Thursday Progress

Today's post is going to start with  a tiny book review!  The Wizard is a children's picture book written by Children's Poet Laureate Jack Prelutzsky and beautifully illustrated by the talented Brandon Dorman.

The Wizard is adapted from a story originally published in 1976.  Mr. Prelutsky's rhyme combined with Mr Dorman's illustrations make this story a real page turner as the book opens you are invited into a seemingly ordinary suburban cul-de-sac with one very odd house at the end.  The wizard stands at his window deciding what to do that day when he spies a bullfrog...  There is a lovely surprise ending and the duo of Prelutzsky and Dorman leave the young reader with curiosity instead of fear as you turn the pages to discover what evil deeds the wizard is up to.

I found Mr. Dorman's illustrations so perfect for practicing my Make Your Marks Make Your Splashes water colour sessions run by Mark G. Mitchell.  Here are two of my attempts to copy digital art with traditional media.  They are thumbnails of the larger version I'm working on.

The Wizard my version from Brandon Dorman's work NFS -this was a leaning purposes only exercise

The Bullfrog my version from Brandon Dorman's work. NFS - stricktly for learning purposes

I'm very pleased with these two.  There are some imperfections but it is about learning and improvement.  Let's see how the big picture works out...

I'd love to hear from you!

Thursday Progress

from Marvel Comics Scarlet for learning purposes only.

Above is the inked in black bits of my "smalls" for art class.  The term is over however I will still finish it for the learning of it.  I've really enjoyed experimenting with the acrylic inks and am looking forward to more of this.

This will be my watercolour version - below was my first sketch

For learning purposes only - from "THE WIZARD" written by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Brandon Dorman

The above pencil sketches (very light) are my preliminary work efforts to better take hold of children's book illustration.  The Wizard by Jack Prelutsky (Children's Poet Laureate) and illustrated by Brandon Dorman (Thank you Brandon for such amazing illustrations!).  Watercolours are not something I've worked much with neither gouache.  The amazing colours are enough to get me to try and Brandon's work is so inspiring.

I'm not sure what medium Brandon uses - the quick research I did gave me not a thing but maybe I can write to him and ask.  I love this books images because they use primarily greens and purples which made me think of Mark G. Mitchell's lesson about colour - the Queen and her court.  The book itself is perfect for Poetry Month as it's in verse.

I hope by next week to have both of these images painted in and maybe even finished.  These are high hopes.  Our fridge quit today, Easter weekend is here (in South Africa it's a serious affair of holidays and travel) and school starts again next week (year long school here - cool and not so cool).