Illustration Friday: SURVEILLANCE

This week's topic is SURVEILLANCE. The image was inspired by a creepy new surveillance camera at work that is fun to think about subverting in some way, and, I am sure, Maurice Sendak's Max, growling with the beasts in Where the Wild Things Are.

Sketching process for "WORN"

Here is the sketch progression for this week's Illustration Friday: WORN image. 

Illustration Friday: WORN

This week's topic was WORN. The image was inspired by watching my niece and nephew this weekend and seeing how close kids sit to each other. Also, by how we tend to share common issues -- here's my worn out knee; oh, don't feel bad, look at my elbow hole! -- to try and lift each other up.

Illustration Friday: CHILDREN

This week's Illustration Friday theme is "Children," and though it felt rushed and not quite finished, I had fun coming up with some kid/play scenarios and remembering how unbelievably fun it was to cover someone's eyes with your hands!! I've been trying to focus a bit on sidekicks, so I tried to pair the kids up.

I was reading an article this week on the importance of physical play and how through play, kids are constantly trying out ways of interacting with the world and each other that will inform their adult lives. It's not just goofing off! (though perhaps a little of it is!)

Book Review: Tim's Big Move

Tim's Big Move, by Anke Wagner and Eva Eriksson, is about the fears of starting something new, as seen through the eyes of Tim's stuffed animal dog, Pico. When Tim's family gets ready to move to a new town, Pico is afraid that he will be left behind. As he watches Tim pack, Pico's anxiety grows. The clouds finally clear when Pico is able to find his place in their new home.

The story brilliantly projects a child's fears onto a stuffed animal, abstracting them to make them easier to relate to and feel. 

The illustrations are drawn in lovely, soft colored pencil, a comforting presence to help with Pico's difficult feelings. Pico's facial expressions, from worry to dejection to joy, are beautifully and simply rendered. The color palette is a quiet but positive palette, with lots of yellows and greens, the colors of both discomfort and growth. 

Illustration Friday: SWEET

This week's Illustration Friday theme is SWEET. The image is inspired by lots of chocolate chip cookie baking when I was younger, and the amazing goldmine of sweetness of the electric mixer beaters.

Illustration Friday: TENSION

This week's Illustration Friday challenge: TENSION!

Inspired by school pictures! The day you would have to wear stiff dressy clothing to school. Mom would try to tame your hair, and you'd wait in line to stand in front of the weird backdrop to have your picture taken. Posing very naturally, of course. 

Illustration Friday: LIQUID

This one is inspired by...school locker cleanout season! I can remember in junior high in June having to drag the big trash barrel over to our lockers and dig through a year's worth of papers, supplies, and....some old ewwy lunch that got buried in the mess somewhere.
This is my third week of trying to focus on character details without backgrounds. Challenging!

Illustration Friday: FUTURE

Another IF trying to work on character details. This one was inspired by an image I saw on Facebook last week of a childhood friend playing Twister with her kids. I remember Twister as being SO MUCH FREAKING FUN when I was a kid. When I was at a friend's house and they would pull out the vinyl Twister sheet, it was like THE MOST FUN THING EVER. I am not sure why.

Illustration Friday: TRIBUTE

Tribute...to a band I never really listened to, but they were SO RECOGNIZABLE!! So fun as a kid to think about putting on the Kiss face paint -- now there are even Kiss kids' costumes you can buy!

SO many things wrong with the drawing -- this too big, that out of line, that too distracting, but maybe it's a GROWING image, hopefully one I can learn from. After the SCBWI conference last week, I am trying to focus more on character details, and it's HARD! More work to come on this.

Illustration Friday: TRAIN

Shayla was scared but ready to get started on her new adventure!

This week's image was inspired by the excitement/nerves of starting something new, going on a trip!, getting new impressions, handing over your ticket. Thinking of parents and coworkers traveling to Europe recently, making contact with an old friend on Facebook, and, more darkly, contemplating the choices the Marathon bombers made that changed many lives forever. Which trip are you going to take?

From a story about....raccoons!!

Illustration Friday: URBAN

For urban, I wanted to convey the feeling of astonishment and delight when you first step up into a busy city from a subway or bus and find yourself in the middle of vibrant activity. Years ago, my dad and I took a bus to New York City to go see the David Letterman show live. I remember the excitement of so many things going on at once, and the "gestalt" (did I use this word correctly?) of taking it all in in one moment.

Illustration Friday: EGG

Version A: Background full strength

Version B: Lighter background


Not sure what the inspiration was for this week's image, but some definitely came from Garth Williams' county fair images in "Charlotte's Web" that I got a chance to see at the Eric Carle Museum earlier this year. Also, from being at the Topsfield Fair: no matter how many crazy rides or games are there, the chick incubators still attract the biggest crowds. There's nothing like the beginning of life, the struggle to get there, to wow us.

Illustration Friday: SWIM

I was inspired by a few minutes of a nature show about penguins I watched over the weekend -- gray fluffy baby penguins trying to make it in a harsh environment. This little guy I pictured as trying to over-prepare for something he was born to do -- swim!!

I struggled a lot with this week's image -- I had a hard time making the character my own and not a fuzzy animated bowling pin! Also, water and arctic landscapes are always a bit intimidating to me.

Illustration Friday: EYEGLASSES

This week's image was inspired by ... the eye doctor! So many weird things happen at the eye doctor: that giant machine with the flippy lenses in front of your eye, the giant doctor as he/she approaches your eyes with instruments, lights, probes -- is it clearer now? or now?

Illustration Friday: YESTERDAY

This week's illustration was inspired by a talk show I heard on the radio recently about the new google glasses and the prevalence of connected devices. The guest commented on how important it is for kids to have the experience of being stuck in a car on a long trip without any devices, with nothing to do except look out the window, experience reality, and reflect on things; that it is an important part of forming an identity. "Are we there yet???"

Justine Siegal's TedX talk!!

Major league batting practice pitcher Justine Siegal used the sketch I did of her at the end of her fantastic TedX talk on following your dreams. :D !!

Illustration Friday: TALENT

This week's illustration was inspired by my nephew, Rhain, who is able to squish himself between the sofa and the ottoman and was demonstrating his skills with toe bending. My family's got talent!!

Elizabeth Dulemba, Illustrator!

I just heard a great interview with illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba on an Escape from Illustration Island podcast. Her website is FULL of great stuff -- images, books, coloring pages, apps, ideas, advice -- her work is great and her marketing efforts are fantastic.

I especially like her new book, Lula's Brew, about a witch who wants to make great food instead of evil potions!