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I'm encouraged to know that I'm not the only one combining sections of images manually and tracing the enlarged image on a lightbox. Thank you for sharing your process.

What a fascinating insight into the publishing process. I had no idea it was so fiddly and time consuming! I love your animal art it is so funny and cute.

Good to see your hard at work. I'm excited to see the end result. Stay active, best wishes,
Benjamin

It's great to see the publishing process:) What a great idea the pink paper,great post:)

Thank you. Glad to hear that the background information is still interesting.
:-)

That there's craft, that is!

I never pay my bills in my studio! It’s too conflicting, only art things allowed…

Aaah…. good point!!

Adorable animation, Leslie Ann!! …Keep hoping for Spring! It is right around the corner!

Thank you Patti! Where do you live?

I live in North Carolina… We really love it here! Spring is in full-swing right now… The cherry trees in front of our house are at their peak & they are especially lovely this year!

Patti, Oh how wonderful! My friend moved to Charlotte a few years ago. She loves it there too. I would love to visit that area. I am planning a trip of a lifetime. I hope I get to do it. It will be from N.Caroline up the coast to Maine and then Nova Scotia! Your description is wonderful. I am in Colorado and the wind and snow are blowing. I think it is winters last ditch effort. Spring is here. The snow will melt quicky and allow all my flowers to emerge at last! Enjoy! … and hey!, tag me a photo of your trees on FB.I would LOVE to see them!

Congratulations to you and Brian on finding your new home...Good things are yet to come. :)

Congratulations!!! I hope to buy my own house one day. :) And yay, new studio!

You really have a lovely studio! Love the pic of the pups by the door.

Thanks Bailey! I need to get a new shot with that new little squirt who is turning into a studio dog too.

I love them all! :)

Thank you Gaia

Every person has the same-shaped upper lip. Interesting! Were thy all in the same family? Related?

These tools are very useful to understand the pattern of trading very easily. Some of these tools are really very efficient & even i was not aware from them. Good Stuff !

Thanks
Commodity Trading Tips

you've listed so many great tools though I don't know most of them. for me, I like mechanical pencils, water soluble colored pencils and my laptop. but I think the best tool is really yourself and your hands.

thanks for sharing this, have a great day.

you are so right, i love seeing and hearing about what artists like to use. I loved reading your post.

i enjoy most the things you have mentioned. Go through spurts with different materials. For a long time it was Derwent Inktense pencils or prismacolor pencils. Now i am learning a bit about watercolors.

Thank you for being so candid about what you use. I often look at art work and wonder what they have used to create it. Sometimes I can guess. Sometimes I am clueless! I love your work and your sense of color. I know I want my art work (which is mostly colored pencil) to be more vibrant and your post has really convinced me that I need a color theory class and a watercolor class would be nice.

Thank you everyone for such wonderful comments. I am beaming with joy knowing that I shared something new and something helpful!

Lissa, I couldn't agree more, that you yourself is the best tool. Thank you for sharing that, because I teach it so often in my classrooms.

Tammie Lee, I think exploring or switching out your mediums from time to time is such a healthy thing! I got so wrapped up in being a watercolor purest I forgot that I was an illustrator! And in essence almost lost what kind of artist I am internally. I have some Derwent watercolor pencils that I haven't really dived into. Waiting for that special day when I'm up for that challenge!! ;) Watercolors are fun if you keep them fun, hope you enjoy all that you learn!

Laura, thank you for your comment about being candid. We're told so often in business to be professional in how we speak, I'm the opposite. How I talk here is how I teach and talk with my clients. I really hope you do take some color theory and watercolor classes! Dig around and find some, or ask community schools if they know of any private tutors. Totally worth a few workshops!

Sara, Thanks for the great tips. What fun! I feel like I've taken a tour inside your studio. I love rapidographs, for softer looks and colors I use a soft brown ink and for the softest looks, I use a number 2 pencil. (funny, isn't it- it is so simple) I love watercolor paper with a cotton feel and slight texture. Sometimes it looks dirty when reproduced. I try to compensate for that in photoshop when it is scanned. My dad was a watercolor artist and used to rip the paper to add clear clean white sparkles. Thanks for sharing, you have amazing talent. bk

Love your work Lynne!
Just watched a few videos on your website - very helpful and inspiring!
I've also found you on Twitter too and sent a few tweets.

As an inspiring picture book illustrator, I've been right through your blog. Any news on when 'Swap!' is out? I need a copy :)

www.munkeypants.com

Thanks Louise - so pleased you have enjoyed reading through the blog.

'Swap!' was originally coming out later this year, but the pubisher has imploded, so my new book, and all my back-list with that publisher, has been transferred to a sister company to manage, who have pushed Swap's publication back a year: now due out some time in 2014!!!! Very frustrating, but nothing to be done.

Sorry I haven't replied on Twitter, I am not very good at it: still something of a novice. I use it mainly as a way to pipe the blog to an alternative audience. Probably just as well, as all this web-based stuff is quite addictive enough!

I've just went and bought a bunch of your books. Particularly looking forward to Bears on the Stairs after seeing your blog posts.

Sorry to hear about 'Swap!' looks like such a lovely story will be waiting for news of it's release in 2014.

I loved your 'Swap!' spreads and am very inspired to do a few of my own for my portfolio. I find drawing on a bigger scale a bit difficult though!

I loved your video on how you started out and hope that in a few years I'll be doing my own about my very first picture book :)

That's great - thank you Louise!

Good luck with your work. You don;t have to illustrate as large as I do but pastels are definitely best done as big as possible, as you'll soon find out if you give them a try.

Have fun, and I hope you enjoy the books x

So interesting, thanks for sharing. I totally agree ebooks are not the same.

I have that Molly Makes calendar up in my "office."

I echo that 'never ever enough storage space'! Sometimes I move it all around to see if it fits better. It never does.
Good to see you settling into Shropshire: beautiful county that really deserves more exploring.

See...Bodge Cottage is taking on a lovely creative glow already!!! Looking forward to seeing your new shop items...anything I might be interested in?????
Yes...NEVER enough space for us creative types indeed.

Janet xox
The Empty Nest

So neat and orderly.
I hang my head at the comparison!

I like your dolly...there, in front of the curio cabinet. :) She looks well-loved.

Looks like you are settled in nicely.

I'm just in the process of setting up my new studio ... my mantra is 'storage'! Yours looks like a room that see a fair bit of happy making :)

Gretel, I am in love with the goose in the last post ... will you be making more?

Love the 20's cocktail cabinet...wow.... what a lovely storage unit... I'm so glad you have as much more room as you do.....

I have the same problem.... just never enough space even if you have huge square footage believe me... I've decided it is high time I decided which things I actually intend to use ...and jettison some ballast... keep the cute and the things I made of course...but, honestly...must.purge..... must! Should be my mantra for the year.

I love to see the interior of your house, it reassures me that I am not the only one who collects things just because they are beautiful and interesting - and a source of inspiration. And no, for people like us there is never enough space - I could fill a mansion given enough time!

Just had my first attempt at needlefelting - only stabbed myself a few times! It's fascinating, satisfying, but you must have some biceps after doing that all day!

I mirror Tonia's comment EXACTLY!
xx

Looks like you've made a snug home here.

What a cosy room you have created there Gretel. x Jo

All looking perfectly homely ... M x

I love your space! It is so much neater than mine...

Gretel, your studio is looking good...it's filled (in a very good way) with inspiration and seems to have some good light, too. If it has light in winter, I can imagine how that will increase in days to come.

You do sound quite busy though...time and space do get filled easily by energetic, creative folks like you. Best wishes on the workshop.

Do the kitties get to hang out in the studio? xo

What a beautiful, creative space and how much you have achieved in such a short time. I'm also hanging my head in shame!

What a wonderful collection of treasures and lovely to be able to keep them on display .

Gretel, I found you through the blogsphere and that you lost your life partner. I am so sorry for you loss...from the bottom of my heart I am sending you all the love in the world.

Dear Gretel, I do hope you eventually feel able to read all the good wishes and heartfelt sympathy that is being sent to you at the news of the loss of your beloved Andy. I am so saddened to hear of the news. My heart goes out to you and Andy's family.
Love Jill.

Dear Gretel, I do hope you eventually feel able to read all the good wishes and heartfelt sympathy that is being sent to you at the news of the loss of your beloved Andy. I am so saddened to hear of the news. My heart goes out to you and Andy's family.
Love Jill.

It's looking good and everything looks "at home".

Oh Gretel you have been on my mind all day. I am so, so sorry for your loss. I don't know you but through your blog I feel I do. I have to say I've cried for Andy and yourself today. You'll be in my thoughts for a long time to come. All my love to you and everyone that loved and knew Andy. XXX

Lizzie at The Pea Pod

{{{Gretel}}} I'm so very sorry to hear about Andy. Reading your blogs all these years I know how special you were to each other. Nothing can ever take that love away. You are in my thoughts.

Hugs

Dear Gretel, this terrible tragedy has shocked me and you must be numb with grief and pain. I am so sorry. Please take some comfort from the readers and bloggers, who have come together to support you. You are not alone: you will get through this heartbreaking time. Look after yourself. With love, Joan.

Thank you for sharing, Sara! I like the idea of standing! Will try it. Blessings to support you in your changes! <3

Some of my first sketches are not much bigger than teeth oddly enough. Good luck Lynne and you're lucky to be able to brainstorm ideas together for starters!

GOOD LUCK :)

It is wonderful Tatjana a beautiful paper cut.
I had the same dilema and put frosted plastic cut outs on my bathroom windows, instead of frosted glass.
Thank you for your comment today.
Best Wishes
Hazel