Today’s drawing to reflect the day. It’s good to have a silly silly dog who doesn’t care about things that people care about… cuz he’s … a DOG!
Author Archives: Lisa
Life is strange…sometimes
Today’s sketch of the day. Something we all know about I’m sure. Life being weird… especially when you’re super sleep deprived…
Filed under Sketchbook & Projects
Working, working, working day and night…
Today’s drawing to reflect the day:
Filed under Sketchbook & Projects
Sleepers Awake!
It’s getting there, it’s getting warmer…the sleepers are wakening…
Filed under Sketchbook & Projects
It’s sunny out and I’m feeling musical
Yes, yes, the second the sun comes out here in Vancouver magical things happen. Music starts playing and children start to sing. Hurray hurray, summer is not far away! Some quick spring celebratory drawings.
Filed under Sketchbook & Projects
Yay! I’m in the 3×3 Directory!
So if you know 3×3 you will know that it’s one of the coolest illustration mags out there and so you’d thus also be preeeety stoked to be included in the directory that they put out every year!
Yesssss! I’m in the 2012 3×3 directory and they even gave me a full spread for my illustration! Awesome! I had been waiting for it to get here and it came right the day before my birthday! What a great present!
Here is the original image as well as the image as it appears in the directory.
Here is what the 2012 directory looks like from the front (no no this image is not by me)
Filed under News | Sketchbook & Projects
My ‘Hello Vancouver Postcards’ are on Zealous
I was asked a while back if zealous.co could use some of my images for their portfolio site. Well, here they are up along with some preeeety cool other artists work. It’s fun site to browse around a bit. So many different genres, styles and techniques. Neat.
Filed under News
Trees drawn in sunnier times
This past summer I went on a few really great camping trips with some really great people. During one of these I had decided to draw a tree at all the different spots we’d camp at. And so I did. Of course just like all my other sketches, they never got to be posted up on the ‘sketchblog’. Until today that is.
I decided to leave the pages as they are so you can see through them and in some cases see what came before the previous drawing and so on. I can’t wait until it’s summer again. I am not a cold weather person to say the least, putting these trees up here is making me feel a bit more summery already. The last two trees (the one you can see on the right last page and the one you can see through on the left but is nowhere in shown here in full) are my favorite really. I drew them both with a headlamp on in the dark, next to a fire while listening to one of my camping buds read ‘The Quick and the Dead’ out loud.
Filed under Sketchbook & Projects
New years resolution…
…try to put up more actual work in progress, sketches and doodles! If you would be in my studio and look at all my sketchbooks and papers you’d know HOW MUCH work I have! Of course because I am always thinking of it not being ‘finished enough’ etc.. and so I don’t put them up… I should change this. I will try. So here’s a drawing I made in a sketchbook a couple of weeks ago and then I coloured it in today. Hurrah, I love days off where I have time to play! 
Filed under Sketchbook & Projects
Christmas Panni
Over the holidays I finally got some time to relax, hang about and do some long needed drawing (without working on a specific project). ‘Aimless’ drawing is so important to me! Man is it ever. Anyhoooo… here’s one that I liked a lot so I coloured it in. It’s my cute little (but really not little at all) dog Pancake. All cozy and curled up like a Christmas stollen. Merry happy holidays!
Filed under Sketchbook & Projects
Draw Me A Lion!
So yes, It’s quite funny but I don’t believe I have posted anything about this here yet. I have opened up a little online shop called Draw Me A Lion. The launch for it was at Collage Collage here in Vancouver about a month and a half ago and went great! I have been working on this project for the last year and now it is finally happening. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about it. Our products are already being carried in two fantastic shops here in Vancouver and that’s just the beginning!
Do check it out sometime. It is very special to me my little shop and I have created some things that I would have liked to have myself when I was little.
Filed under News
Class: Our Awesome Pirate Model Guy!
Back from the Christmas snooze and now I finally have some time to post some things I’ve been meaning to! For example, these pics here from my last class that I had in this year, namely my Illustration for Picture Book Portfolio class. I decided that it would be great to draw a model from life and more specifically so, a pirate. I read my students a part of a pirate story for inspiration and then asked them to either illustrate this one or another pirate involving story, using the model as a starting point. I had asked for a whole bunch of outlandish prop requests and thinking that they probably could not be fulfilled I had lugged a huge bag of things along with me. Little did I know that we were going to have the most prepared and versatile model ever! His name was Guy and he did the best poses, brought his own amazing children’s pirate costume (that fit him), down to the earring, eye-patch and plastic gun and didn’t even have a problem with me asking him to put gross fake plastic teeth in for some of the poses. I’m pretty certain he was the best model I’ve ever had! The only thing that was a little sad was that I didn’t get a chance to draw him since I was teaching. There was a part where everyone seemed to be doing good and so I couldn’t help but do a couple of quick sketches. Which I’m posting here. 
Filed under Sketchbook & Projects
Illustration for Picture Books (level 1) Course Outline
ILLUSTRATION FOR CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS (LEVEL 1)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
You love children’s picture book illustrations and want to create your own, but what exactly is Children’s Picture Book Illustration? This Class will introduce you to classic and current key work in this art form, help you to develop your own unique style, teach you what to keep in mind when creating an effective illustration and main character and much more.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES & OBJECTIVES
- Establish a knowledge base of important work and artists in the field, covering both classics as well as contemporary work.
- Expand your knowledge of what a picture book and picture book illustration is.
- Create effective illustrations and main characters
- Utilize pen and brush amongst other methods to create diverse styles of illustration
- Become familiar with some components of Photoshop to help you create and send images digitally
- Employ storyboarding and composition techniques
- Become aware of layout, pacing of a story, as well the concept of the book as a whole.
- Take into consideration synergy of text and image
- Become more familiar and aware of your own illustration style(s)
- Become familiar with the practical side; logistics and important habits to develop in the profession
- Know what to keep in mind when approaching publishers, and developing your portfolio
- Learn how to improve your illustrations through use of perspective, angles and use of shadow and light.
COURSE METHOD
- Slide presentations and lectures
- Hardcopy and/or online handouts are provided
- Additional resources are provided weekly via instructor’s blog on children’s picture book illustration
- http://iheartpicturebooks.blogspot.com/
- Presentations and lectures
- Demonstrations
- In class hands on exercises
- Take-home research and technique assignments
- Group and individual- critique and pointers
- Learn on location: Field trip to local bookstore
- Reviews and Critiques
COURSE CONTENT
- Sketching and Drawing/ with attention to composition, layout, text placement and angles.
- Experimenting with brushwork, pen and ink, mixed media
- Studying of key artists and books —classic and contemporary— for examples of style and technique
- Reproducing and altering illustration styles to help develop and enrich your own style
- Computer basics: coloring, scanning, layers, colour modes, final file preparation
- In class character development exercises
- Illustrating various pieces of text
- Illustrating the same text in various ways and styles.
REQUIREMENTS
To successfully complete the course, students are expected to complete all assignments according to the instructor’s stated requirements, attend at least %85 of the classes and participate actively in discussions and critiques.
FURTHER REQUIREMENTS
- Drawing experience of minimum drawing 101 class or equivalent
- Completion of exercises and assignments
- Positive and motivated attitude
- Punctual attendance of classes
ASSESSMENT METHODS
- Attendance and participation in class
- Participation in all exercises, critiques and discussions
- Completion of all assignments within a specified deadline
SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENTARY BOOKS
1)Illustrating Children’s Books’ (By Martin Salisbury, Barron’s, 28.99$)
2)‘How to be an Illustrator’ (By Darrel Rees, Laurence King publishing, ~ 30$)
*both should be available at Oscars Artbooks on Broadway
STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BRING TO EACH CLASS
- a small selection of pens, pencils, markers, etc,.. that they like to work with.
- a sketchbook or loose pages of paper
- homework assignments from the previous class
SCHEDULE OF INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY
Session 1
*Note: We will be working with ink in the first session. Please prepare for this in your attire should you be person who is prone to spill … ink does not wash out easily.
- Introduction of students and teacher
- Go over Course outline and goal expectations/ supplementary blog
- What is the Picture Book? (Handout)
- The many faces of the Picture Book
- What we will concentrate on
In Class exercises:
- Character Development exercise. (Handout)
- The importance of drawing /Techniques. Ink, brush and pens. Thickness of line/line variation (Handout)
- Story developing exercise/ Let your character tell you a story! (Handout)
Go over Homework assignment
Session 2
-Lecture/Image presentation:
- A brief history of the children’s picture book and It’s most renowned illustrators
- Learn through example. Images of classic and contemporary illustrators/authors, their work and lives
- How do you ‘draw for children’?
- Why illustration should be taken seriously, even when it’s funny
Session 3)
*(meet in the computer lab)
Working with the computer: a mini-intro to Photoshop: Demonstration and Exercise/Computer Lab: (Handout)
- scanning drawings
- adjusting contrast
- colouring with bucket, selective color adjustment
- layers (how to use layers for creating flexible compositions)
- colour modes
- tiff, jpgs, pdf’s
- add to your drawings
Go over Homework assignment
Session 4)
Presentation of homework and critique
The importance of the main character:
Presentation:
- The importance of the sketchbook
- Sketchbook and character development process
- Life is in the details—line, medium, color, …
- Seeing an illustration process: Developing a full illustration from concept to rough, to sketch, alterations, to final.
Presentation: Storyboards and Dummy Books:
- Pacing the story
- Story layout.
- Shots/Camera angles/Composition (Handout)
- Dummy books: Examples of my own dummies for ‘Paulina’ and ‘Day it all blew away’.
- Activity: Making a quick dummy book.
- In Class Exercise: Composition Cheat (Handout): Copying composition/ ways to sharpen your sense of composition.
Go over Homework assignment
Session 5)
Presentation of homework and critique
Relationship of Text and Image: (Handout)
- Examples of famous author’s/illustrators! Do you want to become an author/illustrator? The pros and cons.
- Image presentation: Images and text that rely on each other for success
In Class sketching/brainstorming Exercise:
‘To illustrate is not to reiterate!’
Go over Homework assignment
Session 6)
In Class Exercises:
- Character development exercise part 2: ‘3D-to-2D’
- Illustrating a mood
- Sequence of movements/ consistency of character
Presentation of homework and critique
Go over Homework assignment
Session 7)
- Portfolios: How to put one together and what to consider.
- Your online portfolio/getting a website: what to keep in mind.
- How to approach publishers/promoting yourself— pdfs, promo cards and techniques
- Agent vs. no agent.
- First impressions
- Contracts
Presentation of homework and critique
Session 8) (last class) Fieldtrip to Kids Books/Research
*Meet at ‘Kids Books’ (on Broadway in Kitsilano/ just past Mac Donald St)
(3083 West Broadway)
The right publisher/ the hidden contributors:
- Finding the right publisher for your work.
- Getting to know your market/Research
- Go over any other questions students have
Filed under News
Strathcona Artist Survey
Yeah! The Strathcona Artist Survey that Alex Stursberg and Brennan Kelly compiled and designed is published and it looks totally awesooooome! And who do you see right after opening it up? Me! Well, … not me per se, but more my illustrations. The book looks great ( I looove the cover by Kelly) and it’s a fantastic idea to put the work of so many artists working in the Strathcona area into a nice little hardcopy paper gallery so to speak. There are sooo many cool artists and people in it, and I’m glad to be a part of it. You should check it out!
I really like the forword that Alex and Brennan wrote for the SAS zine/book, so I thought I’d share it.
“The Strathcona Artist Survey was developed with the intention of showcasing the diverse community of artists, both established and emerging, living in the neighbourhood of Strathcona, Vancouver. This volume was compiled and designed by Alex Stursberg & Brennan Kelly in October, 2011 with the hopeful intention that it will become a regularly published review of practicing artists in Strathcona. The Artist Survey moniker may be used freely for your own neighbourhood publication to help promote the arts in your community.”
Filed under News | Sketchbook & Projects
Canzine
Yay, I finally managed to go to Canzine this year! (Totally snoozed it last year!) :(
Got there just in time to check out everything and chat it up with some buds of mine that were there. When I left I really felt like making a zine asap! Mission accomplished Canzine, Mission accomplished. Then I realized that I totally forgot to go downstairs!!! where there were was more cool stuff to check out. Dang! Oh well, next year I”m gonna go, AND go downstairs!
Here are some of the lovely little things I scored! The Strathcona Artist Survey (more on that soon), Pinch #2 by Anne Amberline, 2 super duper colaborations by Kurtis Wilson and Alex, and It seemed like a good idea at the time #1. Plus I am now proud member of the Vancouver Book Club! Hurrah!
Filed under News
Teaching is serious(ly) fun!
I’m teaching a level 3 Illustration class now, which is probably teaching wise the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. It’s a class were you can create work for your portfolio and everyone taking it is amazingly talented and puts so much work into it. It’s a total pleasure to teach and see the work that my fantastic students make.
The other day I had everyone create a final spread for the the story of ‘Puss in Boots’. Since it’s an evening class and reading comprehension can be even harder at night but is also of such importance when it comes to creating effective illustrations, we took the story apart and laid it out in bullet form for everyone.
Before the class was over I looked at the board and thought it was a funny sight to see the story of Puss in Boots summarized in a class room context. So I decided to pose for a quite serious photo in front of it to accompany it’s integrity.
Filed under News
Promo Card For Lucky’s!
My favorite local comic book shop Lucky’s (on Main Street) has a new Online Shop ! It’s totally awesome looking and should you love comics, graphic novels, or just really amazing books in general, you had better check it out! To announce and celebrate this some illustrator/artist friends of Lucky’s made some promo cards. Check them all out here. I think my favorite one is the one with the blue cat hidden behind the house. But that’s not the one I did. Here’s the one I made. This is pretty much how I feel whenever I go there. :)
Yay Lucky’s!
Oh yeah! Also there is an official online shop launch party this Friday the 18th from 7-10pm. Hurrah!
Filed under News | Sketchbook & Projects
This is what comes out when I talk to my Mom
Drew this just now while talking to my mom on the phone. Kind of reminds me of a mix of me when I was little and Pippi Longstocking. Makes sense:)