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I make my way as a professional artist living in lovely NJ, working from the attic of my small town mock Tudor home. Among other things.
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 11/14/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 11/7/2014
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TGIF.
Happy election results week.
By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/31/2014
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Hey!
You can read the article here. More imagery, nice things said about the art, and angry trolls in the comments section!
By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/31/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/24/2014
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on 10/17/2014
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on 10/3/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/26/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/19/2014
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on 9/12/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 5/20/2014
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In other news, it looks like Fab Four Friends, written by Susanna Reich, is just about ready to print. To be published by Christy Ottaviano's eponymous imprint at Holt, it tells compelling story about the early days of an obscure British pop group that you've probably never heard of.
I recommend you get caught up before this one comes out in Fall.
And lastly, it looks like we're in the home stretch of the road to release for Rock & Roll Highway: the Robbie Robertson Story, written by Sebastian Robertson for Christy Ottaviano Books.
.jpg)
By: Adam Gustavson,
on 1/31/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 1/13/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/14/2013
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/12/2013
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To take part in the Vegas Valley Book Festival exhibition, "Imaginings through Illustrations."
I'll be there, too, appearing in the company of this humbling list of high falootin' literary types.
By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/6/2013
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From Susanna Reich's forthcoming picture book, "Fab Four Friends," due out in 2014 from Christy Ottaviano Books. Oil on paper, 2013.
By: Adam Gustavson,
on 8/11/2013
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One of the great joys of children's book illustration is, of course, the secrecy.
I don't know about you, but I'm terrible at keeping secrets. This isn't to say I can't keep them, it's more that I'm not smooth in any way about keeping them. My poker face is terrible, and I wander around my day twitching a mumbling, and generally feeling like a pinless grenade.
In the case of picture books, there's this six month to year long period of planning, drawing, and painting during which (near) radio silence is customarily reserved, followed by another year before the book in question hits the shelves, real three dimensional inventoried shelves or futuristic/imaginary cybershelves. This quiet time leaves plenty of room for hand wringing, regrets, quiet self defeatism and the occasional brag-that-never-can-be.
Since I'm in the middle of one those such projects right now, it gives me great pleasure to break the previous year's silence and mention this biography of Robbie Robertson I finished illustrating a few months back, penned by his son Sebastian Robertson and set for publication by the great Christie Ottaviano's eponymous imprint of HOLT.
It won't be hitting those previously mentioned shelves till Fall of 2014, but there's no harm in pre-ordering...
Here's another glimpse or two.
By: Adam Gustavson,
on 7/1/2013
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 6/6/2013
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Well, that happened all of a sudden. Aside from the usual "where did Spring go?" business, June also means I can finally talk about how I spent my winter. Whew.
As it turns out, I spent a stretch of it on a new collaboration with two-time Grammy winning singer/songwriter/storyteller Bill Harley:
And now I've told you too much.
By: Adam Gustavson,
on 5/21/2013
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 5/4/2013
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Some one hour oil painting demos. These are all completed on either canvas or primed paper, between 11" x 14" and 13" x 19".
And these last two chaps are little one hour demonstrations of what we in illustration affectionately refer to as "the C. F. Payne technique," though it has been used pretty broadly by Mark English and others as well, and to remarkably different effect.
Demo Guy is one of the world's more unsung supervillains, if such a phrase exists. His only known superpower is a seemingly limitless supply of patience, which is of surprisingly little use in the superhero arena. As a supervillain, though, he has essentially donated his body to the whims of other villains as they work out the kinks in their freeze rays, paralyzing gazes, or—in this case—updates in their makeup regimes.
By: Adam Gustavson,
on 2/28/2013
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 2/12/2013
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I make my way as a professional artist living in lovely NJ, working from the attic of my small town mock Tudor home. Among other things.
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Number of Readers that added this blog to their MyJacketFlap: 6
By: Adam Gustavson,
on 11/14/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 11/7/2014
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Happy election results week.
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/31/2014
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Hey!
You can read the article here. More imagery, nice things said about the art, and angry trolls in the comments section!
0 Comments on Like a Rolling... well, you know. as of 1/1/1900
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/31/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/24/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/17/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/3/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/26/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/19/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/12/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/5/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 8/7/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 5/20/2014
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Finishing up the paintings for a new book with the fine folks at Charlesbridge. I won't tell you what it's about yet, but it is written by Darrin Lunde and it does not prominently feature giraffes at any point in its 32 pages.
In other news, it looks like Fab Four Friends, written by Susanna Reich, is just about ready to print. To be published by Christy Ottaviano's eponymous imprint at Holt, it tells compelling story about the early days of an obscure British pop group that you've probably never heard of.
The latest installment in Bill Harley's Charlie Bumpers series is out from Peachtree Publishers, Charlie Bumpers vs. The Really Nice Gnome.
I recommend you get caught up before this one comes out in Fall.
And lastly, it looks like we're in the home stretch of the road to release for Rock & Roll Highway: the Robbie Robertson Story, written by Sebastian Robertson for Christy Ottaviano Books.
0 Comments on Things in the works. as of 5/20/2014 6:28:00 PM
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 1/31/2014
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 1/13/2014
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Andy, 2014.
Pencil and gouache on paper, 12 x 18 in.
0 Comments on You can take a man out of his rocketship. as of 1/1/1900
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 10/14/2013
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Perhaps this will require a Wikipedia link.
Some new paintings, appearing in an upcoming issue of Cricket Magazine.
Oil on paper, various sizes. 2013.
0 Comments on Young love, the Iron Curtain, and Zelyonka. as of 1/1/1900
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/12/2013
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These guys.
To take part in the Vegas Valley Book Festival exhibition, "Imaginings through Illustrations."
I'll be there, too, appearing in the company of this humbling list of high falootin' literary types.
0 Comments on Who's going to Vegas? as of 9/12/2013 2:30:00 PM
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 9/6/2013
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0 Comments on John in the John as of 1/1/1900
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 8/11/2013
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One of the great joys of children's book illustration is, of course, the secrecy.
I don't know about you, but I'm terrible at keeping secrets. This isn't to say I can't keep them, it's more that I'm not smooth in any way about keeping them. My poker face is terrible, and I wander around my day twitching a mumbling, and generally feeling like a pinless grenade.
In the case of picture books, there's this six month to year long period of planning, drawing, and painting during which (near) radio silence is customarily reserved, followed by another year before the book in question hits the shelves, real three dimensional inventoried shelves or futuristic/imaginary cybershelves. This quiet time leaves plenty of room for hand wringing, regrets, quiet self defeatism and the occasional brag-that-never-can-be.
Since I'm in the middle of one those such projects right now, it gives me great pleasure to break the previous year's silence and mention this biography of Robbie Robertson I finished illustrating a few months back, penned by his son Sebastian Robertson and set for publication by the great Christie Ottaviano's eponymous imprint of HOLT.
It won't be hitting those previously mentioned shelves till Fall of 2014, but there's no harm in pre-ordering...
Here's another glimpse or two.
oil on paper, various sizes
0 Comments on Rock and Roll Highway: The Robbie Robertson Story as of 1/1/1900
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 7/1/2013
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It's true. We have entered the era of the Random Viking Penguin.
0 Comments on In other news, the Random House merger is complete. as of 1/1/1900
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 6/6/2013
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As it turns out, I spent a stretch of it on a new collaboration with two-time Grammy winning singer/songwriter/storyteller Bill Harley:
A brief synopsis in the words of Peachtree Publishers:
Shortly before school starts, Charlie Bumpers learns that he will have the strictest teacher in the whole school for fourth grade. It doesn't matter that she's been named Teacher of the Year. He s still afraid of her. Last year when he was horsing around in the hall, he accidentally hit her in the head with his sneaker (don t ask). How will he survive a year under a teacher who is just waiting for him to make another stupid mistake?
Telling you anything beyond that would be violation of all sorts of illustrator ethics. And yes, illustrators do have ethics. I'm just not going to tell you where we keep them.
I will tell you, however, that Charlie Bumpers vs. The Teacher of the Year is the downright funny and genuinely heartwarming first book in an upcoming series, is available for pre-order now for September delivery, and contains some of the following people doing some of the following things.
And now I've told you too much.
0 Comments on Holy flying sneakers, It's June! as of 1/1/1900
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 5/21/2013
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Self portrait with Rage Cage Hulk, 2013. Oil on paper.
Tonto, 2013. Oil on paper.
0 Comments on New Paintings as of 1/1/1900
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 5/4/2013
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So, let's start of with the weird ones.
Really, they'd be more aptly labeled the "economical" or "versatile" demos.
This little feller, for instance, started life out as a still life demo, specifically a still life of a pear. He went on to find employment as a skin tone mixing demo, whereupon he found himself sitting in the midst of a cloud demo which soon developed into a landscape demo. You see? He's not that weird after all.
Up next is François the Impressionist Man Boy. He began life as a demo on the proportions of a child, but several months later reappeared to assist in a demo about skin tone mixing techniques and lighting on facial hair. I'd like to say that, like pear man above, he's marked more by versatility than sheer weirdness, but no, he's weird. Like, don't-make-eye-contact-with-him weird.
That's it for the oddities. We're now up to some academic nudes, rendered in pencil and white gouache on toned paper. Various sizes.
Some one hour oil painting demos. These are all completed on either canvas or primed paper, between 11" x 14" and 13" x 19".
And these last two chaps are little one hour demonstrations of what we in illustration affectionately refer to as "the C. F. Payne technique," though it has been used pretty broadly by Mark English and others as well, and to remarkably different effect.
Demo Guy is one of the world's more unsung supervillains, if such a phrase exists. His only known superpower is a seemingly limitless supply of patience, which is of surprisingly little use in the superhero arena. As a supervillain, though, he has essentially donated his body to the whims of other villains as they work out the kinks in their freeze rays, paralyzing gazes, or—in this case—updates in their makeup regimes.
0 Comments on Another semester, another string o' demos as of 1/1/1900
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 2/28/2013
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A smattering from the last nine years. Just because.
1 Comments on A Brief Compilation of Unholy Holidays, last added: 2/28/2013
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By: Adam Gustavson,
on 2/12/2013
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There's an interview with me over at Leora Wenger's blog, as part of the Sydney Taylor blog tour, wherein I get only moderately long-winded about illustrating Linda Glaser's Hannah's Way for Kar-Ben, as well as all sorts of art making stuff. You can reading just by clicking here.
2010-2011, various sizes.
gouache on paper, pencil and gouache on paper, gouache on paper
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This should be a book. Seriously. Have you pitched it yet? Tell your agent/publisher/whatever that this bookseller laughed her ass off at it and thinks it should be a book.