Tuesday Coolsday

If you like artists like Norman Rockwell and Bernie Fuchs, or any other illustrator working in the middle of the 20th century, Today's Inspiration is the blog for you.  Authored and maintained by cartoonist Leif Peng, the site pays tribute to American illustrators of the era, ranging from the Greats to the lesser known.  He goes into great detail about the artists' careers and usually scans original ads and magazines from his own collection or the collections of an artists' family members.

Having never had proper Illustration History lessons, this site has been a great resource for me.  Every day, I'm exposed to new paintings and artists, and am often treated with analysis of their work.  It's like having a daily art history class delivered right in my Google Reader.  Occasionally Mr. Peng brings in guest bloggers to discuss their areas of expertise. For example, I really enjoyed the week dedicated to Norman Rockwell (who wouldn't?), during which we get this close-up detail of one of his illustrations for Huck Finn.  I recommend you check out the archives and check it regularly!

Dangers of Cycling: Louisville Magazine

The November issue of Louisville Magazine is out, and inside you'll find one of my illustrations (so go out and buy one now, people of Kentuckiana!). 

The article, written by avid Louisville cyclist Joe Ward, draws attention to the dangers facing cyclists and the unfortunate deaths that have occurred because of drivers' negligence.

"Bicyclists on the roads are not the problem. The problem is motorists who don’t recognize their responsibility for the lives and limbs of their fellow citizens. It’s time for serious attention to the motor vehicle as a deadly missile."

Sadly, unless alcohol or excessive speed were cause for the deadly accident, the driver walks free and clear (well, except the excessive guilt they will probably live with, hopefully a la Crime and Punishment). 

Mr. Ward questions this lack of penalty and offers this solution:

"When a person kills somebody with his car and there are no mitigating circumstances, he or she should at very least lose his driver’s license for life.

Put them on bicycles. "

postscript:  These murderous drivers are the reason I have not touched my road bike since I moved to Los Angeles, where drivers are the most self involved, distracted, and ruthless of all!!

Tuesday Coolsday: Milton Glaser

"Curiously, people think that the difficulty of drawing is making things look accurate, but accuracy is the least significant part of the drawing..."  - Milton Glaser

Please watch this video. Twice.



via Drawn!

Mucha & Angry Girl

A few more little drawings inspired by my Facial Expressions Book. The top one turned out to look Mucha-esque, which i totally dig. Mucha is my hero.

Illustrated Babies

Isabella, originally uploaded by Gato81.

Hello my faithful blog readers,

Today I am announcing the launch of a brand spanking new website, www.IllustratedBabies.com!

I created this site for a few reasons:

1. I like drawing babies.*


2. People have really enjoyed giving these as gifts.


3. I like making a little extra money.


4. I wanted to build a website from XHTML and CSS (Look ma, no Dreamweaver!), because I am a giant computer nerd.

Through November 6, I am offering an introductory discounted rate of 20% off regular prices. Get your orders in before the holiday rush!

And most importantly, tell your friends! Especially if they are a new mommy or aunt or grandma!!

Cheers,

Cat

*This particular baby was a joy to draw because it's my cousin's newborn! Congratulations, Elizabeth & Mark!

Characters - now with COLOR!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've been busier than usual, so lighter on the blogging. Tonight, after a lovely evening watching the finale of Hell's Kitchen with a cup of hot chocolate, I sat down with my long forgotten sketchbook. I put some color on some old sketches and did a few new sketches based on characters in the book Facial Expressions by Mark Simon. There are some odd angles and interesting expressions in that book... I'll be doing more of these for sure.

Without further ado, a plethora of sketches. Stay tuned this weekend for something very special, just in time for the holidays!

cheers!

Tuesday Coolsday

calvin & hobbes!, originally uploaded by Elliot_M.

Easing my way back into blogging with an homage to the artist behind Calvin & Hobbes.

Cool Comic Book Artist: Bill Watterson

I dug out an old collection of Calvin & Hobbes from storage recently, and have really enjoyed re-reading some of the gems in there. It's easily the best comic strip that I have ever encountered (I also enjoy Dilbert from time to time). Not only are the writing and stories delightful and engaging, but his paintings are wonderful! There's no point in writing much more when you can read Charley Parker's wonderful review at Lines & Colors.

Before I sign off, I want to share one of my favorite strips. Enjoy!

Mail Service while RVing

Mail Service while RVing, originally uploaded by Gato81.

The senior designer for LazyDays RV's contacted me to do an illustration for their lifestyle magazine, Better RVing. She wanted something very straightforward: a mailman delivering mail to a couple at their RV. I played with color and patterns and tried to make it very pleasant and refreshing, like a glass of iced tea while you are in Key West enjoying your retirement.

Busy weekend ahead of me; I have 2 assignments due next week. I'll probably skip Tuesday Coolsday this week; but I think you'll manage.

Have a great weekend!

Welcome Back Steve Jobs

Welcome Back Steve Jobs, originally uploaded by Gato81.

A self-initiated assignment to welcome Steve back to the Apple world. It had been a while since I had done a celebrity portrait, and this was a really fun one to do. Thanks to Katy, Rachel, Alli, and Jason for posing as audience members, and to the Keynote speech on Apple.com for providing reference footage!

The only thing that bugs me is my scan. Not matter how long I fiddle with the controls, I can't get the vibrancy and subtlety of values from the actual illustration board. I have an Epson Workforce 600 - does anyone else have issues scanning with that?

It makes me want to attempt some photoshop illustrations. James O'Brien and Yuko Shimizu (to name a few) do a wonderful job of incorporating hand drawn art with beautiful textures to create pieces that appear hand-made.

I'll give it a shot in my next self-initiated piece, but in the meantime I have a few projects that need my attention.

cheers,

cat

Tuesday Coolsday

Cool Watercolorist: Manoli Lopez

This young illustrator does beautiful loose pen & ink sketches and then pains in loose, vibrant layers of watercolor and gouache (I think). As one who can't get enough of bright colors, I am absolutely in love with it. I can learn something from the looseness in her drawings; it's something I struggle with as a naturally meticulous person.

Also check out her blog - not in English, but lots of great sketchbook stuff that does not need translation.

via Design Work Life