PBJ's Are Back!!

I am so thrilled the Picture Book Junkies are back! And I'm even more excited that I am the newest member of the group. My name is Deb Melmon and I have been creating art for the children's market for many years. I love picture books. And I'm so lucky to be able to illustrate them for a living.

My favorite characters to illustrate are animals, especially dogs. I'm currently working on several book projects and I hope to share my experiences here on the blog. My illustrations are a mixed-bag when it comes to technique. I start my sketches with pencil and tracing paper. The sketches then get scanned and manipulated until I get just the right composition. I do all my color comps digitally. That is one of the best things about Photoshop. So easy to play with color. I then begin painting with a brush on watercolor paper or illustration board. Sometimes I paint with watercolor, sometimes acrylic. I also love to add colored pencil. Once the paintings are close to completion, I scan them into the computer and put the finishing details in with Photoshop where I can also add patterns and texture.

I live in beautiful Northern California with my airedale terrier "Gracie" where the weather is pretty darn spectacular. I'll be posting here every Friday. Hope you visit often. There's quite a bit of talent floating around the PBJ blog!