tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:58:05 +00004th grade reading listmulticultural art history and geography.graphic novelsComic BooksAfrican American AuthorsGesso Squad#drawingelementary art education#art5th grade reading list6th grade reading listArt TeachersScience Fiction and Fantasy#Art EducationGeso SquadScience Fiction and Fantasy NovelsSuperheroesYoung Adult Novelsholiday gifts#chonicpain#drawing #art #painting #stickers #space #aliensAfrican American Fiction#Art Teachers#cartooning#robotsArt Educationgraphic novels african american fictionv.j. brockett#Comic Books#art history#clouds #rainbows #artclass #nature#colored pencils#graphic novels#multicultural #art historyBook VideosGesso Squad FAQSOlmec and Pre-Columbian ArtYoung Adult Booksbooks for tweenscomic books and graphic novelmulticultural art history#Geso Squad#art #stickers #roses #flowers#drawing #stopmotion #animation#dvd #film#elementary art #education#january#markers#pens#starwars50 shades of GessoAsideGESSO SQUAD ParodyNational Indie Excellence 2012 Book AwardsShort Storiesamerican library associationart historybooks for art teachersdrawingpencilsrecyclerobotssciencei fiction and fantasy.toastmastersvegetablesvj brockettwatercolor paperhttps://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-4416009928060716894Sun, 25 May 2025 15:21:00 +00002025-05-25T08:48:59.741-07:00#art#Art Education#cartooning&nbsp;I didn't actually learn to draw until I was 17. I had always done cartooning except I never learned how to draw.&nbsp; I didn't have art while I was in Middle School, which means by the time I got to High School, my art was still in the Pre Adolescent stage. I didn't know how to draw in three dimensions.&nbsp; I remember when I went to National Portfolio day my junior year, I was told by https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/plastic-gourds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-5817083967238980994Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:42:00 +00002024-03-08T14:42:19.912-08:00#Art Education#art history#drawing#graphic novelsThe Adventures of GESSO SQUAD Book series now has four books. It took about a year to finish this one. Took longer than usual because there were new characters to draw and backgrounds to paint. While I was illustrating the a chapter in book four ( this was in December 2023 ) my cat, Stella died. There were some cat images in this book, making it a challenge to illustrate because I would get sad https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/books-and-then-some.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-2001105382211551138Wed, 02 Aug 2023 22:50:00 +00002023-08-02T15:50:18.880-07:00#art#Art Education#cartooning#clouds #rainbows #artclass #nature#colored pencils#Comic Books#drawing#drawing #art #painting #stickers #space #aliens&nbsp;Time to explore cartooning random objects that can be found outside. Rainbows and spaceships can be drawn in various shapes and colors.&nbsp; Cool colors like purple, blue and green can be used. Additionally warmer colors like reds, oranges and yellows.&nbsp; Drawing RainbowsDrawing Spaceships&nbsp;&nbsp;Coming soon - Drawing houses, part III.https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/drawing-outside.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-6281081587760469590Sat, 22 Jul 2023 18:32:00 +00002023-07-22T11:33:32.601-07:00#Art Education#Art Teachers#cartooning#colored pencils#drawing#markers#pens&nbsp;I created a video tutorial of one of the many ways you can draw a house and add color. Any shapes can be used to create your drawing. See examples examples below.&nbsp;There is also a video of how to complete this: Drawing a House Part II.&nbsp;<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/drawing-house-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-6251644931887471174Fri, 30 Jun 2023 23:55:00 +00002023-06-30T16:55:30.259-07:00#chonicpain#drawing#multicultural #art historyComic Bookselementary art educationmulticultural art historyGESSO SQUAD Adventures Book Three is now complete. I had started working on it last year. Since my injuries in 2014, it takes a little longer...I have even more time now to return to drawing random object....https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2023/06/8.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-4584124578187395987Sat, 08 Oct 2022 11:27:00 +00002022-10-08T04:27:33.700-07:00#art#Art Education#drawingHouses can be different shapes and sizes. This is just one of the many ways to draw a simple house. 1. Start with a line.2. Begin to form base of house. This can be any size or shape square or rectangle.&nbsp;3. Complete and close square. 4. Add a triangle on top. This can be any size or shape. 5. Add door to the front. Any shape will do. 6. Add door knob.7. Windows are can be created the same https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2022/10/house-part-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-7971097959736133188Sun, 25 Sep 2022 17:42:00 +00002022-09-25T10:42:04.206-07:00#clouds #rainbows #artclass #nature#drawing&nbsp;1. Rainbows can be drawn several different ways. This is just one of the many kinds out there. Start with&nbsp; curve.2. Then, draw another line with loop.3. Close cloud and add a curved line at the top.4.&nbsp; At the end of the line add half a circle.5. Add curvy line like with the first cloud.6. Close the 2nd cloud and add another line to create the first rainbow. 7. Continue to add https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2022/09/drawing-rainbows.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-6643536205122956418Tue, 21 Jun 2022 18:13:00 +00002022-06-21T11:18:48.657-07:00#Art Education#Art Teachers#chonicpain#drawing #art #painting #stickers #space #aliensI finally finished GESSO SQUAD Adventures Book Two.&nbsp; It took six months to get this one done. I believe since I completed two last year and one the year before that I was on book overload. It's time-consuming working on any project whether it's a book or film. Anyone who creates books or films will tell you the work involved like storyboarding, drawing, painting and many other tasks to be https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2022/06/its-purple.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-3949679947536369665Fri, 01 Apr 2022 15:59:00 +00002022-04-01T08:59:41.383-07:00&nbsp;This month, I donated drawings to my local non profit organization to be given to people. I do this every year. Fun to create this using coloring pages I finish and then I cut out the images, glue them onto a blank piece of paper. Later, I add my own drawings. https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/donations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-1380524251801450732Fri, 11 Feb 2022 16:43:00 +00002022-02-11T08:43:26.421-08:00#art #stickers #roses #flowersI discovered paint by sticker a while back and recently was introduced to diamond art club. It involves placing small circle shaped dots onto a color coded sheet which eventually forms a larger picture.&nbsp;This was time consuming and somewhat messy.&nbsp;Small dots would often bounce off the applicator when pressed onto the coloring page. Sometimes they would get stuck on the applicator pen https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/diamond-art-in-sequence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-4934529926553887282Sat, 06 Nov 2021 18:42:00 +00002021-11-06T11:42:47.726-07:00&nbsp;So far, I've managed to publish three books since last year. The most recent one, the Chronicles of Sakura Silver&nbsp;&nbsp;I finished last month.&nbsp; Sakura first appeared a collection of short stories I published in 2013, Tales of a Phantom Toaster and Other Short Stories.I recently made drawings which I later donated to my local United Way for their Day of Caring event.&nbsp; I like https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/in-october.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-7341648840699698942Sun, 04 Jul 2021 18:57:00 +00002021-07-04T11:57:46.900-07:00&nbsp;&nbsp;A random piano sculpture in the city of Stamford, CT. I had gone there last weekend to see a dance performance and saw several pianos in the area. This is part of an outdoor exhibit going until September 2021.&nbsp; I've been drawing robot figurines lately and sometimes the occasional plastic vegetable. Lately, this has been getting repetitive. I struggle at times to find things to https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-piano-outside.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-2722477284050099845Sun, 25 Apr 2021 17:52:00 +00002021-04-25T10:52:06.563-07:00&nbsp; When it's raining outside and I have&nbsp;chronic pain, I draw rainbows because they make me feel better.&nbsp;Step 1: Draw curvy lines to create side of cloud.Step 2: Close lines creating first cloud.Step 3: Begin drawing 2nd cloud.&nbsp;Step 4; Continue drawing outline for 2nd cloud.Step 5: Close lines. Now we have two clouds.&nbsp;Step 6: Begin drawing rainbow linesStep 7: Close rainbowhttps://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/lets-draw-part-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-419859765694795515Sun, 11 Apr 2021 20:47:00 +00002021-04-11T13:48:55.985-07:00#art#chonicpain#drawing #art #painting #stickers #space #aliensI've started making drawing collages I create out of coloring pages I finish and then adding my own drawings.&nbsp; They're fun and a nice escape from chronic pain and pandemic news. They also make me smile and I enjoy creating them then donating them to my local United Way.&nbsp;Step One: Choose and color design from coloring bookStep Two: Cut out parts of design from page.&nbsp;Step Three: Add https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/drawing-to-travel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-6582368808030696372Sun, 04 Apr 2021 16:12:00 +00002021-04-04T09:12:55.422-07:00#art#Art Education#art history#Art Teachers#Comic Books#drawing#elementary art #education#Geso Squad#graphic novels#multicultural #art history&nbsp;I finished writing and illustrating a new collection of short stories. This is the third collection of shorts / featuring adventures of some of my characters. Paperback and&nbsp;Ebook copies&nbsp;are now available.&nbsp;I'm also back to volunteering from home since we're all stuck inside these day because of the pandemic. And I've found an excuse to start drawing again creating art from https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/collection-3.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-3601878817576766580Sat, 13 Mar 2021 20:15:00 +00002021-03-13T12:16:23.563-08:00#art#chonicpain#drawing#january#robots&nbsp;I've been having drawing block and haven't been able to draw anything since January. The last drawing I did was of a robot almost two months ago. I might make an attempt to draw something if I feel motivated....Chronic pain doesn't help. Tomorrow will be better...https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/i31.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-2074967192838829451Tue, 19 Jan 2021 21:42:00 +00002021-01-19T13:42:59.779-08:00#art#drawing #stopmotion #animation#dvd #filmFinally finished a DVD of my short films featuring both hand drawn and stop motion animation. I made these films between 2002 and 2007.&nbsp; I'm thrilled to finally get these little films onto DVD.&nbsp; Some of these were made while I was a student at Uarts.&nbsp;https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2021/01/short-films.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-509210967806204945Mon, 19 Oct 2020 20:06:00 +00002020-10-19T13:06:00.570-07:00#drawing #art #painting #stickers #space #aliensI was recently given a color by sticker book. Instead of color by number, you use stickers to fill in the drawing. When they are finished they look like paintings. This is great since I've never been into painting with Acrylic or Tempera paints. I enjoy watercolors which I use for illustrating my books, and I love using completed coloring pages and turning them into drawings. I later donate thesehttps://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/color-by-sticker.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-2597883912213190970Sun, 09 Aug 2020 20:09:00 +00002020-08-09T13:09:58.761-07:00#art#drawing4th grade reading list5th grade reading list6th grade reading listAfrican American AuthorsAfrican American FictionArt EducationArt TeachersComic BooksEarlier this month, I finished a comic book I had been working on for while. Not sure how long it took me to finish this comic book.&nbsp;I would say two years working on it occasionally? Feels like longer when I add chronic pain issues which distract me from making new things sometimes...&nbsp;The Adventures of&nbsp; GESSO SQUAD Book One is a new set of stories with characters from my GESSO https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/on-paper.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-7450092009462893527Sun, 14 Jun 2020 12:57:00 +00002020-06-14T05:57:57.834-07:00#art#drawingArt EducationArt TeachersComic Bookselementary art educationgraphic novelsScience Fiction and FantasyA while ago, I started using coloring books for fun and another way to be creative. I started cutting out some of the designs I've colored in and creating collages with them. Even adding my own drawings to the images.&nbsp;&nbsp; One of the collage/drawings I createdThere are several ways these pages can be re used.&nbsp; Drawing my own characters with these coloring pages reminded me to being inhttps://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/a-new-escape.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-3157944231480591162Thu, 30 Apr 2020 21:58:00 +00002020-04-30T14:58:37.307-07:00drawingpencilsrobotsvegetables Yellow and orange gourd thatlooks like a penguin action figure robot faces off against styrofoam vegetable During these challenging times combined with head issues....I always thought this gourd pepper thing (on the right) looked like a type of bird. Sort of reminds me of a penguin especially since there is a hole on the side of the styrofoam which could be an eye and the stem resembles ahttps://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/orange-bird-gourd-battle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-531570225004224199Mon, 09 Mar 2020 21:00:00 +00002020-03-09T14:00:16.052-07:00#art#drawing#robots4th grade reading listArt Teacherscomic books and graphic novelelementary art educationGesso Squad Drawing with shadows. Orange Foam pumpkin Some of these foam veggies look better when flipped upside down. Spaceship tree ? &nbsp; Drawing these reminds me of buildings, spaceships or trees. I've only been focusing on one at a time, may have to return to combining them with other objects to keep things interesting.&nbsp; https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/upside-down-and-then-some.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-2388957266161953504Thu, 09 Jan 2020 13:53:00 +00002020-01-09T13:10:54.815-08:00#art#drawing#robots#starwars Graphite pencil sketch which I liked more than the line drawing.&nbsp; Line drawing. Started drawing again after a month off, lack of inspiration. One can draw only so many peppers and plastic vegetables. Graphite pencils have a interesting texture and I have several gradients from soft to firm which changes the shadows and line quality. In previous posts, I've drawn robots in the past https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/robots-with-lines.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-3703863247436999028Sat, 16 Nov 2019 12:46:00 +00002019-11-16T04:46:53.055-08:00 Line pencil drawing of a gourd. While drawing, it reminded me&nbsp;of a spaceship. Graphite pencil sketch of pepper I've re discovered a charcoal pencil in my art bin. I was getting tired of drawing with the usual graphite pencils. This month I also explored adding colored pencils to my drawings, which brings them to life a bit. Some of these gourds and peppers often remind me of animals https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/charcoal-pencil-vegetable-magic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3703580637167642325.post-5046872248529967058Mon, 29 Jul 2019 23:53:00 +00002019-07-29T16:56:51.324-07:00 Straw hat Robot action figure that's kind of like an insect Drawing random objects is always fun and keeps life interesting. Animals move around and it can be a challenge to draw them unless they are sleeping. &nbsp;Action figures are cool and are great to turn to as an alternative to plastic vegetables and flowers. curved plastic gourd/pepper? Reminds me of a penguin https://brockettbookblog.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-hat-robot-and-pumpkin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)