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Inspiration Pool // Renata Liwska

I've been thinking about children's illustration and animals. I've been too chicken to try it. I know I need to for my portfolio. I'm drawing upon inspiration from Canadian children's book illustrator Renata Liwska for guidance.

I'm the type of illustrator that doesn't feel comfortable with anthropomorphism. Do I appreciate it when others can illustrate that way? Yes! But for me, I can't draw an animal fully dressed head to hoof standing upright. For me, it's confusing to draw an animal using human anatomy and make it seem real. Each animals anatomy is different; add that to showing emotion in a way that is natural to the animal but understandable to the viewer and I'm exhausted already. I just haven't had enough practice in this yet. I'll get there.

That's why I love Renata's work... there is a blend between what is true to her animals and the animals having human qualities. Plus her characters are adorable and I love that there isn't too much alteration from the original sketches to final illustration. 

Inspired. Guided. Done. Time to illustrate.

Things I've Made Recently // Old is just an Attitude!

Here is a new illustration I made recently:

 DANCE MOVES EXPLORED: 

 The Elvis, The Twist, and The Carlton.

 TEA USED: 

Cinnamon and mint Jamaican tea + Twinnings Lady Earl Grey

 WHAT I LEARNED: 

I planned most of the drawing before working with pen and watercolor except for the blue wall I left bare (void of clock and photos) and the background behind Grandma and Grandpa. I realized as I was in the first stages of the drawing, some decisions about the image needed to be made while in the middle of working with color and pens/pencils.

I've learned that it's important to keep the energy of the characters alive which can be lost in the final stages of illustrating. This is why many illustrators scan their drawings into the computer, print them on paper and paint on top of the print. For the way I work, this is an extra step I personally don't want to do. If you're a graphic designer, you know the computer doesn't necessarily mean saving time.

I like illustrating in combination with planning while also allowing space for other elements to unfold. It keeps me moving on my feet and it keeps the characters dancing.

Things I've Learned Recently // Illustration is work!

I'd like you to meet the Boho Family. I spent a lot of time with them, so much so that I hated them at one point. But they taught me some very valueable lessons about how I illustrate. Here's version 1 and version 3 (the final): 

I expected this illustration to be easy to finalize because I was excited about the family, the fun, the movement, and the love. These people schooled me. You might think I'm crazy when I write that I still think I overworked them too much. That's what happens when paint is involved-I work a piece until I OVER paint it. I feel I did find the harmony of elements but it wasn't easy.

 THIS IS WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT 

 ILLUSTRATING: 

1. Make an environment for the characters. I wasn't thinking in the beginning, I just wanted to draw and ink in color and an environment just seemed boring until I realized I could make trees and stars (one of my favorite things to draw). Lapse in judgement that first time. Oh well.

2. Breadcrumbs. Black ink has to balance with white spaces. I've been fighting myself over my use of black ink...because I use a lot. Is that too heavy, too dark, too serious for children's books? Maybe not. I tried not using it and that looked awful. I forgot to apply a valueable lesson from my beloved Fred Wessel: the art of breadcrumbs. That's where you have little pockets of really dark areas placed around a piece...a trail of visual breadcrumbs to move your eye around a composition. Hansel + Gretel knew what was up. If there is anything I learned in art school, that is the number one lesson I apply every time to a piece. I just never realized I needed to apply it to white space and color, which brings me to the next lesson...

3. Color is a flavor not a whole meal.The same can be said about glitter. Anyway, I am not a painter. I use line, not color to express emotion or a scene. For me, shading and dimension occur through pen and pencil work, never through paint. Color is a seasoning, not the whole meal. So it's ok to pick a few spices and distribute them evenly through the visual dish. Breadcrumbs!

I have this obsession right now over using more color in my children's book work. Like, USING EVERY COLOR. Maybe I'm not giving myself enough credit for using only a few color ingredients opposed to trying to fit an entire spectrum into one little piece. I should be proud of a limited palette. I don't know why I'm ashamed of that. I'm working on overcoming that shame.

4. Everything starts with a cup of tea. And if it doesn't, it's not right. Case noted: first illustration. No tea base. If there's no tea base on paper then there's no tea for me to drink and if there's no tea for me to drink there's no caffeine or mental concentration and if there's no concentration there's bad decision making and if there's bad decision making there's awful illustrating and if there's awful illustrating there's extra lessons to be learned and if there's too many lessons learned there's long blog posts and if there's long blog posts there's tired readers and if there's tired readers there's.....sadness. Absolute sadness.

things i've made recently // Little Miss Muffet

 Little Emma Muffet sat on her tuffet eating her curds + whey 

 When along crept a spider 

 Who belly flopped down beside her 

 and splashed little Emma... 

...away! 

Tea + Friends

Recently I met Spanish illustrator/designer Pablo Ientile on paper. I set a tea tasting up for us. He's a cool guy but he had to bounce quickly though, he had other appointments.

Good to Kno.

Whoa, this is how we win the future. I'm all for the KNO, this cool little electronic-notebook-computer-e-reader-laptop-educational tool-hybrid-thing for students. Carrying books was a HUGE problem for me growing up and don't get me wrong, I love a good Trapper Keeper, and notebook doodles. In fact I am a bit worried where the doodles would belong? And can they be archived and printed? BUT, this does make a lot of sense. 

That gap isn't very helpful though for a children's book layout but the concept of having an entire library of children's books on one gadget, I think, is pretty cool. 

Print is still my top choice for a children's book however. Turning pages is a religious experience. 

Books on Illustrating Children's Books

Here are two books that have helped me out these past few weeks while working on my children's illustration portfolio. The first I think should be required reading for all chilldren's book illustrators...Writing with Pictures by Uri Shulevitz. This book was life changing. Or something like that.  

 This second one, The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating for Children wasn't conceptually Herculean for me, although, has been helpful with logistics. Side note...I've been letting my word nerd run free lately. Have you noticed?

Will have some new illustrations to show later in the week. I know, I don't know how we will manage to survive until that moment either, but all 6 of us who read this blog (that includes you Granma) should try to be strong.

Boys Will be Boys

One does something mean to the other, the next minute they're friends, then without warning the other one retaliates back...you know, that old story.

Boys like to retaliate on the physical realm. Now girls, well, that's aaaall psychological retaliation. BUT the saddest and most confusing of all is the adult retribution, 'cause they do it big by employing both physical + pyschological tactics. I guess that's just grown-ups being grown-ups!

Right?  :(

Music Inspiration: ADD SUV // Uffie ft. Pharrell Williams

In my opinion, anything with Pharrell should be listened to but top it with comic book style art...I'm guaranteed to be plugged in.

Inspiration Pool: Art & Copy

FINALLY Netflixed Art & Copy. RENT IT! It's empowering for any creative person regardless of which table you eat at in the cafeteria. Furthermore, I'd like to one day have lunch with George Lois. Not like at a fancy restaurant or anything, but rather a skeezy NYC diner where the coffee is burnt and there's cheese on everything.