PBJ Summer Postcard Week!

Can you believe it's July 1st already? Perfect time for a little summer postcard, right?

This little monkey took a long time hanging around my head to get on paper! I sketched a few ideas for our postcard, then used my awesome Twitter pals to get some feedback. Then I painted him, just my usual gouache on hotpress, but thinking I would add a little colored pencil and perhaps ink. I had been experimenting with cut paper, layering a bit. I painted the whole thing and shared it with a critique group - they put a bug in my ear about cutting the monkey out, and layering him. And they were so right!

I did learn that it's best to cut your shapes BEFORE painting, as gouache flakes around the edges. The colored pencil and some touch-up covered up a few rough spots. Also, I worked at actual size which meant the little birdie poking out of the hole in the tree was REALLY small to manage. I used the end of an x-acto to position him just so. I'm sure there are tiny tweezers that collage artists use for things like this.

I painted the background sky on coldpress, which gives it a bit more texture, and those awesome 'real' shadows. Photoshop drop-shadows just can't compete with the real thing. I wish I took more process photos along the way to show, next time I create in this style I definitely will.

Summer Postcard Week!

© Alicia Padrón 2010

This image popped in my head while walking one morning. I was going to use another illustration that I thought would fit the theme very well but when I saw these two in my head I just had to start working on them as soon as I got home.

I adore Daddy and me and Mommy and me type of books. I'd love to get to illustrate one of them. There is something so special about that relationship. I don't know if it's because my kids are growing too fast but I just want to hold on to those moments. :o)

Someone on twitter asked us if we would share our process sometime so here is little about how I created this piece:

I sketched it my sketchbook at a smaller size. I tend to work small. Then thanks to the magic of photoshop I scan my sketch and make it the size I want. I also make sure to turn up the contrast a lot on the sketch so it prints dark, then it is easier to trace that way. I then print it and trace it on to my paper. In this case I used 140 lb hot pressed Arches watercolor paper.

When I am tracing on my light box I like to redraw rather than trace. That is why I usually leave my initial sketches very loose and I don't like to rework them. Just because I think something valuable is lost if reworking them too much.

Once the drawing is transfered, I first start painting the background. In this case the sky and water went on first. I used the wet on wet technique for this. I then painted the bears and the grass was the last thing. When the painting is completely dry I then shade with a graphite pencil on the areas needed.

After, I scan the art and add effects in photoshop. In this piece the effects in the water, little flowers and the dragonfly are all digital. I also tweak the color and saturation a little bit if the piece asks for it.

And there you go! Hope you and hopefully the publishers like it too. :o)