Clear or Not?

Long time no draw! Hope everyone is doing well. Here is a piece I just made.



With the subtitle: Fearless is perseverance in the face of critics.

Is this too obscure? Can you read the image? Any suggestions for improvement? Thanks. -Lj

Coloring Contest!

Starting today and ending June 22nd, I am having a coloring contest for my picture book, Lemur Troops & Critter Groups. The contest is open to children 10 and under. All you have to do is copy the sheet above and give to a child to color. Once the sheet has been colored, scan it and email it back to me and I will be posting them in a special slideshow and album.

Each child who enters will be put into a special drawing for a chance to win a book related prize. If for some reason you can't scan it, please contact me for a way to mail it in.

Enjoy!

Your thoughts, requested.

Hello, critique friends!  I know this site has been silent for a while (and so have I) but I could really use some fresh eyes and minds.  I'd like to use these three illustrations for a promotional piece to send to art directors.  A few questions:

1) I've only ever sent normal-sized, normal-shaped postcards.  My initial thought is to just line these up (similar to above) on one postcards, maybe an oversized one.  But I wonder if the fact that there are three images might lend itself to something more creative.  Any thoughts?  Have any of you done (or seen) promotional mailings that were something other than a plain postcard? 

2) Is it distracting that the first two drawings have less-than-accurate horizon lines?  Does that bother anyone?  Should I got back in and fix that?  Or is it okay as is?

3) Do they work--individually and collectively-- well enough to be used promotionally?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!  Thanks, everyone!

2010 Goals

Happy New Year!

I hope 2009 ended well for you, both artistically and personally. In 2009, I helped start up two additional artist groups in real life: one is with two full-time artists who are business savvy women focused on keeping us accountable to our goals, and the other meets in person once a month to share progress on projects and get feedback. Its nice to work with and be inspired by other artists. I wanted to share with you bloggers some artistic goals I shared with those groups.

In 2010 I will:

1. Refresh my portfolio. Create a minimum of 3 finished pieces each month, and do a better job of getting feedback on my work from this blog and my IRL groups.

2. Network. Attend local gallery talks, workshops, studio tours, lectures, etc. Even if I go alone, I'm choosing to "do" this year instead of passively choosing to "don't."

3. Attend ICON 6 in July.

My goals are focused on creating and learning, so I'm putting the brakes on the promotion side of the biz.

Anyone else want to share their goals?

-Lindsay :)

HTML help!

Hello fellow artists! Hope you've had a productive summer. The Midwest was rather chilly, so instead of pool time I stayed indoors, rearranged my studio and got down to business. I just put up a fall blog header and buttons on my blog. Feedback is appreciated!

Does anyone have HTML experience? I am shaky, at best. My blog buttons are supposed to link up smoothly together but they have a white space between them. This is my code:






What needs to change? Thanks in advance!

-Lj

ETA: So, I'm noticing that my post shows the images and not the code, and the email shows the images with no space between them. But you'll see the problem on my blog. Argh!

Virtual Blog Tour for What's Wrong with Mud?

Hey everyone! 

My first picture book is here and I am going to host a 

Virtual Blog Tour to celebrate it's arrival!!

Would any of you care to participate?

A Virtual Blog Tour is a way for authors and illustrators to promote their new books through a

"circle of friends" and their blogs. You post an interview or some other post idea to help promote the book and the people who read  your blog see it. 

As the host of the Tour, I post at the beginning of the week, a list of all the blogs (linked) who are participating.

I will also be posting everywhere else I network too.. Twitter, Jacketflap, FB, etc....

The goal is to get the word out about the book and the author/illustrator and to create new traffic to all of the blogs who are participating!

If you would like to participate, email me @ nikki.shoemaker@yahoo.com 

and I will give you more details.

Also, I would like for you all to visit my new website

www.nikkisartroom.com

and let me know what you think!!!

There are a few things I have already noticed need work.. But feel free to give me your suggestions!

It is really a neat idea, and sort of fun too!!!

Illustrating Self Published Books

Happy May! Hope the spring months are treating you artists well!

I have a friend of a friend inquiring about my illustrations. She has no desire to be a writer, but has written a children's book and wants to self publish to give the book to friends and family as gifts. She is interested in having me do the illustrations but I have a few reservations.

Is the amount of work put into this project worth it? As someone very much still starting out, is this considered good experience and something to put into a portfolio, or is this a bad business decision? Nikki I know you have been published before, is the little-to-no-pay self published route one to try to get my feet wet?

Advice and opinions please.

Does this work better?

My final crit for our first project went well, overall. But one image needed to be fixed. Here is the original which the teacher said made the flamingo's neck look weird and not clear what he is doing:

So my redo has him more actively building the snow penguin.
Does this work better? Feedback?

Updates!

Hello, ladies! Hope the first month of 2009 went well. It's been a month since I've posted, so I had updates to share: I just started taking a 14-week "Children's Book Illustration" class at an art university, went to a local SCBWI meeting, and am starting a face-to-face illo critique group (first meeting to begin in February).

Anyone else have news?

Feedback Please

Happy Holidays! I've been working on this piece for a long time, but something needs to be tweaked and I'm not sure what it is. I'm starting to play with textures, shadows and shading. Let me know what you think needs a change.

Thanks!

Galleries!!!!

Hello artists!

I'm setting my 2009 goals now, and one is to get published. So in the effort to get my name "out there" (out where?) I'm entering some work in a nation-wide project that puts ALL entries into a gallery. I'm attaching the link to the Art House Co-op, based in Atlanta, if you are also interested. I'm participating in the Sketchbook Project (which is a traveling show) and the 10,000 project, which will be shown in Atlanta only, but 1,000 will be chosen to be printed in a book. Both entries ask for small fees.

I'll post my final pieces when they're complete. I'm still in the planning stages. :)

-Lindsay

Feeedback please

Good morning! I'm having trouble with this little boy's face. He's not "cute" yet. I'm not quite sure what to change.

-Should his mouth be open? Or not as wide?
-Teeth or no teeth?
-Should the bags under his eyes be removed?
-Dimples?

I feel like its close, but not yet there. Ideas?

-Lindsay

(12/3/08) Thanks for the feedback! Revised illo found HERE.

So much activity!

I haven't done an illustration with this many pieces in a very long time--which is partially why I want to do this piece, for practice!--but I'm not sure I'm ready to do it in color yet. The focus of the piece should be the people-- the distractions happening around the table and the bewilderment of the two kids in the middle. The food's there mainly to clarify that this is Thanksgiving... and also because, well, it's a dinner table scene.

That being said, I'm a little worried that the food might end up dominating the whole picture, or at least distracting from the people and the activity. Is that something that can be achieved through color (more contrast in the people, for instance) or should I tweak the composition itself? Actually, I'd love to hear ANY thoughts! Thanks!!

Updating website--advice, please!

Hello critique-ers! I'm working on updating my website and doing a rather hefty promotional mailing in the coming weeks (months? hmm, hope not!) and I need your help!

1) I'm planning on having the above illustration on the front page--so it needs to be great! Please share any comments or suggestions, keeping in mind that I work traditionally (pastels) rather than digitally like many other contributers here. I'll change what I can, and what I can't, I'll use for future reference--so all comments are helpful.

2) What should I consider changing on my website(www.elizabeth-metz.com)? I'm already planning the following changes:
-updating the portfolio--removing a few not-great pieces and adding some newer work.
-making the portfolio section the front page, rather than requiring you to navigate to it
-shortening the "about" page, perhaps?
-possibly removing the "contact" page and just linking to my email address

Any other thoughts?

Professional Organizations

I'm thinking about joining a professional organization for illustrators. I'd like one that will hold workshops or conferences and give useful information about marketing yourself, networking, insider tips...etc. What organizations do you belong to? Do you find the membership useful?

New Website

Hope everyone is doing well! No posts in a long time so I assume we're all busy busy with work. I know I am. :o)

Over the summer I took an HTML class to learn how to make my portfolio online. It was very basic because I am still very much a beginner in regards to web design. The first site was ok, but I know I will always want to improve it every few months. This weekend I redid the site and am looking for feedback. FYI, this is all HTML and CSS using basic Notepad. I don't know Flash or Java, and I don't have any new versions of Adobe products (yet).

The address is: http://www.lindsayjohnsondesign.com

I'm specifically looking for feedback regarding:
-layout
-ease of use
-that the text is all written in clear language
-suggestions for improvement

Thanks in advance!

-Lindsay

Warm Ups

I have decided to do little digital warm ups each day (when I am not too busy)..
I have been playing a lot with digital brushes trying to find a tad bit of texture that still allows my pieces to be clean.. I am testing for the Turtle and the Hare illos...

These are the last two days and I used two different textures.
Not bad for test illos...

I will be posting them at my main blog
www;pinkpencil.blogspot.com

So add it to your bloglines list!

Need advice

I have been working on this piece of a woman meditating on the roof of a building, and am stuck. It's a point where I am mostly happy with it, but feel like it's missing something...any thoughts would be much appreciated!  

Introduction

Hi everyone!
I'm so glad to be a part of this group. My name is Eleanor and I am an illustrator just starting out in the field. My boyfriend and I just moved out to Tempe, Arizona from New York City 2 weeks ago so he can attend grad school, which has been quite a change to say the least! I recently finished my second undergrad degree in illustration from FIT in NYC, and am trying to make a go of it as a freelancer (with daytime employment of course until I really make it). I have distributed promos and sent out my website, but am still trying to land my first job. I am mainly focusing on editorial and publishing clients the start out with, and its been really hard to get feedback on what I am doing and sending out and that is why I sought out a critique group. Thanks again for having me, and if you are curious what my work is like feel free to check out my website...www.eleanorborelli.com. I also try to do Illustration Friday every week, to keep things interesting.
Eleanor

New project

This is a piece I am working on for a promotional book I making....

Promotional book, you ask...

My husband and I have rewritten the fable The Tortoise and the Hare into a racing story and I am doing 6, maybe 8 illustrations to accompany this story that I will finish and then put together in book form. It will showcase my ability to create good compositions for the different types of illustrations, it will show how I can draw the different elements from strange and dynamic angles and display how I can move characters through a story. Then I plan to send it out to publishers and editors on my mailing list. I am hoping to send it out next spring just after my next book comes out....

This piece is Turtle making a block on Hare to take the checkered flag. 

It is a double page spread. 

Let me know what you think!