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Viewing Blog: Tim Bowers Art Blog, Most Recent at Top
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A source for Bowers Studio updates, technique demonstrations and entries covering topics such as inspiration, career experience, preparing for publication, industry observations and whatever else seems appropriate at the time.
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1. Hamster-mania at Bowers studio...


New books just arrived…YAHOO!!

Memoirs of a Hamster by Devin Scillian is being published by Sleeping Bear Press. It follows our first collaboration, Memoirs of a Goldfish(2010).

Here’s a description of the story:

Night 1 / My life is perfect. / I have a bowl full of seeds, a cozy pile of wood shavings, and room to run. / I'm never leaving here. / Question: Who's the luckiest hamster in the world? / Answer: ME! Seymour the hamster has the perfect life. He has a spacious cage, a constant food supply, and a FuzzyBoy 360 exercise wheel that lets him run to his heart's content. Life could not be better. Or could it? When Pearl the cat tells Seymour of the goodies beyond the safe confines of his cage, he starts to think he's missing out. And out is the new in! It's only after Seymour is out of his cage that he begins to fully appreciate his safe and cozy home.

The illustrations were done in acrylic on watercolor board. 




I think I’ll start my own memoir…

Day 1- 
I received two boxes of freshly printed books. Who’s the luckiest illustrator in the world? Answer: Me!


…now, back to the drawing board. 

2 Comments on Hamster-mania at Bowers studio..., last added: 4/17/2013
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2. Look Ma, I'm a movie star!

I've been playing around with the ole' video camera and put together a couple of art videos for practice. I intend to create some painting demos and book trailers if I can figure out what the heck I'm doing. 

Here are my first award winning videos. 









And I've been using songs that I created a few years ago (thanks to garageband) as soundtracks...so they aren't exactly fitting for these videos but I used them, anyway. I'll work on new music to go along with the new videos...in my spare time.

That's all for now...back to the painting.

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3. Not Your Typical New Book...

My newest children’s book hit the shelves, last week. Not Your Typical Dragon by Dan Bar-el, published by Viking Juvenile.


Not Your Typical Dragon-cover

Here’s a description of the book:

Everybody knows your typical dragon breathes fire.

But when Crispin tries to breathe fire on his seventh birthday, fire doesn't come out—only whipped cream! Each time Crispin tries to breathe fire, he ends up with

Band-Aids

marshmallows

teddy bears?

Crispin wonders if he’ll ever find his inner fire. But when a family emergency breaks out, it takes a little dragon with not-so-typical abilities to save the day.


Happy Birthday, Crispin!



A birthday surprise...

The parents are a bit concerned but the little sister is fine with the outcome…she likes whipped cream.

Mr. Blaze (Dad) takes Crispin to the Doc for help.

I dedicated this book to Betsy and Jeff Woytovich who started an organization called The Children’s Alopecia Project (C.A.P.).

About alopecia-
Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that is not life threatening, but is life altering. It is not contagious. You can't catch it and it does not hurt. It is almost like your body is allergic to hair, which causes it to fall out.

Mission (C.A.P.)-
The Mission of the Children's Alopecia Project is to help any child in need living with hair loss due to all forms of alopecia.


For children, living with this condition can be difficult. Being teased, bullied and receiving hurtful comments are common among kids with alopecia. I hope that more awareness and understanding will help the situation and make the lives of many of these kids, a bit easier. To me, this story is about discovering the  special uniqueness and seeing the good in every “not your typical” dragon…and child.

I really enjoyed working on this book. The character's proportions were fun to play around with and the big buggy eyes added a bit more humor. These paintings were done in acrylic on illustration board. An earlier post describes the acrylic painting technique that I usually use.

That's all for now...back to the paint.


3 Comments on Not Your Typical New Book..., last added: 2/26/2013
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4. It's a ZOO around here!

Cover

A box of freshly printed copies of Maestro Stu Saves the Zooarrived on my doorstep, yesterday.  I’m extremely happy with the way this book printed. It has a matte finish dust jacket and the artwork was scanned so that the canvas texture and painted brushstrokes can be seen in just the right amount. 

Stu, dreaming of the place he loved best.

Stu has an idea...

The story is full of animals, from cover to cover. One of the animals, seen throughout the book is a squirrel monkey. My grandfather (Mom’s dad) had a squirrel monkey named Joe-Joe.  It was a real treat to visit their house when I was a boy. Each time I painted the monkey in this book, I thought of Joe. I’m also thinking about how childhood memories and experiences seem to weave through our lives in unexpected ways.



Maestro Stu Saves the Zoo by Denise Brennan-Nelson, published by Sleeping Bear Press. 

Here’s Denise with a little introduction to the book:

Well, back to the drawing board...

1 Comments on It's a ZOO around here!, last added: 10/17/2012
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5. The Blues are Back!


Final poster (11"x17").
The annual Hot Licks Bluesfest returns to Ganville, Ohio in September. I’ve created artwork for the festival poster in the past and it’s one of my favorite projects of the year. It’s a full day of great music in the heart of a beautiful little village and when you combine music and art, I’m on board!
The end of June and first part of July was lost to a storm in the area. My work schedule was really messed up and the Bluesfest poster deadline was approaching (I think that could inspire a blues song, like- Couldn’t Stand the Weather…oops, that one’s taken).
Anyway, I only had a couple of days to create some blues art magic and thought I’d share some project details.

I usually like to include something in the art that reflects that year’s headliner, or bands. If the main band is guitar driven, I go with a guitar. If it’s harp, I try to include a harp player, and so on. This year, the headliner is the hot, hot band from Chicago-land, Funky Mojodaddy. As I researched the other bands in the line-up, the flash of Sean Carney caught my eye.  Carney is an excellent musician and performer. I pulled some pics of Sean for reference. The guy has an extremely cool jacket, trimmed with a leopard print…that’s where I started. 

 Pencil sketch.
Final illustration (acrylic on board).

He’s very animated on stage, so that became perfect inspiration for the poster layout. To get away from the photo reference, I took parts (hands, head, guitar, legs, etc.) from various pics and photo-shopped them together. I enlarged parts, stretched parts and came up with a photo-collage that became my final reference image. The legs and shoes in the reference were actually from a pic of guitar player, Chuck Berry. They worked perfectly with Sean’s cool jacket.  Then, I did a pencil sketch from the Franken-sean photo-collage.

Working on the final art with Franken-sean reference.

The festival goes into the night, so I thought of a starry night as a background…plus the movement of the brushstrokes would add more energy to the final art.


If you are in the central Ohio area, stop by Granville for a great Blues festival. I just hope we can “stand the weather”…pray for a starry night!

10 Comments on The Blues are Back!, last added: 9/8/2012
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6. Monkey business in the studio...

Maestro Stu Saves the Zoo- published by Sleeping Bear Press

I've been surrounded by monkeys, lions, elephants, wildebeests and lots of other wildlife friends over the last several weeks. I'm in the middle of my next book and the artwork is in a production line...lots of wet paint.


Earlier this year, I ran into some illustration board problems. The art for this book is on canvas so I've temporarily solved my problem. I'm using Fredrix Knickerbocker (574) canvas. I've used it in the past and it's a tightly weaved surface which is nice for painting detail.  Earlier this year, I visited Dean Mitchell, a very excellent painter and friend. He showed me a Crescent Premium Watercolor board that looked interesting (nice surface, thick enough with an acid free core) so I ordered some to try... just arrived, so I'll update you on the new board. 

...back to the zoo.

1 Comments on Monkey business in the studio..., last added: 6/17/2012
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7. Dinosaur Pet on tv...


My newest children's book, Dinosaur Pet by Neil Sedaka and Marc Sedaka (published by Imagine! a Charlesbridge imprint) was recently featured on a few television shows.

CBS This Morning had Neil Sedaka visit to promote the book. The Dinosaur Pet book cover was displayed in the background but the morning show host had a hard time focusing on the book. She wanted to talk about other things... oh, well.

Fox News had Mr. Sedaka and his family on the Huckabee show. Neil Sedaka's grandchildren were singing with him and they did a fantastic job performing the song, Dinosaur Pet. The picture book was featured and Neil's son, Marc was in the audience to answer a few questions. Check out the segment... you'll be singing the song all day. It's a really catchy tune.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1626714456001/

2 Comments on Dinosaur Pet on tv..., last added: 5/10/2012
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8. Acoustic Rooster featured on blog.


An interview just popped up on Kidsbiographer's Blog that reveals a little background to Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band. You can find it here:



...thanks, Dorothy!

Today, I'm listening to Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Let the painting begin!

1 Comments on Acoustic Rooster featured on blog., last added: 4/11/2012
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9. Poppy Returns!



My newest children's book hit the shelves last week. It's a Big World, Little Pig! by Kristi Yamaguchi (published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) skated into bookstores and Kristi skated onto morning television, including MSNBC's Today. You can watch Kristi talk about the newest book by clicking on the links below:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/46639108#46639108
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29054368/vp/46640675#46640675


Here is a description of the book-
Poppy, the adorable, persistent, dreaming-big pig, has a new adventure in store for her: the World Games ice-skating championship in Paris! Poppy is nervous about meeting so many new people in a new place. But, ever courageous and supported by her family (Emma, too!), Poppy embarks upon this exciting adventure head-on. She meets a snowboarding Panda, a Maltese who skies, and two fellow skaters, a Crane and a Kangaroo. Poppy begins to realize that although these animals look different, act different, and are from different places, they are all the same at heart. They all smile in the same language!


And here are a few images from inside It's a Big World, Little Pig!...



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10. And the award goes to...


Tonight was the 43rd annual NAACP image awards presentation. One of the books that I illustrated, Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band was nominated in the Outstanding Literary Work- Children category. Our book wasn’t chosen but it was pretty cool to be considered for such an award. Kwame Alexander, the author of the story attended the L.A. event. Soon after the airing, the winner’s list was published. The Rooster stood proudly on the nomination list but wasn’t selected, this time. Regardless of tonight’s results, he’s still a winner! (…and Kwame looked great in his black tux!) 


... back to the drawing board!

1 Comments on And the award goes to..., last added: 2/18/2012
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11. Looking for a new pet? …how about a dinosaur??



My newest book is out this month and it’s a beauty!  The production quality is top notch… a really thick cover, slightly embossed title on the dust jacket and a music cd, embedded on the inside of the back cover…nice!

Dinosaur Pet by Neil Sedaka and Marc Sedaka, published by Imagine! (an imprint of Charlesbridge) just hit the shelves and the song is already a tune that I can’t get out of my head.  What a fun project and Neil Sedaka is such a gifted singer/ songwriter… not to mention his talented son, Marc, who also has a very impressive writing resume’.  What a great team!

The artwork was created with acrylic paint on a textured surface.  I gessoed the board before I painted the images.  Then, after laying in the areas of color, I painted (dry brush technique) over the image and gesso brushstrokes to get the texture that you see in the final art.


A few art notes: Some interesting props have been recognized in the art.  The red piano, seen in the book is very similar to one that was featured on the cover of Neil Sedaka's 1977 album, A Song. The black and white zebra chair (above) is extremely similar to the one that is on his web site banner.  Coincidence?… maybe, but it makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

I was told that Mr. Sedaka liked intense color so I pumped up the chroma. This is the most saturated color book that I’ve done, thus far.

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12. New website for the new year...


I just updated the ole' website. It took me a little longer than expected (that sounds familiar). I still have a few pages to finish but at least the main stuff is in place.
A new year, a new agency (East West Literary Agency) and a new website... welcome to 2012!

www.timbowers.com

I hope it's a good year for all of us!

1 Comments on New website for the new year..., last added: 1/27/2012
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13. Mind Your Manners…please.

Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur: A First Book of Manners by Judy Sierra politely hit the shelves this month. My newest book, published by Knopf features a cute little pig-tailed girl and a large spotted dinosaur with a small flowered purse.

From goodreads.com:
A little girl is shopping in a grocery store when—surprise!—she meets a dinosaur. Don't worry. The dinosaur is very friendly. She's polite, too. In this funny story, told in lilting read-aloud rhyme, the girl has numerous opportunities to be helpful to the clumsy shopping dino and demonstrate when to say "thank you," "excuse me," "I'm sorry," "You're welcome," and other niceties of life. Tim Bowers's whimsical illustrations bring an extra dimension of fun to Judy Sierra's hilarious picture book fantasy. Altogether, Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur is an entertaining and painless way to show preschoolers why basic manners are a good thing to have.

If you have a chance, check it out…please.



The art was painted with acrylics on 3-ply Bristol board.


I’ve been having some problems with the Bristol, lately. I have used it for over twenty years without any problems but something has changed in the paper. I’m not sure what. It is sometimes inconsistent with the way it responds to paint washes and makes it difficult to get a really smooth color wash. I contacted the company that makes the paper (Strathmore) but they couldn’t explain the changes. Another artist, C. F. Payne had the same problem and switched to another board. Are any of you having

5 Comments on Mind Your Manners…please., last added: 1/23/2012
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14. Bloggin' the Blues

The annual Granville Hot Licks Bluesfest recently rolled through town. I had the opportunity to contribute some artwork for the posters and t-shirts until this year. My schedule was so tight, I had to hand off to another blues fan artist.  This is a project that I really look forward to. I love music... especially the blues. I discovered the annual event and jumped at the chance to make some blues art.  I'm primarily a children's book artist and have been for years but I snag a project every once in a while that is outside of the book.


Taking an assignment that is very different from your usual work load creates a chance to think a little differently, shift into another design and technique direction and just have fun creating something new that may end up in your portfolio. It may also lead to an exciting assignment in the future. I 've done several other music related illustrations which I'll cover in a future blog entry.


The image below is a detail from the '08 poster. I am usually creating animal characters for my picture books so a chance to paint people is kinda' fun.


So, keep an eye on potential job opportunities outside of your usual stream of work. They may lead to other exciting assignments, add variety to your portfolio and create some additional self promotional venues. One of my blues poster images was accepted into the L.A. Society of Illustrator's annual exhibition. The painting was later displayed in a show at the Nucleus gallery in California...the extra exposure was totally unexpected but extremely welcome.

Well, back to the drawing board.

1 Comments on Bloggin' the Blues, last added: 10/12/2010
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15. Dreaming of a White Christmas

I enjoy creating texture in my artwork. Much of my educational publishing work is done with this technique.  I’ve also created a few picture books, using a textured surface to create the artwork. Though much of my art is more realistically painted, I find a certain amount of playfulness and experimentation when working with texture in a more graphic approach to the illustration.


This snowman is a small illustration in a holiday series that I created a few years ago.  I wanted to incorporate a folk art influence and an overall texture in the painting.  I usually start with a piece of three-ply Bristol and apply a thick coat of gesso, brushing in various directions. When the gesso is completely dry, layers of thin acrylic color are applied.  Here, I start with a light brown wash, spatter the entire area with dark brown paint (using a toothbrush) then outline the drawing with black paint.



Now I paint semi-transparent washes of color (I like to see the spattering and under painting through the color washes) and dry-brush some shaded areas of the snowman with a light, gray blue. 

  
With opaque white, I start to create some form to the snowman, being careful not to cover too much of my line work.  I like to be able to see most of the paint layers, including spatters and under painting in the final image. 

 
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16. Dream Big!

I recently finished the artwork for a new book that will be published in the spring of 2011.  Dream Big, Little Pig was written by Kristi Yamaguchi and will be published by Sourcebooks, Inc.

It’s such an honor to work on this project.  Kristi Yamaguchi is an amazing person, a gold medalist in ice-skating, a winner of the popular television show: Dancing With the Stars and a champion for children through The Always Dream Foundation.

I really enjoyed developing the characters for her book.  The story is funny, heart-warming and an inspiration to anyone faced with challenges as they follow their dreams.

Kristi Yamaguchi is the most recent gold medalist I’ve worked with, but she’s not the first.  Many years ago as a high school student in Troy, Ohio, I landed my first job at a local sporting goods store.  The owner of the store was Bob Schul, the only American runner to have won the Olympic gold medal in the 5000 m, at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. 

I was a lousy sales person.  After I botched a few customer returns, Mr. Schul, knowing I had talent in other areas, allowed me to be the store’s artist.  I drew designs for jacket embroidery, team logos and various sport awards.  We were both much happier when I was drawing instead of selling.  Mr. Schul has been involved with the world of running for years.  He’s been a coach and mentor to many others with dreams of becoming a winning runner.

So, I’ve been fortunate to work with two Olympians, using their golden celebrity status to benefit others.   Whether skating, running …or drawing, becoming our best begins when we dream big.

Dream Big, Little Pig by Kristi Yamaguchi skates into your favorite bookstores in March 2011.  I’ll keep you posted. 

1 Comments on Dream Big!, last added: 1/5/2011
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17. EVOLUTION OF A STUDIO

 
Tim’s first studio

I’ve created my artwork in a variety of spaces during my career.  As an employee at Hallmark, I worked in a small cubicle next to many other artists in small cubicles.  As a freelance artist, I’ve worked in: a kitchen, bedroom, garage, basement, laundry room and for the past eleven years, in a space actually designed to be a studio.

Hallmark artist cubicle

I’m not sure that it matters where I work.  I’ve painted some of my best images in small, tight quarters.  Maybe it’s different for each artist and depends on the type of art that’s created.
I think that it’s important to have a space set aside for creating your art, where you can feel comfortable, focus and be inspired.  It’s nice to work in a space that minimizes distractions but over the years, I’ve found that it’s sometimes unavoidable.  Good lighting is also very important and allows you to see color more accurately.  Years ago, a drawing table and cup of coffee were the only things I needed but through the years, that has evolved into a need for storage space, a work table for cutting, sculpting, assembling, etc., along with a computer and files (for the business side of things) and book shelves for my books.  A drying rack comes in handy when working on many illustrations at once (children’s book projects) and an area for projecting images (sketches) with an overhead projector.  A cup of coffee is still on the list.

The kitchen studio worked when I was single.  I ate at restaurants most of the time so the kitchen was available.  It was easy to grab a snack and I could clean my brushes in the nearby sink.  After I married, the kitchen wasn’t such a good idea.  Then, an extra bedroom was a much better place to work.

Soon after college and marriage, my wife and I moved from Ohio to Kansas City and I worked at Hallmark.  I also maintained a studio in our house, where the artwork for my first two books; The Toy Circus by Jan Wahl and Pajamas by Livingston and Maggie Taylor, were created in an unfinished basement room.



 Basement studio

After years of working in all kinds of spaces, I’ve landed in a nice, big studio with good lighting, storage and a coffee maker, of course.  It’s everything I could imagine as the ultimate workspace and it’s been great.

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18. GO..GO...GOLDFISH!!

NEWS...FLASH...
COVER

I was just informed that one of the books that I recently illustrated was selected for the IRA-CBC Children’s Choices 2011 List!

INTERIOR ILLUSTRATION


Memoirs of a Goldfish written by Devin Scillian, published by Sleeping Bear Press.
A great way to start the new month. 

 

3 Comments on GO..GO...GOLDFISH!!, last added: 3/5/2011
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19. Art Block for Ghana

I had a chance to contribute to the Picture Book Project Foundation's Art Blocks for Ghana- a charity art auction of original works created by top artists within the animation and illustration community to promote boarding and education of orphaned children in Ghana, West Africa.

Your Move

A preview of the art was held in NYC and will now open in LA at Gallery Nucleus on March 12th, 2011.  If you are in the area, check it out.  There are some really great images that have been created for the event.

If you are interested in the auction or the art, you'll find more info. through these links:

March 12th 2011, 7pm-11pm
Gallery Nucleus Event and Launch of the Online Auction.


TWITTER  (follow and mention Art Blocks)
@pbpfoundation

FACEBOOK (photos, updates and information) invite friends to "like" the page http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Art-Blocks-For-Ghana/166672736692656

TO BUY TICKETS
http://artblocksla.eventbrite.com/

Auction Link
http://donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=43741


BLOG
www.artblocksghana.blogspot.com


WEBSITE
http://www.picturebookproject.com/PBP/artblocks.html

I hope it's a successful auction and will help a lot of children.

3 Comments on Art Block for Ghana, last added: 3/10/2011
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20. THE FUTURE ON DISPLAY

I had the privilege of serving on the panel of judges for this year’s Columbus College of Art & Design’s Art of Illustration exhibition. 
 

AOI at Rivet Gallery

The exhibit features the best of CCAD student illustrations and is organized entirely by students.  I was part of a group of professional alumni jurors, which included- Linda Bittner (CCAD, ’88), Tim Bowers (CCAD, ’79), Eric Fortune (CCAD, ’99), and Scott Hull (CCAD, ’77) as well as Illustration Chair C. F. Payne.
 
  Award winning image and artist, Tyler Bolyard.

Awards, including prizes from various sponsors, were presented for best of show as well as first, second and third place.  Additionally, five selections identified as “judges favorites” received an original work of art from the respective judge

My “judges favorite” selection was an image created by Tyler Bolyard (senior).  Tyler is a very talented artist with a promising future.  He actually had 5 pieces selected for this year’s AOI show, including a three-dimensional piece…awesome stuff!  I thought I’d shine the ole’ blog spotlight on Tyler for a job well done. To see more of his work, check out: http://tyrassic.blogspot.com/


Bowers, Bolyard and "ju

1 Comments on THE FUTURE ON DISPLAY, last added: 3/17/2011
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21. GO, POPPY, GO!

I just received word that my newest book, Dream Big, Little Pig!  By Kristi Yamaguchi, has debuted at number two on The New York Times Best Seller list.  I couldn’t be happier about such great news.  Way to go, Poppy!

Poppy

I’m now represented by Rubin Pfeffer and the East/West Literary Agency.  I’ve known Rubin since my very first book was published in 1986.  He was a wise guiding voice then and continues to be a great influence in my children’s book journey.  I look forward to future projects with Rubin and Deborah Warrren at East/West.  I mention this as we celebrate our first collaboration, Dream Big, Little Pig!

4 Comments on GO, POPPY, GO!, last added: 3/29/2011
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22. SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT!


I am really excited about my newest book, Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band by Kwame Alexander (published by Sleeping Bear Press).  It's a project that allowed me to combine my art, a music theme and humor... it doesn't get any better than that!

Kwame put together a great little story with some very funny characters, including: Duck Ellington, Bee Holiday, Thelonious Monkey, Ella Finchgerald and Mules Davis. He also included a glossary at the end of the book that describes the actual Jazz musicians that inspired the book characters and other jazz vocabulary.


As I researched each Jazz character, I found that all of them had something I could use in my art that would tie the book character to the actual Jazz great. Thelonious Monk wore some pretty cool hats and I added one of them to my monkey character.  Some photos showed Duke Ellington wearing a top hat and playing a light colored piano, so I used that information when designing "Duck".  Miles Davis wore sunglasses in a lot of photos that I found,  so "Mules" sported some jazzy sunglasses. Each one wore something that I could include in my artwork to reflect the actual Jazz character.

The paintings were created with oil paints on Bristol board. I started with a pencil drawing, then a burnt umber acrylic underpainting, followed by a complete coating of acrylic gloss medium to seal the paper from the oils. After that, several layers of oil paint were added to complete the image. Lastly, a final clear coat of Liquin was applied to create a more uniform paint surface.

The Rooster hits the bookshelves this month so check him out!

Here are two really great videos from Kwame... very funny stuff!!








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23. Creative renewal = classical realism (part 1)


Another unfinished painting, a self-portrait using the sight-size method.   I'm not sure why I didn't finish... I think the model stopped showing up.


I’ve shared an interest in realistic painting and cartooning since I was a boy, growing up in Troy, Ohio.  My career has taken me in both directions but usually in the direction of cartooning with a bit of added realism.  Every once in a while I get a feeling of discontent, wanting to paint but having a full schedule of commercial work ahead of me.  There have been times when I just have to take a break from my illustration assignments to look for a creative boost. 

That’s what happened nearly 20 years ago.  I was looking through my American Artist and the Artist’s magazines for some inspiration.  I could always count on finding excellent articles featuring some really talented painters on the pages of those magazines.  One artist that caught my attention was Richard Lack, a painter in Minnesota.  I started reading about the classical realism group of artists and the atelier system of art training.  I eventually called Mr. Lack on the phone and spoke to him about his work and asked if there were any of his students in the Ohio area.  He was very helpful and gave me a name of a former student, living in the Cincinnati area. 

Carl Samson is an immensely talented painter and I lived a few hours drive away from his studio.  I called Carl and spent a day picking his brain about classical realism, the traditions of painting and looking at some of his excellent artwork.  He was conducting a weekend workshop as an introduction to drawing from the cast, portrait painting (using the sight-size method) and landscape painting, plein-air.  I signed up for the workshop and found that Samson was an excellent teacher, sharing a wealth of information and history as he demonstrated each direction.  I was inspired, to say the least.

I returned to Columbus and set up a still life in my basement.  Using the sight-size method, I started to paint.  I would work on the still life between illustration assignments. Unfortunately, the tomatoes that I used in my still life began to age and change color during the process.  I guess fruit and vegetables aren’t the best thing to paint if you can’t do it quickly. It was a mess and I had to improvise to complete the painting.

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24. Golfish swims onto itunes



Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian (published by Sleeping Bear Press) and illustrated by Tim Bowers (me) Is now available as and app. through itunes. 
The link to check it out is: 
http-//itunes.apple.com/us#830B

1 Comments on Golfish swims onto itunes, last added: 10/27/2011
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25. Goldfish tours Michigan.


I recently toured Michigan to share my artwork and my children’s book: Memoirs of a Goldfish (published by Sleeping Bear Press), which is the featured title for the 2011 "Michigan Reads!" One State, One Children's Book Program. Target is a sponsor of "Michigan Reads!" Thanks to their support, the Library of Michigan provided a hardcover copy of the book and programming materials to all public libraries, elementary schools, Head Start and Michigan School Readiness programs across the state. In addition, the author (Devin Scillian) and I have been visiting libraries and schools across the state.

Here are a few more pics from the book tour…


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