Eskiworks Illustration
A recent smaller acrylic painting, done in acrylics with the dead color palette (Paynes Gray, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre) plus a tad of Dioxanine purple.
"The first time she saw him, Marina knew that he was something special. His night black fur and striking deep blue eyes were nothing like she's ever seen before. Eyes like hers, for which she named him 'Azure'. She knew he'd never let her down, she could see the honesty and strength in his eyes. And over time, she would find out they shared a connection unlike any other child and dog. Something magical, otherworldly. And something that will drive her and Azure to the center of a wicked and dangerous adventure..."
This piece and the characters are based off a dream I had, which I've adapted (aka gotten carried away with) into a story! Marina the girl (12 years old) and Azure the German shepherd (age unknown), are a pair that share a celestial bond. They met when a mysterious wealthy old man passed away, and left his home, his dog and his entire estate to Marina, an orphan. She hadn't known him, and the mystery of her inheritance is the center of the first part of the story.
I don't want to reveal all that much, since the story is in it's infancy at this time. But I just HAD to draw these two! I uploaded four WIP shots to my deviantart page so you can get an idea of my process: http://shadow-wolf.deviantart.com/art/Azure-WIP-shots-128477332
Since graduation, I've been working hard on lots of individual commissions. Here are a couple recent ones, 3" X 4" art cards.
New sticker design for my shop! These little guys are only 1" in size, and are the cheapest item in my shop. Check 'em out along with my other merchandise here: http://eskiworks.bigcartel.com/
The Kangaroo Rat is a small, shy seed gathering rodent that lives less than a year. These tiny creatures are preyed upon by owls, foxes, snakes, and many other carnivores. The odds are stacked against these little guys... Which is why this one armed herself with a spear! With it, she managed to escape the clutches of an owl. Despite her short life span and short stature, she makes quite a noble figure with her battle scars and paw-crafted weapon.
Beware the little ones. They are much more feisty than they appear. =)
Another finished piece for my last illustration class! This is an interior illustration for a children's book I've written about a giant house cat who rules his forest with an iron paw! A young girl named Heather comes along and tames his wild heart by becoming his best friend. She shows him all the wonderful things in his forest that he's been missing, and they have cool adventures! Here they discover a trio of baby dragons waiting for their mother to come home.
The story is based off a fantasy my sister had when we were kids, about our cat Mitten being big enough to ride around on. I made this piece as a gift for her too, which I promised to her when Mitten died several years ago. But I wasn't confident enough in my skills to make it until now, so I'm glad I waited. =)
13" X 16" marker, colored pencil and acrylic paint on bristol
Here's a work in progress shot of a piece I'm doing right now for an interior illustration for a children's book. The book is a tribute to my sister and our first cat Mitten, who are both featured in the piece. I have a couple days worth of work to do on it still, but I thought I'd show what I have so far!
A little drawing I did to go on my new business card, done in markers. Tweaked a tad to add color to the leaves and thicker outlines in Photoshop. The card itself will likely have a different arrangement, but I like this one enough to upload it by itself.
Jump little eskie! <3
I'm pretty close to graduation from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, so I thought I'd start this blog with a piece I did for my final illustration class. In the class, each student it focusing on an area of the industry they wish to work on in order to build an appropriate portfolio. I'm focusing on children's illustration!
This piece is a mock comic cover for my graphic novel, "Eskie".
Markers, colored pencils and acrylics