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and happy New Year :)

Hya Stacia, wow, how cool is this? I love the process, how you are using the available materials to make something so exciting. It must be meditative, setting those small type thingys. I'm looking forward to seeing where you end up with this. It's like 3d and 2d together. PS merry Christmas :) see you!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Andrew! I hope the new year treats you right.

Making this map with those tiny little stamps was meditative. Had my music cranked, a plan in place, and teeny tiny stamps at my finger tips. The hours vaporized!

I felt very powerful creating my own town :)

Ha ha yes, it's great when we can reconstruct reality :) Being online? Ah yes, I think it's advantage is that you know you have an audience - therefore you do your best cause you don't want to show work that is not upto scratch. But there is a point where the fulcrum tips and you are spending too much time online and not making "art" images etc. It's a fine line between pleasure and not pleasure ! see you!!

Wow, you have an amazing amount of patience Stacia. Very cool project! Merry Christmas! :D

Hey Stacia works much better now tonally! Maybe you need to zing up a focal point?

The texture around the dark circles shows up better now

Yes, that's my problem...I have two birds, sitting on two structures and the eye just goes back and forth.

I was wondering about painting over the text in their bodies and then putting a phrase of text in the tree above their heads.

Or I could put text between the birds as if it is coming from the top bird's mouth...hmmm.

hey looks wonderful actually...

I had a bit of a problem with the wings conceptualy until I realised they weren't wings! for me I would add a fish on the topleft - it would add a secondary focal point and also an emotional context, especially if the fish were worried

the mirroring of shapes in the composition works very well

Oh I like the t echnique!

Love it Stacia; this is wonderful. I am with Andrew in wondering about the wings or leaves or fins on her back, but maybe I am just not seeing it as you intended. I think a secondary focal point is a good idea. Even as it is though it is lovely. I really love collage and use to use it a lot so I am a big fan. It feels like this technique comes easily to you and I really like the direction you are going in.

The "wings" were to be fin-like. The lines on the fins are repeated in her tail fin. A single fin didn't read very well, that's why I made two looking like wings. I thought it made her seem more whimsical.

I think the wing-fins are too much the same size so maybe that is the problem...The one behind needs to be smaller and the one in front needs to move down a bit. I'll play with it and see if that solves anything.

Thanks for the feedback!

I think it looks lovely, Stacia! and not unfinished at all. I love this style and the colour palette is great. and the conversation going on between the birds is very sweet.
I like the suggestion of music in the background too. Don't know what to suggest to improve it as it looks great to me!

xx

Thanks Lil Kim! I appreciate your kind words.

My husband told me he thought the birdhouses should take less of a priority by being a different color...the birds seemed to be a second thought.

I had to agree...so I used some walnut ink to tone them down and not be such a stark white. It helped.

Oh Stacia, I am so sorry I missed this! Well what a great way to work. I think it is a wonderful method.
For me a good start to balance the compostion would be a splash of red top right, that would give you a nice triangle between the birds and the red (just a spot like a berry, round and it will echo the round holes of the boxes) and get the eye moving round the composition. at the moment the two beaks a making a very strong diagonal that makes the eye go between them yet the diagonal is not balanced by anything else and is actually reinforced by the shape of the foliage.

the red spot may not work, but something up there should do the trick, alternatively the red spot will throw a spanner in the colour balance and you might hvae to adjust everything else! :)

looking forward to more of these

you know, I never have trouble with a blank canvas cause I project the image onto the canvas with my mind ... weird eh?

Closetfound posted. I think I'll call him Herkimer.

Hey Stacia, well now, I think that this is more like it, you have really let your pencil do the walking,

but to me it's like you are truly being yourself, that you are having fun - and it shows in the joy of the illustration.

I don't know nothing :) but I think work like this one, in being true to yourself, is what will take you into the future.

It's good to throw away the rules that don't matter and keep the ones that do.

cute, I'm with Andrew :)

Hi Stacia, I initially sent an email via my Blackberry, not sure if it went through? Sorry I've been MIA this week we've had a nasty stomach virus going around our family- yuck!
Yes I am very familiar with Kim Fernandes' gorgeous polymer clay illustrations. She actually has a series of "Little Mouse" books out all written by her mom Euginie. They are all so wonderfully illustrated. Another great polymer clay illustrator is Jeanette Canyon. She has a series out by Dawn Publications 2 of which I recall are "Over in the Ocean" and " over in the Jungle"- the author's name escapes me right now sorry- must be the flu talking...
Thanks so much for passing along the info and book, my kiddies love her work very much, and rub their little hands over the pages expecting to feel the textures.

It's too bad Kim Fernandes doesn't have an online portfolio website :(

Yes, I looked for her website but couldn't find one.

Hey Stacia, thanks for the heads up, I think posts like this are important if people aren't to feel that CC isn't just a vacuum in etherspace

That's awesome Stacia - well done! I've been working on a bit of a ms myself, but it's still in developing stages. looking forward to getting it out there more and I will check out those grants!!

all the best and keep us posted!

Thanks for the info

ooooh Stacia, I love it!! Those frisky little fish are going to be all "wired-up" on all that caffeine-haha! I love all your great textures! The delicate cracks in the teacup and the doily pattern are awesome. The only suggestion I have is to double check the perspective between the bottom of the teacup and the table top. It seems like the teacup is floating a bit.
Otherwise it looks great!:)
Funny I am using a cracked teacup in my interpretation too.

love it Stacia, wow I've got to get busy on this!

The fish are really adorable. Very cute and playful. I like all the chips in the tea cup too. I was thinking it might be chocolate in that cup. :)

Hey, ho this is pretty magic. I'm admiring the distorted perspective - it something I studied in drawing and never get to use. The fish are just having a great time. !

Impprovements? - for me the cracks looked like both spilled coffee - and cracks - so maybe they should be made clearer?

Maybe a bubble or two would suggest more fun? I have a twisted mind and my mind is telling me these poor goldfish are sitting in hot coffee! So bubbles coming from their mouths would alleviate this?

The lace is great and a wonderful touch.

Something peeking (cat?) over the top of the aquarium or from under the table would add another element for us to discover. That would mean we are watching the cat watching the gold fish and gives us the vicarious pleasure of being an undiscovered observer.

Above the aquarium would add that third element to make the design a triangle - maybe?

see you
sorry for blahblahing :)

yes, this is definitely better. Although I loved everything as separate elements this now works better as a whole. She is now the star attraction. Andrew is much better at expressing the technical aspects than I am and I am sure he will take a crack at it too. I understand the getting tired of looking at it thing though.

Hi Stacia,
Wow you have been busy!
This is a great illo-good positive spin on such a tragic situation.
I really like your use of different textures in the sand, blobby oil, bubble translucency etc...very nice:). I really like it, the turtles expression is great too! My only suggestion(since you want to use it in your portfolio) would be to maybe introduce a second animal or turtle in the tub to show some humorous interaction and/or maybe different facial expressions?? Just a thought :)
Are you submitting it to Ripple too?

Yes, it's on Ripple now.

Thanks...I had thought of a second critter, maybe a bird waiting for his turn or something in the sand.

Thanks for the input :)

Cheers.

I can feel the sand in this one. Is this digital? Cute little twist. It's a fun and inviting illustration.

this is my favorite Stacia

Nice one Stacia, I really like the colour palette too! It really captures the feeling of those poor animals. Such a good idea Kelly came up with!

Nice, I have seen several people whose blogs I follow participating in this. Wish I had time to do one too.

I like how it looks like the stars are in the water. I do like how you added a touch of color in the water too.

HI Stacia,
The human face has got to be the toughest of all things to capture artistically! I always have the toughest time with faces too. I have often refered to my old anatomy atlases and I've also used photos of my kids making the faces I am trying to achieve. I have even used a small mirror and made the face myself for reference. There are also some good facial expression books on the market specifically for artists( by Mark Simon and Gary Faigin). I haven't bought any, but I've done a quick google search and found some images to use a reference before.
I think you have got the African Americn curly style hair rendered nicely, and the colouring is nice too. My only suggestion would be to possibly round out or increase the size of the nose a bit, and increase the lip thickness a touch. I see what you mean with your "hilarity" pose...it looks like you are trying to show him throwing his head back a bit, cracking up, and that makes it difficult as his head is receeding into the page, and it changes the perspective. I think with faces that are laughing hard, it might also work to try adding laugh lines and some wrinkles that naturally occur around the nose and mouth and even eyes if they are squinting from a huge laugh attack.
Good start for sure...they are tough ones to tackle! I hope this will help :)

Thanks for your comments...much appreciated. I was looking at Hilarity again...looks like he has his mouth open for the dentist ;)

I agree all of with Suzanne's comments..
'Hilarity' looks to me like he is about to cry?

You could also try closing his eyes completely, and making the mouth more of an 'open smile' as opposed to just open -- if that makes sense.

I have a great book of expressions that I use it is called "Facial Expressions by Mark Simon. It's just a bunch of pictures of different expressions. I love though, I use it all the time.

Expressions one is really good. I think with Expressions 2 you could show less hair on Hilarity. You do have that tilt on the head but maybe that would help a little. Maybe curl the lips up just a touch. I think surprise is looking good. The huge eyes and the mouth looks right. Maybe the eyes bigger on the horror one. You are really on the right track here. It's hard working on faces.

Hi Stacia, and Creative Cup illustrators,
I would love to be considered for your critique group. My name is Suzanne Del Rizzo, I have a blog featuring my plasticine dimensional illustrations at suzannedelrizzo.blogspot.com. I am a "friend" of CANSCAIP and am thinking about joining SCBWI. I am currently working on my children's book portfolio and hope to have a website up and running soon. Although I am still an aspiring children's book illustrator, I am very committed to following this new career path now that my youngest is 2yrs old and I can devote more time to pursuing this profession. I would really love to be part of a critique group to gain honest, valuable insight, and to bounce artwork ideas around to "discuss", share and inspire! :)

Morning Stacia and Creative Cup, I believe I had better pull my membership especially since I haven't participated in some time. Good luck in finding new members and I hope you get a new breath of life.

HildaRose

Sorry to see you go, HildaRose! I wish you all the best.

Hi, I'd love to join the group. I am always working on improving my work and updating my portfolio. You can find my work @ http://puddleofcrumbs.blogspot.com
and
karenwhitakerillustration.com

Thanks so much for considering me.

Hi Stacia, I like your colour choice depicting night, there is texture, depth, simplicity, anxious gestures of the squirrels (kinda funny)...I like it all. I get a real sense of forest.

Nice one Stacia! I think you did well capturing the feeling of the tango - it feels very dramatic and the characters' positions feel natural - not stiff or 'posed'. Your collage is great too - I love the seemingly slight transparency of her dress and the shadows on his suit and her fishnets are great!

My only suggestion is to maybe make their eyes more 'intense' perhaps by having them squintier, but that is nitpicky.

yes sorry we have all been so quiet!! I wonder too how everyone is doing. for my part it is head down, bum up, work work work! It's good though, I'm not complaining. Thanks for your comment on my blog Stacia, and I will now go and post my news here too...

Thanks Stacia, I always find this interesting. Loved math in school.I will make sure that my sunflower has the appropriate seed placement in line with the fibonacci numbers. (bottom link on "Spirals and Snails")
:)

Thanks this is very helpful

Hey thanks. This is very helpful. I am going to print it off and use it.

Becky
www.pooka-art.com

Thanks so much Stacia - it's important to remember the basics!
I will be using this info!!