Illustration

A quick line drawing or pencil sketch of a pose (portraiture) or character study can become the basis for a portrait. One of the reasons I like to carry a camera or sketch book with me is that you never know when you’ll see something that will inspire your creative spirit. In this case I was allowed neither. As the mother of the bride I’d have looked silly carrying my usual bag of paper and pencils, and no one was allowed to use their camera in the church except for the photographer. So I had … [Read more...] about Portraiture and Character Study

The other day a little boy I know told me he had learned to ride his bike without training wheels. It reminded me (just like this sketch portrait) of how my younger brother use to be anxious about learning to ride his bike. But until he could accomplish this feat he wasn't about to let it exclude him from the activity of his older brothers and sisters, so he would just run a bicycle around the driveway as we rode ours. It wasn't long before he had gained his balance and was soon riding along … [Read more...] about No Training Wheels – Sketch Portrait

Ever had a place that you always wanted to go, and then finally you got to see it in person? Well, this was it for me. I must have painted this scene (this landscape illustration) about five times as paintings and illustrations that I've sold, always thinking... someday I'd like to go there. Glen and I took a cycle trip out to New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. To stand on the coast and be able to sketch this beauty, on a beautiful day no less, was a dream fulfilled. Besides the Maine … [Read more...] about Maine Lighthouse – Landscape Illustration

While doing a little spring cleaning in my daughter's room I dumped over a container of colored chalk which left a colorful spray of pastel pink, blue and green all over the floor. It made me think of the wonderful warm afternoons of making bright sidewalk chalk pictures with the girls to welcome home their dad. We never know where the sidewalk will take us so we might as well make the journey colorful. … [Read more...] about Sidewalk Chalk – Sketched Illustration

This illustration was sketched from a bronze statue that was placed near the pool area at the Arrioto. I altered her kneeling position to make her look as though she was bathing in nature. The statue was kneeling within a bowl like fountain shape. I tried to take my sketch book with me as many places as I could. The illustration of the man's face that I am also posting was done on the train that we traveled to Venice. There's a lot of down time when you're traveling, but I love to look at the … [Read more...] about My Illustration of the Bronze Statue in Italy