Happy Birthday, Aidan!

Foliage sketches

A couple quick foliage studies I did recently. Very challenging, but a lot of fun to try.

An Apple Tree (pencil on big wrinkled paper)

A Hydrangea Bush (gouache on watercolor paper)

The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Here are a couple pieces I'm working on for my class, from the Hans Christian Andersen story "The Steadfast Tin Soldier." Gouache on illustration board, with some lighting and color help courtesy of Photoshop.

The end goal is to have these be two finished pieces of a 32 page storybook. I'm working on sketches and designs for the rest of it now, and if they turn out alright I'll post em up.

Art for The Children's Market

Here are a couple pieces I recently completed for an "Art For The Children's Market" class I have been taking for the past couple months. The first part of the class was mainly about composition and value, and the instructor had us work strictly in black and white.

The Frog, the Mouse, and the Snake

I did this illustration in extra black graphite on watercolor paper, for a story by my instructor, Rollin Thomas. The "Snake" in the title hasn't appeared on the scene yet, but if the frog doesn't get the mouse out of the trap the story won't end too happily.

The Fools of Chelm and the Stupid Carp

An illustration for a story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, done in cell vinyl wash on bristol. A great and funny story about the "wise" men of Chelm, who decide to teach a disrespectful fish a lesson by drowing him.

We've been working on other stuff in the class, and I hope to post more soon.