12x12 in 12

So here's a new challenge for me. On top of keeping up with family/home responsibilities and two online art/illustration courses, I am going to try to come up with a story idea every month this year. It's a challenge Helga introduced me to - one initiated by Julie Hedlund. Helga made a very good point - as one who wants to be an illustrator of children's books, there will undoubtedly come a time when I will want to write a story of my own, so why not start generating ideas now!

Art of the Masses

I have been a fan of Emily Grandin for a long time but had let way too many months go by before returning to check her work at Art of the Masses. She has done some amazing work this year, including a very cool advent calendar and a Sketchbook Project. Here she explains her process.

Session 7 - Opening the Palette

Last week I felt really constrained sticking to two colors, but this week when I had four colors to work with, yikes! I was wishing for just two.

I'm not as happy with this painting as the first, especially the grass, but it was a great exercise.

Session 6 - Two color watercolor study

Helga P has inspired me to get going on my homework for our online class How To Be A Children's Book Illustrator. So thanks Helga! Here is my homework for this week. I am going to try and keep up with Helga who is apparently very dedicated to getting her assignments done weekly.

Painting an image using only two colors was a fun exercise. I loved the process of mixing the two colors to get the color and the tone I needed.

Creativity

Need I say more...

Tutorials

Why is it always hard for me to keep up with the drawing and the learning that I want to do?? I have had a Wacom tablet for a couple years and I still haven't spent much time figuring it out!! Well here are some tutorials that will give me a chance to try it out (although the tablet is not necessary) to do it.

The first tutorial is learning to transform a sketch into a Vector Illustration featured on Geomediazine, an ezine I need to spend more time on.

The second tutorial was featured on Digital Arts website and has some great Photoshop effects to try out. I plan to start with this one.

Marla Frazee

Tonight I discovered this interview with Marla Frazee where she talks about her journey to becoming an award-winning Illustrator. She has some other great video links on her website.

Digital Picture Books

What's the difference between ebooks and a picture book app...guest writer Lindsey Lane writes about her experience digitally publishing her already published print picture book at Cynsations. There's some great information here, with links worth checking out!

Patrice Barton

Patrice Barton is not only a great illustrator, but from some interviews of her that I have seen, she is so genuine, sweet and kind. Here's an article she wrote recently about her approach to illustrating a picture book vs. a chapter book.


In addition, here's a link to an interview she did with Mark Mitchell where she talks about her process as she created her new book Sweet Baby Moon.

Children's Book Illustration

Mark Mitchell at How to be a Children's Book Illustrator has been posting some great links that are both educational and inspirational. I am so bad at forgetthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifing where I read something and finding it again, so here's a list of some recent reads that I enjoyed.

Summary of the 2011 SCBWI Summer Conference offers some really encouraging comments by a number of well known illustrators.

Summary of the Cartoon Studio, an annual summer workshop offered at The Center for Cartoon Studies.

A lecture by Alec Longstreth called “Your Comics Will Love You Back".