Kwan-Kwest

October Mailer

2011-10-09T10:02:00.002-04:00

Here's our October Mailer for Once Upon A Sketch. Norm, Edrian and I will be mailing these bad boys out pretty soon! Just in time for Halloween!!!

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 14

2011-10-05T08:34:00.003-04:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

It's October and time for some Halloween images! Enjoy!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

October Mailer Process

2011-10-03T05:42:00.004-04:00

1. Roughs-Of course, we start with the initial scribble. I do this on any paper, any where, whenever the idea hits and I happen to have paper and pencil ready. It doesn't need to be fully fleshed out but enough that by the time I get home to scan it in, I'll still have some idea what the heck the idea was.

2. Tights-Here I refine the image more. Sometimes there will be a stage between this and that really rough sketch above. But time was of the essence and I had a pretty good idea of the direction I wanted this to take.

3. Light source study-I threw these tones in to give myself a rough idea of the light source. I laid a flat tone of brown in another layer and dropped the opacity down. Then I used the eraser to act as the light source and erased where the light was touching and generating from.

4. I start laying in some base tonal colors for the background. If I had more time I would have layed in base tones on every character as well. But time was short and I had a good idea of what colors the costumes and whatnot were going to be.

5. At this stage I start painting in the characters from the background to the foreground. You can really do this in any order that you like.

6. Moving more and more forward. It's the fairies turn!!

7. You'd think I was done at this stage, but with a break and a return to the image I realize how very, very GREEN everything is looking! Must correct that!

8. I use curves, levels and adjustment layers to pull out the green and boost my colors from being so murky. (Layer/Adjustment Layer/Curves-Levels) Curves to remove the Green and Levels to brighten my lights and remove murkiness. Isn't Photoshop great!!! Now I have a finished image ready to be added to our mailer in time for Halloween!

Let me know if you have any questions!!

New Art from upcoming project

2011-10-03T01:10:00.005-04:00

New Art for an upcoming picture book. Amazing how many re-tellings of this classic are out there!! Amazing stuff!

Week 15 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Norm and Wilson

2011-09-29T13:07:00.002-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! A new collaboration from the "Once Upon A Sketch" Group. Wilson Williams, Jr and Norman Grock! Wilson provided the pencils and Norm did the inks. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

Vesta Williams has passed away

2011-09-29T00:33:00.005-04:00

The singer's body was found Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 at approximately 4:30 p.m. in a Los Angeles hotel, where she was staying temporarily while transitioning to a new home.

The first time I heard Vesta I thought it was Chaka Khan. Then I saw her on an interview on BET with Donnie Simpson and I realized she was so much funnier, accessible and more sexy than Miss Kahn. (no surprise that she sang back up for her.) She then went on to host Donnie's show by herself a couple of times. Was rumored to get her own talk show. Flirted with being a stand up comic and even guest starred on 227 as Sandra's cousin/sister or something.(Her Jackee' impression was dead on.) And who can forget the Mcdonald's commercial with her scatting the BigMac song with Al Jarreau. Priceless!!!!

A truly talented, beautiful, confident and amazingly voiced sistah. My heart broke as I read of her passing. She will be missed.

My YouTube Channel!!!!!!!

2011-09-26T18:39:00.004-04:00

I've just created my own YouTube Channel!!! I'll be using it to post videos and tutorials that show how I go through my creative process. Do Question/Answer sessions and things of that nature. So stop on by Bookmark and Subscribe so you can be the first to see when I upload new materials! Both of the videos I've done so far are already up and feature there! Stop by and leave comments and suggestions!!

(The image is for the sake of posting some kind of art in the post. Not anything that is over on the YouTube page! But hmm...you never know maybe later! I've been on a mouse kick lately! )

I'm living the last one right now!!!

2011-09-26T03:31:00.002-04:00

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 13

2011-09-26T00:00:00.002-04:00

Thanks so much for all the hits on the image for last week! You guys seemed to really like that one! I was thinking for a while that images of children may not be as popular. Seems as I was wrong. Happily so.

A new video for your enjoyment. You can watch along as I go through the process of inking the image in Illustrator this time. Illustrator is a vector based program. Let me know which process you like more or if you really see THAT much of a difference.

Also, I'll be uploading on Tuesdays for the foreseeable future. I'll let everybody know if that changes soon. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

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New Promo Image for October Mailer

2011-09-25T09:37:00.003-04:00

Here's my latest image done to send out as a mailer to clients and potential clients in October with my group of pals over at Once Upon A Sketch!. I'll be posting some process stuff for it soon. (Psssttt...I did record the process, but managed to erase it in while I was editting it. Sigh. Next time I'll work on a copy, like a sane person!) Ha!

Oh and as always click on image for larger version! :)

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 12

2011-09-20T03:59:00.004-04:00

Something different this week! I finally wrestled down some of the video software on my computer and recorded myself while I inked the sketch for this week. You can watch along as I go through the process of inking the image in Photoshop. Next week I may ink the image in Illustrator to show a different process. (Though I think it will be pretty similar.) Ha! Let me know what you think and enjoy!

Also, I'll be trying different days of the week to upload my images. Largely to see which day works best for my schedule. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 11

2011-09-16T01:57:00.000-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! I plan on putting up one of my own of these each week as well as the collaborations I do with other artists. Please sign up and watch my blog, I may start putting up updates during the week and may not list them in my normal places. I'll be creating a newsletter soon as well. Let me know what you are looking for! I'm open to suggestions! Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

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Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 10

2011-09-09T13:59:00.000-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Week 12 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Norm and Wilson

2011-09-07T04:23:00.001-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 9

2011-09-02T01:32:00.002-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Lion and the Mouse Process A

2011-09-01T17:19:00.000-04:00

I am in the process of Illustrating a picture book for Benchmark Press based on the Aesop Fable-Lion and the Mouse. I wanted to throw up a quick process image from the book. This will quickly show my transition from rough sketch to final image of a lone character. I'll show more process later about backgrounds, layout and type. But till then here's the Mouse!!!

This was the initial rough sketch.

This is where I really went in and tightened the sketch before going to finals. (BIG difference huh!!)

Here is where I lay in the base colors of the mouse and establish his/her color scheme. I do this by having a second layer beneath the tight sketch. The tight sketch is set to multiply. This allows only the black portions of the sketch to show up when the layers are viewed together.

The final step is the finished painting. I paint this on a layer on top of the tight sketch and base color. If need be, I merge the three layers to create the final file.

Let me know if you have any questions!! :)

New Pic for Upcoming Avengers Movie

2011-08-26T17:17:00.006-04:00

I'm excited for the Avengers movie. Giving all the characters their own movies to build them up and then doing a group movie is a great idea. Can't wait to see how it comes out, especially with Joss Whedon of Buffy fame, directing. Fingers crossed!

Thanks to my friend Vik for the image!!

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 8

2011-08-26T00:24:00.003-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Week 8 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Norman and Edrian

2011-08-23T20:38:00.005-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! A new collaboration from the "Once Upon A Sketch" Group. Norman Grock and Edrian Thomidis. Norman provided the initial sketch and Edrian did the finishing inks. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

PARTY IN MY TUMMY!!!!!!

2011-08-20T21:02:00.003-04:00

I have a new niece in my family and I am finding myself getting familiar with current Children's Programming in the process of her growing up. She loves most kids shows. (She gets enthralled!) Yo Gabba Gabba is one that trips me out anytime it comes on.

This particular song and dance from that show I enjoy a LOT! My sister's re-enactment of it deserves an award as well!! When the bass kicked in I almost lost my mind! I don't know what the folks who created it were on when they did. But I'm kinda glad they were. So far this is my favorite song from the show.

SO YUMMY! SO YUMMY, YUMMY!!!!!

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 7

2011-08-19T00:00:00.003-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Week 8 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Aja and Wilson

2011-08-18T12:49:00.000-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! A collaboration between Aja Wells and Wilson Williams, Jr. Aja provided the initial sketch and Wilson did the finishing inks. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

Studio Ghibli-Nemo Promo

2011-08-17T21:04:00.003-04:00

It appears that at one point Studio Ghibli was going to animate a Little Nemo movie. (Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, and my fave Spirited Away) Unfortunately budget and schedules prevented this from happening. However this clip has shown up that Studio Ghibli animated as a test for the movie. Magical, Gorgeous, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G stuff. This was done in 1984.

Article here. And here.

stay true

2011-08-13T23:36:00.002-04:00

"You have to go the way your blood beats. If you don't live the only life you have, you won't live some other life, you won't live any life at all."
-James Baldwin

Week 7 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Edrian and Wilson

2011-08-12T00:00:00.006-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! A new collaboration from the "Once Upon A Sketch" Group. Edrian Thomidis and Wilson Williams, Jr.! Edrian provided the initial sketch and Wilson did the finishing inks. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out Edrian's blog! She has more freebies there!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 6

2011-08-12T00:00:00.002-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Rooster, ROOSTER!

2011-08-08T04:32:00.003-04:00

This was a real quick project. Rooster, ROOSTER!! It's for an activity sheet for an organization. The feathers will be placed on later by the kids playing. This is why they are separate.

I'll probably make a coloring sheet form one of the rejected sketches! I heard folsk are feening for Roosters these days.

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 5

2011-08-05T03:58:00.000-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! I plan on putting up one of my own of these each week as well as the collaborations I do with other artists. Let me know if you want anything in particular. I'm open to suggestions! Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Week 6 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Wilson and Norm

2011-08-04T23:32:00.002-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

Week 5 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Aja and Wilson

2011-07-30T11:30:00.003-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! A collaboration between Aja Wells and Wilson Williams, Jr. Aja provided the initial sketch and Wilson did the finishing inks. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 4

2011-07-29T03:13:00.003-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK IMAGES BELOW TO DOWNLOAD FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Avatar-Legend of Korra

2011-07-25T00:35:00.001-04:00

Woo-Hoo!!!! Can't wait!!

Week 4 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Aja and Wilson

2011-07-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! A collaboration between Aja Wells and Wilson Williams, Jr. Aja provided the initial sketch and Wilson did the finishing inks. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PREVIOUS FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 3

2011-07-21T14:53:00.005-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PREVIOUS FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Week 3 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Aja and Wilson

2011-07-15T04:46:00.001-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! A collaboration between Aja Wells and Wilson Williams, Jr. Aja provided the initial sketch and Wilson did the finishing inks. Enjoy!
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PREVIOUS FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet 2

2011-07-15T03:00:00.003-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PREVIOUS FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

The Story of Jonah Coloring Book-Now Available

2011-07-14T02:02:00.003-04:00

My latest Coloring Book is now available for purchase via the Warner Press Website for $1.95. Drop in and pick up a few!!!

Warner Press Site Link

Free Digital Stamp/Coloring Sheet

2011-07-09T07:23:00.002-04:00

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PREVIOUS FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Week 2 Collabo Coloring Sheet-Aja and Wilson

2011-07-08T01:06:00.001-04:00

A free downloadable coloring sheet/digital stamp for this week! A collaboration between Aja Wells and Wilson Williams, Jr. Aja provided the initial sketch and Wilson did the finishing inks. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PREVIOUS FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Coloring Sheet Collabo with Aja and Wilson

2011-06-30T03:37:00.001-04:00

A downloadable coloring sheet for our younger fans! A collaboration between Aja Wells and Me. Aja provided the initial sketch and I did the finishing inks. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE!!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PREVIOUS FREEBIES FROM PAST WEEKS!

Inspiration

2011-06-27T15:20:00.000-04:00

Preview for upcoming film-Brave from Pixar

See, I Can Read Too-Available for purchase

2011-06-06T16:08:00.000-04:00

You can purchase, "See, I Can Read Too!" from the online stores and links below!

Amazon
See, I Can Read Too Website
Hope of Vision Publishing

Announcing Once Upon A Sketch

2011-06-06T08:43:00.000-04:00

Times are changing and something new and different is needed to break into the industry. Sometimes it's better to work as a group rather than alone.

A. Pool your resources.
B. Cut your costs.
C. Use the collective wisdom of multiple people rather than go it alone.

After seeing other Illustrator Collaborative groups who promote themselves together in marketing plans, I thought it would be a great idea to do this as well. The problem was finding artists that I respected, admired and knew well enough to do this with. I also wanted artists whose styles were different enough that we didn't step on each others toes when it came time to landing job opportunities.

The first person I asked to join was Aja Wells. Aja is a spunky young illustrator with amazingly warm and comforting characters. She is currently in the process of getting her Masters degree from the University of Hartford. I fell in love with her work and had to correspond with her to tell her so! Aja and I built our friendship after she wrote me a scathing e-mail tearing into me for not having my e-mail address prominently featured on my websites. She told me, "I was too good to miss employment opportunities over such a simple error and oversight." She was frank, honest and a firecracker of a personality that I immediately took an appreciation of. She always speaks from her heart and is earnest and dedicated to her craft. Luckily when I asked her to join, she was interested!

The second person was Norman Grock. Norman and I met and corresponded through a group called, Zero 2 Illo. I was immediately impressed by his imagination, characters and skill level. Norman has the rare talent of not only being able to create characters but also being able to build worlds and universes from his imagination. His work explores the young male imaginative fantasy world in a beautiful and fanciful way. After the group was over we continued to speak with one another critiquing our respective work and new pieces. We shared childhood interests and inspirations that made us want to draw. Needless to say of the group we would be the ones to geek out over comic books, fantasy, video games, MegaMan or sci-fi movies! Norman is a hard working, witty,sarcastic and intelligent individual with a heart of gold. Again, the stars were aligned for me when he expressed interest in my project.

The third person to join our group was Edrian Thomidis. We'd met through a number of Illustration critique groups, SCBWI and forums. I was always impressed with her ability to infuse her work with raw emotion and personal experience. Her illustrations focus on the strength and love of family. You can tell the difference between someone who is drawing something they know nothing about and someone who has experienced something physically and emotionally and are able to translate that to paper. Edrian has that magic. Edrian is the multi-talented, intelligent and wisest member of our group. Little did I know how strong a personality and business sense she possessed. She has an amazing talent for looking at the bigger picture and making sure we stay on track with our goals and purpose. She is never without an idea or vision of how to make things better and expand on the technical or non-conventional obstacles we come across that we hadn't expected. It was an honor to have her agree to be a part of this! The group wouldn't be complete without her!

With the core group of artists formed we set forth and named ourselves, the Once Upon A Sketch group and started the process of creating our identity and figuring out how we would market ourselves and to whom.

Our group is unique in that we try to represent as many aspects of the Children's Market as we can. Each of us has interests in various aspects of it and we wanted to use our group and our blog to investigate those aspects and gather resources that have helped us and will help others.

We plan on doing a lot more than just sending out postcards together. We plan on expanding our communities knowledge of the opportunities that exist in the Children's Market beyond Children's books. But I'll talk more about that in part 2 of this article!!! Until then feel free to browse our website and give input! We'd love to hear from you!

-Wilson W, Jr.

Final three options for Publisher

2011-06-03T14:23:00.000-04:00

Here are the final three option as presented to the publisher. Guess which one they picked?? These include final type but may not necessarily include final art. The third option has an earlier image in the background. Also they'll be changing my name and adding Jr. at the end. Time to go full blast on the project!

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

The publisher went with Option 3. So look for it to be in their catalogue fairly soon. Very exciting!

Stories for Children Magazine -Summer Issue Illustration

2011-05-31T15:52:00.000-04:00

A recent Illustration for the Stories for Children Magazine Summer Issue. I used this as an opportunity to expand on the newer style. I may revisit this image and change some things. But I like the direction this more youthful and bright style is going.

New single from Jill Scott feauturing Anthony Hamilton

2011-05-27T15:41:00.000-04:00

This is my JAM!!! Love this song and video! Jill looks beautiful, gorgeous, spectacular!! Luv!!!

Wonder Woman debuts on Brave and the Bold tonight!

2011-05-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

Cool to see this! Licensing issues seem to plague Wonder Woman not showing up more often in cartoons. Great to see her on here. With the 70's TV show theme and EVERYTHING! HA!

Cover Options

2011-05-27T12:37:00.000-04:00

These are a couple of cover options for my next Childrens Book project. (More on that later.)

Wonder if one of these two will be picked? What do you think?
I'll post the final art with title once the decision is made!

Option 2

Option 3

Also, there were three options. The first option was the same as the first with a bar of color at the top and bottom for the type to be placed on top of.

IRA Convention

2011-05-07T19:28:00.000-04:00

Part of what we want to do here as a group is expose the vast number of resources that are available to those wishing to break into the Children's Market. There are a number of events and organizations that seek to do this and open up opportunities for not only exposure to the greater intricacies of the community but also great networking opportunities. One such group is the IRA (International Reading Association).

Since 1956, IRA has been a nonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy. More than 70,000 members strong, the Association supports literacy professionals through a wide range of resources, advocacy efforts, volunteerism, and professional development activities. Our members promote high levels of literacy for all by:

* Improving the quality of reading instruction
* Disseminating research and information about reading
* Encouraging the lifetime reading habit

They have annual conventions as well that feature multiple authors/illustrators from the Childrens Educational Market. Please go their site and consider membership and research what they have to offer to you as an author/illustrator within the Children's Market. This year the International Reading Association 56th Annual Convention will be in Orlando, Fl. from May 8-11th. Publishers represented include but are not limited to; Scholastic, Mcgraw Hill, Pearson and Simon and Schuster.

Visit their site for more information about the IRA in general.

Visit this site for more information regarding the convention.

IF-Lesson

2011-04-30T20:24:00.001-04:00

Learn your Lesson Well!

Beyonce-Move Your Body Video

2011-04-27T17:27:00.000-04:00

New Video from Beyonce done in conjuncture with Michelle Obama's, Health Plan for Kids. She remixes "Get me Bodied" to be "Move Your Body" and choreographs the video with children in a school cafeteria. Which is funny because if I remember correctly Beyonce was home schooled so she never went to public school.

Ah well, her heart and message are in the right place and the video is fun. I love the little chubby kid. You can still be overweight and get down with the get down. I also love the brave young men that flank her to the left and right throughout most of the video.

I had my own dance in elementary school called the "Willie". (As coined by Miss Surhonda Williams) I only wish I remember what the dance was exactly. HA!!! Regardless, I doubt I could do it now anyway! Enjoy the video!

Thanks to Vik for posting this!!! Otherwise I would not have seen this!! :)

Intro and explanation from Bey.

Actual workout to learn to

Centipede

2011-04-25T05:30:00.000-04:00

Take a little Centipede break and relive your childhood!

Also, delight in the 80's song "Centipede" from eldest Jackson female, Rebbie.
I still have no idea what a centipede has to do with this song. HA!

Happy Easter

2011-04-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

HAPPY EASTER!!

Fun In The Sun

2011-04-22T14:19:00.000-04:00

Busy with a project. Here's something new in the meantime. An experiment with that brush from an earlier posting. Enjoy! My first e-book will be in this style. "Kiss Kisses!"

EDIT!!!!
I added in some safety devices for the little guy on the advice of an art director. Only makes sense!! Feels better and safer!

Wisdom Wednesday-Will Terry-E-books-2

2011-04-20T13:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the two follow up videos from Will Terry where he goes through his setup process and even shows an example of his sales numbers on Barnes and Nobles. Enjoy!

Previous Articles on E-Books:
Amanda Hocking
Will Terry-Video One
Will Terry-Videos Two and Three

First Episode X-Men Anime

2011-04-19T20:30:00.000-04:00

Here is Episode One of the New X-Men Anime. They are up to Episode Three and I'm not sure if it will be broadcast in the U.S. While very powerful, Storm is kind of wimpy in later episodes. She fatigues easily. Also, there is some cursing in later episodes. Parents beware.

HALL PASS SKETCHES

2011-04-16T18:55:00.000-04:00

Some more Hall Pass-Sketches. Upcoming Project!

Wisdom Wednesday-Will Terry-E-books

2011-04-06T04:16:00.000-04:00

I am looking very seriously at passive income sources. As artists we work for every single dollar and after a certain point that is REALLY bad business! We have to find ways to generate income that don't rely on us having to produce artwork for it.

This most commonly happens with Clip Art, Prints, T-Shirts and items of that nature. E-books is a way to generate passive income as well as promote yourself, your artwork and writing. So I am looking into finding great resources online to help fuel my journey!

Will Terry has posted a great video, where he answers a question about whether doing an e-book is worth it! Check it out! He'll be posting another video next week about how it's done!

In the next few weeks, I'll post more resources and articles about the e-book phenomenon.

Previous Articles on E-Books:
Amanda Hocking

Some more character sketches

2011-04-06T03:48:00.000-04:00

Character Sketches for an upcoming project! :)

Thundercats Preview

2011-04-04T12:07:00.000-04:00

I loved Thundercats when I was growing up! I had all the figures for the good guys! Can't wait to check out this new series once it starts airing!

IF-Duet

2011-04-02T02:51:00.000-04:00

This Illustration was done for the cover of May Issue of Stories for Children Magazine. It should be available online May 1st.

Enjoy the sketch and Final illustration. I'll post the image with Type on May 1st!

A Duet of Spirits Harmonize to Create Independence.

Baby Talk

2011-04-01T00:34:00.001-04:00

Character Sketches

2011-04-01T00:30:00.000-04:00

Ruminations of Character Ideas for an upcoming story.

Wisdom Wednesday-Pascal Campion

2011-03-23T05:50:00.000-04:00

Inspirational Artists: Pascal Campion from Onyx Cinema, Inc. on Vimeo.

Please enjoy this video by Pascal Campion. He does an amazing job of conveying beautiful emotion through light and character in his illustrations. I aspire to bring this much feeling out in what I do. Enjoy and check out his work when you can!

Wisdom Wednesday

2011-03-16T15:32:00.000-04:00

Interesting Article/Story about a woman, Amanda Hocking, who was rejected multiple times by traditional publishers and now has made over a Million in sales by selling her work in e-book form.

It's a new day and a new outlet exists to sell your work. Find ways to take advantage if you can! Let your imagination and creativity do it's thing. Article and video here.

Promo Process

2011-03-14T03:22:00.000-04:00

A group of friends and I have decided to cross promote with one another. We'll be sending out promotional items every 3-4 months that advertise all of us as a group. But more details about that later! This image is my portion of our first promo. Here's the process!

Step 1: The assignment was given for my friends and I to depict mythological creatures of some kind. I selected the Bigfoot! The format was preselected so that all of our artwork would fit. The dimensions suited a large and looming creature. So I sketched up my idea and scanned it in to show to the group.

Step 2: After crit from the group I decided that the young man was too young and decided to up his age a bit. As well as change his style and character. I also needed to alter the dimensions of the image to compensate for the bleed of the promo. These revisions were done in Photoshop.

Step 3: At this stage I added some base tones to the image. Something to help define where and how everything would sit in space. This let me better define the heirarchy of the image.

Step 4: I start to lay in some flat tones to determine the base color of various items in the composition. I alter and play with these items colors using the Hue/Saturation tool in Photoshop. I decide to let the boys clothes be all primary and warm colors to help draw attention to him. And let the cool blue push the Sasquatch and trees into the background. The moon will serve as the bright beginning and the fire as the bright ending that pulls your eye from the top of the composition to the bottom.

Step 5: I begin laying in more distinct shadings and color. Defining my light sources and defining my shadows and forms. I then present this to my friends and crit group for input.

Step 6: One smart person notes how GREEN the image is. I note that I have concerns about how muddy the image may print due to this. They recommend toning down the green to some degree. Which I do using Curves in Photoshop. They also note a variety of other things; the proximity of the fire to the young mans shoes. The tangent created by the moon against the sasquatch's head. The warm tones showing in the upper area of the monster when they should probably be focused where the light source is.

Done: I address the issues mentioned and come up with this as the final product. The input of my peers and friends have helped elevate the piece to another level. Hopefully I can do the same on my next image! Maybe even better! Thanks so much to all my friends and peers for your input!

Promo Image start

2011-03-11T15:40:00.000-05:00

This is my next promo image, almost finished. I'm throwing it at my Crit friends for input before I go in for final details and polish.

As always Click for bigger image! Then Use Ctrl/+ to enlarge the image!
(Can be done multiple times.)

Things that have already been noted. I OBVIOUSLY don't know how to build a fire, I need stones around it. The fire is also too close to the poor childs feet. His shoes should be on fire! LOL! Now granted I'm not sure where I will shift the fire to that will still fit within the composition, but I'll figure that out as I go. Also the marshmallows should probably be getting roasted, uhmmm...a little bit! LOL! I'll get it fixed up!

Martha Stewart visits my Alma Mater

2011-03-09T19:55:00.001-05:00

Interesting. A friend posted this article form Martha Stewart who recently visited my old haunting grounds at Ringling School of Art and Design, now called Ringling College of Art and Design. (The above logo is the one they had when I attended!)

There's a number of pictures accompanying the article that document Martha's visit. Strangest thing is looking at how very, very different the campus looks now from when I was there. A lot of our old play areas are long gone. Rebuilt with newer, fresher buildings with more modern architecture and interior decoration. Looks nice but I think I liked the lived in and warm feeling and personality of the older places. (Don't get me wrong, if I had the money to go back and attend again. I would be there soaking it up like nobodies business in a heartbeat!)

I graduated with my BFA in Illustration in 1996. (Yep that long ago!) I loved the experience, but probably enjoyed the freedom and social aspects considerably more than the educational and artistic ones. Blame it on youth. I must go back and visit sometime.

I'd really love for them to start an MFA program. That would give me a GREAT reason to go back! I'd love to be able to get my Masters! But until then I'll keep exploring other options. (Below is the new logo for the school. Or at least I think it is.)

In Progress-Run Thomas Run!!!

2011-03-03T09:18:00.001-05:00

Latest Image I am working on as time permits. I need new images for my web site! Here's how it' s going so far! From sketch to almost done. All I still need to do is fix the background. It's a bit too plain for me now. I may put a fence, a crowd or just trees to the right and back. I'll put up those process sketches up as well later.

Famed Childrens Illustrator wins Oscar!!

2011-03-01T13:11:00.000-05:00

The award for, oh excuse me, ACADEMY AWARD for Best Animated Short this year went to Shaun Tan, Childrens Book Illustrator and concept artist for films like Horton Hears a Who and Wall-E.

Please take the time to check out his work at your local bookstore or library. I am particularly fond of, The Arrival. A wordless book that chronicles the "Coming to America" experience but in an exotic and magical world full of strange creatures, architecture and function. A true testament to any artists storytelling ability is to do a wordless book. In The Arrival, Tan is at his best, building story, character, emotion and vision with his amazing pencil renderings and graphic novel style storytelling. You'll re-read it again and again and find something new every time you do!

To all the aspiring Childrens Book Illustrators and Authors, this just goes to show you how far our art can take you. Be inspired and stay motivated. Keep learning and getting better everyday!!

You can check out the full Animated Short of the Academy Award winning, The Lost Thing below.

Return of Big Illustration Party Time

2011-02-28T07:19:00.000-05:00

I'm very happy to report the return of Kevin Cross and Joshua Kemble's great podcast Big Illustration Party Time. After a year hiatus they start up not at the place they left off, but with new ideas, inspiration and direction about their lives, artwork and careers. It's great to see them back wiser and reinvigorated with a new energy to continue passing on their experiences to other Illustrators. Tune in and enjoy the Party!!!

Perspective Schmerspective!!!

2011-02-21T21:57:00.001-05:00

I decided to pull this sketch that I'd done a little while ago to finish it up. Easy right!!? I need newer images for my portfolio. Images that are in line with the type of artwork I want to do.

Looking at the sketch I realized I had fallen into my old trap of designing right to left! So I flipped the image and went in to tighten things up. Everything was fine until I decided to do correct perspective on the room and block city. Jeezums!!! It is breaking me DOWN! LOL!

Does anybody have any ideas on how to get this to work better? Would the perspective on the block city be the same as the room. If so, it fisheyes SOO bad that it would make the room unreadable. When do you decide to forget the rules and just go with what looks ok versus what is actually correct and accurate? Everything actually looked ok until I decided to make it correct. Love to hear what you guys think!

Little Things

2011-02-21T08:37:00.000-05:00

Love this video, Love this artist!!!

Jonah Coloring Book Cover

2011-02-13T00:38:00.000-05:00

Here's the cover for my next Coloring Book. The Story of Jonah. This is Pre their designer adding type and whatnot! As well as some sketches from the interiors.

I'll let you guys know a release date as soon as I know and post a finalized cover as well. Enjoy!

Wisdom Wednesday-Lynne Chapman Part 5

2011-02-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

The final in a series of videos on the Childrens Industry by Lynne Chapman. Enjoy!

Lynne Chapman on Sketchbooks from Open College of the Arts on Vimeo.

Up Next, Childrens Book Illustrator Will Terry!

Commercials I Love!!

2011-02-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

Gatorade - Forest Jamboree with Tiger Woods from Aaron Simpson on Vimeo.

IF-Surrender

2011-01-31T13:57:00.000-05:00

We must surrender our fears and face the unknown!!

Character Sketches

2011-01-28T01:42:00.000-05:00

Some rejected character sketches for a job! Maybe next time! Enjoy!!!

Wisodm Wednesday-Lynne Chapman Part 4

2011-01-26T18:00:00.000-05:00

The next in a series of videos on the Childrens Industry by Lynne Chapman. Enjoy!

Lynne Chapman on using pastels from Open College of the Arts on Vimeo.

Enjoy!

Stevie Wonder Saturday-Livin' For the City

2011-01-22T16:56:00.000-05:00

Stevie Wonder Saturday
Livin' for the City from the album "Innervisions" released 1973

Wisdom Wednesday-Lynne Chapman Part 3

2011-01-19T18:00:00.000-05:00

The next in a series of videos on the Childrens Industry by Lynne Chapman. Enjoy!

Becoming an illustrator from Open College of the Arts on Vimeo.

This probably should have been first!! Enjoy!

Playing with a new brush

2011-01-18T12:55:00.000-05:00

Experimenting with a new brush that I made according to Drew Green's specifications. It has a very pastel-ish quality to it depending on how it's used. I have to admit that I kind of like it! I'm just not sure where and how I want to use it. What do you guys think of the experiment I did with the brush on the heads? The girl was more solidly rendered first then I went back in with the brush. The two boys I solely used the Drew Green brush and tried to make the pastel qualities more evident. Which do you like better?

Here are the specifics on how to create the brush in Photoshop. Just copy and paste the image in Photoshop then follow the directions. If you use it and like it, please thank Drew!! Thanks!! :)

Happy Martin Luther King Day

2011-01-17T11:25:00.000-05:00

Stevie Wonder Saturday-Don't You Worry Bout a Thing!

2011-01-15T16:49:00.000-05:00

Stevie Wonder Saturday
Don't You Worry Bout A Thing! from the album "Innervisions" released 1973

IF:Chicken

2011-01-14T16:49:00.001-05:00

An older watercolor piece dug up from the grave! LOL! I had a weird thing for strange perspectives back in the day. I still have it but not to the same extreme!

Also, does a Rooster count as a chicken?

Commercials I Can't Stand!!!

2011-01-13T20:05:00.000-05:00

Wisdom Wednesday-Lynne Chapman Part 2

2011-01-12T18:00:00.000-05:00

The next in a series of videos on the Childrens Industry by Lynne Chapman. Enjoy!

How to illustrate a book - Part 2 from Open College of the Arts on Vimeo.

Link to previous video!

Jesus Is My Friend-Warner Press

2011-01-11T23:32:00.000-05:00

My new coloring book, Jesus is My Friend will be out sometime this month. It's already up on Amazon(sorta) and will be available in multiple languages! How cool is that!

I'll update the links once you can order it from Amazon, but for now here's a link to it on the Publisher's site. The book was a lot of fun and I would love to do more coloring books in the future!

Commercials I Love!!

2011-01-11T19:10:00.000-05:00

Stevie Wonder Saturday-Higher Ground

2011-01-08T16:31:00.000-05:00

Stevie Wonder Saturday
Higher Ground from the album "Innervisions" released 1973

Red Hot Chili Peppers cover of Higher Ground from the Album "Mother's Milk" Released 1989

Sketchy Sketch!

2011-01-06T00:32:00.001-05:00

There's been a whole lot of posts about other folks. Time to throw up a sketch of my own!! Goshdarnit!
This is a character I'd done prematurely. I like him and want to use him on some activity sheets. So I claim him back.
I'll throw him in a skate park or something of that nature later for an activity sheet. Stay Tuned!!

Speaking of Activity Sheets here is the Final Version of the Calvin one. No words won but I did add start and finish. Holla!!

Wisdom Wednesday-Lynne Chapman

2011-01-05T23:37:00.000-05:00

This is a very inspiring series of videos from Lynne Chapman where she goes through her Creation Process and how she got into doing Childrens Books. With the economy being what it is we all need as much hope and inspiration as we can find. Lynne supplies that in spades! I'll post one of the video every Wednesday! If you don't want to wait follow the link on the video to see the other four she has done. Also check out here website and blog!!

How to illustrate a book - Part 1 from Open College of the Arts on Vimeo.

Illustration Board-Free Promotion!! Just Do It!

2011-01-05T23:32:00.000-05:00

I just joined Illustration Board as a form of promotion. It's free and hosts a wonderful set of Illustrators. I say you always take every opportunity you can get to promote yourself, especially if it's free. You never know who may run across you!!

They also have a page on Facebook.

I won! Happy New Year!!

2011-01-03T11:17:00.000-05:00

I'm a fan of the Illustration pages website, blog and facebook page. Recently they had a contest promoting the relatively new Storybook Illustrators website. Storybook Illustrators works in a similar fashion to ChildrensIllustrators.com. The contest prize was a one year free subscription and portfolio on the site.

I won!!!

So, as of today I have uploaded my portfolio and bio to the site. I will continue to upload more and diversify as my projects for the next year continue to be published and promoted.

Happy New Year!!

Stevie Wonder Saturday-Creepin'

2011-01-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Stevie Wonder Saturday
Creepin' from the album "Fulfillingness" released 1974

Creepin' as covered by Luther Vandross, from the album "The Night I Fell In Love " released in 1985

Wisdom Wednesday-Perspective Tool

2010-12-30T20:13:00.000-05:00

Here's a nifty and free Perspective tool for Photoshop users. As well as a great little video tutorial that tells you how to use it.

The tool is presented by Freddie Williams, the author of The Dc Comics Guide to Drawing Comics Digitally. As you will see the tool can be used for 1 point, 2 point and 3 point perspective. The tool is available on his website for free here. Enjoy the tool!!!

Stevie Wonder Saturday-They Won't Go When I Go

2010-12-26T08:26:00.000-05:00

Stevie Wonder Saturday
They Won't Go When I Go
From the Album, "Fulfillingness" released 1974

And the version done by George Michael from his, "Listen Without Prejudice" Album, released in 1990

This Just In.....Wisdom Wednesday

2010-12-23T00:49:00.000-05:00

I just got this email below from 3X3 Magazine. With a prognosis for how the market will be this coming year. As we celebrate the Holidays and New Year, let's keep a positive outlook for next year.

Let's use our imaginations and talents to propel ourselves to the next level. Let's use that energy to push our artwork and talents higher and higher. Seek out your peers, grow from their wisdom and insight. Do the same for others. If you don't see a place for yourself in the industry, create your own. All of us have unique perspectives and approaches that have a home out there.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everybody!

"Dear Wilson,

The results of our recent survey shows illustrators see a brighter future for 2011. Based on 469 respondents from the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, 45% see themselves as better off financially in 2011, 24% will be about the same and only 7% say they will be worse off. This compares nicely to the AIGA Designers Confidence Index that had 42.7% of graphic designers saying it would be better off, 47% about the same and only 10.1% worse. A major difference was 24% of illustrators answered that they didn't know if they would be better off, worse off or the same.

Asked about fees, 10% responded that fees had gone up, 29% that fees had gone down and the majority, 46%, saying fees remained the same.

Asked about the number of projects, 32% saw an increase in the past twelve months, 31% saw the number drop off and 28% saw the number of assignments remain the same; 9% were unsure.

Participants included 53% from the US, 11% each from Canada and the UK, 18% from Europe and 7% from Asia. 53% were full-time illustrators, 34% were part-time. 52% had a bachelor's degree, 31% had a graduate degree; 58% were male, 42% female, 59% were between the ages of 25-44.

We will be able to break down the research in more specific areas of age, years in the industry and education in an upcoming announcement but for now we wanted to share these top-line results. Find out the latest updates on our blog, blog.3x3mag.com

Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year."

Wisdom Wednesday-If Only You Knew

2010-12-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

If you only knew how many times I have had to have this conversation with someone. Yikes!!
Very funny little video shared with me by Jack Foster by way of Will Terry!

Cardinal Luv Fest!-Worksheet Sketch

2010-12-21T16:12:00.000-05:00

This is a comp for the worksheet. There are still big issues with the kerning and whatnot of the actual puzzle. (Add some letters take some out to fill the space better.) Gonna be lots of fun fixing that! LOL!
I'm thinking of having a full color scene behind all the hearts. Maybe grass and some trees or something to give it more depth. All of that would be masked inside that amoeba shape that is going around everything. While that would probably translate well in color, I doubt the same would be true of the B/W version. We'll see. Suggestions are welcome!

And Oh Yeah! The puzzle is complete! So please check to make sure you can find all the words! Thanks!

As always Click for bigger image! Then Use Ctrl/+ to enlarge the image!
(Can be done multiple times.)