IF - Sink

The Illustration Friday topic for this week is Sink.

Don't you wish kids were always this happy about helping out around the house?

From Wash the Dishes by Geneus English, LLC

This illustration started out as a  pencil sketch. I scanned it, cleaned up the sketch and painted the color in photoshop.

IF - Separate

This week the subject for Illustration Friday is Separate

Pastel on PastelMat   12 x 9.5

 I've been having fun with this stout little girl and her tall timid friend. I had been working many long hours digitally painting illustrations and I was ready to revisit my beloved pastels, pencil and paper when I started this piece.

I was happy with the original drawing layout, but I wanted the giraffe to have more character, so he got a redo.

I traced my original drawing onto PastelMat using a light box (which doubles as my sliding glass door). I like PastelMat for illustration, because it takes a lot of layers of pastel like sanded papers, but it is much smoother, so it's easier to do a small illlustration with details.  

 

Next, I blocked in the main color with PanPastels using the large oval sponge applicator at first, then the small wands. The Pan Pastels cover a large area and blend easily. You can see their painterly effect in the clouds. Last, I finished off the details with colored pencil, though I have to admit that I'm feeling the urge to go back and define some edges a little more, since some of the detail was lost when it was photographed. 

I'm having so much fun with these two characters, that I'm sure they'll pop up in another illustration soon!

Remember Your Local Merchants this Season and in the New Year

Can they say it 

any plainer than this?

This is a hand written sign posted in front of my favorite local toy store, Kazoodles, in Vancouver, Washington.

SEE IT HERE
BUY IT HERE
KEEP US HERE 

They give so much back to the community, like many small brick and mortar businesses. Activities for children, support for local charities, friendly smiles and personal help for everyone who walks in. Why, they even have %10 off for all grandparents on Tuesdays. Participants are required to pull out their brag books (cellphone photos will do) for all to admire!

Wouldn't we really miss our favorite small businesses if they were gone?

The 3/50 project is all about reminding us what a difference it makes for us to patronize these brick and mortar businesses, even if it's only $50 a month.

So, please remember to SHOP LOCAL during the holidays and throghout 2012!

IF - Brigade

This is my vision for the Illustration Friday subject this week - a brigade of peace makers, starting with one...

"Peace"
6.5 x 6.5
pastel on paper

This is another illustration that I used the process of scanning the original sketch. I then edited it in Photoshop, changing the pencil lines to black and blue. I also filled in the darkest areas with blue to avoid white paper showing through (below). I printed the photoshopped image on Canson paper and finished it with soft pastels and pastel pencils (above).

Finally, I scanned the completed illustration, printed it and tore the paper right to the edges of the image. Here's the finished product as a Christmas greeting card.

IF - Round

My Illustration Friday entry for this week...

Elf with Hammer
5x7

pastel on paper

This little elf has so much to do to get ready for Christmas. If he only new where he left his nails!

I've been experimenting with scanned pencil drawings. This sketch was scanned, edited to darken the lines and clean it up a bit. Then I printed it on art paper and added the color with pan pastels, soft pastels and pastel pencils.

We Eat Food That's Fresh! at New Seasons Market!

 New cafe dining area at New Seasons Market

Illustrations from We Eat Food That's Fresh!

My original illustrations from the book, We Eat Food That's Fresh! have been chosen to be on exhibit  New Seasons Market in Vancouver, Washington for the grand opening celebrations. There are 11 New Seasons Markets in Portland and this will be the first to open in Vancouver. They will be on display in the cafe dining area through the end of December.

New Seasons Market is all about quality, fresh, local products and community.  Danielle Halstead, the store manager, put it this way, "New Seasons Market represents everything I love about the Northwest — good people, good food and good intentions." For that reason, I'm thrilled that  We Eat Food That's Fresh! will be available at all twelve of the New Seasons Markets!During the summer I had the pleasure of doing  some pastel painting of local scenes en plein air. They will also be on exhibit in the cafe dining area (pictured top/right).

Hope you can stop by, see this beautiful new market, and have a taste. As the chef in We Eat Food That's Fresh! would say, "try something new!"

Click to see the video of the Grand Opening Celebration

IF - Fuel

Illustration Friday

The chef say's, "Fresh fruits & veggies are good fuel for your body."

I think he's right!

9 x 19 Pastel

Right now my chef is all dressed up in his best black frame to be on display in the dining area of New Seasons Market, Vancouver WA for their grand opening in November.

This illustration was made for the children's book,
We Eat Food That's Fresh!, by Angela Russ-Ayon, Our Rainbow Press.