Monday, December 23, 2013
Happy Owlidays
Wishing you and your loved ones Happy Owlidays! Here's this year's card from my family to yours: =)
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Happy Fall!
Just sharing a "quick" one-day image that I was inspired to do today. I have been quite busy with art for an upcoming project that I can't share quite yet. But soon!
Fall is a favorite season of mine and I love lanterns and bright colored leaves. So I thought I'd combine the two. Trying to stay a little rougher with this but still give a sense of light and depth.
Happy Fall!
Fall is a favorite season of mine and I love lanterns and bright colored leaves. So I thought I'd combine the two. Trying to stay a little rougher with this but still give a sense of light and depth.
Happy Fall!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Review: Intuos Creative Stylus for iPad
I was very excited to receive the new Intuos Creative Stylus for iPad in the mail today -at least until I tried it.
Don't get me wrong, it's great to look at and has a nice solid feel in my hand. As a long-time Wacom user (my current workhorse is a XL Intuos4) I appreciate that this pen feels just as well made as that of a proper Intuos. That said, I think I'll be returning this one, my gripes:
1.) It "sticks" majorly to the iPad's screen as I'm trying to draw with it. This lends a highly unpleasant "gummy" feeling to every stroke and serves up just enough friction to make little jaggies everywhere.
2.) It relies on software implementation to actually make use of the pressure sensitivity. In the three supported apps I tried (Procreate, Bamboo Paper, and ibisPaint X) none of them seemed to integrate this very well. In Procreate, for example, you have to really monkey with brush settings to get any hint of pressure sensitivity and often end up with brushes that are hair-thin, ghost light, or blobby.
3.) The pressure threshold at which the pen actually engages feels really high. Meaning I have to press far harder than I'd like, creating far more friction (the aforementioned sticking problem) than is enjoyable to draw with. Now maybe this isn't an issue for someone with a strong hand and heavy touch.... but it's far from the hand gliding effortlessly over the drawing surface (ah-la a real Intuos pen) that I'm looking for.
1.) It "sticks" majorly to the iPad's screen as I'm trying to draw with it. This lends a highly unpleasant "gummy" feeling to every stroke and serves up just enough friction to make little jaggies everywhere.
2.) It relies on software implementation to actually make use of the pressure sensitivity. In the three supported apps I tried (Procreate, Bamboo Paper, and ibisPaint X) none of them seemed to integrate this very well. In Procreate, for example, you have to really monkey with brush settings to get any hint of pressure sensitivity and often end up with brushes that are hair-thin, ghost light, or blobby.
3.) The pressure threshold at which the pen actually engages feels really high. Meaning I have to press far harder than I'd like, creating far more friction (the aforementioned sticking problem) than is enjoyable to draw with. Now maybe this isn't an issue for someone with a strong hand and heavy touch.... but it's far from the hand gliding effortlessly over the drawing surface (ah-la a real Intuos pen) that I'm looking for.
Bonus: I just tested the non brush end of my Sensu brush and even it feels better than this Intuos pen for sketching and drawing on my iPad. Though it is made of a similar rubber material it actually glides quite well on the iPad surface.
Looks like there is a proper pressure sensitive tablet somewhere in my future. But for now it looks like I'll have to wait a while more as Intuos Creative Stylus just doesn't do the trick for me.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
'Alvernas rike' Books Arrive in the Mail
A great surprise appeared on my doorstep today: a box full 'Den eviga eldens magi: Alvernas rike' books. As always, the printing and design look amazing!
This books is continuation of 'Den eviga eldens magi' by Patrik Bergström. It's a fantasy middle grade series published by Lilla Piratförlaget out of Stockholm, Sweden! (Sadly not yet in English. One day, I hope!)
I created the cover, map, and all of the interior illustrations for this book.
Link: Publisher's site for this book.
Link: Author's site for this series.
This books is continuation of 'Den eviga eldens magi' by Patrik Bergström. It's a fantasy middle grade series published by Lilla Piratförlaget out of Stockholm, Sweden! (Sadly not yet in English. One day, I hope!)
I created the cover, map, and all of the interior illustrations for this book.
Link: Publisher's site for this book.
Link: Author's site for this series.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Asimov's Reader's Award
Today I recieved a notice in the mail that the cover art I did for Asimov's Science Fiction, Dec. 2012 issue, won the Asimov's 2012 Reader's Award for Best Cover Artist. I am delighted and honored!
The illustration was based in Chris Beckett's short story entitled "The Caramel Forest." I had a lot of fun painting the various colorful fungi.
The illustration was based in Chris Beckett's short story entitled "The Caramel Forest." I had a lot of fun painting the various colorful fungi.
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| The award! |
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| The cover. |
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| The art. |
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Painting on iPad
So, I finally went out and bought an iPad for sketching/painting on the go. This is remarkable because I am very much a PC/Android girl. It was the rentina screen, I swear -I was hypmotized by that crisp high 2048×1536 res. (And, yes, I am aware that Wacom just announced a true artist's tablet for this summer.)
Of course, I also then needed a proper stylus. I chose a Sensu Brush, which, like the name would suggest, is a capacitive paintbrush! I've had my eye on this one for quite a while.
Liking it very much so-far. Highly impressed with both the screen and the feel and fluidity of the brush while painting. Though I haven't tried it in too many applications yet, I am very much enjoying Procreate for iPad. "Paper" is also fun.
I look forward to taking this baby with me as my spring travels begin around Europe!
Of course, I also then needed a proper stylus. I chose a Sensu Brush, which, like the name would suggest, is a capacitive paintbrush! I've had my eye on this one for quite a while.
Liking it very much so-far. Highly impressed with both the screen and the feel and fluidity of the brush while painting. Though I haven't tried it in too many applications yet, I am very much enjoying Procreate for iPad. "Paper" is also fun.
I look forward to taking this baby with me as my spring travels begin around Europe!
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| iPad and Sensu Brush |
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| iPad and Sensu Brush ...painting in Procreate |
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| Test painting (1 hour). =) |
Friday, February 1, 2013
Interiors Portfolio Updated
I just got through adding a number of grayscale interior children's illustrations to my site portfolio.
Many of these were created for Patrik Bergström's Magi series, for which I created about 9 images per book. These are my favorites from books 1 and 2, both of which have been published at this point (though, sadly, not in English yet!):
We also have an interior I did for K.E. Stapylton's recent Phantism book:
Many of these were created for Patrik Bergström's Magi series, for which I created about 9 images per book. These are my favorites from books 1 and 2, both of which have been published at this point (though, sadly, not in English yet!):
We also have an interior I did for K.E. Stapylton's recent Phantism book:
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