Illustration Friday: PREHISTORIC

"And the dogs were as big as dragons..."  

A fitting illustration for this week's PREHISTORIC challenge, from the book B is for Boy.

I loved playing with my intense ink pencils in this series!

Illustration Friday: EXOTIC

I struggled with ideas for this week's EXOTIC challenge as I am anything but exotic.  

Yesterday, a potential client asked if I could do up a sketch of a "Sad Sloth".  

I agreed and much to my surprise, a sloth isn't caterpillar-like as 

I thought (was I thinking, slug LOL?) but rather this sweet little creature.  

Now HE is exotic, and I hope he doesn't remain sad for too long.

Beginning Rain 

Feeling so inspired with a new beginning, committed to doing artwork for myself.  

And I just love the rain.  Don't you?

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY:  BEGINNING

I have been so fortunate this past year to have illustrated about 10 books for other authors... it paid the bills and a good time was had for the most part.  But... I'm bored.  As I work on the vision of others, whimsical little thoughts of my own creep into my mind's eye in the midnight hours.

As opposed to the big bold gouache and intense ink pencils I've been working with this past year, I am yearning for softness, a subtleness of sorts of simple forms combined with textures, collage, text.

And so I'm committed to do one illustration a week for me.  No deadlines, no vision of someone else's book, just because I want to.  How fitting that this week's Illustration Friday challenge is entitled "Beginning".  And so it is... my first attempt at pastels, text collage and the simplistic form.  I must admit that soft, simple forms are really a challenge for me.  But I do relish in a new beginning.  

Illustration Friday: FLUID

This week's challenge is "fluid", and my mind wandered 

to the fluidity of a little girl's dress as she spins around with joy.

This was a quick little marker and colored pencil sketch.

Illustration Friday: STAY

Sometimes, the forces of nature are just telling us to STAY (this week's IF Challenge)...

only those who are silent enough, will hear the call. 

I just got back from the beach, and my toes are missing the sand already.

I challenged myself this week to STAY the course of simpler images and bolder color.

~~**I would love to hear what you think ~ please leave a comment if you have stopped by for a visit**~~

Illustration Friday: REMEDY

This is from a book, Alphatorts with X-tra Yummy Zucchinis. 

When I saw the REMEDY challenge for this week, I couldn't resist posting this illustration. 

Afterall, when you are in Blueberry Court, with licorice hammocks, ingesting jellybeans and donuts

with a zucchini on the side, well, you ARE in need of a remedy!

I had a blast creating these illustrations with a gouache/graphite pencil combination...

the text was so language-rich, I decided to do more of a spot color on the black and white drawing.

~~**I would love to hear what you think ~ please leave a comment if you have stopped by for a visit**~~