Sketch Dailies

The other day I stumbled on a perfectly wonderful time-waster/procrastination-enabler called Sketch Dailies. The artists that contribute are waaaayyy out of my league, but anyone can participate.
Every weekday they give their followers a drawing prompt on Twitter. Here is my submission for #mermaid:

She's an angelfish!

Update: This image was so fun the first time I thought I would make a more complete piece of artwork!

Squash in Progress

Since many of you enjoyed seeing how I created "The Rebel", I decided to do another art-in-progress post. This one is of my sweet little creativity mascot, Squash. He recently wriggled his way into a new children's book story idea.

First, I sketch in Photoshop CS5. This one is fairly clean but without much detail:

 

Next I choose/refine my lines and add details. I usually do this traditionally, with ink and paper, but I've been trying to make the move over to digital. You can still see the sketchiness in the under layers here:

 

 

Now it's time to pick my colors and block them in. I really enjoy doing this part in Photoshop because if I'm not sure about a color (which is often) I can easily play around with them until I'm satisfied:

Finally, I shade and add highlights. I think many pro artists who understand Photoshop better than I have ways of using its lighting tools to make this step easier, but I pick my shadow and highlight colors using the trial and error experience I've gained creating art with colored pencils:

 

There he is! Such a sweet little guy! He's got nothing but love...and spikey tentacles.

 

 



Color Your World

This is why I love Fred (of my picture book Frigl and Fred Go to Bed); he creates his world without fear. He simply does his thing, making messes and art in the same stroke and loving every minute. 

How awesome would it be if we all gave in to creativity without holding back for fear of messes or mistakes?

It'd be beyond awesome. It'd be beawesome.

Daily Doodle

I stood and stared for quite a while

till a Lion sang to me and smiled...

...pretty soon I knew the tune

and I sat and sang under the moon

and the jungle rang in joyful harmony.

 

(If you can name that tune I will give you a gold star!)

 

Happy Bree Appreciation Day!

What is Bree Appreciation Day you ask? It is that wonderful holiday in which children of all ages dress up in the scariest costumes they can find and traipse through their neighborhoods knocking on doors and demanding candy from their neighbors...

No, wait.

It's better than that. Bree Appreciation Day is that holiday in which everyone who admires, appreciates, or adores Bree Ogden gets to show her in some fantastically creative way how they feel. (And, probably, if you wanted to wear a scary costume that would be okay).

So the real question remains; why do I admire, appreciate, or adore Bree? Allow me to make a list:

1. She likes awesome things like pin-up girls, horror, Justice League, art, literature, humor, comic books, and from what I gather, Prince.
2. She co-operates Underneath the Juniper Tree, one of my most favorite-est things on the internet.
3. She's said nice things to me. (What? So I'm a pushover)
4. She is genuinely kind and selflessly supportive to other writers and artists.
5. She is a freaking incredible writer. I still can't get her stories, Family Secrets and The Heart Eater's Society out of my head.
6. She is simply cool. And I don't mean nifty, I mean 1950's greaser-hep cat daddy-o-Frank Sinatra-chick in a cloak with a sword and two zombies on leashes - cool.
7. Finally, and most importantly, I wanted to show Bree I appreciate her because, in regard to my writing and artistic endeavors, I have never felt a greater sense of belonging, self-worth, ambition to achieve my goals, and motivation to fight against obstacles than I have since I came in contact with this incredible woman.

Thanks Bree. This is for you:

Because zombie slaying is sexy.

Feel free to download and spread the love!!!

The Crystal Method

From time to time, I've had people ask how I create some of my drawings and this week I had the presence of mind to save each stage of the progress of my latest drawing, The Rebel.

I start with a rough sketch. Really rough...in the past this stage took about five sketches/pieces of paper. Now I'm down to one. Go me!

Next, I do, what I like to call, a clean sketch. I choose my lines, I add detail (clothes and hair), and I fix her wonky left hand.

Now I get to ink! I love inking, it's calming somehow. Basically inking is just tracing my lines and refining them even more. Not a lot of thinking, just pulling and curving an art pen over clean, white paper. I use a light box to see my pencil lines on the paper beneath.

Now for the stressful fun. I have a serious love/hate thing going on with coloring. I love color, I hate the process. It takes me forever and I always second guess myself. Anyway, I scan my inked drawing into Photoshop and start blocking out my colors. Then I start adding highlights and shadows. I do this with a mouse. All of it. *grumble* I really want a tablet.

After a lot of grumbling I get to a point where I can add fun details, like blood and tears. Then I flatten my layers, save, and post it for the masses. ;)

Hope you enjoyed this and hope you have a great Friday!!!

<3 Crystal

A Gift from Me to You!

     Have you ever wondered why the snow sparkles? 

     It's because of the snow angels. Like snowflakes they drift down from Heaven to kiss the snow and give their light, giving hope in even the darkest winter night. 

     So, I've made a snow angel just for you. I hope it makes your Christmas just a little bit brighter. Feel free to download and use this image to bring a little cheer to you or to someone you love. :D

Merry Christmas!!