A rainy Friday

Hello everyone,

Sorry for not posting last week but I was sick for a majority of the time. My wife brought a bug back with her after being in Pennsylvania. Hopefully that was our illness for the season.

This week was spent in catch up mode. With me being sick, I got behind on some projects. Many late nights this week but I am back on track. Still working on a couple of large website designs, characters, and animations. While developing a character, I had a client comment on my sketches and how they really like the look and feel of them. Which got me to thinking about how I do my final art. I want to start experimenting with getting that same look when I complete my illustrations. Get away from perfect shapes and clean lines. This would involve developing another style. I do not want to dump my current one because it has served me well and I am identified with that look but to offer an alternative would open more doors, especially in the book market (hopefully). What I plan on doing is to take this sketch of the girl and try some different methods on rendering her. I will post the pieces for comments. Now I must make some time to do so.

© 2010 Smiling Otis Studio

Speaking of sketches, I think I need to go back to working on tracing paper instead of the cheap copier paper that I use now. The lines and tones are richer looking. The leprechaun was done on tracing paper. You can see the difference between the two sketches that are posted.

In some other news, I registered for the SCBWI (Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators) New York conference in January. I am looking forward not only going to New York again but to be around other creatives in the field. I hope to make some contacts and new friends while there. Plus visit some old friends while in town. This will inspire me to create some new pieces, get a new website and promo piece, and maybe get my book written. I plan on some Russ time before then to get things ready. If anyone is going, please let me know so we can meet up somewhere.

Also a group of us started a new blog for children's illustrations. We are still setting it up but I will make an announcement when it is up and running. Everyone involved works in the children's market and is very talented. Stay tune.

I am also going to start another blog for my "20 Minute Sketch Fridays" for my quick studies that are different from what I normally do. I may ask a few others to contribute once I get things up and running. Below is todays sketch. I toned the paper with graphite and drew on top of it. Afterwards I pulled out the highlights with a kneaded eraser. There are some issues with the drawing like her face but it was fun to work this way. Doing a larger drawing would have allowed me to get those midtones in there. Maybe I will do a larger version. I know, I know, I need to get ready for the conference!

That is it for this week so I will leave you with this:

"I have learned that what I have not drawn I have never really seen, and that when I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is, sheer miracle. " Frederick Franck, The Zen of Seeing.