Illustration Friday: "Mysterious"




Rupert was beginning to think the mysterious woman was never going to throw one of those balls...

  Since I’ve been working on a painting project over summer, the only drawing I’ve had time to do is on Sunday mornings (see previous posts). So, I was delighted when I finally carved out a little time to focus on the more detailed drawings I like to do. I worked on it a couple of days last week and then discovered that it fit this week’s IF theme quite well.
I drew this in my sketchbook and the funny thing is that I didn’t notice when I started that the book was upside down! So, it’s quite a surprise as you’re flipping through the pages. You’d think I’d notice that the wire binding was on the right and not the left, but that’s how focused I get when drawing.

Summer's Over...and So Much To Do!

We'll be starting our school year on Monday (earlier than usual) and I haven't finished the mural.  I'm grateful for the homeowners who have been able to work with my childcare schedule - if I had to have Lindy with me when I painted, then I would be guaranteed some "murals" on our wall at home.  How do you explain to a 2 year old that it's OK for mommy to paint on a wall, but not her?

"Trouble" and Friend

Anyway, it's coming along nicely, but I'm not ready for the big reveal.  And, with school, soccer games, and all of the activities that go along with fall, it'll be a little while yet.  Another thing I won't get to that I hoped I would is a redraw of some nature themed works for a show at a nearby gallery in September.  I don't think I'll make their September 5th deadline...maybe next time.

But, I have continued to sketch Sunday morning services, so I thought I'd share a recent installment.  No time for color.  But, I really enjoy the process and the challenge of having to represent an idea quickly.  Some weeks are more visually successful than others, but it certainly keeps me on my toes!

A Project in the Works...

I'm surprised that it's already halfway through July!  I feel like I'm still in "school mode" as I've been organizing and cataloging the home library and doing A LOT of planning for the next year.  I guess I'll be happy come August and I'm ready to go.  I just hope I can settle into some art, now.

Well, at least I have 2 weeks of art classes to teach starting next week.  AND, I have been working of the design for my first commissioned mural project (so I guess I've gotten a little art in).  The design was just approved and I will be ordering paints, getting it sketched on the wall (hoping to borrow a projector to expedite that step), and then making it happen.  I don't want to share too much - you'll have to wait and see the completed work.  However, I will share this little quick study from the design.

These kids are just a teensy-weensy (but important) part of the mural.  They'll appear in it, although not in that configuration.  So, there.  That's all for now - I'll share more when it's completed.

Something New for This Summer!

The bulk of our schoolwork is done for the year and now I'm just tying up loose ends to close out the year.  I've got some plans for some art projects over break - finishing some portfolio pieces started over Christmas and reworking something for a juried art show this fall.  But, first and foremost, I'll be working on my first commissioned project - a wall mural in a friend's home!  So, my creative thoughts are turning to theTuscan countryside for a while.

In the meantime, I'm still doodling here and there and "taking notes" at church in the form of illustrations.  I've included last Sunday's notes as it was a fun one to illustrate.  While the story of Moses and Pharaoh is very familiar to me, it was a fun one to put in pictures.  I worked on it some more last night, adding color.

Illustrating Sermons - a Picture Is Worth 1000 Words

Still too busy to pursue any illustration or portfolio projects at the moment.  However, I did start taking my sketch journal to church on Sundays. 

At first, I felt a little self-conscious about it - usually when you see a person doodling when someone else is talking, it's easy to assume that they're not listening.  In this case, that is NOT how it is.

First of all, when I am drawing (or painting), I am extremely focused and alert.  And, when I'm sketching in church, I am not randomly doodling, but illustrating the sermon (in a sense).  I'm taking what I'm hearing and translating it into images - not sketching the backs of people's heads who are sitting in front of me.  Do I get everything?  No, but I don't get everything when I'm writing notes down either.  AND, with my sketch journal, I go back to it to fix drawings, ink or paint, add detail - therefore, recalling that particular part of the message and spending time in thought about it as I render it.

So, hopefully no one in the pews around me take offense and assume I've "tuned out."  Au contraire.  Here, I've shown a couple of pages from Sunday services (nothing in color yet).

It’s Springtime!

That means it’s time for the annual realization among homeschoolers that the school year is running out followed by a refocused effort to reach goals, complete work, and get curriculum in line for fall. That also means that drawing projects are pretty much impossible for me right now.


However…I’ve found a few opportunities to work in the sketch journal, It’s forced me to seek and find something to record from the “everyday” without all of the extra planning and thought that goes along with an official project.



My 2nd effort during a trip to Barnes & Noble with commentary by the big-eyed redhead
(who noted that I was still doing a lot of writing and little drawing)

 
I prefer to work in pencil “on location” and then return to it later to ink and/or wash with color. I wouldn’t call my pages works of art in themselves, but I have thought about what a neat thing it will be to pass through the family. Perhaps it will end up in the hands of a great-great-grandchild who has never met me but will have this illustrated personal record of people, places, and things in my life. I like that idea.



At the park with Lindy.  Not colorized yet - maybe I'll get a chance once summer gets here.

 It’s also just nice to be able to keep up the drawing.

The New Sketch Journal...

I finished reading about the last artist in “An Illustrated Life” and I am now inspired to keep my own sketch journal. My sketchbooks have always been for working out project ideas, random notes and doodles, and a few studies. But, I really like the idea of chronicling details and memories. It will also keep me drawing, even though I don’t really feel like I have time to focus on a drawing project.


So, last night it was 76 degrees (F) at 8:00 p.m., the kids were in the process of eating (yes, a late dinner - it’s like that with us). I thought I’d take the opportunity to go to Panera with my sketch journal to sit outside with a salad and draw the people and things I observed. Of course, by the time I got everyone settled and drove over there, it was 8:40 and they closed at 9:00!

Well, I was determined to do something, so I sat outside in the dim lighting and tried to scribble something down.  This is my feeble attempt at a sketch journal page - my salad (which was tasty) in it’s To Go container. The closing staff was folding up umbrellas at the tables all around me and probably thought it strange that I was drawing my food, but there wasn’t much else to draw and little time to draw it. But, at least I started - I have a “first page” and look forward to more.

While reading through the book, it really struck me how every artist commented on having to slow down and take in the moment, and that everything about that moment is clear in their minds even 20 years later (Lord knows, I‘m not getting any younger and the mind‘s not getting any sharper). And, what a great thing to pass along to your children - hopefully something of value to your descendents - a little insight into the life of someone they’ll never get to meet.

An Illustrated Life - A Recent Find at the Bookstore...

On my last visit to the bookstore, I was getting ready to leave when I happened to glance up in the art section (conveniently located beside the children's section), and spied this gem of a book on the topmost shelf.  An Illustrated Life: drawing inspiration from the private sketchbooks of artists, illustrators and designers is a fun collection of sketchbook pages compiled by Danny Gregory showcasing the variety of experiences and approaches within private sketchbooks. 

 

I have to say that one thing I enjoy is being able to flip through someone's sketchbook - it doesn't happen very often.  As the author writes in the introduction: With each turn, a fresh surprise, a new juxtaposition.  The pages unfold like a story, a journey, a life...You see risks, mistakes, regrets, thoughts, lessons, dreams, all set down in ink for posterity, for an audience of one.

When I finally get to sit down at night, just before bed, I like to treat myself to a chapter.  In it, a given artist will reveal his/her approach to sketchbook journaling, and describe methods and favorite materials.  Several pages from their sketchbooks are shown (my only criticism is that these reproductions are too small).

One thing that has struck me is that each artist (so far) has expressed in one way or another a similar idea.  That is, that recording scenes from life - even if it's something rather mundane - helps them to really "see" things around them.  It helps them to find "quiet" and results in firmly planted memories.  Each page will bring back a flood of detailed rememberances - where they were when they drew it, what they were feeling, etc. - even if many years have passed.

My sketchbooks have often been a place for me to practice some skills or work out the mechanics of certain images.  But, now I'm a little more inspired to treat it more as an illustrated journal.  Or, like one of the artists, keep the practice work for a "crappy sketchbook" and have another to treat as an art book/journal.  I'll certainly try to have it with me more often and to look at things around me a little differently.  This could be fun!

A Very Worthy Recipient!

On this evening's trip to the bookstore, I was pleased that they finally had the recent Caldecott winner on the shelf!  I have to say that A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a delightful book!  It's a very sweet, sparsely worded story (in fact, a couple pages have no words at all) by Philip C. Stead.  I just LOVE the illustrations by Erin E. Stead - a combination of a little color via woodcut with just enough pencil detail (and, as you may know, I love pencil detail).  Most impressive is that the book jacket states that this is the first book she's illustrated.

Now, in my previous post I complained about the weakness of storyline that I found in a lot of children's books that I found on the shelves.  But, that doesn't mean every story has to be an intricately developed adventure.  There is definitely a place for the thoughtful or simple story.  In the case of Amos McGee, the masterful gestures and  quiet expression of each character speaks volumes.  I think it is the power of the illustrations that can make a book of few words successful.  It really got me thinking about the importance of pairing the right writer and illustrator - finding/creating the right illustrations for a particular tale.

Anyway, I had to purchase this one for my own collection - and it will be kept in a safe place until certain toddlers with crayons grow up a little.

Thoughts on Today's Picture Books

After attending a weekend soccer tournament in LA, I was dying to get to a bookstore. There had been a really big Barnes & Noble next to the hotel, but I had no opportunity to sneak over to browse. So after driving over 2 hours home and making dinner, I jumped in the car again and drove 45 minutes to the nearest Barnes & Noble in SLO. Now, it’s not one of the bigger stores, but it was a bookstore nonetheless.


I grabbed a stack of picture books - old and new - and read through them, uninterrupted, peaceful. Of course, I selected most of the titles because of illustrations that appealed to me and a few others because of authors/illustrators. Unfortunately, they did not have the most recent Caldecott winners on the shelf.  And, honestly, I found myself a little disappointed by several of the books I read.  I won’t say that the stories were “bad.” There just seemed to be something missing, or they just fell flat in the end.

I've always enjoyed Karma Wilson’s "Bear" books, so I was interested to check out The Cow Loves Cookies.  While I thought it would make a great storytime book, it seemed reminiscent of many other sweet humor featuring repetitive phrases - almost formulaic, now. So, although it was enjoyable, it was quite familiar.

The illustrations and the concept for Children Make Terrible Pets grabbed my interest right away. It started out promising, but it really fizzled toward the end - this fun and clever idea deserved an equally creative conclusion. Instead, I found it rather uneventful - anti-climactic.

On the other hand, I read some Caldecott winners from years past - the stories really stood apart. Zelinsky’s Rapunzel attempted to retell the original tale complete with the story’s unpleasant or tragic aspects - there was drama. And Wisniewski’s Golem dealt with a very intense situation, difficult questions, and with characters from Jewish history and tradition. I was completely engaged throughout both of these stories (unlike with any of the new releases I found).

Thinking back on my years at the bookstore, it seems to me that A LOT of the picture books these days lack even a crumb of drama or intensity.  Of course, I know that Golem would not make a nice bedtime story for a small child.  I just wonder why publishers seem to be putting out the same type of book again and again. There is definitely a place for books about cows that eat cookies, but the vast majority of picture books that I’ve read in recent years are rather superficial, sugar-coated stories devoid of any real depth, excitement, surprise, emotion...


I do enjoy reading the sing-song rhyming stories to my kids - they’re fun and appeal mainly to young children.  I've even had some illustration ideas for my own picture books that would fall into that category. However, picture books can appeal to a wide variety of ages - even adults - and I think it's a subject worth considering.  If the introduction to books that we offer our kids repeatedly consists of cute critters looking for hugs, making friends, learning manners, etc., then it’s really no wonder that children quickly turn to exciting, adventure-packed video games (especially boys). 


Like I said, I do enjoy many of those books.  But, perhaps the picture book market is over-saturated with them.  But, maybe I’ve just missed those titles (the bookstore has been closed for over a year now). Maybe they just hadn't made it to our smaller-town shelves. I’d love to hear about any recent picture book recommendations that you all have where the stories have some degree of “impact” on the reader.

Illustration Friday: "Chicken"

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Well, school's back on and I have another project in the works (that may not meet its deadline).  So, I'm pulling this one out the the archives as it meets the theme perfectly.  It was done a few years ago in color pencil, and I really got into trying to figure out the glow of lighting and neon.

This was my own response to the question inspired by a children's book featuring prominent illustrators. 

Hat Trick!

Ok, I went for it and did a third painting - a bird to round out the group.  The girls said it was their favorite one, but I'm not so sure about it.  I like it well enough, but I'm not sure it's my favorite of the three.

I think that's where I'll stop on this series at the moment.  Although, I guess there are a lot of animals I could potentially do, but this is enough.  I'm ready to do some drawing again maybe.  We'll see...

Another Painting...

What?  Two posts in two days?!  Gotta stock up before the school year officially starts again and my attention is focused elsewhere for a while.

One thing I like about working with the paint and a more simple style is that I can accomplish an illustration a lot quicker. I did this companion piece to the “Woof” dog last night (compare that to the few days that “Mail” took). Of course, I still spent a couple of hours on each of these little paintings (aprox. 5”x7”).  But, it's a nice mental break from the detailed work I also like to do.


I’m still debating whether or not to make this a triptych and complete the primary color triad that I have going - perhaps a bird with a yellow background. I'm happy with the two I have, but a third makes sense as well. Hmmmmmm…

Anyway, on a different note, I’ve been thinking about having some prints made to sell in an Etsy shop. Illustration is different from other forms of art that can more easily be displayed in people’s homes - it’s a bit more specific and, perhaps, more for collectors. However, I think that these paintings might be good choices as they could easily work in a child’s room.

Free Time At Last!

So, can you tell we’re on Christmas break? No school, no art classes (except for planning my next ones)…there’s actually a little time to think about illustration.

This one was inspired by a random doodle mixed in among dozens of doodles in an old sketchbook. I knew I wanted to do it with paint and I envisioned it in a very different, more painterly style than what I’ve been doing. My new gouache set provided the perfect opportunity to have a little fun with it (gouache is my new best paint friend). You can let me know what you think (please).

I had been thinking about my style recently, especially after my last post “Mail.” It was very much like the Spectator Ant I had done a couple years back, and I think I’ve managed to pinpoint some definite characteristics of my style - detailed, black line, watercolor wash. I like how that works for me. In fact, I think I’d like to try some different types of pen and play with different types of line. I’ve been doing these with Microns, but I’d like to try a pen with different nibs.

I’ve definitely decided that I’m NOT a color pencil person. While I like what some people are able to do with it, overall it’s not the best fit for me. I’ll only use it if the subject matter really demands it or for quick color studies.

All this thought about style brought me back to one of my earliest posts on this blog (has it really been almost 3 years?). I had read an article by Caldecott winner Paul O. Zelinsky where he said that the story dictated what style and medium was called for. And, you can see this in the variety of work that he has put out. I liked his philosophy as I tend to crave variety - I couldn’t imagine working the same way ALL the time. As much as I love how “Mail” turned out, I think I would get bored if I worked that way exclusively. But, on the other hand, I don’t want to constantly be “inventing,” either.

I guess I’m finding a happy medium by playing around with more than one style while ruling out others (for the most part). I like the style that’s emerging with the ink/watercolor and it shows consistency that, I think, would be helpful for future publishers to see. But, it’s refreshing (mentally, creatively, and - hopefully - professionally) to spend time with different approaches. I would think that versatility would also be a “plus” for publishers.  Am I wrong?

Illustration Friday: "Mail"





I'm not sure why mail service to Grandma's house is sooooooooo slow!

   I finally have some time off of homeschool, home business, and Christmas to put together a more involved illo!  I'm getting it in just under the wire - I thought I had plenty of time, but me and my compulsion for detail strikes again.  There are a few things I'd try differently, and just might for the portfolio.  I'd love to try and do something a little more simplified, but I wonder if I even can!



Spectator Ant

 But, it turns out that this is along the same vein as my "Spectator Ant" that I've done before.  From that one, I came away thinking that the grass was out of scale for the ant.  So, I made certain to make the grass taller than the snail here. 

I finally got a gouache set - which I've never had and wanted to try - LOVE it!  I think that might be my new favorite paint medium and can't wait to do more.