IMC - Initial Critique -

I'll try to add more IMC info/pictures if/as I have time. But intro stuff went well. I'm only half-way jet-lagged/sleep deprived. Is great to see how many people I know from last year. Plus many more new friends to make. AND I have a fan in my dorm room + one in the studio (thanks to generous friends who were driving) - so I may survive the humidity. :-)

I'm going with the steam-punk Wicked Witch of Oz (I was critiqued by Boris Vallejo and Scott Fischer)-

(I have one more revised version since this scan, but ah well - Will post as I can.)


Which my darling mom posed for when she was visiting last month. Isn't she cute? And the best.sport.ever.!!

Sunday Sketching -

I think I am feeling better. I've had three fairly long days in a row and am feeling OK. Still need to rest periodically, but less and shorter.

I am finding I can do a bit of life drawing (like my tiny Moleskine pages of nickel-sized heads from church) but am still finding illustration nearly impossible. Not so great when I have some cover comps due and NEED to get back to my IMC assignment. I leave a week from today! Gah!


It hasn't helped the drawing that there have been a number of 'life' things going one as well, including my husband returning from his 48 day Europe-business-trip and my baby's 17th birthday.... All good, but, double Gah!

Concept Sketches -

We've received our assignment list to choose from for the IMC next month.
There are three that I am interested in at least some preliminary exploration -

The first one is The Lady of the Lake (from the King Arthur mythology cycle)

That could be fun - Celtic knotwork in the border, hand lettering, lots of floaty hair...

The second one that appealed to me was a "far futuristic high-tech 0r steam-punk alt-version of the Wizard of Oz". No high tech for me, but steam punk would be fun. Mechanized flying monkeys anyone?

The last was a children's manuscript, written by the esteemed Jane Yolen of a toothfairy story - where the 'manager' had to make the nightly tooth run. Given all the steampunk outfits I was looking at, I thought it'd be fun to make him that sort of guy as well,

Now to pick one and develop further...

The Illustration Master Class -

-has just opened registration for its 2009 incarnation. I debated and deliberated a bit - it not being that many months since the *last* one, but have decided to register for this years' as well. Partly because it was just a terrific, creative kick in the pants, and partly because Charles Vess is coming as faculty this go 'round.

I've made it through more than half of the goals I came back with from the last one, and am working on most of the others. If nothing else, it should help me to continue to refine and focus my professional energies and direction.

All good.

Printer Review -

As I've mentioned in previous posts, one of the most potentially useful professional tidbits that I gleaned from the IMC was the use of a larger format Epson printer for transferring final drawings onto watercolor paper-

Previously, I have drawn my final version on tracing paper and then used a light box to trace it onto Arches coldpress paper. There is always some 'degradation' when going from the glassy smooth surface of the tissue paper to bumpy Arches, and not only does it take time to trace, but then to *fix* that transfer (and if you are drawing tiny, little faces, they don't always fare so well with all the texture), so if I can save all that transfer/fix-it time, it'll save me up to a week per book! That will justify the expense of the printer quite quickly.

So, here's my final tracing-paper sketch, almost ready to scan and clean up in Photoshop -

The Epson dealer assured me that the 140 lb coldpress that I use was not too heavy to go through this printer. It takes up to 13x19 sheets - which I have to cut to size (exactly) to fit.

Then here's my new baby, an Epson R1900 which will produce archival quality prints on heavy weight paper.

I tried several different types of papers, just to compare and see what works best. Still a few kinks to work out, but over all I am *thrilled* with the results! If this is the only tangible benefit I reap from the IMC, it will have still been totally worth it.

(detail from latest cover - face intact!)