Drawing on my Imagination

Illustration Friday: Twirl

2012-01-24T11:18:00.000-05:00

I'm busily working on a project I can't post about yet, so for this week's Illustration Friday I'm re-posting a sketch from my 2012 Sketchbook Project book:

To get home, you must first twirl the Ferris wheel until your house is at the bottom.

Sketching...

2012-01-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

I seem to be neglecting the blog these days. Sorry, folks. I've been concentrating my creative energy and time on writing my latest middle grade novel and learning Adobe Illustrator (using Classroom in a Book). I still sketch a bit in the evenings, however. Nothing geared toward any particular project at this point--just whatever comes out of the pencil. Here's a taste:

A cold turn in the weather had me drawing kids in winter wear. Today the weather has turned again, and I'm thinking perhaps I should redraw these guys in shirtsleeves.

I've decided not to sign up for the Sketchbook Project this year. I've done the project for the last two years. I got a lot out of the process, but I don't think I need their challenge anymore. Also, I'm not interested in the new printed book they're introducing this year. I intend to keep taking frequent pencil-dives into my sketchbook, but on my own, and loosely, without a unifying theme or structure. Involvement in this wonderful community of illustrating bloggers is sufficient stimulus to keep me drawing regularly.

Illustration Friday: Messenger

2011-12-23T15:07:00.001-05:00

I honestly didn't think I'd get another image posted before Christmas but, when this week's Illustration Friday topic popped into my email inbox, I remember this little drawing I did a while back. My wee gerbil messenger seems to have gotten herself lost, and I don't think that sign's going to help her.

Carrot carrying rats

2011-12-09T13:46:00.001-05:00

Here's another picture of rats stealing food

because there just aren't enough of these creatures in the world...

Illustration Friday: Rat Brigade

2011-12-02T16:04:00.001-05:00

I had already started inking this picture when the Illustration Friday email with this week's topic (brigade) arrived in my inbox. That was good timing!

(Click to enlarge.)

It was intended to be a companion piece for last week's Illustration Friday "round" picture. This one:

I have an idea for a third image to go with these. One that would use the two characters in the image below

that I haven't used yet. Spotted them? They're the two on the left.

Wouldn't it be nice if their picture wound up fitting next week's Illustration Friday topic...

End Page of Treehouse Sketchbook Project

2011-11-30T19:29:00.001-05:00

Here's the end page of my Sketchbook Project book:

It's not a very elaborate image on this spread because some of it will be covered by a pocket before the book goes into circulation. I don't remember which side they put it on. Now I have only to pack it up and mail it to the Art House Library in Brooklyn, NY.

If you're interested in seeing all the sketches I've done in this (SBP 2012) book and the one I did last year (SBP 2011), click here or on sketchbook project label in the right hand margin and scroll through the posts.

Illustration Friday: Round

2011-11-26T13:24:00.001-05:00

Looks like Cob's got his paws on the last thing he needs:

This Year's Christmas Card

2011-11-22T20:53:00.001-05:00

Just finished my Christmas card picture:

If you scroll through my old posts or look at the color portfolio on my website, you can find the village I decided to blanket in snow for this image. I used Copic Multiliner SP pens and watercolor on Arches 140 lb. hot press paper.

Now to order the cards...

My Last Illustration Friday Sketchbook Project Combo for the Year

2011-11-18T15:57:00.001-05:00

This is the last full spread in my Sketchbook Project "Treehouse" book:

The contrasting designs of the two houses is inspired by this week's Illustration Friday topic "vanity." Sorry, no prizes for figuring out who's meant to be vain in this picture, but if you can come up with a creative reason why it would be the guy in the tree on the left, I'd love to read your explanation in the comments.

One page (half a spread) left to go before this puppy gets mailed to Brooklyn.

Another Treehouse Spread for the Sketchbook Project

2011-11-17T18:21:00.001-05:00

Another Illustration Friday - Sketchbook Project Mash-up

2011-11-15T19:21:00.001-05:00

Silent:

Playing around with Photoshop

2011-11-08T15:39:00.001-05:00

For well over a week, I have been busily working at my lessons in the Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book. Today I decided to take a break from the proscribed lessons and play around with the book cover image I created a couple of weeks ago. I tweaked colors and added borders and text. Here is the result:

Please don't fall asleep. At least it's an improvement over this:

But clearly I need to learn a few more things about graphic design and Adobe's tools for generating it. I've ordered a few more books on the subject. I've only used Photoshop so far. InDesign is bound to prove more helpful for layout and text matters.

Illustration Friday: Stripes

2011-11-04T13:33:00.000-04:00

Here is "Stripes":

I am almost at the end of my Sketchbook Project book, so soon you should start seeing Illustration Friday images posted here that don't involve a treehouse. It's been fun to combine the two exercises, but I'm about ready to move on to other themes...

A Man's Treehouse is his Castle

2011-11-02T23:19:00.001-04:00

There are only about five spreads left to fill in my Sketchbook Project book. No rush to finish this year.

I've been doing a little less drawing these days as I spend more time familiarizing myself with my new Adobe Creative Suite 5.5. I had an old version of the design software (Photoshop, Illustrator, and Pagemaker, purchased in 1999) that I barely touched. But a lot of brilliant work has been generated in the newer versions lately, and it's made me want to master the medium. It's going to take a lot of practice. Starting with Photoshop, I'm orienting myself with Classroom in a Book. I'm amazed at all the tools available. I don't imagine I'll come anywhere near to using them all. To begin with I'll probably just use Photoshop to tweak scanned illustrations. But once there's room in the budget for a tablet with a pressure sensitive stylus, I may see what it's like to generate images like the one above in digital form.

Of course, I will always have inky fingertips. I love the tactile experience of generating art on the page too much to ever go strictly digital.

What about you? Do you use digital tools when you create your art?

Illustration Friday: Scary!

2011-10-28T15:42:00.005-04:00

Once again I have managed to combine the week's Illustration Friday theme with my Sketchbook Project "treehouse" topic. Here is "scary":

This is the darkest I've drawn on the sketchbook pages, and I'm pleased to report no problems with bleed through.

IF: Fuel

2011-10-25T21:40:00.001-04:00

I'd hoped to get this up a couple of days ago, but - oh, well - things don't always come together as planned. Here is my Illustration Friday answer to the theme "fuel," drawn in my treehouse-themed Sketchbook Project book:

Click on image to view it large enough to see the maple syrup dripping onto the pancakes.

Playing with pencil

2011-10-21T16:00:00.001-04:00

So I've been attempting to enhance the cover image with colored pencils. Hm. I guess I'm done?

Here's the scan I made after I decided to stop fiddling around with it:

Interesting how different the colors look under the influence of the glaring light of the scanner. I suppose I could tweak it some more with my new Photoshop CS 5 - after learning the software better. I'll let the picture sit a spell while I take a shot at another mock cover, perhaps this time a retake of a published book.

But first, I'll take a crack at this week's Illustration Friday challenge ("fuel"). Once again I have an idea that will tie it in to my "treehouse" Sketchbook Project. Look for the picture to appear on this blog sometime this weekend. I have an SCBWI conference to attend tomorrow, so you may not see it until Sunday night.

Cover with inking

2011-10-20T20:40:00.000-04:00

I've been inking and tweaking the lines on the cover for the past two evenings. This is how it now looks:

I'm not quite satisfied. I know I'm going to need to produce more mock covers for the portfolio, so I'm going to play around some more with this one without worrying about destroying it. I think I'll see what kinds of effects I can get by adding some colored pencil. Stay tuned!

Cover progress

2011-10-18T20:26:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I transferred the cover sketch to a watercolor block, lightly inked guidelines for the paint, and erased away the graphite. This morning I photocopied the image and tested color possibilities with colored pencil on the copy, which you can see on the far left of this photograph:

Then I began painting. As you can see, I did not put a whole lot of effort into clearing a workspace ahead of time:

I let the picture dry while I ate supper, then began picking out details with ink line. I think there is more to be done, but right now I'm afraid of overworking. I really need to take a break from looking at it. Tomorrow (after I get home from the day job) I'll see it with fresh eyes and perhaps be a better judge of what needs tweaking and what needs to be left alone.

Book cover sketches

2011-10-16T13:39:00.000-04:00

This weekend I started work on a cover illustration for my portfolio. In the interest of tying the task in with the middle grade novel I'm in the process of writing, I'm doing a front cover mock up based on it. This is the idea I sketched up first:

The scene is one I thought might make the most intriguing cover. The two girls are peeking in a neighbors window. The title is just a stand in. (I'm nowhere near choosing a final one.) I didn't quite like the way the figures are dwarfed by the title text. They also seem a little too stiff. The tree shape's not working for me either. After much struggle with pencil and eraser (I was covered with rubber crumbs by the end of the day yesterday) and a little inspiration from Ernest Shepard's Winnie the Pooh drawings, this is what I came up with:

I'm still not sure of the layout of the text and border, but I like the proportions in the picture. I think I'll go ahead and get to work on the illustration in watercolor and ink. Then when I have my new Adobe CS 5.5 (on its way!), I'll play around with the other elements.

IF: Scattered

2011-10-14T19:38:00.001-04:00

Once again, this week's Illustration Friday theme has been easy to tie in with the "treehouse" theme of my Sketchbook Project book. Given a heavy enough gust, leaves and treehouse inhabitants are "scattered" on the wind:

Two more for the Sketchbook Project

2011-10-12T22:04:00.000-04:00

Here are two more spreads for my treehouse-themed Sketchbook Project book. This first one, a treehouse ferris wheel, didn't come out as well as I'd hoped. The idea looks much better in my head. I may need to revisit it later.

It seemed appropriate that one of my treehouses should be occupied by squirrels. I decided to give this one a little bit of story:

Treehouse Contraption

2011-10-08T20:23:00.003-04:00

Today's drawing kills two birds with one stone. It fills the next spread in my Sketchbook Project treehouse sketchbook, and it contains a contraption to fulfill this week's Illustration Friday challenge. These little tree people needed some way to move fruit from the apple tree to the pine tree (thus making them pineapples - you may all groan now).

As always, click on the image to view larger.

Christmas treehouse

2011-10-04T13:21:00.000-04:00

After a couple of months of neglect, I have finally pulled my sketchbook project book out from under a pile of stuff, turned to a fresh page, and begun drawing again. This one came to me as I was imagining what sort of treehouse you might find in an evergreen...

Click on image to enlarge.

New Season, New Postcard, New Virus

2011-09-24T11:55:00.002-04:00

Happy Autumn, Everyone!

So, Friday the 16th I chose the image for my next batch of postcards, and I ordered them online from moo. Then my throat started hurting. I swear it was at the exact moment I clicked to confirm the order. I've spent the better part of the past week popping ibuprofen and pseudo-ephedrine and forcing fluids. I started climbing out of the yuck on Thursday. Then yesterday my new postcards arrived in the mail.

I swear they appeared on the porch exactly seven days to the minute after I clicked to confirm the order.

I had planned to attend the National Book Festival today, but as it is threatening rain, and I am still not 100 percent better, I have decided to stay home. Disappointing, but I have 60 postcards to prepare for mailing and some spot illustrations that need inking. The spots are spec work I'm hoping to sell to a periodical. You can see part of one image in the photograph above. See the penciled mouse on the sketchpad in the upper left corner?

On the writing front, I'm working on character backgrounds for a new early middle grade novel. This is a project that has grown out of the picture book dummy I created last winter. The book seemed to want more story to it, so I'm letting it grow. I have aged up the main character from about 5 or 6 to 10 years old. I have a good idea of where I want to go with the plot, but earlier this week I was struggling with writing. Literary agent Kristen Nelson's post on the subject of character development hit my blog reader at just the right time. I need to discover more about my characters, their backgrounds, and their feelings about their circumstances and one another to know how they would act and speak in the scene. So, more prep before writing. But it's a happy-making task. I am enjoying getting to know my cast.

Promo piece redone with wash

2011-09-16T17:00:00.002-04:00

I decided to redo the cinema promotional picture from the previous post with different hair on the woman. This one has a neutral gray wash. Click on image for a closer look.

I like this one better.

Now I'm eager to get on with creating images to go with the chapter book I'm writing. More posts on that to come.

New promo materials

2011-09-10T16:27:00.002-04:00

Here is a first stab at a new promo piece:

Click on the image to enlarge. Note the slick way I slipped my web address into the image.

I plan to work on a couple more ideas over the next week or two before I decide what to put on the next postcard. I want emphasize black and white work in this round of mailings. My self-imposed deadline for getting the next batch of postcards into the mail is the end of this month. Wish me luck!

Bookshelf Pics with Wash

2011-09-05T08:49:00.000-04:00

Not a huge change, but an improvement I think.

Pic 1, before:

Pic 1, after:

Pic 2, before:

Pic 2, after:

This blog was pretty quiet in August. You may be wondering what else I have been up to. Well, I recently wrapped up a round of revisions on a novel work in progress. It is with a critiquer at the moment. I have a new short story off on submission to a magazine and have just gotten another ready to submit as well.

In the drawing department, I've been sketching characters in preparation for my next promotional mailing. I want to get a batch of postcards in the mail by the end of the month, but I'm struggling with getting the characters to a level of dynamism that satisfies. My people aren't quite interesting enough for the market I'd like to get into. If you, dear blog reader, have used any resources - books, websites, blogs - that have helped you get your characters to the next level, please, please, please leave the names of them in the comments. Thank you!

Better with Wash

2011-09-04T11:46:00.000-04:00

I finally got bold enough to add a neutral gray wash to a few pen-and-inks I drew earlier this summer. Being essentially a coward, I had to try first with a picture I wasn't particularly attached to. This is a quick piece I did in response to an Illustration Friday challenge:

And here it is after I've enriched it with the wash:

I don't know about you, but I see a massive improvement. I clearly need to quit being so precious and trust my hand more.

I was so pleased with the outcome I went right on to add washes to the two bookshelf pictures. Posts with their before and after images to follow...

The Companion Piece

2011-08-08T23:19:00.002-04:00

I've finally got the companion piece to the bookshelf picture where I think I might actually like it. Click on image to enlarge.

I drew the pair of pictures with Copic Multiliner waterproof pens on Arches watercolor paper blocks. The pictures are still attached to the blocks and are sitting in plain sight on my drawing table. The more I look at them the more I am thinking of using a neutral gray wash to define the figure better and to play up some of the shadows.

Manic Network

2011-07-22T11:24:00.002-04:00

I've been interviewed over at the Manic Network blog. Check it out at http://manicnetworkinterviews.blogspot.com/2011/07/interview-with-jean-wogaman.html!

Bookshelf picture

2011-07-16T23:19:00.000-04:00

Here's what I think is the final of the bookshelf picture. If I tried to do more to it at this point, I'd probably kill it.

As usual, click on the image for a closer look.

Next up, I plan to work on a companion piece to this one with the same characters in a different arrangement with a clearer view of the girl's face.

What I'm working on...

2011-07-10T19:16:00.000-04:00

I'm currently working to develop the black and white section of my portfolio. Here's a sketch I've been working on today. I'll work up the final image with pen and ink, possibly with a gray watercolor wash.

I'm also planning a companion piece that will show the girl's face better.

Digitize me!

2011-07-09T20:54:00.000-04:00

My 2011 Sketchbook Project book has been digitized! Check it out on their website at
http://www.arthousecoop.com/library/4570.

IF: Remedy

2011-07-01T23:05:00.001-04:00

Click on image to enlarge.

IF: Midsummer Night

2011-06-27T09:25:00.002-04:00

"Methought I was enamour'd of an ass."

As a huge Shakespeare fan, I couldn't read the Illustration Friday topic "Midsummer Night" and not think of the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Here is the scene where Titania wakes from the spell to discover that she has been making love to Bottom, a big oaf with a donkey head. Since the scene occurs at night, with lots of dark, I decided to try my hand at scratchboard again. It took longer than I expected, but perhaps I just need more practice with the medium. If you want to see a real master of scratchboard, go to http://sean-ashby.blogspot.com/.

Treehouse interior

2011-06-21T12:15:00.000-04:00

For the next spread in my Sketchbook Project book, I decided to take a look at an interior room:

Click on image to view larger.

IF: Launch!

2011-06-17T13:21:00.001-04:00

Here's a picture I did fairly recently that seems to fit this week's Illustration Friday "launch" theme as the cat is being launched out the door:

The picture is a scene I finished to accompany a dummy for a picture book I wrote. It's a story that, after discussing it with an art director, I now think might work better as part of a chapter book (for early elementary school age readers). I've been brainstorming ideas for expanding the story in my journal. This could be my next major writing project.

Another treehouse

2011-06-10T18:42:00.001-04:00

Here's the third spread in my sketchbook project treehouse book. Click on image for a better view.

I draw these during the evening news. It makes listening to what's going on in the world a lot more fun.

Shadows rough sketch

2011-06-07T19:40:00.002-04:00

Before I did the mixed media version of my "Shadows," I worked out the composition in the pencil sketch below:

That sketch has been in an open sketchbook on my drawing table for the past few days. It has been catching my eye everytime I pass by. I kinda like the noir look of the black and white image.

I haven't been doing much sketching (okay, not any) since Saturday. I've been trying to write a short story, but it's not coming together very well yet. Perhaps I need to goof off to get the creative juices flowing better. Time to pull out the treehouse sketchbook again and play.

Illustration Friday: Shadows

2011-06-04T17:03:00.001-04:00

For this week's Illustration Friday picture, I went with a mixed media approach.

That means I couldn't make up my mind. I started in pen-and-ink, but then thought the shadows would be better depicted in a wash. I used watercolor for that, but only for that. In order to get my witness character to show up a bit more in the dark, I brought her out with colored pencil. I also used some warm yellow colored pencil to set off the cold shadow drama.

I may try more mixed media work in future. I kinda like it.

Treehouse Sketchbook Spread #2

2011-05-30T20:55:00.000-04:00

I spent a fair chunk of my holiday playing with my Sketchbook Project book and exploring the treehouse theme. Here's another spread. Click on the image for a larger view.

I chose to go with a more ordinary backyard treehouse because I wanted to get in some practice drawing kids. Then I decided to add a cat. (I thought of drawing a dog, but that didn't seem quite right up in a tree.) Then I added the squirrel to amuse the cat. The bird in the nest (another form of treehouse) at the top was an afterthought.

IF: Asleep

2011-05-27T11:45:00.000-04:00

This week's Illustration Friday theme "asleep" fits with this pen-and-ink and watercolor piece I did two and a half years ago for a now defunct blog:

The blog was a short-lived project I called "Rat Manor." It was to be a journal of my days (what was really going on) as observed by rats that live behind the walls in my house (that part was fiction -- I hope). This character's name was "Cob."

It was an ambitious project. Too ambitious. I had developed several rat and mouse characters and tensions between them. I had intended to illustrate each post. It took away time from all other creative projects. My novels were gathering dust. And, as to writing about what was really going on in my life, the rats were getting awfully close to narrating scenes of me trying to come up with the next illustrated blog post. Still, it gave me a lot of material. I suppose someday, these rodents may end up in a story of their own.

IF: Soaked

2011-05-23T16:02:00.000-04:00

Sketchbook Project 2012 - Page 1

2011-05-20T18:56:00.000-04:00

I have begun to fill my 2012 Sketchbook Project sketchbook. I'm taking a doodly approach with the sketchbook this year - not planning out a series of pictures ahead of time. I save it for the evening when I'm watching the news. It helps keep me happy despite what's coming out of the TV set. Here's the opening page -- sorta grew into a title page -- which I've been doodling the past two nights.

Before that I did the front and back covers:

I'm having a lot of fun with this. My theme (Treehouse) is pure play.

Do you keep a sketchbook for your own personal amusement?

Time Out with watercolor

2011-05-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

Today I finally got around to finishing my "time out" drawing with its watercolor wash.

I can't decide how I feel about it. But I do know it's not blowing me away.

My characters need more ... something. They seem as if any anonymous artist might have drawn them. They're not clearly Jeanie Wogaman's work. They need more that sets them apart from one another too. Good thing I have more time to draw these days. I have my work cut out for me.

IF: Safari

2011-05-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

IF: Beginner

2011-05-10T14:14:00.001-04:00

How fitting that my first Illustration Friday attempt should be for the theme "beginner."

I noted that I was not the only illustrator to think of waterwings. Guess my little girl's not going to raise as big a splash as I'd hoped ...

Time Out

2011-05-07T09:08:00.001-04:00

I'm working on a new portfolio piece. I had originally intended for this to be for Illustration Friday's theme of "lesson", but that week got away from me. I still wanted to draw it, however, as I could stand to have more portfolio pieces in school settings.

Here's the pencil sketch (nice and smudgy):

And here's the composition after transfer to watercolor paper and inking:

OK, so essentially the same, minus the smears.

And here is the color study done in colored pencil on a photocopy of the ink drawing:

I'll make the shadows more subtle in the final, but I'm pretty happy with it overall. Now, on to the watercolor. I have a bunch of writing to do today, but I hope to have the final image ready to post by the end of the day tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Watercoloring and New Postcards

2011-04-30T20:00:00.001-04:00

Today was devoted to adding color to the Doily pictures:

The two pictures you see at the top are photocopies of the inked images that I then colored with colored pencils to work out the color scheme. The two pictures on the bottom row are the watercolors in process. As you can see, they are still attached to their Arches watercolor paper blocks.

Here's a slightly clearer view:

At this point I was pretty nearly done with the paints. But I did go back in with my trusty Copic Multiliner pen for some touch up.

Here are the two finals:

You can also view these on my website http://www.jeanwogaman.com.

While I was painting, the mail arrived...

Look! It's my new Moo Cards!

I'm really pleased with how they turned out. The cards are a nice sturdy stock, the lines are sharp, and the colors are true. They're not the least expensive option out there, but I wanted to be sure my first batch of promotional postcards looked especially good. I knew others had gotten good results with Moo. An added bonus is that you can do as many different pictures as you want in one batch. I did the two you see above. Another company was also highly recommended by artist friends, but my Adobe design software is from the 1990s and can't generate files to their specifications. *sigh* I'm going to have to make a huge financial investment soon.

The postcards arrived several days before I expected them. I quickly got onto the internet and ordered 29c stamps from http://www.usps.com. I'll start working on an address list tomorrow. I figure if I put it in Excel, I can track mailings and merge to labels from the same file. Not my favorite part of the illustration business, being so like my day job, but it's better than the doing taxes part.

New Toy!

2011-04-29T14:21:00.001-04:00

Look what arrived in yesterday's mail:

My book for the Sketchbook Project 2012!

Here's the back with my label:

You can barely see the theme. On the label just above the barcode is the word "Treehouse." As a huge lover of trees and houses and the combination of the two, I can hardly wait to get sketching. But I am forcing myself to wait until I have finished coloring the two Doily pics. Sketching treehouses will be my reward for completing the day's work.

This year's sketchbook (from Scout Books) is smaller than the Moleskine they used for the 2011 project. It's 5"x7" rather than 5"x8". The pages are whiter, just barely thicker (thicker is good), and slightly less smooth (which may be better for pencil sketchers). This year there are only 32 pages (as opposed to last year's 80), but you can add up to a thickness of one inch. I don't think I will. If I finish this book too quickly, I may just get a second one with a different theme. "Waterslides I never rode" sounds like a fun one...

Inking

2011-04-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

I have inked the second Mrs. Doily picture and plan to add color to the pair of images tomorrow.

I still need to work out the color and pattern for Mrs. Doily's dress. I may have to do some colored pencil sketching before I go after this with the watercolors.

Struggling with the next sketch

2011-04-24T20:33:00.000-04:00

I've been sketching like a maniac, my hands covered with graphite, but I'm almost there with the companion piece to my Penny, Doily, Zip picture:

I'll sleep on it tonight. If I like it in the morning, I'll start prepping the sketch for transfer to watercolor paper. Time to start thinking about colors/fabric patterns for Mrs. Doily's dress. What would make a nice complement to Penny's clothing colors (pink and blue with touches of red)?

Sketchbook Project 2012

2011-04-21T19:23:00.000-04:00

I just signed up for the Sketchbook Project 2012! I know I had said in a previous post that I didn't have a terrific experience with the 2011 Sketchbook Project, but this next one should be better for a number of reasons. For one thing, I've registered nine months before the book is due. Last year I had less than two months to fill the pages. Another thing that should be better is the sketchbook itself. The Project has a new, custom-designed book that they claim has better quality paper. Thin pages was one of my biggest complaints. Also, I have chosen my own theme from this year's list: "Treehouse"!

I'm gonna have fun with this one!

Doily Inked

2011-04-20T18:59:00.000-04:00

I finished inking the picture of Mrs. Doily, Penny, and Zip last night.

Doily's hair was loads of fun.

Before I proceed to the watercolor stage, I'd like to work up a companion piece. Painting the two Penny pictures simultaneously made it easier to keep the color theme consistent. As a mate to this picture, I want an image that has the same three characters, just as active, but from different angles. I'll search through the dummy for a scene that fills the bill and hopefully start working up pencil sketches when I get home from the office tomorrow.

100th Blogpost and Mrs. Doily

2011-04-16T21:59:00.001-04:00

Exciting news! This is my 100th blogpost! And it's only taken me 2 1/2 years to get here... I really should post more frequently.

But on to something even more exciting ... my next illustration! When I was hurriedly preparing to meet with an art director from a super fabulous children's book publishing house last month, I painted this "finished" illustration to accompany the book dummy for Penny's story:

While the string of images shows abundant activity, it runs a little short on distinctive characterizations. (Click on the image to enlarge it.) I aim to remedy that problem in my next picture. Penny's look changed in the last two pictures (see my previous blogpost), as did the cat Zip's. While the old lady, Mrs. Doily, has the most character in the image above, she could still do with a bit more, especially in her face.

At my portfolio critique, the art director had an idea to spice up the tension in the picture book's plot. Her idea made me think of a bazillion more story problems the increased friction between Penny and Mrs. Doily could spark. (Penny's picture book is fast growing into a chapter book.) She also got me thinking of a new look for Mrs. Doily. At first I thought I'd make her skinny. I was imagining all the visually fun things I could do with her lanky lines. But I wanted to keep the crazy curlicue hair. So I sketched. I came up with the thin figures you see below. (I had some others that I won't post because their faces are dour, and I don't want to make readers unhappy when they visit my blog.) I think she looks something like Ms. Frizzle meets Amelia Bedelia. Not what I was going for at all.

Did you notice that one of the Doilies in the image above is not slender? She's the one I've decided to develop for my next portfolio piece. Here's a close-up:

This pencil sketch doesn't look hugely different from the image at the top of this post, but I've worked in a few subtle changes that should become more apparent after I've given it the new style treatment with more line-work and layered colors. You may be able to detect that Mrs. Doily is plumper. I thought that would make her look a lot more amusing when she's on a step ladder (from one of my chapter book ideas). I've also tried to make her facial expression more readable. I think I need to work on that a bit more. Penny and Zip will have their new colorings, of course, and I'll use some more ink line to define the woodwork and door better. And I'll probably keep the door white. I think I may also extend the image to include their feet.

Here they are ...

2011-04-13T07:20:00.002-04:00

... the finished pictures:

Click on image to view larger.

Progress

2011-04-12T18:25:00.000-04:00

Today I finally had a large enough block of time - all day, in fact - to tackle the watercolor phase of my Penny pictures.

Here is how it looked a couple of hours into the process:

At this point, I still had a lot of colors to layer on to the tree trunk and the rug. I also had yet to add the touches of red and some more shadow.

After a few more hours of painting, followed by a fair amount of additional ink line work, I think the pieces may be complete. I want to let them sit a while, perhaps over night, then look at them afresh before I commit to their being finished.

Stay tuned. I'll be posting the final images soon!

Color choices

2011-04-08T20:02:00.000-04:00

Time to add color to the Penny pen and ink drawings. The drawings are on Arches 140 lb. hot pressed watercolor paper blocks, ready for wash. But before I apply paint to the relatively expensive surface, I like to test my palette choices with colored pencils on photocopies of the final drawings.

Here are the two images with colored pencil treatment:

(I'm using Dick Blick colored pencils. I have the 72 pencil set, lots of rich color choices and of a good quality for blending - even on cheap copy paper - and very reasonably priced.)

I'm fairly pleased with the look. Of course, watercolors won't be exactly the same. I'm not talking about wet vs. dry - this exercise is about finding the color not texture. I'm talking about how my paint pigment choices are different from my pencils, but I expect to be able mix good approximations using these pencil mock-ups as a guide.

I've decided not to fill in backgrounds this time, not even with a light wash. I don't want anything to compete with the definition of the characters. I may ink in more detail after the watercolor treatment, which I'll start tomorrow...

The companion piece

2011-04-05T19:50:00.000-04:00

I know the picture of Penny sitting in the tree needs something, I'm just not sure what. In order to better understand her character and the style I'm trying to find for this project, I decided to concentrate my attention on the closely related companion piece:

The scan is terrible (sorry, I don't want to cut the paper off the block until after I do the watercolor wash), but I like the way the inking has come together. (Click on it to see it larger.) It makes sense with the other one. The two depictions of Penny are clearly of the same girl and the style seems consistent. I think I'm ready to plan the color. I'll paint both pictures at the same time.

Still reworking

2011-04-02T20:29:00.000-04:00

Here is an inked, reworked sketch of Penny and Zip. Click on the image to enlarge it. I'm not quite satisfied, but I can't put my finger on why. I welcome any feedback you'd like to offer in the comments. At this point I should perhaps switch to the watercolor wash. I can always ink more afterward. If I add more ink now, I may overwork it. I'll let it sit like this until tomorrow, so I can see it fresh.

I got some horrendously bad news about a friend yesterday. It has rather derailed my progress on the portfolio this weekend. I spent the better part of this afternoon working on an abstract piece to help me sort through my feelings. Something I needed to do. The piece is tentatively titled "A Better Place" which is where I hope she now is...

I have a bit more drawing details to add then I'll be using watercolor and perhaps acrylics.

Another redo

2011-03-28T21:31:00.001-04:00

Here's another "finished" portfolio piece from my picture book dummy:

The cat is not showing up too well against the tree trunk. And the girl's expression is, well, expressionless.

This evening I have been resketching the scene with the darker version of the cat and a slightly better view of the girl's face. Here's what I have worked up so far:

(Sorry about the uneven quality of the scan. I didn't want to have to rip the page out the sketchbook yet, so I couldn't fully close the lid on the scanner.) I want to do more with this composition, but not tonight. I'm going to try more inking and less of the soft wash in my final pictures.

Tomorrow I don't go into the office, so more time for drawing. Yay!

Adding more character to my characters

2011-03-27T20:11:00.000-04:00

Here is a piece I completed last month for the portfolio:

It is part of a picture book project that includes a full dummy and a couple of other "finished" pieces. An art director has now seen it and deemed its character depictions lacking. After her excellent explanation, I am inclined to agree. One gets very little sense of a unique personality here. Neither the girl nor the cat really leap off the page. Soft and sweet as the scene may be, it is forgettable and a good example of why I need to ramp up my characters in general.

This evening I began sketching my way toward improvement:

The cat, Zip, is meant to be a highly curious and active guy. I heightened the color contrast of the cat's fur to reflect his bold personality and shaped the pattern on his back to help highlight his movement through the story. The girl, Penny, has a passion for drawing. I've opened up her face more to reveal its expressions. (If you click on the image, you'll see more detail.) I've darkened her hair so she doesn't fade into the cat's background.

I need to live with the drawing a little while before I determine what else needs changing. I welcome any ideas/reactions in the comments below.

Next (tomorrow evening, if I have time) I will redraw the other two images I had "completed" for this picture book. Perhaps drawing Penny and Zip in other scenes will give me fresh ideas for the image above.

Character design game

2011-03-26T21:58:00.001-04:00

At last Thursday's #kidlitart twitter chat, illustrator Ryan Wilson suggested a fun exercise to help extend the boundaries of physical diversity in your character set. To get started, you need to dig up one of those old scraps of paper you've used to blot your watercolors on. Unfortunately all of mine have skinny brush strokes, not big, bold splotches. As I am not into drawing snake characters at the moment, I decided to cheat a little bit and create my own sheet of splotchier splotches. To do this, I simply put big dollops of water on the paper (fabriano artistico hot press in this instance) and loaded them with color. I made no effort to control how they dried. This is what it looked like:

Then with my trusty copic multiliner pens, I found faces.

I'm not sure that any of these particular faces will become future illustrations. But it was a fun exercise. It got me thinking about how asymmetrical head shapes and hairdos can be without looking too unnatural. I will probably push those sorts of things further when I design my next characters. I may try this exercise again with larger splotches that can become a character's entire figure - not just the head.

Another Helping Hand

2011-03-24T20:44:00.000-04:00

Here's another attempt to revise my "helping hand" portfolio piece. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

The characters are more distinct. Good. There's more muscle tension in the boy and action and emotion in the girl. I like how that's turned out too. But as I look at it now, it seems that the girl is about to smash into the bank, which is too steep in this composition. Also with the apparent speed of her forward motion, it seems that she and the boy should not yet have such a firm grip on one another, but should be reaching toward one another, just about to connect. Sigh.

Now I need to decide whether to take another crack at this scene or move on to another. Or perhaps I could try this one from a different angle. Choices, choices...

What do you think?

Sketching again...

2011-03-21T20:48:00.002-04:00

I know I haven't posted anything new in ages, but I have a good excuse. Honest. I have been working on a picture book dummy for the past couple of months. The project was not for a publisher, but for the portfolio. I just didn't want to post the work here in case a publisher actually does want to go with some incarnation of it down the line.

My deadline for the project was March 12th, the date of my SCBWI critique with an art director from a major children's publisher. So the dummy draft is now finished and it and my portfolio have been pored over by a professional.

After receiving the art director's feedback, I have decided to concentrate my energy and (currently) limited time not on picture books but on building up my chapter book/children's novel portfolio pieces. I have also been advised to strengthen the depiction of characters in my work, to make them less generic. So I am pulling out old pieces like this one

and working on ways to ramp it up. Here's pencil sketch I did last night.

I like the pose better. I think it helps to see the girl's face - her fear - but it's not quite there yet. The characters are still not distinctive enough. We'll see what happens if I push the features further.

Stay tuned!

Website

2011-03-09T21:04:00.000-05:00

I've just started constructing a proper illustrator's website. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Gurney Journey: Activating Your Imagination

2011-02-06T16:25:00.000-05:00

James Gurney has a great post over at his blog on keeping your drawing imaginative. Click on the link below:

Gurney Journey: Activating Your Imagination: "A student in an academic atelier recently asked me the following question: Dear James, Do you have any advice on how artists can keep ..."

Cats

2011-01-18T21:21:00.000-05:00

I've been drawing cats in preparation for designing a cat character for my picture book. I feel the need to get myself to the point of more easily drawing the cat from any angle in any pose. This kitty needs to appear in every spread in the book.

Just a little sketch

2011-01-13T21:46:00.000-05:00

A little sketch I did based on a photo on the cover of a children's clothing catalog. I was delighted by the pose.

The Final SBP Pages

2011-01-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Here are the last three scans. I'll put the sketchbook in the mail tomorrow.

I'm not all that excited by how they've come out. But I am thrilled with what the Sketchbook Project exercise has done for my creative flow. Just what I needed to get into the frame of mind for what's up next -- creating a picture book dummy.

Almost finished!

2011-01-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm now leaving most of the verso pages completely blank. It's not laziness. Honest. I really don't like the way these thin pages look with every surface inked and showing through the back. I wish the SBP used books with thicker paper.

On the next page, I forgot to write the verb. Doh! I didn't notice until after I inked ink, so I wrote IS in black over the red word NOT. Did you notice how I snuck the theme in there?

Only two more spreads to go. Maybe I can even get this puppy in the mail early.

Another spread for the SBP

2011-01-04T14:25:00.000-05:00

I managed to finish another spread today. The boy has found the bird. And I have plotted out the last pages of the story. Stay tuned!

More SBP pages

2011-01-04T11:04:00.000-05:00

Here are the next six spreads. All the blank spaces are there because the pages are thin and the black ink images read through the back of the page. It's less obvious in the scanned images than it is in the actual book.

These END OF INTERMISSION pages enabled me to keep drawing while I was dreaming up how to draw the next part of the story. I had a lot of fun inventing chairs.

The above page is plain lightly inked to create a buffer between the heavily drawn chair page and the graphic novel-esque spread that follows.

This is my first stab at drawing a sequence of frames. I really like this type of storytelling. If I do another SBP (and I think I will), I'll being doing more like that. Unfortunately, I don't have time left to divide the remaining pages in this book into frames. So I'm back to single images. Verso pages are blank to avoid read-through.

Not sure why I feel compelled to draw a character who doesn't like to draw. What would Freud say? I love drawing. But part of me is thinking of other things I love to do (novel writing) that I'm not doing when I draw. Drawing becomes a stumbling block to completing the writing. Writing can also being a stumbling block to progressing on the drawing.

That's an interpretation that would fit with the image that follows. While Boy is complaining, Mom is fantasizing herself into the arms of a dashing man.

15 pages (7 spreads) left to fill. More posts to come!

More SBP pages

2010-12-31T11:04:00.000-05:00

I hope the Sketchbook Project people don't mind that the book is a little thinner than what they originally sent me. I ended up ripping out several pages I didn't like. I seem to have upset the stitching, but it looks like it'll still hold together.

This is a normal thing for me and my sketchbooks. I rip out pages that I need to photocopy or trace on the lightbox. Most of my old sketchbooks are not fit to be shared. But I'm used to thinking sketchbooks as places to work out project ideas that I finish in other formats. In that sense, the theme of this project fits -- this IS not a sketchbook. After all, I've never filled one while thinking the book is meant to be handled and viewed by others. It's making me self-conscious. But I am a good little soldier and am diligently trying to draw my way through the unhelpful feeling.

The stitching means we're now at the halfway point - - with only two weeks left to finish! Panic!

I decided I needed to see what the cat was doing with that bird. But then I couldn't decide what to do next, so I gave the book an intermission. The time pressure means I need to keep drawing even at the end of a long day. So the intermission page got a weirdly doodly while I was drawing and vegging in front of the TV simultaneously.

Then I started thinking about New Year's parties, so I offered myself a drink. I don't actually drink, so that brought me back to the pattern of putting negatives in red ink.

When I start drawing again later today, I'll go back to that red haired boy who was heading up to an art class. Not sure yet what he's going to do next, but I have decided the boy hates to draw. His mom makes him got to art classes so that she can sneak off for trysts with her brother-in-law. The cat killing the bird doesn't give the story enough tension. This plot line will give me the chance to draw people getting hot and bothered -- in more ways than one!

Sketchbook Project Continued

2010-12-28T12:16:00.000-05:00

Next time I do something like this, I must sign up earlier. I had intended to create a cohesive plan for the sketchbook, but then I noted how little time I have left to complete it. The project requires that you fill your sketchbook and have it in the mail by January 15th. That's a lot of pages for someone with a day job, a Christmas-celebrating family, and novel revisions she wants to keep up the momentum on. So the planning phase is out. It's more important that I keep drawing. I'm pantsing it, letting the pictures on one page lead me to the next. Here are the eight spreads I drew Sunday and yesterday. I'm still not quite halfway through the book.

I'll let the images explain themselves:

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

2010-12-25T17:29:00.003-05:00

The next two sketchbook spreads

2010-12-22T19:53:00.000-05:00

Boy, do I need to draw faster if I'm going to fill all the pages in time to send the book off by January 15th.

Another page

2010-12-16T19:23:00.001-05:00

The Sketchbook Project page I drew last night:

The Sketchbook Project

2010-12-15T19:23:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I signed up to participate in the Sketchbook Project, a project/challenge offered through the Art House Co-op in Brooklyn. I decided to let the folks in Brooklyn choose a theme for me from their list. I was assigned "This is not a sketchbook." Next time I think I'll choose my own theme. I really wanted to sketch, not to turn the book into something else, so I decided to negate the negative in the theme. I received the moleskine cahier about a week later. I am slowly filling the pages, mixing words and pictures, and skipping every other page so that ink bleed-through won't be an issue.

More to come...

More character study sketches

2010-11-05T13:49:00.000-04:00

Character sketches

2010-11-02T15:12:00.000-04:00

This afternoon I've been working on the look of a character for a picture book I'm writing.

Jillian is a girl who loves to draw fairies.

Boys in action

2010-10-19T20:18:00.000-04:00

More play with scratchboard

2010-10-11T21:25:00.000-04:00

Sunday sketching

2010-10-10T16:51:00.000-04:00

The picture book I'm working on for my Writing for Younger Children workshop has a girl main character. So this weekend, in anticipation of needing to develop her character for illustrations, I have been sketching girls:

ScratchArt

2010-10-03T09:57:00.001-04:00

These days I have been spending most of my time revising a middle grade novel. That's going well, but slowly. I have also signed up for a workshop on writing for young children at The Writers' Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Class began last Thursday. It's a seven-week long course that I'm hoping will inspire lots of stories suitable for pairing with my own illustrations. So far so good.

Naturally, this means less time for drawing (I still have that day job too), but I do manage to get a bit of sketching in here and there. I joined the Dupont Drawing Group and have attended two life-drawing sessions; however, I won't be posting any pictures from that on this strictly PG-rated blog. I probably won't attend more sessions until the writing workshop ends in mid-November.

Of course, being one of those people who was born with a drawing pencil in her hand, I can't suppress my sketch demons entirely. Inspired by the delightful and brilliant work of Sean Ashby, I have begun to play with scratchboard. Here's my first sheet of scratch doodles:

This medium would lend itself well to black & white interior art for middle grade novels. That's right up my alley!

Saturday sketching

2010-07-17T20:41:00.000-04:00

Regarding my models

2010-07-12T16:13:00.000-04:00

A couple of commentors have asked about the kids in my sketches. I'd like to take credit for finding these terrific models, but I really can only take credit for finding the book Facial Expressions Babies to Teens by Mark Simon on Amazon.com. It's an illustrator's visual reference of tons of headshots from a variety of angles. I like to loosen up by sketching some of the more amusing facial expressions. Drawing these kids is fun and helps me internalize a wide range of images of lively children. I recommend it to all children's book illustrators. There is also an adult version of the book.

Saturday sketching

2010-07-10T16:27:00.000-04:00

Saturday sketching

2010-06-19T17:05:00.000-04:00

2010-06-18T10:20:00.002-04:00

A pair of drawings in pen and ink:

Sunday sketches

2010-05-16T14:36:00.003-04:00

More practice with facial expressions:

More artifacts

2010-04-26T19:35:00.006-04:00

I had a lot of fun getting the lights and darks right on this old fossil:

I set the object to be drawn on the table and illuminate it from one side only to get maximum shape definition from the shadows.

Here's a South American fabric printing stone. Drawing all the little patterns and swirls really gives you an appreciation for what an intricate carving job the artist did.

I am quite open to illustrating artifacts on a freelance basis. I can be reached via email at jawogaman (at) aol (dot) com.

Artifact drawings

2010-04-26T19:28:00.003-04:00

When I was a grad student in anthropology, I entertained the possibility of a career as an archaeological illustrator. One of my archaeology profs lent me a few of her artifacts for practice. Here are some ancient stone tools:

Long Time No Post

2010-04-26T19:12:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time between posts. I'm sorry about that. I have had to take on a non-art day job, so my time for sketching has been limited. The only drawings I've been doing lately have been geared toward publication, and I'm not free to post them yet. Thanks to those of you who have continued to check back in for new posts. I've found a few old drawings I can share with you. Here's one from an old sketchbook:

I drew this as I working out the setting for a novel I was trying to write. I have since abandoned the project for lack of a plot.

2010-03-11T13:49:00.003-05:00

I'm not necessarily the best illustrator for my own writing. Take a look at Genevieve Kote's illustrations for a story I wrote for the April issue of Pockets magazine. They match the tone of the story perfectly!

2010-02-24T11:41:00.000-05:00

More head studies of Freddy:

2010-02-24T11:28:00.000-05:00

More of Maryann's head:

2010-01-25T20:10:00.000-05:00

2010-01-25T20:08:00.001-05:00