PiBoIdMo

For the month of November, I will be joining this group focusing on one picture book idea a day.  If you're interested, join me.  It's a great way to get your brain looking at the world in terms of picture book ideas. http://taralazar.com/2013/10/24/piboidmo-2013-registration/

Before vs. After

I think I overworked this one. . .

So I tried to hold myself back this time.

Writing tip of the day

If I cringe from embarrassment when reading a passage I have written out loud, it is probably bad.  Sentimentality and sappy flourishes are my specialty. 

New work

I am really enjoying playing with a new medium.  The wonderful thing about using the computer is that you can create a multi media look with one tool.  It's fantastic.  My next question is how do you get the pencil line a little smoother.  I haven't tried playing with the brush settings yet.  Could that work?  I'll let you know when I find out.

Digital art

I am trying to paint digitally to improve color consistency between painting and printed work.  So far it has been fun to play around with new materials.  The best part about it is working with layers in photoshop. If I make a mistake, that layer can be discarded and I can start over.  I have found that I take many more risks, and the looseness of my drawings is preserved.  It gives each illustration an energy that I lose sometimes in painting in watercolor.  I hope you can see what I mean comparing the two proposed covers.