ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ SAFARI

This illustration is larger. To see the entire view click on the image.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ CULTIVATE

Just as we cultivate our gardens, there are other important friendships to cultivate.

©Ginger Nielson 2011

One more from the dummy...

For the dummy I like to keep the sketches rather loose.  I may want to leave a lot of the line work in this one as well.  The thick and thin lines add so much movement to the piece.  This is one half of a double page so there is no text needed here.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ MAIL

©Ginger Nielson

the Sketchbook Project

I noticed in some of the sketchbooks, that collage, alternative materials, and prints were being used.  I am working on a combination of prints I have created, sketches I draw into the booklet and cut outs to create my story. The theme:  Science Experiments Gone Wrong.   I am approaching this with a picture book feel, a sense of humor, and some drama.   This is the opening spread .... I took the stitches out of the book and will resew the pages back in when I am done.  Got a lot of experience with that doing dummy books *:)

I am still working on the cover.  I have some gesso drying that I want to paint on top of.

The story I wrote is one that may never make it to the publishing houses, so I decided it was time to let it go and the sketchbook project is the perfect place for it to live on.

The Fox and the Grapes

My family name is Fox, and this week is my mom's birthday. For her birthday we try to find cards with Foxes on them, but since I could not find one ... I made one instead. There is something so beautiful about the red fox and at the same time so elusive.  They are in the forest here but we have only seen one in the past  6 years.

In the sketch I had drawn some grasses and reeds, but decided that I would rather have the contrast of a cool stone wall instead.   My next project for the fox is to find him some chickens to chase.  Don't worry, he won't catch any.

A Bear went into the woods

©Ginger Nielson 2010

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ PARADE

From the book I illustrated, "Song for a Giraffe" comes this parade of animals ready to greet the morning with song.

Published by StaggerLee Books and written by Michael LaLumiere and Kim Messinger, "Song for a Giraffe" tells a story of friendship and support for the differences that make us all so unique.

Mother and Cub

An image of mother and child from a current work in progress.

©Ginger Nielson 209

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ CELEBRATE

Time to celebrate... in song...





at the fair...




and just way out wonderful! This last image is in Picture Book on Page 56. I was really disappointed, however in the color quality and the way they cut off the bottom of the image. So at least here you can see the full image.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ WISE

Ah, the owl is known to be wise, but our fast escaping mouse is wise as well. Too quick for the owl this night, he will scurry into his burrow and hide safely until morning. Now who is the wise one?
~ From the book I just finished illustrating, by Brettell Hone, "My African Bedtime Rhymes" published by Shamwari publishing in South Africa.~

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ PACKED

With his cheeks packed for the journey to the mouse hole, Hector faced an unpleasant delay.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY ~ ZOO

From an interior spread for the book I just illustrated and now available from Stagger Lee Books "Song For A Giraffe"
It took almost a year to complete the illustrations for this book and this image is actually much larger as the giraffe and the text for this spread aren't included here. The research was one of the best parts of the whole experience. I learned so much!
©Ginger Nielson2007
PS... if you want to hear what the animals are singing, just go to my PROFILE section on this blog and play the Audio Clip.

Mothers always know best

When it comes to soothing a scraped knee, mothers always know best.


©Ginger Nielson 2007