Saturday, September 19, 2009

Projects and Previews

Well, I got back from vacation, and hit the ground running. Sketches needed to be done for the Katie Katie Cancer book; the Reuben Wells Picturebook needed a page tweaked, and my Korean client had a new unit of illustrations for me to work on (in fact I started concepting the thumbnails in the airport on my way back home). Each unit consists of 4 short stories, with 4 illustrations each for a total of 16 illustrations per unit. The stories are very quirky, so they are humorous to work on ("Yogurt in the Fog" wins for my all time favorite funny title). The turn around times are quick, so I've really been kept on my toes!This past week, I completed the sketches for the Katie Kate Cancer picturebook. While the client was reviewing them, I took that time to move forward with the final art for the spread that was already approved. I would really like to improve the color flow and unity of my artwork, and was glad that I had time this week to do some experimenting. First, I did a digital color layout, so that I could plan what colors I wanted the objects to be. Then, after I was satisfied, I did a test-run of the page at 25% scale. This was fun. It was a time to simply give myself the freedom to just make mistakes. So, since I didn't care about the possibility of wind splattering dirt or paint onto the piece,I took my paints outside, and enjoyed the sunshine while I painted. (and yes, I DID end up splattered in permanant rose when a gust of wind blew my pallet onto me and my painting). I learned a lot, though, about how I wanted to distribute the colors across the final painting (can the rasberry color be used to shade the blonde hair..?....will blue look good as a shadow on the wall...?....how will the pink look as a highlight in the gray?) So, then I started the next day fresh, ready to take what I had learned to the final art. I started my washes a lot lighter than I usually do, and tried to not focus on object-oriented painting. I was surprised how fast the painting went (although maybe the 2 rough drafts helped with that!). I am really pleased with the result, and the client was too! I think that the text will lay nicely on top of these softer colors. I can't wait to start work on the rest of the images for the book. Here's a sneak peak at that finished spread:As for the Reuben Wells Picturebook, I made the last revision (thank you, Photoshop!), and the final art is delivered and ready for printing. I can't wait to hold the finished book in my hands! I believe it will be released in early 2010. I'll let you know when I have more information.

Happy end of the summer, everyone!

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