Bootcamp Project for March: Fabric Design

 {Digital, 2014}

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Our second project for Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells Bootcamp was a fabric pattern incorporating jelly molds. At first I wasn't sure what to do with such a strange concept, but as I worked in my sketchbook I came up with the idea of some woodland animals having an aspic and gelatin party. This is my final project submission for the class gallery.

Inktober Highlights

{Bear, Sketchbook, 2013}

{Rabbit, Sketchbook, 2013}

 

 {Briar Rose Awake, Sketchbook, 2013}

{Like Moths, Sketchbook, 2013}

 {Fall Harbinger, Sketchbook 2013}

 {Forest Floor, Sketchbook, 2013}

{Brave Merida, Sketchbook, 2013}

Don't let my blog absence fool you! I've been a busy lady the last few months. I finished my 4th picture book illustrations during the first week of October and have been working on personal projects off and on. I've also been using my daily sketchbook time (ie. drinking coffee, watching Sesame Street and trying to fend of my 10 month old pen stealer.) to participate in the #inktober fun on Instagram. I love seeing what everyone else is doing and it feels good to be a part of a huge community of people who are all over the world doing the same thing. The above sketches are some of my favorites from this month. I am also planing on participating in PiBoIdMo which is essentially one picture book idea a day for the month. You can read more about it at Tara Lazar's Blog. I hope to share some of my work from that during the month of November.

Summer Camping

{Graphite on Watercolor Paper, 2012}
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This is the full illustration that surrounds the characters that I shared in my previous post. When I was a kid, I really looked forward to camping. Actually, if I get a chance, I still look forward to it! It is one of my favorite things about growing up in Michigan; the lake, the dunes, the campgrounds and the state parks. I am going to finish this in watercolor, and then I will share the final illustration!

Bears Sketch

{Sketch, 2012}

These bears are the main characters of a larger piece I am working on. Once I get it all drawn up, I plan to use watercolor as the coloring method. I love the life in the original sketch, so I thought I would share it. I love drawing bears!

Valentine Animal Babies

{Watercolor, 2012}

{Watercolor, 2012}

I couldn't sleep-in this morning, even though it's Saturday. I got up, made some coffee, and decided to play with my watercolors. All the stores have Valentine's Day stuff out, so it makes sense that when I sat down to draw and paint, I decided to make everything pink, purple and red. Anyways, these two illustrations are what I came up with. I wish pink fawns with heart markings really existed. I also wish bears wore suspenders in the wild.

Bear Family

{Watercolor, 2012}

This is a watercolor illustration I did as a gift for some friends that will be having a baby boy very soon! I'm going to put his name on the bunting above them, but I'm posting it without because the name is a secret until he's born. I hope they like it!

Illustration Friday - Hibernate

{Ink in Sketchbook with Digital Color, 2011}

When I think of this week's Illustration Friday prompt, I think of bears huddling in a den or a cave. During winter, I often feel this way too! Its nice to keep cozy inside when the snow is flying. I drew this in in my sketchbook with an ink pen and then scanned it and painted under the drawing in Photoshop.

Illustration Friday - Sneaky

{Sketchbook with Digital Color, 2010}

As I am sure you know, bears are rather sneaky creatures! This bear is supposed to be hibernating but decided to take a walk around the winter wonderland instead. I drew this in my sketchbook and colored it in Photoshop.

Toy Network Plush Designs

{Monkey Plush, 2010}

{Squid Plush, 2010}

{Ice Cream Bear Plush, 2010}

{Shark Plush, 2010}

Designing plush for Toy Network, LLC is one of my favorite parts of being a freelance illustrator. Once my drawings are sent to China, I usually don't see the finished products unless I check the website or until the next year when I go into the offices to do more drawings. I am just posting a few of my new discoveries here! I usually just post the ones that are my favorites and look the most like my concept drawings. I especially love the squid! I think its quirky and adorable and I am so glad they decided to add it to their plush collection for 2010!

Illustration Friday - Immovable

{Sketchbook with Digital Color, 2010}

My parents have an old oak tree in their yard that reaches way up to the sky. It is one of the biggest trees I have ever seen and it almost seems like some sort of immovable character in my childhood. Some of my fondest memories are of my early school days when I would get off the bus and my mom would be raking up the leaves from under that oak. The tree still inspires complete awe in me because I know it saw days from long long ago and my hope is that it has many more years in its future.

Honey Bear

{Oil on Board, 2010}

I finally finished this yesterday. It had been sitting untouched on my art desk for a week. The simple shapes and heavier acrylic underpainting made this a quicker piece than most. Painting in oil has been a journey since college and I am always trying to find ways to make it more efficient... because, hey, time is money. My favorite part of this piece is the fur on the bees' bodies.

Illustration Friday - Dip (sketchy)

{Graphite/Acrylic Sketch on Board, 2010}

This is my idea for Illustration Friday. I will be working on the painting this week, if time allows, so I thought I would post the first stage of the illustration. I immediately thought of food when I saw this week's prompt... I thought of guacamole, sour cream and onion chip dip, caramel, ranch dressing... all kinds of yummy dips. I decided to go with honey after I started drawing the bear. What bear can resist dipping into some honey?

Some Black and White Illustrations

{Watercolor, 2010}

{Watercolor, 2010}

{Watercolor, 2010}

I am working on filling out my black and white portfolio. I thought I would show a few recent illustrations that I created using black prismacolor pencil, black watercolor and white acrylic ink. Ideally, I would like to have around 20 small images similar to these that I can group together!

Animals with Clothes

{Sketchbook, 2010}

I just started my second Moleskine sketchbook. This is one of the first pages from it. I love drawing animals with clothes. It has become a major obsession... though I generally don't subject my own pets to clothing. (Only on holidays to snap a photo or two!) It is only Tuesday and it has already been a busy week! I am currently preparing for my first ever school visit to present as a working illustrator. I plan to show the kids (Kindergarten and 3rd graders) some of my work and I have also planned a project that should be inspiring and fun. My visit is on Thursday, and I hope to take a few pictures of some of the art that gets created! I must confess, I am a bit nervous about it too... wanting to make sure that it is a special experience for these guys! I'll definitely have more to share about my trip later.

Illustration Friday - Modify (Color Version)

{Watercolor, 2009}

Looks like Little Bear has a few ideas to modify her party dress! Mama Bear better get to work before the party! This is the watercolored version of the drawing I posted yesterday. I love the final detail stages of an illustration! (like the details on the dresses and the little tufts of fur.) Gosh, I just LOVE illustration!

Illustration Friday - Modify

{Prisma Pencil, 2009}

The theme for Illustration Friday this week is "modify". My concept was a little bear that wants her mama bear to modify her party dress. The little bear has little plans drawn up and everything! I'm going to get this painted tomorrow and post the finished illustration.

Illustration Friday - Instinct (Color Version)

{Watercolor, 2009}

I finished this watercolor spot illustration this morning. (I got up at 5 AM because I couldn't sleep. Grrrr!) I will add this to my small pile of watercolor illustrations in my portfolio. I don't know what it is, but unlike working in oil, watercolor is so addictive. Its less laborious for me, and I just love the way the water and the paint feel on the brush and when they touch the paper. I have a rough plan for a larger, more complex watercolor piece, but I may not be able to get to it for a few weeks yet.

Illustration Friday - Instinct

{Black Prisma on HP WC Paper, 2009}

I am definitely going to finish this in color and resubmit it to Illustration Friday. However, after drawing this out on the watercolor paper, I figured I would post it without any paint on it. Make sure you come visit me again to see it with color!! Happy Friday!

EDIT: The color version is done. Click HERE to see it!

One More Spot!

{Digital Spot Illustration, 2009}

The client decided to go with a bear that was more wild, and less teddy bear. (I agreed with his decision) But now I can show this little guy!

Illustration Friday - Pale

{Watercolor Moleskine, 2009}

This is my first try at using a Moleskine. I bought the watercolor one, because I tend to like a pretty large sketchbook, and I figured if I was going to spend that kind of money on a sketchbook, I wanted to have some watercolor paper in it. So I have to say, I kind of get the "rage", the size is pretty cool, and the paper is supreme.
Anyways, this is supposed to represent the phrase, "by the pale moonlight"... I had a lot of fun just going for it without any planning or preliminary sketches. I flew by the seat of my pants.