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This week we have illustrator, Colin Throm. I picked up one of his postcards at the NYC SCBWI Conference in January. It has been sitting on my desk ever since and probably is sitting on a number of art directors who pick one up at the conference, too.

So illustrators don’t let the importance of postcards and getting yourself out there to meet people slip by, you never know where your postcard could end up.

Here’s Colin – Enjoy!:

I have been drawing ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon. Always surrounded by art and children’s literature from Norse mythology to Oz to Dr. Seuss, to this day I hold a love for both classic illustration and cartooning. Though I have spent the past two decades working with computer graphics and multimedia, I prefer to get my fingers dirty with pencil, ink, and paint. Nature provides me with endless joy and inspiration. The vibrant colors, the subtle play of light and shadow, discovering odd faces in trees and stones, even the feel of sun and sky all give me fresh perspective and ideas. The woods, mountains, and seaside are full of wonder and beauty, and are sacred spaces for my wife, Anna, and me. As we enjoy frequent rambles and adventures in the natural places around us, I tap into that same feeling of joy and magic when I return to the studio. From these journeys, my art offers a generous helping of whimsy and fantasy. I am deeply grateful for my wife and lifestyle that support staying in touch with nature, and provide continuing inspiration.

Here is a little bit about Colin’s Process for “Ghost Stories”, the October cover for “Stories for Children” online magazine:

I begin with a series of thumbnail sketches, anywhere from 5 – 10 quick, small compositional ideas. This is where the Art Director and I start the conversation.

I gather or photograph as much reference as possible. I use stock imagery, internet search, photos of wife and family or friends, and photos of myself. In this case, I was particularly interested in campfire lighting effects for hands and faces.

After picking a thumbnail to work with, I create a rough pencil drawing at full size or larger, and in correct proportion to final output. Depending on how I plan to proceed, this drawing may be worked up to a very close-to-final state. Sometimes I draw directly on my final painting surface, which will usually be Arches hot press watercolor paper or Strathmore illustration board. In this case, the drawing is on plain smooth drawing paper, at 150% of final output size. In any event, I will always digitally scan the drawing for future reference before starting to paint. This is especially important if I am going to paint over the original drawing.

One of the most difficult moments in this process is the transfer of my final drawing onto a painting surface. Normally, I use the old-fashi