Golden Compass

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

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

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?

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!