Illustration Friday: Fierce

Day 5 of 21 Day Challenge Molly loves her stuffed human something fierce!

I did work on this MUCH more quickly than typical. I guess the practice is helping me become faster. :) Please feel free to comment!

Day 4

Here are some pencil sketches of different styles I tend to do...a slightly realistic style (not my favorite thing to do), a "cutesy" style, a big headed personified style, and a big eyed "person" with big ol' round eyes. I used to always draw in the "cutesy" style, but lately, I've been liking the big head style. What do you think? (*These were like 5 minute sketches.)

21 Days

1st day: Way out of my comfort zone with this one...but I had several :) comments! 2nd day: Different techniques...I like this little guy!

3rd day: My attempt at "scratchboard"...these colors look much paler and washed out than they did before I posted them online!

My challenge to myself is to experiment with different styles and find one I like AND to do work more efficiently and quickly. So far I've done well with "different styles"...need work on the "quickly" part!

A Comparison

I've been looking through my blog at some of my earlier IF entries. Here's one I did recently of a swinging monkey (which I happen to love) and one I did last May '07 that I don't happen to love! They're both digital, but I think there's hope for me. I do see improvements! :)

IF: Hoard

This little squirrel is on the search for nuts to hoard over the winter.

Illustration Friday: Punchline

Cool Cal Cat at the Comedy Caravan...always have a good laugh when he's there.

Inspired by Others

Here's a new illustration I worked on today...and nope, I didn't do it quickly! Still no shortcut...just trying to figure out "my style." Spent WAY too much time on it!

I have been inspired by the work that all the artists have been doing (21 day challenge...The Pineapple Diary) and have decided to challenge myself to doing either a) different styles of work for 21 entries (to find a style I like) or b) doing a quick illustration for 21 entries which is apparently the original intent of the challenge...doing something for at least 15 minutes for 21 days to make it a habit. I find that I'll spend HOURS on something that doesn't look like I've spent hours on! I'm thinking I need to refocus my efforts...do something more quickly and efficiently. I'm thinking a lot of it has to do with the fact that I don't know how to achieve the look I'm wanting digitally. I experiment but cannot find the right brush, opacity, etc. to get the style I want. I also need to find a consistent style. I guess I haven't because of the above...I've yet to find a style that I love. (Well, one that I love that's original and my own!) I love LOTS of other artists' styles...Jannie Ho's work is ADORABLE Chickengirl Design! I'm a HUGE fan of her work. As a Kindergarten teacher, I've seen her work in my big books I use at school, and I always pointed out to my kiddoes this year how I could tell it was her art! I love Roz Fulcher's feltwork and her digital feltwork Rozzie Land. I love Liz Goulet Dubois' style and her use of fabrics ChatRabbit. Mike Baker says he's not a professional illustrator...yet, but his work is amazing mike r. baker » something about me! I absolutely love Rachelle Anne Miller's work Rachelle Anne Miller Illustration! Her creations are adorable! There are so many blogs that I visit frequently that I couldn't begin to list them all. Everyone I've listed above has beautiful work, but it is all distinctly their own. I don't feel like I have developed a unique style. I've read Kathleen Rietz's article about discovering her own style The Prairie Wind » Illustrator Tips. I'd love her to share some of her shortcuts with me! :) I guess it's a journey everyone has to discover on their own, though. Oh, well...I'm definitely not a professional illustrator. It's just something I've always done since I can remember; drawing, playing with colors, charcoal sketches. I almost went to art school after HS graduation, but instead decided to become a teacher which is a rewarding career. But I feel that it wasn't the choice I should have made. Now I'm trying to teach myself things I could have already learned and be "mastering" had I gone to art school instead.

I am proud of my accomplishments...I'm a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of literacy. My students and parents love me (most of the time!) My principal is proud of me. My colleagues enjoy working with me. And I still have kids that come and give me a hug...kids going to be a Junior in HS this year that I had in 1st grade! I know I've made a positive impact on others...but now I'm ready to do something for me. Sorry for blabbering on, and on, AND ON! :)

I created this blog so that I had somewhere to post artwork for Illustration Friday...last summer I decided if I was really serious about enhancing my work, I'd better have an outlet for doing it and a weekly challenge to get me going and hold me somewhat responsible for posting my work. There are a few people who visit me and post comments frequently...you don't know how much that means to me! I appreciate your upbeat comments and suggestions on how to improve. Below is a little witch girl that I had intended on doing QUICKLY but then, I got experimenting with different brushes and played a little too long with it. But I did let go and decide that it didn't have to be perfectly rendered and some straggly lines could be visible...blah blah blah! Golly this post is long!

IF: Forgotten Part 2

Every new school year, I seem to have forgotten that my little Kindergartners come to me not knowing how to do anything! Many can't write their name, color in the lines, know how to use glue, know how to use scissors...it's crazy that I forget every year and think OMIGOSH! It's like that because by the end of Kindergarten, my kiddoes are reading, writing actual stories and books and illustrating them nicely, problem solving in math, understanding regrouping with 100s, 10s, 1s, recognizing money, actually know how to line up, walk down the hall, etc. When I taught first grade, I took all those basic skills like knowing where to put your name and date on your paper and walking on the right side of the hallway for granted. In Kindergarten, you have to teach them EVERYthing! But it is amazing what they can do at the end of the year! Below is the pencil sketch of this piece. :) Thanks for visiting!

IF: Forgotten

Has this ever happened to you? You wake up in the middle of the night and realize you have forgotten to study for the test tomorrow? I still have bad dreams like that! This girl has a little too much patterning going on in her room! I guess she couldn't decide the colors and patterns to use :)

Illustration Friday: Baby

Say hello to little baby boy, Tommy! His mommy loves him and his silly purrs he makes when he's sleeping.