So, I finally finished Hansel and Gretel. It was a lot of fun to paint. I've promised myself that I will draw more, paint more and post more this year. I have started to slip and let life get in the way for the last 5 or 6 months so I am re-prioritizing. More art, less stress, and no more working on school work excessively. Cyan and I are both burned out and the year isn't even half way over for us. I started Will Terry's mini-Illustration class and I've got to say it has inspired me to work harder. I've been letting the everyday get in the way and it's time to re-dedicate myself. So, check out Will's videos, they are great and they are reasonably priced. There's a lot you may already know, but I love the way he thinks and there is something to take away from each one, and there are things that I know that I forget about while I'm painting, so it's a great reminder of how important those aspects are. Plus, if we all use them, maybe we'll get lucky and he'll do more :). I love it when people share their knowledge and expertise. So, I'm off to a good start, I see that I am already wearing down the pen tip on my newest Wacom and I've only had it since the end of November. Of course this could mean that I'm bearing down too hard, I have to remind myself to loosen up from time to time. My favorite pen tip is the one with the spring, and of course it only comes with one of those. I guess I'll be ordering more ;). Thanks for stopping by and to all of you good people who take the time to comment, thank you and I truly appreciate it. Oh, and feel free to critique, I don't mind, it's how we learn to see our work through others eyes.
GORGEOUS, Karen! This has to be one of my favorites! Grandma has the roundest Shirley-Temple-cheeks. (I still refuse to believe she's a witch.) I love the patterns on her dress. And the hint of dark forest and tall grasses are fantastic! Great way to start off the year!
ReplyDeletethank you Bella, I'm so glad you like it!
ReplyDeleteWonderful, Karen! Great placement of the chimney, and love the details of the broom and gingerbread man. Well done, congrats on finishing it!
ReplyDeletethank you Della you are so sweet :)
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, is a beautiful illustration. I guess it is not easy to achieve a result as good as what you have accomplished with this illustration.
ReplyDeleteAnd much time working in front of the monitor, which is very tiring.
Congratulations.
Coming to your blog is guaranteed to see something very well done.
awww, thank you Roberto, I feel the same way about visiting your blog. Your work is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAfter the holidays, it would be nice to be able to take things easy! I'd easily take a bite of these goodies! Great job! ;o)
ReplyDeleteHi Karen! Wow, what a great piece. I'm really loving how Hansel turned out. Her face is wonderful - a bit stylized and I can see this right now in a book! Lots of great detailwork as well. I wish you lots of time to create, Karen as you so deserve some time to yourself. I look forward to your new creations! It is always a treat to see your visit at my place...hope you've been welll!
ReplyDeleteThank you Michele. Shirley I appreciate that and I love it when you visit me too!
ReplyDeleteHey Karen. I love this! The way you put the house at the end of the path gives it a twilight zone effect. Very cool and a little creepy:o) Your eye for detail is amazing. I an SO jealous ;o) Thanks for stopping by my deja vu. It is so funny that you mentioned self portrait. The idea came to me when I looked on our knick-nack shelf and saw the two owl figurines that i gave my wife. I remember her “deja vu” expression when she opened the second one about 2 years later and said” I think you gave me one just like this a few years ago.” Now they both sit on the shelf as a reminder to me to double check :o) You are so right about Will’s videos. I watched the 3rd one and told Will that I’ll be ordering the set. He’s amazing and generous!
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ReplyDeleteHaha changed my mind! Forget all that. The kids are beautiful. I think they are the highpoint! Exquisite detail and colour and I like how they mimick the lollies on the house!
ReplyDeleteyes forget that last comment!
see you soon
Hi Karen - this is a lovely illustraiton, well done. those videos by will terry look great - may have to check them out!!
ReplyDeleteDear Karen,
ReplyDeleteI love this illustartion and I wish you a Happy New Year 2011!!!
Sonata
You didn't have to remove your first comment Andrew, you were correct as always. The path, yes, I should have made it meander, its would have read better. The reason it is so straight is that I started off with a much more compact illustration, meandering didn't work at that point, but it grew. I am out of practice I think. I didn't like the way Hansel lined up with the house or the lack of eye contact with the witch. It was just poorly planned and me trying to make it work, LOL! I love reading your crits! The saturation and desaturation thing, yes, I was thinking I needed to go back and play with it a bit. As for the empty space I was trying to give the idea of a clearing in the forest, however, I may need to go back and add some other elements, I thought of a candy path, I tried a gingerbread man fence, but I decided it detracted from the kids.
ReplyDeleteJack, your are so kind, you have nothing to be jealous of. But I appreciate that very much, you flatter me.
Kim you should check them out, I have been enjoying them, I'm trying to find some time to finish them. and Sonata, happy new year to you too!
Hey Karen, you're such a good artist I came to the conclusion that my opinions were just too subjective - and I didn't like how my comment came out - like it was preaching.
ReplyDeleteMy crits are just suggestions - not crits :) :)
see you
it's raining here a lot!
sorry about the rain sir, oh, and I didn't take it as preachy in the least. Thank you for the very generous complement. You are very kind Andrew.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very appealing illustration. The witch and her house look so inviting, yet it's dark down there, and the kids should be keyed into that.
ReplyDeleteSo...how can you tell the pen tips are wearing down? Can you SEE it, or do they just start now working as well?
Yes, you can see it, they get flat, shorter and tilted to one side like a soft pencil tip after you've been drawing too hard ;) They give you extra tips, but not of the one that I like. It seems to happening much faster with my newest Wacom. The tooth of the drawing pad is a little different and it has a little more drag so that may be my problem.
ReplyDeleteAh your witch looks very gentle which is probably an asset for her otherwise she won't have little kids to con!
ReplyDeleteHehehe. I am reading your post and I smile "life gets int he way..." WAIT! Isn't life suppose to take priority? Aaahh! This year I am paying attention to life and less on art. But my painting and drawing activities were problems, more like vices!
The witch looks so-o-o-o deceptively sweet & friendly... look out, dearies! I love the pattern on her skirt.
ReplyDeleteAbout the Wacom: you might want to experiment with pressure preference in settings so that you don't have to press so hard. Might save wear & tear on both you & the tip!
I love how you've captured innocence combined with darkness and danger. Great Illustration.
ReplyDeletehi Ces, I do understand, it can be a vice at times and life should come first, but we've been doing sooooooooo much school work since September that I can hardly find the time or energy to create. I'm trying to get myself back in gear!
ReplyDeleteThank you Leah, honestly I don't know why I didn't think of that. Also, thanks for the kind words from you and Amalou. :)
I'd never considered the pen tips wearing down. That may be my problem with my tablet and pen (I don't have a Wacom, but a cheap imitation, and it's not working very well--and the pen tip does look worn down--I'm hoping that's what it is, and not just that the whole thing is CRAP).
ReplyDeleteOoops--that was my son's profile. That was me.
ReplyDeleteWell, they definitely wear down over time, that's why you get so many and why they are replaceable, however, I think I will go in and play with the settings, because this new one does seem to be wearing down more quickly. As I said, I have a tendency towards a heavy hand and have to be conscious of loosening up. But playing with the settings again may help me with this. I've never tried another brand, so I don't have anything to compare it too.
ReplyDeletehello there k.h. whitaker yes-yes arent dragonflies interesting i heard that in some myth children were told that if they misbehaved a dragonfly would sew shut their eyes and ears as they slept by the way i really like your witch she looks like the head witch of the hollow you know she owns this village where time runs slow and cake is always made freshly each day for afternoon tea served promptly at four o'clock and gardens are kept neat and tidy and herbs are gathered at exactly the right hour of potency i think she is the head witch of the hollow.
ReplyDeletebyebye k.h. whitaker i wish you a beautiful weekend see you in a hundred years.
Karen - you should have sent me this so I could post it on my blog! I would still like to put it up if you don't mind. It would make a great addition to that list. Really fun illustration!
ReplyDeleteWhere, oh where can I get a pair of shoes like that?? Bee-yoo-tee-ful!
ReplyDeleteThank you Will, that means a lot to me. Yay, I'm so glad you like it. Of course you may put it up on your blog. I just hated to send it to you late. Krista those are part of her disguise as a sweet, cocoa serving grannie. We'll have to see if we can find a couple of elves to make you a pair.
ReplyDeleteLovely details in the clothing! I really like Gretel's face, too.
ReplyDeleteWonderful work Karen!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ann Marie and Juan. I really enjoyed working on this piece.
ReplyDeleteReally nice atmosphere in this illustration. It has a gritty feeling to it - in other words instead of being overly cutesy you really captured the danger that the two children are in.
ReplyDeleteThank you Paige!
ReplyDeleteNow how did I get here SO late??? I'm so sorry Karen... Now is that the witch? Well, if witches look like her, then we should put bigger warning for the kids!! I love the details you put in her dress...but especially on that cottage! It's a fairy tale come true! ox
ReplyDeletethis is gorgeous, Karen!!!
ReplyDeletelove the perspective and all the exquisite details :o)
oh, thank you Amalia and Vittoria, I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteBut I am so glad to see you up at Andrew's treehouse.
ReplyDeleteawwwh, thanks Ces, I am so happy to see you were there too! It is, after all, where the best people play!
ReplyDeleteI love how the house is built into the tree, and like seeing the WIP too!
ReplyDeletewhat a wonderful illustration! really great details :D
ReplyDeleteHey Ms Lady,
ReplyDeleteHow are you? It's so good to hear from you. Hope that you are doing well. I so agree with you about the glue and the paper and all. Wow you have lots of stuff from Granny??? Wow that must be wonderful. My folks threw out so much good stuff. Your process sounds wonderful though. I love using bees wax in projects. Hopefully I will get to use it in a book one day. Thanks so much for stopping by and making my day darling.
Take care
Vl
Awesome! Love seeing the work-in-progress and the final piece.
ReplyDeleteOh Karen, you are so kind..thank you! I had a tough time with her face..so you just made my day. It's not quite Keira, but oh well..just something quick-ish this morning/afternoon. I'm really trying to push myself to be less critical and put stuff out there..but I must not be lazy either..I have lots of drawing to do (hands/faces/foreshortening...it's all on my to-do list). Hope you've been well and enjoying some time to yourself!!
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