Tuesday Coolsday - Mary GrandPrè

images courtesy of www.scholastic.com

Apologies for the absense, I was back in my hometown of Louisville last week celebrating my mother's birthday.  Now I'm back to it.

I've mentioned in the past that I'm reading the Harry Potter series, and I have to admit I'm enjoying the nightly escape into the magical world of Hogwarts, Muggles, and Quidditch. I'm five books into the series and am looking forward to seeing how everything wraps up in the end.

One thing I love about these books are the illustrations by Mary GrandPrè.  Most people will recognize her vibrant cover illustrations, and I urge you to look at them closely.  There's a lot going on, and the attention to detail is impeccable.

As cool as the cover illos are, I have to give props to the beautiful chapter illustrations.  These tiny drawings (that most people don't give a second thought) are like mini masterpieces.  The compositions are balanced yet dynamic, the values are spot on, and careful attention is paid to every millimeter of the small artwork.  Brilliant.

Thirty (30) of these mini masterpieces are completed in a timespan of only 3 weeks, according to this great interview about her work on the Harry Potter series.

All of her illustrations (which can be seen on her website) have vibrant color, interesting shapes, and strong value, all of which I strive for in my own work.  She is a new addition to my list of inspirational female illustrators.

I have another assignment for Better RVing Magazine in the works; hopefully I can summon her creativity for my own piece!

Cheers!