Here’s my “chair parts” for StudioFriday. I painted this chair several years ago with chalk pastel and several coats of poly. It is know as my “ya-ya” chair. It’s not very comfortable, but it sure is pretty!

Also, here’s my final baseball illustration that I showed a sketch of yesterday:

On another note, one of these days I’m going to start back up Illustration Friday. I’ve just had other ideas floating around that I’ve been drawing.

I’m working on my portfolio and coming up with some new pieces to replace the old. Below is my process for my new digital work.

Step 1: The sketch

Step 2: Trace the sketch in Illustrator

Step 3: Take my vector art into Painter and “paint” it

I’ve been sketching more and more lately and not having many problems coming up with what to draw. I usually struggle with what to draw. My new “technique” for coming up with things to draw is to be aware of images around me. Like today, I had a meeting and the speaker was at a podium. I wanted to relate it to a kid’s theme, so I thought of a kid speaking, to a kid being interviewed, to a young fan catching a winning baseball at a game and being interviewed with several microphones in his face. And as you can see, latter is what I finally sketched out. It just goes to show that inspiration is everywhere.

I’m working on a new promo piece and the above is just a section of the actual piece. I thought it fit nicely into this Illustration Friday – “alone.”

Well, the party was Sunday and the theme was “colors” with some birds thrown in (of course). The Woog’s cake was a funky, lopsided cake to mimic her invitation, with a little clay bird topper and clay birds around the bottom. This was the first time she had anything sweeter than cake so she quite enjoyed it. She got tons of toys and surprisingly only one outfit.

Yesterday was the actual day and we went to the Dr. for her checkup (owwie shots!) and then to the science museum. Not much she could do at the museum but she enjoyed looking. And with all the commotion of the day and as tired as she was, we forgot to give her, her birthday card and little gifts from us. I guess she’ll have to open everything when she wakes up this morning. She did already get her big gift from us though. A pretty blue swing in the backyard!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WOOGIE!

Today’s StudioFriday was “flora”. This is the fabric that is on our toy chest/ ottoman in the studio.

The Woog’s birthday celebrations are Sunday and I have a lot to still do. I still need to make her gift from me, make her cake topper, get food together, make her cake, buy her other gifts, clean the house, and figure out who all is coming! So…I’m off to start on that list!

Oh, and I also updated my illustration site this week in case you wanted to take a peek.

This week’s StudioFriday is “green.” This is one green thing in my studio and it is my business card for my design company. It’s a pretty green printed on tiny ridged stock. Professionally printed to boot The book in the background is Keri Smith’s Living out Loud which also happens to be green How ’bout that. I encourage you all to participate in StudioFriday. It would really make Tine’s day

How awsomely cute is this? I ran across Pixelgirlshop.com via a press release on CL. Looks like a great way to consign your crafties online. I’ve bookmarked it for future selling possibilities. That site then guided me to this site (the artist who created the forementioned piece). I will take one of each little blobbie.

I have a slew of illustrations sketched out begging to be created. This one I’ve had scribbled in my sketch book for a while and decided to tighten it up.

My initial plan was to have the lizard in clay but I just don’t know yet. I’ve been working in Painter lately and played with painting the background digitally and then laying in a clay piece over the top.

I did a circus one like that not too long ago and when I look at it, I just don’t know if that works. I like it on screen but wen I printed it out, it bothered me a little.

It’s rainy here today and probably tomorrow. I love the rain. I like to gloominess of it. It makes me more creative and motivated. Maybe because I find it relaxing. It’s also good weather to go rent a movie. Rainy days are good for us!

Oh, and my SCBWI entry won honorable mention!