Sketchbook Project: Sirens & Illustration Friday: Ferocious

Sirens, pen, watercolor & acrylic ink on watercolor paper, 7 x 10", 2011.

I was working on another drawing for the Sketchbook Project when I realized it fit with this week's Illustration Friday too. What's more ferocious than a monster who appears as a beautiful lady?

My theme for the Sketchbook Project is "Uncharted Waters", so I've been drawing mythological water creatures (do I sound like a broken record yet? I think I've written that in every sketchbook post). This time I drew sirens. Most people have had to read the Odyssey at some point in their lives, so you're probably familiar with them. Their songs lure sailors to their deaths. Some stories describe them with bird bodies ...I obviously skipped that part.

This sketchbook has been a pretty good exercise for me so far. All of the drawings have been done without any real plan, so there's a spontaneous feeling to them. They're also in pen, so there's no erasing for me! I've got to stick with my mistakes.

Sketchbook Project: Shen

Shen, pen, watercolor & acrylic ink on watercolor paper, 7 x 10", 2011.

I didn't complete the project I was working on for Illustration Rally, so I worked on a page of my Sketchbook Project sketchbook. That way I'd feel like I finished something this weekend!

My theme is "Uncharted Waters", so I've been drawing mythological water creatures. This one is new to me; I had never heard of it before I started researching different water myths. A shen is a giant clam kind of thing that creates mirages. It comes from Chinese legends, and is supposed to really be a dragon disguised as a mollusk... pretty tricky! The mirages were never specifically described in anything I read. I decided that since desert mirages show water, underwater mirages must show something with land.

People who pick up this sketchbook when it's on tour are going to be super confused because it won't come with an explanation! I'm going to look like a crazy person who draws space-forest-clam things... which I guess is true...

In Progress: Baba Yaga

I have been working on the Children's Book Rally for Illustration Rally. The challenge is to complete two double page spreads for a children's story by the end of September. I'm going to have to work like crazy because I'll be away for the last week of September.

This is a peek at my preliminary drawing for one of the spreads. You could either choose to illustrate a classic or an original story; I'm illustrating a traditional Russian Baba Yaga story. The crows will look better in the final... they were a last minute addition.

I have so much to do...yikes!!!

Illustration Friday: Mysterious

Mysterious, graphite & acrylic ink on watercolor paper, 9 x 10.5", 2011.

I'm supposed to be working on another project, but I liked the word for this week's Illustration Friday. So, I took a little break to do this drawing.

I was inspired by the Mystery! theme animated by Edward Gorey... especially the lady on 0:13-0:16 and the roses at the end.

I used to love watching the animation, but I don't think I've ever watched the actual show!

This is totally unrelated to Illustration Friday, but two blogs posted my Sketchbook Project work last week. I really appreciated it, so I want to mention their blogs here too:
- Sketches & Jottings is an awesome site that posts sketchbook pages for inspiration.
- Concertina Press is a blog kept by Ruth, who designs beautiful nautical themed stationary.

Thanks, guys!