Illustration Friday "Spirit"

In the Spirit of the Holidays

 

pen and ink, watercolor/digital painted  

 

 

 

Scoring a few votes for my cousin

If anyone out there who would like to help out my cousin scoring a few votes:

 

Real simple.

Click the blue link below.

Please then vote for Twin Cities Reptiles in the "brick and mortar store of the year" category.

Then go back to the page and vote for

Bush League Breeders Club in the "Forum of the year" category.

 

that's it... takes all of about ten seconds... literally. it's a once-per-day vote 'till the end of december, so if i can count on you for ten solid days of votes that would be a great Christmas present. if you can get a couple folks to add in... i'd take that too !

 

 

The Reptile Report Best of 2013 Awards | The Reptile Report

Merry Christmas!

Because of lack of time I was not able to create a Christmas illustration

so I thought the best thing was share a piece of art from a good friend Michael instead

and it moves!

 

 

 

so

Merry Christmas!!

 

 

Picture book I am working on

 

 

Sorry for the lack of posting and participating in Illustration Friday.

But as some of you may know I have been working on a picture book or more like an e-book

for Xist Publishing I think I'm going into my third month.

 The project is called "Tea with the Queen"   

It is going well and I have finished all the sketches, inked and made sure all the artwork fits into the  templates correctly and now I have started coloring.

 

(The image is a digital color wash of one of the pages)

 

 

close up of one of the characters

inking

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving

& Happy Hanukkah

 

I don't remember how many years ago I created this illustration.

But I am thankful my skills have improved since.  



Illustration Friday "Tail"

 

Illustration Friday

"Tail"

 

 

 

Ernest and Celestine

 I've Been spending some part of my morning enjoying clips of this animated movie.
It is breathtaking to watch.



 

Illustration Friday "Secret"

Illustration Friday word challenge

"Secret"

pen and ink

 

 



Happy Holloween

 

 

 

Happy Halloween 

Illustration Friday "Moustache"

Illustration Friday

"Moustache"

 

 



Illustration Friday "Underwater"

Illustration Friday

"Underwater"

 

pen and ink

 

 

Illustration Friday "Together"

 

Illustration Friday

"Together"

 

pen and ink watercolor sketch

 

 



My Brother is a Polar Bear (part # whatever)

 

pen and ink with watercolor

opinions welcome

 

So I have been taken the time to create model sheets for an idea  I am working on.

I am enjoying this approach it allows me to play with the idea without committing 100% to finished artwork.

In the past I have gotten excited about an idea for a picture book start doing finished art before I have a solid foundation for the story, then I am trying to fit the finished artwork in and it does not always work so well leaving me frustrated and then putting the idea aside for a long time .

The model sheets also gives me a chance to enjoy playing with watercolor with out commitment to a set of colors.

It is a beautiful thing!    

 

 

pen and ink with watercolor

Happy Birthday Tomie!

Just a quick shout out to

Tomie dePaola 

who's birthday was yesterday September 15th

 

Happy Birthday

Tomie!



My Brother is a Polar Bear

This is a color model for

"My Brother is a Polar Bear"

it is the working title for one of the ideas I am playing around with.

 

pen and ink with watercolor

 

(I still have not been able to figure out why my scans are so hot; the subtle shadings are missing) 

 

 

 

Robot & Dog Model sheet #1

 

Robot and Dog

model sheet #1

 

continuing to work with watercolor this is my third attempt also creating model sheets for an idea I am working on; it still needs refinement. But I think fun to share.

(opinions welcome)

 

Watercolor 1st in five years

 

I have jumped back into watercolors after five or six years only working digitally this is my second try with watercolor the first was a complete disaster.

 

Opinions are welcomed

 

The scan seems to have washed out some of the color I have been told to try to change my settings on the scanner

A hard couple of months



 

It has been a hard couple of months;  and it will not get much easier.

Long before the summer started one of my two dogs started

to have issues with her back end, she is fifteen years old and is allowed to have problems, the problems have gotten harder to deal with as the summer comes to an end. But she is still completely aware of her surroundings enjoys your company and still loves to get her belly rubbed so we deal with these challenges and until that "spark"/ quality of life is no longer there. 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Are other dog went from butt in the air very playful to not at all almost over night, he is also fifteen years of age so we expected him slow down but this was drastic.
 We took him into the emergency vets office last Saturday thinking this maybe the end we spent about five hours at the hospital trying to make "that choice"; he is home with us now getting vitamin B12 shots and seems to be doing better.

 

Over the summer I got an opportunity to work as a Colorist on a post production animated "hopeful" series. It is never easy recreating another artist color style it is even harder when they play   a key roll in creating the series. I became a one man production team cleaning up the drawings, cut and pasting one head to another body and so on plus coloring; it was a challenge but in the end everyone was happy with my work and I wish the project much success.
(once I am given the okay I will display some of the artwork).      

 

1st attempt at watercolor in 5yrs

 

I am working on three new ideas for stories plus after five years I decided to pick up watercolors again, I have forgotten some of the rules But as I work up my studies for the characters I will be adding watercolors as well to refresh my skills.

quick studies



quick studies

  

Books of Wonder turns 33

 



A long, long time ago... well, back on September 2nd, 1980, the day after Labor Day, Books of Wonder opened its doors for the very first time. That's why for many years now, we have celebrated another year of bringing New York City and our friends around the world the best in children's literature with a Labor Day weekend anniversary sale!

 

This year, Books of Wonder turns 33 years old! That strikes us as a very special number. After all, the great E. Nesbit wrote that all magic comes in threes! And Tolkien wrote that when a hobbit turns 33, it is celebrated as his or her "coming of age." Well, we want to celebrate with you our "coming of age!" So this year, in addition to having every book in the store discounted at least 20% off its suggested retail price -- and that includes all of our old & rare books, as well -- we have also put together a small group of truly wonderful books and sets to offer you at 33% of their original retail price -- that's an amazing 67% off!

 

We also have a generous selection of books priced from $3 to $8, giving you a special anniversary sale savings of anywhere from 30-60% off. For those of you that can't make it to the store, Booksofwonder.com will also be celebrating the sale with 20% off site-wide, and the chance to save big by ordering our 33rd Anniversary Special Sale items.

 

The Complete Alice Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass are children's classics that have been loved by generations for nearly 150 year. This beautiful box set takes these two great books and presents them as 22 hand-sized little gems, all wonderfully illustrated with Helen Oxenbury's magical, whimsical pictures. From falling down the rabbit-hole to attending the Mad Hatter's tea party, meeting Humpty Dumpty and braving the Jabberwock, these stories have become a must for every child. Imported from the UK, this delightful boxed set is sure to be a treasured addition to your child's library.

 

The List goes on so just head to their Website

for more details

 

Click on logo



Robot & Dog

 

"Robot & Dog"

 

a new idea I am working on

I have a being almost an end

&

close to a middle

 

right now I am just sketching it out letting the ideas flow

 

LMZ Postcards

Remember when people wrote letters and sent postcards?

In the aftermath of 9’ll, with my beloved City scarred and my 7th Avenue studio lost, I packed my cat and went driving across the country, unsure of where my life was heading.

For years I had been writing and mailing postcards for the postmark, then collecting the cards from the recipient as part of a long-standing art project. During my cross-country sojourn after 9’11 I sent postcards from the different states I visited, each postcard a memory and memento of the places I visited, what I had experienced and felt. 10,000 miles of road and three months later, I returned home to New York but without my cat. She stayed in Las Vegas with my dad and mom.

This is a Book Publishing and Art Show Project of a collection of 52 postcards that were made during 1995 to 2002. The postcards are snapshots of my travels, thoughts and my relationships, composed in an artful way. Each page of the proposed book has a copy of a card with an accompanying transcription of the card.

This project will cost $15,000. as it is a two part project first publishing the postcards will be reproduced with the best quality digital imaging 52 postcards and most are two sided. The second part of the project is the gallery. The costs are still being negotiated, and could run more than the projected because of the framing issues, as the postcards are 2-sided, estimated cost $8,000. I am still looking into spaces, though I now have a few spaces that are interested!

Lisa at work in her studio
 

 

 

Illustration Friday "Jungle"

Version #1

 

 

Version #2

 

 

Illustration Friday

Word Challenge

"Jungle"

 

I am experimenting using brush ink line on or layered over

 Kraft paper mixed with digital painting creating different texture.

  



Dinosaur Kisses by David Ezra Stein - Book Trailer

Animated Mice

 

Clink on my illustration,

the link will show you the mice swimming.

 

 This is part of a payment for creating color designs for a possible animated series

I somehow found my self

 knee deep in  

Why I illustrate picture books! :D

 

This is why I want to illustrate picture books,

 Rena Jones
 who wrote The Marshmallow Man sent me this wonderful picture

 that a friend of hers sent her...

 

 

 



 

 

part 2 Fun'd Art: Art in the Box

Look Happy Kids! All creating ART!

Last week I introduced you to a wonderful friend of mine Simone who's sister Tamarah has opened  an Art Studio for Kids and is looking for pledges to get the ball rolling.   

 



The pictures was sent to me by Simone (I love to say Simone)  last night to show me that things are moving along and I thought it would be great to show them off & remind anyone out there who can help please do; if you can't donate please pass the information along. 



What scary faces :)

 

To see more about the studio just follow this link:

Art in a Box

 

to pledge

 



Illustration Friday "Robot"

Illustration Friday

word challenge

"Robot"

 

 

 



Maurice Sendak on Being a Kid | Blank on Blank | PBS Digital Studios

Is Your Name Timmy?

 

 The sketch was done with a ballpoint pen.

 I got the pen from the Hyatt Hotel NYC back in February during the 2013 SCBWI Winter Conference.  

 

 

Using a brush pen I inked the character onto a clear sheet of vellum.  

 

 

 

I scanned the character into my computer;

Then added a splash of color using Photoshop.