About The Artwork difficult is a middle name of the Happy Marriage difficult is a middle name of the Happy Marriage difficult is a middle name of the Happy Marriage Original Created:2012 Subjects:Nude Materials:Paper Styles:Realism Mediums:Watercolor Details & Dimensions Painting:Watercolor on Paper Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork Size:26 W x 36 H x 0.1 D in Frame:Not Framed Ready to Hang:Not applicable Packaging:Ships in a Box Shipping & Returns Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments. Handling:Ships in a box. Artists are responsible for packaging and adhering to Saatchi Art’s packaging guidelines. Ships From:United States. Have additional questions? Please visit our help section or contact us.
About The Artwork difficult is a middle name of the Happy Marriage difficult is a middle name of the Happy Marriage difficult is a middle name of the Happy Marriage Original Created:2012 Subjects:Nude Materials:Paper Styles:Realism Mediums:Watercolor Details & Dimensions Painting:Watercolor on Paper Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork Size:26 W x 36 H x 0.1 D in Frame:Not Framed Ready to Hang:Not applicable Packaging:Ships in a Box Shipping & Returns Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments. Handling:Ships in a box. Artists are responsible for packaging and adhering to Saatchi Art’s packaging guidelines. Ships From:United States. Have additional questions? Please visit our help section or contact us.
Today I am excited to share tips about moving through blocks to finish a painting.
Sometimes you come across an illustrator and you just know in your gut that this person is going to be around for a while, illustrating your future favorite picture books. That's how I feel about Rebecca Green. Her body of work is impressive, and her illustrations in her debut picture book How to Make Friends With a Ghost are full of humor, surprises, and, of course, ghosts! I was lucky enough to get a chance to chat with Becca (as she likes to be called!) about her process, and I'm excited to share our conversation with you! About the book: What do you do when you meet a ghost? One: Provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks, like mud tarts and earwax truffles. Two: Tell your ghost bedtime stories (ghosts love to be read to). Three: Make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren't looking If you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in How to Make Friends with a Ghost, you'll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you. Peek underneath the dust jacket here. Watch the official book trailer here. Let's talk Rebecca Green! LTPB: Thanks so much for stopping by, Rebecca! I love love love this book!! RG: Thank you so much for the interview! I'm really flattered you're sharing How To Make Friends With A Ghost, and I'm grateful to be in the list alongside some of my favorite illustrators. LTPB: What was the inspiration for this story? RG: In one word: Autumn. Two years ago in September, the idea came to me as I was walking my dog and hoping for cooler days. I was feeling particularly unmotivated (having just finished a large book project) and had been commissioned to create a small illustration about October for a client. I considered illustrating a girl having cider with an animal – but that seemed boring! I thought, perhaps it can be a ghost she's having cider with and she'd read the ghost a book. And she'd probably make the ghost food. This of course begged the questions: do ghosts even drink cider? What books do they like? What would you feed them? There needs to be a guide, I thought, about ghost care to answer all of these questions! I sat down at my kitchen table and after about 8 hours, a guide was born. LTPB: Tell me about how this book evolved. Did you always envision it as a longer picture book with “chapters”? Did you always know how the book would end (I won’t completely spoil the ending!)? How many visual evolutions did the little girl and the ghost go through? RG: Though the book has gone through many evolutions, the skeleton remained intact. The original version, entitled "What To Do When A Ghost Finds You," was 28 pages, and had a beginning poem, three 'chapters', and an end poem. As I never envisioned it getting published — and because I wanted to keep it simple — I didn't feel compelled to have a punch at the end, but more of a lighthearted guide on ghost care. My husband, an English teacher, is my best sounding board. He really helped me flesh out the last part of the book. He encouraged having an ending that made the reader feel something bigger about life. I'm really glad the book has both dimensions; lightheartedness but also a sense of nostalgic melancholy in the end. I finished the first version, posted it on my website and printed 125 copies to sell. In my mind, the book was finished. I had no plans to officially submit it to publishers, but then I got a phone call. It was Tara Walker, the lovely editor from Tundra. She'd seen it on my website and wanted to publish it! I was ecstatic. They pushed to expand the book and create more content, which I was thrilled about. It allowed me to add things like dancing to Spooky Jams and giving your ghost a bubble bath in cauldron. The new version of the book transformed and blossomed into life but retained the essence of the original. It was retitled How To Make Friends With A Ghost. Bellis (the girl — you only learn her name from her name tag on one illustration!) and the ghost remained quite consistent, but I added color which helped the characters and the book transform. One of the hardest parts of the process was organizing the sections and figuring out timing and placement for the pages. Since it was my first picture book, it was so cool to see the editorial process unfold. Definitely a lot more work than I could have imagined, with every tiny detail and word dissected. I loved every minute of it, though, and am grateful for such a thorough and thoughtful team of collaborators. There was care in every facet of the book, from the jacket, to the book case, the end papers, and the stock — everything was considered. LTPB: What medium do you use for your illustrations and why? RG: For this book, I used colored pencil and a little bit of gouache. I love the mark making I get with colored pencils and the colors can remain consistent, especially when working with such a limited palette. Within the medium itself, you can find variation depending on the brand, whether or not the pencil is oil or water based, and how hard the lead is. I love mixing all of these together. LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can show us? RG: Currently, I'm in different stages of books for other authors, and I just finished a mural in the children's section of Parnassus Books, here in Nashville. I am trying to make time to write more. I have a couple of picture book ideas floating in my head, and a longer, more involved story about a character named Henri (pictured below). Working on a longer book is quite overwhelming, but I'm trying not to overly critique such a vulnerable process and instead just enjoy telling a story. My ideas always seem to bloom in Autumn, so I'm going to do my best this Fall to harness any that come my way. LTPB: The last question I’m asking all illustrators who participate in the series is, if you could have one illustrator (alive or dead) illustrate your picture book biography, who would it be and why? RG: Maira Kalman definitely. Her illustrations and words are so moving and carry such weight under bright and playful surfaces. She has an incredible way of lightheartedly portraying the heaviness of life. Whenever I'm feeling uninspired, I read or look at her work and feel instantly moved. A million thanks to Rebecca for taking time to answers some questions about her spooky, scary, super fun book! How to Make Friends With a Ghost publishes NEXT WEEK from Tundra Books! Special thanks to Rebecca and Tundra Books for use of these images (author photo courtesy of Cocco Photo).
Death is guaranteed but a ‘good’ death is not. If we want people to feel ready for the end of life we have to be honest about this
Hi again design lovers!Today I’m talking paint. White paint. Let me say up front that I’m not evaluating my like or dislike of any 1 color over the other mentio…
I was instantly entranced by Raissa Figueroa's illustrations in We Wait for the Sun, written by Dovey Johnson Roundtree and Katie McCabe, from the cover. Raissa was kind enough to chat with me about both this book and her general process, and I'm thrilled to share that with you all today! Enjoy! About the book: In the hour before dawn, Dovey Mae and Grandma Rachel step into the cool, damp night on a secret mission: to find the sweetest, ripest blackberries that grow deep in the woods. But the nighttime holds a thousand sounds--and a thousand shadows--and Dovey Mae is frightened of the dark. But with the fierce and fearless Grandma Rachel at her side, the woods turn magical, and berry picking becomes an enchanting adventure that ends with the beauty and power of the sunrise. A cherished memory from Dovey Johnson Roundtree's childhood, this magical experience speaks to the joy that pulsed through her life, even under the shadow of Jim Crow. With Grandma Rachel's lessons as her guiding light, Dovey Mae would go on to become a trailblazer of the civil rights movement--fighting for justice and equality in the military, the courtroom, and the church. Let's talk Raissa Figueroa! LTPB: How did you become the illustrator of We Wait for the Sun? What is your personal connection to this story? RF: I got a call from my agent asking me if I was interested in speaking with my now-editors Mekisha Telfer and Connie Hsu about the project. It was there they went into detail about the background of the book and how it was being revisited and revitalized into several different projects; they had acquired the rights to the children’s book. After hearing a brief synopsis I instantly fell in love with the story and the quiet, loving moment shared between Dovey and her Grandma Rachel. I was then tasked with creating a sample image before I was confirmed for the project. It was a nailbiter! But I was beyond overjoyed when I got the call saying I had the job! LTPB: Did you have a clear vision of what the illustrations would look like when you saw the manuscript? What were you most excited to illustrate? What was the biggest challenge? RF: This was only my second children’s book at the time so I was still new to the entire process of creating illustrations from a manuscript. I began with pretty tight sketches (I remember being preoccupied with proving that I could draw and was the right choice for the project) which were revised a few times before I could go to final. The one spread that proved to be the most challenging for me to paint (because of the difficult perspective) and had gone through the most revisions ended up being one of my favorite final illustrations. A huge thank you to my creative director Beth Clark for getting me through the woods, no pun intended. LTPB: What kind of research did you do for this book? As you got to know Dovey’s story, how did your illustrations change? RF: I remember doing a lot of research into the manner of dress and the kinds of housing that were typical for the times. Because most of the book was set outdoors, I knew I could take a lot of liberties with what the woods looked like. Funny enough I took a trip to Georgia recently and was disappointed I had not done so sooner. I’m from San Diego but went to school up in northern California. Even so, our forest looks completely different from the lush, green landscape of the south. You definitely have to see it to believe! LTPB: What did you use to create the illustrations in this book? Is this your preferred medium? How does your process change from book to book? RF: For my first book I had used a Wacom Tablet and Photoshop to make the illustrations, but this would become the first time I used my Ipad and Procreate to go from sketch to finals. I’ve since made the switch to an Ipad Pro because of the extra screen real estate you get (it really does make a difference!) and haven’t looked back. It allows me to be ultra portable and you can’t beat Procreate’s price for all of the features you get! It’s been my preferred medium of choice for all the books I’ve completed since then, and I don’t see myself going back to a Wacom/Photoshop. Lately I’ve been doing a lot more traditional/digital blends in my pieces as I try to navigate acrylics, watercolor, pastels, and inks. Ironically enough I used to be intimidated by digital media and now the reverse is true. LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can show us? RF: I just wrapped up on a very special project and have a couple more on the backburner. I believe the only one (or at least the only one that I’m aware of at this moment) that has been publicly announced though is Real to Me, by Minh Le. I have two more books coming out this year: Princess Inc and The More the Merrier, but I don’t think that the covers have been released yet! Sorry about the vagueness, but you can’t be too careful LOL In the meantime you can follow my experiments via instagram @rizzyfig. LTPB: If you got the chance to write your own picture book autobiography, who (dead or alive!) would you want to illustrate it, and why? RF: One of the books I’m working on now is going to be written and illustrated by me, so I’m pretty stoked about it. I can’t share any details yet either, but just know it will be a very touching, tender, book, not unlike Dovey’s story. Thank you so much to Raissa for talking to me about this incredible book! We Wait for the Sun published last month from Roaring Brook Press! Special thanks to Raissa and Roaring Brook for use of these images! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, visit my policies & disclosures page
I learned in a quick hurry that your body is no longer your own after a baby. You are now the life source for your lil one (if you choose to bf) and if you had sweet images of feeding like I had, WRONG. I pictured it as a sweet bonding moment laying in a…
History is full of atrocities committed by Christians for Christ, against not just other religions but against Christian themselves.
I was thrilled to connect with French illustrator Seng Soun Ratanavanh about her illustrations for the third Miyuki picture book Thank You, Miyuki, written by Roxane Marie Galliez! Anyone familiar with Seng Soun's work knows her illustrations are inspired by Japanese art and full of brightly patterned colors, and anyone who knows Miyuki knows they're in for a treat with this newest adventure. Enjoy our chat! About the book: Miyuki's curiosity is piqued by her grandfather's morning meditation routine, and she is eager to learn this new skill. Her wise and patient grandfather first takes her on a walk in the garden. "When do we start to meditate?" she asks repeatedly. Grandfather enjoys the warm sun and stops to smell a rose, inviting Miyuki to join him. Their walk in the garden, filled with many tender moments, heightens their gratitude for each other and for the world around them. Miyuki comes to understand that in the small acts of mindfulness throughout her day, she learned how to meditate. Let's talk Seng Soun Ratanavanh! LTPB: All of your books feature bold and colorful patterns -- how did this come to be your signature style? What conscious efforts do you make to connect the Miyuki books? SSR: Patience, Miyuki was my very first experience of illustration for a picture book. Roxane Marie Galliez’s text has the classic form of a tale that tells of a journey and whose characters are a little Japanese girl and her grandfather. But to me, nature is the third full character in the story. Miyuki addresses elements of nature that resonate with her and introduces the reader to a lush imaginary world. I wanted to reinforce this imaginary side by playing with the the scale of characters and the size of the birds. The Japanese name of "Miyuki" also determined many choices for the graphic universe, specifically the technique: I wanted, above all, to work on white paper. I also wanted to refer to Asian art by following the idea that "builds / forms the full by the void." In my illustrations for Miyuki's adventures, white is the most important color. It is the white of the paper which cuts out shapes and reveals colors by contrast. I also wanted to refer to the art of Japanese prints by removing perspective and putting all the elements of the image on a single plane. I wanted to create a Japanese universe not so much by the landscape but by using elements and objects of Japanese culture such as: daruma, kokeshi, koinoboris, kimono, sandals, pine, and of course the pattern. It was an incredible opportunity to work with Japanese fabric and paper patterns which are graphically and incredibly beautiful and diverse! For Miyuki, I took my daughter as a model and her bob hairstyle (like a helmet), and for the grandfather I took Miyagi San as inspiration from the film Karate Kid of which, I admit, I was a teenage fan. I tried to keep all of these graphic elements and choices as a common thread in the three Miyuki books. LTPB: What did you use to create the illustrations in this book? Is this your preferred medium? How does your process change from book to book? SSR: For the Miyuki books, I used watercolor; very diluted gouache and colored pencils on paper. But I like to adapt the technique to the project and to the text. For example, in My Island, on each illustration I used red thread that I sewed directly on the paper that surrounds one or more elements of the image. The text speaks of this "island" which can take multiple forms and which children make and take for refuge or as a creative space. I wanted to materialize the process of imagination and creation by sewing this red thread, as when one weaves or embroiders, to invent worlds and stories. Happy Days is about two children who try to revive the memory of their missing mother through the Hanami party. I decided to use as support for my illustrations, wood and acrylic paint. In each image, the shapes of objects are left empty, and the wood reveals, like an imprint of absence, of emptiness, such as the absence of this missing mother. LTPB: What are you working on now? Hopefully another Miyuki book?? SSR: I have just finished a very long project Gaspard dans la nuit which is very particular for me, in which I am also and for the first time the author. Princeton Architectural Press will be publishing it in 2021. It is an incredibly rich and very inspiring experience that I owe to my precious editor, who pushed and guided me to attempt the adventure of a project as a whole, by creating both the text and images. And I'm currently working on a new book, which is a continuation of a haikus collection about the seasons. In addition, I work regularly for the DJECO brand on projects for toys, puzzles, objects, stationery. I do have a lot of projects pending but currently not for a Miyuki sequel, but who knows what the future holds? LTPB: If you got the chance to write your own picture book autobiography, who (dead or alive!) would you want to illustrate it, and why? SSR: Personally, I don't think I have a sufficiently interesting life for an autobiography, but if by your question you asked me who are the illustrators whose work I admire, there are many! If I listened to the child in me, I would say Sempé because he marked my childhood with the drawings of little Nicolas which are incredibly accurate. From an illustrator's point of view, I would evoke the work of Lisbeth Zwerger. A million thanks to Seng for taking time to answer some questions! Thank You, Miyuki published earlier this month from Princeton Architectural Press! Special thanks to Seng and Princeton Architectural Press for use of these images! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, visit my policies & disclosures page
Interview with author and illustrator Felicita Sala about her illustration and book design process
Let's talk about the paper and the brushes.
Most people bristle at the prospect of seeing updates or remakes of their favorite childhood books, shows or movies. Digital artist and Illustrator Tyson Murphy, however, has recreated a few scenes from a couple of classic Disney movies that will, despite their new look, reignite your love for the classics. His illustrations are both true to the classics and true to Murphy's creative vision.
If you haven’t watched this Netflix show, you’re missing a wild, completely unpredictable journey.
A thriller for anyone who has developed an unhealthy bond with Alexa.
Michelle Daisley Moffitt's Clash Painting is today's featured art. Click for more, including a link to purchase.
Painted Brick Digital Marketing Agency is based in Scottsdale Arizona and specializes in Brand Building, Campaign Strategy, Media Buying and SEO. Better.
Reading Oge Mora's author debut Thank You, Omu! is like eating a hearty soup while wrapped in a blanket with your family all around you. It makes you feel warm, safe, and loved, and it reminds us that kindness comes in all shapes and sizes, even stew-shaped sizes. And, of course, it reminds us that lifting up a community and bringing people together over a tasty meal can never steer you wrong. It was a blast chatting with Oge about this book and her personal connections to it, and I'm thrilled to share that conversation with you all today. About the book: Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself? Let's talk Oge Mora! LTPB: Did you approach this book any differently because it's such a personal story? What has been most special about your process for this book? OM: Well, I definitely approached it like I did any other story. The great thing about my time at RISD was that I really had an opportunity to find the right balance between being personal but also somewhat removed. I use my own experiences as a narrative foundation and weave my stories on top of it. For me, it’s the only way to write. You got to come from a perspective that you know intimately, and people can feel when you do. I never want to feel like I am holding back in regards to my work. Honesty and open expression are important to me. What has been so special about the process is when you put your heart out there, people share their hearts with you. I was at a story time last Monday when a woman came to me afterwards and shared her memories of her own grandmother with me. It was incredibly special, and the experience reminded me why speaking from the heart is so important. I like to get my work to a certain level of completion, leave everything unglued and have it sit in my studio for a week or two. I think I have some of my biggest discoveries when I step away for a bit. So while I can pull the larger elements together quickly, I really might spend a month on finding the right pattern for a pot holder. I can't tell you how happy I was to find the old map I used for the one in Omu! Definitely did a happy dance! LTPB: This is your author debut, right? What differences have you found between creating a picture book on your own (text and illustrations) versus illustrating someone else’s text? OM: I get this question a lot, but to be honest, I don’t think about it much. Since I went to school for illustration I definitely felt more prepared to do to other people’s stories over my own. It is a different process, but I actually really enjoy solely illustrating almost as much as doing my own work. People imagine stories I never would have thought about, and so it is a great opportunity to challenge myself artistically. LTPB: What did you use to create the illustrations in this book? Is this your preferred medium? How does your process change from book to book? OM: I use pretty much every kind of paper I can get my hands on, but I primarily paint or engineer most of my patterned paper. I really love to collage, but I think I enjoy painting a tad bit more. Hopefully I’ll have a opportunity to paint a book soon! I don’t think people will notice the difference too much because I add collage elements to my paintings, but I would! I hope with every book I do, I will look at the heart of it and adapt my style to it. What color palette captures it best? What papers align with the story? Do I need to paint it or collage it? Does it need to be detailed or more expressive? These are all things I take into account. LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can tell us about The Oldest Student? OM: I’m currently working on my next book with Little Brown and on The Oldest Student. I don’t want to reveal too much obviously, but The Oldest Student is such a incredible story. A young Mary Walker received a bible from a missionary and was told that her civil rights were in the pages. It would be years before she would get an opportunity to read and see for herself. I love the story because it reminds us how essential and powerful the gift of literacy is. Reading opens up the world, and I think it would be nice for kids to see someone much older than them go through that journey. A lot of nonfiction stories, especially African-American ones, are about major figures like Martin Luther King or the Williams sisters. And there is nothing wrong with that! There are really some incredible books out there. I just really loved how this was the story of an ordinary woman and her extraordinary personal achievement. The Mary Walkers are often overlooked in history, and I am excited to have an opportunity to illuminate their narratives. LTPB: If you were to write your picture book autobiography, who (dead or alive!) would you want to illustrate it, and why? OM: What an incredibly fun question! Wow that is really hard… I think since I’m so young it’s kinda difficult to imagine my own autobiography! I think I would probably go with either Melissa Sweet or Sean Qualls. Melissa because she makes amazing nonfiction works, and we share an affinity for old papers/book scraps. Sean because his paintings are bold and colorful, and I’d like my autobiography to have that vibe. I truly admire their work. Sorry for picking two! Thank you so much to Oge for talking to me about her author debut! Thank You, Omu! published from Little Brown earlier this month! Special thanks to Oge and Little Brown for use of these images! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, visit my policies & disclosures page
Today's post showcases works by the painter, illustrator, and poster artist Vladimir Bobritsky (or Bobri, as he came to be known). Born in a wealthy family in Kharkov, Ukraine, in 1898, he studied at the Imperial Art School until the Russian Revolution began. During the ensuing civil war, Bobritsky fought on various sides before managing to escape to Turkey in 1917 using a handmade Polish passport skillfully forged by himself. For a few years he wandered in different areas of Greece and Turkey, while supporting himself with a variety of jobs such as painting icons and signs, designing theater sets and movie posters,and playing the piano. Bobritsky kept records of all his travels by constantly sketching his surroundings, and in 1921 earned his passage to the US by designing sets and costumes for a Russian ballet in Istanbul. Ads for Koret handbags, 1940 After arriving in New York Bobritsky held various jobs including art director at Saks Fifth Avenue, and soon found himself with enough clients to embark on a freelance illustrator career. By the 1930s Bobri, as he had begun to sign his name, was a leading illustrator working in fashion, magazines and advertising. His accounts included Hanes, Koret and Avon; he frequently contributed to Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, McCall's and designed seven covers for The New Yorker. A Kiss Is Round by Blossom Budney, 1954 In the 40's and 50's Bobry began to also produce llustrations for children's books, some of which have since become classics. His style was simple, elegant and bold. Let's Talk About Right and Wrong by Dorothy K. Kripke, 1955 Sleepy Book by Charlotte Zolotow, 1958 The Whiskers of Ho Ho by William Littlefield, 1958 Icebergs by Roma Gans, 1964 Early 1960s ads for Hanes seamless stockings Illustrations for The Guitar Review As a young man Bobri had learned from gypsies to play the guitar, and this passion continued all his life. In 1936 he was among the founders of The New York Society of the Classic Guitar, and served as editor or art director of its publication The Guitar Review until 1985. Other notable visual artists in the group were Gregory d'Alessio, George Giusti and Antonio Petruccelli. Vladimir Bobri lost his life in a house fire in 1986 that also sadly destroyed most of his works.