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By: Erik Brooks,
on 12/6/2016
Blog: E is for Erik (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Harts Pass, trailsend bookstore, acrylic, mural, good news, Add a tag
For the last few weeks I've been slowly but surely making progress on a mural for the newest incarnation of our local bookstore -- congrats @trailsendbooks :) Its BIG, so you can't even see the life-sized polar bear and penguin over in the "arctic annex" of this photo, but its also bright and colorful and hopefully a nice complement to the kid's section in the great new space - hooray! Washington authors and illustrators be sure to reach out to Trails End to sign stock or schedule a reading when you find yourself headed to Winthrop. Summer and winter are the busier season's for sure, but they are really hoping to parlay the new space into bigger and better author events and excellent bookstore activities all year 'round. Happy holidays!
By: Lynne Chapman,
on 7/10/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: library, children, illustration, mural, digital, Add a tag
I ran a workshop with each of the class groups in turn. When we had worked together originally, there was so much to do and so little time, there was not much opportunity for me to do more than gentle guidance, so this time I was able to spend a bit longer, showing them in detail how to use emotion and body-language in their drawings, to bring their characters alive (although, I think you'll agree, they did a pretty good job without my help!).
By: Lynne Chapman,
on 5/23/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: libraries, mural, workshop, Add a tag
Can't wait to see it!
By: Lynne Chapman,
on 5/4/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: libraries, illustration, mural, Add a tag
The problems will come if the corners of the room and the ceiling joins are not exactly square. Anyone who has done any wallpapering at home will know what I mean. As the paper turns the corner, any anomalies will change the angle of things and could make the illustrations for the adjacent wall travel up over the ceiling! When you are wallpapering round the corner with a normal, patterned wallpaper, you stop at the corner to create an overlap, levelling things up anew, to make the paper continue straight. But overlaps and changes of angle could mean tigers with lumps missing, headless librarians and all sorts - Aaaargggggggh!
It is an old building, so you can see why, as well as being excited, I am a little anxious, and why I am very, very, very glad that a professional is doing the installation, not me!
By: Lynne Chapman,
on 3/5/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: libraries, illustration, Photoshop, mural, digital, artwork, planning, Add a tag
Because of World Book Day, I'm out visiting schools all this week (all over the place as usual) but, luckily, I just managed to get my mural artwork finished first. It was a skin-of-the-teeth thing - I didn't sign it off until 7pm last Friday night.
I'm enjoying being out and about again, as I have been locked at my computer for ages. The artwork stage has taken 3 weeks, working really long days mostly, but it is finally done. Hurrah! Below are the various sections, travelling around the walls anti-clockwise (ie from right to left), viewing what will be floor-to-ceiling once it's installed (though the emptier sections will be obscured by furniture):
There were so many different jobs to do and of course much of it took longer than expected - I think it's because I underestimated just how many individual characters and little objects I could cram into the huge space. Luckily, Wakefield Libraries have been absolutely LOVELY and said they will pay me for the time I've actually spent on it, rather than what I originally quoted them.
Every one of the new, high-res scans that John did of the various animals, books, trees etc had to be individually matched to their position on the low-res template I created earlier, re-sized to fit and then laboriously cut off the children's white, background paper in Photoshop.
Each component also had to have it's 'levels' balanced, to match the weight of the rest of the design, and then have extra colour added, so it was punchy enough. I even had to subtly go over some of the children's pencil outlines in Photoshop, thickening them up where they were too spindly.
And that's without all the graphic elements I had to draw for the background, like the distant forest and the various kinds of grasses and bushes.
Because I had to create the artwork in 6 sections (to keep the file sizes from blowing the brain of my computer), I also had the job of making sure the different sections joined accurately. That was a bit of a nightmare to be honest, as one millimetre's inaccuracy at each joint would obviously add up, and then the error would also be multiplied by 4, because of the artwork being 25% of the actual size. Yikes.
I was very good at remembering to 'save' all the time, not just to the computer, but also to an external hard drive, just in case any of the files decided to corrupt along the way. I got away without 'losing' anything, which is a great relief.
Then, just when I thought it was all finished, I realised I had forgotten the area of 'bleed' beneath the library's computer table! I had remembered to continue the design behind the bookshelves, so I don't know why I forgot the table. Tired I guess.
The colour boosting was the last job. I wanted to keep the mark-making from the children's colouring, so I made my final artwork translucent, then created a layer beneath the design, where I 'scribbled' half-opacity colour, so the effect was subtle and blended seamless with the children's coloured pencils. It was time consuming, but was worth it, as the boost made a huge difference. Look at the difference between the section above and part of the same section, before the extra colour:
Notice too, in some places I had to do extra tricksy things with the colour in Photoshop: look at the original colour of the desk, immediately above, then the colour it ended up.
Did you notice by the way, in the 2nd section from the beginning, I left my 'signature' on the computer screen? Sneaky huh? Actually, I suspect that most of this area will be obscured by book-bags, but I only really put it in as an after-thought.
The next stage is a final chat to the printer who will be transferring my design to wallpaper, ready to paste onto the walls. I'm a little concerned about how on earth we will manage to get things to line up where they are supposed to, what with crooked walls and wonky ceilings. For instance, all the creatures' feet, which need to be on the level with the tops of the bookshelves.
I am crossing fingers it all works out okay, as there isn't much I can do about that side of things.
By: Lynne Chapman,
on 2/12/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children, libraries, illustration, Photoshop, mural, digital, planning, Add a tag
By: Lynne Chapman,
on 2/9/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children, libraries, illustration, mural, planning, hot tips, Add a tag
By: Lynne Chapman,
on 1/31/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children, libraries, illustration, mural, workshop, planning, Add a tag
You may recall, I decided on a tiger theme, because of the local rugby team and it was a small step from that to having tigers rampaging among the librarians and children in a 'jungle library'. So, I asked the morning group to focus on tigers. I demonstrated various quick techniques to help the children structure their animals and give them movement, then they were off!
They were so into it and all drew like demons for the entire time. I just love the one at the top by Riley Farrar from St Joseph's! Those that finished their tigers early, had a go at librarians. I showed them how to use body language and eyebrows to get across emotion. Not everyone finished colouring, so I will be getting out my Derwents soon!
For the afternoon session, I changed things slightly and asked children to be more general, drawing other jungle animals. We had some interesting discussions: 'Miss, can I draw a penguin?', 'I don't think you get penguins in the jungle, do you?', 'Well, how about a shark?'. Thank goodness for Jungle Grumble, to get some idea of the animals you might actually find in the jungle!
I also asked them to think about background details for the jungle library, whist being careful not to actual colour the background, as that will of course be done digitally by me, once the design is sorted out.
The afternoon group drew me some children and a few more librarians too. Bethany has definitely got to win the prize for best librarian illustration. Look carefully and you will see that she has also featured one of the library's 'talking books':
As well as having a well known rugby team, Castleford is an important archeological site (the museum is full of Roman artifacts, including the wheels of a chariot), so I have been asked to try and feature the Romans in the mural too. It's a hard match to the existing theme, but I wondered if a few Roman soldiers might come to life from the Ancient History bookshelves. They could help restore order and fight off the tigers perhaps. With this in mind, a few children drew Romans for me:
I did the return journey to Sheffield with a lovely, fat package of amazing illustrations. This week I have been scanning them into my computer, just as low-res images for now, so I can play around, dropping them into the templates I created, trying to combine as many of them as possible into what will ultimately be one big illustration, rampaging around the walls of Castleford Children's Library.
By: Lynne Chapman,
on 1/26/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Photoshop, mural, planning, hot tips, libraries, illustration, Add a tag
How to begin?!
Well, I started by taking photos of the various walls in the space then, with a bit of jiggery-pokery in Photoshop, montaged them together to create a single flattened-out view:
By: Julie Fortenberry,
on 7/25/2014
Blog: Children's Illustration (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Yusuke Asai, mural, Add a tag
Tootles.
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 1/2/2013
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Town Center Gallery, Art 21, illustration, PBS, painting, mural, sketching, Fine Art, inspired, Add a tag
Today, I carved out an hour OUTSIDE of the house, no less, to do a little sketching. I'm wanting to do some small still life paintings to get into the swing of things and play around with my new and improved understanding of acrylics (thanks to the mural).
Anyway, during my break I've been addicted to watching previous seasons of the PBS series Art 21 on Netflix Instant Watch. It has reawakened my interest in fine art and all of the discussion that goes with it that I miss from college (although I can't say that I took proper advantage of the opportunities for such discussion back then). I'm going to dust off my many sketchbooks from back then and see how my ideas have changed since then. Maybe I'll post more on those thoughts soon.
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 12/29/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Christmas, painting, mural, projects, daughter, Add a tag
There hasn't been as much time as I'd hoped during this vacation period to pursue any projects - the week before Christmas was spent preparing, baking cookies, etc. and the week after has been recovery of the house and things like that. But, I have at least given some thought to new projects that I hope to complete in the next several months. The above picture is a sketch from a photo of my daughter - a pose that I always liked. It fits well with the concept I have for a painting. And, it's exciting for me to be going in a different direction than I have in the past - inspirations from the mural project.
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 12/7/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: painting, mural, panels, Jill Martin Photography, Add a tag
The mural is now en route to a sign shop where it will be framed and then it will probably wait in storage until the corner of Cook and Broadway is ready for its placement.
This morning, my friend and photographer Jill Martin of Jill Martin Photography came over to get a shot of the panels all lined up together. Overall, I'm happy with it, but seeing it all together in the light of day after not really paying attention to it for weeks, there are a couple things that stood out and I wish I had done them differently. But, I'll keep them to myself as no one else will probably care but me. A couple of the panels have a little warp - I'm sure the sign company will be able to handle that in the framing process.
Anyway, I did do some last minute touch ups in a few spots - I was never able to put together more than 2 panels at a time inside the garage, so there were a couple of details that didn't line up.
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 12/5/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: mural, doodle, slumber, Town Center Gallery, Add a tag
And, regarding the mural, the city will be sending a couple guys to come and pick it up on Friday. When that happens, I'll be getting a photo of the whole thing put together.
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 10/14/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: mural, studio, panels, Horizons, Granddad, art classes, varnish, writing, drawing, Add a tag
I've slooowwwlly been painting layers of exterior varnish sealer on all sides of the mural. I did the backs and now I've been laying them out, one at a time, on sawhorses in order to do the fronts and all 4 edges (that way I don't have to keep turning them - they're a bear to move). I'm doing 3 thin coats on each and I'm close to being done with all 5 panels.
Part of the reason that this is taking a lot longer than I thought is because of the fall craziness mentioned above. But, another reason is that the city is changing its plans on where it will ultimately go. Looks like the Gottchalk's corner is out, but I have not yet heard what plan B (or C or D...) is. I know my contact has been busy with the recent Grapes and Grains event, as well as other fall festivities, and I've been grateful to have the time to get my homeschooling and art classes off to a solid start.
I know that the mural project is at an end as my mind has been buzzing with thoughts of other art and writing projects. It's time to transition backin to new creative work - not sure what exactly, though. I still don't have a lot of free time, but I did clean off the old drawing table corner of my room in preparation. Now, joining my drawing space is a caricature portrait that I recently acquired of my Granddad who passed away about 20 years ago - I think it was given to him as a retirement gift (or something like that). It's a nice addition to my workspace.
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 9/2/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: study, mural, for sale, varnish, Town Center Gallery, Add a tag
Anyway, while I had the varnish out, I also painted a coat on all of the studies I did during the mural process. Remember those? I shared them along the way. My plan is to frame them and probably put them up for sale in the Town Center Gallery. I don't see the need to keep them. Well, I might put a couple up for sale now and see how it goes.
Now that I'm anxious to paint other projects...I have no time. Oh well...
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 9/1/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: homeschooling, mural, panels, memorial, Horizons, CoOp, varnish, Robert Smith, primer, tackiness, Add a tag
No, I've turned all of the panels around and I am currently painting a couple coats of clear varnish on the backsides. I wanted to do the backs first because I wasn't sure how tacky it would be for and for how long. The primer we used seemed to always have a certain degree of tackiness - even at this point. If that was to be the case with the varnish, then I wanted to do the fronts last and make sure they didn't lean up against anything while they awaited transportation.
I've now discovered that the varnish dries quickly and the finish isn't tacky at all. Good! Now, I plan to put the panels one at a time on sawhorses and paint a couple coats on the fronts and all edges.
I had really hoped to be done by now - I feel like things have been moving at a snails pace. Of course, we have since had the memorial for my father-in-law, Robert Smith, and will soon be doing much to care for my mother-in-law as we are the only relatives in the area. We're also 2 1/2 weeks into our school year, now - so far so good! I have an 8th grader, a 5th grader, and a preschooler this year. Also, we'll be starting our multi-family, multi-subject co-op called Horizons on Tuesday. I've had A LOT of communication, organization, supplies, and general loose-ends to tie up. So, I will be "laboring" on that this Labor Day Weekend.
Still, God is great and life is good! Just keep plugging away...
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 8/11/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: painting, mural, field, vines, strawberries, creepers, touch-up, Add a tag
I'd say that I knocked a lot off of the to-do list today! The biggest hurdle was what used to be an undefined field beneath the cauliflower wave. Now, it has been planted and is full of strawberries ready to be picked (although no one will be able to see them unless they're up close).
Other things that were done were little touch-ups here and there, including the chef's shoes - he's now wearing creepers (a nod to my husband, Smitty).
Anything after this will be minimal changes - I'm thinkin' more contrast on the columns, maybe on some viney pieces as well...then it's varnish time!
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 8/7/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: mural, green, lettering, blue, harmonious, Add a tag
"Weeellllllll, it's still not working. That dark blue edging with the dark green is still too demanding."
"Oh, it's fine. Just live with it a little bit. You'll get used to it."
"Come on, who are you kidding? You should know to trust your instincts by now."
"Do you realize how long I've spent hunched over on the floor doing these letters over and over? My back is sore, I've got a kink in my neck..."
"Yes, I know. But, I think you're making excuses. Do you really want to drive by the mural for years wishing you had changed the color?"
(Grumbling...sigh)
"Alright, you win. I'll repaint the letters AGAIN. I'll use a dark green/light green comination so that it is more harmonious with the background...BUT THIS IS THE LAST TIME!"
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 8/6/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: panels, pumpkins, letters, leaves, garage, Santa Maria, harvest, painting, mural, Add a tag
I think I already mentioned that I wasn't excited about painting letters and, yes, I did overfuss it. The more I tried to refine the letters, the less I liked them (and the more they seemed to draw attention away from the mural). In the end, I went back to fairly loose letters (sans serif). The title simply reads: Celebrate the Harvest - Santa Maria Valley (across the bottom of 3 panels)
I also worked on detailing the leaves around the pumpkins and building a little more contrast in that area.
Now, I'm a little more excited about working on the mural again. I will be moving some panels tonmorrow to (finally) detail the field beneath the wave. There'll be a little bit of greenery and some dots of red (strawberries) to pull a teensy bit more color into those first two panels.
At least I won't have to lay on the floor for the next phase!
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 8/5/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: harvest, mural, lettering, vines, wine, Dionysus, wine glasses, Add a tag
...the swirled hair and curling vines on the Dionysus character...
...and the vines reaching across the top of the arch.
Now, I've started some lettering along the bottom (the mural's title) and I'll show that when I've worked out some kinks. One thing I've realized is that I really don't like doing the lettering. Since it's along the bottom, I have to be down low on the floor and it gets uncomfortable quickly. Also, I tend to overfuss letters, so it can be tedious.
The only thing after that is the field beneath the wave - I have to line up the panels in order to put in the plants and some dots of red strawberries.
Summer is running out, so I'd really like to be done and work on some personal projects for a change. Unfortunately, I don't think much of that will happen. So, finishing the mural will be my summer goal.
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 7/6/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: mural, panels, tiles, vines, Ultramarine, pthalo blue, touch up, Add a tag
But, I did continue work on the vines across the bottom, coming out of the ground, and up the wave - probably not much more I'd do there, except for a highlight here or there.
I did choose to switch out the splashes to Pthalo Blue (a much better fit than the ultramarine - too purple - and cerulean - not "deep" enough). This is still bright, but much more harmonious. Also, the only other place I used pthalo was in the cauliflower and broccoli, so this brings that hue in across the panels.
Tomorrow, I'll work on the wine glasses and wine bottle. Then, I'll put in the "thanks" to contributors and the mural title. After that, I'll have my husband help me move some panels around so I can get some together and check how things line up. Some adjustments there and then it's a topcoat exterior sealer - Voila!
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 6/24/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: flowers, details, mural, trees, yellow, panel, shrubs, Add a tag
I also started to put in the pumpkin stems, although I think I'll switch them to the browner side. But, as you can see, this panel has really come together!
By: DIANE SMITH,
on 6/23/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: flowers, mural, trees, panels, hills, yellow, Add a tag
Finally got to spend a larger chunk of time on the mural again today. I've started building up the landscape in the first couple panels, particularly the hills. As you can see, I started by laying in some yellow to capture the flowers that come around every spring (and have gone at this point).
I'm so glad that I spent the time to work out the tree colors - it soooooo helped. And, as expected, I'm reworking the hill colors, or at least the brushwork. I'm using a more textured approach in the areas closer to the viewer. I still have a lot to do on them thar hills, but I like how it's started. Some I like, some needs to be adjusted. Our hills have such variety - many are bare, some have the occassional shrub or tree, while others seem to have a blanket of shrubbery.
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By: Erik Brooks,
on 12/6/2016
Blog: E is for Erik (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Harts Pass, trailsend bookstore, acrylic, mural, good news, Add a tag
By: Lynne Chapman,
on 7/10/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: library, children, illustration, mural, digital, Add a tag
Well, it's been a bit of a long time coming, what with the original delays to installation and then John's little bit of drama at home, but I am finally able to show you how the children's 'Tigers in the Jungle Library' mural looks in situ.
I'm so pleased with how bright and funky it looks. It was such a dark and dismal room before: more like a cell than anything, so we certainly have transformed the space.
As you can see, I added my little trademark signature to the bottom, just like I did with the first mural in Wakefield Library:
The team at Wakefield Libraries arranged an official opening day, where all the children from the two local schools who had worked on the project were invited back to see their drawings writ large.
They were all very excited. Lots of pointing and shouting 'Look, look, that's mine!' to friends. It was a bit of a Where's Wally experience, as they jostled around the space, trying to find their particular tiger, snake or screaming librarian, but I think everyone found their pieces in the end.
After the speeches from the Head of Libraries and the Friends of Castleford Library, who helped with the funding, I posed with the children for lots of photos for the press. Then we had the rest of the day for drawing.
I ran a workshop with each of the class groups in turn. When we had worked together originally, there was so much to do and so little time, there was not much opportunity for me to do more than gentle guidance, so this time I was able to spend a bit longer, showing them in detail how to use emotion and body-language in their drawings, to bring their characters alive (although, I think you'll agree, they did a pretty good job without my help!).
Everyone worked really hard, produced loads more illustrations and seemed very proud of the characters we piled up at the end of the sessions, for them to take back to school.
I ran around in the lunch hour getting these snaps. It was a very hard space to photograph, so I apologise for the dodgy quality of some of the pics, but I hope they give you a flavour of how it looks. Didn't the children do well? There are some very funny little details and nice jokes that they added, for instance, the flamingo above is holding a book called 'How to Get More Pink'.
If you want to take a look for yourself, Castleford is in Wakefield, North Yorkshire.
0 Comments on Castleford Children's Library Mural - at Last! as of 7/10/2015 5:28:00 AM
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By: Lynne Chapman,
on 5/23/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: libraries, mural, workshop, Add a tag
You are probably wondering why I haven't posted to tell you about how it all went at Castleford Library, since I said back at the beginning of the month that the installation was imminent. Well, there was some major problem with the person who was booked to do the installation (remember, the mural has been printed onto a wallpaper, which needs sticking up around the room). He just disappeared off the radar for a while, so it was all a bit concerning.
Anyway, whatever it was all about, the library has told me that things are now back on track and we have a new installation slot of June 3rd - 5th. Phew.
We also now have a date booked for the Grand Opening Ceremony: June 26th (incorporating a comfortable buffer-time from installation, just in case!). We will be inviting all the children who worked on the mural drawings to come back to the library and see the result. There will be local dignitaries, funding bodies, the press and, of course, Yours Truly. I am going to be running a couple of short workshops for the children too, to help to really make the day memorable for them, like we did last time:
Can't wait to see it!
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By: Lynne Chapman,
on 5/4/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: libraries, illustration, mural, Add a tag
I just heard the really exciting news that my new mural in Castleford Library is going up on the walls this week!
That doesn't mean I am taking my paints and brushes to Castleford. No, just like with the one in Wakefield Library, I designed and created the artwork digitally, rather than painting onto the actual walls, which would have been way too disruptive for the library and taken me far longer.
This technique has proved a great idea (though I say so myself). It worked really well last time anyway. My design has already been printed onto rolls of special, heavy-duty wallpaper, which is then going to be pasted onto the walls of the library. Clever eh? This was the taken during the installation of the last one, a couple of years ago (goodness - it seems like yesterday):
Of course, this time things are much, much more complicated. the Wakefield mural was very big, but it was one panel, running the length of a single wall:
This time, the illustrations wrap around all four walls, weaving around various features and bits of furniture as they go. The design stretches from the ceiling right down to the floor. Which was great fun for me, but is going to be a bit of a nightmare for the installers. Thanks goodness I don't have to do that job...
The problems will come if the corners of the room and the ceiling joins are not exactly square. Anyone who has done any wallpapering at home will know what I mean. As the paper turns the corner, any anomalies will change the angle of things and could make the illustrations for the adjacent wall travel up over the ceiling! When you are wallpapering round the corner with a normal, patterned wallpaper, you stop at the corner to create an overlap, levelling things up anew, to make the paper continue straight. But overlaps and changes of angle could mean tigers with lumps missing, headless librarians and all sorts - Aaaargggggggh!
It is an old building, so you can see why, as well as being excited, I am a little anxious, and why I am very, very, very glad that a professional is doing the installation, not me!
I have asked the librarians to see if they can get photos of things in progress, which I will of course share with you, my gentle readers. There's going to be a big opening event at the beginning of June anyway, so there will be lots more photos then.
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By: Lynne Chapman,
on 3/5/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: libraries, illustration, Photoshop, mural, digital, artwork, planning, Add a tag
Because of World Book Day, I'm out visiting schools all this week (all over the place as usual) but, luckily, I just managed to get my mural artwork finished first. It was a skin-of-the-teeth thing - I didn't sign it off until 7pm last Friday night.
I'm enjoying being out and about again, as I have been locked at my computer for ages. The artwork stage has taken 3 weeks, working really long days mostly, but it is finally done. Hurrah! Below are the various sections, travelling around the walls anti-clockwise (ie from right to left), viewing what will be floor-to-ceiling once it's installed (though the emptier sections will be obscured by furniture):
There were so many different jobs to do and of course much of it took longer than expected - I think it's because I underestimated just how many individual characters and little objects I could cram into the huge space. Luckily, Wakefield Libraries have been absolutely LOVELY and said they will pay me for the time I've actually spent on it, rather than what I originally quoted them.
Every one of the new, high-res scans that John did of the various animals, books, trees etc had to be individually matched to their position on the low-res template I created earlier, re-sized to fit and then laboriously cut off the children's white, background paper in Photoshop.
Each component also had to have it's 'levels' balanced, to match the weight of the rest of the design, and then have extra colour added, so it was punchy enough. I even had to subtly go over some of the children's pencil outlines in Photoshop, thickening them up where they were too spindly.
And that's without all the graphic elements I had to draw for the background, like the distant forest and the various kinds of grasses and bushes.
Because I had to create the artwork in 6 sections (to keep the file sizes from blowing the brain of my computer), I also had the job of making sure the different sections joined accurately. That was a bit of a nightmare to be honest, as one millimetre's inaccuracy at each joint would obviously add up, and then the error would also be multiplied by 4, because of the artwork being 25% of the actual size. Yikes.
I was very good at remembering to 'save' all the time, not just to the computer, but also to an external hard drive, just in case any of the files decided to corrupt along the way. I got away without 'losing' anything, which is a great relief.
Then, just when I thought it was all finished, I realised I had forgotten the area of 'bleed' beneath the library's computer table! I had remembered to continue the design behind the bookshelves, so I don't know why I forgot the table. Tired I guess.
The colour boosting was the last job. I wanted to keep the mark-making from the children's colouring, so I made my final artwork translucent, then created a layer beneath the design, where I 'scribbled' half-opacity colour, so the effect was subtle and blended seamless with the children's coloured pencils. It was time consuming, but was worth it, as the boost made a huge difference. Look at the difference between the section above and part of the same section, before the extra colour:
Notice too, in some places I had to do extra tricksy things with the colour in Photoshop: look at the original colour of the desk, immediately above, then the colour it ended up.
Did you notice by the way, in the 2nd section from the beginning, I left my 'signature' on the computer screen? Sneaky huh? Actually, I suspect that most of this area will be obscured by book-bags, but I only really put it in as an after-thought.
The next stage is a final chat to the printer who will be transferring my design to wallpaper, ready to paste onto the walls. I'm a little concerned about how on earth we will manage to get things to line up where they are supposed to, what with crooked walls and wonky ceilings. For instance, all the creatures' feet, which need to be on the level with the tops of the bookshelves.
I am crossing fingers it all works out okay, as there isn't much I can do about that side of things.
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By: Lynne Chapman,
on 2/12/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children, libraries, illustration, Photoshop, mural, digital, planning, Add a tag
Great news - Wakefield Library Service love the mural design, so it's full steam ahead.
While I was away during the first half of this week, working with under-graduates at Bishop's Grosseteste Uni in Lincoln, John was helping out back home, scanning all the children's work again, this time at high res. It is extremely boring to have to scan everything twice, but I didn't know until now which images were going to be used and at what size; the original drawings have been re-sized a lot, to make them fit together within the design.
I also decided to try and fit a Henry Moore sculpture into the design, because of his Castleford history. It makes for a good discussion point for school groups coming into the library. As I mentioned previously, using someone else's photo would raise copyright issues. I have various sketches of Moore's sculptures, but the one above, from a visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the only one in full colour. We still had to run it by the Henry Moore Foundation though, to get their blessing. Luckily, they love it and so have now been added to the invite list for the Grand Opening.
It was no mean feat trying to find a spot for Henry, but in the end I moved a bush-baby out of one of the trees (above), to create a space on a column between two bookshelves. I also popped a tiny owl (I think that's what it is) on top, which really helped to make the sculpture 'belong':
It's a bit surreal, but well, it's not as if the rest isn't! I did like the bush-baby though, so I rejigged things in another section, to make room for him in a new location. It's a nightmare though, because each thing you move has a knock-on effect. Spot the differences:
My next job is trying to find a way to work with the high res scans in Photoshop. I am working at 25% of the real size and divided the design into 6 sections, but the base layer of each section was still coming up at 470MB - still too big to be practical. So I am also having to work on just the upper part first, adding the below-bookshelf-height elements at the end.
It's still going to be a bit of an ordeal for the computer and I will have to 'flatten' the artwork as I introduce each new element, as floating layers make a file enormous and my poor computer is likely to throw in the towel if I am not extremely careful. 'Saving' really often seems like I good idea!
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By: Lynne Chapman,
on 2/9/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children, libraries, illustration, mural, planning, hot tips, Add a tag
On Friday afternoon, I emailed my mural design to Wakefield Libraries - hurrah! It's looking really fun, as the children's drawings were even better this time around. This is a section from the middle:
The drawings weren't all finished and some were a bit wishy-washy, but I found it rather soothing, spending a whole day touching them up, colouring-in with my big tin of Derwent pencils. Then John helped me out by scanning everything (just low-res for now).
I abandoned my original plan of designing it in 3 sections: I needed to see the whole thing as one, with all 4 walls strung together into a long, thin template. I used the plans I drew a couple of weeks ago.
With over 100 drawings, it was hard to know where to begin. I had calm, library-like details as well as crazy, tiger-infested ones. This gave me the idea for the layout: the tigers could be bursting in from one end, so the other end would still be normal, for contrast. This is the far left, the calm end (with just the odd hint of tiger-trouble):
I established a horizon line early on, to stop things floating, and started to import the drawings, creating little groups and gradually building it up. It didn't look enough like a jungle though, so I introduced big fern-like shapes and tree-covered hills in the distance. Here are the first 2 stages:
I did my best to include everyone's work, though it got fuller and fuller! I did have to admit defeat before I fitted in every drawing, but I squeezed the vast majority in there. This is the tiger end, with my tiger from Open Wide, starting things off:
As with the first mural, in Wakefield Central Library, I was asked if I could pop some of my own characters in amongst the children's. There are quite a few dotted through this one.
Here is the section which joins onto the one above, as the tigers work their way into the library. My little trio of bats-in-hats are from When You're Not Looking! of course. I love some of the detailed and surreal shelving systems the children devised:
I hope you are impressed at how I managed to shoe-horn the Romans in. This was a requirement, because Castleford is an important archaeological site. In the end, it was a fun addition to have them bursting from the history shelves:
It was such a massive job that I had to spend all week glued to the computer, working it all out, but it was good fun and John had to virtually drag me from my chair at about 7 o'clock each evening.
I haven't yet included Henry Moore (Castleford was his place of birth), for want of a copyright-free image, but my idea was to add a hill in the background, with one of his massive sculptures on it. If necessary, I have a couple of sketchbook paintings I have done at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Here's the whole thing. It should enlarge to a size you can see properly:
Cross-fingers that they like it, after all that work! I'll let you know.
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By: Lynne Chapman,
on 1/31/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children, libraries, illustration, mural, workshop, planning, Add a tag
On Tuesday, the new mural was kicked off to a flying start, when I met the two Y4 classes, from St Joseph's Primary and Smawthorne Henry Moore schools in Castleford, who have been chosen to help me to create the artwork. We worked in Castleford Museum, just upstairs from where the mural will be housed. I had each group for less than two hours, so we had a lot to achieve in a short time
You may recall, I decided on a tiger theme, because of the local rugby team and it was a small step from that to having tigers rampaging among the librarians and children in a 'jungle library'. So, I asked the morning group to focus on tigers. I demonstrated various quick techniques to help the children structure their animals and give them movement, then they were off!
They were so into it and all drew like demons for the entire time. I just love the one at the top by Riley Farrar from St Joseph's! Those that finished their tigers early, had a go at librarians. I showed them how to use body language and eyebrows to get across emotion. Not everyone finished colouring, so I will be getting out my Derwents soon!
For the afternoon session, I changed things slightly and asked children to be more general, drawing other jungle animals. We had some interesting discussions: 'Miss, can I draw a penguin?', 'I don't think you get penguins in the jungle, do you?', 'Well, how about a shark?'. Thank goodness for Jungle Grumble, to get some idea of the animals you might actually find in the jungle!
I also asked them to think about background details for the jungle library, whist being careful not to actual colour the background, as that will of course be done digitally by me, once the design is sorted out.
The afternoon group drew me some children and a few more librarians too. Bethany has definitely got to win the prize for best librarian illustration. Look carefully and you will see that she has also featured one of the library's 'talking books':
As well as having a well known rugby team, Castleford is an important archeological site (the museum is full of Roman artifacts, including the wheels of a chariot), so I have been asked to try and feature the Romans in the mural too. It's a hard match to the existing theme, but I wondered if a few Roman soldiers might come to life from the Ancient History bookshelves. They could help restore order and fight off the tigers perhaps. With this in mind, a few children drew Romans for me:
I did the return journey to Sheffield with a lovely, fat package of amazing illustrations. This week I have been scanning them into my computer, just as low-res images for now, so I can play around, dropping them into the templates I created, trying to combine as many of them as possible into what will ultimately be one big illustration, rampaging around the walls of Castleford Children's Library.
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By: Lynne Chapman,
on 1/26/2015
Blog: An Illustrator's Life For Me! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Photoshop, mural, planning, hot tips, libraries, illustration, Add a tag
Regular readers will remember the excitement of the 13m long mural I created for the shiny, new Wakefield Library, working with local school kids. To be completely honest, I was really apprehensive about taking on the project, as I had never done anything at all like it before, but the results far exceeded my expectations, so I'm really glad now that I took the plunge.
Wakefield have had such amazing feedback (hurrah!) that they want me to do another mural, this time in Castleford Library, which is having a refurb. Again, I am a little nervous. This time it is even more complicated, as it is a whole room. Also, instead of a simple (albeit BIG) panel, I have to work on the whole space, designing around bookshelves and windows etc.
So far so good.
I then asked the caretaker at the library to take his tape measure and note down every dimension. This was more complex than you might think, as I needed to know the exact size of obvious things like windows and bookshelves, but also the exact positions of objects like the alarm on the wall, the depth and width of the wall pillars, the height of the book-bag rail, the desk...
To organise that information into something that made sense, and thereby minimise the number of mistakes I was likely to make, I plotted all this information on top of the photo in Photoshop:
Then the even more fun job: I had to create a scale drawing of the space to act as a template: the shape to design the illustration into.
This is where it gets complicated, because the space is obviously VERY big. Eventually, I will create the high-res, digital artwork at 25%, but that's still going to mean working with massive files and, to stop the computer taking it's ball home, I will chop it up into 6 sections. Designing something in 6 bits is near impossible, so I am doing the designing at 10th size, so I only have to work in 3 sections.
This is what the template for section 1 looks like (the left third). You can see the pillar between the first 2 bookcases, the alarm and the first computer desk:
The next step is a bit more fun - a couple of illustration workshops with Y4 classes from local schools, to generate the children's drawings which I am going to build the design around. The workshops are tomorrow and the theme is: tigers loose in the library!
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By: Julie Fortenberry,
on 7/25/2014
Blog: Children's Illustration (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Yusuke Asai, mural, Add a tag
Japanese artist Yusuke Asai painted a classroom in Sujata Village, India. Read more about the school and Ysuke Asai here.
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By: Neesha Hunter,
on 9/15/2013
Blog: castle-building (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Illustration, animals, circus, mural, children's illustration, dentist, wagon, peak, wall mural, Add a tag
Blog: castle-building (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Illustration, animals, circus, mural, children's illustration, dentist, wagon, peak, wall mural, Add a tag
For some reason Peak Dental let me paint on their walls, and I had a ton of fun doing it! Peak Dental is in Falmouth, ME and one of the most amazing offices I've ever seen (and I have seen a LOT of dentists). They are completely "green", use no harsh chemicals, and all digital x-rays. On top of that they do exceptional work and are so nice and friendly! If you are in the area I would definitely give them a visit. They are running a promotion for new patients too.
Since they were open to ideas, I suggested a circus themed mural with funky whimsical characters for their children's area. It took about 13 hrs to complete.
Tootles.
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 1/2/2013
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Town Center Gallery, Art 21, illustration, PBS, painting, mural, sketching, Fine Art, inspired, Add a tag
Time is ticking away - Christmas vacation is slipping away. But, I'm enjoying looking at the New Year, trying to plan how I can fit everything in that I want to do - especially art. As it stands, I will be the featured artist at the Town Center Gallery in October and I've got to get busy producing new work. Although it's a smaller-town member gallery, I'm excited about having a goal to work for. And, I'm really delighted to be taking steps back into the more "fine art" world - it can only enhance my illustration. I'm inspired by new ideas that I look forward to pursuing - I'll get more into that later.
Today, I carved out an hour OUTSIDE of the house, no less, to do a little sketching. I'm wanting to do some small still life paintings to get into the swing of things and play around with my new and improved understanding of acrylics (thanks to the mural).
OK Santa Maria locals - can you guess where I went by these items?
Anyway, during my break I've been addicted to watching previous seasons of the PBS series Art 21 on Netflix Instant Watch. It has reawakened my interest in fine art and all of the discussion that goes with it that I miss from college (although I can't say that I took proper advantage of the opportunities for such discussion back then). I'm going to dust off my many sketchbooks from back then and see how my ideas have changed since then. Maybe I'll post more on those thoughts soon.
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 12/29/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Christmas, painting, mural, projects, daughter, Add a tag
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! I was blessed this year with the means to purchase a new camera - nothing too high-tech, but my other camera was completely dead. So, now I can take pictures of things I've been working on again...
There hasn't been as much time as I'd hoped during this vacation period to pursue any projects - the week before Christmas was spent preparing, baking cookies, etc. and the week after has been recovery of the house and things like that. But, I have at least given some thought to new projects that I hope to complete in the next several months. The above picture is a sketch from a photo of my daughter - a pose that I always liked. It fits well with the concept I have for a painting. And, it's exciting for me to be going in a different direction than I have in the past - inspirations from the mural project.
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 12/7/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: painting, mural, panels, Jill Martin Photography, Add a tag
The mural is now en route to a sign shop where it will be framed and then it will probably wait in storage until the corner of Cook and Broadway is ready for its placement.
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| Jill in action - with complicated back-lighting, no less... |
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| Saying Goodbye |
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 12/5/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: mural, doodle, slumber, Town Center Gallery, Add a tag
It's been forever since I've been able to pick up a pencil and doodle something for fun. It was my turn to work in the Town Center Gallery which gave me a rare moment with my sketchbook, a little music, surrounded by art. So, I started with a doodle - as I always do - to get the juices flowing. Unfortunately, the camera that I usually use to photograph my drawings is no longer working. I was forced to scan this on my basic scanner/printer and I don't like the quality at all. But, what can ya do...?
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| Slumber |
And, regarding the mural, the city will be sending a couple guys to come and pick it up on Friday. When that happens, I'll be getting a photo of the whole thing put together.
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 10/14/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: mural, studio, panels, Horizons, Granddad, art classes, varnish, writing, drawing, Add a tag
It's a bit crazy how we can jam-pack the fall season with so much busy-ness! This is the first weekend where I've been able to relax (a little), although there's still a ton on my plate - soccer season is in full swing with end-of-season parties & all-star tryouts on the horizon, the Horizons Family CoOp that I coordinate meets this Tuesday along with one of my art classes, and so on...
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| Students busy in the California History class! |
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| Panel laid out on sawhorses in order to seal all edges. |
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| Studio "corner" - the garage is too cold in winter and there are too many spiders! I have plans for some bulletin boards and wall-hanging holders for pencils and stuff...I'll get there eventually. |
I know that the mural project is at an end as my mind has been buzzing with thoughts of other art and writing projects. It's time to transition backin to new creative work - not sure what exactly, though. I still don't have a lot of free time, but I did clean off the old drawing table corner of my room in preparation. Now, joining my drawing space is a caricature portrait that I recently acquired of my Granddad who passed away about 20 years ago - I think it was given to him as a retirement gift (or something like that). It's a nice addition to my workspace.
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| Granddad watching over my work :) |
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 9/2/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: study, mural, for sale, varnish, Town Center Gallery, Add a tag
Went forward with a 2nd coat of varnish on the backs again today. I'll be setting up the saw horses tomorrow. But first, I have to de-clutter the studio zone a little. Since it is in the garage, summer vacation sort of crept into my area - books, boxes, bikes, OH MY!
Anyway, while I had the varnish out, I also painted a coat on all of the studies I did during the mural process. Remember those? I shared them along the way. My plan is to frame them and probably put them up for sale in the Town Center Gallery. I don't see the need to keep them. Well, I might put a couple up for sale now and see how it goes.
Now that I'm anxious to paint other projects...I have no time. Oh well...
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 9/1/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: homeschooling, mural, panels, memorial, Horizons, CoOp, varnish, Robert Smith, primer, tackiness, Add a tag
...screamed my daughter.
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| Now you see it - now you don't! |
No, I've turned all of the panels around and I am currently painting a couple coats of clear varnish on the backsides. I wanted to do the backs first because I wasn't sure how tacky it would be for and for how long. The primer we used seemed to always have a certain degree of tackiness - even at this point. If that was to be the case with the varnish, then I wanted to do the fronts last and make sure they didn't lean up against anything while they awaited transportation.
I've now discovered that the varnish dries quickly and the finish isn't tacky at all. Good! Now, I plan to put the panels one at a time on sawhorses and paint a couple coats on the fronts and all edges.
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| In Loving Memory... |
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| Past Horizons Group During Some Outdoor Activities |
Still, God is great and life is good! Just keep plugging away...
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 8/11/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: painting, mural, field, vines, strawberries, creepers, touch-up, Add a tag
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| You have to look close to see strawberries... |
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| The field "before" |
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| The field "after" |
Other things that were done were little touch-ups here and there, including the chef's shoes - he's now wearing creepers (a nod to my husband, Smitty).
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 8/7/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: mural, green, lettering, blue, harmonious, Add a tag
"You know those letters that you did with the dark blue edging and light blue center were far to bold for mural? They real drew too much attention."
"Yes, I know. That's why I changed the centers to green and posted pictures. I thought the green would blend in a little bit better."
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| Dark blue edging with a green center |
"Weeellllllll, it's still not working. That dark blue edging with the dark green is still too demanding."
"Oh, it's fine. Just live with it a little bit. You'll get used to it."
"Come on, who are you kidding? You should know to trust your instincts by now."
"Do you realize how long I've spent hunched over on the floor doing these letters over and over? My back is sore, I've got a kink in my neck..."
"Yes, I know. But, I think you're making excuses. Do you really want to drive by the mural for years wishing you had changed the color?"
(Grumbling...sigh)
"Alright, you win. I'll repaint the letters AGAIN. I'll use a dark green/light green comination so that it is more harmonious with the background...BUT THIS IS THE LAST TIME!"
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| Dark green edging with light green center |
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 8/6/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: panels, pumpkins, letters, leaves, garage, Santa Maria, harvest, painting, mural, Add a tag
Spent a good part of today kneeling and lying on the garage floor painting...and repainting...letters.
I think I already mentioned that I wasn't excited about painting letters and, yes, I did overfuss it. The more I tried to refine the letters, the less I liked them (and the more they seemed to draw attention away from the mural). In the end, I went back to fairly loose letters (sans serif). The title simply reads: Celebrate the Harvest - Santa Maria Valley (across the bottom of 3 panels)
I also worked on detailing the leaves around the pumpkins and building a little more contrast in that area.
Now, I'm a little more excited about working on the mural again. I will be moving some panels tonmorrow to (finally) detail the field beneath the wave. There'll be a little bit of greenery and some dots of red (strawberries) to pull a teensy bit more color into those first two panels.
At least I won't have to lay on the floor for the next phase!
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 8/5/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: harvest, mural, lettering, vines, wine, Dionysus, wine glasses, Add a tag
Well, not only did the laptop get a virus, but the charger ceased charging. Then, the desktop computer got a really nasty virus, rendering it useless. And, on a sad note, my fathe- in-law, Robert Smith, passed away last weekend. Needless to say, no mural progress worth noting has happened...that is, until now.
Little details have been my focus - the bottle and wine glasses...
...the swirled hair and curling vines on the Dionysus character...
...and the vines reaching across the top of the arch.
Now, I've started some lettering along the bottom (the mural's title) and I'll show that when I've worked out some kinks. One thing I've realized is that I really don't like doing the lettering. Since it's along the bottom, I have to be down low on the floor and it gets uncomfortable quickly. Also, I tend to overfuss letters, so it can be tedious.
The only thing after that is the field beneath the wave - I have to line up the panels in order to put in the plants and some dots of red strawberries.
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| The Studio Photo-Bomber Strikes Again! |
Summer is running out, so I'd really like to be done and work on some personal projects for a change. Unfortunately, I don't think much of that will happen. So, finishing the mural will be my summer goal.
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 7/6/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: mural, panels, tiles, vines, Ultramarine, pthalo blue, touch up, Add a tag
Time to check in! Took a couple days off for the holiday (Happy Belated 4th of July), but I've just been touching up here and there - things I really can't photograph (like strawberry leaves and the black/white tiles that needed a 3rd coat).
But, I did continue work on the vines across the bottom, coming out of the ground, and up the wave - probably not much more I'd do there, except for a highlight here or there.
I did choose to switch out the splashes to Pthalo Blue (a much better fit than the ultramarine - too purple - and cerulean - not "deep" enough). This is still bright, but much more harmonious. Also, the only other place I used pthalo was in the cauliflower and broccoli, so this brings that hue in across the panels.
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| Mommy's little "photobomber" |
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 6/24/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: flowers, details, mural, trees, yellow, panel, shrubs, Add a tag
It's kind of hard to believe, but now that I've put in the trees, I feel like I'm nearing the end. I still have work to do in each panel, but at this point, it's details, fine tuning, and fairy minor adjustments. If all goes well, I'd say that I have about a week of additions and "fixings". I'll have to move the panels around in order to finish some parts - to make sure that the continuity from one panel to the next is accurate. Then, I'd give myself another week of obsessively staring, analyzing, and more fixing. After that, I guess it will be time to put the protective top varnish on and seal it.
Yesterday, I put in several more trees and shrubs and extended some of the yellow flowers. I may add a few more in, but probably not much.
I also started to put in the pumpkin stems, although I think I'll switch them to the browner side. But, as you can see, this panel has really come together!
2 Comments on Entering the Home Stretch..., last added: 6/25/2012
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 6/23/2012
Blog: DIANE SMITH: Illo Talk (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: flowers, mural, trees, panels, hills, yellow, Add a tag
Finally got to spend a larger chunk of time on the mural again today. I've started building up the landscape in the first couple panels, particularly the hills. As you can see, I started by laying in some yellow to capture the flowers that come around every spring (and have gone at this point).
I'm so glad that I spent the time to work out the tree colors - it soooooo helped. And, as expected, I'm reworking the hill colors, or at least the brushwork. I'm using a more textured approach in the areas closer to the viewer. I still have a lot to do on them thar hills, but I like how it's started. Some I like, some needs to be adjusted. Our hills have such variety - many are bare, some have the occassional shrub or tree, while others seem to have a blanket of shrubbery.
2 Comments on Them Thar Hills..., last added: 6/25/2012
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Your work is just awesome....I can't believe you are so damn talented!!