Illustration Friday - Whiskers

This drawing of Mr. Garrulity was originally done for "Lost in Lexicon", a middle-grade novel I illustrated. It was only after the book was published that I realized he resembled my grandfather (without the stocking cap, of course.)

Illustration Friday - Haunt

As a child I was always spooked by the concept of The Sandman. I imagined him as a shadowy, sinister creature who would creep into my room in the dead of night. Definitely the stuff of nightmares!

For Quality Giclee Prints, I Rely on Graphic Factor Studio

When I decided to offer high quality, reasonably priced prints of my work on my illustration website, I turned to my friends Mary Peterson and Jonathan Kawaye at Graphic Factor studio in Silver Lake, California.

Mary is an illustrator and graphic designer, while Jonathan has over thirty years experience as a master printer. They're seasoned professionals who take the time to work closely with the artist to create a final product that is as faithful as possible to the original art.

They begin by making a high quality digital scan of the original art. Once the scan has been proofed and color corrected, it is printed on an Epson Stylus Pro 4800 Printer using Epson UltraChrome K3 ink. Mary and Jonathan's paper of choice is Epson's Ultra Smooth Fine Art Paper (18mil, 100% cotton, acid free, mould made). The result is a beautiful reproduction that recreates all the tonalities and hues of the original painting.

Taking Care of Your Print
It's important to remember that all color fades. I recommend that you treat your Giclee print the way you would treat an original watercolor. The print should be protected from water and should not be placed in direct sunlight. Giclees printed on paper should be frame mounted with an acid-free mat behind glass. With proper care, you'll be able to enjoy your art for many years to come.

Two Blogs for Writers and Illustrators

Today's post is brief and to the point: If you're serious about writing and/or illustrating for children, you need to subscribe to these two blogs. Both are packed with useful and practical information about agents, writing, illustrating, contests, submission policies, publishing house personnel changes, queries, critiques, interviews with authors & illustrators and much, much more.

Writing and Illustrating. Kathy Temean is an illustrator, writer, web designer and past SCBWI Regional Advisor for New Jersey. In addition to her weekly illustrator showcase, she generously shares writing tips, contest information, critiques, illustration tutorials, and author and agent interviews.

Casey McCormick and Natalie Aguirre are the driving forces behind Literary Rambles, a blog that spotlights children's book authors, agents, and publishing. Literary Rambles is especially helpful if you're searching for an agent. LR profiles a different agent each Thursday, spotlighting that agent's likes and dislikes, submission policies, and what they're looking for. The agent interviews are archived and catalogued alphabetically for your convenience.

I always look forward to opening my email box and reading the latest publishing news from these helpful bloggers. I've learned so much from them, and I know you will, too.

The "Ice Castle" Debuts

The Ice Castle, the second installment in the "Lexicon" series by Pendred Noyce, finally hit bookstores this week. Yay!

In this latest adventure, Daphne and Ivan discover their spoiled cousin, Lila has disappeared through a magical portal into the harsh and frigid Land of Winter.

They set out to bring her back, only to encounter bears and a gang of nomadic kidnappers. The three cousins soon find themselves thrust into a tumultuous society where social standing is determined by one's muscial abilities. This particular world is sharply divided between haves and have-nots, and reverberates with hidden plots and rebellious rumblings.

The Ice Castle was great fun to illustrate. It's a tale full of adventure and drama, memorable characters, emotion, humor, and wonderful imaginary places.

Illustration Friday - "Carry"

My inspiration for this piece is the beautiful and mysterious last line of John Cheever's short story "The Country Husband": “Then it is dark; it is a night where kings in golden suits ride elephants over the mountains.”

Illustration Friday - Suspend

Remember "The Animal Fair? Hopefully, this time the elephant won't sneeze and fall on his knees - and it won't be the end of the monk, the monk, the monk!