Angelic Pursuits

friendship at first sight?

2011-04-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

This certainly isn't friendship at first sight, but it is my latest illo. It's been in the making for quite some time (because I thought of other things I wanted to illustrate). This story is one I wrote when I first began writing in earnest. I have currently revised the story and am now working toward completing three finished illustrations (this time digitally). Who knows where it'll take me, but I'm learning a lot in the meantime!

Petting zoo

2011-04-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here's my (momentarily) finished product of the illo below. I've been busy with a lot of different things and that, coupled with still learning a lot about digital painting have made it take longer to get things done as quickly as I want to. But I learn something new every time I work with Painter. Some day I might perfect this particular illustration, but at the moment I'm ready to try something else.

I must admit that I get discouraged now and then, thinking that I'll never get to do what I hope to with my illustrating. I know I'm not the best there is out there, but I still feel that I have a good, quality product that people would enjoy. And then, even when I do get discouraged, I don't think I could stop making art. I look at the world through artist eyes . . . I constantly analyze how I would create certain effects I see in real life, always see scenes that I think would be fun to illustrate. On that note, my next project will be of my son walking across a bridge. Our zoo has a really cool play area that gave me the idea.

rough draft - barnyard

2011-03-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

We visited the zoo during spring break, which gave me this idea when we visited the petting zoo. This is obviously only a rough draft which I did mostly in Painter. I must admit that I prefer doing the drawing on scratch paper before painting it (as in, I'm not as proficient doing it on the computer), but I decided to try it out this way. I drew a few animals and the barnyard, selected the ones I felt worked best together, laid them out in Illustrator, then added the children in Painter. I'll try to get the entire thing painted soon, but weekends make it harder to get things done . . . so maybe next week.

Jurassic Walk

2011-03-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest illo. One of my son's friends wistfully spoke of riding T-Rex one day, which sparked this picture. I've included a close-up since you can't see him very well in the original illustration. It is my first dinosaur, and as I chose not to add too much skin detail, it was lots of fun. My husband (who likes the picture overall) feels like the boy is falling off. I must admit that I can't see what he does. If you have a minute, I'd like to get your opinion about it so I can know if it looks wrong to you and, if so, perhaps you can help me understand what I'm doing wrong. Thanks!

Garden

2011-03-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest illustration. I drew it on paper and colored it digitally.

Updated website

2011-02-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

Wow it's been a long time. But my lack of blog productivity doesn't mean I've been lacking in illustration productivity. I've had projects to do here and there and am in the process of sending out another round of postcards. I also just updated my website. A lot of my portfolio is the same, but I did add some digital work. It's been a lot of fun learning how to paint on the computer. What I'm working on is making things look less like they've been rendered digitally.

more digital

2010-09-09T17:30:00.001-07:00

I'm still working on painting things digitally. It's taken a bit of experimentation to find what works best to get the look I want. My husband likes the no-line look better (especially like in the running bunny). I like a bit of line, but the less-line look is also fun. While doing things on the computer I feel like I'm cheating, or not doing things the "right" way. I guess I'm mostly figuring out what style works best for me.

digital life

2010-08-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hi again, everyone! Moving and other things have kept me from doing much lately, but here I am.

After walking through a bookstore today, I got quite the urge to keep working harder since I hope to someday have my stuff there, too! For my birthday, my husband got me a Wacom tablet, so I've been fiddling around with it for the last few days. Below are two images. They are both from a sketch in Cinnamon's Story - the first is the one I worked on yesterday and today (painted digitally) and the second is the one I did with real watercolors. I didn't ink over the digital copy like in the bottom, but for simplicity I kept the same color scheme so I could focus more on the new media. It's quite the process trying to figure out digitally how to do things I do manually, but it is fun.

It's out!

2010-04-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the cover of my first picture book, which is out now. You won't likely run into it (as far as I know, it will only be sold at the bookstore where the author goes to school), but every now and then I'll post some illo's from it. Let me know what you think . . .

Also, if you live anywhere near Sandy, UT, there's a conference coming up (Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers) June 14-18. I don't think I can go - we don't live near enough - but I sure wish I could! Kevin Hawkes will be doing a class, not to mention a plethora of other amazing illustrators. Here's the link to learn more about it: http://www.foryoungreaders.com

black and white spots

2010-03-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of revising my portfolio again. Here are a few bw spots I finished today (that have been waiting to be painted for quite a while). I should also be able to post some illo's from the book I illustrated last year any time now, so be on the lookout!

The printer/scanner I raved about a while ago gave us ink problems, so Epson sent us a replacement. Unfortunately, the replacement doesn't pick up the variations nearly as well as the other one did. The teacher's hair isn't nearly as starkly black as you now see, and the black blob by the elephant's mouth is really his tongue hanging out. I tried for some time in GIMP (like Photoshop) to make things look more decent, but it wasn't working. Sigh. I'll just have to wait for something like another job so I can justify buying a new printer/scanner (the replacement doesn't allow me to print on my watercolor paper, either).

I hope you like the illo's. They were fun to create!

Another spec piece

2010-03-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

I was asked to do another spec piece for Brown Books. I didn't get the job, so you get to see it. This doesn't have the typical colors I like to do since I was asked to make it look as much as I could like the photo I was given.

A logo

2010-02-25T13:16:00.001-08:00

A good friend asked me to create a logo for her business. Here's the final product. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. In so many ways, logos are easier than picture books. It was a bit tricky for me to figure out how to manipulate the text just so, but I learned from the experience, and that's what counts, isn't it?

Stories for Children - Last Issue

2010-02-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

A few years ago (about when I started this blog) I began participating in illustrating for Stories for Children Magazine. Next month will be their last issue (perhaps indefinitely?) and I chose to participate. It's been a great way for me to have a reason to illustrate, and I have certainly seen some growth as a result. Here's the illo, and if you're intrigued, look for Molly and the Watering Can in March.

I think, were I to repaint this, I would make the watering can silver (or gold, maybe?). Otherwise, I'm pretty satisfied with the finished product.

my latest work

2010-02-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

OK, so this is more boring than what I usually do, but since I did it I'll show it. We'll be moving whenever we can sell our house and my husband wants a website to showcase our townhome. He thought a couple of watercolors might help it stand out and enlisted yours truly to do them. I have to admit that making something this realistic isn't as much fun for me to do, but the final product is satisfying. And now I have a portrait of our first home.

sketching

2010-01-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

I made a goal to do a bit more sketching this year, something that is actually much easier for me than it is to create something from my own imagination (although not as much fun). I can easily go on auto-pilot and think about or listen to something else while I do it. In this case, I was listening to a basketball game.

Brothers

2009-12-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if I'll actually put color on this (too many things I'd need to work out that I'm not wanting to do right now), but I love the story. My oldest son really likes playing with kids (as opposed to me) and is always trying to get my youngest to do something with him. After dancing together last Sunday, the youngest decided he was done and lugged his stool to the window to look at the snow. My oldest said, "OK, now we can look at the snow!" He went over to my youngest and tenderly put his hand on the small of his brother's back. My youngest wasn't so sure about the whole thing, but it certainly filled me up with warm joy!

Hello Again!

2009-12-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

OK, so I know I haven't been around for a while, but I just realized that it's been since JULY since I last posted! Ahem.

Watercolor Wednesdays has already seen this illo, but some of you have not. I created this for a children's book I wrote many years ago that I hope to one day publish.

Speaking of books, I finished my very first for Brown Books (an "all-purpose" publishing house - they help people self-publish books). The way it worked was they asked me to submit a spec piece (like the one below) for an author to look at. The author liked my style and chose me to illustrate the story. It was nice to get paid (howbeit a bit meager), to add to my portfolio, and to compliment my resume. Once the book is published (March-ish?) I can share illo's.

My tendonitis has much improved, thanks to a nifty personal ultrasound machine I purchased. It is SOOO nice to be able to do things without being in pain (or, worse, feeling like I'm only making things worse)!

tendonitis

2009-07-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of posts. I've got tendonitis in both elbows that I'm trying to rest and heal from and everything aggravates it. Sigh.

I've done 2 illo's on spec recently. I didn't get the job for the one below but I'm waiting on the other. Because of tendonitis, I was relieved not to get the job. But I do like how the illo turned out.

Stories for Children - June

2009-06-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest illo for Stories for Children.

"sticky"

2009-06-16T21:03:00.001-07:00

Here's my Watercolor Wednesday's contribution this week. The prompt was "sticky," and what could be more "sticky" than some roasted marshmallows on a stick?

Illustration Friday: Unfold

2009-06-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye to an old friend, however bittersweet, also leads to the unfolding of new adventures. What kind of future awaits this boy, his teacher, and (of course) the hamster? That unknown can be scary, but I always feel a bit of excitement in these situations.

I created this for Watercolor Wednesdays wanting to use scrap paper and a quick sketch. I like how it turned out, but the colors didn't scan in as nicely as the original. Reds, for some reason, come out flaming hot while the more subtle colors tend to fade. Oh well. My favorite part of the illo is her skirt. And the hamster (although you can't see it very well).

By the way, an editor from Brown Books emailed me a couple weeks ago after having found one of my portfolios on the web (coroflot). She likes my stuff and asked if I'd like to be a freelance illustrator for their company. I realize that she may never actually call with an assignment for me, but just the thought that an editor from an established publishing company likes my work gave me the boost I needed. I don't think I could ever quit illustrating (it's way too much fun), but it is easy to feel discouraged and to wonder if I really have what it takes.

Sketch

2009-05-20T19:43:00.001-07:00

Here's my latest sketch (though I am working on others). Once again, this fun idea is inspired by my very creative husband. What would I do without him?

Old Stuff

2009-05-14T15:01:00.001-07:00

I was just organizing all my files and came across these I did before I started doing children's illustration. I really enjoy using black and white and pencil since it forces me to create value in ways that I don't always achieve with color. Can you tell I love to do babies and little kids?

I finished it

2009-05-13T22:08:00.001-07:00

Here's the final product. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Let me know what you think. Would you do anything different?

stories for children magazine sketch

2009-05-12T20:24:00.001-07:00

Here's my sketch for the June issue for Stories for Children magazine, titled The Ant and the Soccer ball. I have to say, it's been lots of fun doing insects. It's a little challenging trying to be creative, but once I get an idea, it's fun. Let me know if you see anything wrong or that could be done better.

Thanks!

2009-05-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you, everyone who commented to my last post. You all echoed things I felt. Just looking at the last two illo's made me cringe whenever I looked at either of them, all for the reasons you gave. Your comments pushed me to try again, and I'm much happier with the results. There are still a few things I'd like to change, but overall I'm much more pleased with the way this one finally turned out. Thanks again for your help! I hope you like the changes, too.

Which one do you prefer?

2009-05-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

My husband helps me so much with my illustrations, always encouraging me to do better than I think I can. He's always liked the characters in this illo, but he also pointed out some things that needed help. Since I like this illo myself, I decided to redo it. There are a lot of things I like better, but some things didn't turn out quite as well (in my opinion) as they did originally. Out of curiosity, which do you prefer? And after you've done that, take a close look to see how many differences you can find.

What a friend!

2009-04-28T21:34:00.001-07:00

Giraffes seem like they'd be so kind and friendly if they could talk. Thanks to this giraffe, our mouse traveler can get the directions he's been looking for (or maybe it's a she? I didn't quite make up my mind).

Fairy Friendship

2009-04-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

Here's another illo I did for Watercolor Wednesdays.

Bunny Friends

2009-04-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

I just finished this. My son has a couple girls who think he's pretty cool (probably because his favorite color is pink) and I drew this while thinking of them.

Elephant Reader

2009-04-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

I did this elephant a while back in color (you may have seen it). I liked the idea, but I didn't like the finished product. Since I've been needing more black and white and animal pieces, I decided to redo this one. I also made him more realistic. I'm much happier with the way he turned out.

Today I sent out packets of my art samples with the hope of trying to get an agent. Who knows what'll happen, but I certainly hope one of the five will like my work. At the present I feel that I would go much further with an agent than without one. We'll see . . .

Illustration Friday: Fleeting

2009-04-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

These ladybugs are enjoying the rain before it fleets away (does that work?)

Rainy days,

Splashing the bugs away.

On their way to where they slide around.

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to Ladybug Street?

(Think Sesame Street's song.)

OK, so don't roll your eyes. I hope you like the illustration anyway. And if you like the splashes (like I am happy they turned out), you have my husband to thank. The idea came from the film, Microcosmos, by the way.

Three Little "Pigs"

2009-04-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest illo. I hope you like it!

Dreamers

2009-03-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Here are two illo's that I finished last night. I really like the one above. It epitomizes me when I was growing up (and probably still does). I lived to dance and dress up. What were YOU like when you were a kid? Hopefully you didn't have many sad days like the poor girl below.

Swing!

2009-03-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to perfect my portfolio and, after concluding that I don't have enough black and white illo's, decided to work on this. It comes from an old sketch I did a year or two ago that I always liked. I like the energy. I'm mostly pleased with the way it turned out, but there are some things that I'm not as happy about. Does it work for you? I really enjoy working with b/w, probably because my colors are limited and I have to work within just that framework, making things work out in a way that too many options doesn't.

Playing Troubles

2009-03-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes playing leads to bumps and bruises. Thank goodness for kind brothers willing to offer a little love!

Stories for Children - April

2009-03-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here's my newest illo for Stories for Children. A boy and his mom have a hair-raising experience on a ride.

Babies - and a new scanner

2009-03-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

I'm working on another idea I have for a novelty book which involves babies and toddlers. Here are a few spots that I painted for it (the last two posts are also included). I thought they turned out pretty well. More importantly, perhaps, I got a new scanner!!! I am so excited. The top illo's are scanned in with the new one and the bottom are from the old (and that's even after trying to manipulate colors). I am quite pleased with how much better things are. It makes me want to rescan everything I have on my website.

What do you think of the difference?

silly babies

2009-02-26T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple illo's I've done of babies doing silly things. I'm really frustrated with how washed out they look. Scanning things always does that. Sometimes I try to compensate for it and end up putting too much color in. Sometimes I try to play with the color adjustments (like in the top one) but then other problems come into play (like her green shirt isn't quite that tone, the speckles around her look digitized, etc). Oh well. I hope you like them anyway!

my latest illo

2009-02-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest piece of work I finished (Stories for Children). Sorry about the lack of posts. I've been working on a couple projects that I'd like to send out soon, but there isn't much worth seeing at the moment. That and my baby is sick and teething again (at least these are his four canines, and after this he will hopefully have a break from pain until his two year molars decide to appear), I've been sick, and my husband has been working like crazy (fortunately, we've reached the end of that, we hope). All of this leaves me feeling quite weary by the end of the day. Thank goodness I have something to look forward to at the end of the day, although sometimes I think that it's part of the problem (wanting to do more with it when I've got other obligations pressing).

BLAH blah BLAH blah BLAH

or, as my husband always says: BLOG blog BLOG blog BLOG

It's off!

2009-01-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

I finally sent off Jessica's Sunbeam Window today. Who knows if it'll be accepted and published, but I've done my part.

Illustration Friday: Climbing

2009-01-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

Some of you have already seen this, but it fits the topic. Peri is "climbing" her way to the finish of her "monstrous mile." I illustrated it a few months ago for Stories for Children and like the way it turned out, especially her hair. I also like Peri's gym teacher, but you can't see her expression as well. I hope you like it.

Valentine in color

2009-01-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

I finished it. What do you think? Too pink? Just right?

Stories for Children sketch

2009-01-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post my sketch for the upcoming issue for Stories for Children magazine. I like a lot of elements in this sketch and hope that I can make it work in color.

More of Jessica

2008-12-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

I wanted proof that I've been doing more than just lazing around. Here's one of my illo's I'll include with my dummy.

I finished it!

2008-12-06T21:27:00.000-08:00

After a few years of working on this book every now and then, my dummy for Jessica's Sunbeam Window is complete. I've included the top two images in addition to the last illo to give you an idea of how Jessica has transformed from her beginnings (there's actually another, more cartoony version that I don't feel like finding and scanning). Since beginning the dummy, my style has solidified and I've made decisions regarding her age. All that remains for me to complete are three illo's to paint, and then I'll send her out into the world and hope someone will see this vision the way that I do and buy it. Regardless of the outcome, however, I feel proud that I've achieved this goal. Only three years ago, I couldn't have put this together. I remember the frustration I felt when I tried to create a dummy, or even to illustrate something I wasn't looking at. But I've worked hard, found some great books that pointed me in the right direction, and I did it!

Ho-hum

2008-12-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

This poor girl is being left out of the fun. It's yet another illo I did for Stories for Children magazine this month. If you want to read the story that goes with it, look for the title: Maybe This Time.

Whew. I'm exhausted. My husband's had a crazy work schedule for the last two weeks (which should end in about a week, thank goodness). He usually has pretty good hours for what he does, so I'm not complaining. But since my year-old toddler is getting all of his molars at once (and screaming about it to let us know he's miserable), by the end of the day I'm plain tuckered out. I'm actually almost done with my first picture book dummy (to send out). All of the story pictures are finished; I just need to figure out what I want to do with the title page and cover and choose a couple of pictures to paint. It really does take a lot of work to do it all, but I feel like I've learned a lot along the way. Through the process I've developed more personal style (which has also made things take longer). Above all, I feel like I've accomplished something worthwhile.

Until next time . . .

Illustration Friday: Opinion

2008-11-24T11:44:00.000-08:00

These friends are of the opinion that snow play is fun! I'd have to agree . . . but I'm also of the opinion that too much snow (and no sun) makes for a long winter.

I was asked to illustrate the December cover for Stories for Children magazine, and here it is. I'm quite happy with the way it turned out.

I'm also almost done creating the book dummy for a story I've written. If I get enough time this week, I should be able to finish it. Hooray!

Illustration Friday: Repair

2008-10-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

The best kinds of repair comes from an older brother who loves you.

Illustration Friday: Too Late

2008-10-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest illo for Stories For Children. It's too late for Jamie's mom to take him to the store so he can buy a pair of pants that actually fits. What will he do? Find out next month in Stories for Children magazine (look for Jamie's Pants).

I don't know if anyone else feels like this, but I'm getting pickier about my work. I look at things I've illustrated and don't feel as confident about them. I nit-pick my illustrations, finding so many little things that I don't like and that I should've done differently. It doesn't mean I'll stop illustrating, but it's easy to feel discouraged and feel like I'm not making the progress I should. In this illo, for instance, I like the layout and characters, but I'm not satisfied with the colors. They're okay, but I don't look and think, "Now that's amazing and I couldn't think of anything better to do with it." Sigh. I think my problem lies in that I want things to be true to life, yet I still want playfulness . . . and I let reality take over the more playful side. Oh well. One day I'll get it. In the meantime I'll keep drawing and painting. And by the way, I'm not looking for anyone to laud words of encouragement. I'll still keep doing what I do because I love it; I simply wonder if anyone else laments the laborious process of growth when it comes to illustrating.

Time for bed! See you next time.

Camera Man

2008-10-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

I drew this a few weeks ago when my four-year-old son had an obsession with the camera, especially enjoying shooting his feet. I really like doing pencil drawings and the way that it forces me to be expressive in ways other than with color.

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. My 11- month-old is teething, and NOT happy about it at all. It takes a lot out of me and by the end of the day, I'm one weary mom. But this, too, shall pass. I'm also updating my website since I'll be sending out another round of postcards any day. Oh, the anticipation of what could happen! Even if nothing does, I'm excited about doing it.

Stories For Children Magazine illo's

2008-09-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of illo's I just finished for Stories for Children Magazine. The top is a coloring page and the bottom is for a story (Friends or Losers -- check it out in October). I've never painted autumn trees before and it was really fun to do this time. I also really enjoy doing line drawings. It's fun for me to express things with the thickness of the lines.

Watercolor Wednesdays

2008-09-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Here are my most recent contributions to Watercolor Wednesdays. The top is Noah creating an umbrella (before receiving instructions to build an ark) and the next is of a daddy dancing with his daughter.

I like the idea of Noah (my husband's) and the way I drew him, but I'm not as satisfied with the colors and the feel of the whole illustration.

I'm pretty happy with the way the dancers turned out. I love dancing and twirling around in dresses and LOVED it when I was a kid. I was experimenting with this girl's dress by using various rounds of salt in watercolor and feel it turned out well.

More pictures

2008-09-04T18:32:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of illo's I've done recently. The top is for a story in this month's issue of Stories For Children Magazine (The Monstrous Mile; my illo didn't get anti-aliased and looks really grainy, however) and the bottom illo is for last week's Watercolor Wednesday (the prompt was a tribute to Beatrix Potter).

I feel like I am progressing as an illustrator. Besides the fact that I feel like I'm spending so much time and energy being a mom (to two amazing children), I'm amazed that I've been able to progress at all. I attribute a lot of my success to the fact that we frequently visit the zoo, the aquarium, and museums, that I'm constantly around children, and that my oldest son and I read a lot of books. All of these things give me an opportunity to examine real life things and to scrutinize what works and what doesn't in children's book illustrations. Although I feel like I'm improving, I also recognize that I have a LONG way to go. I feel like I'm truly ready and good enough to do magazine illo's (and a book if an editor thinks so too) . . . but I still want to be better. There are days when I feel like I'll never be as good as I want to be, but I am mostly optimistic.

Enough blabbering. It's time for me to go do what I've been dreaming about all day while playing with my kids.

Illustration Friday: Memories

2008-08-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

I illustrated this a couple months ago for Stories for Children magazine. It's a memoir of two girls sharing a summer blanket after one of them broke their leg. I hope you enjoy it!

Illustration Friday: Routine

2008-08-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

What kind of routine would you expect triplets to have? This is the kind I would be afraid of.

Illustration Friday: Detach

2008-08-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

If a mean, orange troll with pink ears tried to threaten you, wouldn't you try to detach yourself from it, too?

A literary elephant

2008-08-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

I painted this for Watercolor Wednesday (the topic was anthropomorphic). What book do you think an elephant would stay awake all hours of the night to read?

Illustration Friday: Poof

2008-07-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

I've got two boys that make me laugh (and cry) all day. The oldest was a baby just yesterday, and POOF! he's grown to be a boy now.

This illustration shows them together doing what makes them both giggle. My 9-monther really likes to pull hair. The oldest likes to inch his head up close so that my baby will pull his hair. They laugh and laugh at this (even at church!). What sillies!

I have recently been thinking about how I want my illustration style to develop. I definitely want things fun (fun colors, characterization, etc) but realistic enough so that people don't have to wonder what the picture is about. While reading Junie B. Jones with my son, I've been studying Denise Brunkus's illustrations. I love her style. I like how she takes realism and plays with it. I don't think I want to do things just like her, but she has inspired me. This illo is partly rendered while thinking of her style. I also used gray pens to outline things instead of my usual black outline. In some ways I like it, in others I prefer a darker line. Hmmm . . . it'll be fun to see over time how my style will evolve.

Thumbelina

2008-07-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

I joined a blog group (Watercolor Wednesdays) and painted this for it. I'm not as happy with the coloring as I would like to be . . . it's too brown. I think I should look at a picture of caves to help me out. Otherwise, I like my characters. Perhaps I'll paint it again some day (or do it black and white).

Illustration Friday: Enough

2008-07-18T21:09:00.001-07:00

Who can get enough love? (And who can give enough to cute kids!)

I just finished this for the August issue of Stories For Children Magazine. My heart was happy when my four-year-old son saw my first penguin draft and he said (very dramatically), "Oh WOW, Mommy. You drew some penguins!" He LOVES animals (we visit the zoo at least once a week).

Illustration Friday: Hoard

2008-06-21T10:36:00.001-07:00

This princess has definitely, albeit unknowingly, hoarded all the love from this twitterpated frog.

IF: Punchline

2008-06-13T19:07:00.001-07:00

What's the punchline to this haunted car? Take a good look in a window and you just might solve the case of the frightening EE-OWs.

IF: Worry

2008-05-23T19:11:00.001-07:00

This boy is worried about his unexpected visitor! I painted this for the upcoming June issue for Stories for Children magazine. I hope you like it!

What I've Been Working On

2008-05-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time these days to do a lot of illustrating, but I sign myself up to illustrate one or two illo's for Stories for Children Magazine every month just so I keep doing something. Here's one of them.

I admittedly dream about the great things I'm going to do some day with my writing and illustration more than I actually WORK toward those dreams. Sometimes I wonder if I'm good enough or will ever be good enough but, regardless of all that, I do enjoy creating things and I feel a great sense of satisfaction when I've done something I'm proud of.

Technology

2008-04-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

So my husband doesn't really find it weird, but I was inking over this finished illustration (for Stories for Children Magazine) and messed up the left girl's mouth. It made me sick after it happened and, if I'd had enough time, I would have done it all over again. Alas, a teething baby and other responsibilities left me with enough time to simply finish this illustration just in time, but with not enough time to do it the way I would have preferred. However, thanks to technology and a wonderful program called GIMP (a free Photoshop-like program) I was able to manipulate things until they were a bit more palatable for me. Whew!

IF: Fail

2008-04-16T18:33:00.001-07:00

Bo Peep has failed to find her sheep! Your job is to tell to turn around and then to spot at least 14 differences in the pictures (I know they're kind of small. Sorry!).

IF: Save

2008-04-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

These brothers are saving a delightful mess for Mom to discover. I just finished this for Stories For Children Magazine and hope you like it. It was fun drawing the mess (although I'm glad I don't have to clean it up!).

IF: Homage

2008-03-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Wee Ones Magazine asked me to illustrate an upcoming story about a girl who doesn't like her name, but adores her aunt (who she later learns she was named after). The second illustration shows her paying homage to this aunt. I hope you like them!

By the way, can you tell I really like pink and purple? I suppose these pictures could also be my homage to these colors. My 3 1/2 year old son also LOVES pink. Who'da thought?

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-22T19:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted at all for so long. Having a baby and moving have consumed my days. But here's something I did last year to wish you all a merry Christmas with. My son and I had gone to a Creche exhibit and later that day I thought this up.

Hopefully I'll be back in business sometime in January. See you soon!

IF: Grow

2007-10-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

This illustration not only illustrates the way that "Mikayla" grows while learning about her emotions, but also my own growth as an illustrator. I remember the day I realized I could actually draw a character in several different emotions/settings. This picture wasn't the first time I did it, but it is one of the first. Perhaps as I learned that editors want to see characters depicted in several settings and knowing that people talk about it being a difficult thing to do set me up for the task. Whenever anyone says anything like, "that's hard and you probably won't be able to do it," I get fired up to take on the challenge and prove them wrong. How about you? Does hearing someone say you can't do something make you not even want to try in the first place, or do you get excited like me and work hard until you do it?

By the way, I've only got three more weeks until my second son is born! It'll be nice to sleep on my stomach and back again (uh . . . at least WHEN I can find the time to sleep with a newborn and a three-year-old around).

cookies

2007-09-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

What are your favorite cookies? Take your pick of chocolate chip, ginger snap, and snickerdoodle.

I'm still alive, even if the posts aren't always coming. Just today I'm sending out another round of postcards. I do hope it yields some fun work, but if not, I have a baby and a new house to take care of soon, and that'll keep me plenty busy. Our expected move-in date is less than a month away, and our son's due date is in the beginning of November. Hopefully things will happen in that order. But if not, it means I don't have to grow continually bigger AND I'll get to see how cute our baby is.

One Itchy Cobra

2007-08-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here's something I've been working on for Stories For Children. Sorry I haven't been posting as much lately. My family's schedule is out of wack and, when it's gone, a lot of my motivation of goes out the window. Once my husband starts working again things should fall into place . . . until we move, that is . . . and then, of course, our baby (who will be another boy!) will probably add a little ripple . . . I'll do my best and hope you'll all be forgiving of my shortcomings. I really do appreciate all of you who take the time to visit my blog, and especially to those of you who take the time to post something. Thanks!

IF: Missing (or just hidden?)

2007-08-06T21:15:00.001-07:00

OK, so maybe I'm stretching the theme, but I've been working on this illustration off and on for a while (and it still needs some touching up as I look at it scanned in right now . . . but maybe later). Your job, however, is to spot a pencil, a ladle, a tack, a carrot, an ice cream cone, a pear, a cupcake, a banana, a ghost, a heart, a needle, and a turtle so that they won't be missing anymore! (Sorry if the image is a little small.)

First Paid Assignment

2007-07-27T10:41:00.001-07:00

I was recently asked to design a logo for a group called Musing Our Children. It was fun to do (AND I got paid for it). Here's the finished product. I hope you like it!

IF: Magic Carpet Moon Ride!

2007-07-19T18:48:00.001-07:00

I was asked to do the August cover for Stories For Children. After looking through the various stories this month, I thought that a magic carpet ride would be really fun to do. It was! I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

To give you an idea of how I work, I've included some sketches below. I first make a number of character sketches until I find some I like (I haven't included the roughest sketches) then trace what I want on my lightbox (see first sketch above). Next, I scan these images into Adobe Illustrator where I tweak them a bit (mostly, I scale them to the size I want) and arrange them in a way I think will work (I haven't included this step above). After printing that, I work the background around the images (see second image) and scan that into Illustrator once again. Last of all, I print it off onto watercolor paper, ink it in, and paint! Sometimes I add an additional step of printing the finished sketch onto scratch paper and coloring it with crayons to get the colors just right before I paint it. Last night I decided to just risk it, and it worked! I hope you like the finished product.

To give you a little update, I just sent off my second batch of postcards (I used my homepage image from my website. I hope it will yield additional results. My last mailing has given me opportunity to get experience with Stories For Children and Fandangle Magazines. I haven't been paid, but it's given me a taste of what it's like to be an illustrator. I have actually received my first paid assignment last week (I haven't yet completed it, however) to do a logo for a writer's group. Hopefully, my continuing efforts will bring additional (paying) opportunities. But if not, I'm still having fun!

IF: Geeky

2007-07-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

What kinds of geeky things have you done? I remember trying to get flies to move by blowing on them after they landed on my knee (which was probably not the nicest thing to do). So here we've got a boy trying to "stun a cockroach with his breath," a spot I had previously drawn for an illustration but decided not to use in the end. It seemed to fit this theme, though, and sure was fun to paint today!

I'm Back

2007-06-27T18:21:00.001-07:00

After moving, almost buying (and then deciding not to) a house, and adjusting to a new place, I'm ready to start blogging again! I've been painting a little bit for Stories For Children Magazine, but I've obviously slowed down my illustrating pace for the last while. Now that I feel like I've been much too lazy, I'm ready to get back on track and make my dreams happen!

This illustration will appear in July's edition of Stories For Children. I hope you like it!

IF: Camouflage

2007-06-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Poor Miss Muffet has not yet detected the (not-very-well) hidden spider about to frighten her away!

Fandangle Magazine

2007-04-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

I received another assignment a while ago to do a cover for Fandangle Magazine (another online e-zine). The issue will be about fun animals at the zoo. It was really fun to do.

help!

2007-04-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here's another illustration for Stories For Children (the May issue). I hope you enjoy it.

IF: (Mis)fortune

2007-04-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Some people have all the luck . . . and there are those who don't! This chap here doesn't exactly have good fortune, but he's one of those people who remain cheerful regardless. (I hope someday I can be like that!) I created him last month, part of a larger illustration (see if you can spot which one it is on my website).

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I'm expecting another baby and these beginning months are definitely not my favorite (and they will soon be OVER)! Thanks for all of the kind comments you've given. I really appreciate them!

Stories For Children

2007-03-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

I finished this picture today.

A few weeks ago I previously mentioned a new e-zine, Stories For Children. It made its debut this week. Come check it out:

Stories For Children Magazine

Inside this issue I wrote and illustrated Gulp! and illustrated two poems: Big Boy and April Fool's Day

IF: I Spy . . . Myself!

2007-03-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here's something from my website. I've been a little sick this last week and working on a couple of deadlines, so I don't feel up to doing something new. I hope you like it!

Spider Magazine

2007-03-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

On September 14, 2004 I got word from Spider magazine that they wanted my story, "Bitsy Climbs the Not-So-Itsy Spout." After a year of sending tons of things out and getting form rejection letters for all of them, I was quite excited. (It's nice to have that "I've been published" credit next to my name as justification for my writing and illustration passion.)

I have had several other things accepted (and published) since September 14, 2004, but I haven't forgotten about my first story that was accepted. After waiting almost three years, I received word today that it will come out in the 2007 May issue! I'm excited to see what the illustrator does.

imaginary friends

2007-03-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a spot I finished for an e-zine. (The girl is having a kitchen picnic with her imaginary friend.)

IF: Hide (and Seek)

2007-03-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

Bunny and her friends are playing hide and seek. Although my husband informed me that this is way too easy, can you help her find Turtle, Bee, Duck, Sheep, Frog, Snake, Pig, Mouse, and Dog?

I've been wanting to do a flower picture like this for a while. I served a mission for my church in the Netherlands and Belgium. Every year, all the missionaries gather together at Keukenhof, a large park full of flowers. I LOVED it! I love flowers so much that just seeing them can make my day. I must admit that I've got a bit of spring fever at the moment. Unfortunately, I won't be seeing it for a while yet. We've got snow forecast for the next couple of days. Oh well. At least I can illustrate pictures of spring!

tonight's sketches

2007-02-28T19:37:00.000-08:00

After I put my son down for naps and bed I get to write and draw! I must admit that I'm always thinking about what I want to draw. Here's what I put together tonight. It's pretty cool to feel like I'm making progress. Things come from my pencil that I never could have done a year ago (unless I was copying it from a picture).

IF: Communication

2007-02-27T19:41:00.000-08:00

I don't think of myself as a very good verbal communicator. It takes me a LOT longer (and with a lot more stumbles) to say what I think than it does to write it down. Maybe it's because I want to make sure that what's coming out is exactly how I feel. In addition to writing, I LOVE to communicate feelings through dance. Ballet was my passion for a long time (and I still love it, but I can't dance like I once did!). I loved the way I could express myself through movement.

The picture above was sparked by a memory from college. Every year at BYU, kids in the community choreograph their own dances (no adults help out) and then perform them for an audience. Going to that event was one of the most memorable performances I've ever seen. I felt like these kids were sharing things they felt that they may not have been able to express in any other way. My roommate was especially touched when a girl with Down's syndrome danced to "Don't Laugh at Me." My favorite, however, was when two girls lept across the floor again and again with such happy, joyful spirits. It was a moment where I felt that they were truly glorifying God for the gift of a wonderful life, for bodies that could dance and move and be!

a new look

2007-02-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I decided to change the look on my welcome web page. Since this is the first (or only) view people may ever give me, I want it to be the best I have to offer. I chose this illustration hoping to convey a happy, kid-friendly, welcoming atmosphere. The bottom illustration is what I previously used. I obviously kept the same setting but decided to redesign my character (hopefully new and improved). Ever since buying great paper, I've been spoiled and I've wanted to redo so many illustrations.

By the way, I was excited to hear from another e-zine that they're considering me for an upcoming issue! Hooray! I'll let you know about further developments. In the meantime, I'll go back to my drawing board. (Actually, my little boy -- who is singing Mr. Ray's songs from Finding Nemo in his crib -- would probably appreciate some time with me before we're off to teach some piano students. Further art developments will have to be postponed until this evening!)

Sail Away!

2007-02-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines!

2007-02-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

GULP!

2007-02-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

I got my first illustrating job for the upcoming children's e-zine, Stories for Children. I wrote an article for the e-zine and also get to illustrate it. Here's the illustration. You can read the article when the e-zine debuts this April. If you want to learn more about the e-zine, go to storiesforchildren.tripod.com.

Jack and Jill

2007-02-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

This is the first night scene I think I've ever painted. I realized that many of my pictures show sunsets (I love sunset colors) and that I should try something new. It was fun! The only thing that wasn't fun is the fact that I really don't like to paint grass. Does anyone else out there feel that way too? I always want to show more detail than just a green wash, but everything I try just doesn't look good . . . and then I settle for a semi-green wash. To complicate matters, just about everything I've been painting has grass in it! I've looked at the way other illustrators do their grass, but I can't seem to find my own way that I'm happy with. Oh well. If I figure out the secret, I'll let you know!

postcards and contracts

2007-01-24T18:36:00.000-08:00

I don't have a new illustration to post this week because I've been working on sending out my postcards (see above) that arrived in the mail. I think they turned out pretty well. I'll soon see what others think!

Aside from illustrating, I received an email from CLUBHOUSE JR magazine that they want to use my story, "The Missing Smile" in their June 2007 issue. Then today I got a call from Listen magazine that they want my quiz, "You Snooze, You Lose" for September 2007. At this rate, I should be getting a call for a big book contract tomorrow! (I do have a story that's been out a while.) That would be nice.

Here's to dreaming! See you next week.

Animals

2007-01-18T10:59:00.000-08:00

I know that animals are important in the children's publishing business. Since I felt like I needed more of them to include in my portfolio, I put together an animal party this week. (And who doesn't like parties, especially when cake and presents are involved?) The first illustration is my first attempt to paint it. After a while, though, I thought the colors were starting to look a little muddy and opted to try again. I think I like the bottom one better. (It's the one I chose to put on my website.) What do you think?

Jessica's Window

2007-01-11T17:15:00.000-08:00

I've had an idea for a story (Jessica's Window) for almost three years, but I never thought about illustrating it until a few months ago. Every now and then, of course, I had tried to illustrate a story, but I always became so frustrated and quit. A few months ago my mom asked if she could use one of my stories at church, and if I could illustrate a few pictures to go with it. I'd already thought about illustrating a dummy for Jessica's Window, and even had illustrated a few sample pictures, but I'd procrastinated the complete dummy (since it seemed rather daunting to me). After talking to my mom, I decided to take on the task and drew most of the dummy. To my surprise, it was so much fun! Instead of the frustration I've had every other time I've tried to illustrate something big, I found the challenge exciting! Above is one such illustration I finished yesterday. I hope you like it.

By the way, I finally ordered my first set of promotional postcards. They should get here in a couple weeks. It's exciting and scary at the same time. I keep telling myself that it may take years of sending out postcards before anything happens. But if I work hard, hopefully some day my dream will come true!

From Start to Finish

2007-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Over the summer I didn't have access to a scanner, so I did a lot of sketching. It's been fun to paint and finish them up (sketching is probably my least favorite part of the process). Above is a summer sketch that I finally got around to. To create the finished product, I 1) sketched the first draft on paper, 2) scanned the image into GIMP (a free program like Photoshop) to clean up the smudges, 3) used Adobe Illustrator to add the border, stars, and moon (that's the second sketch above), and 4) printed it onto paper to stylize things with an ink pen (the last illustration). Since I need some black and white pieces for my portfolio, I decided not to paint this one.

When I paint, I use the same process as above. It sounds like a lot of work (and maybe it is for some), but all of the available software is so helpful! I don't know how illustrators once did it. It takes so much extra work to scale things to size, to place the images right where you want them, to always need a lightbox to trace again and again, to need to retrace everything if you mess up . . . Illustrators are pretty lucky these days!

my drawing history

2006-12-30T10:24:00.000-08:00

There has always been a part of me that wanted to draw something that was my own, not something I looked at or copied. Like many young girls, I drew MANY girls wearing frilly dresses and curly hair. I drew this one when I was twelve (I don't have much of anything saved that I drew when I was younger). I was always so proud of what I drew and would show them to my mom (who never seemed quite as enthusiastic as I felt).

My mom homeschooled us. Part of our curriculum included copying pictures from coloring books. The drawing above was one of my favorites that I drew again and again (my mom seemed a lot more impressed with these drawings). Doing this helped me to fine-tune my eyes and hands to recreate what I saw.

I remember the day my mom came home from a church activity and told me that drawing upside-down helped you to draw better. I thought it was funny, but tried it and was amazed how it worked. When I was thirteen or fourteen I read Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain, (Betty Edwards) which goes into a lot of depth about that kind of drawing. It's one of my favorite books! The lamp above is one of the things I drew while reading the book. My brothers got quite excited to see the realistic things I drew.

I continued to learn from a few classes in high school and art, but I never did much with it at the time. A few years ago when I was expecting my little boy I tried my hand at drawing again. The piece above is something I drew in 2003 (looking at a photo). By this point I felt comfortable drawing realistically, but I still felt the desire to do something of my own, something from my head. Every time I tried, however, everything looked horribly stilted and I was so frustrated.

I finally came upon the book that taught me what I had always dreamed of doing: The Big Book of Cartooning (Bruce Blitz). I already had the desire and the foundation, but this book helped me to expand my abilities. Above is something I've been working on this week to add to my portfolio. Years ago, I never would've been able to do that, but I feel so much freedom these days. It's wonderful!

A BIG difference

2006-12-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

As an aspiring illustrator, I'm getting ready to send out my first round of postcards to potential publishers. This is the illustration I'll be sending out. I just discovered the power of good, espensive paper. As I hope to make a good impression through the postcards, I opted to try this picture on good paper. I was amazed at the difference! The second picture above is done on cheap-o student grade (Blick cold press) watercolor paper, and the top is the expensive stuff (Windsor Newton hot press). I really wanted to give Fabriano soft press a try (I've heard great things about it from several illustrators) but my art supply store doesn't carry it. But I really liked this stuff. It was also great going over things in ink and not having all the little cracks get in the way.

By the way, I'm creating this blog so that I'll have reason to keep on illustrating. I fear rejection, but I LOVE to illustrate! Whether or not someone will pay me to do it, I need something to keep me going. But, as a wife, mother, author, illustrator, and music teacher, I have many other obligations, so my goal is to post once a week.

See you next week!