Eren Blanquet Unten

a little golden book

2012-02-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to announce my first Little Golden Book, It's Time for Bubble Puppy! was recently released! I've always wanted illustrate a Little Golden Book, and I'm so happy Nickelodeon and Random House offered me this wonderful opportunity. I was familiar with the show before working on the book, and it was a pleasure to illustrate such appealing and charming characters.

Here's a snippet of what's written on the back cover. It pretty much sums up why I loved working on this:

"Children have loved Little Golden Books for over 60 years. They have written their names inside each front cover and delighted in the colorful pictures and wonderful stories. Thanks to the happy hours spent with such books as The Poky Little Puppy, many children have developed a lifelong love of reading."

I'm also celebrating the release of this book with a giveaway! Just leave a comment on this post (along with your name and email by February 14th), I will draw a name, announce the winner, and mail out one signed copy of the book. A free book for you, and a fun thing for me to do. Win, win!

it's a small world opening reception

2011-09-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from the "It's A Small World" opening reception and book signing at Gallery Nucleus. It was a fun event and a great pleasure meeting some of the other artists. Be sure to check out all the wonderful artwork on the gallery's website here.

it's a small world

2011-09-13T00:21:00.000-07:00

(Mundo Pequeno, Gouache)

I'm so thrilled to be participating in the "It's a Small World" tribute show at Nucleus. I managed to squeeze in some painting time between newborn diaper changes, my two year old's toothaches and illustrating a 24 page children's book. It wasn't easy, but I just couldn't miss the chance to pay tribute to my favorite Disneyland attraction and one of my favorite artists, Mary Blair.

Here's more info about the show from the gallery:

"Timed with the release of illustrator Joey Chou's latest children's book from Disney Press, a select group of talent will contribute work paying homage to this beloved and enduring theme of global peace. The book features Chou's illustrations interpreting the Sherman Brothers classic song written for the popular Disney park attraction.

This is an all-ages event. Exhibiting artists in attendance including Joey Chou who will be on hand signing copies of the new release. "

It's a Small World

September 17, 2011 - October 3, 2011

Opening Reception September 17, 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

A big thank you to Joey Chou for having me in the show. Please be sure to check out his work and his beautiful new book!

night time

2011-08-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a super quick sketch of my daughter. It's the face I see before going to bed at night. :)

hello amelia!

2011-07-11T10:21:00.001-07:00

My baby has arrived! Amelia was born July 2, 2011 weighing 7 lbs 3oz. She's healthy, wonderful and so amazing.

The maternity floor at the hospital also happens to be decorated with artwork by Mary Blair. It makes the recovery a little easier, hehe. Above is a photo of the painting just outside my room.

Things are a little busy now, but I also have another exciting illustration project in the works. More details on that later. For now, I'm having a great recovery and enjoying time with my family.

2001: a space odyssey

2011-06-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here's my contribution for silverscreensociety.com. It was nice working on something different from my usual subject matter and style. Be sure to check out the site as there are many wonderful pieces from different films including 2001: A Space Odyssey.

scissorhands 20th at nucleus

2011-04-21T13:21:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos from the Edward Scissorhands Tribute Show at Gallery Nucleus along with an image of my painting. It was an amazing event and the turn out was huge! Big congrats to my friend Seb Mesnard for putting together this wonderful show! It's always great to see all the artwork in person and hang out with the other artists. The show will be up until May 9th so check it out in person if you can! You can also view the artwork on the gallery's website here.

scissorhands 20th show

2011-04-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Here's some info on the Scissorhands 20th Show I'm participating in at Nucleus Gallery. The opening reception is Saturday, April 16th. For more info click on the flier above or visit the gallery's website here.

It's going to be a great show! Take a sneak peak at all the wonderful artwork here. Hope to see you there!

hoppy bunnies

2011-02-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure to illustrate a couple of board books that were recently released called Hoppy Bunnies and Counting Chicks. Here is the cover for Hoppy Bunnies written by Kirsten Mayer and published by Little, Brown and Company.

Hoppy Bunnies is a movie tie-in book for the film "Hop" which will be released this Spring by Universal Pictures. This book also has cute little bunny puppets attached. I'll be posting pics and info for the Counting Chicks board book as soon as I get my hands on it.

The books are available on Amazon and should be out in bookstores just in time for Easter. Hoppy Bunnies is also available now at Target stores. Yay Target!

merry christmas!

2010-12-22T23:08:00.001-08:00

pixart tribute art

2010-11-23T12:07:00.000-08:00

Here is my contribution for pixartimes.com. I was so happy when I got the invite to participate! Please check out all the wonderful artwork on the site from artists around the world.

scissorhands 20th

2010-10-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

My friend Seb Mesnard started a wonderful Edward Scissorhands tribute blog to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary. I was so excited when he invited me to participate! Here's my contribution, The Secret Garden.

Check out Seb's amazing work on his blog.

And don't forget to check out Scissorhands 20th.

birthday presents

2010-08-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

new business cards

2010-07-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

birthday cake

2010-07-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

hello fish

2010-05-27T13:24:00.001-07:00

sketchy monsters

2010-01-04T23:53:00.000-08:00

Working on ideas for a new illustration featuring monsters. Thought I would share the sketches.

Hope everyone is enjoying the New Year!

merry christmas!

2009-12-22T23:52:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!

elefun

2009-12-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

A while back I worked on character designs for Hasbro's Elefun game. And while doing a little Christmas shopping last month I noticed my designs on a few of their toys. It was pretty neat to see!

hey you guys

2009-11-29T14:37:00.001-08:00

Here's my contribution for the 2nd annual "Hey You Guys Charity Event" taking place Saturday December 5th at the Rialto Theater in South Pasadena. There's going to be lots of great artwork to see and as well as a special screening of the movie "Ghostbusters." The theme for the artwork is movies/shows that influenced you as a child. I loved watching Mary Poppins when I was little and chose a fun scene as inspiration for this illustration.

Please check out the HYG site for more info here: www.heyyouguyscharity.com

You can start bidding on some awesome artwork online as of....now! Go check it out!

Last year's event was awesome and I'm really looking forward to attending this year. If you're in the area please stop by and say hello!

octopus

2009-11-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

Here's my submission for Bear and Bird's Small Stuff 3 Show. Been painting in gouache lately and I wanted to do a simple piece for the show. The gallery is located in Lauderhill Florida and the show opens November 22. Here's the flyer.

There's going to be lots of great artwork to see, so if you're in the area be sure to stop by!

new york

2009-10-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

Walking through Central Park

Recently took a short but lovely trip to Connecticut and NYC. It was soooo inspiring. Nice to have a change a scenery every now and then.

I miss all the walking and didn't mind using the trains and subways. It was great not having to drive (or sit in traffic I should say). It was such a nice visit, and I'm already wanting to go back again!

it's not Christmas yet but...

2009-09-30T22:07:00.000-07:00

... Jingle Bells: A Pop-Up Holiday Song illustrated by yours truly was released today! It's available for purchase on amazon.com. Big thanks to Penguin PSS! for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a special project.

For those who are curious, I did not handle the paper mechanics of the book. I just illustrated the images.

I also worked on this while preparing for the birth of my daughter Emily. This little pop up book is pretty special to me.

rumpus

2009-09-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

(digital)

Inspired by Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are."

Featured in Cory Godbey's Terrible Yellow Eyes Blog.

hello baby!

2009-03-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

(Emily on her second day, all photos in post by Uncle Richard)

Meet our little bundle of joy, Emily! She was born January 23rd of this year at the coolest hospital ever! (See photos below)

So here's the scoop on what I've been up to these past months...

My husband and I purchased our first home in November. We moved into our new home in December. And in January I gave birth to our first baby. Oh yeah, I illustrated a children's book during this time as well. More details on that later when it becomes available.

So for the past couple of months my time has been devoted to our little one. For anyone who has taken care of a newborn, you can understand why my blog is missing posts!

It's been a great year so far, and I'm totally enjoying my new role as a mom. I've taken a bit of a break but I look forward to posting again. This has been a very exciting and inspiring time in my life, and I anticipate more great things to come.

(The above painting by Mary Blair was hanging outside my hospital room)

the those guys charity auction

2008-11-11T12:32:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone! So I'm really excited to announce my participation in an Art Auction organized by my pals The Those Guys.

TTG is holding a charity art auction and it's going on right now!
The auction is from November 10th - November 15th.
Here's the link:

The Those Guys Art Auction

So check out the all the amazing artists and their work....and bid! It's for a great cause.

The auction is for charity and the group that TTG is working with is Donorschoose.org. They provide art supplies and materials to schools in need. TTG is concentrating on classrooms in Southern California.

Donorschoose.org, TTG's Donors Page

Even if you don't participate in the auction, you can still help with a donation of any amount. So please check them out and consider helping out young, eager creative minds.

TTG will also be a screening the movie "The Goonies" this Saturday November 15th at the Rialto Theater in South Pasadena, California. The movie is free with a small donation at the door.

And finally, above is the piece I painted for the auction. The theme was movies that influenced you when you were a kid, and I think it's pretty clear as to what movie my artwork is based on. The artwork is framed and titled "To Oz."

Big thanks to The Those Guys for their invitation to participate!

sugary

2008-10-09T15:48:00.001-07:00

For Illustration Friday.

two years ago today

2008-08-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Don't have any new artwork to post today but I will be posting some soon. Been working on lots of animal illustrations lately, and it's been pretty fun.

Today I'm also celebrating my 2 year Wedding Anniversary. Above is a photo of part of my anniversary gift from my husband. I also own the Cinderella book featuring Mary Blair's concept art and didn't know they published Alice in Wonderland as well, so it was a nice surprise.

August 27th 2006 was the best day ever. The past two years have been so awesome. It's amazing how many good memories and good things can happen in what really is just a small amount of time. The days go by fast but I often stop and remember to be thankful for all the good things in my life.

Oh and the other bit of news I have to share...my husband and I are going to have a baby! Now we'll have a better excuse when we're out shopping for toys. :)

friendly whales

2008-06-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

think green

2008-05-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

These illustrations were inspired by Earth Day and also from eco-friendly products I've seen in the past couple of months. Some of the illustrations featured in previous posts have been modified a tad here to complete this set.

I'm also planning on adding merchandise to my online shop using these illustrations. This is fun stuff my friends.

fish

2008-04-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

happy earth day!

2008-04-22T13:25:00.001-07:00

Here's another illustration from my personal project to help celebrate Earth Day.

bird

2008-04-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

This little illustration is part of a fun personal project I'm currently working on. Tis nice to work on something just for fun.

Hooray for fun.
:)

happy st. patrick's day

2008-03-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Meadow Gold Ad detail, artwork by Mary Blair 1953

Meadow Gold Ad, artwork by Mary Blair 1953

Here's a scan of one of my meadow gold ads featuring the art of Mary Blair. Thought it would be appropriate for today. It also makes me want to run out and get some mint ice cream.

Today also happens to be my mom's birthday, so Happy Birthday Mom!

And Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

march birds

2008-03-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

(digital)

my weekend in san francisco . part 2

2008-02-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

So last weekend my husband Wayne and I decided to take a trip up to San Francisco. Best unplanned trip ever! We love going up north and this time around we were able to feast upon the goodness that is Mary Blair at the Cartoon Art M useu m.

One of my absolute favorites. So unbelievably happy to see the original.

Perhaps these photos will get you chuffed enough to see the exhibit. I know not everyone can make it, but for those who can (and those who love the art of Mary Blair) I highly recommend it!

my weekend in san francisco

2008-02-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

Things to do this year:

See Mary Blair exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco

Check!

More from my San Francisco weekend adventure coming soon!

oh snap! it's valentine's day

2008-02-14T08:29:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick illo whipped up just for today.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

umbrella

2008-01-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

So I decided to brush up on my (weak) French and Spanish skills by making flashcards. Here is the first French one inspired by last weekends rainfall. We got lots of rain which is quite unusual for Southern California, and it was just wonderful! Doesn't look like there will be any rain this weekend but I will have my polka dotted parapluie just in case. Hehehee.

merry christmas

2007-12-20T09:22:00.001-08:00

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and a Happy New Year!

fresh from the shop!

2007-12-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

A Christmas ornament featuring an illustration by yours truly. Now available just in time for the holidays here. And in case you're wondering what it looks like exactly, take a gander here.

grow

2007-10-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Here's my illustration for IF's topic "grow."

today's inspiration

2007-09-28T12:57:00.001-07:00

Trumpet, originally uploaded by eren*.

Bought this neat little book at a used book store on my recent visit to Monterey, California. Written by Patricia Lynn and Illustrated by Bernice Myers.

captain

2007-08-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here's another entry for Illustration Friday. Topic is captain. Hope you enjoy the captain and his delish fish!

discovery

2007-07-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

digital

This is a late entry for Illustration Friday but I really wanted to participate (since I haven't in a while). Topic is discovery.

tagged

2007-06-26T18:55:00.001-07:00

I've been tagged by the wonderfully talented Jannie Ho. Be sure to check out her blog to see her lovely illustrations and "art with chicken goodness."

Here are the rules:
Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Here are 8 things about me:

1. My full name is Erendida but my family thought it would be easier to call me Eren.

2. I am attracted to items with multi-colored polka dots.

3. People think I look younger than I really am. No complaints here though.

4. My first job was working as an ice cream scooper for Haagen Dazs.

5. I enjoy the art of cooking and baking (and eating).

6. I started off college with criminal justice as my major, took one art class my first semester and came to my senses.

7. I met my husband in an animation class at Cal State Fullerton.

8. I was a member of the Young Astronauts Club (YAC!) when I was a kid.

I hereby tag Laura, Heath, Miah, and you! Yes you! Anyone who would like to participate please do because it's oh so much fun.

maison

2007-05-29T14:36:00.001-07:00

(digital)

So I've got good news and not so good news.

Not so good news first: My computer kicked the bucket last month. :(

The good news: I got a new computer! With new programs! Hooray!

So here is the first illustration completed with my lovely new macbook pro. I was inspired by the super talented Marilyn Patrizio and her flickr group House Party for this house illustration. Hope you enjoy it!

dorothy and toto

2007-03-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

(digital)

I loved watching MGM's The Wizard of Oz when I was a kid. I'd watch it over and over and over again, and I'm sure my parents enjoyed it just as much as I did :P

Someday I'll read the books (someday=not anytime soon). Hope you all enjoy Dorothy and her little dog too.

valentine gifts for her

2007-02-14T14:11:00.001-08:00

(digital)

Happy Valentine's Day!

merry christmas and happy new year!

2006-12-29T10:25:00.000-08:00

(digital)

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and are enjoying the holidays. Christmas 2006 was awesome! I had lots of eggnog, wonderful sugar goodies, and plenty of turkey. But most importantly, I spent time with family and good friends. And it really brings me great joy to see everyone doing so well and in good health.

This is also a great time for me to say thank you to all who visit my blog. This year of blogging has been wonderful, and I appreciate every comment and every kind word. I even got a chance to meet some other bloggers this year at Comic Con San Diego and that was so much fun.

I'm looking forward to the coming year and I anticipate great things in 2007. Thanks everyone again and best wishes for the new year!

my fair audrey

2006-11-15T21:54:00.001-08:00

(digital)

I'm a bit of an Audrey Hepburn fan and I'm working on a few illustrations of her for fun. Here's one that was inspired by My Fair Lady. I don't know how much it actually looks like Audrey but I sure dig her hat and dress. Cheers everyone.

illustration friday: smitten

2006-10-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

(digital)

Here's my entry for Illustration Friday. Topic is smitten. This was an early concept for an assignment I did not too long ago. The concept wasn't working so I wound up doing another design. But now you get to see this, and I hope you enjoy these two crazy caterpillar kids in love.

kauai sketchies

2006-10-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

(bravo pen, color in Painter)

So I managed to get in some sketching at the airport on our way back from our honeymoon. I'm not too crazy about the sketches but I had fun coloring them. And speaking of fun, we had lots of fun in Kauai! Hope you enjoy the sketches!

married!

2006-08-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

(digital, Photoshop & Painter by Mr. and Mrs. Unten)

So after months of planning and preparation, and four and a half years of courting, my love and I got married over the weekend. It was fantastic! Instead of displaying a photo of ourselves at the wedding we decided to work on an illustration together and here it is! And now we're off to Hawaii for our honeymoon! See you all in September!

illustration friday: clean

2006-08-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

(Photoshop, Painter)

Here's my entry for Illustration Friday hope you all enjoy this one!

happy birthday blanquet's blog!

2006-07-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

d(Painter, Photoshop, ice cream instead of cake ;)
So about a year ago, right after Comic Con I decided to try out this whole blog thing. I wasn't too familiar with blogs, but I was inspired by tons of artists and I just wanted to make myself produce more work. So I figured I would start a blog and show my work on the web. It's been a fantastic experience, and has allowed me to meet lots of awesome artists. So to everyone who has stopped by my humble little blog, I'd like to say thank you! And I hope you enjoy this illo!

if you're in san diego this weekend....

2006-07-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

check it out!

hard 8

2006-06-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

(photoshop, painter)

I know the postings have been few, but today I have something new for you to view. Back in April and May I had the great pleasure of working with my good friend Matt Roberts and these are his character designs with a splash of color by yours truly. These guys are part of a story written by Matt for a nifty little anthology called "Hard 8" debuting this summer at Comic Con in San Diego. So if you happen to find yourself at Comic Con this July please check it out!

miss o'hara

2006-06-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

(Painter, Photoshop)

illustration friday: under the sea

2006-04-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

So the postings have been few and far between lately and I do apologize. I wish I could show you what I've been working on, but alas this cannot be so. And I know I'm cheating by posting something old of mine, but I added some new bits to it so I hope you will still enjoy it. And for those that haven't seen it before, well this post is for you! This is my entry for Illustration Friday's topic "under the sea." I thought it was fitting.

I'll be working on some new fun stuff to post here soon. But for now my blogging buddies I must bid you adieu.

illustration friday: spring

2006-04-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

Howdy everyone, here's my entry for Illustration Friday. Topic is Spring and I decided to do an Easter egg color kit. I don't think they design them like this anymore....though I haven't checked the stores. It's been a long time since I've colored eggs. I usually just wind up eating the chocolate ones.

Encouraged by the wonderfully talented Smook, I decided to include the very rough sketch along with the final painting. I wish the sketch looked nicer, but I just don't clean up my work sometimes. I usually work off of the rough sketch and already have in my mind what everything should look like. Don't know if that's the best method of doing things but it works for me most of the time.

Well I must get back to work. Happy Spring everyone!

Color Kit Painting - Painter, Photoshop
Rabbit Sketch - Tombow 2B

chocolate raspberry doodle

2006-03-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

Here's today's doodle. Partly inspired by a previous doodle of mine, and also inspired by Donnachada Daly's lovely ladies (hey that rhymes!). And I just had to name it after dessert food of course.

(Painter & Photoshop)

illustration friday: tea

2006-03-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

Ok it's time to start this month off right! Ahem....Blanquet's Blog is proud to present "Tea" for Illustration Friday!

It was hard to do this illustration without thinking about the work Mary Blair did for Alice in Wonderland. But I actually got most of my inspiration from my niece who loves to play tea party. I've been spending a lot of time with my family lately and they really are so inspirational. Hooray for family inspiration!

This has been a presentation of Blanquet's Blog Productions. Hope you enjoy the illo.

(Painter & Photoshop)

school girls

2006-02-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some character designs I worked on recently for Dave Skwarczek at Eat Your Lunch LLC. I had a lot of fun designing these gals, and overall it was a great project to be a part of. Hope you enjoy them!

(Painter & Photoshop)

first post for 2006

2006-01-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

Finally a post for the new year! I must apologize for the lack of weekly sketches and paintings. I guess that's not the best start for the new year. It's been a busy 2006 so far but it's a good kind of busy. So here are some sketches I did in December and I'm finally posting them. Thanks for making 2005 so cool my blogging buddies. I'm really looking forward to this year. More good things to come....

(Painter & Photoshop)

december sketches

2005-12-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy month but I had a chance to cafe sketch and it felt wonderful! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year too!

Christmas time is here...

2005-12-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

Today's post was a special collaboration. My fiancee drew this charming little boy and I had lots of fun painting him. It was really nice working on this with my darling.

I also wanted to announce the opening of my online shop. Blanquet's Boutique is now open for business! I started up this shop for fun and I hope you will stop by and check it out.

http://www.cafepress.com/blanquet

That's all for today folks...hope you enjoy this illo!

(Painter and Photoshop)

character design blog

2005-11-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

I was both surprised and excited when I was approached to be interviewed for Randall Sly's Character Design Blog. There are so many great artists featured here! It really is an incredible blog. It's pretty cool to be the first female featured in it too.

Here's the link: http://eren-blanquet-interview.blogspot.com/

A big thanks to Randall again for the interview!

busy busy...

2005-11-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while because I've been a wee bit busy lately. Oh but please enjoy my busy bee!

digital (Painter)

i scream you scream, we all scream...

2005-10-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

So I know the weather is getting cold but to me ice cream is good in any weather. Actually it's not really that cold here....just cloudy and kind of cold at night. And in case anyone was wondering the flavor most requested by this young lady is ...chocolate!

Neat-O-Politan ice cream was brought to you by Painter

illustration friday: cold (part 2)

2005-10-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here's my second post for Illustration Friday with yours truly and her darling featured in it. If anyone is wondering what Wayne and I are building it's a Snow Rex. Snowmen are a dime a dozen...and we think dinosaurs are cool.

digital

doodle

2005-10-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

Quick doodle for today...having fun in Painter.

digital

illustration friday: float

2005-10-03T23:32:00.000-07:00

One of these days I'm going to actually finish these illos on Friday. Hope you enjoy!

digital

the new face of evil

2005-10-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a poster I made for fun. It's for the children's book I'm currently writing and illustrating. I've been revising designs. My villain has changed a bit and this is his new face. I've been working on this project for a while now and it's so nice to see it all come together...

In other news...

It's so hard for me to keep up with all the cool blogs out there. But lately I have managed to add a few more links in the blog section. There are so many good artists...I get my dose of inspiration from them all.

prismacolor and photoshop

illustration friday: fresh

2005-09-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted an illo for Illustration Friday in a while. But I have returned with something "fresh." Working on this illo actually made me go to the kitchen, sniff around for fruit, seize and eat a sweet banana. The fruit was smiling at me, I could not resist.

happy fruit is digital

heads!

2005-09-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

I sketched out some girl heads yesterday trying to figure out a design for an upcoming illo. I decided to paint them for fun. I drew these right before my darling and I headed off to see Corpse Bride. Not everyone loved the movie but I have to say I really liked it. Don't really want to spoil it for anyone so I won't say much.

One of these girls was inspired by Cinderella. I saw the digitally restored film last week at the theater. I hadn't seen it in a long time and forgot how cool this movie was! There are so many great scenes with lots of tension as well as comic relief provided by Jaq, Gus and Lucifer. So many cool moments and of course great animation!

these sassy heads were done in Painter

beach blanquet bingo

2005-09-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Summer is supposed to be over but the weather is still nice here in so cal. This illustration was inspired by a recent trip to Laguna Beach with my darling. Although I didn't actually build a castle and he hasn't surfed in years it was still a lovely day. Many thanks to Brian, Garrett and Erich who also inspired me by coming up with the name Beach Blanquet Bingo in our online conversation.

digital

purrrr

2005-09-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a lion I painted from a drawing I did a few weeks ago for my Daniel in the Lions Den project. I added a leaf for good measure. He reminds me of how I need to get myself to the zoo and do some serious animal drawing.

digital

thursday girl

2005-09-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

This week I've been drawing the females. I have two versions of this particular girl. One with the pencil lines still visible and this one without. I liked both versions. I usually prefer rough drawings to cleaned up stuff, but I decided to go with this one.

Thursday girl is digital

monday girl

2005-08-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me why Monday girl's umbrella is so small. That's because it's her purse.

Monday girl is traditional charcoal

fishees

2005-08-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today's illustration was inspired by a little girl in my Sunday School class. Sometimes I'll ask the kids what they did over the weekend and they have all kinds of stories to tell. Well this little one told me she saw lots of fish and this is what came to my mind when she said that.

the fishees are digital

illustration friday: reflection

2005-08-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

Here's my post for Illustration Friday. The topic is reflection. I came up with a few ideas and settled on this one. The woman looking in the mirror isn't pining for her younger days. She has wrinkles and gray hair but feels young inside, and so that is what she sees.

digital

illo girl

2005-08-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

So I don't really do caricatures, but a friend of mine asked if I could do an illustration of her. I guess to the rest of the world that doesn't know this person, this is simply an illustration of a girl.

I definately admire artists who caricature and do it well!

digital

color

2005-08-18T11:51:00.001-07:00

Here are some color keys I've been working on for my book. No text, no details, no eyeballs just pure scrumptious color.

digital

mary blair study

2005-08-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting like I should....ahhhhh! That doesn't mean I'm not working on anything though folks. I'm actually working on a color key but it's not post worthy at this point.

So in the meantime enjoy this Mary Blair study that I painted when I first started using gouache. The original image can be found (pg 67) inside the book The Art and Flair of Mary Blair by John Canemaker. It was a concept painting for Disney's "The Little House" (1952). Anyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of Mary Blair. Her work is awesome and always inspires.

this study was brought to you in gouache

illustration friday: empty

2005-08-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

Here's my entry for Illustration Friday. The topic is empty. I had a hard time thinking of something. At first I was going to draw a kid eating all the cookies from a cookie jar leaving it empty. I draw (no pun intended) from my own experiences sometimes.

I wanted to do someting a little different though....a different pov. So I decided to draw a girl looking into an empty cracker box. I don't know if that comes across though. I also decided to leave the original sketch in the painting. I usually don't leave the drawing but I thought it looked kind of cool even if it isn't in perspective.

pencil lines are real, color is digital

my own illustration friday

2005-08-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

I had to repost yesterday's blog because the image wasn't clickable.

This Friday's Illustration Friday topic is "empty." Haven't started on an idea yet for that but it will come....

So instead today I'm posting an illustration I was working on for fun. It's supposed to be a girl sketching but I'm not sure if that comes across. It was supposed to be me too but then it kind of evolved into someone else. Although it looks kind of cool I wouldn't call it a success because of the points I mentioned. Oh well....must move foward.

digital

illustration friday: aging

2005-08-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick painting and a first post for Illustration Friday. The topic is aging. The first things that came to my mind were: old people, redwoods and mount rushmore (it recently had a "face lift"). But then this morning as I opened up the curtains the sunlight revealed on my desk a sheet of cake drawings I did a couple of weeks ago for my book.

That was my lightbulb moment for today. I thought hey a cake would be great! It's not necessarily something that ages, but more like something that signifies age. Like a cane, or bengay or something. I thought of putting a fire extinguisher beside the cake but decided not to. I don't even know how many candles are on it. I think over 40. Anyhow, I'm glad I stumbled upon illustration friday, this was fun to do.

cake is digital

gouache girl heads

2005-08-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

I did some quick sketches of girl heads today. I decided to paint them too. I'd like to start drawing subjects other than girls. I guess it's what I know best, being a girl and all. Oh well, at least I'm painting.

gouache (hence the name gouache girl heads)

sketchies

2005-07-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

So here are some sketches I put together from recent cafe sketching trips. I need to start exploring different tools...I want to get better. I recently saw a gallery of Glen Keane sketches and they were amazing. I have a lot of sketches of peoples backs because I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I need to try and capture the image in my head and draw from that. Another thing to get better at....which will hopefully result in better drawings....and me not getting weird looks.

bravo pen used for these folks