Question to buyers and illustrators

What do buyer want to know about the illustrator?

Spring Fever!

Here are my spring e-mailers this year. Above is the style I plan to use for my Six Swans graphic story and below is a spring painting. I kind of love painting bluebirds. I hope to and photograph some this summer when biking!
On the top picture, I snuck in a pysanka egg. I am learning to make them from Theresa and Paula (See earlier posts). They are really good at it-I have a long way to go... It is a whole lot easier to draw one in Illustrator :)
 
Happy Easter everyone! Looks like the weather will be nice for once! (Oops! I hope I did not jinx it...)
 

"The White Hart" Work-in-progress

http://justinraven.deviantart.com/art/quot-The-White-Hart-quot-WIP-158841418

"The White Hart" from the original Arthurian tales in the Mabinogion (the story of Geraint/Gereint and Enid). This is chalk pastel on toned paper, my usual technique, so far I have only used two chalk pencils and about four colours. The hart still needs to be warmed up and more highlights added to the streaming light, some of the light cleaned up. I'm not adding in the lower half of the hart, those lines are there just to give me some perspective and anatomy. I really like not using blacks in my paintings, it forces me to think about colour and value contrast. It always amazes me how when you know the value of a particular colour, it doesn't necessarily work at first, but you have to trust yourself and keep working, cause it all starts to come together later. I always start background first and then move into the foreground. I tend to use the primary triad in varying degrees of emphasis on different hues. Hope you guys like it. There is going to be a gold crown/collar on the hart's neck, a rose bush on the right foreground area, and another bush, maybe mistletoe, on the left foreground. These wouldn't necessarily be seen together in nature, but this is a symbolic image, so most of the signifiers have some sort of ancient or cultural significance relating to the mythology of the White Hart.

Looking for Supplies

I just got a note from Jared Lee. He is looking for Luma Dyes which are no longer made.

Does anyone know of a resource where you can still get them?

Velociraptor

This is one of 4 interior illustrations for a yet-to-be-released CD by Rich Rubietta. The song is called "Run From The Raptors" and uses the velociraptor to personify the various commercial interests that prey upon today's youth. Arriving at an appropriate sketch was a difficult balancing act. We both struggled to inject the right degree of warmth and humor into his cautionary statement against rampant consumerism.

I compounded my problem by insisting that the dino should resemble the long-snouted version found in fossil beds rather than an imitation of the familiar Jurassic Park dinos. I stopped short of pushing for raptor feathers and hair.

This year's eggs...

...well and two from a couple of years ago. Pulled out the old kistka and ordered some new dyes... Christina and Paula may have posted a couple of images too as I had a little egg-painting party. Anyways, these are Ukrainian Easter eggs, my mother taught my sisters and i how to do them a long long time ago and every few years i pull out the stuff and make a few. For anyone who is unfamiliar with this, it is a technique of layering wax and dyes in the right order to achieve the images when you melt off the wax. I have a nifty little "blower" too now so they're all blown and hollow. My favorite is the one with the swan (there's actually four on the egg). Happy Easter :-)

Virtual Sistine Chapel

Let it load and maximize on your screen. Pretty neat!
http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html

Journals: Visual Storytelling

Check it out! A journal I did during the 1998 Europe Trip with our daughter Lindsey's middle school.

Enjoy...

http://soc.li/cCa4vcS

Work Horse

Hello there! So it's been forever since i've been on this blog and even longer since i've been actively illustrating, so now i'm back on track with both. Nice to see many of you at yesterday's mixer, and i plan to attend some lunches as well. Love the artwork on this site, so much talent in our city! - So the seahorse here is a new start with acrylic paint, and i'm working on a companion piece with a mermaid and an octopus, so hopefully i'll post that soon as well.

Fantastical Beasts

In honor of How to Train Your Dragon coming out, this is a phoenix I did for a Scholastic Science magazine. It was from an article about mythical beasts. I did do a dragon for it but it was my least favorite of the illos (there were five). This one has fire though...

Anyone else have any cool critters to show off?

Tomorrow Lunch

Hey, guys. Would any of you close to me mind either picking me up tomorrow or dropping me off after the lunch?

Thanks,

Justin

Here's a pic of the grocery mural...2006

More Maps

This is an illustration I did that was installed in a learning center in Israel. It was so cool! The theme was an enchanted fairy tale forest.

This is all ink and Illustrator (and Streamline which I miss)

2010 Cincinnati Flower Show Poster....

Anyone know where I can get one? (besides going to the show?)

I saw one hanging up at Park + Vine yesterday, and it's gorgeous!
Anyone know who designed it?

Thanks!

Jerry Dowling: Kings Island Map

From Jerry: Justin Asked to see this. It was done as a limited edition poster and I had to sign 1000 of them. Had to do two or three comps before approval and even then had to change the milestones because they looked too much like tombstones. No photoshop layers in those days. Lots of whiteout and sprays. Colored inks.

We snuck in one of the bosses after he had approved the final, unbeknownst to him. Try to find him.

On Collaboration: The Market Won't Settle for Anything Less Than Art

My latest post on "Collaboration and Art". How digital media, overconfident entrepreneurs, naïve investors, confused scientists and aggressive venture capitalists– we can think of art as a tool to translate experiences into an emotional feeling when facing a new problem. I welcome your feedback...

http://visualambassador.com/2010/03/18/on-collaboration-the-market-won’t-settle-for-anything-less-than-art/

Map of Orthe

Here's a map of Orthe, a world I am developing for a role-playing game. This is almost finished. I'm doctouring the edges to make it look like an aged map on parchment. I used Micron pens, 3 point and 8 point, to ink over the pencils.

Jerry Dowling: 1940 Reds Illustration

From Jerry: This is for a t-shirt for a bunch of guys who have a float in the Opening Day parade.

It's also going to be printed somehow on an 8 x 4 board for the float itself.

Announcement: Don't Forget the Mixer!

A Mixer for Greater Cincinnati Area Children's Writers and Illustrators
Come enjoy snacks and drinks while meeting fellow kid writers and illustrators.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 from 7:00 - 10:00 pm

WHERE: Ohio side this year! Blue Manatee Children’s Bookstore & Decafe (at Oakley Square); 3054 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209 (Lost? Call them at: 513/731-2665) MAP

WHAT to BRING: A beverage OR a snack to share, if possible.

TO RSVP: Plan to attend? Email 123mkc@gmail.com with "Mixer RSVP" in the subject line.



**Feel free to forward this invite to other local children's writers and illustrators.** Questions? Contact Mary Kay Carson: 123mkc@gmail.com or Ph: 513/542-7922

She would like to give a headcount today...

Rubber Knife Gang

My latest job: a poster for the "Rubber Knife Gang," playing at the Southgate house on Friday. They added the red gradient, but - - I kinda like it.

Clay Inspirations

I was building a macquette for a piece of reference and got this cool group of shapes from the paper I was building on. I made an arch so I could shine light on it and take a photograph so I can get the lighting I need for a painting. The larger slab was resting where the large blob is. I see so many cool ideas in this mess it makes me really excited.

Un Goth

Christina's recent appeal for postings of figure drawings inspired me to add this. Not very vampirific, but I kinda like this female figure for it's simplicity and abstract qualities. There are more drawings at my figure drawing blog, and I'm hoping to add more soon.

I know illustration is NOT DEAD!

You just need to use it in a different way.

March Dr. Sketchy's

The latest Dr. Sketchy's theme was vampire goth, so red paper seemed fitting. Drawing two models was VERY difficult. It was a challenge when you are used to one.

The costumes were really cool. Come on guys! Show your images! Oliver, Woody, Pam, Brennan and I were there in addition to a good crowd. The next one is April 8th.

How can I get book with Justin's illustrations?

Justin, How can I get my own copy of the book you did the B & W illustrations for, the mythical creatures one? I don't remember the name of it, but I want one, no- maybe I want to buy two! ASAP. Thanks.
Pam D (pamdimages@yahoo.com)

Dena

Final

In-progress

Here's a study I did yesterday and this morning as part of an exercise. Any critiques welcome.

Black line shortcut

Howdy Folks,

I was in a hurry to get this image done so I just turned my original pencil sketch into a black line and then created all the color digitally in layers underneath the black line. I thought it was a pretty good shortcut - especially if you are in a hurry. This is a postcard ( and t-shirt) created for the Grumpy Gourmet and is about the 1926 OSU's Homecoming Queen election of a cow. The first image is the sketch I sent off and the second image is the final piece. I just got rid of everything except the cow and then got rid of all the white and used the scanned pencil as a black line that sits above all the color layers in Photoshop.

...our Little Peanuts.

*Just* finished this piece! It's needle-felted wool, polymer clay + cut paper. My good friend from Kent recently had twins, and their entire nursery is decked out in elephants (only with their trunks UP--that's good luck she says.)

For an EPIC behind-the-scenes on this piece.... go HERE!
(...hoping she doesn't check my blog; she's not getting this until Thursday...)

Wizards et al.

This is an excerpt from the New York Times from 1893. I keep it tacked up at my desk. Thought it was interesting.

I found this link on DA not long ago. It was very helpful to me. I recommend you guys look it over.

http://artorder.blogspot.com/2010/03/convention-dos-and-donts.html

Announcement: A Mixer for Greater Cincinnati Area Children's Writers and Illustrators

Come enjoy snacks and drinks while meeting fellow kid writers and illustrators.


WHEN: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 from 7:00 - 10:00 pm

WHERE: Ohio side this year! Blue Manatee Children’s Bookstore & Decafe (at Oakley Square); 3054 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209 (Lost? Call them at: 513/731-2665) MAP

WHAT to BRING: A beverage OR a snack to share, if possible.

TO RSVP: Plan to attend? Email 123mkc@gmail.com with "Mixer RSVP" in the subject line.

This is a GREAT event! Hope to see you all there!



**Feel free to forward this invite to other local children's writers and illustrators.** Questions? Contact Mary Kay Carson: 123mkc@gmail.com or Ph: 513/542-7922

Cool Resource Blog

Check this out:
http://theartcenter.blogspot.com/

I first saw it linked on the Character Design Blog Oliver posted with the dragon concepts. Lots of good info on the site.

Class demonstration

This is a mixed media demonstration I did of the great Lance Armstrong. Its mixed media and though I don't use one, I showed them how to airbrush by using one for the background. I think image has more to do with me getting excited to start cycling outdoors with spring coming than anything else!

How To Train Your Dragon

Some really fun character design, especially if you're into the viking type stuff! (And set to music from an old Conan movie, if memory serves. )

A Wafer Thin Snack

This is a mini-comic I did for a friend's anthology with a fast food theme. I do not get to do this kind of thing often so it is recreational. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...