JZ ArtBlog

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T11:45:00.003-05:00

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and much happiness in the coming New Year!

Pirates Board Kindle E-Books

2011-12-19T11:27:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone!
Wow, it's been a while! I have so much going on right now (motherhood...keeping up with projects....Christmas...) that I haven't had time to write. However, I thought this was so cool, that I had to blog about it.

So, I'm at my part time job, sitting at the library desk, and browsing through our library's collection of e-books. My early Christmas gift was a Kindle-Keyboard, and I have enjoyed checking out our library books with it. (Thank you, Amazon, for deciding to play nice with libraries!) Anyway, to my great surprise, I saw that my "Pirate School" books are now available as Kindle-ebooks! So, of course I downloaded them. I was curious to see how the text interacted with the illustrations, and how the illustrations re-produced in e-ink.It was so cool to see my books in e-book format.

Overall, I thought that the black & white interiors looked very close (sometimes better) than the print versions. So, the quality of the reproduction of my black and white art gets a star.

Not so stellar is the image placement. Generally, the illustrations were placed well as long at the illustrations were spots and not full-age or half-page. Now, with children's books, I think that the ability to look at an image while you are reading is very important, and this was not possible for the full-page art in e-book format. You must read the text, then click the "page turn" button, and then you can view the illustration all by itself. Rather dissapointing were some of the half-page pieces. On several instance, the e-book cut off my artwork, and showed the "leftover" bits blown up really huge all alone on the next "page". this was weird, and I did not like to see my art cut up and mutated in this way. There was also some inconsistency in the size of the chapter openers (sometimes you saw the chapter number, image and start of the text, sometimes just the chapter number and image, sometimes just the chapter number with the image and text starting on the next page...)

Overall, it was interesting and fun for me to see my books translated into an e-book format. However, I think my daughter will be reading them in print, because Mommy is very particular about how her artwork looks. Besides, Olivia's new hobby is turning the pages in books!

To Save or to Spend...

2011-10-07T10:00:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone! It's been a busy few months, but I wanted to take the time to share a sneak preview of my latest projects. I just finished working on "Kathryn & Elizabeth Go Shopping", which is about two sisters who have to decide whether to spend their allowance or put those dollars in the piggy bank. This project was a bit of an experiment for me, because I decided to incorporate a little bit of collage into my digital technique. I scanned in patterns and textures and incorporated them into the illustrations as clothing, fabric, floors, wallpaper and other elements to bring greater detail and uniqueness to each image. The hard part was choosing textures that would blend seamlessly with my digital painting technique. I had to adjust some of the patterns' colors to match my color scheme as well. However, I am really pleased with the end result, and feel that the illustrations for this book really represent a step forward in my digital art. Plus, the client was happy and approved all final art as-is! Yay! I also had the opportunity to do the graphic design for this project as well. This is unusual for me to have true control of the book's look and layout, from imagery to text. I really enjoyed being able to integrate the text with the imagery exactly as I envisioned while working on the illustrations, and I LOVE picking out accent fonts.....I know, it's nerdy, but I love fonts. Anyway, here are a few more of my favorites images for this project (without the text, or course):
I'm currently working on another project aimed towards tween-age girls, staring a girl with very curly red hair. I've had a character in my sketchbooks for years with curly red hair that I have been wanting to bring to life for a while, so I am glad that the right project came along to use her! That's all for now! Have a happy day, everyone!

So You've Written a Children's Book...

2011-08-17T12:51:00.004-04:00

Now what? First-time writers often contact me after they have finished writing their children's book, mistakenly believing that getting the book illustrated is the next step in the publishing process, and are surprised to find out that there's more work to do before the book is ready to be handed off to an illustrator. First, you have to decide if you want to pursue traditional publishing or self publishing. So, for you new-authors out there, here is your mini-guide to the world of publishing...

Traditional Publishing
With traditional publishing, your manuscript is published by a publishing house, such as Randomhouse or Harpercollins. The publisher buys your manuscript (the money varies depending on the rights they buy). You do not hire an illustrator if you go this route. You simply submit your manuscript. The publisher takes care of finding/hiring an illustrator, graphic designer, marketing team, and takes care of getting the text copyrighted in your name.

The Pros: This does not cost you any money. In fact, you get paid for your manuscript.

The Cons: You will not have any say in who the illustrator is or how your manuscript is illustrated. Also, you will have to go through the work of submitting to publishing houses. Also, there is no guarantee that your manuscript will be selected for publishing.

How to do it:
The best way to start submitting your manuscript to traditional publishers is to buy a copy of the current Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Market book. This yearly publication contains the contact information for pretty much all of the publishers in the US, their submission guidelines, and information about what they publish. Some publishers are small and some are large, and by reading the information, you can get an idea as to which publishers might be a good fit for your book. Then, you mail off your manuscript according to the submission guildlines, and wait for a response.

Self Publishing
With self publishing, you basically assume all of the costs and responsibilities of a publisher. You pay to get your manuscript printed and put into book form.

The Pros: You retain complete control over your book. You get to decide who illustrates it and what the pictures look like. You have a hands-on experience through the publishing process.

The Cons: This can be expensive and time consuming, due to the amount of research and hiring involved. You must hire the services of an illustrator and a graphic designer, as well as a printing service. You would need to select a printing house and understand the print guidelines so that your illustrator and designer can work within those specifications.

How to do it:

NOTE: Before anything - RESEARCH YOUR COSTS and TIMELINES. Before you start making commitments to print houses and contacting illustrators and designers, find out how much it is going to cost to hire these people. Many first-time authors are dismayed to find out that it's going to cost more than $300 and longer than 30 days to turn your manuscript into a hardback picturebook.

Ok, moving on....

1) Decide on what your goals are for your book. Are you just wanting to print about 50 copies to give away as gifts to family for Christmas, or do you want to try and get your book into stores? My Dad wanted copies to give away to friends and family, so he decided to just get it printed at Pip Printing. This did not require him to have to get a copyright or anything official, but it was an inexpensive way to meet his goals for his book. If you are thinking about a wider or more official distribution, you will want to look at a self publishing house.

2) After you decide on a printer, you should find an illustrator and a graphic designer. There are lots of ways to find an illustrator. One of the easiest things to do is to browse the latest PictureBook annual. Download the recent PDF. Each page features a different illustrator (I'm in there as well!) If you see an illustrator that you like, you can contact them (their contact info is on the same page) for their availability and pricing). You can also contact an agency. You can pick out an illustrator that you like, and the agent connects you with them, and tells you the pricing, etc. Another source of talent is Children's Illustrators. You can browse the galleries, select an illustrator that you like, and contact them for pricing. After the illustrator finishes the art, the art will be provided to you, and you can give it to a graphic designer, who may be independent or affiliated with the print house you chose.

3) After the illustrator finishes his/her work, the graphic designer puts the book together into a format that the printer can use. This file is delivered to you.

4) You send the final book to the printer for print, if the designer was independent and not affliated with the print house you chose.

Some self publishing houses help you with marketing. Others do not. With self publishing, you will want to talk to local stores, etc about taking on copies of your book to sell.

Whether you are publishing traditionally or going the self-publishing route, I highly recommend becoming a member of the Sociey of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Members have access to documents about publishing and lists of editors, agencies and other industry contacts. Member can also access the forums, where you will fins answers to questions you didn't even know to ask! You can post you manuscript for critiques before you submit it to a publisher, and also get tips on writing query letters. If you are new to publishing, this organization is a great place to get aquainted with and get perspective on the children's publishing industry before you start making commitments.

Good luck to all!

Stick to Sports

2011-07-06T19:02:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone! My latest book "Stick to Sports: Let's Play Golf" by Nicole Weller is now available. It has lots of fun activities and teaching tools for children who are learning to play golf. I know that I sure learned a bunch about the sport (particularly stances, hand positions, clubs and courses) as I worked on the illustrations! Plus, the books come with stickers to track your young golfer's progress. I just received my copy from Nicole in the mail, and the book printed really well!

If you are interested in buying a copy, you can do so at Nicole Weller's Stick to Sports website. Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T08:23:00.001-04:00

Let's Golf Book

2011-04-04T14:22:00.004-04:00

Wow, it's been so long since I wrote! Freelance has been super busy, and with a new baby on top of it all....well, not much time for blogging. Two big projects that I have been working on since January (namely, the "Let's Golf" book project from Nicole Weller and finally getting a real night's sleep) are both happily complete! I really had fun illustrating this book, and learned a bunch about golf in the process. What really made my day was hearing back from the client after she saw the final art. She was really really happy! I was so glad to get the news! Before I sign off, I'd like to share a few of my favorite images with you. Enjoy!

Jack and the Toddler

2011-01-20T12:59:00.003-05:00

Yay for fun mail! I just got my copies of my newest book which will be released this summer, "Jack and the Toddler". It's part of the "We Both Read" collection from Treasure Bay. The books are designed with full paragraphs on the left side pages for parents to read, and simple sentences on the right hand pages for young children to read, so that the parents and children can read the story together. Although I always look forward to receiving copies of my books, I was especially looking forward to seeing "Jack and the Toddler", because this was the first client project that I painted digitally, and I was eager to see how my digital work reproduced. I am very very pleased! The colors are rich and vibrant, and exactly how I wanted them! If any of you want to read this fun story about a boy named Jack who is stuck playing with the neighbor's baby Mark for an afternoon, it is available for pre-order through the purchase section of my website. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-23T17:41:00.004-05:00

Just a little note to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! This year, we are especially grateful, as we welcome our new baby Olivia into our family. It has been an adventure and an adjustment, but this holiday season is especially special with her in our life. Seasons greeting to all of you and your families, and best wishes for the coming new year!

New Look for JZ Artworks Online

2010-11-17T10:49:00.004-05:00

Thanks go out to Rome Zivoin, my husband and personal web developer, for the beautiful new site that he built for JZ Artworks. My illustration style has evolved quite a bit over the last few years, and we both decided that it was time to give the JZ Artworks a face-lift. We decided that the site should showcase my new digital style, and I love that Rome came up with a layout that really integrates the content into the imagery, much more like a picture book page than the previous site. Also, the average viewer might not be able to appreciate this just from looking at the site, but Rome spent a lot of time using new coding options and solutions that really enhance the site. I hope you all enjoy the new look as much as I do, and if you are interested in seeing more of Rome's website design and development work, check out his online portfolio as well at www.cogwurx.com.

Olivia's Treehouse

2010-11-01T10:01:00.003-04:00

For those who might not know, my husband and I are expecting our first child, a little girl, in a little over 5 weeks! So, I just had to take some time to create some custom artwork for the nursery, which has a jungle/monkey theme. It took some time to get the sense of depth just right, but I am really pleased with the result and can't wait to hang the piece in her room! Since the piece is digital, I am having to wait for the printer to get the piece printed before it can officially debut on the nursery wall. Waiting, waiting, waiting. I'm starting to get very good at waiting! Hope you all enjoy the piece!

A bit about representation

2010-08-21T09:10:00.004-04:00

I've been getting a lot of questions lately about art reps for people in the children's illustration business. Most people just want to know "how do I get an agent?" However, there are a few basic questions that an artist should ask his/herself first:

1) "Why do I want an agent?" - For most people, the answer to this question is simply "because I believe that having an agent will get me more projects." The reasons for deciding that being represented is right for you is a bit more complex than simply wanting more work. For me, there were several answers to this question that led me to believe that representation was right for me: "I live in the Midwest, and many of the publishers I want to work with are out east. I want to have someone who can personally represent me and my work to the clients that I wish to do business with." "Marketing myself effectively has become a full time job. I need someone with good connections who can focus on promoting me so that I can focus on projects and portfolio development." "I do not know all of the industry standards for pricing and practices across a variety of markets, and need someone knowledgeable and experienced to negotiate my contracts provide advice and perspective about new opportunities." And of course...."I want more work."

2) "What kind of relationship do I want with my agent?" - It's like dating. Most people have certain expectations of people they are considering dating, to narrow the pool. For some, potential dates must share his/her religion, or have a certain level of education, or share certain interests. It is the same with agents. Do you want someone who will take an interest in developing your portfolio, or do you want to be left to your own creative devices? Do you want your agent to be located in a certain region? How much experience do you want your agent to have? Do you want an agent who represents a large portfolio of artists, or do you want to be a part of a smaller more exclusive group? Do you want an agent who will only get you work from one particular market? Do you want an exclusive or a non-exclusive contract with your agent? Do you want to communicate directly with clients, or do you want your rep to handle all client interaction? These are all questions you need to be able to answer before you even begin to look for representation so that you identify agencies that may be a good fit for you.

3) "Why would an agent want to represent me?" - Remember, the dating analogy? You are not hiring an agent. Just as you are looking for an agent who would be a good fit for you, the rep you are talking to is also trying to decide if you would be a good fit for his/her portfolio of artists. Is your work professional enough to actually market? Do you have enough experience under your belt that the agent can feel confident that you can handle a project professionally? Are you easy to work with? Are you committed to working in this industry, or are you just trying illustration out to "see if it works?" Can you create on a deadline? Do you understand your work method enough to be able to give accurate art completion dates? Art reps don't want to waste their time marketing someone who is ultimately going to reflect poorly on them and their business.

4) "Do I know what agents do?" Do you know enough about representation to know if you are talking to an unethical agent? Do you know what the responsibilities of an art rep are...and what they are not?

OK, so you have decided that it is time for you to seek out representation. So, now back to the original question: "How do I get an agent?" There are a lot of ways that artists connect with their agents. Here is how I got connected with my agent:

First I went through the SCBWI publication about reps and agents. I circled reps that I thought sounded worth investigating. (I really wanted someone out in NY, for instance). Then I visited said reps websites to see how many people they were repping, and what the portfolio looked like. I crossed off some reps from my list. Then I began checking out their advertising. I went through ISpot, Picturebook, Directory of Illustration and other marketing venues to see where they were advertising and how consistent they were about doing so over the years. This also gave me a sense of their business brand as well, and how much exposure each artist got (For instance, did they consistently cram about 100 artists on 1 page of a printed annual, or did each artist get a full page to show off their best work?). I also looked their artists up on Amazon, to see is any of them were getting consistent work (hmm....that artist has not had a picturebook since 1985.....I wonder why their agent isn't getting them more?).

Once I had my list down to 4 reps, I queried them, and dialogue began. I had various phone conferences with them, talking about contracts, and the details of the relationship and the business. I also asked to interview several of their artists (my choice) to see how satisfied they were with the relationship. Finally, I entered into a contract with the agent that I felt was right for me. I've been represented since 2008, and love my relationship with my agent. For me, representation by the right agent was the right move for my illustration career.

But what if you don't love your agent? Representation is not a marriage. You do as much research as you can; you think about what you want, and when you find a rep that you think you can work with, you ultimately hope for the best. If the relationship works, wonderful! If it does not, the contracts have a termination clause, explaining the terms for ending the relationship. So, if it doesn't work out, you can always decided to stay un-repped, or find a new rep, learning from your experience. Agencies that are a good fit for one artist may not be a good fit for another.

Good luck, everyone, and happy illustrating!

The Great Katie Kate Discusses Diabetes Released

2010-08-01T13:30:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone! Just a short note to announce that "The Great Katie Kate Discusses Diabetes" is now released! You can purchase the book through my website's Purchase Section. I have not yet received my copies of the book yet, but if the previous book is any comparision, I am sure that the craft and quality will be fabulous. Enjoy!

Bet You "Didn't Know That"!

2010-07-12T09:19:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone! Just sharing the excellent news that my dad's book "I Didn't Know That: How to Care for Your Home, Your Car, and Yourself" is now released! For my father, this project began 5 years ago when I was getting married. I half-jokingly said to him, "Dad, you do a lot of stuff....and I have no idea what that stuff even is! Can you make a binder of all of the things you do for the house and the cars so that I can give it to my husband so that he'll know what I expect him to do?!" Well, Dad began working on that binder of information...and it kept expanding! What started as a detailed "To Do" list evolved into a book that is geared towards people who find themselves on their own - college graduates, the newly single, young professionals - anyone! It's a handy-dad's book of advice and basic fix-it information written as if he was talking to his own daughter. My husband and I keep several copies (including that very first binder) in our kitchen and have often referred to it as we work on household projects. So, if you are looking for that perfect gift for your student who's moving out and into his/her own apartment (where parent's won't be around to fix that leak or explain that strange noise under the hood of the car), you might want to check out this book! Great work, Dad!

Jack & The Toddler Picturebook

2010-07-07T19:26:00.002-04:00

Whew! Well, I've been working on the "Jack & The Toddler" project since March, and feel such a sense of accomplishment now that the artwork is completed! This project was huge: 41 paintings. The painting phase alone took me 10 weeks. Above, you can see a few of my favorites. Aside from the "whew!" feeling one gets after completing a project of this size, I am very pleased with another notable feature of these pieces: they were all painted digitally. Up until now, I have worked exclusively in watercolor, and this project marks the first time that I was able to confidently offer the client a digital option, which, after seeing some digital samples, is the route that the client decided to go with for the book. As I was working on these illustrations, I was really pleased with the vibrancy of the colors and the ability to experiment easily with colors and textures. For me, using the tablet and digital brushes felt very much like working in acrylics and colored pencils. The final illustrations still have that painterly quality of the "artist's hand", which made me happy. I don't tend to like pieces that have a plastic-like or too polished look that digital art can sometimes yield. Of course, the true measure of success is client satisfaction, and I am pleased to announce that the final art was accepted by the client without any revisions needed! Yay! No rest for this artist, though! As soon as I put the files on my ftp for client delivery, I began diving straight into the sketches for my next project, "Katie Kate Explains Asthma." It's going to be a busy summer, but I am still finding time to enjoy the pool :)

Sneak Peek

2010-05-28T16:06:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! I've been busy in the studio working on a huge project - 41 paintings - all painted digitally, and am really liking the results. I am a little over half way through with the artwork, and thought I would share a little preview...I am really enjoying the freedom to experiment with different textures and colors, without the fear of ruining the pieces. Friends have been asking me if digital is "easier" or "faster" than watercolor, and certainly it is a time saver not to have to stretch 41 pieces of watercolor paper. However, the actual painting process takes just about the same amount of time for me either way. Digital is definitely its own medium, and I am enjoying seeing my style translate onto the digital canvas.

Katie Kate Cancer Released

2010-05-01T09:39:00.004-04:00

Hi All! Exciting news! The first book in the Katie Kate series has been released today: "The Great Katie Kate Tackles Questions About Cancer". You can purchase this book through the purchase link on my website. I actually just received my gratis copies in the mail this morning. They look really great. I am really pleased with how the images fit with the text, with the overall design of the book, and the dust jacket, which has a nice spot UV coating on the title text. We graphic design nerds appreciate such things.

Although I do not have a dedication page in the actual book, this project was a labor of love in honor of the two Greatest Katies I have ever met: My sister Katie O'Keefe and my flower girl Katie McGee. Katie McGee was diagnosed with cancer shortly after my wedding, and fought bravely for years, always maintaining optimism, faith, hope and the propensity to just be a kid. In 2008, however, she lost her battle with the disease, and the world lost one of the best little 9 year olds ever. I know that Katie's spirit was with me as I illustrated these pages, and she makes a cameo appearance on page 18 of the book. My sister Katie was also diagnosed with cancer. Through all of her treatments, appointments, medications, surgeries, and all of the physical and mental stresses that those come along with, Katie managed all the while to attend college and earn her masters degree in business, as one of the youngest in her class and at the top of her class. Katie put it best describing her battle with the disease - "Cancer, you picked the wrong bitch." While not officially in medical remission yet, Katie has cancer on the run and has been "cancer free" for a several years. The physical design of the character Katie Kate is based on my sister as a child (although for artistic purposes, Katie Katie has red hair and green eyes, instead of my sister's brown hair and brown eyes).

So, my Katies, you are both super heroes, and this one is for you.

My love affair with my Cintiq

2010-04-19T11:41:00.002-04:00

Oh, Cintiq. How I love you. I feel like I am cheating on my watercolors, having an elicit affair with digital art. Lately, I have really been pushing myself into the digital art transition. After a rough start, I have completed some personal pieces that I am really proud of, and am even doing some digital client work. After much experimentation, I have found the digital tools and methods that are right for me, and I can now execute a digital painting just as fast as a traditional one (not counting the time it takes to stretch paper and scan/color correct the traditional art).

Through this process, I have truly begun to see digital art as more of a medium than a method. People tend to ask me "is it easier?". Well...are oil paints easier than watercolors? Are markers easier than colored pencils? Every medium has its strengths and challenges, and those vary depending upon the natural skills and techniques of the artist. For me, some things come easier digitally. I find that varying my color pallet, creating dramatic lighting, and experimenting with textures are more natural for me digitally. Why? Probably because if I hate the color I just created, I can delete it. With watercolor, it must be right the first time, and so I don't take as many risks. My time schedules for projects don't often allow for frequent re-dos of pages. However, I find that I miss being able to use my whole arm to create strokes, the feel and smell of the paper, and the natural "artist's hand" which you can see in traditional work. With digital art, I have to remember to leave in "mistakes" and "imperfections" that show a piece was done by a person and not a machine. It is easy for digital art to look stale and stiff, which is something that I must fight against. I love the looseness of my sketching and the energy in my pencil lines, and I must make an effort to preserve those qualities in my digital work. Plus, digital art is not without color challenges. My traditional art must go through the time consuming process of scanning and color correction, but I learned very quickly with my digital art that my Cintiq displays color differently than my main monitor. I must often move the image back and forth between the two to make sure that my colors don't nice on both, so that I can be confident that values and colors will look right when they go to print. Watercolor paintings can be easily damaged. Digital art can be accidentally overwritten! (Thank you, my beloved backup hard drive, for keeping my artwork safe from myself!)

I like to think of myself as an illustrator. Not a traditional illustrator. Not a digital illustrator. Just an illustrator who is capable of using a variety of mediums to create the right piece of art for the project. I hope to one day take this even further, and blend my traditional and digital techniques, perhaps beginning a painting traditionally and then taking it into the computer, so that I can harness the unique properties of both mediums. This will probably be very far down the road before I can introduce this approach to my professional portfolio, as the illustrators who do this successfully are very skilled, very experienced, and have learned through much trial and error. In the meanwhile, I am looking forward to NOT having to scan and color correct the 41 images I am creating for my current project.

This Week in the Studio

2010-03-13T10:10:00.005-05:00

Painted the cover for "The Great Katie Kate Explains Diabetes". Scanned, color corrected and delivered this painting to the client. Sketched 12 pages for "Jack and the Toddler". Worked on thumbnails for additional pages of this project.
Well, I have officially delivered all of the final art for "The Great Katie Kate Explains Diabetes." I hope the client likes it :) While I wait for approval, I just wanted to share one of my favorite spreads. I just like the expressions on the kids' faces, and I like how Katie's hair turned out. Enjoy!

Book Signing

2010-03-08T09:38:00.006-05:00

This past weekend, "Reuben Rides the Rails" was officially released at the Children's Museum of Indianpolis. It was such a fun day! I got to meet the author Barb McLaughlin in person. It is very rare that I actually get to meet the authors whose books I illustrate, so this was a rare treat for me! Together, we signed over 200 books (some pre-orders, some purchased on the day of the book signing)! We took pictures together in front of the engine that inspired the book, greeted parents and kids, and took photos with the children as well. Such a busy but very fun day! Thanks go out the the Children's Museum of Indianapolis and the Children's Museum Guild for this great project and for hosting us on Saturday. For those wishing to purchase a copy, hardbacks can be purchased from the store at the Children's Museum. Paperback copies can be puchased from Amazon.

Reuben Rides the Rails now available

2010-02-20T19:02:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone!
My first full picture book, "Reuben Rides the Rails", is now available for purchase! You can order the books from Amazon by clicking here. Also, on March 6th, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis will be holding a "grand release" for the book. From 11 AM - 2 PM that day, the public is welcome to come to meet both the author and me during a book signing. If you come, don't forget to stop by the "All Aboard" exhibit to see the real Reuben Wells Steam Engine that inspired the story! Hope to see you there!

New Digital Piece

2010-02-12T15:51:00.003-05:00

I've been working on this piece for about a month now, from the sketch to as you see it now. This has been much more challenging than my previous digital pieces. It was my intent for this to be a more finished piece rather than an experimental exercise. Thank you to everyone who has seen this piece in its earlier stages and given advice! I am very pleased with the result, and have found myself feeling more comfortable with with a few favorite digital brushes. I'm looking forward to my next digital piece! It is fun to split my days between traditionally painted client projects and my own personal digital work. Thanks also to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, for writing "Hound of the Baskervilles". The audio book has been entertaining me through all of my projects today, and between that and a cup of hot chocolate, I have had a very nice afternoon in the studio!

More digital experimentation

2010-01-19T14:53:00.003-05:00

Another experiment. I am starting to get a better feel for how the brushes behave., I think. I am noticing a difference in color between my Cintiq and my main monitor, though, which annoys me. The colors are nice and bright on my Cinitq, but sort of green-ish on my main screen. I am currently trusting the tablet, since my monitor is kind of cheap. However, if you think the colors look off, please let me know. All of feedback is welcome as well! Thanks, all!

Two more digital pieces

2010-01-15T16:42:00.003-05:00

I have create two more digital pieces today. I would love to know your feedback. Still learning, but I feel I am making progress.

New Digital Experiment Piece

2010-01-06T09:45:00.004-05:00

Per my agent's advice, I am trying to transition my artwork to digital, so that I can offer client both traditional and digital options for my work. I've been experimenting for a while, and finally have something that I feel is worth showing. This piece was done in Photoshop. I don't feel my digital artwork is quite at the same level of professionalism as my traditional work, but I would love to get some critiques and feedback. What's working? Is there anything in my traditional style that is strong but not coming through in the digital? Thanks all!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-22T16:04:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you all have a happy holiday season full of love and joy! Also, just in case any of you aren't sure what to get Jesus for His birthday, please check out Compassion International. There are a lot of boys and girls who would appreciate having a little more love and hope in their lives.

Sponsor a Child

What's New

2009-11-29T11:35:00.008-05:00

It's been an exciting month for JZ Artworks! The studio has finally been painted! I absolutely love the new atmosphere of my workspace. Previously, the room was completely a pinky-beige color (from the trim, to the walls to the ceiling....) Now, the walls are a beautiful light lilac color, with a deeper grape color under the chair-rail. The walls are light enough not to affect the colors of any paintings-in-process, but still feels calm and creative.

Also this month I decided that it was time to begin to learn to create my artwork digitally. Now, I have no plans on saying "goodbye" to watercolor, but I do want to make sure that my skill set does not become obsolete in the future. Technology is not going away, and I was to make sure that my style is adaptable so that I can stay competitive in this industry. So, JZ Artworks bought me an early Christmas gift: a Wacom Cintiq. My previous tablet was old and very small, and was cramping my hands with prolonged use. When I priced the size tablet that I wanted, it was about the same price the coveted Cintiq, so financially, it made sense to get the better tablet. All I can say is that this is a very powerful tool. It takes come getting used to, but I really enjoy being able to draw directly on the screen. I've experimented with some brushes and have been gravitating to a few favorites. I am a long way from being able to call myself a true professional digital artist, but I am feeling pretty good about how my experiments are going. Also, editing my traditional artwork in Photoshop has become easier due to this tool.

Here are some of my experiments:
This first image is a close up of a section of a watercolor illustration I have done.
This next image is that same sketch, but with the girl and the dog colored digitally (the background is obviously not complete).Currently, I feel that my traditional work has more energy in the color, but I do like how clean the details of the digital experiment are turning out, especially around the eyes and in the hair. Your opinions are of course welcome! Well, I have several projects in the works right now, so I have to get back to my art desk. Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone!

Katie Kate Cancer Picturebook Complete

2009-11-09T10:54:00.006-05:00

Hi Everyone!
I just got the good news that the artwork that I have done for the "Katie Kate Explains Cancer" picture book is approved! I am so glad that the client enjoyed the artwork. I do not yet know the final title or the release date for this book, but will post that information when I know more.

One of the elements that I really tried to focus on in this project was unity of color. Sometimes it is easy to fall into the trap of simply shading objects with darker versions of their base color (like adding a dark red shadow to a red vase, for example). With this book, I tried to work a little more transparently that I normally do, to create new colors through layering. I found that I enjoy creating dimension through this process, but that it is challenging and involves a little bit of courage! Well, I at lease found it scary at first to shade light green walls with the magenta from Katie's cape! The result, I feel, are pages with more color unity. This technique also creates a softness that I feel is not present in some of my other work. Given the subject matter of this book, I feel that this is was appropriate.
For those who do not know what the book is about, the story centers on a young girl named Suzy who is diagnosed with cancer. At first, she is nervous and very confused about what this means for her. However, The Great Katie Kate (the hospital's on-call superhero) takes Suzy around the hospital to explain the different steps of cancer treatment, and to introduce her to other cancer patients her age. All the while, the Worry Wombat (a large wombat who has been conjured by Suzy's fears), gets smaller and smaller as Suzy becomes more and more empowered to understand her condition.

It is coincidental that even though I had nothing to do with the writing of this book, both my sister and the flower girl at my wedding were both diagnosed with cancer, and both are/were named Katie. Both have beaten the disease, though in different ways. If I get to include a dedication with this book, it will be to them.

Highlights Magazine

2009-10-20T11:30:00.004-04:00

Just a short announcement that my artwork is published the latest (Nov 2009) Hightlights Magazine on page38, accompanying the story "Lizard Problems." I had been wanting to work with Hightlights for a while, and was so excited to be chosen to illustrate this story. It is about a girl who is afraid of lizards, and is assigned the task of caring for Ripley, the class pet uromastyx (a big lizard). This was such a cute story! Working with Hightlights was a great experience, and I hope to be able to illustrate for them again soon.

Reach Out and Read

2009-09-26T10:16:00.003-04:00

Last night I participated in a great fundraiser event for Reach Out and Read Indiana. The event was held at the Childrens Museum of Indianapolis, and was a great meet & greet time for the public and local authors and illustrators. There was a silent auction, raffle prizes, a buffet dinner, and crafts for the kids. Plus, the authors and illustrators took turns in the reading corner to read aloud from their books. I was happy to have my table by Terry Webb Harshman and Sharon Vargo, who are active members of SCBWI Indiana, and who I had met years ago when I was first investigating the world of childrens publishing. They had a group meeting for aspiring authors and illustrators to talk about their experiences in this business, and I was really excited to become an illustrator myself. It was great to re-connect with them at the event! I was also happy to see some children who recognized me from previous book signings, and they came to my table to buy some of the latest Pirate School books! All in all, it was a great evening for everyone! It was fun to see all the little kids excited about the books and the crafts (and of course the prizes!). Hopefully, I'll be invited to participate again next year!

Also, PS: Thanks do out to my wonderful husband who was my errand boy all night, bringing the other authors and me food and drinks and cake!

Projects and Previews

2009-09-19T10:16:00.006-04:00

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!

It's been a crazy summer!

2009-08-06T09:32:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone. I haven't written in a while, so I just thought I would write a short update. It's been a crazy summer, but very productive! On the home-front, my husband and I continue to do a lot of work to the new house. We have planted a vegetable garden, and are looking forward to our 14 tomato plants ripening soon. The weather has been mild, so we have not been in the pool as often as we would have liked, but on the warmer days, we have been enjoying having a private place to swim with our family and friends. Plumbing projects have been completed, and new lighting was put up in my studio, so it is a much brighter place to work!

Speaking of the studio, I have been very fortunate to have my plate full of freelance work these past few months. I have a few loose ends to wrap up with some of my projects, but quite a bit of work has been completed over the summer. I finished my first picturebook "Reuben Rides the Rails" for the Indianpolis Children's Museum Guild. This was a huge project which took months to complete! During this time, I also took on many smaller, faster projects. These included artwork to accompany the short story "Lizard Problems" in the November 2009 issue of Highlights Magazine, a large poster detailing the various plants and animals that live in the different levels of the rainforests, some line art, and 16 color illustrations for some textbooks in Korea! I have really been enjoying the diversity of my projects, and have tried something new with each of them (sometimes techniques for applying the paint, sometimes different ways to add the colored pencil, sometimes adding gouache, and sometimes just trying new color combinations). I have had to be very disciplined to coordinate all of the multitasking over the past two months, but all of the projects went very smoothly, and I am hoping for an exciting and productive fall season as well!

One of the new projects that I am just beginning involves two picturebooks for children who are diagnosed with cancer and diabetes. These books will help explain the illness and the treatments to young children, and address their fears and worries. Although I didn't write the books, I feel a very personal connection with them, especially the cancer piece. My flower girl passed away last year from cancer at a very young age. My younger sister has also been diagnosed with cancer. Both my flower girl and my sister share the name "Katie". Amazingly, the main character in both of these new books is "Katie"! I have been keeping both of my "Katies" in mind as I have begun working on characters and sketches. Here is a sneak preview of a sketch from the cancer picturebook.

I'll be going on a vacation soon, and hope to return refreshed and ready to be back in my studio! Happy end of the summer, everyone!

My Dad's Book Cover

2009-06-23T08:10:00.002-04:00

My Dad is self-publishing a book about basic home and car maintenance, and I just finished the cover for him for Father's Day. My father is a jack-of-all-trades sort of man, and when I got married, I jokingly told him that he needed to make me a book of all the "stuff" that he does around the house so that I can give it to my husband. Dad rose to the challenge, and his book has been a family project for several years now. My father (obviously) writes and has compiled diagrams and charts, and has therefore put countless hours into this labor of love. My sister (business major with a BA in journalism) was the editor. Mom was proof reader and opinion-giver. My sister's fiance did all of the technical illustrations and diagrams. I served as illustrator, creative director, and the "girl who knows about publishing so go ask her what to do" person. With any luck, we'll have copies printed in time for Christmas. It will be a great family heirloom, and I am glad to have been able to do something small for my Dad, who has done so much for me.

My New Picturebook

2009-06-04T16:54:00.003-04:00

Well, I have officially delivered final art to the client for my first full scale picturebook! "Reuben Rides the Rails" is being published by the Children's Museum of Indianapolis Guild, and is about how "Reuben" (the steam engine) went from Madison Hill to becoming a major part of the Museum. I've been working on this piece since January 2009, and have been working on the final paintings since early April. The most challenging part of this piece was developing the character of "Reuben". This is my first experience truly bringing an inanimate object to life, and giving it emotions and a personality. It was a two-fold challenge. I had to choose which parts of the train to keep, and which to anthropomorphize as I created the character. However, the second part of the challenge was that Reuben could not look like just ANY train. He had to look like the very specific steam engine in the museum exhibit. It was fun collaborating with the Guild to find just the right design for Reuben's character. Now that all of the sketching, concepting, and painting is done, I am really proud of the finished product. I do not yet know the publication date for the book, but I do want to share a sneak peak at the cover with you. I can't wait to see the art in print!

Carmel Clay Public Library Children's Book Festival

2009-05-20T10:57:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone! It's been a busy couple of months. I think that at the end of June I will post a photo showing all of the paintings I have created since April 1! I've been averaging about 15 paintings per month. Whoo! Anyway, I took a short break this past weekend to participate in my local library's children's book festival. We had many Indiana authors and illustrators involved. We each got a table from which to sell our books, and several of us also did programs for the kids. For most of the day, I sate next to Jeff Stone, author of the "Five Anscestors" series. It was great to be able to talk to such a successful author about his experiences. Plus, I think I got some extra traffic to my table just from all of the kids lined up to meet Jeff!
Later in the day I gave a "Create a Masterpiece" program, wherein the kids learned how to draw Pete and Vicky from the "Pirate School" series. I was surprised by how many kids participated (I had practically a whole classroom full!). The children were great! They were very engaged, and asked questions that just cracked me up. One little boy was particularly interested in Pete's feet (we were just drawing heads, and the boy was VERY concerned about Pete's apparent inability to walk!). Another girl had commentary about the tooth fairy, and whether or not she makes rounds to pirate ships to collect pirate kids' teeth. It was awesome! One thing I did differently with this drawing program as opposed to those I Have done in the past is that I created coloring book sheets. In the past, I noticed that some of the youngest children struggled to follow along with the drawing demonstration, and sadly became frustrated. This time, I gave everyone coloring pages in addition to white drawing paper. This way, even the youngest attendees were able to create art that they were proud of during the lesson. It was great to see all of the kids have a great time!
Well, everyone, I'm heading back to the drawing board! I just have 2 more paintings to do for my "Reuben Wells" picturebook, and have to scan some finished art.

What I've Been Up To

2009-03-05T13:17:00.007-05:00

Hi Everyone! I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I would write a little post to say "hello" to everyone who visits my little corner of the internet.

Moving into the new house has been going well. I can't stress how much I love my new studio. True, I have not have time to decorate the space, but it is so great to have a great big room and a great big desk completely devoted to my projects. Right now, it is an absolute mess, and I love it. I have reference material spread out everywhere! Mostly books on trains. I'm currently working on a picturebook for the Children's Museum of Indianapolis about their Reuben Wells steam engine. This has been very challenging. I've had to surround myself with a lot of historical references, and of course, hundreds of pictures of trains. The biggest challenge has been to anthropomorphize the trains. Since the main characters are the trains, it is very important that they can convey all sorts of human emotions while also keeping their distinct historical features. Finding the balance was difficult, but once I "found" the characters, it was very rewarding. I'm about half way through the spread sketches right now, and am really pleased with how the book is developing visually; I hope the client will feel the same.

I also just finished my image for my Picturebook 2010 advertisment page. My agent urged me to focus on 2 things while creating my image: 1) Do a night scene (since most of my portfolio shows daytime scenes) and 2) show both human characters and anthropomorphic animals (to show that I can do both). This past Decemeber, I had a carnival themed project. Some of the sketches were scrapped, and so I took the ferris wheel scene and expanded it into this new piece. The original reject-sketch had just one car with 2 children, and showed the carnival in the background during the day. For this new piece, I zoomed out to show more of the ferris wheel, and populated the cars with kids and animals. My favorite part was coming up with unique and fun animals. It was especially important that I choose colorful animals, so that they would stand out against a dark background. Although I painted the final art in watercolor, I ended up going back into the background to add some background details and atmosphere digitally. I am really pleased with the final piece, and feel that it showcases my artistic growth over the past year.

Also, that carnical theme project that I mentioned? It has been printed! You can see it at the Highmith/Upstart webiste. I always get a kick out of seeing my artwork in use as a final product. I really can't wait until later in the year when I can see the "Pass the Ball" book that I worked on in Dec-Feb, which should be out late in 2009. In the meantime, I have plenty of work with my new picturebook to keep me busy!

New Studio for JZ Artworks

2009-01-17T17:25:00.004-05:00

Well, after 6 months of waiting, my husband and I have finally moved into our new home! We are still unpacking, solving small projects and trying to get settled, but we love it. One of my favorite parts of moving into this home is that I now have my very own studio space. It isn't decorated yet, but my desk and computer are set up, and I have already begun working in the room. It's great! I love having my big art desk back (it was being stored at my parents' house). The desk has a flat file which is perfect for my large sheets of watercolor paper. I also enjoy the natural lighting. My previous workspace was in the basement of our condo, and now I have really enjoyed being able to look out the window while I work.
The room also has a really useful ledge going around 2 of the walls. I have been using this to prop up paintings from my latest book project. This way, I can easily check the colors for consistency as I create each new page. I can't wait for the room to be set up how I envision it, but for now, it is great to have a workspace that is all my own and completely centered around my illustration process.

Pirate School 8 Released

2009-01-08T10:31:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone! Just a short note to let you know that the final book in the Pirate School Series, "Shiver Me Shipwreck", has been released. If you wish to purchase, you can find it on Amazon through my online store. This story was fun to illustrate, because it involves some new characters, lots of water (for some reason, I like illustrating water), and of course Inna is her spunky self. You'll even get to meet Vicky and Aaron's parents! I can't wait to see the printed book myself!

My 2 Cents to Aspiring Illustrators

2008-12-08T09:11:00.002-05:00

I have been getting a lot of questions lately about "how do you become a freelance children's book illustrator." Specifically, college students tend to contact me regularly to interview me as a "professional artist in your field of interest" for their class projects. I can't guarantee that the road that I followed will work out for everyone, but I do think that many illustrators got where they are today by taking a similar course. Since many aspiring illustrators have similar questions, I thought I would post the questions from these students and my responses. This is by no means a "don't contact me with any more questions" post! I love being able to share my experiences with others to help them get where they want to be with their career, just as other experienced illustrators did for me when I was a college graduate. I just figured that I might as well post some of this information on my little corner of the internet, and if anyone has any specific or further questions, feel free to contact me! Hope this helps as a good starting point to help new illustrators start off in the right direction:

Letter to Student:

I am happy to help you with your interview project, and am glad that you enjoyed my work for the Pirate School series. Please see my answers to your questions below.

1) Have you always wanted to pursue visual design as a career, or did you think you would be doing something else with your life?

Well, when I was 5 I wanted to be a paleontologist, but after that, yes, I have always wanted to be in an artistic career. During junior high and high school I spent many hours practicing in my sketchbook, and researching animation (mostly Disney), since I wanted to become an animator. In college, I majored in graphic design and virtual reality. Through this process I realized that while I still wanted to unite imagery and storytelling, I did not feel like a career in animation was right for me. I became a graphic designer, then a creative director for a multimedia marketing agency. Today, I have a fulfilling career as a children's book illustrator, and feel that this meets my goals.

2) How does a visual design career compare to what you imagined it would be?

I think many people have two misconceptions: 1- They don't realize how broad the artistic field is and 2 - they don't realize how hard one must work to realize specific goals. While graphic design and creative direction were not my end-goals, they provided business experience and much practical knowledge that was important for me to have as an illustrator. They also provided a steady income and health benefits while I worked towards my illustrator goal. This means that for 3 years, I worked about 75 hours a week (40 + at my full time job, and every night, holiday and weekend illustrating to build up a portfolio and client base). To become a successful illustrator, one must have a good deal of discipline and business sense, which I learned while on staff at my previous jobs. Few people just graduate and then jump into a successful illustration career. For many, it takes years, and you have to eat and pay bills in the meantime.

3) Where do you get your creativity and inspiration from?

Everywhere. I carry a sketchbook everywhere and doodle constantly. These often serve as inspirations for projects. I almost always draw or paint to music as well.

4) What do you feel is the best way to get your artwork noticed for the purpose of working steadily?

There is no guarantee that any method will work. However, here is a good course of action.

1 - First become so good at your craft that you stand out amidst your competition. Have a distinct style, and be able to execute this style quickly and consistently, with enough variety that each project looks like a unique project.

2 - Have a budget of about $3000.00 per year. Use this to buy a domain and website for yourself, get promotional postcards printed (which you then sent to art directors at publishing houses that you are interested in. Do this 4 times a year). Buy spots in online and printed directories (such as directory of illustration, Ispot and Picturebook - whichever are most applicable to your art). With research, targeted marketing, consistency and luck, your artwork should get noticed eventually.

Basically, there is no one avenue to promoting yourself. Successful artists use as many avenues and mediums as possible for promotion until they are known in the industry.

5) What other crucial advice would you give to an aspiring artist like me who would love to follow in footsteps very similar to your own?

Join SCBWI (www.SCBWI.org). They have resources such as publishing house contacts, lists of agents, etc for illustrators and writers. Also, read everything you can in the discussion forums, since you will find answers to questions you did not even know to ask!

Get a full time job as a graphic designer, or some other regular paying job. You must invest a lot of your own money into this illustration business before it pays off, and you will need money to help fund that.

Understand that many of people who want to be in the business of children's book illustration will fail, because they will quit before they succeed. Before many illustrators can afford to leave their full time job, they have to put in long nights, have no weekends, no holidays, no personal time, and sacrifice financially. Some will simply burn out or decide that this just isn't worth it. That is fine. There is nothing wrong with deciding that freelance is not right for you, and being happy in a job with health benefits is not wrong!

I found that getting an agent (after I was published - most agencies to not accept non-published illustrators, and getting a good agent can be as hard as getting a publisher), was a good career move for me. My agent negotiates my contracts now and handles my marketing, as well as helps me to improve as an artist so that my work is more marketable.

Research, research, research before you do anything! Purchase the Graphic Artists Guild handbook (on Amazon for about $35.00) to understand pricing, rights, contracts, and everything. Know about business tax deductions, and keep detailed records of your expenses so that you can make appropriate deductions on your taxes. Research publishers before you send samples of you work (understand what type of work they publish, and tailor your samples to their interests). Talk to other illustrators. Remember, you are a business owner. You are your own secretary, lawyer, accountant, project manager, etc. It is your job to know industry standard practices, fees, etc. so that you can negotiate contracts accordingly.
Many clients will want artwork delivered digitally. Buy a nice scanner, set up an FTP site, and learn Photoshop (if you have not done so already).

Hope this helps! Good luck on your project and your career!

Seasons Greetings

2008-11-20T15:14:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! I don't know about you, but I always forget about sending out my Christmas cards until the very last minute. I can never find time to just sit down and write them. So this year, I have resolved to finish my Christmas cards over Thanksgiving, so that they can be mailed on December first! But actually, I've been working on Christmas cards since October, because this year, I am sending out cards with my own illustrations on the front. I've been wanting to do that for years! I've been really inspired by porcupines lately, and so I came up with this image of brother and sister porcupines building their version of a snowman. If you like the image and would like to get a head start on your holiday mail as well, my holiday greeting cards are available through my online store with DeviantArt. The cards are blank inside, so you can write whatever message you want, for whichever holiday you celebrate this season! The image is also available as a postcard through the same online store. Good luck with your holiday shopping, everyone! (As for me....I am not brave enough to face the crowds at the stores.....I'm ordering my family's gifts online.)

New York Trip

2008-09-30T11:08:00.004-04:00

I just got back from a whirlwind business trip to Manhattan! MB Artists had it's annual party (which was actually a series of several parties). I had never been to New York before, and was really glad that my husband and our friend Eric came along for moral support (and to help me navigate the subways....and to carry my bags).

On Wednesday night, we had cocktail party #1 at Moore Brothers wine shop. This was a meet and greet for the artists. I was amazed at how diverse the represented talent was! I met artists who had flow in from England, Mexico, and Argentina, as well as people from all over the United States!

The next day, I met with Mela to talk shop and go over my portfolio. We had talked a lot over email the phone, but it was great to meet her and the rest of the MB Artists crew in person. Also, her apartment is in an amazing location overlooking downtown Manhattan, so before our meeting, Jon (her assistant) took Rome, Eric and me up to the roof to enjoy the amazing view! Later, we ran through Central Park, had a few minutes in the Met (we'll have to come back to enjoy it properly), ate NY hot dogs for lunch, and then I went to my group appointment with HarperCollins. Over the course of the next 24 hours, the MB Artists group had appointments with several other large publishers as well! It was kind of surreal to present my portfolio to so many people from these houses, and obviously a wonderful opportunity. I was really proud and humbled (if that makes sense), to be able to show my work next to the other talented artists in the agency, many of whom are very well published and experienced. Thursday night we had cocktail party #2 at the Spice Market. Wow! All I can say is Wow! Lots of clients and publishers came for drinks, hors d'oeuvres and little desserts. You had to be there. It was an incredible event, but a little intimidating. Fellow artist Tammie Lyon was kind enough to let me hang out with her, meet her clients and eat pineapple wontons with her most of the evening.

Friday was packed with appointments (I was really glad I had postcard give-aways and business cards printed!). After all of the appointments were over (it was a great but intense day), Rome, Eric and I went to Bubba Gump Shrimp for dinner in Times Square, and then went to see The Lion King on Broadway. What an amazing show! I had not seen it before, and was very very impressed by the music and the costumes especially. It was a great way to end the trip!

Gossip in the Locker Room

2008-09-11T15:43:00.003-04:00

Ah, middle school.... Not always the most enjoyable period in a kid's life. Honestly, I would have to say that most kids in middle school find that the experience ranges from "confusing" to "cruel." Plus, that's when your body typically starts to rebel. Zits, deodorant, weird vocal intonations, braces.... It's as if in order to make the transition from "cute kid" to "sophisticated adult," we must first sped a few years in an awkward stage. What single scene can embody all of the insecurities of this life stage more than the locker room? Frankly, being the artsy-non-athletic type myself, the locker room was an especially unfriendly place. So for all of you nerds, fear not! I am living proof that middle school DOES end; math WILL come in handy, and you CAN get contact lenses. And for you few who are at the top of your game in 7th grade, be careful. Someday someone might paint an illustration about you.

So there is the inspiration for this piece. Otherwise, I had fun playing with the camera angles. Originally, I had placed the camera in a more typical position, showing the locker room scene as one would see it in real life. However, by adjusting the composition so that the camera is inside the locker, the illustration tells more of a story. We get to see the personal items that give us more insight to the main character's personality. Plus, this arrangement allows for the gossiping girls to be placed directly behind the main character, really giving that "talking behind someone's back" feeling. With all of these elements, we can begin to infer "story." They are in gym class, and the main character obviously feels awkward. What are those two girls planning? There is a note with a heart on it in the locker. Could those girls be spreading a rumor about our main character's love life? I found that as I worked on this piece, I started feeling a sense of "story" develop, and chose to add or take away details to allow that emerging scenario space to breathe.

Pirate School 7 Released

2008-09-04T09:08:00.003-04:00

Just a short announcement that Pirate School 7 has been released today! This book is the Christmas story of the series, and tells the adventures of Pete and his friends as they sail to the North Pole....and get stuck there! This project afforded me many opportunities to draw my favorite character Inna in her new holiday outfit. The most challenging image, though, was a small spot image of the ship mast decorated like a Christmas tree. Well, the mechanics of that required a bit of creativity. How do you make a long wooden pole look like a Christmas tree....and using only supplies found on a pirate ship? Luckily, I live in Indiana, and every Christmas, Indianapolis lights its "Christmas tree"....the huge monument in circle in downtown Indianapolis. Really, they just string Christmas lights from the top of the monument downward in the shape of a cone. This served as inspiration for the mast-christmas-tree, only instead of creating a cone of electric lights, I used fish netting a roping from which the pirate kids could then hang ornaments. You'll have to look for this little spot art in the book! As for my favorite image in the book, that would have to be the one of Vicky and Aaron swashbuckling in their PJs on Christmas morning. If you would like to purchase your own copy of Pirate School 7, please visit my store, and scroll down to the Pirate School 7 purchase link.

New Moon Magazine Release

2008-08-30T11:40:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! Just an announcement that my artwork is appearing in the Sept/Oct 2008 issue of New Moon. The magazine is available for purchase through New Moon's online store. The theme of this issue is "Things that go Bump in the Night." I had a whole lot of fun concepting for this cover. When I was little, I used to be afraid of the dark, and especially the strange shadows that you tend to see at night. For this artwork, I thought of those shadows coming to life on Halloween, dressing up in masks, and collecting dreams from sleeping children. Suddenly, those nighttime shadows don't seems so scary anymore....

In Memory of Katie

2008-08-24T10:50:00.003-04:00

On July 21st this year, Katie McGee passed away at the age of 9. She was the daughter of our friend Bonnie, and the flower girl in our wedding. Shortly after the wedding, Katie was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. She had a very rough 3 years of treatment. Although she was positive and brave during this time, Katie lost her battle just before what would have been her final treatment, and passed away. It was Katie's desire to be cremated, and I was honored when her mother asked me to produce a piece of artwork to be engraved onto the urn's lid. Bonnie wanted a picture of an angel holding Katie's favorite bear. The line work had to be simple so that the wood carver could easily reproduce the drawing in wood. I was very glad when I showed Bonnie the artwork yesterday, and it was exactly what she wanted. There isn't much you can say when a child dies, but I am very glad to have been able to do this for Katie and her family.

End of the Hedge Maze

2008-08-17T16:12:00.003-04:00

I work part time in the Young Adult Department of my local library, and am constantly surrounded by inspiration. These past few months, I've been reading "boy adventure" novels, such as "Airborne" and the "Pendragon" series, so that I can help those reluctant readers find books that might interest them. In doing so, I've really been inspired by steam punk and alternate/other worlds. So, I decided to incorporate those elements into my new piece. I wanted to capture feelings of discovery, challenge and even a little confusion. Setting the children in a hedge maze seemed like the perfect combination of quest and play. I also wanted to accomplish some portfolio-rounding-out with this piece by experiementing with different angles and colors. It was a bit of a challenge to set the piece at sunset and to keep control of what that would mean for the colors, but I am happy with the result. Overall, I am most pleased with the sense of "story" in this piece. Now if only someone would write the rest of the chapter so I can find out what happens to those two kids.....

Themes

2008-07-23T08:31:00.003-04:00

I love it when a group of artists are given a broad theme and then have to each interpret that theme according to his or her own style. It is fascinating to see what each artist comes up with! This year, MB Artists is having their annual fall party for artists and art directors. The agency wanted each illustrator to create 2 small (printed at 1 inch x 1 inch!) pieces of line art based on the theme of transportation to be used on the invitation and other promotional give-away items. Working so small can be a challenge, because there is only so much detail that can be successfully included without cluttering up the work.

For my first piece, I wanted to highlight my favorite subject matter to draw - children. I did not want to picture any traditional form of transportation, and tried to think of something unusual, but recognizable. In the end, I decided on the segue, since kids are so embracing of new technology and the future. Plus, it's a really cool machine! For my second piece, I wanted to show that I can draw animals. Here, I wanted to get a little more playful. Because I love the porcupine from one of my portfolio pieces, I decided to experiment with his character a bit more in this assignment.

I wish I could see what all of the other artists created for their "transportation" line art. I am sure there are some really clever illustrations in the mix! I guess I'll just have to wait until September to see them all!

Expanding the Porfolio

2008-07-07T11:31:00.006-04:00

Ah, freelance. You're either working until the wee hours of the night, or not at all! I'm in a bit of a lull right now, and while I am looking hopefully towards the horizon for the next project, I'm also enjoying the opportunity to build my portfolio with some personal pieces. Sometimes, it is more of a challenge to create concepts and illustrations out of thin air than to illustrate with a manuscript! So, I have been drawing inspiration from my own childhood memories and fantasies.

One of my favorite memories was of growing up in Boston. My brother, sister and I would spend so many weekends at the beach, perfecting the art of sand castle building, and digging deep moats to protect our creations from the tide. (The ocean always won out, by the way). One particular sand castle stood out. It was as tall as me (well, the 6 year old me), and we decorated it with all the shells we could find. It was magnificent. Looking back at photos, our castle was really just a very very large embellished pile of sand, but that does not seem to taint the vision that I still have in my mind. So, I painted "The Grand Castle" in honor of our childhood architectural achievement.

Like most kids, I went through a phase where I was obsessed with dinosaurs. I loved to explore the field across the street, and imagine that all of the rocks I collected were fossils. Of course, no 4 year old palentologist should exlore alone, so Dad would take me "trail blazing" across the uncharted territory of the field behind the middle school. I never did find a real dinosaur back there, but you never know where they could have been hiding. Perhaps during my next trip out to Boston, I'll stop by my field and take a look, just in case. Until then, my new "Trail Blazing" piece will keep the fantasy alive.

For my next trick, I will be working on some pieces with more unusual perspectives. I just need to play with some concepts and thumbnails. Stay tuned!

Pirate School Series Concludes

2008-06-14T16:39:00.005-04:00

Well, I just got the news that the adventures of Pete and his Pirate School friends will be coming to an end in the 8th and last book of the series. The final art for this title has been completed, and thus ends my 2 year relationship with those characters. It makes me sad. The whole experience of illustrating the books and working with the team at Grosset & Dunlap was wonderful. It is kind of strange to think that I won't be spending the next few nights drawing or painting "Pirate School" art. Since I have been working on the series since 2006, it just sort of became ingrained into my daily routine!

However, isn't there a song somewhere that says "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"? "Pirate School" may be ending, but I am eager to see what new beginnings come of this. I am looking forward to new projects with new characters to bring to life! Right now I have about 3 possibilities in the works, and hopefully some of those will pan out into illustration opportunities.

In the meanwhile, I have taken this time to experiment and paint a new piece just for me and my portfolio. "The Grand Castle" is inspired by a childhood memory of building a sand castle with my siblings. It was really just a huge mound of sand decorated with shells and driftwood, but we thought it was magnificent. So, I have painted a piece to remember that moment of childhood imaginings and creativity.

So it is with eyes on the horizon that I say, "Arrgh, farewell! It's been swell, matey," to "Pirate School." Hopefully I will have a new post soon to let you know what new beginnings emerge from the end of this chapter! Wish me luck!

New Projects and Pieces

2008-04-29T13:57:00.004-04:00

This past month has been full of great projects, both for clients and for the portfolio. In addition to my continuing work on the Pirate School series, I have also had the chance to work on a magazine cover for New Moon and an illustration for an ad agency. I can't wait to see the pieces in print! Plus (speaking of seeing your work in print), I was thrilled to receive my advance copies of Pirate School Book 6 today. The books are actually being released in May 1, 2008. I really like how the illustrations printed in this book. I feel like the contrast and subtlety that was in the original black & white art was reproduced well. Also, this particular story had great opportunities for letting the illustrated characters "ham it up", so it was great to flip through the book and remember how fun it was to envision the scenes during the sketch stage so many months ago!

I have also enjoyed having more time to create new pieces for my portfolio. Particularly I have been experimenting with anthropomorphic subject matter and contemporary children's scene. Right now, I am working on a slumber party piece, which I hope will make a fun addition to my portfolio! My husband also surprised me with a new set of paints. I love them! The colors are so vibrant, and the pieces are really enhanced by this new variety of color choices. The cover for the New Moon Sept/Oct magazine, the cover for Pirate School 8 and my Porcupine at Summer Camp portfolio piece were all painted with these new watercolors.

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful start to spring! I'm off to go start some new sketches....while sitting outside on my porch - so wonderful after spending so many winter months inside!

For anyone wishing to purchase Pirate School 6, you can do so via the purchase section of my website. Thank you!

A New Chapter

2008-03-24T14:26:00.001-04:00

For the past few years, I have been existing in two worlds. By day, I was a creative director for a multi-media marketing company. By night (and weekends), I was a children’s book illustrator. I enjoyed wonderful successes in both arenas, but eventually, my part time illustrating grew into a full time commitment. So, this past month it was time to officially make the long-awaited transition out of a full time staff position and into full time freelance illustration.

I am very pleased that what began as a part time fulfillment of a dream has evolved into a full time career in which I can find fulfillment and use my talents. I believe that this opportunity to devote my energies more completely to my craft will afford me the time to explore techniques and perfect my craft – ultimately benefiting my clients.

I have also been able to take a part time job for enjoyment. I now work a few hours a week at my local library. This is such an excellent fit, as it allows me to stay in touch with the children of the community, and have access to hundreds of children’s books, both classic and newly released. Being surrounded by the works of such excellent writers and illustrators is encouraging and inspiring.

Currently, I am enjoying being able to take on more projects at a time. At this time, I am working on a magazine cover, Pirate School Book 8 artwork and an illustration for a medical advertisement, as well as some new promotional pieces!

Many thanks to everyone who has helped me reach this new chapter in life, especially to my ever-patient husband, who cooked and cleaned the house so that I could spend nights and weekends illustrating and pursuing my dream!

Dino Day at the Fun Park

2008-02-18T08:34:00.006-05:00

I had no idea I could paint so fast! This past weekend brought a new challenge. My agent has been helping me to flesh out my portfolio, and fill gaps in subject matter, particularly with animals and contemporary subject matter. As she continues to show my art to editors, it is becoming increasingly important for those gaps to get filled.....quickly. So this past weekend, I turned around this piece: Dino Day at the Fun Park.

It was challenging to get the piece (from concept to completion) done in just one weekend, but the tight timeline also forced me to get a bit innovative, and to make some departures from my usually style. I really wanted to use bright color, and to focus on getting greater contrast than in my past 4-color pieces. So I applied the paint more thickly than I normally would start off with, and began building up shadows aggressively. Normally, I will paint a piece, and then add some finishing touches in colored pencil. This time, to define forms more quickly and to add texture, I integrated the colored pencil as I painting - going back and forth until the colors were what I wanted. The result is a brighter, more textured look that I am pleased with overall. I also enjoyed the freedom to experiment with paint-pencil color combinations, and plan to continue to explore this technique in future pieces. I also enjoyed being forced to use animal subject matter, and the playfulness that those characters add to the piece.

Hope you all had a fun and creative weekend as well!

"Jennifer Zivoin", presented by....

2008-02-04T15:34:00.000-05:00

I am happy to announce that I am now exclusively represented by MB Arists.

For a while now, I have been investigating getting an agent. I first needed to decide "Is representation right for me?" For some artists, signing on with an agency might not be best for them. After talking to many artists, some represented and some not, I decided that an experienced agent would be better at expanding my client and project base than I would be on my own.

And so, I began the search for an agency that would be a good fit for me. I knew I wanted representation in New York, the major publishing center of the US. After searching through various promotional directories, agent listings, etc, I finally narrowed the search down to 4 agencies that I thought would be appropriate. I sent samples and letters of inquiry. It is a two way street. Agents don't have to take you on board, so I expected some rejections. MB Artists showed the most interest, and we began dialog right away. After talking to Mela, going through the legal particulars, and talking with some of her represented talent, I became convinced that this agency was right for me. It was especially exciting to hear from the artists themselves, and to learn about their experiences and how MB Artists has played a role in their career developments. I was very glad that Mela also felt I would be a good addition to her talent base, and it is with great excitement that I now join the MB Artist family.

I am looking forward to meeting new clients, taking on unique projects, diversifying my portfolio and continuing to grow as an illustrator. I am also looking forward to focusing more attention on my artwork, and stepping back from the marketing side of the illustration business. I feel that this more concentrated focus on creating art will ultimately benefit my clients, both current and future, as well as provide me with a deeper satisfaction in my work.

Plus, now that I'll be making some trips to New York to connect with MB Artists & clients personally, I have an excuse to plan an exciting working-vacation in NYC!

Scene or Story?

2008-01-22T08:44:00.000-05:00

I had some free time over the holidays to work on a personal piece. I have always wanted to illustrate a scene from my childhood. My family is Italian, so I have many memories of making meatballs on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Well, the artistic side of my emerged early when, as a child, I thought to myself, “Why make meat BALLS when you could make a meat DINOSAUR!?”

I actually did two versions of this piece. In the first, I was very focused on the scene and capturing the memory. However, when the piece was complete, I felt dissatisfied with the result. It was missing something. I posted the piece on the SCBWI critique forum, with the intention to gain feedback, and rework the piece. Thanks to the members who replied, I realized that I was holding the SCENE so near and dear to my heart that I had forgotten to make the piece tell a STORY – which is the essence of illustration.

So, back to the drawing board. This time, I approached the piece as I would an assignment – a concept to be illustrated. I moved the camera angle to create more visual depth, and to focus on the girl making the meat dinosaur. This also created a visual hierarchy, which helps to make the mind read the elements of the composition in a particular sequence – creating story. I also tried to envision what led the girl to begin sculpting with the meat. I imagined her lining up the meatballs, and suddenly realizing that she was making a caterpillar. From there, she got the idea to make additional animals. By putting in these details, we can infer a sequence of events leading up to the moment pictured.

From a technical standpoint, I pushed the background back into the background by non underpainting the “far away” elements. This kept the colors more washed out. In the foreground, I underpainted the characters and objects, to give brighter, richer color. This helped the main actions pop visually.

I am much happier with how this second version turned out. It was great to have a reminder that drawing from experience is excellent inspiration and makes for unique concepts, but that those concepts must be woven into a story. Now I have a fun promotional piece, as well as a beautiful illustrated memory from my childhood. As for the first draft? My mom loved the scene, and has the piece hanging in her kitchen so that she can look at it while she rolls meatballs.

Pirate School Book 5 Released!

2008-01-11T08:27:00.000-05:00

Pirate School Book 5: Treasure Trouble has been released and is now available in stores or online at Amazon.com!

This was such a great book to work on, mostly because by this point in the series, the characters' personalities had become well developed. This allowed me to take artistic liberties with the illustrations. It was fun to think about the characters in each scene, and imagine little details or expressions that may not have been described in the text, but were part of that character. For me, creating the illustrations was like hiding little inside jokes for the author, the art director, and readers who have followed the series.

My favorite drawing from the book is Gary sneaking into the pirates' bunks. For some reason, I just love imagining what pirate pajamas might look like. I especially like the skull & crossbones hanging off of one of the sleeping pirate's polka-dotted night cap!

I hope you enjoy the latest Pirate School adventure with Pete, Inna, Gary, Vicky and Aaron! Yo, ho, ho!

Book Signing

2007-12-08T09:56:00.000-05:00

Last night I had a wonderful experience at a book signing to promote Pirate School. The local Barnes & Noble is kind enough to consistently host my events, which include a chapter reading, illustration activity, discussion and book signing. It is great to be able to connect with the local kids to talk about books, art and the Pirate School characters!
I was a little afraid that not many kids would be able to show up for this particular signing due to the snow, but we actually got a pretty good turn out. This time, all of the children were girls, so I was able to let the kids be more involved. For instance, normally for the illustration demonstration, I choose the character that the kids will learn to draw, because if I let the kids choose, the boys will all want a boy character, and the girls will all want a girl character. This time, I let the children pick, which they enjoyed. As I expected, they wanted to draw Inna, who is the most "pretty." The activity was very engaging for all of us, and I was thrilled by the girls' participation. They actually discussed and commented on the drawing process while we were going through the demonstration! They were all very observant, and came up with interesting analogies for the shapes we were drawing!

For the chapter reading, I read from book 3, chapter 1 - which is very humorous and engaging even if one has not read the other books. The chapter ends at a "cliffhanger" in which the pirate kids head off to yet another rotten lesson with Rotten Tooth. After the chapter was over, the girls took turns guessing from looking at the cover what the lesson was going to be about. It was great to see their involvement and excitement.

That is my favorite part of the book signings - to see the kids get engaged. I am always surprised by the children's comments and observations. My favorite comment at a book signing actually came over this past summer during the question & answer portion of the presentation. A little girl, no older than 4, raised her hand and asked, "What is your web URL address?" All the adults laughed....I was half expecting the child to pull out a palm pilot and look it up on the spot! I guess that is a true sign of the age that we live in!

Updated Website

2007-11-25T12:32:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the release of the Directory of Illustration #24 (which hopefully will bring a few new visitors to my website), JZ Artworks online has a new look! I am fortunate to have a husband who is a web developer/designer, and he has worked with me to give my website a make over. There were many aspects of my old site that I enjoyed from an art-director point of view. It loaded quickly on most connections, was easy to navigate, and art samples were easy to view. Basically, the key word here was "easy". However, I felt that the site needed to make a bigger visual impact, especially on the homepage. I'm an illustrator, and I wanted the site to utilize more of my artwork in the design, and not just in the content.

I am really happy with the updated design! I feel that it gives a fresh presentation with higher emphasis on my illustration style, while continuing the easy-usability which marked my previous site.

Now, in the test phase, we tested the site on as many computers as possible, and we hope that all of the bugs have been ironed out. However, if you run into any issues while using the site, please let me know. Leave a comment to this post, and let me know the error, and also the browser you were using at the time. Thanks so much for your help!

Pirate School Book 6

2007-11-13T09:49:00.001-05:00

I just completed the artwork for the book 6 in the Pirate School series, which will be released in May of 2008. It was a fun project, with a few challenges and new discoveries.

One of the major challenges, from an artistic standpoint, is that I had to complete the cover art before the manuscript was complete. Consequently, I pictured one of the new characters as short. However, when I received the manuscript and the assignment for the interior art, I found that that author described that character as being "bigger than Pete", the series' main character! Uh-oh.

Well, I was able to address this issue with some creative composing of the illustrations in which the new character is pictured. By keeping this character in the foreground, I was able to keep his proportions the same (so that he matched the cover), but avoided showing him in direct proportion to other characters. This means that he was pictured larger than other characters, and also gave the illustrations greater visual depth. This illusion helped to cover up the discrepancies between the descriptive sentence in the manuscript, and the cover artwork.

I found that addressing this challenge was exciting, in that it allowed me to use my design skills to do more than just interpret a scene, but also to solve a problem. The result is a batch of drawings that I feel proud of, and that meets the client's illustration needs.

Golden Compass

2007-10-23T08:50:00.000-04:00

I love to see a good book made into a good movie. It brings attention to the work from those who may not have been interested in reading. Plus, it is great to see the stories being brought to life visually...with cool special effects.

So, when I heard that Pullman's "The Golden Compass" was being made into a movie, I was very excited! I've watched all the trailers, behind the scenes videos, and - my personal favorite - used the quiz on the movie website to determine my animal spirit "daemon." I think this function was supposed to be enjoyed by children to get them familiar with and excited about this aspect of the plot. However, I got a huge kick out of this feature as well. Plus, I got this neat little widget to post on my blog.

It seemed sort of fitting that I should get some form of cat to match my personality. For some reason, artists and cats just sort of go together in my mind. To bad I can't own one...they have a tendency to jump on unfinished watercolor paintings. At least now I get a virtual one.

Paperwork

2007-10-21T12:11:00.000-04:00

This has been one of those weeks....a paperwork week. We've all had them, and for me, they always seem to occur exactly when I am excited to get to work on a project. For instance, I've been itching to begin the cover for my next book commission. I have a great composition in mind, and new outfits for a character, and have been doodling thumbnails in my sleep.
And times like these are when my desk seems to become the collective depository for all manner of paperwork and post-it notes.
Someone needs a form filled out. So-and-so made a clerical error that needs to be corrected. Advertisement contracts need to be signed. Follow-up phone calls need to be made. Records need to be updated. Contacts need to be confirmed. This or that document needs to be scanned, emailed, filed, faxed, shipped or otherwise dealt with.

It's a pain. It's also very affirmative.

The thing with freelance illustration is that....*drum roll*...it's work. And so when the going get's annoying, the annoyed must ask themselves, "Is it worth it?" Truly. Are you one of those people who likes to draw/paint/create, is good at it, has fun, and wants to keep it that way? There is nothing wrong with realizing that by making a business out of a hobby, you risk losing the joy of your craft.

But to me, it's worth it. During these times when the business seems to get in the way of the "fun part", an illustrator has the opportunity to come to terms with the realization that her passion for illustration, passion for storytelling, and passion for being a part of something greater than herself is enough to warrant navigating the business jungle. It is through the mundane tasks that I realize that this truly is what I want to do with my life.

Because unlike the hobbyist, no amount of contracts, documents, emails or post-it notes can diminish my heartfelt love of illustration. In fact, it only brings into sharp relief my desire to get through that business-stuff efficiently....so I can get back to the fun part of drawing that new cover art.

Sketchbook

2007-10-14T11:21:00.000-04:00

I recently updated the "Sketchbook" section of my website with some new drawings. Well, new to the site, that is. Over the past year I started making quick (usually 30 minute long) conceptual mini-illustrations. These pieces are not quite sketches, but not quite complete illustrations either. They are spontaneous personal reactions to a topic or concept, done in ballpoint pen.

I really enjoy the loose, expressive lines, and the high contrast of the pen & ink. Call me simple, but I love ballpoint pens. Nothing fancy. Unlike true black in pens, I can actually get a truly lighter shade of ink by letting up on the pressure, creating deep shades of black, and very light grays.

Basically, I really like the look of these pieces, and feel that they represent some sort of emerging development in my black & white illustration technique, or at least a potential alternative to graphite. Unfortunately, most of these do not have backgrounds, so I have no idea what a finished illustration would look like using this scribbly ink approach, but I hope to have some time to experiment and refine this method so that it can potential translate well in to more finished pieces. Something about this look just really speaks to me....now if only I could figure out what it is saying! In the meanwhile, I am trying to apply this more expressive, high-contrast look into my graphite pieces, to give them more depth and energy.

So Why Should Illustrators Write Blogs?

2007-10-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

OK, so I'm an illustrator. Typically, I leave the text-based storytelling to the authors.

But as I've talked with others - be it in person, via the internet, or at books signings - I have realized that illustrators have stories to tell as well. Stories about inspiration and creation. I always receive questions like, "How did you come up with that character?" or "What did you use to paint that picture?". People are interested in the illustrator's side of the story.

I have also learned that a personal webpage makes for a great portfolio, but is not a great place to post those stories. Heaps of text does not enhance an illustration site. Visitors are there for the artwork.

Hence, this blog. A place to write about projects, techniques, experiments, and daily sources of inspiration!

However, no inspiration to write about today, as for now, I am just focusing on setting this page up! So stay tuned!