How to use this Page

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!

 

Add a Comment

In my last post, I started to show the process I was using to create a new design. At that time, the design was left off looking like this...
When I originally sketched this, I had intended to show more water at the bottom of the design. While not my preferred method of fixing the problem,  I decided I would fix this is in Photoshop. Ideally I would have planned the sketch out better, but poop happens. Another issue I had was the paper I used to sketch on. I decided to sketch on water color paper because of the texture and the effect that I thought that would give the colors. Having learned a few PS tricks since then, I've decided to created that effect in PS as well, and go back to sketching on regular smooth sketch stock.

 Here  is the current state of my design... 

I reduced the size of the image, and then resized the canvas back to the original size. I then had to extend the various design elements, such as the water and horizon lines back out to the edges, and paint back out the edges as well. There was and is still some clean up left from my original pencil lines. Due to the texure of the paper, alot of the pencil lines were left in the texture of the paper and never got erased ( I try to erase softly).

My next post should show some significant additon to the coloring. As always, please feel free to comment. I'd love to hear what you think.

Marty

Add a Comment

I alway enjoy looking at favorite artist's work process. It's been a while since I posted one. Since I'm in the middle of experimenting with my Photoshop skills, I thought this would be a good time to do so again.
Below is a recent sketch of mine, that I'm currently in the middle of coloring...

I've long admired picture book illustrators whose style has a soft almost painterly look. Being primarily a vector artist, which I also love, I haven't really developed that soft look that I really admire. This is the year that I decided to really develop that look more. I doubt that I'll switch over to that look permanently, especially since it will take a while for me to develop it to the point that I'm happy with it.

Here's step two... I'm not even sure if I'm staying with these colors. I'm just trying to fill in blocks of color and try to see what I like and what I don't. Two big key changes to the way I'm working with this are, 1) use textures when I paint, and 2) painting on a "multiply" layer. The concepts aren't new to me, I've just never used them before. I like the effect and technique, I just don't know if I'm happy with the result yet.

You know what just occured to me ? This is supposed to be a polar bear.. white dummy... arghh..

My next post will sure the next, maybe next few, evolutions of this pc.

Thanks.. as always, thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Marty

Display Comments Add a Comment

I did this as a drawing first, then as a vector illustration and now finally as an acrylic paintings on canvas!
http://www.imagekind.com/Santas-Trippin-acrylic_art?IMID=645281d1-4846-4ae7-9b43-eba25dcfc764

Display Comments Add a Comment

Oh little Snofolk,  I’ll take that ice cream! 

I played in the snow with my Snofolk today.  I colored hats, scarves and passed out rosy cheeks for all of them.  There is ice cream, sherbet, and snow cones for all.  What’s YOUR favorite flavor?

Filed under: Just for fun

Add a Comment

I thought I'd revisit the squirrels for this week's Illustration Friday topic in this rough sketch, wherein the remedy is hot chocolate:I did a second sketch on the topic. This is me. Sort of...

Probably not a very well-proportioned me, but who can tell with the blanket, right? I've developed a bit of a reputation for being cold all the time. My family likes to tease me about it. Blankets are common Christmas presents for me - which is not a bad thing at all since, as you can see, I like them. They're both decorative and functional after all. My husband likes to ponder the reasons for my chronic coldness. Current theories revolve around my having poor circulation or quite possibly "a small, cold heart." It couldn't simply be that when I'm cold it's because it's just plain cold outside, could it?

Display Comments Add a Comment

Finally finished my Winter Observation illustration.

Add a Comment

Here’s a screenshot of my new painting I’m working on right now. I’m going for a really moody foggy look and have this strong cast of warm light from the street lamp. The shot below is the bare bones of how I start my paintings in PSD. I really don’t have any set “rules” on [...]

Display Comments Add a Comment

Display Comments Add a Comment

“Don’t go outside without a coat. Its Freezing! You’ll Catch A Cold!”

This is untrue. The Common Cold is a virus that is passed from human to human. It can be spread in hot and cold weather. What is true is that being cold lowers your resistance against viruses, but this doesn’t by any means suggest you will automatically catch a cold from being outside without a cold when it gets a bit nippy.

“Don’t crack your knuckles like that! You’ll get arthritis!”

This is also completely untrue. Believe it or not, there has been studies carried out on this. In a study carried out on 300 “knuckle crackers”, results found no evidence that this leads to arthritis. The strain put on your joints when you crack them are nothing compared to the normal strain put on them during everyday activities. In essence, it doesn’t do any damage at all, its just generally a very annoying habit.

“Eat up your carrots, you’ll be able to see in the dark!”

Unfortunately, eating carrots does not give you superhero powers. Just as - i suppose - eating runner beans does not make you an Olympic sprinter (see what i did there…?) Although carrots are rich in vitamin A, which are beneficial to eye sight, once again, there is no evidence at all that it helps see in the dark. This myth was started during WWII. Instead of telling the public that the British Intelligence were using radar, they said that they were eating carrots to help see in the dark. However, eating too many carrots does make you turn orange…. apparently.

“Dont swallow Chewing Gum! It doesn’t get digested. It will stay in your body forever!

Sorry, wrong again! There are so many myths about chewing gum - this is just one of them. As chewing gum contains a laxative, chewing gum may be passed through the body even faster once swallowed than other foods. Although it is not harmful, I still find myself not recommending it. It is only dangerous in abnormal doses, and obviously, if choked on. Other rumours include the idea that chewing gum makes a hole in your stomach. This is - apparently - caused by the acid in your stomach. This is also untrue. Two other rumours are that if you swallow gum, and you fart, you blow your bubble out your backside, and that it makes your guts all stick together. I’ll leave you to make your own informed decisions on those two.

“An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away”

Well this one is a bit vague. Most people will argue that it depends on what you do with the apple. If you throw the apple at any approaching doctors, it should do the trick. However, if you eat it, most scientists would say, not much will happen. However recent studies have shown that eating apples can prevent the risk of breast and colon cancer.

“Eat up your crusts, they are good for you!”

Finally a proven, true fact. Although on the surface, this appears to be another tale told by your gran, crusts contain eight times as many antioxidents as any part of the bread. Interesting eh? So if you are that bothered, eat up your crusts!

“If you keep pulling faces, one day the wind will change and you’ll get stuck that way.

“

This one doesn’t even justify me wasting my time explaining why it is so proposterous. So I won’t.

“You only use 10% of your brain”

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! The only people who only use 10% of their brain are the people who made up this myth. In many cases, it is hard to believe that some people are even using 10% of their brain. However, scientifically speaking, this is not true. Hi-tech studies have proven this. What may be true is that only 10% - or a figure around this - would be used at any one time, but all of the brain is used for different things at different times.

“Eating Low Fat foods help you lose weight”

No it doesn’t! Although it sounds about right, eating fat has nothing to do with your weight. There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower cholestrol, and actually have been proven to help lose body weight. Bad fats - saturated fats - increase cholestrol levels which can block arteries, higher blood pressure, and even lead to impotence. But it does not increase weight. This is all determined to the amount of energy - in terms of calories (Kcal). Unburned calories are turned into fat (body fat) which then in turn increases weight. Another myth is that high cholestrol is inevitable as you grow older. This is also untrue.

“I dare you to sneeze with your eyes open. I bet your eyes fly out our head!”

Firstly, and somewhat dully, we have nothing to worry about when it comes to losing your eyes in a sneezing fit. The truth is our eye balls are fixed tightly to our head, and  so aren’t likely to go anywhere, regardless. Another reassuring fact for those who are genuinely worried is that a reflex motion in our eyes makes it impossible to sneeze with our eyes open anyway. So thats all cleared up then….

So there you go. 10 myths about life, either proven, or dispelled. Stay tuned for part two of this guide. If there are any myths you would like me to dispel or prove, please leave a comment and I will add it to my next article - “10 common myths about life (Part Two)

Meanwhile check out my other articles -
* * *

Who was the best test batsman of all time? - http://sportales.com/cricket/best-test-batsmen-of-all-time/

Which is the best lottery game to play? Is there any skill involved at all? -

http://quazen.com/games/gambling/which-is-the-best-lottery-game-to-play-is-there-any-skill-at-all-involved/

Premier League Statistics. The guide to win every sports pub quiz! - http://sportales.com/soccer/premier-league-statistics-you-never-needed-to-know-and-never-cared-that-existed/
________________________________________________________________________________________

Add a Comment

“Don’t go outside without a coat. Its Freezing! You’ll Catch A Cold!”

This is untrue. The Common Cold is a virus that is passed from human to human. It can be spread in hot and cold weather. What is true is that being cold lowers your resistance against viruses, but this doesn’t by any means suggest you will automatically catch a cold from being outside without a cold when it gets a bit nippy.

“Don’t crack your knuckles like that! You’ll get arthritis!”

This is also completely untrue. Believe it or not, there has been studies carried out on this. In a study carried out on 300 “knuckle crackers”, results found no evidence that this leads to arthritis. The strain put on your joints when you crack them are nothing compared to the normal strain put on them during everyday activities. In essence, it doesn’t do any damage at all, its just generally a very annoying habit.

“Eat up your carrots, you’ll be able to see in the dark!”

Unfortunately, eating carrots does not give you superhero powers. Just as - i suppose - eating runner beans does not make you an Olympic sprinter (see what i did there…?) Although carrots are rich in vitamin A, which are beneficial to eye sight, once again, there is no evidence at all that it helps see in the dark. This myth was started during WWII. Instead of telling the public that the British Intelligence were using radar, they said that they were eating carrots to help see in the dark. However, eating too many carrots does make you turn orange…. apparently.

“Dont swallow Chewing Gum! It doesn’t get digested. It will stay in your body forever!

Sorry, wrong again! There are so many myths about chewing gum - this is just one of them. As chewing gum contains a laxative, chewing gum may be passed through the body even faster once swallowed than other foods. Although it is not harmful, I still find myself not recommending it. It is only dangerous in abnormal doses, and obviously, if choked on. Other rumours include the idea that chewing gum makes a hole in your stomach. This is - apparently - caused by the acid in your stomach. This is also untrue. Two other rumours are that if you swallow gum, and you fart, you blow your bubble out your backside, and that it makes your guts all stick together. I’ll leave you to make your own informed decisions on those two.

“An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away”

Well this one is a bit vague. Most people will argue that it depends on what you do with the apple. If you throw the apple at any approaching doctors, it should do the trick. However, if you eat it, most scientists would say, not much will happen. However recent studies have shown that eating apples can prevent the risk of breast and colon cancer.

“Eat up your crusts, they are good for you!”

Finally a proven, true fact. Although on the surface, this appears to be another tale told by your gran, crusts contain eight times as many antioxidents as any part of the bread. Interesting eh? So if you are that bothered, eat up your crusts!

“If you keep pulling faces, one day the wind will change and you’ll get stuck that way.

“

This one doesn’t even justify me wasting my time explaining why it is so proposterous. So I won’t.

“You only use 10% of your brain”

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! The only people who only use 10% of their brain are the people who made up this myth. In many cases, it is hard to believe that some people are even using 10% of their brain. However, scientifically speaking, this is not true. Hi-tech studies have proven this. What may be true is that only 10% - or a figure around this - would be used at any one time, but all of the brain is used for different things at different times.

“Eating Low Fat foods help you lose weight”

No it doesn’t! Although it sounds about right, eating fat has nothing to do with your weight. There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower cholestrol, and actually have been proven to help lose body weight. Bad fats - saturated fats - increase cholestrol levels which can block arteries, higher blood pressure, and even lead to impotence. But it does not increase weight. This is all determined to the amount of energy - in terms of calories (Kcal). Unburned calories are turned into fat (body fat) which then in turn increases weight. Another myth is that high cholestrol is inevitable as you grow older. This is also untrue.

“I dare you to sneeze with your eyes open. I bet your eyes fly out our head!”

Firstly, and somewhat dully, we have nothing to worry about when it comes to losing your eyes in a sneezing fit. The truth is our eye balls are fixed tightly to our head, and  so aren’t likely to go anywhere, regardless. Another reassuring fact for those who are genuinely worried is that a reflex motion in our eyes makes it impossible to sneeze with our eyes open anyway. So thats all cleared up then….

So there you go. 10 myths about life, either proven, or dispelled. Stay tuned for part two of this guide. If there are any myths you would like me to dispel or prove, please leave a comment and I will add it to my next article - “10 common myths about life (Part Two)

Meanwhile check out my other articles -
* * *

Who was the best test batsman of all time? - http://sportales.com/cricket/best-test-batsmen-of-all-time/

Which is the best lottery game to play? Is there any skill involved at all? -

http://quazen.com/games/gambling/which-is-the-best-lottery-game-to-play-is-there-any-skill-at-all-involved/

Premier League Statistics. The guide to win every sports pub quiz! - http://sportales.com/soccer/premier-league-statistics-you-never-needed-to-know-and-never-cared-that-existed/
________________________________________________________________________________________

Add a Comment

While much of the country is buried in snow and suffering below zero temperatures with all the perils that accompany such conditions, I should be counting my blessings, right? Well I often count my blessings, and I'm glad I'm not in those parts of the country, never-the-less, grumbling is my right this time of year.

I am one of those miserable people who suffer with SAD. SAD stands for seasonal affected disorder, a condition caused by low sunlight. I live in Southern Oregon, a wonderful place most of the year, but usually for a number of weeks during the winter we live in unrelenting fog. FOG is not good if you have SAD! In addition to causing depression and despair, it is also cold and damp. You may have gathered I am not a happy camper right now.

I was looking at some homeschool blogs this morning and found a terrific blog with a recommendation for help with teaching your child to read. Go to http://thepioneerwoman.com:80/homeschooling/ and read the post for 1/13/09. You don't have to homeschool to be interested in helping your child learn to read.

What kind of weather are you having?

Display Comments Add a Comment

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been pretty swamped with book projects. This is something I drew for fun while I was waiting for paint to dry on some illustrations I've been working on. This story has been living in my sketchbooks for a while. I wanted to get some of it down on paper.

Display Comments Add a Comment

This is just a collection of entirely random stuff since I have a low fever today and I am stuck in the house and really tired. I am almost never sick; I think it's been two years since I even had a cold.

I figured I would put our dog, Mazy Blue, on the blog because she has nothing to do with this blog and that's kind of the point of randomness.

First random thought: I like pie. I mean, I really like pie. I think when I am in the home, wild with dementia and not wanting to go to the doctor, the attendants will tell me, "But Anne, anyone who gets their check up gets a slice of pecan pie."
I'll knock the attendants over to get on board that cardio van.

I feel really bad that I have gotten so many emails from people who practice cutting. I did blog about it twice, but I don't know that much about it. In fact, I had never heard of it until right before I blogged about it. I know I emailed some of you and said I had no plans about writing a YA about cutting when you asked. I think I might write my next YA with a character who cuts, but it wouldn't "be about cutting" the way some other books are. This is only in the planning stages, sort of being thought about. So maybe yes to that question.

I listened to an interview with the Pregnant Man who weirds me out beyond belief. Am I the only one who thinks of Horton Hatches the Egg when s/he talks? Or have I read one too many children's books?

Right now, I am reading Feed by M.T. Anderson -- it's amazingly good. Not an easy read for teens, but he reminds me of what Ray Bradbury was to the 60's.

I can't stand Tyra Banks. I hardly ever watch tv, but this morning my eyes hurt too much to read, so I put the tv on. Does anyone like her as much as she likes herself?

My daughter tried to create a curved ruler last night to measure round things.

I have 37 papers to grade by Monday and I haven't started Christmas shopping.

There is probably something very wrong with the lives of people who send me holiday cards that arrive the day after Thanksgiving.

Speaking of holiday cards, do any of their kids ever mess up? Why don't those letters ever say, "Little Mikey got suspended for smoking in the bathroom, and it wasn't a cigarette..." Is it me or are those letters one long brag?

I can't decide whether I like or don't like blogging. Sometimes it reminds me of decorating my locker in the eighth grade so kids who were "like me" would talk to me, and the ones who weren't would stay away. Is there any actual point to blogging?
I guess it's a good way to waste time like I am doing now.

I've sneezed six times while writing this.

I think I'm going to lie down now. I'll come back tomorrow to see if this made any sense. And my dog keeps looking at the computer. I don't think she recognizes herself; I think she's hoping it's a machine, like the micro, that will produce food at some point.

Add a Comment

Add a Comment

On New Year’s Eve, thanks to regular reader, Marrije, I was surrounded by palm trees. Okay, just the one palm tree. A palm tree that required a certain amount of assemblage:

before it was fully grown:

How can it be cold when there’s a palm tree in the house?

Thanks, Marrije!

Display Comments Add a Comment

To celebrate the holidays we asked some of our favorite people in publishing what their favorite book was. Let us know in the comments what your favorite book is and be sure to check back throughout the week for more “favorites”.

Bethany Heitman is an Associate Editor at Cosmopolitan Magazine.

I first read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood about ten years ago. I’ve since reread it about a half dozen times. The true story of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith and how they brutally murdered a family in Kansas is chilling enough on its own. But it’s the brilliant and revolutionary way in which Capote pens this tale that makes it my favorite. (more…)

Share This

Add a Comment

Just saying the words makes it seem colder than it is. Today was the coldest March Day on record in NH EVER.....

The wind was wild, the air was icy. Up on top of Mt. Washington the Wind Chill Factor was below..yes .... BELOW -60. I think at one point today it reached a wind chill factor of -79. One of the climatoligists who mans the weather station up there boiled up a pot of water and took it outside the station and threw the water into the air..INSTANTLY it turned into a cloud of snow.
But don't try this at home, you would most likely burn yourself if your wind chill isn't at least -50 degrees.

Heres to sweeping away the winter and welcoming a blooming spring!

©GingerNielson2007

Display Comments Add a Comment

I've come down with a bad cold. I'm teaching that workshop this weekend. I feel generally puny, have a runny nose, and have occasional chills.

I'm using Zicam and the pharmacist recommended phenylephrine (generic for Sudafed PE).

Any other suggestions? I want to be on top of things.





Subscribe with
JacketFlap's
Children's
Publishing
Blog Reader

Add a Comment