SCBWI - Paper Scribbles

I've christened this exercise 'Paper Scribbles'. Kevin Hawkes spent the second half of the lecture that we had with him coaching us through this imagination exercise and since I'm pro-imagination and want all my readers to use theirs more deliberately I decided this needed its own blog post.

If you are hard at work on this assignment you should look like this.
Kevin mosied in and out of the aisles giving critiques and chatting. He told me I have amazing color sense, so given that that comment was based on three random sheets of paper I happened to throw on a page, I'm going to hold onto it like it's iron clad truth. Haha.

• You will need:
  Something to cut with: scissors or an Exacto
  Something to stick with: A glue stick, Rubber Cement, Elmer's
  A stack of colored paper
  A medium that takes you out of your comfort zone, I chose chalk pastels because I am dumb when it comes to using them. Find something that speaks to you like that.
  
  
• Here's what you do:
  Pick three colors that are bright and happy from your bouquet of paper
  Cut and tear the paper into random shapes
  Glue them on the paper in a way that gets your creativity on the bus
  Using your new medium create a happy illustration incorporating your random shapes.
  
  
• Try doing this with different papers that evoke different feelings. Use scary colors to make a nightmare of a picture, etc.
  
  
• If you get a chance to do this exercise let me know about it in the comments on my blog! I'd love to see what you come up with.
  
  
  Start at the very beginning:
  3 colors. 3 shapes.
  

make them into something.
Draw on your idea a little more.

Fin.

Prilly's Petals

My kid sister is in town for the week. April flew in to have a fun filled New York vacation, but we get to call this a business trip because we're branding her new company while she's here. We tried to get a logo drafted in Montana last month but the designs I did while we were there were "stupid" (her words, not mine). At 22, as a first time entrepreneur, she's not looking for advice but for a minion. She knows what she wants and she wants it now.

After fighting back and forth between her vision and my expertise I decided we'd do best to stow the pencils and head out for some inspiration.

Autumn might be better somewhere other than Brooklyn, but then you wouldn't be in Brooklyn and that be a shame.

Sister time found us on the B71 headed for Grand Army Plaza, where we jumped off and tiptoed a block and a half to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Sunday was a pretty fancy day for the Gardens.

We're gearing up for Halloween here in Brooklyn, and the gardens weren't to be out done.

April and I found ourselves face to face with Ghouls and Gourds and costumes and roses and enough inspiration to fill our cups that they runneth over.

We spent all day walking and walking and chatting and making masks and running and eating apples and shutterbugging.
Sissy-time hasn't been this good since long beachy days in Hawaii. Finally! We found the perfect place for our powers combined - April's flower arranging genius and my sketchiness finally met middle at the BBG, and a perfectly harmonious day ensued.
When we got home I decided to treat Prilly like a real client. I gave her my "this is good design" lecture. I reminded her about everything we saw all day. Then I handed her some 120 pound and let her try to explain what was in her head. Here's some April Alvarez drawings, making their debut right here.

A set of April Alvarez originals:

After taking a look at what the client drew up I stole this swatch from the upper right-hand corner. This is the picture of potential my friends!

Yay for artsy little sisters who are stubborn enough to win their battles!

The Garden variety was just what we needed!

I made her spell it Prillies, because I think it looks cooler with the double is. She has spelled it Prilly's her entire life. Now I realize I am being "stupid," (my words, not hers). So the next step is taking this back down to the way the poor kid spells her name.

I'm in development mode. Check back to see this new break-out flower designer's star in lights or at least roses later this week.

listening to right this second: "Jai Ho! " -- Pussycat Dolls

Circle, Circle, Dot, Dot

Yesterday I decided there was no way I was going to tough out Illustration Friday this week.

Germs are so not my thing. I closed my laptop, hoping next week's theme would be "chubby birds and flowers" or
"Skinny GIrls in Fancy Dresses".

This morning walking through an old mining shaft (have I mentioned I freaking love Montana?) I was hit with a 'soup for brains moment.' --Duh.I did these designs two weeks ago to compliment a cirque series I recently added to my licensing portfolio.
They're totally germy!I'm happy this worked out so well because I love using any potentially appropriate moment to share this oldie but goodie. This was originally introduced to me by the Duchess of Justice.
As usual she hit her target audience square on the head.

It's the first thing my mind shoots to when I think of germs.
Happy weekend. Don't forget to get vaccinated, for yourself and for the world.

listening to right this second: "Dirty Laundry" -- Bitter:Sweet

Step into My Studio

Welcome #1 - to my thought process...

When I was barely green and fresh out of college I was lucky enough to work on an intimate five person design team for the first season of Pinky Dinky Doo.
I rarely pull out this old portfolio, but thought I'd show you a bit about what I'm talking about.

Here's BeckyBot - a babysitter robot of course!
If you look closely you can see what she's made out of, well other than hard work and a teenage dedication to the watching of young children.

Her head is a trashcan that I cut and modified and colored to fit just so. Her wrist cuffs are the seal on a light bulb. Her legs are from a fire place mantle and her body's a salad bowl.

Did I mention that I freaking loved this gig? because did I ever!
If my dust bunnies were this cute, I wouldn't ever sweep.(Let's be honest, they aren't and I don't.)

Welcome #2 - to my newest project
I'm at the beginning of concepts for a new childrens book I'll be doing in an evolved style that has it's roots in this idea of photo collage.

The front door of this house is a huge and important factor for this new book, luckily I live in the most picturesque bit of Brooklyn a girl could hope to habitat.

Welcome #3 - to my neighborhood
These were all taken within a three block radius from my bit of brownstone.
Which do you think is most welcoming?

P.S. One of these doors is mine! - 3 points to anyone who can guess which.