I was recently tagged by the AMAZING Blythe Russo to participate in this illustration blog tour. Blythe and I attended SCAD at the same time (in the same department!) but we didn't really become friends until after we both graduated! Get to know Blythe from her blog tour post and check out her work -- her portfolio is so much fun to look at!
What am I currently working on?
I have a HUGE project wrapping up this week that I'm very proud of. "Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical" opens today and I am the head set designer. This is my first time doing set design, so it's been a challenge but SO MUCH FUN!
I'll show more after this weekend but to the right are some of the giant laundry puppets during a rehearsal. And below are some of the backgrounds I illustrated just for the show.
How does my illustration process work?
Like most artists I keep a sketchbook. I record random words and ideas, draw from life, and out of my head. 99% of the time my work starts with a simple doodle in my sketchbook.
From there, if I like the idea, I refine the sketch on a separate piece of paper and work out a comp on the computer.
My final sketch is transferred to heavy paper and I ink my final outlines with Higgins ink or brush pens.
After that is all computer! I do sometimes use my own watercolor in the inking stage and the final image is a hybrid of traditional and digital. But the color in my example to the right is all digital.
Why do I illustrate what I do?
If I'm not creating I feel like a waste of space and I get really unhappy. It's pretty simple. Creating art has always made me feel normal and happy.
It isn't a perfect love story, I get really frustrated in my process sometimes. Certain projects can be tricky and I loose motivation and drive but once I'm back on track I rediscover this passion to create all over again. Art making is the only thing that's always going to be a (fun) challenge and the end result always such a sweet reward.
I hope that was a complete thought but if it isn't here's a proud pic of me holding up a giant bra I made recently:
I am tagging Kyrstin Avello and Kelly Leigh Miller. I know both from twitter (where I discovered not only their awesome art but I found out we share a common love for the x-men and sailor moon haha). I admire their passion to create and share something everyday-- they are two incredible artists to be on the look out for. :)