life is short, filled with stuff

I have no idea whatsoever why this must be in bold. Anyhow, in the absence of any IF this week with which to entertain those eagerly awaiting my blog postings, and in celebration of the acquisition of a (good!) scanner, I present to you various stuff that I had laying around from here and there. First, one sheet of the pinup girl tattoo designs I did about a year ago for a tattoo artist: (seemingly mandatory 'bold' gone! why?!)

This week I spent working hard on the business/promotional side of things! (Finally!) I received the postcards that I ordered from vistaprint.ca, and I was pleased beyond pleased. Really, I can't recommend vistaprint enough! The postcards themselves were free; I just paid a download fee (because I was using my own image), which was about 5$ per design (i.e. 10$) plus shipping. And the quality was far superior to the ones I first got (at unnamed print shop near me). All you have to do to be BOMBARDED continuously with offers for free this and free that is sign up for an account with them. (How can they afford to do this?)

Anyhow, so I mailed out a number of packages to several publishers and children's magazines, including CRICKET, my favourite of all magazines for kids. They use an impressive variety of illustration styles, not just all that goofy super-cartoony kiddy stuff that seems endemic...oh, I know what I mean. I now have a decent 'template' letter for both magazines and publishers that can easily be added to or adjusted for the individual recipient. I also sent a follow-up card/letter to several magazines that I've contacted already. So, good!

Here is a stream-of-consciousness ink-watercolour crayon thing I did last summer:
Also this week, I got paid for the piece that I did for Briarpatch. Very good indeed!
Here, another ink/watercolour crayon sketch. This one I like.
And I played bridge! For the first time in nearly five years. I was in 'instinctive mode' mostly- my card-counting skills are gone. Luckily I played the hand only a couple of times (and made it!) I did not disgrace myself terribly. I miss playing cards! Next week I'll continue with more publisher research (have to do some research into the maisons d'editions en francais here in Quebec, too!), but mostly I'll be working on a commissioned piece. Maybe I'll have time for Illustration Friday, maybe not.
One more ink/watercolour thing:

IF: sorry about the lack of image!

Curse my stupidity! I edited the IF post and didn't realize that I had to attach the image again!
Well, here it is now...

illustration friday: Legendary

I've linked my IF entry for the first time to my blog rather than to my website. First, not too many visits to my blog. Second, I don't necessarily want everything that I do for IF to be posted on my blog (seeing as how I only intend to spend a couple of hours on each IF theme). If I like it, great- to the website it goes. This week I only spend a couple of hours and think that it is just ok- nothing spectacular. Yes, Hank Williams. My #1 'if-I-could-see-anyone-play-in-any-era' choice.

Illustration Friday: Intricate

Another installation in the series of one-word themes that is illustration friday.

another possible candidate for contest entry... the deadline for which is tomorrow!

I am quite pleased with this one, actually. It is a promotional piece that I am definitely going to include in my submissions to the children's/YA book & magazine market. Which are going to go out SOON! I wanted the 'graffiti' in the background to look real- so I cut a stencil, just like the real graffitos do, although it was more to achieve the 'spray' effect than to look as though it was stencilled. I think it turned out well! All in all, I spent a ridiculous amount of time on this brick wall.

possible candidates for contest entry...

The first one is the second of two drawings that I did for an imaginary book review for a dark Japanese novel of murder, dismemberment and fatalistic hopelessness (quite a good book, actually...). I quite like it, but solicited opinions are split on this one... apparently it LOOKS a little too bloody and depressing. The second is one of the three that appeared in Crow Toes Quarterly (see earlier post); this one was included in their 'art interludes' section. I think that it's pretty but perhaps a bit 'fluffy'... The third and fourth also appeared in Crow Toes; these two were commissioned specifically for a story. I am really only considering submitting the one with the yellow grid background; I just wanted to include the companion piece because I had not yet posted it. I think that this one turned out quite well. I don't know which to choose! I will only enter one (costs money to enter, or I'd enter more). There will also be the one I've not yet finished but I will hopefully finish this weekend and scan... If anyone has any opinions, please let me know. There appears not to be a category for 'children's' illustration specifically- the contest seems to be divided according to industry sectors (i.e. advertising, book, poster, etc...) Hmm.

communication arts illustration contest etc.

So, I did not do the Illustration Friday topic suggested last week, for a number of reasons. Reason the first: I was away visiting family and friends and was thus unable to think properly. Reason the second: What time I did have I spent working on and thinking about the (mentioned a week ago I think?) promotional piece that I was considering entering into the Communication arts illustration contest (mostly thinking about, only a little working, sigh.). Reason the third: I didn't like the topic/word this week so much anyway. It was 'breezy'. I can't put my finger on why particularly this word/topic irked me, but it did... maybe I was just looking for an excuse not to do it. And would it kill them to add a second word occasionally?!?! Never mind.....

Anyhow, so I was concerned with completing this piece for Friday, the deadline for the contest, i.e. TODAY. Having only returned home on Wednesday night, and having had to work yesterday, I wasn't sure that I would finish it, so was considering (had been, anyhow- who knows how well something is going to turn out?) other options- i.e. pieces already completed. I checked the contest deadline again (to find out when exactly the 'last minute' would be) and what do you know, there has been an extension until next friday, leaving me more time to think. So, having no illustration friday BREEZINESS with which to regale you, I will instead post my 'shortlist' of possible entries, excepting the as-yet unfinished piece. Soon I must buy a scanner! Then you will be submitted to ALL of my half-developed sketches and other stuff that nobody should probably ever see.... I will post the images above, provided 'blogger' lets me add images (it isn't allowing me to add images to this post, perhaps because I added and then removed? ah, mysteries of the tinternets!)