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The recent work and sketches of Candace Trew Camling, an emerging illustrator in the children's marketplace. Updated several times weekly.
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By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 3/29/2015
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{Watercolor, Gouache and Ink, 2015}
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This blog has been quiet because life hasn't been. (I also suspect that my blogging has been replaced by more immediate sharing platforms like Instagram and Facebook.) I update my Instagram account almost daily with sketches and illustrations.
I still want to keep this blog going though. So here I am.
So far this year I have created two dummy books, countless illustrations and finally took my dream trip to New York for the 2015 SCBWI Winter Conference. It was inspirational, aspirational and made me feel like I am moving in the right direction for my career. I've had a few mini-epiphanies (mipiphinies?) that I want to share:
1. Just keep working: The voice in the creative mind says things like, "What if 'it' never happens?" and I remind myself that drawing and painting is something I love, something I NEED to do. Writing and illustrating for children makes me happy. I would do it anyways, so why not try and get it out into the world.
2. Good work trumps "Style": I still don't know if I have a style, but I just keep focusing on growth and making the best work I can.
3. We all have unique voices, even me : Ask 40 people to draw a crocodile. You've got 40 distinct impressions of a crocodile. It's not creating a crocodile that is important, its how you use him to relate to others and share your point of view. For the longest time I was trying to reinvent the wheel, when I just needed to get in the car and see where it took me.
4. I get to take my work seriously: Even if I am having a really good time making it. (Trust me, its not always a cake walk.) There are tears and very real emotions. I feel so deeply for my work that I can be Over-the-Moon Giddy or Laying-in-a-Ditch Depressed. It's a roller coaster, and it has earned me the right to get serious about my work. (it also helps to have an advocate in your corner for those ditch moments… thanks Ken and Sara.)
So, go ahead, take your unique voice and get to work!
By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 8/26/2014
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{Entry for 2014 Global Talent Search, Digital Mixed Media}
{Portfolio Presentation of GTS Artwork, 2014, Digital Mixed Media}
I entered the Global Talent Search this year after being really excited about all the entires last year. Not to mention, my "Make Art That Sells" class had just finished (also put on by Lilla Rogers' Studio) I love Lilla's approach to making art. I entered her class with a little skepticism because I am ever the realist. Her way of approaching assignments was a game changer and really pushed me to the next level. I know that the style of work may never be the right fit for her studio, but I have really enjoyed using her prompts to push myself further and create things that are the best I can possibly make. She seems to be a genuinely positive person with a lot of great tips and ideas about trends. I'm not a trend chaser, but I think you need to have some awareness about what is selling at the moment. It's also been nice to feel a little validation about some of the trends and color stories I had noticed on my own. I like to think I "get out there" enough to see what is "in" for the moment. Anyways, the assignment was to make a piece of wall art with the theme of tiny terrariums. We were supposed to include at least one word. I didn't make the
top 50 from round one, but there were 999 entries and
the gallery is full of absolutely beautiful, inspired art. I made a piece that I feel is 100% me, and I put everything I had into it. For my portfolio, I plan to take the hand lettering out and just show the artwork, since I feel it has a very narrative quality. Here's to making the kind of art that makes you happy!
By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 6/19/2014
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{Graphite Drawing with Digital Mixed Media, 2014}
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I was really excited that the Tomie dePaola competition was a little more complex this year. We were supposed to illustrate a wordless spread with 4-6 panels that told a story. I spent quite a bit of time working out my story panels and was pretty pleased with the way my entry turned out. I'm happy to have this as an addition to my portfolio! Thanks for the prompt SCBWI and Tomie! I can't wait to see which 10 finalists Tomie chooses!
By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 5/24/2014
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{Graphite Drawing with Digital Collage, 2014}
After having April off from "Make Art That Sells" (an e-course from
Lilla Rogers' Studio) the class was back in full force with a project for editorial illustration. We were asked to create a piece of art in response to an article about meditation. The article was about the benefits of meditation but also about how the author found a lot of convincing excuses not to do it. (things like being busy, a wandering mind, etc.) I chose to focus on the inability to concentrate because I struggle with that also! Above is the finished piece. I used a lot of scanned textures and some ink drawings that are left over from previous projects.
{Graphite Drawing, 2014}
This is the drawing I started with by scanning it into Photoshop and painting it. The thing I love most about the Lilla Rogers' class is that it makes you think about how you create your art in a different light. It also makes you fall back in love with the process which helps create a more successful end product. There are also tons of hints about marketability!
By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 4/29/2014
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{Oil on Paper, 2014}
I spent the last few nights doing a new self portrait for my blog,
Twitter,
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Facebook pages. Let me know what you think!
By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 3/22/2014
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{Digital, 2014}
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Our second project for Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells Bootcamp was a fabric pattern incorporating jelly molds. At first I wasn't sure what to do with such a strange concept, but as I worked in my sketchbook I came up with the idea of some woodland animals having an aspic and gelatin party. This is my final project submission for the class gallery.
By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 3/16/2014
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{Watercolor, 2014}
This is a personal piece I just finished. I wanted to illustrate a town for my portfolio but then I couldn't help myself from adding a little bit of a story. One of these days I need to do a massive sketchbook post too. I have tons and tons of sketches that I will share soon. I think sketchbooks are the best thing about being an illustrator.
{Project 1, Cell Phone Case, Digital, 2014}
I recently signed up for a 6 month long e-course with agent
Lilla Rogers. It's called "Make Art That Sells". This past weekend I finished my first project for the course and had a pretty good time doing it! I have to say, the cost of the class seems like a bargain as it has really lit a fire inside me to really create the kind of art I am inspired by. You know the art school speaker adage, "Do the kind of work you want to do"? It's true! Except, when I was in art school I didn't really know what kind of work I wanted to do. My style will probably always be a little all over the place, but it helps get a variety of jobs and it keeps like interesting. However, this class is helping me hone some of the skills that have sat dormant for months (maybe even *gulp* years). I'm feeling really hungry for some good, strong work that I'm really excited about. This class, so far, is doing exactly that.
{Click image to view larger}
Watercolor/Digital, 2014
I do enjoy aspects of every season but I am already looking forward to planting my 2014 garden this spring! With the short winter days, and long nights I guess that leaves me time to sketch variations on what I will plant and where.
Printable Christmas Coloring Page Instructions:
1. Click on above image.
2. Right Click on Image or drag to desktop
3. Print and Color!
Have a wonderful holiday season! I am excited to spend Christmas with my family and watch my son open presents this year! Nothing like viewing the holidays through the eyes of a child.
{Gift Tags, 2013}
To make your FREE gift tags:
1. Click on Image Above
2. Right click on image and save or Drag to desktop
3. Print and Enjoy!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
{Acrylic and Digital, 2013}
This is my entry for the 2013 Tomie de Paola illustration contest. The prompt this year was a simple poem that was fairly difficult to illustrate. The text is from a poetry book that was written by Lin Oliver and illustrated by Tomie de Paola. It read, "A sneeze is a breeze in your nose." The target age is for babies age 2 and under. I wanted to create something that was dreamy and imaginative but also clearly illustrate a sneeze and a breeze. You can read the whole prompt
HERE. The prize is a trip to the winter SCBWI conference in New York City and a special lunch with Tomie de Paola himself!
{Bear, Sketchbook, 2013}
{Rabbit, Sketchbook, 2013}
{Briar Rose Awake, Sketchbook, 2013}
{Like Moths, Sketchbook, 2013}
{Fall Harbinger, Sketchbook 2013}
{Forest Floor, Sketchbook, 2013}
{Brave Merida, Sketchbook, 2013}
Don't let my blog absence fool you! I've been a busy lady the last few months. I finished my 4th picture book illustrations during the first week of October and have been working on personal projects off and on. I've also been using my daily sketchbook time (ie. drinking coffee, watching Sesame Street and trying to fend of my 10 month old pen stealer.) to participate in the #inktober fun on Instagram. I love seeing what everyone else is doing and it feels good to be a part of a huge community of people who are all over the world doing the same thing. The above sketches are some of my favorites from this month. I am also planing on participating in PiBoIdMo which is essentially one picture book idea a day for the month. You can read more about it at
Tara Lazar's Blog. I hope to share some of my work from that during the month of November.
{Digital Mixed Media, 2013}
It has been awhile since I last posted! It isn't because I haven't been working on anything. In fact, it's very much the opposite. I've been pretty swamped with work and I have several things I'd like to share on my blog. I thought I would start with this little personal illustration I created during some down time a few months back. I liked the way it turned out and I have some other little mice I would like to finish once I have some free time. I'm currently working on my 4th picture book, which I am very excited about! Juggling motherhood, an illustration career and general life stuff (and summer is always extra busy too!) has proven to be difficult but rewarding. I really enjoy blogging too, so I hope to try and fit a bit more in.
{Drawing and Digital, 2013}
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Today is Flag Day and I thought it would be a perfect day to share this poster that was created for the
Windsor Heights 4th of July celebration. If you live in central Iowa, I highly recommend Windsor Heights' Independence Day festivities. Their parade is wonderful, they have activities for kids, music, food and fireworks! Their even doing a bike decorating contest for kids this year. How cool is that? I created this by scanning in a drawing and painting it in Photoshop.
By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 5/19/2013
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THIS IS: THE NEXT BIG THING! Blog Tour!
"See, it’s like this… it’s a global blog tour that started in Australia.The idea is to bring awareness to authors and illustrators and their current work. I was tagged by the talented Roberta Baird. At the end of this post you see the awesome author/illustrator that I’ve tagged…. because she's The Next Big Thing!"
So on to the questions.1. What is the working title of your next book? I just finished illustrating "The Southern Twelve Days of Christmas" written by David Davis. I'm just starting illustrations for "God is With Me" written by Cornelia Mary Bilinsky.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book? I didn't write either book so I can't speak to that, however, for "The Southern Twelve Days of Christmas" I tried to create a set of characters that could interact throughout the story. I felt this was important because as the story progresses, interaction makes it more engaging and interesting. 3. What Genre does your book fall under? "The Southern Twelve Days of Christmas" is a regional holiday story for a juvenile audience. "God is With Me" is a Catholic Religious Non-Fiction book.
4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition? In regards to my Christmas book, I would prefer an animation! I love Julia Roberts' and Emma Stone's voices for female characters and George Clooney's voice for a male!
5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book? "STDC": A Southern celebration of Christmas that gets bigger and bigger as the days lead up to the holiday."God is With Me" : A sweet story explaining how God's presence is always with us. 
6. Who is publishing your book? Pelican Publishing is publishing "The Southern Twelve Days of Christmas" and Pauline Books and Media is publishing "God is With Me".
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? I didn't write either story, but first rounds of sketches usually take me at least 2 months.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? It's a twist on the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas, which there are many stylistic examples of. The other story is very similar to "Jesus Loves Me", Illustrated by Laura Logan (and many other illustrators too! I just love her illustrations and purchased the book for my son!)
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? Again, I didn't write the books, but I always LOVE painting animals which is inspired by my love of nature, travel, and the outdoors! Nature is usually my inspiration for most things!
10. What else about the book might pique the reader's interest? Always seeing what the next day will bring during the twelve days leading up to Christmas. Each day gets a little more chaotic (or fun depending on perspective!) The other story, "God is With Me" will engage young readers who wonder if God really does love them no matter what... even in times of disobedience or turmoil! Conflict is always interesting. Next on the blog tour is a very talented artist:I think you'll really enjoy her work. The colors and graphic quality are beautiful and her new book looks like a fun text! Yay Erika!
By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 4/26/2013
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{Watercolor and Gouache, 2013}
In my previous post I mentioned that I would share the illustration that I created for the Iowa SCBWI spring conference illustrator's intensive. We were given a manuscript for a children's book and we asked to choose a scene to illustrate. I chose the octopus scene. We each sent sketches to Senior Art Director at Little Brown and Co., Patti Ann Harris, and she responded with comments for each illustrator's piece. This is my original sketch:
{Sketch, 2013}
Patti Ann didn't have a ton of things to change, but there were a few tweaks. Can you see a few differences? At the end of the intensive, we were shown what the actual book looked like. Here is the cover for the book illustrated by Marc Brown of "Arthur" fame.
You can
preview the book on Amazon. Its really adorable and fun! The book was done in a cut paper collage technique that is beyond gorgeous! If you ever get a chance to meet Patti Ann Brown, do it! She was so encouraging and more importantly, very intelligent about the industry. Her eye for composition, technique and book flow is impeccable!
{Des Moines Women's Club 105th Annual Art Show, 2013}
It's been quite a while since I updated my blog. So many exciting and fun things have happened in the last month or so! I'm just going to make a list of some of the highlights:
- I finished illustrating my third children's book a few weeks ago! "The Southern Twelve Days of Christmas" should be available sometime this fall. I will, of course, share more details as the time approaches. Doing half the illustrations for the book with a newborn was pretty stressful at times, but thanks to the support of my husband and the ability to ignore the state of my house, I got it done! Now I'm on the prowl for new projects!
- I entered the 105th Des Moines Women's Club annual art show and won an Honorable Mention in the Professional Category for "The Sky is Falling" which I had painted for a SCBWI contest last year. It was a wonderful surprise and it always feels really good to be recognized for hard work. Check out the Women's Club Website HERE. The above picture shows Henry and I standing with my piece above me at the reception.
{Iowa SCBWI Illustrators and Senior Art Director Patti Ann Harris, 2013 Conference}
- The Iowa SCBWI Spring conference was April 12-14. I only attended Friday and Saturday, but I still enjoyed every minute I could be there. There was an illustrator's intensive on Friday and I created a piece just for the conference. I will share it in my next post. I'm pretty happy with my final and consider it a nice addition to my portfolio. My portfolio review with Patti Ann was really awesome and I have a bunch of ideas spinning around in my head! Henry and Ken also joined me and they spent some time exploring the Quad Cities during my classes.
- I've been working in my sketchbook quite a bit and will plan to do a separate post dedicated to those new little drawings! Sketchbooks are a way of life, people!
By:
Candace Trew Camling,
on 2/2/2013
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{Graphite in Sketchbook, 2013}
I thought of a wagon for this week's prompt over at
Illustration Friday. I thought tiny wheels would be funny juxtaposed with big fluffy kitties. I was going to leave it at just that and then I decided I wanted to know who was pulling the wagon. It kind of looks like this little girl has all she can handle! Free kitten anyone?
{Ink in Sketchbook, 2013}
I whipped this up in my sketchbook before bed a few nights ago. Between working on a book project and taking care of Henry, I only have a few spare minutes here and there to sketch. (I find myself sketching while feeding him a lot.) My new busier schedule is also the reason my blog will probably be neglected a bit until my book project is done. I am also looking forward to starting some dummy book ideas I have had floating around in my noggin. Anyways, for the IF word "wings" I thought I would draw two little aviation enthusiasts; a chick and his worm friend.
{Henry, 2012}
{Pen and Ink with Digital Color, 2012}
On December 6th, at 10:21pm my husband and I welcomed our son, Henry Robert into the world. He weighed in at 7 lbs., 4 oz., measuring 21.5"long. Right now, we're doing our best to learn about caring for an infant, and the most important thing right now is helping him to thrive! He's absolutely beautiful and we both love him in a way we never thought possible. I also included an illustration I made for the thank you cards I wrote to friends and family that provided us with baby shower gifts. Since Henry's birth, I feel like we need to write some more for all the people who have brought us meals and made sure that we are doing alright. My parents will be visiting for Christmas, and we are really looking forward to that too.
{Watercolor Sketchbook, 2012}
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you found yourself something delicious to eat! Ken and I made a turkey and the sides at our home this year. It's too close to my due date to travel, but we enjoyed each other's company. This is only our second time making Thanksgiving dinner at our own house alone. Usually, when my parents visit, my dad does an amazing job on the turkey! Our turkey still turned out pretty tasty this year too!
{Watercolor Sketchbook, 2012}
We recently got another cat to accompany Amelia. (Since Oliver's passing in April) It took a few weeks, but Amelia and Roxie have become pretty good buddies. They like to take turns chasing each other and playing the dominant cat. They zoom all over the house and every now and then we hear a little crash! I did a quick drawing of them in my Moleskine watercolor sketchbook and then added their markings with marker and paint.
{Graphite on Illustration Board, 2012}
I like to document my birthday on my blog every year. It shows the passing of time and it's just nice to put it out there and acknowledge it for myself. I didn't have time to do a birthday themed illustration this year. I've been sick this past week as well as being 37 weeks pregnant. I was working on this mouse and tree illustration in the evenings this week though, and I thought I could share it. I meant to submit it to Illustration Friday for last week's theme of "Tree" but didn't finish in time. I still think it turned out nice and I really like some of the textures I managed to create with my pencil. It's about 6"x6" in size on a piece of scrap illustration board I had laying around. This mouse is having a peaceful day, just the kind of day I wish for on my birthday! I am planning on going to a hibachi dinner with friends tonight and maybe I'll even find a piece of cake somewhere along the way!
{Derek Drawing a Dragon, 2012}
{Derek Anderson, 2012}
{Lots of Books for Sale, 2012}
{Close up of the Drawing Demo by Derek, 2012}
{Derek Anderson and I, 2012}
{Drawing on the Library Walls, 2012}
I had the pleasure of going to Ames, Iowa today to hear Author/Illustrator,
Derek Anderson, speak. What a sincerely nice and entertaining guy! Judging from today, I am 100% sure he does an amazing school visit! (a talent in its own right) He really connects with the kiddos. He's originally from Ames, so you can tell the area is near and dear to his heart. He spoke about himself as a kid, read from his new book and did a demonstration of a dragon drawing which is a main character in his new book with
Jane Yolen,
"Waking Dragons". It is a darling story that will be appealing to children and adults. It was fun to hear him talk about some of the hidden things in the illustrations. (I'm keeping that a secret, in case you ever get to spend an afternoon hearing him speak.) Derek was also nice enough to stay after and sign books and meet with a few of us
SCBWI-Iowa members and give pointers. I definitely got some golden nuggets of information, which is one of the greatest things about getting to meet favorite authors and illustrators. I've heard he speaks in Ames annually, so I plan to definitely go see him again. Also, in case you are wondering why he's drawing on library walls, the
Ames Public Library is renovating, so they permitted some graffiti illustration! When they open back up, I'm sure that probably won't be an approved activity anymore.
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What an cool exercise! I really want to try doing that now. Your spread came out great
So cute, Candace! You amaze me.
Love this! beautiful work as usual.
Wonderful and so you! Just occured to me you no have a live-in little boy model to work from! They do come in handy, those babies!