Figure Drawing

Here are some sketches from a figure drawing workshop I attended last week. My illustration style is rooted in realism, and sketching from life helps me keep a fresh perspective. The human body is so complex it's mind-boggling, and working from a model is humbling. The more I observe and sketch from life the truer my illustrations will be... Well, that's my theory.

Sometimes the model assumes a pose that leaves me with nothing but a head of hair to draw. When this happens I turn my attention to the other artists in the room. FYI: The gent in the hat is actually drawing with a Wacom tablet and a laptop!

Tradition!

I've been working digitally for months and today I returned to traditional media.

I've been bouncing back and forth between traditional media and digital media for a couple years but this is the first time I've been away from real paint for months. I was apprehensive about busting out the acrylics - after all there's no undo! I spent a lot of time this morning reacquainting myself with brushes, paint, medium and the additive known as flow enhancer.

Creating a color digitally is easy: pick a swatch, move some sliders around and presto! The perfect color! Mixing paint is more like alchemy. Rarely is paint straight out the tube satisfactory. Some colors are easy to  mix, others are counter-intuitive. The dino's tongue is medium magenta and vivid lime green with a little cad red and a dash of Payne's Gray.

Overall, I got back in the groove fairly quickly (I think). This piece is a gift for an unsuspecting person that I hope doesn't follow my blog!

SCBWI Poster Recap: Start to Finish

IF Hierarchy/SCBWI Poster Part 4

Update: I'm repurposing this post for the Illustration Friday topic Hierarchy. Thanks to Chuck Dillon for suggesting I submit this illustration; it's perfectly appropriate!

Original Post: Here's the finished poster for this weekend's NESCBWI conference poster competition. Overall, I'm happy with the results and I think it's a good representation of my style and sense of humor.

I'm looking forward to the weekend and the opportunity to mingle with other artists (& authors), learn something new, get inspired and maybe meet some folks (editors, art directors) that can give me some work!

SCBWI Poster Part 3

Part 3: Illustration start to finish

I've made a lot of changes since the last post. The fly is completely different. Because the fly is the focal point I wanted him to rock. My first version of the fly was adequate but I felt he could be better. Here's what's different and why:

• The pose is more dynamic: All the limbs have been tweaked but the kicking leg is lifted higher making the fly feel less balanced - that's a good thing
• Fly is more fly like: I looked at photos of real flies and that inspired me to make the overall body shape more squat. I also added hairs and made the wing shape more accurate.
• Add the funny: I made the bow tie ridiculously big. The proportions are also more humorous, a squat body with big head and thin arms is funny!

I also changed the snake and made the hawk one of those goofy looking barn owls.

Leading the post is a Photoshop color study. 

SCBWI Poster Part 2

Part 2 of chronicling my process as I create an illustration from start to finish:

Previously, I posted a crude thumbnail, my first attempt at composition. Here I start developing the character design. I'm also paying attention to the character interaction; these guys are happily singing barbershop but I also want to hint at what might happen after the song ends.

Hence the mantis eyeing the fly, the frog the mantis, the snake the frog and the hawk the snake.

I'm creating this illustration for the upcoming NESCBWI conference poster competition. The theme of the competition is "Many Voices." My first idea was a doo-wop group of singing frogs (inspired by the musical Forever Plaid). That idea morphed to include a fly lead singer. I then came up with the circle of life angle that dovetails nicely with one of my favorite books as a kid, A Fly Went By.

SCBWI Poster Sketch

The SCBWI New England annual conference is coming up at the end of April and once again the weekend features a themed and juried poster competition. The theme this year is "Many Voices" and the art will be judged on storytelling, character, setting, color, focus and composition.

I've mulled over several ideas and have settled on the concept above. Ain't it great! Well, I admit it doesn't look like much at this stage. This is how all my illustrations start, with a doodle. I'll post more as the illustration progresses - stay tuned!