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Well, here we are at the tail-end of February, with March (along with spring!) coming up in a few days. So I wanted to share the project I worked on a few months back–the cover for Highlights’ HighFive’s March ’14 cover! It’s presently out and about (I saw it in a local magazine shop a few days ago). Below is a photo I took of the final, printed cover, then the actual illustration, sans copy, etc., as well as a close-up of the kids. Below that are some of the rough cover concepts I submitted. My thanks to Highlights for letting me be a part of making their magazine a fun read for kids!

(c) Highlights for Children

A slight re-working of an old illustration. I dropped the temperature on the thermometer and added his breath-cloud. Or whatever that’s called.

Don’t go out, little squirrel!

Hi everybody! I have a few things that are out in print this month so I wanted to get them up on the blog.

First up is a spread I did for the Jan-Feb ’13 issue of Chirp magazine. This was a lot of fun to assemble and figure out, to have characters applying and wearing body paint. I learned a lot about the art form just doing research. Some samples of the spread are below. Thank you, Owlkids, for the fun project!

Closer…

Closer again.

I forgot about this until it came in the mail yesterday. It’s the August 2012 cover for High Five magazine. Lots of great stories, poems, games (and illustrations to accompany them!) inside. Thanks so much, Highlight for Children folks! You rock! (I think I’m getting to old to say “You rock!”, but, hey…They do!)

Time to post some samples! Below is some (fairly) recent work that’s been published. This is a game kids can play by cutting out the squares and making unique stories (see sample, below, that demos how). Looks to be fun, really! I’ve done several Silly Story Cards and find them quite fun to illustrate. Thanks, Chirp!

Below is a recent spread I did for the June 2012 issue of Clubhouse Jr. magazine. The colors came out so vibrant on the printed page! Everything is digital. I’m always amazed at how “real” it looks in the end.

Below: Some roughs for the layout. The woman went through a lot of tweaking to get her right. Some last minute things were to add squirrels hanging off the lettering. Gotta love that you can do that when you work digitally. : )

Below is a spot illustration I did a few months back that is recently in print. It’s for a Christian magazine so this is a story about kind of letting go and not sweating the chaos that can occur if you give children some part of the church service. It’s a sweet story if you have time to read it. All the ones I do for this magazine are like that. So I feel I get a blessing each time I do the illustration to accompany it.

As for the illustration, this project gives me opportunity to stretch my illustration style. In this case, I did the characters loosely and quickly (though that actually takes a lot of time to do!) and kept the color scheme somewhat monochromatic. Below, I have the spread in the article, and then half the illustration as a closeup.

Thanks for stopping by!

I love doing spreads like this for my clients! It’s like a puzzle within a puzzle for me, to work out the fun activities for the kiddos to interact with! I took a photo this time, but have the art specs from the AD, my rough, and some pull-outs from the final to show you. The designer made a good call to drop the color background on the pavement in the end. It really made the game pop out!

Below: specs from designer.

Below: my rough.

Below: my final.

Below: some pull-outs.

(c) Owlkids

Thank you, Chirp!

Here’s a spot I did in the recent issue of Highlights magazine (March ’12). Part of it even made the cover (speaking of, nice cover there by Tim Foley!). I’m being silly with the “Lookity!” comment, but it is cool to see it displayed on the cover.

Below is the final spread. I knew the AD planned to drop it on a color background so I had to think about that.

Below: The first round of roughs I sent of the kids with NO instruments! Not sure what I was (or wasn’t thinking) at this point. I was more concerned with how I wanted to show the kid-conductor and the orchestra. I think I thought I was doing a choir. Silly me.

Below: After the AD kindly pointed out the need for instruments and notes, I went back and reworked it. Much better, yes?

Below: The above rough was approved and I didn’t deviate much from the rough. Only a few changes to the kids and cleaned it up. But I wanted the line work to be loose and easy and not over-worked, which I think I achieved. It’s usually something I feel inside me as other people can never tell when I over-work a project.  My thanks again to Cindy for the project, her patience and the fine job she does/did with the magazine!

Happy Monday, all! Just a quick posting to thank Highlights for Children for selecting me for “Illustrator of the Month”. That was the month of February, so I’m a little late in posting this. : )

Highlights is the only magazine (rather, publishing company) I know of that expresses such great appreciation like they do to illustration, illustrators, and the illustrators that they contract. These platters and letters are just a part of their way of conveying the value they have for illustrators. The party they throw each year is amazing (I attended two years ago. Wow!), not to mention the relationship they build with their contractors. It’s got a family-feel to it all.

So thank you, Christine, Cynthia, Kelley and staff, for choosing me for the month of February! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you guys, too!

And, below, is the spread that they are talking about…”The Champion Of Quiet”, a cute story written by Tracy Stewart.

Below: A pull-out of the first spot from the spread.

These guys are a snippet from a project I just finished up. I love drawing squirrels.  And beavers. and birds. Those seem to be my most favored animals to draw. What are your favorite animals to draw?

Some recent editorial work for a magazine. These are a nice diversion from children’s illustration.

My Christmas card for 2011 in print. Cards always seem to look better when grouped, yes?

I like to watch Chopped (Foodnetwork cooking show–Anybody else watch it…?), and they talk a lot about “repurposing” a (usually funky) food from the basket in a different way. Guess ya gotta watch the show to know what I’m talking about. Anyway… : )

So that works with illustrations, too. These images I did for Focus on the Family earlier this year (I will post the spread at some point), and Focus on the Family–Taiwan wanted to “repurpose” them for another article. Neat. And they were kind enough to send the spread to see. So thought I’d share.

Here’s a spread for Highlights magazines present issue (November 2011) that I worked on a-way back in May. The theme is Thanksgiving and so I thought it time to get on the thematic bandwagon as well as put out a little self-promotional effort. There are some great illustrations and stories in this issue! My illustration buddies, Susan Mitchell and Holli Conger both have illustrations in this issue. Niiice!

Below: Full spread. Please click on illustration for a larger version.

Aaaand below: the first illustration/cartoon.

(copyright Highlights for Children 2011)

As I mentioned previously, I thought I might change out my banner to fit the season/holiday. And so I did. I used this squirrel that I drew last year (below) for another promotional.

He got incorporated in my new banner (below and above), as well as my Twitter page.

And so, as fall becomes winter, I will change ‘er up yet again. So puh-leeez keep on coming back to check out the (more frequent!) changes and updates!

I forgot to post this illustration project that I did a-way back in the late winter for the June 2011 issue of Highlight’s High Five magazine. “Pigs Of Summer” was the title of a spread for an “action rhyme”. As always, it’s a pleasure (and blast!) to work with the art directors at Highlights, drawing all kinds of fun and interesting stuff to encourage kids to learn and grow.

Below: The rough sketches.

copyright Highlights For Children, 2011

Below: Spot #1 from “A Busy Day” in High Five magazine.

Below: The AD’s sketch and my rough. I like to deviate from normative perspective so wanted to depict this scene from the side. It also made it so that everybody’s face could be seen.

(Copyright Highlights For Kids 2011)

The super-duper people at Highlights For Kids commissioned me to do the illustrations for a mini-book entitled, “A Busy Day” (by Karen Thompson) for the October 20011 issue of High Five magazine. I enjoyed working on this a few months back, and now it’s in print. I will be posting samples of the story during the month of October.

To start,  below is the layout of the mini-book with my art. It’s a front and back on one page-deal which you fold to make a booklet (see illo on the second image as to how to assemble). Cool, huh?

And for those of you who like to see roughs and such, I have included the AD’s sketch with the final layout. If I recall, there were very few (if any) changes from the roughs I sent. I will include some of those later, too.  Below are the covers:

(All Images Copyright Highlights for Children, 2011)

I had fun with the style, by the way. I am playing with looser line and using washes (all digital, as usual). I really like the affect over-all and it feels easy-going. It all makes for a happy illustrator!

Here’s something I did for the May 2011 issue of Chirp magazine. It’s obviously the Taj Mahal. It’s interesting how much you learn about something when you have to draw it. A larger version can be seen if you click on the image.

And I’ve included some close-ups, below. Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun…fun.

Hi all y’all. I hope you are enjoying spring (those of you who are north of the equator). The trees around here are finally getting around to leafing. Soon enough it will look all springy and then summery and hopefully warmth will follow. I myself have had it with winter. Bah!

The above is the  image on the spring promotional postcard mailer that Illustration For Kids (the illustration group I am a part of) recently sent out. The entire front of the mailer (with the all the images) is below. Check out our group blog for more details from the illustrators themselves in regards to our respective illustrations!

Hey all. Just posting a little something I did for Clubhouse magazine’s April ’11 issue. It’s Easter-related, as you can see and was a really fun piece to pull together. I enjoy doing the busy scenes. It’s always a special challenge to integrate the “silly things” these puzzles house. In this case, the kiddos are to find things that begin with “SU”. See if you can find them too!

(Click on the image to view an enlargement)

Hey folks. I’m posting another tear sheet sample of some work I did a few months back for the Nov/Dec issue of Children’s Ministry magazine. Five times a year I do a spot illustration to accompany a story about people’s experiences working in children’s ministry at their church, etc.. They are encouraging stories and I look forward to them bi-monthly. This month’s article was no exception. I am blessed to be able to add a little touch of something to these.

Below: My illustration with the article in the spread.

Below: The rough next to the final art. Not much difference, really, and I kept the woman and frame, just adding a few touches like the rose (since her name was Rose) and reworked the lettering.

Some things I’ve noted as I work in this style (and hope you’ll find of interest, too!): My roughs don’t usually start out as line work as they do when I’m doing the line work or cartoon-like style. I go straight for the watercolor brushes, painting my rough in this more immediate style. It forces me to be more spontaneous and let go of conventions and standards, such as perspective. It’s a very refreshing way for me to work and I am enjoying the results.