Be Yourself ~ Not As Easy As It Sounds in the ART World (And How to Draw a Grumpy Bunny)

The internet has made what Disney called a small world even smaller. We get information in the blink of an eye, and we are exposed to far more than any other time in history.

We can get news from the other side of the globe faster than if your neighbor ran over from next door. What was once underground and very hard to see can now be considered mainstream. 

The web has leveled the art playing field somewhat--what was once relegated to a very select group can now be viewed by millions with the right amount of retweets or shares.

We see hundreds if not thousands of images a day as visual artists. We are lucky enough to look at the work of our peers, and in a matter of seconds we can find millions of images to help as reference points for our work.

Looking at other beautiful artwork can certainly elevate our practice, but I feel it can't help but influence our style, too. When we see a color combination we love we get excited and want to try and incorporate it into our work too. A new medium can have us running to the store so we can try it at home.

It is hard enough to develop a style that is recognizable yet unique, and now we have to contend with the daily hyper-viewing of images.

I am not complaining! I love the web and I love that I can see all the lovely art I could I ever dream of. But I am just a tad more aware of the fact that I need to stay true to me and my style, and not get seduced by something bright and shiny.

Every Friday I will be sharing a video that is geared towards helping kids learn to draw. I will be demonstrating in a way I liked to learn as a child--with fun and fancy images that are easily repeated and not too complicated. This week it is the grumpy bunny from the image above.

Please feel free to share this post or video with any artistic little ones you may know.

This is an image from a book I illustrated a few years ago for author David Rowinski called The Open Pillow. Another style for PPF.

So get going! Draw draw draw with abandon--and help your kids do the same. Before you know it you will have your own amazing style.

xo

Drawn with the Kuretake brush pen.

Yes! You CAN Make Money as an ARTIST and Be Happy

We all want our children to be happy and successful. We want to give them every opportunity and help them find the "thing" that they were made to do.

Many are especially happy if their children decide to become something professional, like a doctor or a lawyer. Getting into finances is smiled upon by many because it is assumed a good living will be made. 

Then there are the careers that parents are not thrilled about. There are plenty I do not have to mention, but sadly some of them are in the field of the arts. 

The term starving artist certainly came from somewhere, but happily a passion for the arts does not mean your child will be destitute and destined to live in your house until they get a real job.

Here are some jobs in the art field that make a very good living:

Graphic Artist - The average yearly income for a graphic artist is over $46,000. 

Fine Artist - All told, illustrators, sculptors, photographers, and painters made an average of $53,200 per year. (According to Google, if you live in Delaware you will hit the jackpot in this field, earning over $133,000.) Not bad.

Video Game Designer - Many hate that their kids are fascinated by video games. They should not feel too bad if their child decides they want to design these games for a living because the average salary for someone designing these attention-grabbers is almost $87,000 a year. 

Book Illustrators - Do your kids doodle all over everything? GOOD. If they decide they want to illustrate books for a living they can earn $53,000 a year or more. Medical illustrators make even more, starting at $61,000, and some making upwards of $250,000. 

Courtroom Illustrator - For those interesting in law AND art, earning $42,000 to be a courtroom illustrator is the perfect answer.

Storyboarding - Almost all films are made using a storyboard artist to plan the shots before filming. Film storyboarders can expect to earn over $84,000 a year, those in advertising around $64,000.

And there are more. Fashion illustrators, comic book artists, forensic artists, architect, tech designer, car designer, special effects expert, potter, jeweler, playground or golf course designer, landscape architect, art directors, and clothing designers can all make wonderful livings, and the list goes on.

So have no fear if your son or daughter decides on the arts, have no fear. Help them out by showing them websites dedicated to the arts, taking them to museums, or local shows. Even if you are not an artist yourself you can ask about their interests and find out about what they love.

Following a dream to a career is one of the most fulfilling things that can happen to a person. According to Maslow it is a peak experience. The ones that support and assist and help these dreams come true are real life angels.

So let them be artists--in fact help them become artists. Because we all know the EARTH without ART is just...eh.

xo

How To Draw a Fat Budgie

On January fifth we celebrated National Bird Day.

I think it is wonderful to celebrate birds because they have always had a special place in my heart.

When I was a young girl I watched a practically featherless young mockingbird running in the street on a hot summer's day. I heard a crow in the distance and then saw his intentions were not good. After a few failed swoops at the little chicklet I could not take it any more and decided I either needed to find his nest or take him home.

Much to the chagrin of my mother, we ended up taking the little guy home, naming him Peanuts, and caring for the little featherhead for the rest of the summer until he flew away.

Since then I have had many birds: Algebra the budgie, Buddy the conure, Sky, Tweety, Nibble, Speck, Bubble, and Winter. I loved them all.

That being said I thought it would be a good week to learn to draw a fat budgie. The one I drew is much chubbier and more cartoon like than realistic, but I think you will find it fun to draw. Plus chubby budgies are just too cute.

Below is a video to follow--they are pretty simple but their shape takes a few practice runs to get. Don't give up!

Have fun!

xo

Music by loveyoujapan.

I LOVE comments and will visit you right back! Thanks followers!

Drawn with the Zebra fine point brush pen from Jet Pens.

Brush Pens--Comparing Zebra, Pentel, Kuretake, Pilot, and Tombow

As an I artist I love trying new pens and markers. 

I was looking for some brush pens because I was starting to practice script writing. I also read that many were using these brush pens to outline art or create beautiful pictures.

I Googled around and found that Jet Pens had a sample set of five brush pens, one each from Kuretake, Pilot, Pentel, Zebra, and Tombow. I've used the Pentel brush pen and have a colored marker set from Tombow, both of which I am very happy with. The other three will be new to me. (Love JetPens.com BTW. Easy ordering and super fast delivery--and no, they do not pay me.)

I was looking forward to trying the Kuretake pen because I heard it had a very springy tip and lasted a very long time. I was also excited to try a brush pen with a super fine  and hard tip like the Zebra because I'd had no experience with them at that point. 

Getting the delivery was exciting. All of the pens are made in Japan, and the packaging is different from what we are used to in the USA, and it made it very interesting to open and begin.

A big PLUS for me--all of the brush tips are made from felt or synthetic hair so NO animals are hurt in the process.

Below are writing samples from each pen.

Below is a video describing from Jet Pens describing each pen and showing it in action. 

The Kuretake pen had a nice solid tip. The ink flowed well but not too fast. It allowed for nice control. I like the feel of this pen.

The Pentel pocket pen is the most popular brush pen on the market. It is a refillable pen with a springy tip and a heavy flow. Although I loved writing with it, being a beginner it allowed for the least control of all the pens. That being said, I loved it and feel it will be worth it to continue using it and improving.

The Pilot soft brush pen is very interesting. The ink flowed very dark and nicely, but if too much pressure was applied on the down stroke the entire tip lifted, and the point of the tip would pop off the paper. BUT--that makes for very interesting lettering and the ability to stylize. It was the only pen that squeaked as I wrote.

The Tombow pen was an all-around nice pen. Good control and good ink flow. 

My favorite of the pens was the Zebra fine. To me it was the closest to a Crow Quill or calligraphy pen with a nib. It offers great control and the ink is very dense and black. It also makes a slight scratchy noise as you write. I like that.

Here's a short video of me using each pen. I've just started with script writing with a brush pen so my samples are not beautiful like some other videos out there.

I have a feeling that as I improve and get used to using these pens that I may change which is my favorite.

This drawing was done with the Pentel brush pen. 

If you would like to enter a giveaway to win the all the pens in a JETPENS sampler set, click HERE. All entries will be entered into Random.com on February 1st and the winner will receive the Brush Pen Sampler that I reviewed above! Winner will be notified by email and announced in a post on this blog. If there is no response from winner within one week, a new winner will be chosen. Brush pens will be sent to winner within thirty days.

So please follow my blog and enter the contest for more art, kid lit, pen addiction posts, and a chance to win!

Good luck! xo 

Is Your Kid a Nerd? GOOD!

Years ago if you were a bookworm, band kid, or if you had a pair of glasses with dark, square frames, you could be considered a nerd.

Being a nerd could get you picked on, relegate you to a terrible school experience, and cause every member of the opposite sex to run for the hills.Nerds on television shows were constantly being made-over so they would appear acceptable and suddenly popular. 

Right now it is hip to be square, and being a nerd or geek is in. People emulate the smart and science-ish, so times are not as hard for the un-mainstream. Find some cool geek sites HERE.

Not too long ago kids could be teased for staring at a computer screen for hours on end, or practicing the drums, or drawing in their sketchbooks. Parents worried that these kids were not outside until the streetlights came on like the other kids on the block. They did not want to play football, dodge ball, or ANY ball for that matter. They had puzzles to solve, codes to figure, and only so many hours in the day. 

Geeks and nerds do not obsess about how they look, they do not stand in front of the mirror wondering if they are worthy. Drinking and smoking at night when they go out with friends? Probably not--they are more likely to be taking things apart and looking for new and interesting ways to put them back together. Happily, they are far too busy inventing, creating, and figuring to stress over image or trying cigarettes to fit in with the cool kids.

Some famous NERDS and GEEKS

Tim Burton
Being a geek and a loner was one of the best thing that ever happened to the film world. Burton spent time alone as a kid developing and using his creativity. He had plenty of hours to delve into the dark corners of his personality. Without him or his wonderful geekiness we would not have Edward Scissorhands, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, or any of the other dark and delightful movies his nerd-brain invented.

Nicola Tesla
Neon lights, remote control, the modern electric motor,  radar, and arguably the light bulb are all attributed to Tesla. He was also the inadvertent father of radio astronomy and builder of the first hydroelectric plant at Niagra Falls. He worked on and held patents for information that would later be used to develop transistors which have revolutionized electronics, (thanks for the info Dad!), 100 years before the actual invention. The list goes on. 

Steve Jobs
No need for an explanation here, many of you are probably reading this on an Apple product. But his geekdom started in a garage where he started his computer company in 1976. 

Bill Gates
During his time in high school, a local computer company offered the students computer time. A fundraising club used their proceeds to buy a teletype terminal for the students, and Bill Gates spent much of his free time learning there and working at the terminal. 

So don't be concerned if your kids aren't the perfect definition of popular, or if they have interests that you might not consider mainstream.

They could be working on something to change the world. Be proud of who they are, pocket protectors and all.

And truly, the GEEK shall inherit the earth.

xo

Style from the Forest

Although I am over 50, I still have a penchant for certain styles. As an artist, muted colors, animals, and flowers still make my heart flutter when I see them incorporated into fashion. (And when I say animals I do NOT mean fur!)

I can't get away with the same things the twenty somethings can. Plus when you are young, people assume you are experimenting, learning, and are willing to put yourself a bit more out there when it comes to fashion.

But today I found shoes that I may not be able to resist.

These grey flats (already two checks in my BUY THEM box for color and heel height), with a very faint stitched and sleeping bunny, complete with ears on the instep, make me happy just looking at them. They are fairy tales for the feet!

To make us smile even harder, the same company, ModCloth, (click HERE for their website to buy) sells Tiffany blue flats (two checks), with a wide eyed cat on the front that is reminiscent of the Totoro cartoon. Who is the genius that designed these! Love them.

Okay, okay, maybe the Totoro skips are a bit too youthful for me, but the Furry Up, We're Dreaming bunny shoes might be just subtle enough for me to get away with.

And ya know what, if something makes you THAT happy, go for it--opinions be damned.

xo

And for those of you that have not seen Totoro yet, please see the trailer above, then rent it for the kids. It is one of the most beautifully animated shows you will ever see. 

Enjoy!

ART ~ It's In the Genes

My mother started to get grey hair when she was 16 years old, and people tell me I look like her. She has pure white hair now, and so do I. I did not pick up her flair for really good cooking unfortunately.

My father is a wonderful photographer, and although I like taking pictures and some of them are very cool too, I do not have his skill or his knowledge. But I did get his very long legs. 

Both of my parents are artistic. My mother used to oil paint when I was a kid, and my dad would draw pictures of eyeballs running down the street and rising like the sun that would rival Dali in style.

My sister does not think she draws well, but she has other artistic skills. She is an amazing interior decorator, and can host an event that would Martha Stewart jealous.

Pastel by great-grandpa Paul.

I am starting to learn that the artistic thing goes back beyond my parents. Seems I had a great grandfather that had a flair for art also.

We found his portfolio that is so old it is crumbling, and we are going to try our best to salvage and frame some of the artwork. It ranges from cartoons to oil paintings.

If both your parents have blue eyes, the chance that you will have blue eyes too is very high. I wonder what the genetic chance is in becoming artistic if there are artists in your family?

One of his cartoons.

According to a study at Penn State artists are both born and made. They feel natural born talent, along with societal influences, shape the artist.

In any event, it can't hurt to draw and paint with your children if they love it. And doing art helps them with critical thinking, decision making, and self confidence--so go for it!

So I wonder, did my love of art come from my parents drawing with me as a kid, or did I inherit it in my DNA?
xo