-faced statue like subjects.

Simply install Hands-fired! on the ends of your pencils, markers...what have you and let it go to work. Instantly, magically your figures will come to life (and so will your fingers). They may even start moving off the page and jump into your lap. That should wake you up.

Hands-fired! has been discovered around the world by thousands of uninspired illustrators. You don't even need your brains anymore. Simply install Hands-fired! on the ends of your pencils, markers...what have you and let it go to work.

The beauty of Hands-fired! is that it has a life of its own. Even when you don't. Those kids nagging at you? That dog needs walking? That oven door blew off again? You can even leave Hands-fired! alone for a brief moment. Unlike your children, your dog or your door.

*(And when you come back you will miraculously have several animated characters on your double page spread. Some needing snacks, walks or naps.)

Hands-fired! keeps on going even when your hand cramps so hard you feel like you'll never,ever lift a drawing utensil againsil.

*We are working on the second installment of Hands-fired! so that you don't even have to hold the pencil. You turn it on and it just keeps on going.

Hands-fired! was tested by the brilliant creator of Where's Waldo. You think he did all those people all by himself? Think again. He had a plan. Or perhaps numbness and tingling in his thumbs and his fingering.

And we at Hands-fired! can attest to that. Because we hired Martin Handford to invent our new Hands-fired!. So get some expression into your work! Better your gestures with Hands-fired!!

Buy Hands-fired! now! And put some fire into your characters. And lay-off your hands!


(All those years of writing ad copy have finally taken their toll.)

The Forest! The Trees!

I drew one-hundred some odd trees this week. And a few sheep.

Now I can go to sleep (along with my hand) like my sheep.

Under a shady tree.

I am bored and when I get bored I

look at other illustrators sites and get ideas that take me out of my comfort zone.

So last weekend I attended my daughter's Parent's Weekend at UVa (home of Edgar Allen Poe who pretended he was rich but he was really po, Faulkner, Couric... Jefferson?!!) and Grisham's home town. We visited their small yet classy Art Museum. Of course we saw the Jeffersonian architectural drawings of all his campus "Grounds" buildings and quadrangle "Lawns" landscapes which are so beautiful and smart. And freshman here are not freshman. They are 'first year'. And sophomores here are not sophomores. They are 'second year' etc. etc.. And don't you ever forget that... you parents, you! But ooooh, ooooh, ooooh..what's this?

Did I see a coupla Goya? Original Hogarth? Original Odilon? Odilon of Poe(dilon)?

I did.

Yes, some of my favorite illustrators of yore were making appearances that weekend. I have always been a sucker for Goya because his simple illustrations tell stories. Pierrots. Pastiches. Pasquinades.

And Hogarth's while they are far from simple say multitudes about society and politics in yester England. I never imagined his Gin Lane and the Beer Street to be so 'libational.' Water in London and the like was not water back then. It was 'im'potable, impossible, unthinkable, undrinkable. So Hogarth made a caricature about how booze embodied and 'de'souled society.

The downfall of it all. Happiness in a glass. A glass half empty perhaps but nevertheless an underclass with a glass of libation and liberation even if fleeting.

But these illustrations are black and bleak.

So no...no!!

I've tried black and white but I can't seem to stick with it. I love color. Lots of color. Color is hope and ...

I must try something new. So I've looked at some of my favorite NEW illustrators and have decided to try these awesome monochromatic techniques. But I adore these artists who stay in one color range and I simply have to try it.

And more white space.

It is like writing for me. I love to try new things that I read that I love. I don't think I am ready to leave the picture book arena altho I would love to attack middle grade illustrations. As long as there is humor, heart, cleverness, structure and sophistication...

So tomorrow I have the day off. The day to finish that rough draft of my Halloween doll story since we are coming up on that Hallowed Day, the day to lay out the colors and ideas for portfolio illustrations and to scrutinize and fine tune my pig dummy. And maybe find a few new Mother Gooses to 'besterdize' my collection of Up in the Air Verses.

Lots of irons in the fire. But that is me...

And I started the art and it is going to be a fun challenge. Working in confines. Like writing picture books. I love challenge. That is creativity!

All white

Not really but just enough and very, very pleased.

I'm departing a bit from my full color mode and am entering a spare approach with my latest samples. All I am using is expression, movement, limited palette, playfulness, energy and shape to create the line and story. Very simple yet intricate. Young, funny, sweet and (I think) clever.

I am finishing my robot, robotic animals and little boy series and I LOVE IT. At first I thought who am I kidding... What do I know about robots? 

Well, they are a blast to manipulate... and they like the boy a lot even though he is in charge. And they follow him. Maybe they will get in trouble and he will guide them. Well, I am having so much fun...I might write this.

And it is all on white. Not much background. No distractions. Young. Right.

My Favorite Illustrators

Petra Mathers: Playful, colorful, vivacious and has a real child like sensibility and very imaginative and interesting content

Peter Sis: his imagination and style are the most unique (is there such a thing...yes, in this case)

Chris vA: magic

David McKee: extended elephant phase but what he is in his element

Gris Grimly: Line and ink master of monster

David Shannon: Far out and not afraid

Colin Thompson: Fantasy fan to see...see it!

Maurice Sendak: Sensitivity

Alan (Allen) Say: realism that makes you collapse with awe

Steig: Primitive grit

Jenkins: COLLAGE....yes....even though his is realistic (her her)...JK

Judy Schachner: Because she writes as well as she illustrates and in total SYNC with it

David Macaulay: thinker inking

Martin Hanford: Anyone who can illustrate five million people...that is LOVE

Harry Bliss: He can really expand on the text. Seems to jive with the words.

David Wiesner: Although I am not a real fan of wordless pbs...his are works of art. I do prefer his worded ones, though. His work is ethereal and makes the world endless.


David Small: Funny, clever, also expands well on the text

Holly Keller: Sensitivity to her subject matter both text and art


and why do I love them so much (well, much of it is subjective...I could say I love the ones that are very popular...but I don't). Because they are distinctive, artistic, appeal to kids ( and adult kids), prolific and have their own VOICE . They have something strong that sets them apart from functional art.

And I am just spinning my F**king wheels. But if I didn't have these role models, I'd have plenty of nuthin. 

A Snow Day**************

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*I can work on my book all day...yay...yay...yay...*


*In my warm little studio...ho...ho...ho...*

Scatoblogical

I like to draw poopoos and peepees in my children's illustrations. How do I make them most effective in picture books? Is there some limit as to how far I can go?


Oh my god, no. You can shoot for the moon. You can do a Jackson Pollock splattering effect. You could just color the whole page brown and write 'poop' for the text (of course that would have to be drop-out type). What a great idea!! I just know people will love it....I mean poople... or peeple...get it???? You're gonna be rich!!!!

Brrrrrrrlogical

Have you ever gone outside into a snsnsnsnowstorm to ppppaint? I jjjusttt ddddid. Mmmmyy ppaintbbrush ssstututuck to the cccanvasss. I cccan't ffffeeeel mmmy ffffingers.


Oh yes, bravo for you!! You braved the elements. This is called en plein air painting. Doesn't it feel great!

I am not a birdbrain

but I do love birds and drawing them. I always found them to be expressive in movement, face and song.

This one is old and fairly simple yet it captures the mood and tone of the story line.

Essentially, the chorus line of finches drives a cat out of his mind until he becomes a birdbrain.




This story will never get published, either

Blood money.

In a thoroughly depressing conversation yesterday, a nice woman expressed her admiration for my (our) fortitude. "You artists have so much to work against," she said. 

"You must do it for love," she continued.

You got it, lady. 

Illustration=love. Another easy formula.

Altho, money would be a close second.

Illustration=love=money. The formula is getting a little more advanced but you can't go on if you don't grasp it.

Now pass me another Bloody Mary.

Progress

Husband home sick today. Kids home today. And I finished an illustration I started yesterday. Yay.

This project is going to be a combination of collage/mixed media and watercolor. I might even add photography if I am daring enough. 

I love trying new things. And I know that one should be good enough and confident enough with new materials to venture into new territory.

I have decided that out of the ten or so mss I have written, five or maybe six of them are projects I wish to pursue in the future. 

And Monsieur Gargoyle is the one commanding my attention right now. He looks a hell of a lot different than he did years ago. You wouldn't even know him.

The question is should I send him back to his former jilters, or send him into new and open arms.

Well, I have time to think about it. And time has become nothing to me. Quality and knowledge have replaced it. Maybe I just think too much.

Blogical

I am an illustrator who juggles all kinds of contact lenses and glasses all day long. For heaven's sake, I have twelve pairs of glasses and three different pairs of color coordinated contacts. Sometimes I even resort to a monocle. I try to wear glasses or contacts that match my attire and make me feel like an illustration fashionista. But, it is so tiem consmuing, looking all ovre the plcae for the rihgt piar. And it is strating to afefct my vsion adn illostrusion. Waht do you sugesgt?


Oh, what a bother. I know. Have you been to an opthomologist? I was given the best advice recently from mine. He said, that if you do very detailed, precise work, it is best to wear nothing at all.

Blogical

Why is a dummy called a dummy? I mean I do them, and I am not stupid.


Oh course you are not.

I believe the original meaning comes from Alexandre Dumas. He had to come up with dumb things that musketeers might do if they were challenged by Cardinals (my favorite birds) and Dauphins (my favorite sea mammals). So he wrote a mock up book about these guys and it was so good that they eventually made it into a movie. And you know, movies are visual. So the producers said give us a dummy, Dumas. And he did. The term stuck.

The really cool thing is that there is an extra muskateer. Can you find him?

His name is d'Artagnan.

Just ask Martin Handford. Where's d'Artagnan???

What are we working on today?

"When are you going to come down...when are you going to land..."


Swiss cheese kites.

There has got to be a way to make those mice come back down.

Kites?? Maybe I should send this into the Bulletin.

Blogical

I want to be a picture book illustrator so bad(ly).
I realize that like most things you need to pass some kind of test in order to qualify. Is there a test requirement for picture book illustration?

Yes, there sure is. Actually, it is an optical illusion. You know that picture where either you see the old lady witch or the young girl. If you don't see the young girl ...forget about it. Time for another career.

Good luck!!

Blogical

I am doing a pb about pb. Can I use real pb instead of paint?


Absolutely. Art Directors are looking for new media these days. And you'll get a real nice, authentic grease mark to go with it. While you are at it, add some j.