The Brave Little Tailor: Illustration Process

When I started this years big personal project, I knew it was going to be a lot of work...and boy was I right. As I'm nearing completion though, I'm really pleased with how it's all coming out. It's been really rewarding on so many levels. The friend's I've made, collaborating with writers, not to mention I have a large new body of work rolling out for the winter shows. One of the things I really like about doing these special yearly projects though, is seeing how the work changes from year to year, thinking about how the family has grown, and all the new things we do and are capable of doing. I'm really lucky to be able to do the things we do, and am so happy to share it with you all.

Today, I have a large set of images to share for the first complete calendar image. Showcasing the climactic scene of "The Brave Little Tailor", the idea is that the kids and us are acting out each of the stories in a theater setting. As I've been designing these, I feel like our love of the muppets and puppetry are really showing, and I'm reminded of one of the reasons I began drawing in the first place. In high school, I wanted to be a puppeteer and work in the Henson Creature shop. At any rate, This is my basic process for creating an image. I hope you enjoy it!

I started off with the thumbnails at the right of the page (the full size version is at the top of the post), and then rough in the major forms. I'm working at about 9x12 on bristol board.

Next, I pencil in the details of the characters, and firm up some of my ideas for the background.

Then, I ink the main characters and scan them into the computer. Without the background.

 

I put the background together in illustrator, right on top of the original pencil drawing. I also paint in a base color for the characters to help isolate them and unify their color schemes.

Here I put the final calendar layout over everything to make sure it all fits. I add a texture to the page, as well as paper textures to the background elements. I lay down color on all the foreground elements quickly to give everything a base to start from.

 The Characters are painted.

 Here I added some details to the background like the stage floor, shadows cast by the set, and the theater spotlight.

 And last I went in and added some detail to the set pieces, finished up the floor and added some sheep to fill in some dead spaces.

Thanks for stopping in. I hope this all made some kind of sense. I enjoy posting about process, so I hope you all enjoy reading about it. Ha-ha-ha!  If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you. 

Until next time, take care and be good!

Your friend,

Jeffrey

A quick post about my process

Each month, either Mrs. Handmade or I work four shifts at Fusion, an art co-op we are members of here in St. Louis. One of the great things about working there is that after the dusting is done, and if there are no customers to help, all the time is ours. We're actually encouraged to bring our craft/artwork to do, because seeing us working helps draw people into our story. I spent this last Saturday working at the shop all day, and inking storybook drawings. It was great talking to people about what I was working on, telling them about the project and answering questions. One couple asked me about my process, which I love talking about because drawings seem like magic sometimes instead of a series of steps. I thought I'd take a minute and share some process drawings from Little Red Riding Hood with you today.

 

I started out by doodling in my sketch book, looking for who I thought the character of little red is, and what I wanted her to look like. This includes her reacting to things and doing things. This is a pretty well refined sketch of what I decided I was looking for.

 Next, I do very rough layout sketches for the drawings I'd like to include...Mostly these are just notes to myself, and I'm just looking at shapes and deciding where I want things to go.  I know I did one for the drawing I'm about to show, but it must've been on the back of an envelope or something, because I have no idea where it is now. Ha-ha-ha!

 

 Armed with the rough layout, I sit down with (in this case) cold press watercolor paper and a non-photo blue pencil. I use the blue pencil on these because it doesn't compete with the graphite when I do the final drawing, and it adds another layer of texture to the finished image when colored. Basically, I just like it. :) So, here I loosely and pretty quickly put down all the major shapes that I plan on being there when everything's finished.

 Next, I use a 2H graphite pencil to work out all the details, and to start figuring out the textures I'll need when I ink it. This is also where I start posting the images for the writers to see, so that we're all on the same page, and to give us all a chance to ask questions and comment.

  

Inking is probably my favorite part of the whole process. It's soothing, and probably the only part of the process where I don't always feel like I'm fighting it. I think this allows me to take more chances with it too.

Also, it's where everything sort of solidifies for me, as it approaches being finished. The trees were inspired in part by Charles Vess and his awesome artwork in the Dream Makers anthology. I got that book for Christmas when I was 13 or 14, and just pored over it. If you ever find it, definitely check it out.

I'm finishing up these spot interiors now, and starting the 12 main calendar images over the next week. At the same time, I'll start coloring the interiors...hopefully I don't mess them up, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, am I right? I'll leave you with one final image, the inked Tailor and Giant from last week. Brandon Graham did a really great little write up for the project over on his blog today. Go check it out!

 

Until next time, take care and be good!

Your friend,

Jeffrey

Photo Round-up For The First Week Of July

All these pictures were taken on my iphone and processed with instagram. You can follow me if you want too! My user name is redherringjeff.

We love the Muppets. When the Muppet movie came out on DVD we asked our followers on the Facebook who their favorite Muppet was, and then had the girls draw a winner out of  hat for a marker sketch. Steve Johnson, Co-Creator of the Qags game system, produced by Hex Games, told us his favorite was Gonzo. So I did a drawing of Gonzo playing Qags to give to him this past weekend at Die Con in Collinsville, IL.

We ordered a couple of new dresses for Abby from Olive Juice Kids, and they are pretty awesome. They are high quality, really cute and have a European design sensibility that we really love. Abby was so funny, we opened the box which was packed with all these great details (check out my instagram feed to see some of them) and tried both dresses on. Here she's waving hi. Ha-ha-ha!

Abby and I went to the Homegrown Etsy Show at the Contemporary Art Museum in Saint Louis last week. She saw this Giraffe shirt by our friend Amanda of Sprouted Designs and just knew that Olive would LOVE it. Olivia has been really into Giraffes lately, she has four toy ones that she carries around and talks about. I love it that the first person Abby thought about at the show was her sister, and she really didn't suggest getting anything for herself until the end when I brought it up.

One of the things that's amazing about Abby turning 4 is the focus that she's developed. All of a sudden, she will sit and draw and color for long stretches of time. I love it that she's so into making things.

Check out those fingers and toes! Abby drew this person standing under a rainbow the other day in sunday school.

Working on story breakdowns and character designs for the 2013 Handmade family calendar and book of tales. The idea is pretty ambitious, but I'm really excited about it. Are there any fairy tales that you'd like to see included? Let us know in the comments! 

Thanks for stopping in! Until next time, take care and be good!
Your friend,
Jeffrey

Some things I'm into right now,

Olive Juice Kids:
Super cute clothes and accessories, made in love in the United States that have a wonderful European sensibility.
Doctor Who:
We're only two episodes away from the end of the current season. It's a really fun "Family oriented horror show." Exiting and often heartwarming, Amy and I have been watching an episode  most nights for the last couple of months. Fortunately, there's about 30 years worth of episodes left to catch up on while we're waiting for the next season. :)

Photo Round-up For The Third Week of June

All these pictures were taken on my iphone and processed with instagram. You can follow me if you want too! My user name is redherringjeff.

Have you seen "The Avengers" yet? Mrs Handmade went the other nite for our twelfth anniversary, and it was awesome! Here's Olive posing as Captain America on one of our morning trips to Target. It's the only place open after we drop Amy off for work, so we usually go and hang out for a bit and get a start on our errands before heading to the park, or wherever.  

 

This is our Simmer-Down chair. Sometimes the kids just need a minute to catch their breath and think about the decisions they're making...Sometimes I need a place to put them while I think about what to say to them. Something I've noticed is that the days they seem to be the neediest are the days that I just don't have anything to give them. 

I bought some costume glasses at a Deals that's going out of business. They're super cheap, but the girls look so cute in them! I showed this picture to Abby, and she said "Awww, it looks just like you!" Ha-ha-ha! It's awesome having conversations with her. She's so funny, and smart, and I never know what she's going to say.

 Last week we took some of our capes and artwork to a new shop in O'Fallon, Illinois. The shop is super cute, and carries a good variety of awesome local handmade goods. If you're in the area, you should definitely stop by and check them out. They're located at 311 South Lincoln in O'fallon, IL 62269.

 I finally managed to get the first four Doctor Who peg people painted. I'm pretty happy overall with how they turned out. From left to right, there's the Empty Child, Rose Tyler, the Tenth Doctor, and a Cyberman. I've got a couple of others started, and am pretty excited about them all.

 

 We set up shop at the Soulard Market Arts and Crafts fair this weekend. The market is pretty awesome! It's an indoor Farmers Market, so it's open year round and was really busy. We had a great time hanging out with our crafty friends, and meeting new ones. The response to our work was really positive and encouraging too, which is always an added bonus that sure helps get you through the heat of the day when things start to slow down a bit.

 I added this little shelf to our display this week, and am so glad I did! It adds a little hight to the items on the table, and gives us an extra three feet of display room! It takes so little to get us excited these days, ha-ha-ha!

Thanks for stopping in! Until next time, take care and be good!

Your friend,

Jeffrey

Some things I'm into right now,

Adventure Time: it's like Spongebob times 10. Totally inappropriate and awesome, it's about a boy named Finn and his magic dog Jake and the adventures they have. Basically the kinds of things I daydreamed about as a kid...or last week. Like I said it's totally inappropriate for kids, but despite that the girls are a little obsessed with it. 

Fairy Tales: I've started working on the 2013 Handmade Family calendar, and the theme is fairy tales. I'm thinking that there will also be a companion sketch book as well. The idea is pretty ambitious, but I'm really excited about it. Are there any fairy tales that you'd like to see included? Let us know in the comments! 

Photo Roundup For The First Week Of June

Busy, busy beginning of summer here getting the yard work done, summer craft shows, artwork, and of course playing with the girls. So here's this weeks photo roundup, all these pictures were taken on my iphone and processed with instagram. You can follow me if you want too! My user name is redherringjeff.

One of our goals for Handmade Family this year was to do a show a month, in May we ended up doing three.  It was a hectic month for Mrs Handmade and me. Memorial day was Gypsy Caravan, an annual craftshow and flea market benefiting the Saint Louis Symphony. We were expecting heat and thunderstorms, but got a pretty mild, windy day. It was really pretty nice. This is our booth neighbor Melissa of Villa Design through the window formed by our displays. 

This book shelf, built inside of a door frame is awesome. One of the really awesome things I saw in the vendors stalls around the show. If only I was a little richer...and earlier. At 7:30 it had already sold.

 

This is my first "successful" attempt to braid Abby's hair. It's not the prettiest braid in the world, but if ponytails are any indication, it'll get better. 

We're always making things around here, and imaginative role-playing is a pretty big game with the kids. Really, we do a lot of back to basics stuff around here. Which isn't to say that we never watch TV or play computer games, there's plenty of that too, but we like to shoot for a balance.  Abby found this box the other day and wanted me to cut a robot face out of it. She was walking around saying "I am a robot...I talk like a robot..." for quite awhile. The other side has just one big square cut out of it, so she can be a talking TV head.  Ha-ha-ha!

So I'm sitting on the couch reading, and Abby decides to climb up on my shoulders and start wrigling around and dancing. The more I think about it, the more it seems like a good metaphor for our lives with children. I know I'll miss these days when they're gone.

 

The leeks I planted in our garden last summer bloomed this week.  They are huge and beautiful, Amy smelled them and was surprised to find that they smell like onions.  Ha-ha-ha! I said it made sense to me. This is one of the really cool things about having a garden. Even if (for what ever reason) not everything you plant gets eaten, there's nothing like seeing where things come from and where they go. Nature's pretty darn amazing.

 

The beginning stages of a Cthulhu peg-person. I've been having a lot of fun working on these guys a little bit at a time, lately.

 

A sketch I did for my friend Rob over at SpaceMonkeyX. He's a freelance writer, and all around pretty awesome guy.  You should go check him out!

Well, that's it for this week! Until next time then, take care and be good!

Your friend,

Jeffrey

Daily Life 100 Themes: 11 Memory

I have a great memory. Honestly, I do. Which is pretty awesome when I play trivial pursuit or Scene It. It's great when I'm gabbing with my friends. My memory comes in handy when I'm looking for some obscure thing I saw at the library, in my basement, or on the internet. There is one place that it always betrays me, though. Names. Not names of things, characters or people in general. I'm talking about the names of people I've just met. After meeting a bunch of people in a group "Hi Jeffrey, this is Danny, Amy, Ryan, Susie and Bob." I'll field the question about whether I go by Jeff or Jeffrey (incidentally, I wouldn't introduce myself as Jeffrey if that wasn't what I go by) and then promptly forget everybody's names.

Is there a cure for this? It's not like I mean to forget, I just Do!

Until next time, take care and be good!
Your friend,
Jeffrey

Some Alphabet Marker Sketches

How about a little bit of artwork to start our Friday off right? This is the first three letters of an alphabet series I'm working on about nerdy stuff I like. I hope you enjoy them, as much as I'm enjoying drawing them! These were drawn in blue pencil then inked and colored with copic markers.
A is for Artie, the strongest man in the world. From Nickelodeon's low budget family adventure series, The Adventures of Pete and Pete.
B is for Bone, from Jeff Smith's epic comic book. Fone bone was obsessed with the book Moby Dick, and kept having dreams about it.
C is for Captain Britain drinking a cup of tea. I have a thing for Super Heroes doing everyday things.

Until next time, take care and be good!
Your friend,
Jeffrey