Hope you are enjoying some fall fun - pretty soon it will be time to carve pumpkins and enjoy caramel apples! I have been shopping at local craft shows - that always puts me a fall mood since we don't have the change in seasons here in Texas.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Black Bear
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Start of Story
A quick little bit of research on Amazon yielded over 2000 books for kids about bears and 800 about squirrels. Here is a list of some of my favorites. So what happens when you want to write a book about a topic that has already been done 2000 times? You get right to the heart of the story and find something unique and universal told in the relationship of your characters. Easy as pie. Ha. Oh muse hurry along...
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
More Watercolor Experiments
Practice will eventually make perfect, right? This was an experiment using ink outlines with watercolor. I think I like my lines with the brush more. Hard to say which ones of these I like the best, probably the last one. I like different parts from each one - hmm should I paint it one more time? Which one do you like the best?
Monday, September 27, 2010
Creating Without an Undo Button
I've been finding my way with the watercolors, looking to add another technique to my portfolio. Watercolor is such a challenge and I find that even with printmaking I had an 'undo' that I miss when doing watercolor.
You see, I never print just one print - I'll print 3-5 at a time and play with the colors like a coloring book. With a block print, I create a proof - if something isn't right I can carve a little out or use tiny 'rubber stamps' to fill in things that may have been carved away or to add texture or another object. With watercolor there is a point of no return and it can be hard to see a painting ruined by my over zealousness!
Here was my first attempt with this painting. Can we say dingy? Oh, I can almost hear my paint brush saying, 'Stop - you are overdoing it. There goes the freshness. Yep - Houston we have mud." But it's okay, the first ones I like to call a color study and then I see where I needed to lighten up and relax. It's a fun learning process and I do have to admit I love the immediate results of watercolor. Just some days I do envy those who have that undo button a click away.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Bears and Birches
This sketch is one of those surprises where you start with something (bear engrossed in a book) and then some little character just moseys on into the picture. Which prompted the lifting of the eye and falling leaf and hmm, there is a story there - I will have to work on that. It's funny how just the smallest change can tell a completely different story in an image.
I have been working on some ideas with black bears and birch trees with glowing yellow leaves. I think I will try them in both block print and watercolor, see which ones suits me better.
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.
-Robert Frost (Birches)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Creating an Award Winning Portfolio - Part 6: Improve Your Odds
Join a critique group or start one!
Sketch daily
Keep a sketchbook where you take daily breaks - instead of eating a snack or chatting about the office gossip, doodle for 15 minutes.
Sketch for 10 minutes at the end of lunch.
Keep a sketchbook in your bag - sketch while you wait for appointments or waiting for children to finish activities.
Sketch during the commercials of your favorite TV programs.
Have kids? Pull out paper for them and tell them it's drawing time and draw together for 10-15 minutes.
Take classes
Check out local art centers & community colleges for affordable classes on techniques.
Attend SCBWI workshops and conferences.
Participate in online challenges
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