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Story Telling in Illustration! Video on Norman Rockwell!

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Story-telling!  It's such and important part of visual art, believe it or not. Especially in illustration! When I saw that the Theme of this week's Illustration Friday challenge is "Refrain" I instantly thought of two meanings of the word. Refrain-to keep from doing something, and -the chorus of a song. I think I managed to depict them both in this illustration. What do you think? What is the story here? The illustration below is one I did a few years back for a book idea I had called "Katy Has A Kitty." I still have a lot to learn about story telling in Illustration but practicing helps! My newest submission to Illustration Friday! The theme this week is "Refrain"! Cover for "Katy Has A Kitty". Norman Rockwell is one of my favorite American artists!  He was both an amazing portrait artist and illustrator! I remember with fondness visiting the Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. with my family when I was a kid. And throug...
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Illustrating Outside your own race?

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  A number of years ago, I went to a children's book conference at the University of Mass. with some friends. We got to see Tommy Di Palo (StregaNona, etc.) speak about his Italian-Irish family and how he based many of his books on his upbringing in that culture.  One of the workshops I took that day was presented by the noted African-American children's book illustrator James Ransome. He showed slides of his work and discussed his method of illustration and especially how he used composition to compliment the action in his books! After the workshop I got to ask him a question I had because I was working on a children's book at the time that featured an African-American child.  I asked about illustrating children from a different culture or race than your own. I had previously read an article saying that illustrators or writers should stay within their own race or culture in their artistic endeavors. In other words, since I'm white do I have the right to illustrate or w...
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Drawing Faces at the Fair!

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This past weekend I enjoyed cutting silhouettes ,and doing portraits and caricatures of people of all ages, but I especially love drawing and silhouetting the kids! But sometimes, especially at a fair or festival a child just doesn't want to sit still or even smile. Now I work very quickly and don't mind squirming children, but sometimes parents will feel embarrassed if their child is getting close to that tantrum stage. I try to speak directly to the child and make eye contact when I can, which is what I need do anyway to get a good view of their face when I'm doing a portrait or caricature. I always have my favorite "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" ready to hand to parents when the wiggles get the better hand of a younger child. This is me cutting Silhouettes at the Strawberry Festival last June . This family has come back for new silhouettes every year for the last few years! Here are  some pictures I just found in my files from last year at Alfred F...
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