Babybug Magazine

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

I worked on these illustrations for Babybug magazine a while ago. I believe this was for the March 2013 issue, but only until now I was able to see them in person.

 © copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

Sorry about the not so great pictures, hehe. I had to illustrate different ethnic families on each page and had to make sure the sun was at different times of the day.

 © copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

I had fun with these! :o)

How to Put a Children’s Illustrator Portfolio Together by Illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal

Today I wanted to share a wonderful link that I am sure will be really helpful to all illustrators out there.

The very talented and lovely Juana Martinez-Neal did a post on how to put a kids' portfolio together. She covers different brands of portfolios, what art to include, even how the sequence of the illustrations should go! It's just wonderful.

I confess I don't have a physical portfolio at the moment. Everything I have is online. The only time I had to make one was for a SCBWI winter conference several years ago. But I plan on putting together a really nice one at some point and when that time comes, I will definitely be following Juana's advice. :o)

Children's Illustration with Lisa Brown

I love looking for interesting videos on YouTube. Today I found this great one that I wanted to share with you.

We can see the talented Lisa Brown talking about all the books she has written and illustrated and I believe this is a class at The Academy Of Art University. She also shares her studio, her likes and dislikes in kids' books and explains how she works from thumbnails to finish art.

It's very interesting to see what she liked as a child and the books she creates now. What truly fascinates me is the fact that she really has a long line of varied work. Amazing, I love that. That's a talent not every artist has.

Oh and by the way, she is so right about the coffee mug and watercolor water. Has happened to me, for real! Hehe.. You'll know what I mean when you watch the video.

Enjoy! :o)

PW- BEA 2013: Booksellers Tour Artists' Studios: A Photo Essay

I came across this great post on PW and thought I would share it with you today. I love peeking into other artists' studios, don't you? :o)

These are a few pics of mine. It's tiny and dark. Has a small rectangular window that doesn't face the outdoors, only the terrace, so almost no natural light comes in. But we have to work with what we have right?

I painted the studio white with a satin paint so the light from my 6 lamps, LOL, would reflect and it does the trick I have to say. I also have a little lamp that simulates day light, I always work with that lamp very close to my watercolors and paper.

This is Lucy, my shadow. She is usually on her bed, sleeping under my desk, like on this pic or sleeping on my lap while I work. Sometimes she likes to sit on my lap and watch closely how I paint, sneaks a kiss here and there.

Someday I hope to have a big, open and airy studio that faces the garden and that is filled with natural light... but this one will do for now. Despite how small it is and how dark it is, I still love it because its mine. :o)

From the sketchbook

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

Here is a little sketch I drew this morning. It's my warm up exercise for the day and my #Twoodle for this week using the words Ballet and Turtle, suggested by @soelver and @JerseyGirlDraws.

If you want to learn about Twoodle and how you can participate too, click here. :o)

Stopping to smell the flowers

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

A quick sketch I doodled this morning.

Well.. quick meaning:

Drawing time: 5 min

Scan/Coloring in Photoshop: 10 min

Uploading work to blogger with awful internet connection: 35 min. 

Sigh.

Fairies

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

 I recently painted these. 

I just love fairies.

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

Nothing like a fairy to really touch the inner child in all of us, don't you think?

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2013

From the sketchbook

© copyright Alicia Padron 2013

This is a little sketch I drew this morning for something I made up just for fun: #Twoodle.

The words I chose to create this are Panda and Rain. 

If you want to participate too, click here to learn how! :o)

Illustration Friday: Wheel

© copyright Alicia Padron 2013

This is a little warm up sketch I did earlier this morning on this week's Illustration Friday's topic wheel.

I'm sure most of you artists out there are familiar with Illustration Friday. If you are not, make sure you check it out. It's a great way to keep your creative juices flowing, helps you come up with wonderful portfolio pieces, connects you with other artists around the world, gives you exposure and can even spark an idea for a book!

So what are you waiting for? Click here to learn more. :o)

Illustrator Interviews

This is a nice interview with the very lovely Lynne Chapman. They discuss mainly how she got started illustrating children's books. I always love to know this, don't you? There's a different story behind every artist. :o)

from the sketchbook..

© copyright Alicia Padrón

Hi there, just a quick post for today. I'm busy working on several deadlines while battling the flu... hehe.. not ideal but what can you do, huh? Deadlines are deadlines.

Here is a pic of a page of one of my sketchbooks. It's filled with little characters that appear out of nowhere for no particular reason. Most of my skecthes are like that. :o)

How about you, how is your sketchbook?

At Home..

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2012

This is a little sketch from a project I recently worked on. It's for a lovely cause and I can't wait to share it with you. Hopefully soon. :o)

Happy Halloween!

© copyright Alicia Padrón 

Thinking of everyone affected by Sandy, specially people up in NY. Stay safe.

Have a happy Halloween everyone!

Illustration Friday

-Mirror-

This is a little sketch I drew yesterday for Illustration Friday. 

It has been ages since I contributed! I used to do it religiously every week a few years back and that really helped me build my portfolio. Now I'm busy with work but I sort of miss participating. Yesterday I realized that I can still participate by quickly sketching something and use it as warm up sketches once a week.

If you are an artist and haven't tried it, you definitely should. They give you a word every week and you draw something related to it. The word for this week is Mirror. Everyone can participate, artists of all skill levels and now they have a section for kids to participate too, which I think is a wonderful idea. 

Don't be shy and give it a try. :o)

No place like home

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2012

Here is a little peek at one of the projects I've been working on.

They decided to go with a different sketch so this one is safe to share. I'd love to find some free time to take this to color as well. :o)

Surprise Treasure

I found this hidden behind some boxes inside a closet and it immediately brought a huge smile to my face!

I had no idea we had this book. I'm pretty sure it belonged to my sis when we were little. Don't you just love it when that happens?

I dusted it off and right now is sitting in my studio along with many other awesome books so it won't feel lonely and I get to see Gyo Fujikawa's beautiful artwork every day while I work.  :o)

Art, Illustration or Both?

I recently had the pleasure of standing in front of this painting. I love Impressionism and Woman with a Parasol has always been my favorite painting from Monet.

Isn't it something? It's everything about it.. the mood, movement, subject characters, light.. I could go on and on.

I was standing very close to it for a while until a guard looked at me with unfriendly eyes, LOL.. I wasn't going to touch it of course, just wanted to see up close the thickness of the paint and the tiny strokes and tried to imagine what Monet saw while working close to it and then standing  far. I'm no fine art painter, but I imagine the only way to paint an impressionistic painting is to get close to it and step away far from it.

Anyway, I finally sat down to contemplate it and came to me how close fine art is to children's illustration at times. I know there are many debates as to what is what but  I think the main difference is illustration in general has a commercial tint to it,  there is usually a purpose for its use. But if we take that a side there is really no much difference.

Of course style and subject matter has a lot to do with this but take Matt Phelan for example. He is one of my favorite author/illustrators and he is a master of making you feel with his art.. His strokes say tons and his illustrations are ethereal.

© copyright Matt Phelan

© copyright Matt Phelan

I'm not trying to say illustration and "art" are the same but to realize that sometimes they are standing very close to each other. I just love that. :o)

What do you think?

Postcard

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2012

(front)

This is a promotional postcard I recently sent out to publishing houses. Don't ask me why I thought of this scene because I have no idea... hee!

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2012

(back)

I really have a soft spot for that little penguin, he is a very determined little fellow. :o)

My Process

Every now and then I get emails from people asking how I work so about a year ago I decided to make this video of me working on a little bear who is getting ready for movie night.


I thought I would share it with you today. :o)
And here is the finished piece!

Now I'm craving some chocolate fudge....

Illustration Friday: Puzzled

© Copyright Alicia Padrón

It's been ages since I participated in Illustration Friday.

I thought I would post one just for fun. :o)