Illustration Friday: Wedding

This illustration was an experiment to see if I could get the ink resist effect digitally. Thanks to Scott E Franson for his tutorial: http://scottefranson.blogspot.com/2007/08/scratchboard-linocut-tutorial.html

What kind of illustration for children incorporates a wedding? Oh I know, "Froggie Went a Courting" I was raised on at least two very different versions of this song. One is much more Disneyfied ( http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/f024.html ) The frog and mouse go to France. The other was the Pete Seeger version where the whole wedding is upset by a snake and a cat. Miss mouse got swallowed on the spot. (I can't find a link for those lyrics. But it is on the Birds, Beasts, Bugs and Fishes album http://www.folkways.si.edu/search/AlbumDetails.aspx?ID=2412#) I'm not sure if my frog and mouse will escape to France or get swallowed--what do you think?

Illustration Friday: Momentum

Momentum is a tricky thing. Especially when you don't have any. I couldn't seem to get going on this topic so I just have a quick sketch. It has something to do with mass and velocity and squares (or was that ellipses?) I know! I would've learned that if I'd taken Physics--thanks Dad! (Or so he said. I did take Physics (for artists) in college; and another "low calorie math" Physics on Semester at Sea--but I guess if you don't take it senior year in high school, it just doesn't get started and there is no chance to build up any momentum...)

Illustration Friday: Alphabets

This week's topic seemed like a good one for the Egyptians. (If you missed the Egyptians before see February and March from my Blog Archives.)
I don't think she got them in quite the right order and she's probably missing a few. Older brother is horrified by the number of repetitions and renditions that have already transpired... (with no end in sight.)

Illustration Friday: Visitors

My first thought on this topic was aliens... But then I thought about the amazing Jeweled spider that moved into our back yard about a week ago. I've noticed that suburban Texas sports many more critter type visitors than life in suburban Colorado. (I grew up in rural New Mexico and we had critters dropping in all the time. Top of the list was the bull snake in the greenhouse sink!)
This is an ink resist. I paint white tempera where I want to have white and let it dry. Then I cover the whole paper with India ink. When it is dry I wash the tempera off and then apply watercolor. Many people ask me how I have time with my children underfoot to get this stuff done. The answer is I have abandoned art school training where bigger is better and now work relatively small. (This one is smaller than usual at 6" by 7")

Illustration Friday: Captain

Mommy is the Captain

Is he acting odd or is it ODD? (oppositional defiant disorder.)

Actually my son had great fun posing for this illustration and was quite compliant when I asked him to help me. But there have been times when I have had to utter the phrase, "Mommy is the captain--not you."

Illustration Friday: Emergency

When I read this week's topic I groaned. Ambulances and trauma, I didn't want to think about it. And then a more absurd alternative came into mind from the TV show Red Dwarf: "There's an emergency going on...It's still going on." Which lead me to thinking about the daily dramas that go on. Our neighbor's dog is constantly making a break for it, and ours would too if the gate wasn't bungee corded shut. (And I'm sure my dog was thinking, "Where's the fire?" as I tried to encourage him to model for me in the Texas heat...)
And the extent of an emergency is always relative to perspective as I pass on the family phrase: "No blood--no bandaid."

Illustration Friday: Missing

I must admit I found this topic a little perplexing at first. How do you draw something that is not there? But then I remembered a photo of my son and his best friend displaying missing teeth... I must've been influenced by the caricature artists at Six Flags (we went this week) in terms of style.

Also on the topic of missing, I'm proud of myself for keeping up with the Illustrations. I don't think I've missed a week since I started. I have been late on few (and I've heard about it!)