New Year, New Traditions, Plans & Work

Happy (Belated) New Year! The beginning of the year is always so crazy with new client budgets more work and a lot of planning ahead. I have been learning a lot lately with books and online classes. The most recent lesson that I watched was Tom Bancroft's class through Taught by a Pro. The Class is called Intro to Character Design. It was wonderful!

I am also getting ready to purchase a couple of great classes on The School of Visual Story Telling. I really appreciate all of the resources out there, and have a few channels marked on youtube. Sycra, Will Terry, Open College of the Arts and Lynn Chapman. With the wonderful technology of apple TV and apps like Vimeo and Youtube already built in, I can now draw in the sketchbook or computer and watch or listen to lesson on the big screen. Sure beats the little 2x2 square in the top corner while you are trying to draw :)

In addition to learning I have been trying to grow more as an artist and incorporate more family time as well. We purchased a couple of the Art Lab books and with 52 labs in each book we have activities to play with every week of the year! The kids love it and even my husband can get involved as well!

Hope everyone has a wonderful 2014!
Dream Big & Follow Through... Kelli

#dailydoodlers/IF-Eye Glasses

© Kelli Thrasher-Brooks

This was an Illustration that I just did last night for @danidraws Daily Doodlers Challenge. The word was "Fairytale", but it also applies to today's word "Eye Glasses". I am in the process of adding colors today and fixing it up some but I still like the raw original lines.

(You can view more amazing artists work by searching hashtag #dailydoodlers on Twitter, Instagram & Tumblr.)

New Challenge in 101 days... inspired by Dani Jones

Dream Big & Follow Through...

Still working on Sweet Squares from the lovely Challenge that Diandra Mae started back on September 3rd, 2012. It really has opened my eyes to new techniques, and really pushed me to learn more and improve in all areas.

There have been a few people who have really inspired me lately and in the past who have shared their knowledge and experiences to help out another fellow Illustrator stay straight on the path towards Children's Book Illustration. I read a good quote once (which I'll try to find later). It basically said, when you have something, use it, appreciate it and then pass it along to someone else who needs it. In a competitive market, these wonderful people have shared their knowledge and given advice to a person that they have never even met before. If you get a chance please check out their amazing talents: Aja Wells, Vanessa Newton, Rachelle Anne Miller, Renèe Kurilla, and all of the lovely people I met at the Advanced Illustrator Workshop at the Highlights Foundation in Aug/Sept. (Some of those people are listed among the links on the sidebar)

So back to my point of this Challenge, I was watching one of the videos from the talented and generous Will Terry, and learned so much in a short time that I kept researching and kept coming across the very talented Dani Jones. She has so many wonderful tutorials also & shares a ton of helpful information. I stumbled across a post this evening called: 101 Projects for Artists & Illustrators. As I read through some of the items on the list I felt a little better knowing that I had already accomplished some of these things along the way. It really inspired me to take on the challenge of the rest of these great ideas on this list. (Just so happens there are 101+ days until January 16th...)

Since the Advanced Illustrator Workshop I made a promise to myself (and my husband) that by January 2013 I will have postcards & business cards ready to mail out to publishers, magazines and art directors to see what happens. I have a few pieces to use in the promotional material, and although I have a couple of areas to continue working on, I've made great strides in a short amount of time. I am not expecting to break right into this business, but am open to spot art projects, commercial Illustrations, editorial work and maybe a children's book if my style fits with the right text. You can learn more about my background by visiting my website in progress: http://sageandgracedesigns.weebly.com/about.html

It seems like all of the puzzle pieces are suddenly falling into place, and I would be a fool to just sit on it. My motto has always been DREAM BIG & FOLLOW THROUGH... After 15 years in advertising, a life time of illustrating and over 5 years of attending SCBWI conferences (entering contests, building a portfolio and absorbing more information than a new sponge...) I am ready to push even further and see if I can check off everything on this list BY JANUARY 16th, 2013... here we go!

25+ days of Sweet Squares...

I have not finished all 30 days yet, but here is a compilation of 25 of my squares so far... started a little behind so I have a few more to go. Honesty I don't think I'll stop at 30 either.

It has been a joy doing a new drawing or trying a new technique each night and I feel that I have improved in a couple of small areas. I have many sketches and things that I've Illustrated in the past few weeks that have not made it on to the blog, but I hope to turn them from sketches to compositions soon.

Thanks Diandra Mae, for sparking more creativity in this fun challenge, and thank you Aja Wells, for your great insight & inspiration over the past couple of weeks! You have been so kind!

IF-Book / Sweet Square #24

Here is another new creation. I have been drawing like crazy in my sketchBOOK in the evenings after the kids are asleep. Tonight my husband and I watched the ballgame and I decided to fine tune and color this sketch in. Here is what I came up with...

Sweet Square #19

Great weekend. Worked on a new idea of sketching out first and then going in with detail. Have not finished the entire piece, but here is the initial concept sketch.

I think I like working this way better because it helps get you to create the entire scene and out of the rut of just creating a vignette. Really takes me back to the days of creating storyboards for commercials too...

Sweet Square #18

Sitting on the back deck over looking the golf course at my Sister in law's house. My nieces asked me to draw a picture, so I used their toy pony as a reference. Can't say that I've ever drawn from a sculpture or toy, but I like it. Lots of contrast and texture to play with.

Sweet Square #17 and IF- "Crooked"

Beautiful Friday, and what a fun word to play with!!

Decided to use today's Illustration Friday word for my Sweet Square for Diandra Mae's fun 30 day exercise: http://diandramae.blogspot.com/

IF-Imagination

Just got back from the Advanced Illustrator Workshop at Highlights this past weekend and one of the things I learned is that in order to really speak to the children you have to open your imagination and play more!

Melissa Sweet has a great explanation in the back of her book Balloons Over Broadway and we got to learn how to play 1st hand with stuffed animals during an exercise with Ruth Sanderson. Lots of people can draw, but in Children's Book Illustration we need to push our imagination a little further... and have fun!

I created this Illustration in 2010 when I designed the Logo for the Eastern PA SCBWI Pocono Retreat. They went with the owl logo, but this picture represented children's imagination in the world of books.

IF- Suspense

One thing to keep in mind when developing pages in a story, it's important to keep your reader interested.

Suspense is a great thing that you can create to make the reader eager to find out what happens on the next page...


Here are the other two pages that take place Before & After the main page...

IF-Forward

"Forward" seemed fitting for this image. I had to redraw it twice. This has been my biggest obstacle in drawing, but have found the ability to let go of the original design for the sake of making the overall illustration better... One more foot "forward" on this adventurous path of Children's Book Illustration, learning & growing.

IF- Remedy

A good remedy for the common cold, headache, or just about any illness cured by over the counter asprin... is just good old fashioned REST! Accompanied by a good book, and tall glass of pink lemonade of course.

If you are the more dramatic type throw in an ice pack too, if it makes you feel better. No matter what you do, make sure you unplug for one full day, keep a note book handy for new ideas, but leave the iphone, nook & laptop OFF! :)

IF-Rescue

Illustration Friday- "Rescue"

It's sad to see some Manatees at the Aquarium, but then you quickly realize that most of them have been RESCUED & nursed back to health rather than left in the harbor to be run over by powerboats, and tourists. Such sweet animals!

IF- Expired

This weeks word is expired. Which is just about how I feel right now :) Long day...

IF- "Adrift"

Poor Harry Hippo wandered from the herd to take a dip in the ocean & got stuck in his floaty ring. Before he knew it the current carried him out to sea........ it was a very bad day for Harry.