tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74419801932319724042024-02-08T10:47:18.362-08:00Bits and PiecesAssortment of Goodies.Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-39538671198969875392014-10-25T21:25:00.002-07:002014-11-05T09:27:55.528-08:00Preparing for Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OJC1GetR1VM/VEx3bbyo3xI/AAAAAAAAE6M/8ESTUlEVjCY/s1600/Zombie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OJC1GetR1VM/VEx3bbyo3xI/AAAAAAAAE6M/8ESTUlEVjCY/s1600/Zombie1.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am preparing for Halloween weekend and it's just about here. First step is creating my zombie </span><br />
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Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-11514033083012745602014-10-01T13:20:00.003-07:002014-10-05T09:32:10.048-07:00Some Thoughts Regarding My Colored Sketch<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulUSPd5S9tc/VDFxAb6U7MI/AAAAAAAAEz4/lCfmAszcrzg/s1600/Animals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulUSPd5S9tc/VDFxAb6U7MI/AAAAAAAAEz4/lCfmAszcrzg/s1600/Animals.jpg" height="412" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Latest sketch and some thoughts before I colorize my artwork in Adobe Photoshop. The sketching process can be a lot of fun creating something new from my imagination. This can always be a surprise viewing</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> the final results.</span> <span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can visit my Youtube channel for more about the thought proess at</span> <a href="http://youtu.be/H-ZRHbfNyZw">http://youtu.be/H-ZRHbfNyZw</a></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-85994935940682336192014-09-15T20:11:00.005-07:002014-09-15T20:15:54.406-07:00Latest Calendar Artwork For Publisher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IzngXwj9Mmw/VBeoqu8tF2I/AAAAAAAAEy4/VAqHVxlwCkM/s1600/November.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IzngXwj9Mmw/VBeoqu8tF2I/AAAAAAAAEy4/VAqHVxlwCkM/s1600/November.jpg" height="212" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is another one of my calendar illustrated months for the year 2014. This was created for Star-Brite publisher. I had a lot of fun creating this piece placing all the figures and animals so the composition was balanced. The colors were kept on the the warm side even thought November is a bit chilly at this time. The line art was created with Adobe Illustrator and brought into Adobe Photoshop for final coloring.</span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-13810171116991469902014-08-19T07:09:00.000-07:002014-11-05T09:28:28.324-08:00Creating My First Picture Book Dummy<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The picture book dummy idea came to me while reading message posts from the Thursday night’s group (illustrators and writers) called Kitlitart. I wasn’t sure where I should start my picturebook dummy but this group offered some valuable insight into the process. Two reference books mentioned at one of these kitlitart Thursday meetings was Writing With Pictures by Uri Shulevitz and Writing Picture books by Ann Whitford Paul. Both of these books offered alternative styles as to what a storyboard is and how to finish a picturebook dummy from your storyboard.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_alWjs4EyBc/U-mAqJhpI4I/AAAAAAAAExo/OWcWVVGLtMw/s1600/Fig1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_alWjs4EyBc/U-mAqJhpI4I/AAAAAAAAExo/OWcWVVGLtMw/s1600/Fig1.jpg" height="579" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The roughs above (fig._1) are my first attempt at creating a storyboard for the children’s story Thumbelina </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Hans Christian Anderson. I was constantly refining my sketches and reworking my image</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> placement before deciding on the sketches above. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The storyboard is important because it allows me to visualize the whole book and what may or may not work. This allows me to determine how the book flows and what sketches need to be adjusted. I reworked my storyboard numerous times until I felt my illustrations and text were flowing smoothly. Once the storyboard is finished, I am able to view any similarities and differences between the most outstanding components for the pictures and the text. When I am satisfied, I start the next step. This process involves creating a three dimensional model or picture book dummy. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dummy will convey how the book will read when printed. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are several ways to make a book dummy. For example, you can staple or sew 8 sheets of white paper together through the middle and then fold them in half to make a 32-page booklet. To make a 48-page dummy, use 12 sheets of paper. Mark the page numbers on both sides of each side, from 1 to 32. (fig._2)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I concentrated on creating an actual size dummy (11” X 17”). I wanted my black and white sketches drawn as close to finish as possible. I felt this would assist in how the work would appear overall. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two of my finished sketches from my book dummy for Thumbelina are shown (fig._3 and fig._4). Working on these sketches is an important process for visualizing the completed work. I am able to change the sketches </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">quickly and fix parts of the sketches that are not working. If you look closely at the sketch with Thumbelina and the fishes (fig._4). I made numerous attempts so the composition was balanced between Thumbelina and the fishes below the lily pads. There was a lot of thought that went into how the character of Thumbelina would appear. I wanted the fishes to jump out at the viewers and offer contrast to little Thumbelina sitting on the lily pad. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My next step with completing my book dummy will be to complete a double page spread finished painting. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I plan on finishing the double page spread with Thumbelina and the fishes below her. I will post the completed painting when I finish it on my blog.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LH10_itMv2Y/U-rQXs0gr_I/AAAAAAAAEyM/n3pk99o8dK0/s1600/Intro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LH10_itMv2Y/U-rQXs0gr_I/AAAAAAAAEyM/n3pk99o8dK0/s1600/Intro.jpg" height="416" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-86639333071936754312014-08-01T14:53:00.003-07:002014-08-20T08:56:52.348-07:00Exciting Calendar Project<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am currently working on a series of illustrations for a calendar at Star-Brite Learning. My responsibilities involve creating eleven pre-school monthly illustrations for the calendar year 2015. This is such an exciting project, illustrating monthly themes for pre-school children. The art coordinator is very friendly and has given me ample freedom with the illustrations as long as I stick with the monthly themes. I was given permission to show one of my completed illustrations and the process to create it.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7332slwsRdI/U9wOH6ByGWI/AAAAAAAAExQ/iPnSucaA0Z4/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7332slwsRdI/U9wOH6ByGWI/AAAAAAAAExQ/iPnSucaA0Z4/s1600/Image1.jpg" height="228" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each assignment starts with a rough sketch that I submit for client approval. Once the sketch is approved, the coloring process begins. This involves scanning the sketch into Adobe Illustrator and creating the individual layers for the images that need to be colored (fig.1) </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When the vector artwork is finished, I bring the completed image (fig.2) into Adobe Photoshop for any minor changes. I then email the finished png file to the Publisher. It is so rewarding to have the opportunity to work with such a great company and to create some exciting digital work.</span></span></span><br />
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Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-74786151430662691592014-06-26T09:29:00.005-07:002014-07-29T19:10:22.777-07:00Online Exposure Pt.2 (repost)<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--lVFuB98Rzw/U6xLOSKQN2I/AAAAAAAAEu0/ar12Wt6m5C8/s1600/Artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--lVFuB98Rzw/U6xLOSKQN2I/AAAAAAAAEu0/ar12Wt6m5C8/s1600/Artwork.jpg" height="351" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite social media websites is Linkedin. This site differs from Twitter and Facebook because these sites are solely for the professionals and business community. On Facebook you can have a separate page for your friends and a fan page for your business interests. Twitter has no distinction between personal and business issues and you can tweet for both. Linkedin is for the professional person so it's best you keep your personal comments to yourself and on a business level. Linkedin has a very good research tool for contacting other companies and professionals for possible job positions. You are able to post your profile, experience and have a connected portfolio with some sample images.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Limit Your Time Online</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You need to decide what is a fair amount of time for using the internet and when to return and complete other important business activities. There are times when I loose track of my time while surfing the web and should probably be working on my creative projects. I usually set a certain amount of time for online activity and when to quit. I enjoy being creative and using social media to advertise my latest completed artwork with friends.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remain Positive and Productive</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be a successful artist takes more than just talent. It requires a lot of hard work especially during an economic downturn. You need to know yourself very well and decide when things are not going right and take a break. You might consider a walk around the block or clear your head at your favorite park. Once recharged and refreshed return to your goals with a positive outlook. For a lot of creative professionals starting out takes patience especially with all the social media promotion, website advertising and business activities you need to accomplish. I realized after many years that I wasted a lot of energy and was not very patient. I now realize that there is a lot about the creative profession that is out of my control. I am now using my time effectively while pursuing my love for the illustration profession. Remember to be patient and strive to be creative.</span></div>
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Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-21487659873115089322014-05-21T20:53:00.000-07:002014-07-29T19:13:16.703-07:00Increase Your Online Exposure (past article)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aOCtmvehHU/U31zPcaNSsI/AAAAAAAAEso/vgx0_aJNZUc/s1600/Dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aOCtmvehHU/U31zPcaNSsI/AAAAAAAAEso/vgx0_aJNZUc/s1600/Dragon.jpg" height="400" width="325" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My online presence and success has improved since I started using internet resources available to the creative community. Placing a blog on my website makes it possible to be actively involved by displaying articles that other creatives should find useful. Joining social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have professional benefits. These websites have increased my networking with colleagues, increased my knowledge about business aspects and increased sales. I send out e-mails with attachments periodically that keep me in-touch with my database clients. I have used a site named,"Your Mailing List Provider" , but recently switched to MailChimp. The web site provides an easy and convenient way to store my clients information. They have a </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">feature that lets you input your html newsletter code and send directly to clients. Creatives should also consider exploring the variety of free and inexpensive websites that exist on the internet. I am currently a member of Jacketflap.com, CreativeShake.com and IllustratorsInk.com. I find it exciting to be experimenting with a number of websites and discovering the possible benefits. It's obvious that creatives need to get their work out in front as many viewer as </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">possible. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use Your Website </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having an online website is very important and unless you promote it no one will know you exist. If you read the information </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">above</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, you can try some of these websites. I continue to rework my website with new images, new links and blog articles to stand out from my competition. Exploring the internet is a great way to find new professional groups to join and interact with. I search out blogs to leave my comments and opinions on websites. You should make an effort to interact with your peers so that it increases your exposure as a professional. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Offer Your Help </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been my experience that "What goes around comes around". What I mean by this statement is that we should be willing to offer our advice without expecting something in return. You will find that when we offer our assistance our efforts probably will be returned in kind. We are all in this together and as a creative collective we need to enrich and keep our creative community growing. </span></div>
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Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-40923788030206431062014-05-14T21:20:00.001-07:002014-05-14T21:20:17.652-07:00Thumbelina PB Dummy Spread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yuJGtLjZ0O8/U3RACYW3LVI/AAAAAAAAEpg/ct66m5m15dM/s1600/Thumbelina&Frog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yuJGtLjZ0O8/U3RACYW3LVI/AAAAAAAAEpg/ct66m5m15dM/s1600/Thumbelina&Frog.jpg" height="417" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working on my PB Boards for Thumbelina story. I have finished all the sketches and now working on the text to complete the finish boards.</span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-37956048357100047472014-05-02T12:01:00.001-07:002014-05-02T12:01:43.133-07:00Thumbelina Character Studies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--FTqpQw6DhU/U2Pq6kz-yqI/AAAAAAAAEok/UASqAH-Uow4/s1600/Thumbelina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--FTqpQw6DhU/U2Pq6kz-yqI/AAAAAAAAEok/UASqAH-Uow4/s1600/Thumbelina.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the process of creating some Thumbelina character designs for my PB Dummy. Looking to depict </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a young girl that is stylish with some character.</span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-91010800431789490442014-04-26T21:13:00.001-07:002014-04-27T21:25:30.179-07:00Spread for Thumbelina Picture Book Dummy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mi1F0QH2cE4/U1yDcKxM4BI/AAAAAAAAEoU/CS0wUFUyocM/s1600/BlX91VUCcAE46Gf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mi1F0QH2cE4/U1yDcKxM4BI/AAAAAAAAEoU/CS0wUFUyocM/s1600/BlX91VUCcAE46Gf.jpg" height="433" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working on my PB Dummy for Thumbelina written by Hans Christian Anderson. He took his inspiration from tales</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of miniature people such as "Tom Thumb". The story is about a very small girl and the adventures she encounters with a number of characters such as toads, moles and large brown beetles.</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sketch is one scene where Thumbelina is assisted by fishes and escapes from marriage minded toads. I </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">enjoyed creating this composition and look forward to painting it.</span></div>
<br />Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-30267635476305629382014-04-18T11:17:00.005-07:002014-04-18T11:17:53.851-07:00Color Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GgNPLeEOR0k/U1Fr7KIZrMI/AAAAAAAAEoA/6uL1at6tiJg/s1600/Harry_Potter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GgNPLeEOR0k/U1Fr7KIZrMI/AAAAAAAAEoA/6uL1at6tiJg/s1600/Harry_Potter.jpg" height="640" width="454" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Color study of small boy exploring some of the brush possibilities with Adobe Photoshop.</span></div>
<br />Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-51829565440505565942014-03-31T11:38:00.000-07:002014-03-31T11:56:47.815-07:00Adjusting Photoshop Curve's To Alter My Sketches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-skRA42zZsRM/Uzm4y05l4NI/AAAAAAAAEnE/BdP6swujUtY/s1600/Sketches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-skRA42zZsRM/Uzm4y05l4NI/AAAAAAAAEnE/BdP6swujUtY/s1600/Sketches.jpg" height="640" width="521" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Created some amusing sketches and used Photoshop's curve feature to adjust the</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">colors within the RGB channels. You can view my video process Youtube at</span></div>
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<br />Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-85226349842151363862014-03-17T20:42:00.003-07:002014-03-18T09:21:58.062-07:00Uri Shulevitz Offers His Insight Into The Picture Book Dummy process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creating a picture book dummy is no easy task especially without adequate information and experience. There are a series of steps required before anyone present there book dummy before the eyes of any children's book publisher. I discovered this when I decided to participate in the Picture Book Challenge sponsored by the web group Kitlitart. This great group of writers and illustrators meet to discuss their love for children's picture books. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">They meet on Thursday evening at 9pm using Twitter with the hashtag #kitlitart, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/(https://twitter.com/kidlitart)">(https://twitter.com/kidlitart)</a>. I needed some information as to how to put my picture book dummy together. I am a member of kidlitart and quickly discovered what other kitlitart members have used to create their very own picture book dummies. There are many very good reference books that describe how to put a book dummies together. This blog article will discuss one of my favorite books by Uri Shulevitz. His book "Writing With Pictures" published by Watson-Guptill Publications. My idea was to start my book dummy creating the text and gradually adding the pictures. I decided instead to try Mr. Shulevitz's idea of imagining my book dummy with pictures in sequence and gradually adding text. He mentions in his book what an effective picture book should be, "Picture books communicate through pictures and words or just words." In order for pictures books to be understood by children you need to communicate clearly and know how to use your pictures properly. Reading his book gave me several good ideas for putting together an effective picture book dummy. Mr Stulvitz's adds that a lot of thought goes into putting a book dummy together. He offers some very good information into the process so that I felt more confident tackling the picture book dummy challenge. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like how Mr. Shulevitz offers his information methodically about creating a picture book dummy. This includes his years of experience in the publishing industry. He tackles the picture book process </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">concisely </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with plenty of examples so that any illustrator or writer will enjoy reading his book. One of my favorite chapters in his book is Part One, Telling the story. He starts this chapter by explaining the difference between a story book and picture book. Mr Shulevitz breaks down the individual steps or picture sequence so that the child will understand what you need to communicate. He gradually shows more involved picture sequences to add interest to your story and explains why some picture sequences succeed and some don't. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another favorite book section I enjoyed is titled Picture Book Characteristics. In this chapter he writes "Pictures do much more than illustrate text. They expand upon the words and provide information essential to the story." Pictures should say what words do not. This is so true, why reiterate pictures and words when they should complement each other. Mr. Shulevitz book includes suggested Book Characteristics explaining his use of Direct Approach, Lively Hero (develop a character with a beginning, middle and end or resolution), Visible Action, and a number of other important characteristics any good children's picture book should have. I have only touched upon a few of Mr. Shulevitz's books ideas. I suggest looking at his book and purchase a copy if you are considering writing and illustrating your own children's picture book. This book is on my reference book shelf and </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am off to a great start with my picture book challenge.</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You can purchase this book at Amazon's website by visiting Amazon.com at <a href="http://amzn.to/1e83R61">http://amzn.to/1e83R61</a></span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-91311399502399876492014-02-16T09:17:00.002-08:002014-02-16T09:25:08.291-08:00Amusing Spring Illustration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0wD5FuWeHAE/UwDykb3EP2I/AAAAAAAAEls/-C7169vPPRU/s1600/Penguin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0wD5FuWeHAE/UwDykb3EP2I/AAAAAAAAEls/-C7169vPPRU/s1600/Penguin.jpg" height="400" width="365" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boston is receiving it's share of winter snow this year. I created this spring illustration to start thinking about what is about </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to arrive after mother nature changes it's tune and spring begins to arrive. Once again exploring some of the possibilities with different brushes </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">using Photoshop.</span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-19600653919067500962014-02-09T09:05:00.005-08:002014-02-16T09:14:28.954-08:00Wednesday Evening Sketching At The Museum<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OMMm64AAjjo/Uve3DlGnaDI/AAAAAAAAElU/Do3iq6_L5fk/s1600/drawings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OMMm64AAjjo/Uve3DlGnaDI/AAAAAAAAElU/Do3iq6_L5fk/s1600/drawings.jpg" height="400" width="295" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Took another visit to the Museum of Fine Arts on Wednesday for Drawing in the Galleries. I always </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find my visits exciting and challenging. It was the third Wednesday of the month and this means no </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">model but sketching any objects within the different galleries. I decided to visit the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roman gallery section and try my hand at drawing Roman busts. This can be very challenging </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">since I have not sketched in a few weeks. My first thoughts begin by comparing positive and negative spaces that define the shape of each Roman </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">head. How does the nose, with the Augustus(Roman) bust compare to the eyes or for that matter the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mouth. Are the eyes situated to the right just above the ears correctly?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> All of the individual parts of the head must be </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">placed just right otherwise the head does not look what it should like. I am continuously comparing </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">areas of each part of the head before I place my pencil marks. I believe it took me about and hour </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and fifteen minutes before I started to warm up to the sketching process. Take a look at the sketches above to view my results. Sketching is a great way </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to train the mind and eye to see, observe and draw. This reminds me of a thought by Walt Stanchfield </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(well know Disney artist) said "Sketching is a way of awakening and sharpening our awareness. </span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If our awareness is sluggish, some of the impressions we receive through our senses, which are so important to drawing, will be overlooked. My next visit to the Wednesday sketching session will involve </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the figure. When I have some samples to show I will post them .</span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-861968228814737332014-01-29T09:31:00.005-08:002014-01-29T09:38:17.262-08:00Do You Have What It Takes To Freelance?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How well do you know yourself because freelancing will require dealing with your work when you are alone for long periods of time. This means whether work is coming in or not and delaying your social life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You Are The Boss:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You will decide when to work or take a break. Decisions are made as you see fit as long as you complete your projects by the deadline. There are moments for personal freedom to do errands or take a casual walk around the block when everyone else is at work. You are not constrained by working in a cubicle 9 to 5. You are able to decide what needs to be accomplished each work day. You better be an organized and get things done type of person.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stress And Tension:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a price to pay for this freedom and dealing with stress and tension exist. There will be times when you wonder when the next project arrives. You learn very quickly how to budget and allocate funds as needed. Do you have enough funds to market and create an effective marketing program?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When working on a project how many late nights or days do you have to work until the work is completed. You wear many hats to accomplish your tasks. You are a skilled psychologist dealing with many professionals (designers, editors, writers, etc.) negotiating to make sure the project runs as smoothly as possible. Are you able to tie all loose ends that need to be accomplished and complete your work day. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are undefined boundaries between work and personal life that you need to deal with. Since your home may be your studio, you will need a separate space to work on projects and not be disturbed by family members.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unlimited Growth Potential:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a lot of pressure you face as a freelancer but there is also a lot of opportunity if you create quality work, succeed with marketing, develop effective business skills and treat your peers professionally. Your job opportunities should increase as well as your income. You can take on different projects that you feel offer an avenue for personal growth and potential for increased income. These are just some thoughts to think about if you want to freelance in the New Year.</span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-33071388229314992592014-01-13T19:56:00.001-08:002014-01-24T12:05:45.399-08:00Winter Not My Favorite Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oiQLA88a9hI/UuLHgIS9Y9I/AAAAAAAAEkI/sBdjy_JVZ6s/s1600/WinterScene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oiQLA88a9hI/UuLHgIS9Y9I/AAAAAAAAEkI/sBdjy_JVZ6s/s1600/WinterScene.jpg" height="547" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Winter time is not my favorite time of the year. I am glad that it only last about three months, that is long enough. There is less sunny and warm temperatures and my body always tells me so with stiff limbs and soreness. I haven't even mentioned the psychological affect of the bleak surroundings and little green in the trees and shrubs. I decided that rather than become frustrated I would create this winter sketch to keep my thoughts positive. I look forward to the warm days when I am able to once again roam the outdoors and enjoy the weather.</span></span></span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-77124475387988400512013-12-30T15:33:00.003-08:002013-12-30T15:41:31.752-08:00Happy New Year Everyone<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kamYrmbGc88" width="420"></iframe>Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-11694992736564936942013-12-20T18:59:00.001-08:002013-12-20T19:02:24.643-08:00Adding Some Color To A Christmas Sketch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuWURxzQP6o/UrUDTh-l4qI/AAAAAAAAEiI/eVuXiBisv6Y/s1600/Christmas-Sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuWURxzQP6o/UrUDTh-l4qI/AAAAAAAAEiI/eVuXiBisv6Y/s400/Christmas-Sketch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I took another one of my Christmas sketches after turning it into a video from Screenr.com</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sketch was brought into Photoshop and I selected the Mode menu to convert the sketch into </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a duotone illustration. You can view the process here </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W00VepQGMIM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W00VepQGMIM</a></div>
<br />Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-50974624639003294732013-12-08T21:13:00.001-08:002013-12-08T21:40:17.666-08:00Christmas Sketch Turned Into A Duotone<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cBYW5wlfo7Y/UqVUgSgux4I/AAAAAAAAEhQ/jeiVoNszKX4/s400/X-mas_Octopus.jpg" width="396" /> </div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Here I have a Christmas sketch that I scanned and brought into Photoshop. I bring my cursor to the Menu and select Image. The drop down menu brings me to Mode and I select Grayscale and then I select Duotone. You can view this video at this link </span></span></span> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtpJRJFD_Pc" target="_blank">Duotone Sketch</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtpJRJFD_Pc" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-61516863630255113062013-12-02T21:10:00.002-08:002013-12-08T21:35:43.328-08:00A Fine Reference Book for Children Illustrators<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZFhzFdBYnA/Up1newTKt1I/AAAAAAAAEgI/qR6kE1Zoj8s/s1600/TheCompleteIdiot%2527sGuide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZFhzFdBYnA/Up1newTKt1I/AAAAAAAAEgI/qR6kE1Zoj8s/s400/TheCompleteIdiot%2527sGuide.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently purchased a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold D. Underdown. The book gave me an </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">overall understanding what the industry consist </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of. This involves writers, editors, designers, illustrators, agents and many more professionals. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found Mr. Underdowns' book very thoughtful and flowing with ideas about the children's book </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">industry. If you have any interest about the business of children's book publishing I would </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">recommend you find a copy and discover how involved the industry is.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The book has lots of advice on writing kid's books, information on publishers and their importance, advice preparing your story and illustrations.</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> How to prepare your manuscripts and contacting publishers. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is so much more information I haven't mentioned and </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">suggest discovering for yourself. Check out the book at </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I especially found Chapter 17 " I Need An Agent!" very informative. Mr. Underdown clarifies the </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">difference between a literary agent and artist's representative. A very interesting difference is </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the commission amounts they receive. For example A literary agent usually receives 15% and artist </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">representative commissions between 25-30 percent. Also, many of the best reps and agents have a </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"referral only policy" with new clients. It is a challenge for creatives to get their foot in </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the publishing door.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I highly recommend purchasing this valuable reference book for a clear understanding about the </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">children's book industry and add it to your book shelf.</span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-72834304575953939112013-11-27T09:13:00.002-08:002013-11-27T09:14:17.024-08:00Little Girl Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XhZUrgGH0ow/UpYnz95IJBI/AAAAAAAAEf0/rXvAII6mxpo/s1600/Girl_Reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XhZUrgGH0ow/UpYnz95IJBI/AAAAAAAAEf0/rXvAII6mxpo/s400/Girl_Reading.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> An illustration from a series of little girls reading a picture book. </span></div>
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Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-31971664707772957492013-11-21T08:38:00.000-08:002013-11-23T10:06:28.554-08:00Preparing for the big day with some sketches<div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gTWikim9ZGU/Uo42mUwFzLI/AAAAAAAAEe4/shAiam6w63o/s1600/Turkey_Study.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="584" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gTWikim9ZGU/Uo42mUwFzLI/AAAAAAAAEe4/shAiam6w63o/s640/Turkey_Study.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No time to create the idea I have for Thanksgiving Day so I created some quick sketches instead.</span></div>
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</span>Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-63591228369005135852013-11-12T09:15:00.001-08:002013-11-12T09:30:58.936-08:00Experimental Photoshop Illustration<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4SeTTfkFl84/UoJieRIRZXI/AAAAAAAAEXg/7UCKnxdlL5k/s1600/YummyFruits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="552" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4SeTTfkFl84/UoJieRIRZXI/AAAAAAAAEXg/7UCKnxdlL5k/s640/YummyFruits.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Completed illustration using all kinds of brushes in Photoshop. I experimented with textured effects to find out how it would affect the overall illustration. This really assisted me with expanding my repertoire of effects in future illustrations. The front character was inspired by Maurice Sendaks' </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">character in Where The Wild Things Are.</span><br />
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Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7441980193231972404.post-56752899590719800652013-11-04T19:45:00.005-08:002013-11-04T19:46:44.488-08:00Finished portion of a much larger illustration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aWdixr581h0/UnhpIox3oJI/AAAAAAAAEXQ/jTQ6LvXNC-4/s1600/Sample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aWdixr581h0/UnhpIox3oJI/AAAAAAAAEXQ/jTQ6LvXNC-4/s640/Sample.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is a portion of a much larger illustration I just completed. This art piece took some time because I was working on other projects. I am starting to explore the possibilities with brushes in Adobe Photoshop and enjoying the experience. More work will be for forth coming.</span></span></span></div>
Bits and Pieceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320446947930043831noreply@blogger.com0