"The Mahogany Door" Update 2

I've been working away at finishing up sketches and making revisions to finalize my sketches for "The Mahogany Door". Things are moving along nicely! Here's a little before and after sketch so you have an idea of how I work.

After reading through the chapter, I sketch a few images that I think are important or exciting moments in the chapter that I'd like to show. I do a general sketch, just to get the ideas down, then after deciding on the best idea, I add some value to see if the composition is working ok. I send this to the author for some feedback and revisions. For this sketch, I didn't need to change much. I mostly needed to make sure the crown was too large for the boy's head to show that he doesn't fit into his "kingship". I also changed the perspective a little so the viewer is looking up at the throne (it makes the boy seem bigger and more important). I also did some visual research on thrones to make mine look more interesting and also to fit the style and setting of the book.

That's it for now! Back to my sketchbook! More updates coming soon!
Check back here or visit the author's Website and Facebook Page for updates.

"The Mahogany Door" Update

Hey everyone! I haven't posted in a few weeks! My poor blog is so lonely! Well here is some fun news to make up for that time.

Work on "The Mahogany Door" is going great! The author, Mark Boliek, has started a Facebook Page for the book. So become a fan!! He will be promoting the book on his Page by posting clips and samples of some of the songs he is working on for the soundtrack for the book, giving updates on the progress of the book, showing some of my sketches that will be in the book, and much more! Check out one of the songs on the soundtrack "Kingsfold on Bruinduer". This song is still in the making, so Mark is looking for constructive feedback. Post your comments and suggestions on his page.

Mark is also in the process of creating a website for the book. I'll post it here once it's up and running. The goal is to have this book printed and ready to purchase by October of this year! So start spreading the word! Tell your friends and family, think of that Jr Higher that you know, or parents of Jr Highers!

I have all of the sketches done, so now I can move on to revisions. I am doing one spot illustration for each chapter in black and white, and the cover in color.

I will be posting more soon, and also stay updated on my Facebook Page, Lauren Gallegos Illustration, as well!

Here are a few rough sketches I've done just to give you a taste of what's to come!

I'm Still Here!

Wow, it's almost been a month since I've posted anything. I apologize! I have definitely been working on drawings though, I just can't really post any of them yet. My illustration project for "The Mahogany Door" is underway, I've done half of the rough sketches, so I am still on track with the timeline I have set for myself. Hurray! However, I realized just the other day that I'm starting to miss my Ant and Cricket project. It has been put aside while I work on this book and knowing that I probably wont be able to get back to it until the end of summer makes me sad! Maybe I'll try to squeeze in a few more of those drawings as I work.

I have, however, had time to do some reading and pondering. As some of you can tell, I have spent some time studying Beauty/Aesthetics over the past few years and just recently that study has become more intense and the more I learn, the more I WANT to learn! I have read a few good books so far, and I still have a pile sitting on my nightstand waiting to be read. Currently I am reading "Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art" by Robert Stecker. I haven't gotten too far yet, but it brings up some interesting topics and poses some interesting and thoughtful questions. For example: One section talks about how increased knowledge of an object can change the aesthetic value we place on that object. Did you know, the sunsets we find the most beautiful are caused by the refraction of light because of higher than normal occurances of certain kinds of particles in the atmosphere. A typical cause of the increase in particles is air pollution. So with the new knowledge, does the aesthetic value you place on sunsets decrease? OR does it actually become less beautiful? Should appreciation based on false belief be regarded as essentially flawed? This is some heavy stuff the think about!

I've also recently watched this video called "Why Beauty Matters". It is VERY interesting and has really gotten me worked up about the importance and value of beauty in our lives. We live in an ugly world, but there are still beautiful things in it to enjoy. Modern art, a lot of the time, seems to focus on all the bad and all the ugly. I want to find wonder and sit in the beauty of majestic mountains, not spend all my time complaining about the ugliness of this world that I must live in.

I could go on and on all day, so I'll just stop here. Ha! But I believe my study of beauty and aethetics will be a life long study and I am so very excited to discover more and more.

Hopefully I will have some time soon to just draw for myself so I can post something for you guys! Thanks for sticking with me!

Sketch

Here's a sketch for a project that, sadly, never went anywhere...Maybe I'll use it for something else.

Print Store - Now Open!

My Print Store is now open for all to use! Check it out, see what you like, purchase something, and tell your friends and family! It SHOULD be all set up to be nice and easy when paying with PayPal. Or you can e-mail me your order.

If there is anything that isn't working in the checkout process, please let me know so I can fix it!

Thanks for all your support everyone!

Lauren Gallegos Print Store

The Ant and The Cricket - Spread 8

HURRAY! Another spread complete! 4 down, 6 to go!

Some good news and some bad news...first the bad news: This project is going to have to be put on the backburner again...maybe not completely, but at least partly....but that's because of the good news! I am negotiating a contract with someone to illustrate his YA fantasy novel that he is self-publishing! I don't want to get TOO excited yet....BUT that means I'll technically be a published illustrator! Woohoo!

I'll keep you updated on what I can so stay tuned!

Print Store - Coming Soon!

I have decided to make my own print store for my website. I have been hesitant to do it because it could potentially be a lot of work (assuming lots of people buy prints!) trying to print, package, and ship everything myself. So I considered setting up a store on a host site (like fineprintamerica.com or etsy.com) but they usually have an annual fee, they take part of the commission, and I can't check the quality of the prints. SO, since I like to control everything...I MEAN....umm...since I want to make sure customers get great quality prints, I am going to run my own store. I think it will be a great opportunity to grow in my understanding of the business side of my work (which I'm really not too fond of, I'd rather just draw all day!).

I am currently working on how to organize the store, how to receive payments, deciding which prints to sell, and so on, so it will be awhile still until the store is up and running. But keep an eye out for updates on my progress...it's coming soon!