Springtime News!
Finally, I can tell you about my new book project!
I deliberately skipped sending anything out on April 1st because I care deeply about you, my friends. Generally speaking, I’ve learned to avoid most of the internet on April Fool’s Day because I don’t understand this day, and therefore I won’t respond to it.
Publisher’s Weekly!
And anyway, this month brings some real news! I’m now able to share my first ever deal announcement on Publisher’s Weekly! Have I used enough exclamation points?!
It is very cool to see my name and face up on the list of upcoming releases. Beth Elliott has written an amazing story, and it has been super fun to illustrate her words. I hope I’m able to do it justice! More soon!
A Look Back at Folktale Week 2024
Here’s an exercise that I found helpful: Instead of scraping the edges of my skull for new ideas, I revisited my older pieces and gave them a reboot. There was way less stress-farting involved.
Below is a digital piece I did back in 2024 for Folktale Week and an updated version done in gouache, watercolours, and ink.
I was so happy to see how much I’ve grown in just two years. A lot of my hesitant strokes and weird colour choices are gone. Unfortunately, these have been replaced by a whole different set of technical anxieties. But still, it’s great to see where I started and where I am now.
It’s like looking back at your high school photos and saying, “Whew! Thank goodness I don’t have to pretend that I hate boy bands anymore.” Because I really do love boy bands. ;_;
A Little Too Much Back and Forth
Working with digital and traditional tools together has been a really interesting adventure, too. In the beginning, I struggled with having to pick one or the other, but as I dug deeper and experimented more, it seemed like I might be able to have my cake and eat it, too. What a bi-curious feeling!
I’m learning to go back and forth between paper and the screen. Although, sometimes maybe there is a little too much back and forth and back and forth…
For this piece, I started with a loose idea in my sketchbook in pencil, then I brought it into the iPad, then brought it back out onto printer paper, then used a lightbox to get it onto watercolour paper. Then I made a digital draft on the iPad to test my colour palette. Then I painted the final in gouache and acrylic ink, scanned it back into Photoshop to adjust the levels. Did that make you dizzy? Sorry. Are you okay?
It’s horribly inefficient, but I’m working on that part. Especially these days where it feels like we all need to be churning things out like an evening after a plate of Norovirus-infected seafood, it’s actually kind of nice to slow things down and digest the details.
The next steps are a few more practice pieces, and then slowly editing the steps to waste less energy and time.
Resources!
To compliment my explorations, I’ve also been studying OPP (Other People’s Processes) and trying out methods here and there for myself.
Of course Domestika has pulled me into their complex web of deep discounts, free credits, and limited-time-only pricing. I signed up for their Plus level once a few years ago, and it’s been an ongoing “status: undefined” relationship since then. I think of Domestika whenever I hear “Casual” by Chappell Roan—but who is the sea monster?
Anyway, I hate to admit that I fell for it, but I’m happy to report that these courses were very much worth the marketing tricks. I’m sharing them with you in case you would also like to take a peek into OPP.
“Painting Nature Portraits with Mixed Illustration Techniques” by Alexandra Finkeldey
“Character Creation for Illustrated Books with Watercolor” by Lorenzo Sangió
“Modern Urban Sketching Techniques with Mixed Media” by Jenny Adam
Okay, that’s all for now! See you next month! I love you all!