A PUZZLE for pre-schoolers and beyond

This one is for the children.... You should be able to download the image if you click on it for the full size. Then print it out and find 10 things in the mirror of this little girl that don't match the real little girl.

When you click on the image the larger illustration will appear. You can either drag it to your desktop or print it and then have some fun.

© Ginger Nielson 2010

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ DOUBLE

When you are a student driver it is always best to have a buddy along for the ride.

This is a very early sketch for a painting I later completed.  I like this pair so I am sending them in for

   

DOUBLE.

And below is the final illustration...

and the companion piece that comes right after this one...

also rather old, but still it has a place in my archives and my heart.

The elephants in this version have decorated tusks.  I liked them that way but didn't use them in the painting just above.

                            

The women in the background are selling spices and grains.  The boy in the foreground is leading his friend to the tents where his fruit will be sold. It is warm but not too humid and there is a lovely aroma in the air........

Evolution ....

The Middle

Now that I have tried and discarded seven or eight little boys from my trial sketches I finally decided upon a pose.

  First I lightly sketched in a basic shape on the dragon. I decided the little boy wanted a ride.

The next step was to see the figures more clearly as they relate to one another, so I set the layers to

"Multiply" and started a new layer under that.

I am happy with the pose now, so I go ahead and refine the sketch of the child.

This makes me happy and I want to keep the sketch, but of course, it is too small for the large painting I am working on , so I measure the area on the painting and find out that the child needs to cover 8 inches across the back of the dragon.   I take only the finished sketch of the little boy and transfer it to a clean canvas and enlarge as needed,

The final image is now 8 inches across and so I print this one and prepare to transfer the sketch to the canvas where the dragon is waiting.

I have a couple of choices. I can sketch this in freehand or I can use tracing paper and graphite and transfer that way.  

Then, because the boy is being painted over the dragon's body I need to block in the image with a coat of white that will dry and be painted over later.

The Beginning ....

This is a traditional painting that I am working on. But being more of a "tradigital" painter, I photographed the start and put it into the computer.  The reason?...

I need to add a child to the painting, but I am not sure where I want to put him.   Riding, running alongside, sitting high above,   ... just not ready to commit to the painting.

So I will fiddle around in the computer until I find the best match for Mr. Dragon. Once I have figured it out I'll sketch in the child and paint him in to the spot I choose.   I can take full advantage of the computer  to find the best answer.

copyright © Ginger Nielson 2010

As I advance I'll show more of the process.  I have to admit I love painting with real paint from time to time, but so appreciate the advantages of the Wacom and Painter and Photoshop.

Website Upgrade

I decided to update my website to a cleaner look with some new templates that I created.  Almost finished. The next part will take time, selecting new images for the Color and B&W pages, but that will happen in the near future.   Also, I like the idea of "branding" with an image. Hence my "little me" will show up a lot here and there.

Illustration Friday ~ Breakfast

What NOT to have for breakfast.

 )

Well... at least NOT every day *:

Corel Creativity Challenge

Corel is sponsoring a Creativity Challenge for Corel Artists

  Careful reading of the terms of the contest should be first on anyone's list if they plan to enter.
I am assuming that you would enter some of your best work in order to win one of the many prizes.

However the terms stated are very clear in what Corel can do with your work.  Before entering any contest with or without a fee for entering, one should carefully read the terms and conditions.

This is from the contest rules:

"... The parties acknowledge that, other than as granted to Corel hereunder, all
right, title and interest including the copyright and other intellectual
property rights in and to the Digital Content shall remain at all times with the
Entrant.


All entrants under this Contest irrevocably grant to Corel the
perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free right to use, re-use, crop and resize as
necessary, reproduce, publish, display, distribute and/or otherwise transmit any
reproduction of the Digital Content taken by such entrant and any picture,
likeness, image, representation, negative, transparency, print, digital
information, thereto or indicia, in whole or in part derived therefrom
(collectively referred to as the "Representation"), with or without 
description, for all purposes including without limitation advertising, trade,
display, exhibition and editorial use, in all territories, in perpetuity, in all
manner and media including electronically generated images and any other media,
known or unknown, without limitation whatsoever. " and there is more...

" Entrants hereby irrevocably grant Corel the right to sublicense to a
third-party, any and all of the foregoing rights and licenses relative to the
Representation. ¨. 


All entrants do hereby waive their moral rights in the Representation
in favour of Corel including the right to restrain or claim damages for any
distortion, mutilation, or other modification of the Representation or any part
thereof whatsoever, the right to be associated with the Representation and the
right to restrain any use, reproduction, distortion, mutilation or other
modification of the Representation in connection with any product or service. "

Two more for RIPPLES ~ My 700th post on this blog *:)

 

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ DIARY

Sneak peek.... New Book.... Take a look *:)

©Ginger Nielson and 4RV Publishing LLC

This is an illustration from a new book that is finally a reality and is available for ordering.

A WISH AND A PRAYER by Beth Bence Reinke is the kind of story you and your children will want to read again and again. I won't give away the story, but this illustration will give you an idea of the problem Jason must deal with.

This is the second children's book by Beth Bence Reinke that I have illustrated. You can read more about the author on her blog.

A THANK YOU and some Thanks to my friends

Recently I was honored to receive an award from my publisher, Vivian Zabel, president of 4RV Publishing LLC and also from Steve Macquignon, an artist who has illustrated a number of books.
The Versatile Blogger Award comes with a challenge.

1. Thank the person who loved me enough to bestow this gift.
2. Share seven things about myself.
3. Bestow this honor onto 15 newly discovered or followed bloggers – in no particular order – who are fantastic in some way.
4. Drop by and let my fifteen friends know I love them

So I will do just that.

About me...

1. I do have a magic wand on my desk. Actually there are two there and one hangs on my bulletin board along with one I found in the forest behind our house. Everyone should have a magic wand.

2. If you put chocolate anywhere within fifty feet of where I am, I will not only know it is there, I will find it.

3. We moved a lot when I was growing up and shortly after I married. I have attended 12 different schools and moved that many times.

4. My first love is my family. My second love is illustrating for children's books.

5. I have been fortunate to have traveled a great deal. Alaska, Brazil, London, Hawaii, and many of the Caribbean islands are included in my itineraries.

6. "Scumme" my dragon lives in my basement. He is the paper mache and plaster
dragon I created for one of our summer children's theater productions. His head is huge and sparkly and has verrrrry big teeth and funny pleated ears.

7. I am fascinated facial expressions and  by the patterns and shapes of reptiles, fish, birds and furry animals.

And now for those fifteen blog sites that I have chosen from the dozens that I follow and enjoy.
My challenge to them is to do as I have done, take the award, tell us about yourself, and share the honor with fifteen others.

And to anyone viewing my blog, please visit these most interesting blogs to find out more about these artists, authors, and bloggers.   All of these blogs are quite interesting and I urge you to visit them, enjoy what they have to offer, and leave a comment for them.

1.    Sherry Rogers
2.   Amy Moreno
3.    Roberta Baird
4.    Bron Smith
5.    Vanessa Brantley Newton
6.    Beth Bence Reinke
7.      Nancy Sharpe
8.    Kathleen Rietz
9.   Loni Edwards
10.   Andrew Finne
11.   Jack Foster
12.   Lisa Michaels
13.   Chet Phillips
14.   Yuhina Illustration
15.  Diana Delosh

The Queen's Closet

©Ginger Nielson 2010

Since this is a fantasty Queen or a Story Book Queen, nothing really needs to match. It just needs to be so much FUN!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ GIANT

Poor Harry.