From Start to Finish: House Portrait Commission

Happy Monday!

Two days ago I was approached by a customer (of the family restaurant) who was interested in hiring me to draw a house portrait. "Can you have it done by this Wednesday?" he asked, "It's for a housewarming gift!"

In the words of Dan Yaccarino, who spoke at the Illustrator's Intensive on Friday of the NY SCBWI conference, I answered: "Yes!"

So Monday, being my only day off from the "day" job, I spent it in my pj's in my studio and whipped this up with pencil, Microns, and an ink wash:

This is a scan, that's why it looks so purdy!

Test run for my value wash done on Photoshop.

The final scan:

It isn't perfect. But I'm happy with the results, being that I don't usually draw such technical pieces, and that I only had about 8 hours to work on it. I hope the new home owners like it!

'Til the next post...
~Melanie

It's Nice To Be Home... from the NY SCBWI Conference!

Hello Friends!

I've just come home from my weekend away at my FIRST EVER New York SCBWI conference, and it was awesome! It all began on Friday with a nerve-wracking Portfolio Showcase submission (complete with Little Raindrop's super-short book dummy), an Illustrator's Intensive with some of my absolute favorite artists (John Rocco, Dan Santat, Dan Yaccarino and Sophie Blackall), wonderful workshops on Saturday with some excellent, and tear-jerking, keynote speakers... and ended Sunday (technically yesterday because it is now after midnight) with prize winners and more awesome presentations!

AND I got to go out for some authentic Japanese ramen! Mmmmmmm.

The icing on the cake was making some new friends, learning that about 300 professionals may have seen my portfolio, and getting my books signed by some super talented artists! I want to go hug them right now, because they are so special to me. (The books, not the people. Okay maybe the people too but that would be weird.)

I would LOVE to write more about it, but I have to go unpack and prepare for a long work day tomorrow. And today, which is actually Monday, will begin my fresh start at blogging once a week. So maybe I'll catch you later after a nice 8 hour nap!

Good Night!
~Mel :D