Free Form Sketching

Some of my favorite character designs have evolved from little "subconcious" sketches I've made while sitting through seminars, classes, and meetings. I doodled these three little guys during an illustrator meetup on Monday night. I'm pretty taken with the boy with the backpack and the girl who resembles Alice in Wonderland, so I'll put them in my ideas file, let them percolate, and possibly include them in a future drawing or painting.

Hand Painted Boxes

I've always liked painting on wood, so when I saw these little unfinished trinket boxes at my local craft store, I just had to try my hand at decorating them. They're small (only 4" x 4") - the perfect size for sweet seasonal decorations or a unique place to store special treasures.

After I finalized my sketches and color palette, I laid down a base coat consisting of a mixture of burnt umber, black, and ultramarine blue for a deep, rich background. Except for a cursory sanding, I didn't prepare the boxes with gesso or any other ground; I just started painting on raw wood. I was really pleased with the way the paint reacted with the wood - there was always an element of surprise as I painted, since the wood absorbed more of the paint than I expected.



Once I painted the sides, I finished them off with a DecoColor gold opaque paint marker. Since the wood was pretty rough, I didn't want to fool around with trying to get straight lines with a brush. As a final touch, I treated both boxes with two coats of matte acrylic varnish.

I was happy with the results - so much so that I'll be painting more: first I'll tackle a few Halloween and Day of the Dead commissions, then move on to some fall and winter-themed boxes.

The boxes are available at my Etsy shop: www.ravenandrenn.etsy.com

Fun and Prizes! Raven and Renn Greeting Card Assortment Giveaway !

Celebrate your inner Scottie dog! I'm ushering in October by giving away this exciting selection of cards to one lucky person who likes Raven and Renn on Facebook. The winner will receive a baker's dozen of Raven and Renn greeting cards - a selection of ten adorable Scottie dog cards plus any three additional cards of his/her choice from Raven and Renn's Etsy shop.

To enter the drawing, please visit my Raven and Renn Facebook page, click the "like" button, leave a comment, and share the giveaway. If you're already a FORR (friend of Raven and Renn) you're included, too - just be sure to leave a comment so I can add your name to the drawing.

The contest runs from Tuesday, October 1 through Friday, October 4, 5pm Pacific Time. I'll announce the winner on Saturday the 5th. Good luck - and thanks so much for your support!

Montana Avenue Art Walk

I had a terrific time at the Montana Avenue Art Walk. The weather was perfect (this is Southern California, after all), there was wonderful music, and best of all, I met such a lot of lovely people. Thanks again to Evelyn Lauchenauer at Prudential for inviting me to show my work, and to all of the wonderful people who stopped and chatted and bought art from me. I really enjoyed meeting you all!

Montana Avenue Art Walk and Music Festival

I'll be participating in the Montana Avenue Art Walk and Music Festival on Thursday, July 18th. You can find me at the Prudential Real Estate Office at 1308 Montana Avenue from 5pm to 9pm. Thanks to Eveyn Lauchenauer and all the lovely folks at Prudential for inviting me to participate. Hope to see you there!

Illustration Friday - Eye Glasses

Auggie McGoggle

Illustration Friday - Talent

Dragon couldn't help but notice the total absence of knights to challenge or damsels to distress in the 21st century, so he decided to re-brand himself and turn his talents to more practical applications.

The Golden Age of Illustration Exhibit at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art

Last week I trekked out to Malibu with a few illustrator pals to see the “Illustrating Modern Life: The Golden Age of American Illustration” exhibit at Pepperdine’s Weisman Museum. If you live in the area, you should make the effort to visit this fine show -- don't miss the opportunity to see these beautiful works first hand.

The exhibit, with works culled from The Kelly Collection of American Illustration, features about 60 drawings and paintings by legendary artists Howard Pyle, Charles Dana Gibson, N. C. Wyeth, J. C. Leyendecker, Jesse Wilcox Smith, Norman Rockwell, Dean Cornwell, Coles Phillips, McClelland Barclay, and more. All were masters of their craft whose work was featured in popular magazines and books of the day and helped influence and shape popular culture during illustration's "Golden Age.".

The show will run through March 31, 2013. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 11am – 5pm. Both admission and parking are free.

Interview at Bird Meets Worm

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by my friend and fabulous illustrator Super Jane Smith over at her blog Bird Meets Worm. You can check out the interview here - and while you're there, be sure to scroll through Jane's blog and take a look at her wonderful illustrations, one-of-a-kind children's clothing and original fabric designs.