Asani The Lion, Children's Book

I'm on my way to finishing my children's book dummy! Two more colored drawings, 3 more sketches, and a better draft of the manuscript! I don't really have a title for the book yet but hopefully that will change soon. I like where this book is going, so I really hope I get to do something with it....like PUBLISH it! I am pulling back on my process and trying to make it a little more simple. I didn't make my own background color and texture this time. Instead I bought some pastel paper that is already textured. I also sprayed it with fixative so see if that helps. I'm still trying to figure out how to stop my drawings from fading after a few days!
School is almost done. About a week and a half and it'll be all over. I've briefly thought about Grad school, but if that's what I decide, it wont be right away. I need to try the "real" world for awhile. I don't want to stay in my safe little cocoon, I like to call school, out of fear. I have to be brave and jump into the world and see what happens because things aren't always as scary as they seem. I'm ready for an adventure, and what better adventure to go on, than life?

Gloria The Ostrich

Here is a sketch for one of the characters in my next children's book. Gloria is a performer in the circus, and her special talent is Hula-Hooping while riding a unicycle! It's pretty amazing! She also has a thing for feet and only speaks in idioms. Her favorite phrase is to "always put your best foot forward" (her best foot is her right foot). I'm in the final weeks of school and there is still a lot to be done to finish my book....so why am I spending my time posting something instead of drawing?....that's a great question!!

Last Train to Nibroc

This last weekend I had the opportunity to do a special project for a friend. For her senior project at Vanguard, she and a fellow schoolmate are putting on a production of "Last Train to Nibroc" (in which she will be performing!). This is going to be a great show and I can't wait to see it! She asked me to do a cover illustration for the programs, so here it is! It was a privilege working with her and I'm always ready to put our heads together to come up with some great ideas!

For this project I whipped out my oil paints (haven't touched them since last summer!) and was finished in about 2-3 hours. The only experience with oils I've had was a figure painting class, so it was fun doing a landscape. I definitely want to get better at oils!

Come see the show if you are interested! I will be attending, without a doubt!

Thursday, April, 30th, 7:00pm
Lyceum Theatre at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=83291217168

The Ant and the Cricket

I'm in the final stages of making my mini book on one of Aesop's Fables, "The Ant and the Cricket". This was a black and white project, which I haven't done much of, so it was definitely a challenge for me. I was trying a flatter approach with a different style than I'm used to. I'm not sure if it's going to be my style of choice, but I do want to try it more and get better at inking! (Photoshop was my good friend for this project.) If you are unfamiliar with the Fable you can read it yourself! For my book I used a different version of the story, in poem form, and actually changed a few parts and added the beginning so it would work better with the flow of the book. I think my favorite part is the hippie cricket character! I think I will play with him more and see what happens!

A silly young cricket, accustomed to sing

Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring,

Called to the hard-working ants to join in his fun,
As they gathered their grain in the hot summer sun.
“There's no time to rest,” the ants all said.
“Winter is coming and our family must be fed.”

The cricket just laughed and sang a new song,
But soon the weather grew cold and, surely, before long,
His antenna became stiff an his toes felt numb.
The snow was falling and winter was come.

Not a crumb to be found

On the snow-covered ground;

Not a flower could he see,

Not a leaf on a tree.
“Oh, what will become,” says the cricket, “of me?”


At last by starvation and famine made bold,

All dripping with wet and all trembling with cold,

Away he set off to a miserly ant

To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant

Him shelter from rain.

A mouthful of grain

He wished only to borrow,

He’d repay it to-morrow;

If not helped, he must die of starvation and sorrow.

Says the ant to the cricket: “I’m your servant and friend,

But we ants never borrow, we ants never lend.

Pray tell me, dear sir, did you lay nothing by

When the weather was warm?” Said the cricket, “Not I.

My heart was so light

That I sang day and night,

For all nature looked gay.”

“You sang, sir, you say?

Go then,” said the ant, “and sing winter away.”
Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket

And out of the door turned the poor little cricket.


Upon hearing this story, one might conclude:

If you live without work, you must live without 
food.


Here are a few of the images in my book.

The Mice of Cobblestone Lane

Here is an illustration for the story I'm working on with my friend (Same story that the character sketches below are for). Something I need to work on and experiment with it my process of the medium I use. At first, the colored pencil goes on real nice and vibrant but after a few days the whole thing gets kind of faded and it loses it's vibrancy. I think there might be some kind of chemical reaction going on between the paint and the colored pencil....or something...I'm not really sure. I have tried a matte finish to put over, but that didn't really work. I will have to try and experiment with a few more things so my drawings will be preserved well!

Character Sketches

While I wait for the paint to dry on my next project I guess I could post something. Here are some character designs for a new project I'm working on with a friend. It has kind of been put on hold for awhile, but I'm still very excited to finish it at some point. Hmm...I think the paint is dry! Back to work! Enjoy!

Jack and the Beanstalk

Here is an illustration for Jack and the Beanstalk. I wasn't too excited about this assignment at first but I think it is something I could use for my porfolio. I'm pretty satisfied with it! More than I thought I would.

My thumbnail sketch. Just getting the idea down on paper.My first sketch with some value, still working out the narrative.My final sketch/line drawing, ready for for the final drawing.Final illustration! For this project I was trying to focus more on controlling my application of the color. I didn't want everything to be really saturated, which I tend to do a lot.I am also working on improving my values so the focal point is clear. So here is a grayscale I made in Photoshop to check my values. Could use some adjusting in some areas. But that's ok!