One of these is fan art for Rampant by Diana Peterfreund, a story about man-eating unicorns. This book is great so far, strong female characters and non-normal monsters. The images described are vivid and I find myself wanting to draw numerous scenes from the book. However, I must first conquer drawing the Karkadann, the largest and most dangerous unicorn. This is the best sketch I have gotten thus far and I still have a ways to go.

I am also trying to sketch out a t-shirt for Halloween, but after deciding the theme should be a ragging mob, my tires started spinning.

These are the two projects that are holding me up right now. Those and packing for our trip down to Kentucky tomorrow. Lucien and I will be away for a week! No posts will go up next Tuesday or Wednesday, but a full recount of any sketches will go up on Thursday. Hopefully the southern air and delicious food will rattle me loose. Enjoy your Labor Day weekends!

Here is a color comp of a piece I am making for a friend. I enjoy this as it, I love loose painting. I still need to learn how to let paint free. This is a step for me, it is the first illustration I have done where I used just one color for a background of creatures.

O.A.T.S. is a bluegrass festival in Pennsylvania run by the Grillbillies. I have loved the times I have gone. Staying up all night long listening to impromptu jam sessions is the best. Thank you for the wonderful times.

I have recently realized I love drawing birds. I probably should have realized this a while ago, given that if I aimlessly doodle a little bird appears upon the page. The clarity came through with a few recent events. First were our many trips to the zoo, seeing Flamingos and learning that their upper beak is smaller than their lower beak. Then drawing birds for the ripple project (I still have two pieces left for sale). Thirdly putting up a hummingbird feeder and watching the little guys buzz around. And finally checking out the Owly books.

Andy Runton captures a simple beauty of nature. Using Owly as the main character is genius, because he is so similar to humans in how other birds will react to him. I know I am terribly late to this party, Owly has always been on my list. I am so glad I have now read these stories, they touched my heart making me smile and cry. Fan forever.

The last two events provided the inspiration for this blog’s little piece.

And sketches

Although, I am feeling my sketch more:

I need to go back to the drawing board. My sketch composition is working better. In part because the cat is looking to the left and there is the danger, helping the eye to rotate around the page. In the full color piece, you are left hanging and your eyes are fighting between the cougar and the kayak. The sketch’s monotone palette allows the eye to better take in the action. Also there is more character in the animals in the sketch. Finally the pencils work better on the crappy paper I am trying to draw on. Lesson, free blank paged books are not always the right material for drawing in.

I will redo this one, when time allows. The idea is adorable thanks Evan! Perfect week to chime in, Matt never gave me a theme this week.

Vampires are out people, the new hit. . . Zombie Unicorns.

The theme will be a repeat conjured by a talk my husband and I had during the car ride home. We discussed the recent posts and I was able to ask Matt which he felt we successful and unsuccessful. He wasn’t willing to be very thorough; he did say I was often too literal causing disappointment. I agree. My mind is literal, so much that I often do not understand when someone is being sarcastic with me. Although, I in turn have very dry sarcastic humor.

Anyway, the specific image is the Microscopic Zoo. It’s not done yet, I am doing a series of sketches to make it more complex. Matt would not tell me what he had pictured, saying that defeated the purpose. This is a very delightful exercise, similar to the process of illustrating someone else’s book.

I would love to hear your thoughts: Where is the line? For other illustrators how have you dealt with a client that has such a specific image in mind they aren’t accepting what you are drawing but, aren’t able to verbalize what they want drawn?

I find this occurrence happens with design too. It is easier with repeat clients, you know they like and what they mean with the non descriptor words or subjective adjectives. I ask questions that get something I can interpret from my client and continue to push the design. Recreating it, even from scratch, until it is right. That is my job. I feel I am usually successful at it.

Not to send you away without a piece of art, here is my Colonel Windpipe contribution:
Thurston Trotter

This is the first page in my first sketchbook. I still remember where I was when I made these drawings. In my brother’s day care loft waiting for my mom to finish up a board meeting. One of the dogs was a stuffed animal that was keeping me company. He looked really scared.

(age drawn 9)

Then this is Slick. I remember coming up with her, trying out lots of characters to make a team. Her eyes where part of my style at the time. I figured all of my characters would have eyes shaped like hers.

(age drawn 14)