Landlubber

While rather clunky on land, I'd be willing to bet that the walrus is quite a graceful swimmer.

Wild card!

We get to pick any subject sketch to share this week, and I pick this:

It's black ballpoint pen in my Moleskine sketchbook, from my trip to NYC a few days ago, for the SCBWI Winter Conference. On Monday I had about an hour free between seeing my editor and heading to the airport for home, so I soaked up the ABC of It: Why Children's Books Matter exhibit at the New York Public Library and took visual notes while there. This is my tribute to the greats in children's literature.
(Go see the show!! Exhibit details here: http://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/abc-it)
I ran into Priscilla Burris at the exhibit.
(Fellow Sketchables illustrators: Were your ears burning while we discussed how cool you are?)
-- Ruth McNally Barshaw

Wild Card Week - Make Art that Sells Bootcamp

I'm sharing a sketch I did for Lilla Roger's Make Art That Sells Bootcamp class this month.  Our theme was cuckoo clocks - our assignment, cell phone covers for the gift market.  Fun! I went with a floral, spring inspired version.

 This is the original painting in gouache and below is the final images submitted to the class gallery. 

Hello New Week of Sketches!

Now, Leticia and Sunbeam will head out to have some fun in their snow before it's gone and Spring is here!

No specific theme this week, just get ready for a fun bundle of sketches coming your way,
and thank you for stopping by!

~ Priscilla

Joy- Promo postcards...Oy

As you can see, this isn't a sketch. It's actually my most recent card. For some reason creating the promo postcard is one of the hardest things for me. I sat down and tried coming up with a sketch for a new idea to post here today, but I didn't have enough time. Because, it takes me forever to come up with something I'm happy with!

A few things I think about for postcard ideas:
- showing action or interaction
- showing emotion
- try and show my strengths
- illustrate the sorts of things I want to work on

What do you think about when coming up with a postcard? Is it difficult for you, to?

Thanks for stopping by!
-Joy

Promotional Postcard

I'm heading to the SCBWI National Conference in NYC in the morning.
Here's the sketch for my promotional postcard I'll be handing out:

I'll be back from NYC on Monday with a full heart, a brimming sketchbook, lots of inspiration, some new friends, and maybe a few ideas for new books.

I'm especially excited to see some of my Sketchables friends there!

-- Ruth McNally Barshaw

Stinky Trash

Sketch for an assignment on solving the problem of a stinky trash can.

Promo Postcard

I featured the sketches for my current promo postcard on the Sketchables last year. Yes, it took me a year to finally paint them. This one is off at the printers and I'm anxiously waiting to send it out.   

The back of the postcard featured a vignette of the garden growing.

Next on the ol' to-do list - the final painting in this little series.  Harvest time!  I live surrounded by farms in Michigan. It's a far cry from 20 years of city living that we enjoyed before here. Let's just say I have a new appreciation and love for farmers and gardens. I would like all kids to dig in the dirt and grow something to eat! It's good for the body and soul. And I would be super excited to illustrate a book or story on gardening.

POSTCARD IDEAS!!

"Someone brings out their phone and there goes the game." sighed Miranda, to herself.

We are thinking up some Postcard Image ideas this week here!  Can't wait to see what's up next!

~ Priscilla

P.S.  Not totally sure this would work for a postcard image, but who knows….  Ha~!

Bee Mine

I wonder where bugs find such teensy little envelopes... 

Wishing you and your sweeties a happy day!

Love is a risky thing...

Thought I'd have fun with a kid's view of taking a risk for love...then I realized, there was no object of his affection in the drawing...so I added the girl. Now the fact that he will be in bad shape once he steps out does not concern her, for she sees it as the grand gesture that it is.

Valentine Doodles

Two simple little sketches for Valentine's Day.  Wish I had time to actually paint these, but February has cheated me out of a few days and there just isn't time for everything this week.

Wishing you a very sweet Valentine's Day!

Valentines Week Cheers

He knows the way to his best friend's bee-and-bug-loving-heart!

He also knows she'll not mind one little bit that the cupcake is made of mud and dirt, and the frosting is chewed bubble gum he found on the sidewalk.

Cheers for a Happy Valentine's Week and for all the fun sketches that will be here every day!

~ Priscilla

Joy- 2014 Winter Olympic Games!

My dog could TOTALLY do this. Too bad this isn't an official Olympic sport right now.

Enjoy the games and your weekend!

-Joy

Olympic Dreams

Our dreams propel us...

Sochi Skaters

My favorite part of the Winter Olympics, hands down.  I love watching the games. Mostly because I think it makes winter look like fun and by February, I have surely had enough of the cold and snow!  What is your favorite game to watch? 

Winter Olympics 2014

Rusty can't help himself. There is just so much to see in life. Gotta stop and enjoy it.

As we are just days away from the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics ~ We thought we'd have a bit of fun with this as our theme this week here on The Sketchables!

Thanks!
Priscilla