Cards for KIVA

Just a fews days left to purchase this season’s cards to benefit KIVA. While I do not enjoy selling anything, I would like you all to know that a very small purchase of even five dollars will allow you to to contribute to this fine organization.                     …

Reflection On Reflections:A Collaboration

                                                                                               ©Karen McRae, 2012 Gifted artist/photographer Karen McRae  honored me …

Digital Painting Tutorial Part 3

Final “Spring” Because Spring is part two of a four-part project, I had be sure that the choices I made for this piece will harmonize with the previous work. I have a very clear vision of the overall project, and have decided to contrast the moods of the seasons greatly.  On the other hand, I will …

Four Seasons:Spring Tutorial

Spring, It’s the second in my Four Seasons project.  Last time with Digital Winter , I explored an overview of the digital painting via Photoshop layers.  The focus of Spring is painting the skin.  I’m using Photoshop CS4 and Wacom Intuos 4.  I’m still working on the finish, but here’s essentially, how I’ve  painted the skin …

Digital Painting Tutorial

Above is a screenshot of the basic Photoshop underpainting of “Winter”.    Below is a visual tutorial of the painting process. Please feel free to ask any questions that may come to mind, since my text explanation is spare.

Digital Winter

ANOTHER new project:) Four seasons, beginning with winter.  The subject for each season is a lovely young woman.  I chose to paint this series digitally, while my oil portraits are drying between layers.  Next post will feature a layer by layer separation and progression, so stand by.

3×3 Illustration Annual #8 -I’m In It!

I’ve been entranced with  the  3×3 Illustration Annual  since I first discovered it one Saturday in Barnes and Noble.  Naturally,  I sat with it in the B&N cafe enjoying the eye candy more than my beverage.  My book wish list is always lengthy, but I bumped book title #1 and bought the Annual.  Since then, I’ve …

Razzle Dazzle Rose

A little girl wielding a magic crayon with a lovely point, expertly sharpened by the built-in sharpener in the 64 pack… of Crayola’s, of course.

Lorica #3

The third illustration in my not yet written, middle grade novel.  So many projects, so little time:) Related articles Mysterious Lorica (elenacaravela.wordpress.com)

Encounter with a Ladybug

Chapter 3 PAUL MOVES ON Ah, what one must bear.  After the disheartening encounter with Malamar (who I may eventually forgive), I felt the overriding need to stretch my limbs and rest a bit. I commenced to lay directly on the floor, because my grandfather claims there’s nothing better for the back.  Just as I …

G- rated Steampunk Mermaids

Very recently two illustrators whom I admire, inspired me to paint a steampunk piece for kids.  Now, I really dislike painting mechanical symmetrical elements, but I do enjoy the look of  shiny geometric details. So I decided to simplify, take it slowly, and allow Photoshop’s filters to do the heavy lifting. I also relied heavily …

Caught in the Flashlight

The third in my “Bug” series inspired by Micro Cosmos.  A little color this time along with a little sympathy for the “unsuspecting”.

New Digital Painting

I’ve played with a single scanned textural element in an other wise all digital painting.  In this case, you guessed it, it’s the mountain. I created it with acrylics on watercolor paper, scanned it and popped it into this digital painting. This “Mountaintop” piece is available as an 11″x 14″ high quality print.

SYNCHRONIZED CHAOS-online

I’m happy to say that some of my illustrations are featured in this month’s Synchronized Chaos.  It’s a refreshing online magazine bringing art, literature, science, culture, and travel together in a positive, informative, and interesting fashion.  (I’ve just blatantly reiterated the masthead message with a bit of an editorial spin.) This months’ focus is Energy in …

Leaves!

We’ve got ’em.  Just this afternoon, the sun came out and the maple leaves are doing their best to shine. Won’t be long now till Harvey tries his best to make his dreams come true.  Not to worry though, because he is almost always thwarted by nature’s balance and the boundaries of our kitty enclosure.

Siblings In Peril Spot Illustration

Happy New Year!  I’m beginning 2011 with a family pulling together.  The family pet is the center of concern in this spot illustration.  Often, affection for the non- human being in the family can bring siblings together like nothing else.  I’m not sure what type of creature this is, but these kids are willing to …

Breeding Brooding Bunnies

In the interest of strengthening and varying my portfolio of illustration for children, I noticed a shortage of  joyful images in my book.  I browsed through Google images hunting for inspiration.  I found a photo of a group of happy children holding hands and racing round a circle in “ring around the rosy” fashion.  They certainly …

First KID’S ART post

My friend Rachel is an ever so creative visual artist and writer.  She painted “Katgirl and Dustbunny Kat”  in a couple of hours as a gift for her aunt. Rachel is new to the digital world, but she’s quick on the uptake- a digital natural. They’ll be much more digital Rachel to come.

NJSCBWI Assignment- Finished?

I think I’m finished with my assignment.  After deciding what Sally Gal might look like, the most difficult part was to focus on which emotion to portray on this little girl’s face, since this character feels many things in this scene. I’ve included character sketches of Sally Gal’s subtly of mood and her cousin Wild …

A Little Scary

Halloween:A little scary and a little exciting. October is Halloween’s month.  Halloween makes anything seem possible if one is willing to take a risk.  October’s crisp breezes taunt us with possibilities.   But, as the days grow shorter, the allure of  October warns that opportunities may soon be waning.    All too soon, crisp will become …