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drawing Pencil

Author / Illustrator / Photographer

SCBWI drawing prompt for Nov is “Buttons”, here are some buttoned up birds

#scbwidrawthis #scbwiillustrators #scbwi

SCBWI drawing prompt for Nov is “Buttons”, here are some buttoned up birds

#scbwidrawthis #scbwiillustrators #scbwi

Fuzz and Jet, inventor birds. (Named for the egg cups they hatched in.)

Fuzz and Jet, inventor birds. (Named for the egg cups they hatched in.)

This is the other half of the drawing I posted a few days ago. This little owl is called Spec. There are 11 birds (a dozens eggs but one hasn’t hatch… yet). I made all their names short vowel words, easier for new readers to practice reading on their own. This character is a quiet little bird who loves his own company and a book. His love of learning helps with the project that helps unite the very different collection of personalities.

This is the other half of the drawing I posted a few days ago. This little owl is called Spec. There are 11 birds (a dozens eggs but one hasn’t hatch… yet). I made all their names short vowel words, easier for new readers to practice reading on their own. This character is a quiet little bird who loves his own company and a book. His love of learning helps with the project that helps unite the very different collection of personalities.

When the birds in my story first hatch, they stick to those similar to them. (“Birds of a feather…”) Jet is a “plain coloured bird” based on a grey jay. Fuzz is a “large bird” based on an Eggret chick. Different birds finally come together for a special project. Many parts of this drawing were brought in from separate canvases, but here is where it all comes together. It took some time to narrow down the objects to include in the box as these needed to show up again in a drawing later in the story…

When the birds in my story first hatch, they stick to those similar to them. (“Birds of a feather…”) Jet is a “plain coloured bird” based on a grey jay. Fuzz is a “large bird” based on an Eggret chick. Different birds finally come together for a special project. Many parts of this drawing were brought in from separate canvases, but here is where it all comes together. It took some time to narrow down the objects to include in the box as these needed to show up again in a drawing later in the story…

I haven’t posted much on here lately but this book might be my favourite one yet. Here’s another spread, the words are just a stand in, I’m still working on them. for the elephant’s skin I took a photo of the back cardboard cover of a sketchbook to give it a little more depth. The birds and other elements were done in separate canvases.

I haven’t posted much on here lately but this book might be my favourite one yet. Here’s another spread, the words are just a stand in, I’m still working on them. for the elephant’s skin I took a photo of the back cardboard cover of a sketchbook to give it a little more depth. The birds and other elements were done in separate canvases.

I took a break from my silver fox and flower book. Something about it isn’t quite the style I was looking for. I started on this story for a fresh start. One day my daughters and I made chalk marbled paper, and I loved the colour and texture! I’m using it to add a new texture behind each object I draw. A lot of the elements are drawn in separate canvases, but here’s 2 videos showing how I made the quilt, then added it onto the elephant. I made it first with photos of the fabric of my kids clothes, I’ll use that version somewhere else.

I took a break from my silver fox and flower book. Something about it isn’t quite the style I was looking for. I started on this story for a fresh start. One day my daughters and I made chalk marbled paper, and I loved the colour and texture! I’m using it to add a new texture behind each object I draw. A lot of the elements are drawn in separate canvases, but here’s 2 videos showing how I made the quilt, then added it onto the elephant. I made it first with photos of the fabric of my kids clothes, I’ll use that version somewhere else.

I somehow only just discovered that this program (Procreate) has this Timelapse function. It’s been fun to watch my drawings happen in seconds rather than hours. Some elements were drawn in another canvas (like the trees and the stump). The sky was painted on paper and photographed. My husband, who is very good at drawing correct proportions, pointed out that the legs were initially way too long, he was right! (Don’t tell him though 😋)

I somehow only just discovered that this program (Procreate) has this Timelapse function. It’s been fun to watch my drawings happen in seconds rather than hours. Some elements were drawn in another canvas (like the trees and the stump). The sky was painted on paper and photographed. My husband, who is very good at drawing correct proportions, pointed out that the legs were initially way too long, he was right! (Don’t tell him though 😋)

Some messy campers show up in this story, squashing the flowers and worrying the fox. This adds a bit of a side commentary to the story on conservation.
It was fun to draw the sad foxes hiding under an aspen tree in this one.

Some messy campers show up in this story, squashing the flowers and worrying the fox. This adds a bit of a side commentary to the story on conservation.
It was fun to draw the sad foxes hiding under an aspen tree in this one.

Tucker’s tea scene needed more work on the setting, I added the plants around them.

Tucker’s tea scene needed more work on the setting, I added the plants around them.

Love at first sniff. The Silver fox who wants to be red, meets the red (stinky) flower who wants a friend.

Love at first sniff. The Silver fox who wants to be red, meets the red (stinky) flower who wants a friend.

Fig and Fog camping. The constellation in the sky is “Vulpecula, the little fox”. Trying to make the tent look lit up and protecting it light on the forest surrounding it, was a fun challenge. This is the last drawing in the book but I skipped ahead and did now. I was excited to try drawing this lighting.

Fig and Fog camping. The constellation in the sky is “Vulpecula, the little fox”. Trying to make the tent look lit up and protecting it light on the forest surrounding it, was a fun challenge. This is the last drawing in the book but I skipped ahead and did now. I was excited to try drawing this lighting.

This drawing is part of a spread full of these characters’ new friendship.

This drawing is part of a spread full of these characters’ new friendship.

Fig the silver fox, meets Fog the smelly flower. Finally they’ve found a friend who understands what it’s like to be so different. I might fix the fur and the background a bit on this one eventually.

Fig the silver fox, meets Fog the smelly flower. Finally they’ve found a friend who understands what it’s like to be so different. I might fix the fur and the background a bit on this one eventually.

In the summer, Fig the silver fox tries raspberries to be red like the other red foxes, but that attracts bugs! I like our cute forest bugs better🦋. We made these wings a couple weeks ago out of cardboard and some old overhead protector transparent sheets. This grove of aspens is why I made aspen trees such a big part of the background work in this story. They are gorgeous.

In the summer, Fig the silver fox tries raspberries to be red like the other red foxes, but that attracts bugs! I like our cute forest bugs better🦋. We made these wings a couple weeks ago out of cardboard and some old overhead protector transparent sheets. This grove of aspens is why I made aspen trees such a big part of the background work in this story. They are gorgeous.

In the winter, Fig the silver fox knits a sweater to fit in with the other red foxes. We have plenty of winter months as inspiration here! The second photo is my daughter in our field a few months ago.

In the winter, Fig the silver fox knits a sweater to fit in with the other red foxes. We have plenty of winter months as inspiration here! The second photo is my daughter in our field a few months ago.

Living in a forest has been very convenient for drawing this book. We’re lucky to live here. These are old photos from a couple years ago, that I used as inspiration.

Living in a forest has been very convenient for drawing this book. We’re lucky to live here. These are old photos from a couple years ago, that I used as inspiration.

Fig is a silver fox, which is a more rare colour for a red fox. He’s trying every he can to look red. In fall he tries red leaves.

Fig is a silver fox, which is a more rare colour for a red fox. He’s trying every he can to look red. In fall he tries red leaves.

They try everything to smell nice, like a good flower should, including some fancy “Cherry Blossoms No.5 Eau de Parfum.”

They try everything to smell nice, like a good flower should, including some fancy “Cherry Blossoms No.5 Eau de Parfum.”

This smelly flower has so much trouble making friends that they resort to making their own. . . but it’s not the same.

This smelly flower has so much trouble making friends that they resort to making their own. . . but it’s not the same.

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