Why Am I Me?

Look What I got!

This is the cover art for the newest picture book I illustrated,

written by Wayne Harris- Wyrick,

published by 4RV Publishing

I think out of all the books I have illustrated this will be one of my top favorites

more to come about this book

Coming out Soon!

Libby's color changes why?

You are looking at two scenes from "Libby The Odd Squirrel".

 The first is an outdoor scene and the second is a interior scene. 

If you have not noticed Libby is white, while her companions are grey.

With out giving to much away of the story this is the reason why she is "odd".

Libby is alone and not a part of the the rest of the squirrel's. I wanted to enforce this alone- ness as much as possible; one way was always drawing her at a distance at the begin of the book.

The other was color, while she is outside and not connected to the other woodland creatures she is shaded with mostly blue. Later on after making friends with the crows her shading changes to a warm grey and also is drawn closer up to create what I hope is more of a togetherness with her new friends.    

(P.S. The Frog & I are getting along at the moment)



Happy Valentine Day!

It took me four hours

(Libby sketch)

A text message to a friend: "Can you believe it I'm still inking this little white squirrel!"

 Well it went something like that. It took me about four hours to ink Libby, not the whole book not all the squirrels in the book just Libby. One Libby not all the Libby's in the book just this one Libby. I spent every spare minute I had (even at work shhhhh) inking the illustrations for this book and there are a lot of squirrels.
You wouldn't think it would take me so long by looking at the sketch above.

(Pen & ink version of Libby)

Libby had its challenges one of them was the amount of time it would take me to ink the characters.
I knew when I started that inking so many cute fuzzy creatures would be time consuming. Some how I did not realize how much time it would take.  Fun?  Yes it was!

 I think none illustrators don't always realize the length of time it can take to create a picture, to tell the story.
I love what I do even when the illustrations are not cooperating or working out as smoothly as I would like them and you can hear me talking to the artwork asking it why? Why? WHY!

(Finished artwork)



 But in the end it does work out usually all the frustration is forgotten.
 Until the next time why? Why? WHY! 

(This post was a good reminder for  me as I ask the same question to a little frog who is causing me trouble)

"The Illusionist"

At my local movie theater

 The Kew Gardens Cinemas 

 I went t see

"The Illusionist"

(film description)

"A story about two paths that cross. An outdated, aging magician, forced to wander from country to country, city to city and station to station in search of a stage to perform his act meets a young girl at the start of her life's journey. Alice is a teenage girl with all her capacity for childish wonder still intact. She plays at being a woman without realizing the day to stop pretending is fast approaching. She doesn't know yet that she loves The Illusionist like she would a father; he already knows that he loves her as he would a daughter. Their destinies will collide, but nothing - not even magic or the power of illusion - can stop the voyage of discovery."

My overview/Review:

Animation is not Dead YET!

The story kind of drops in the middle but over all well done. The use of the rabbit nipping at every one made me smile and the only scene that bothered me a little was when he was in Scotland and the owner of the pub puts up his poster over the dartboard later on the poster is missing. This film is worth seeing I found it beautiful to look at. The scenes of him traveling on the train are wonderful it made me want to take a train ride across the country. If you love animation then see this film A film like this does not come around every day. So go out and support this film it worth seeing on the big screen.
It makes me want to work in animation again.

This is a link to a post from Michael Sporn who can write a lot more eloquently then I about this wonderful film "Magicians Do Not Exist" (Click Me)

    

Libby The Odd Squirrel

Just a quick note:
To tell everyone that "Libby the Odd Squirrel" is out and cousin trouble.
Written by Lea Schizas, Illustrated by Stephen Macquignon
Published by 4RV Publishing.
 Yes this cute little white squirrel is available to purchase. I will post later on this week about how she caused me a lot trouble in creating the illustrations. But for now here is were you can find her
4RV Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Final tallies for Preditor & Editor Readers Poll

Well the final tallies are in and
"The Giving Meadow"
has come in ninth place! 

thank you everyone who voted.

I would also like to congratulate a good friend of mine

Diana Navarro who illustrated

"A Distant Summer" written by Mike McNair

coming in first place for Best Novel.

I do not see her name listed on the book cover as illustrator but I know she did the artwork.

Also Congratulation to all the other 4RV associates for placing or wining

 the P&E Readers contest!