Chicken Little

This is the submission for the Tomie dePaola illustration contest through SCBWI. We were to illustrate a specific scene from the story "Chicken Little" by P.C. Asbjörnsen about the sky falling and all of that jazz. I grew up enjoying Tomie dePaola's illustrations and stories so I couldn't not do this! This was done with watercolor, colored pencils, and a bit of digital touch up as well. I love using the computer as a tool, but nothing beats working with traditional materials. See if you can guess which scene this is!

Chemer's Gallery Illustration Show

Wow what a great event last weekend at Chemer's Gallery! All types of amazing children's book Illustrators were featured and left me with some important and inspiring lessons. I took photos but also did some sketching so let's start with the first presentation I got to see:

My sketch in person of Raul Colón

Beautiful book, I want to put all of these images on the wall!

Fan pic!

Raul Colón showed beautiful color studies that he worked out through the years, which inspired me to do more of these types of studies. I can't wait to try his technique for fun, where he scratches the watercolor paper underneath the many careful layering of colored pencil. It is a quite beautiful technique that made me want to buy his book "Alicia Alonso". He also said that he started out doing editorial illustration, working for the New York Times. So far I have met many famous illustrators that have started their careers this way. When I met him, it was interesting to learn that he teaches art in New York, and judging from his humorous presentation I'm sure he is an exceptional teacher.

Robin Preiss Glasser

Robin's adorable fancy Nancy character

Fan Pic!

Robin Preiss Glasser is a vivacious cartoonist that has brought to life the famous character Fancy Nancy and others. She was also a pleasure to meet, very personable and fun to be around. Out of all of the illustrators that I saw, her style and medium was the most similar to what I am going for in my own illustration, with her vibrant colors, lively pen work, and cartoony style- although my characters are more buggy-eyed. It was interesting to see the photos of real people and pets that she used as reference for the characters in her books. I also thought her process was impressive, where she draws a character hundreds of times until she finds the correct pieces and puts the pieces together and is able to print right onto her watercolor paper, boy, I gotta find a way to do that! It was so cool that she was previously a dancer, and that experience helps her envision exactly how to draw her characters in motion. 

Kathleen Krull & Steve Johnson

Nadia speaking with Steve and Kathleen about texture and such.

These two illustrators are such a great example of teamwork in general, it was so cool to learn about how these two work and that really they benefit from working together and create work as a team that they otherwise could not accomplish alone. By examining their artwork in person, you can really notice the precise illustration skills of Steve and where Kathleen takes it to the next level with inventiveness, layers, and texture.

Elisa Kleven spoke about keeping the love for an imaginary world alive from childhood in her children's books. She states that her childhood was her education in response to the naive style her work tends to lean towards. Yet it is full of heart, and meaning, and life and is definitely what children's book illustration is about, and how I feel as well about it. It was interesting to learn that many of the crafty materials she used making dolls and crafts with as a child is incorporated as texture into her work such a doilies and cloth which I think helps to emphasis that playfulness of childhood.

Mary GrandPré

Where her characters come from

Would you believe that this first design of Harry Potter was based on Mary's own portrait and was finished in candlelight?

Fan Pic

Mary GrandPré, well known as the illustrator that has brought the mega famous Harry Potter to life, as well as other beautiful stories, showed us mostly about where she got her character ideas. As you can see on the top photo, she is pointing to Hagrid whom was based on her favorite puppy. It was interesting to think about how real animals can also influence our human characters and even vice versa. I liked how she talked about thinking like a director as she illustrates a story, using different angles and such to make the viewer feel like they have moved around by the time the book was over. She seemed a bit more serious than some of the other illustrators, and would have liked to see a demo on how she works, but that's alright it was still very  special to meet her and have her wish me luck on my own illustration career!

Overall, I met an amazing group of well-known illustrators that have inspired me to JUST DO IT,  and also experiment a bit as well, I would like to do a few "master copies" in their style just for fun! I will treasure the books that I got from them as you can see!

Figure Sketching at Colibri

What a wonderful sketch night last with the illustrator group at Colibri to practice figure sketching! Thanks especially to illustrator Erin O' Shea and her kids for letting us use them as objects of study! I always could use more practice! I love working with gesture sketches the most but it is nice to take turns posing for eachother and get some longer ones in as well.  Here are some excerpts from my sketchbook:

 

 

Sister's Housewarming Card

Happy Housewarming to my sister today, moving into the "real world" into her first apartment with roomates! Quick small card done with pen and ink just wanted to have something simple and cute. I love the ink because of its brightness and radiance-but too bad it does not reproduce too well. A famous illustrator once told me that Higgins was ok, so I will try those, these were Dr. Martins which are not a good idea for professional work, but fun for little projects like these. Happy House, Sis!

King Bath

 Quick Series I just came up with for new portfolio pieces. THIS is what I love to do! The action, animal characters, silly details....eep! I just must do MORE! My husband told me this looks like what pets do when their owner is not home, I like that idea for a book someday. It's probably been done, but still a fun idea I want to explore in the future. This is a lion cub posing a king in the bathroom, with mice subjects... but there was one rebel... duh duh duh.. and then an unexpected turn of events! Watch out, those creatures in the toilets sure can be surprising!

Library Mural Design Submission

This is a quick sketch that I created for submission for a mural design in a library children's room in the Palos Verdes area. This is my vision for it. It sounds like the mural would be two walls opposite of eachother. It incorporates the feel of the community and kids having fun reading the books that are growing from the trees.

Sketchbook Excerpts

Here are a few random sketches from my sketchbook. Take a look!

Sept 2011 On our honeymoon in Chicago, the balcony of our bed and breakfast

Sept 2011 The feeling I get from Chicago

 Fairy & Deer

Sept 2011 Cat fishing from the top of a building in Chicago, in my imagination of course

Aug 2011 Drawn the night a possum snuck around in our garden

August 2011 Pastachino!

Oct 2011 Drawn listening to the Decemberists song "From my own true love (lost at sea)"

Pet Portrait

This is a portrait of Nelson, Tundra, Sampson, and Eenie, my yoga teacher's pets. If there's one thing I love to draw, it's animals! These guys are sure cute, plus I traded this piece for a free session of yoga classes-not bad!

Another Baby Shower Invite Design!

Wheeew everyone is having babies nowadays! I am illustrating all of my friends' baby shower invites so here is Jenny's design, her favorite animal is the hippo and she is expecting a baby girl-so exciting! Here it is:

Wedding Invitation

Well I have been behind on my blog, but I have a good excuse! I am getting ready for our wedding in 2 weeks! I am having so much fun creating things for our wedding it is very important to me to do original designs because I can! And I want it to be "us". Here is our invitation. The front is below, followed by the back, the sketch, and then the inside, and some insert cards. Enjoy!

Baby Shower Invite

It is my friend's baby shower coming up and I created the art for her invite! She loves owls, so I made an owl family but due to her request, I made them just a bit happier by drawing separate mouths and reapplying with photoshop (I love using photoshop as a tool). Enjoy!

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I Know you Are but What am I?

Wow, I got 5 paintings done in about 1 week. What a fun project! These are for the art show "I know you are but what am I" put together by Valerie Lewis (check out her blog, amazing work!http://www.valewis.com/) and the Violethour gallery in Fullerton. A bunch of us artists are putting work in. Many are art teachers too, and as art teachers we start collecting artwork from our students and admiring their absurd ideas and fantastic creativity that many of us lose later on. My goal in life is to try to keep that alive through continuing to create. This art show is about taking these students works, and bringing them to life in our own way. I like how our friend Spencer put it, he said "it's as if kids had an art degree". I have included both the kids work and my own. Check out our show at the artwalk next Friday June 3rd!
"I Love All People" SOLD


"Cat Friends " SOLD

The one just above is from a drawing from when I was five years old.

Save the Date Postcard Design

Our save the date postcard designs! They are finally mostly sent out so I can put it up. Designed by me- and Chris helped too! This was designed in Photoshop and Illustrator. Photography by Leanne and Paul Sargeant, my wonderful and talented friends. Check out their astounding work at: http://www.sargeantphotography.com/. This photo was taken at my old art college, Laguna Collage of Art and Design. The dress is from Elseware Vintage in Orange. For the back, I drew an sketch with ink and black watercolor. Below is a sketch practicing Art Nouveau style which inspired my design. Enjoy!