Friday, January 25, 2008

Illustration Friday - Tales and Legends


Who's that tripping over my bridge?

One of my favorite tales is that of the three Billy Goats Gruff. The troll was so creepy, and the biggest billy goat saves the day! Yeah! Here is my rendition.... thoughts?

Monday Artday - Transition


I posted this for the Monday Artday theme of transition. This illo shows transition from sleeping to waking, from dark to light, and from white to color. (I also used this for the Letter of the Week - Lethargic Leopard).

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Letter of the Week




After struggling to come up with ideas to draw for my daughter, I was inspired. Each week at school, they focus on a particular letter of the alphabet. So, now I try to draw a picture that revolves around that letter. It's much easier to come up with an illustration when I have something to inspire the idea. I've posted some examples: Rat Race, Lounge Lizard, and Horrible Hangnail. Again, most of these are done in ink, and watercolor.

Doodles






Everyday I put together little drawings for my daughter, slipped into her lunchbox. She enjoys them immensely. Every morning she runs to her lunchbox to see what I've drawn for her.

I've posted a few of the ones she seemed to enjoy the most. I must admit. It's a great exercise. I'm somewhat "forced" to make one, whether I feel in the mood or not. It gives me the chance to practice different techniques, and focus on different aspects that I am trying to improve. Most of these are done in ink, and watercolor.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Cupid has cooties




Poor Cupid. He's both a boy and a valentine. Apparently, he has cooties too. I was working on an anti-valentine image. Here are the two sketches I came up with. (By the way, I actually LOVE Valentine's Day. You can't go wrong when chocolate, flowers and admissions of love are all around!!)

So what do you think? Is one image better than the other? Are the images flat, or are they engaging? I'm always torn between pieces that are simple, or more detailed ones. Are the poses natural, or awkward? Any constructive criticism? I'll try not to be offended. :-)

Friday, January 18, 2008

Illustration Friday - Plain


This week's Illustration Friday theme is Plain, so I decided to do an illustration of three Amish children in the back of their horse and buggy. The Amish are sometimes referred to as the "Plain People," and I have always found the juxtaposition of the Amish among the "English" very interesting.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

100%


Here is something I did after seeing a previous Illustration Friday with the theme of 100%. I love the proud look on our daughters' faces when they have done a job well done, and how proud we are of what they've accomplished.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Illustration Friday - Stitch


Here is the piece I did for Illustration Friday. This is my first one!
There's nothing like having to stitch up a well worn stuffy.
So, what do you think? Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments.

Getting started














Here is a little "thank you" sketch I made for a relative who sent me a homemade hat.
















My first commission - my daughter's kindergarten Christmas program!














An illustration I did for the SCWBI contest in December.... what happens in Santa's workshop that only North Pole insiders know about. Unfortunately, I didn't win, but I had a lot of fun working on it! Bet you didn't know Santa was an Elvis fan?