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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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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.
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My newest children’s book hit the shelves, last week. Not Your Typical Dragon by Dan Bar-el, published by Viking Juvenile.
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| Not Your Typical Dragon-cover |
Here’s a description of the book:
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| Happy Birthday, Crispin! |
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| A birthday surprise... |
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| 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.).
That's all for now...back to the paint.
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| Cover |
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| Stu, dreaming of the place he loved best. |
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| Stu has an idea... |
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| Pencil sketch. |
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| Final illustration (acrylic on board). |
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| Maestro Stu Saves the Zoo- published by Sleeping Bear Press |
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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/
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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:
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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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... back to the drawing board!
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JacketFlap tags: children's book, book illustration, tim bowers, imagine publishing, dinosaur pet, neil sedaka, marc sedaka, Add a tag
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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!
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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.
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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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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.
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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.
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.
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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| COVER |
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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.
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| 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.
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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.
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| 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.
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| 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/
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| Bowers, Bolyard and "ju
1 Comments on THE FUTURE ON DISPLAY, last added: 3/17/2011
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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!
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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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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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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These look great!
It's fantastic:)