Mix it Up

Taking a moment to mix things up here with an illustration I'm really excited about!  I have been strangely inspired by cement mixers, one local company in particular who has chosen the clean colours of white with teal.  I used a slight different shade of blue-green and added my own fun details to personalize the mixer for the birthday boy, Ziggy.  Trucks.  They are certainly not something I would normally pay attention to, or so I would assume, but having two boys in the house that both rage about trucks, cars, trains, and transportation vehicles in general, I have been yelled out thousands of times whenever one is in sight. Trucks have become a part of my daily life and vocabulary.

I had the idea last year of creating a technically drawn illustration for a friend's son who is also big into trucks.  I didn't have the opportunity to dive into this project last summer but somehow this year I managed to do it.  I'm still actually in disbelief that I managed to knock it out this year with such a full plate.  It was worth it and I'm considering to possibly do more of these, but we'll see :)  Too many ideas and not enough time...  For now, gotta get this baby printed and framed for the birthday boy!

DIY Light Table

I've been juggling a variety of projects the last few weeks, including a commissioned illustration for my friend Saara.  They will be moving into a new home a few months from now and she wanted to have a family portrait to frame and hang in their entry way.  Long before photography and long before children, I had thought to dabble in illustration and had a collection of prints that I would sell at Craft Shows, a few which she had purchased and inspired her idea to have a family portrait done in the same style.  My illustration process includes piles of sketches that I often have to trace and retrace and retrace, so a light table is really a godsend.  Kevin made me a light table a hundred million years ago which neither of us have any idea on its whereabouts, so he put a quick one together for me the other day.  

Clean, lightweight, and portable with a long long cord and a fantastically sleek LED bulb in place of a regular incandescent bulb which would always heat, melt and warp the plastic over time.  Out of pocket, it cost $7 (Home Depot) for the bulb with everything else being scraps we had laying around the mudroom.  If I wanted to, I would "request" to have these painted in bubblegum pink… or black… or white.  And that gold ring (fixture loop) that the cord runs through I would change that to a flat black or something and obvs that brown cord would have to go… but this was for HURRY UP I NEED TO GET THIS JOB DONE! so i'm all smiles.

Here is a Before and After or rather a With and Without the light table.  I mean, really, I could make out the image enough to trace it but this speeds up the process so much more.  I actually have used my iMac screen as a light table a handful of times, but it's absolutely awkward and uncomfortable.

And another example...

Hoping to have this illustration complete by mid-week… fingers crossed!

Cinnabar Session No. 3

Cinnabar Sunday Brunch Sessions are back!  I had my heart set on the duck, but after having too much fun with a crazy group of Mamas down in Beach Grove the night before, my belly was aching' for some bacon, well some red meat anyway!  I enjoyed the 10AM slot with Emily + Khara, EM brought her brother and Khara invited a co-worker/friend.  I did not realize I was in for a treat, seeing one of my buddies show up with a pretty lady and a whole bunch of other Vancouver buddies at the Noon slot that I would be shooting.  As usual, it was a delicious feast!