Blog

Gelato Gang

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:56:32 +0000

So it's that time of year! Tax time always rolls around at the same time I have to submit my new ad to the Directory of Illustration - which always gets me thinking about other ways to advertise. This year i decided to draw a new teen piece which I'll put in my DI26 ad and I will also use on some postcard mailers. I came up with this drawing of just a group of teens hanging in front of a case of gelato, lol. What can I say, I love food! I wanted to show off my style of drawing teens - and I wanted it to be more teen, then pre-teen (which is what I am assigned a lot). I also wanted to show off my fashion sense - I feel like a lot of the times, I other teen illustrators don't really pay attention to the fashion scene, and fashion is something that really defines teens, no matter what group they hang out with.

So here's my new piece, which I creatively call Gelato Gang!

I'm very happy about how it turned out! I think it really capturs my style and creative vision. Yay!

President's Volunteer Service Award Poster

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:00:34 +0000

About a couple months or so ago, I was contacted by Hilland Knowlton to illustrate a poster for the President's Volunteer Service Award. I was pretty excited when they contacted me because it was slightly different from what I had been use to so the project posed a new challenge for me. Namely having a somewhat complicated scene where several different actions and activities were taking place on different planes. They already had a very specific look and idea in mind. So I went through a round of sketches, all of which had to be approved by the clients which I guess is a committee of people that are a part of the Presidential Service Awards organization. I worked pretty hard to get the sketches and revisions done quickly. Then they kinda dropped off, lol. I'm not entirely unfamiliar with this, I think when it comes to committees sometimes approval is delayed etc.

Then a couple months after, my last round of sketches was approved, lol! So I got to take it to final and I really liked the outcome. I think there are some things I'd do differently with the layout and text, but they were very specific about their idea, what they visually required - such as the eagle flying the banner with those exact words, and the sign post and the box, the teen and young boy in the very front with their backs to the audience and the open book ... in fact they were very specific about every little detail, lol. It was a different process for me.

I really liked the outcome and hope that I get the opportunity to work on more projects like this one. It was challenging in that the client had a very specific vision, and I had to be able to let go what I might typically do and be more open to what the client was looking for. And even though at first I was reluctant, I learned to let go a little, and the result was pretty good! Uh, not that I want every client to boss me around like that :winkwink:! I should remember to ask for a poster - as they are 20"x30" posters that I guess will be hung up at schools. Yay!

New Project, Little Passports

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:24:27 +0000

For the past couple months or so, probably a little longer than that, I've been working on a really fun project that is part of an educational tool for kids. I wasn't able to talk about it yet because their website hadn't launched, but they launched just this past weekend and so I am excited to be able to showoff some of the work I've done! The works is illustrative work for a San Francisco based company called Little Passports. It was founded by two moms and the purpose is to help educate young children about other culture's. You can visit the site here -> Little Passports

I did the some concept work for their main characters, Sam and Sofia, who will be guides for the children as they learn about other cultures. They're about 10 years old, but of course have to look cool and appeal to that agre group so essentially should look a little more "mature" than your average 10 year old. They travel around on a "magical" scooter, which has a "magical" little GPS type device. I continue on as the illustrator for Little Passports, as Sam and Sofia need to be illustrated in different poses and costumes according to their global adventures! I love this project and really think that it is a great product and am really proud of how the illustrations have turned out. In some ways, I really feel that the illustrations help to make it an attractive learning tool and really personable as well as fun and "cool" for kids, so I am glad to play such a big role.

Introducing Sam and Sofia!

Here's Sam and Sofia on their Scooter!

Like I was saying, I get to draw Sam and Sofia in different poses and in different "costumes" that reference the cultures they are visiting, here is one I did for their trip to Japan!

This one was a lot of fun, particularly because of how fond I am for the Japanese culture, but also because their outfits were really fun to draw. I had initially sketched sam with a sheathed katana, but they decided that it may seem "violent," so it was omitted. I liked it better with the katana ;P

Is He Cheating Illustration

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:51:03 +0000

Yay! Productive day. Just finished this illustration for Girl's Life. The article is about the signs that your boy is cheating! Lol, okay, it's not a funny subject, but I love the cute illos I get to come up with. I really liked how this turned out. It's for their July issue, and at first I had a locker background, but was told to change it to something summery (such as a pool or ice cream parlor). I went with a pool! Last year I had done a split illo with a beach and ice cream parlor, it turned out so cute, still one of my fave illos. I love summer!

I've got some other fun projects I'll be working on, so I'll have more stuff to upload to the blog soon! I also need to work on my new Directory of Illustration ad - always makes me nervous!

New Girl's Life Illo

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:50:41 +0000

Whew, been workin' on my taxes, it's always a little bit tough because 1099s come when they come so I usually wait till I get them all in - THEN I can start doing my taxes. I actually don't mind calculating my taxes, it gives my brain something a bit "different" to do, considering I am usually drawing for most of my time. Of course, I DO have an accountant to help me out, not that I don't trust my work, but I think he keeps me more "organized." Asides from taxes, I was perusing the local Border's bookstore today and picked up the new copy of Girl's Life magazine, and so I think I can go ahead and post my new illo for this month's "Guys" section!

It was a pretty cute assignment, the illo is basically depicting this girl who is totally annnnoyed at this boy that is paying way too much attention to her! Lol~ I looove these assignments - they're always so much fun!

I'm excited to get more illos done, I've got some for Bop I should upload at some point, they always have really fun assignments tooo! ^_^ Cheers!

Maru & Friends

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:21:50 +0000

Alright, I've been a bit lazy and scatterbrained lately. I've mostly been concentrating on some ideas about how to stay afloat, though I'm not going to go in depth on that just yet. But luckily I have also been doing a lot of illustration work. I had some new pieces that I did for Bop and I also did a new book cover for Scholastic's How I Survived Middle School series, and a cute little birthday illustration for Maru and Friends. I'm really appreciative for all the good relationships I've formed in the past year or so; it's given me great opportunity to expand my portfolio as well as feel really positive about my work.

Here's the birthday illustration I did for Maru and Friends. I love the work I do with this company, I just think they have a really great idea and product with the beautiful dolls and storybook; and I can't wait to start the next book!

I've got some other new illos I'd love to upload, but I'll do that a little later and in a separate post! Cheers for now!!!