Muddy Waters, the big blues man. One of my first thoughts when I saw the prompt this week. I also saw several other Muddy Waters so it was a popular solution. As for style and execution, I wanted to see what I could do with the digital watercolor brushes in Painter 11.
A recent character study for a project. I don’t do many monsters and aliens, etc. I should work some into my portfolio, I think.
Oops! I kind of missed posting this in January. That’s probably because sample issues from Highlights get sent to Texas and, well, I’m still up north right now. So I forget these things are coming out. Anyway, I did a few spots for a spread entitled, “Old Dog, New Tricks?” (written by Jeffrey B. Fuerst) that was in the issue. I thought I’d go ahead and post them along with some of the roughs. When I work on roughs for spreads, I like to use the layout I’m sent by the art director/designer as a template. That way I can make sure the spot fits well within the copy/text of the spread.
So when I get my hands on a copy of this issue, I’ll add the spread. In the mean time, voila!
copyright Highlights for Children, 2010
Picked out a random rough of something I’ve been working on. This is actually a throw-away rough for a spread from an early/emergent reader. The story was changed and the bears’ day starts at 5 a.m. now so this spread is kaput. But I rather liked it so wanted to give it some reason for being.
Hourly Comic Day was officially yesterday and I decided to participate. Problem is, my day looked a lot like the last hourly I did a week or so ago! Many of the same events. Hopefully I took just a slightly different perspective so it wasn’t redundant. And I noticed mine focused in on food a lot! So…my “hourly”, below.
Click on these to get more info about Hourly Comic Day or to see other Hourly Comic Day comics. And fellow illustrator Chuck Dillon did an hourly too! Check it out!
A worried Berney spent them morning focused on how to construct the new South Bend Beaver Dam.
Continuing with the mole study, here’s little mole with his mouse friend. This is a segment from a much larger scene, but it allows mole to be shown in some context besides just a study. He’s turning into a fun character to draw. Oh. And so is little mouse!
Something I’ve been working on…
Clumsy style, clumsy story line, clumsy punchline. Even a character named “Clumsy”. Just all-around clumsy!
Below: I took a walk yesterday on Lac St-Louis. It’s frozen over solid presently. You can see other folks and critters venturing out for a hike as well. This is also a popular area for the winter parasailers.
Below: The Christmas tree in front of Bilboquet (an ice cream shop) in the Pointe Claire Village. And a photo from an skiing excursion on the golf course across the street.
I’ve been enjoying using the painterly style for a few jobs I’ve had lately. I did this small editorial illustration for Children’s Ministry magazine’s Jan/Feb 2010 issue. It’s a fun style to work in and seems to be coming along nicely.
I looked up and thought I noticed a faint pink in the blue sky; so faint, I had to squint and rub my eyes and…Oh. No, that’s because I’m tired.
I’ve thought time after time about sketching the winter scene from my window so this time, instead of just thinking about it, I pulled up a “canvas” in Painter and had at it. Very wintery, yes. But it was a lovely day, really; above freezing and lightly snowing off and on. Winter, winter, wonder-land. I’m tired…
I’ve been wanting to do an hourly comic (well, ANY type of comic, for that matter) for a good while after seeing others do them, so I finally tried my hand at it yesterday. Despite a very busy day, I stopped every hour to draw what I had done in a particular hour. It was kind of fun and kept me on my toes!
By the way, if you’re not familiar with the hourly comic concept, here’s a website by John…? who does hourly comics, & a forum where you can check out what others have done. Many are down-right funny!
So my yesterday begins, below. Oh, and to see an enlargement of a panel, click on the panel.
Just for the heck of it, I took pics of one of today’s snacks and lunch.
Snack: Crunchy home-made cashew butter on a slice of honey, raisin & hazelnut bread next to a fruit medley consisting of apple, orange and banana segments, topped with blackberries and wild blueberries.
Lunch: Lasagna with a side of seasoned and steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and onion.
Some photos from this morning.
Below: Scrambled egg with smoked cheddar & and a few baby spinach leaves, tucked inside a corn tortilla; broiled tomato with same smoked cheddar; an orange. You’re welcome.
Below: Orange Kitty (feral kitty who nests on our balcony) looking inside (Reflection is of Christmas red pepper lights, in case you’re wondering).
Below: Orange Kitty now trudging off to get his breakfast I suspect. Someone else feeds him canned food, I think. He’s quite hefty!
Happy Tuesday, people. After an invigorating (albeit cold!) morning walk outdoors and a strong cup of coffee, I’m energized and ready to tackle the day. So I begin with posting a piece I worked on back in November for the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Chirp! magazine (Owlkids). I worked these up on my laptop and baby Cintiq while I was down in South Texas for a few weeks. I remember doing the dinosaurs over and over because I was frustrated with the line work (I suppose if I were a dog, I’d be chasing my tail). I hope in the end, the kiddos had fun with it!
But this time from a local where I could get a more expansive view of the interior. With such height to the ceilings, it makes it hard to heat the building. Frigid temps outside made it cold inside, hence people still wearing their parkas, etc.
Below: Sketch before adding color. I started with a blue pen but it started to skip on me so switched to a black one. I rather like how that looks.
Below: Colorized sketch (with Painter 11)
Given I need to renew my passport, this is the kind of “renewal” that’s been on my mind.
It’s hard to believe a year–a decade!– has gone by already. I don’t know about you, but I find time not marching, but racing by! Whew! So with the arrival of 2010, I want to take pause and reflect over 2009’s accomplishments, work-wise. I also want to share my plans for 2010, but will do so in a separate post. First up…Some highlights of 2009!
Illustration jobs were pretty steady–despite the recession–so I was happy to have had textbook work and repeat-clients from various book publishers and magazines for children, doing illustrations, spots and spreads throughout the year. I’ve been working on greeting cards for one company for a few years, and though jobs from them slowed down a little, I still was asked to do quite a few.
It was a special treat when Highlights For Children asked me to do a poster and sign them at their booth for the International Reading Association this past February in Phoenix. Talk about getting out of the studio! I had never been to Phoenix and it was fun to go and hang out with some of the folks from Highlights for a few days.
Speaking of my studio, my space is small and cramped, so earlier in the year, I did a little rearranging and changing to try and make it less so. It’s still not all I would want it to be, but it’s at least less stuffy. And this was my first full year using the Cintiqs (I have a 21″ & 12″); they worked well for both the studio and traveling. No complaints.
As for marketing, etc., My website is still in need a of a mega make-over. We changed hosts a few months ago and that should make a difference this coming year. Besides my website and blog, I had folios on two other pay-for sites. I can’t say I reaped much from them so I am reconsidering what to do with those. I am still involved with Illustration For Kids and appreciate these creative gals and the benefits from having bonded with them over the last few years.
As for my work itself, I still have an on-going battle with liking what I produce. That’s par for the course for artists, I understand, but I wish there was a way to turn that switch off! I wasn’t quite as hard on myself this year (I don’t think), and it helped to have developed a new style late in the year that was looser and more painterly than my line work.
Coming up soon: hopes & plans for 2010.
I had a very nice break this holiday season–time away from the computer/the studio/the art; Facebook and Twitter, etc. It was much needed, I tell ya. And now it’s time to get into gear and back to work. I’m looking forward to it.
And so I start this year of blogging with a sketch from yesterday’s church service. It’s been a while since I’ve had some church sketches to offer up and I was happy to have had a little time to eek this one out during the sermon. It was a cold and very snowy day yesterday here in Montreal making it a challenge to get to and from destinations, but we did it. It was all worth it to see people I hadn’t seen in a long while.
I converted the little warm-up drawing of Ski Bunny into a Christmas card (or seasonal card. Whatever). I also worked on one with the beavers but…I’m still messing around with that one (read: not happy with the results–yet).
So, I guess you’re all doing what I’m doing: preparing for the holidays in one way or another. I don’t know about you, but I always ponder how it is that SOME thing got us all to collectively choose to do all the things we do surrounding and on the day December 25th. In many ways it has it’s benefits (time off from labor; an opportunity to spend time with friends and family; special meals and foods, etc.), but I sometimes wonder how the psychology of it all works; how almost everybody is on board in some form or fashion.
Anyway, that aside, I am (as usual) doing a bit of scrambling here at the end, picking up gifts and such. I have decorated our little Norfolk pine with chili pepper lights and home-made ceramic ornaments; I am listening to Christmas/seasonal music as I work. I note that a couple of inches of snow on the ground makes it more “festive”. I enjoy seeing homes burdened with outdoor lights, reflected on the snowy lawns. I drool over the chocolate raspberry bread at the village bakery that is only made at this time of year. Mmm–mm! It is the best!
So I am, indeed, pretty much on board with the collective on this holiday thing. Sometimes begrudgingly, but most times not.
A big thank you and holiday wishes to all those who stop by here-whether on a regular basis or not–to see what I’ve posted now and then. I appreciate your comments and encouragement in my work. Be safe and enjoy the season!
Jealous of Rudolf, some of the reindeer hatch a plan to get rid of him.
A little warm up drawing for the day. Enjoy your weekend!
Just posting some hints of work I did over the weekend for some greeting cards. I’m sure you can guess the subject/holiday of two of the spots, below. Can you guess what the card topic is for the third spot?
Sorry to be slow to blog this week. Work has been keeping me very busy, but here’s a crop/sample of a 2-page spread that I just finished up. It’s about a party, Valentine’s, hugs, kids, gray-haired people, and silly things. I will post the final version in February, when it’s in print. Later!
To get some exercise, I’ve been taking daily walks in the area. Sometimes I’m out in the early mornings, other times in the afternoon. The Pointe Claire Village is a beautiful place for walking, as you get many fine views of the St. Lawrence River to motivate you onward. So this week I took some quick pics of St. Joachim Church and the Notre Dame du Vieux-Moulin Convent (ain’t THAT a mouthful!) which are picturesquely set out on a point in the river/lake. These are from my iPhone, taken from the same location each time. As you can see, it’s a very pretty site, no matter what the time of day or weather.
Below: St. Joachim, etc. on a sunny mid-day, early morning mist, at sunset and this morning’s first snow.
Okay…Last printed sample for a while (I think). And this one is appropriate in that it’s just in time for Thanksgiving (in the USA) this Thursday. Created for the November ‘09 issue of ClubHouse Jr. Magazine, this is a “what’s the difference between these two images?” kind of puzzle. So if you have a few moments this holiday between meals or football games and need something fun & mindless to do, see if you can spot the changes.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all in the USA!
Some more samples of published illustration work I did this year. The spread below was done for Highlights for Childrens‘ magazine HighFive, the June ‘09 issue. Yeah, I’m kind of late posting this one (too). Same reason I gave in the previous post: I didn’t get the sample magazine until my recent trip to Texas.
So “Duck Town”! Executed in a traditional style, the story (or rather, poem) describes a place where ducks as big as houses and trucks reside. And, of course, this being a place ducks live, there is water nearby, where one of the local tourist attractions are duck rides. Well, you can see for yourself, below.
I am behind on posting some samples of illustrations I did for Highlights magazine this year. Short story is that I get my samples sent to Texas so there’s usually a delay to my actually seeing the printed pieces. Anyhoo, below are two spreads and a spot. Thanks Highlights! You’re always a pleasure to work for!
Below: Danny and the Triangle (June ‘09)– A little boy’s excursion into playing percussion instruments and drums.
Below: The King of Halloween (Oct ‘09). A boy has a “serious Halloween problem”; his friends have already taken all the normal costumes. He therefore has to come up with something. Hmmm…What will he be..?
(Addendum: After receiving a lovely comment by the author of “The King of Halloween”, Tina Connolly, I noted that on her blog she has an entry posting her response when she found out (and saw) that her story had been published in Highlights. It’s interesting to hear the author’s view on seeing their piece in print!)
Below: Your Best Self (Nov ‘09)–Every issue of Highlights magazine has a YBS spot, an encouragement to be kind and good to your fellow human beings. In this case, share your cookie!
All images (c) Highlights For Children.
Waiting in hole-in-the-wall taqueria’s….
…for food like this. That’s a sope. It’s a rare find, even in South Texas!
Sunday drives in the country where you see the likes of this…
And this:
Whimsy on a fence post (No, I left him there)…
Down town Corpus Christi at play:
Pretty Sunsets:
(Yesterday’s lunch from Howard’s BBQ, down town Corpus Christi Texas. Thanks, Buck & Jimmy!)
For the October 2009 issue of Click magazine (part of the Cricket/Carus children’s magazine series), I was asked to created some cartoony bat to accompany and article entitles, “Inside Caves”. The bat is giving a tour of his cave-home, and wearing appropriate attire to what he’s talking about at each juncture of the article. A really fun character to draw, I had to keep the line thick so he could stand out against the varied background of graphics and photos.
Beautiful rainbow over Corpus Christi Bay late this afternoon.
