Can I Play? Yes!

    I did this little artwork yesterday.  I started on it a few days ago.  The description
of my process may help other illustrators, so here goes. My first step was
transferring my sketch of the children onto the paper (Legion Stonehenge Pearl Gray).
Then I used a Pigma Micron waterproof pen to create the lines. While letting the
line art sit for a day I got this vision.  I wanted to do a series of fun pieces (for a show
coming up in November), kid inspired, with happy colors and glitter.
    A day later I filled in the color with watercolor/pencils.  Then I felt worried.  What
next?  It wasn't looking so happy.  The gray of the paper is subtle, but was a tad drab.
I kept feeling like I wanted to stamp (NO, not stomp) on it, but nothing I had was right.
Searching around my desk I found a clean white eraser, perfect for a hand made stamp.
I wanted a diamond shape, so did that first with a sharp blade, gradually thinking of and
adding stamp shapes as I went along.  I got a great set of neon-ish ink pads at Michael's
and I used those.  It felt risky to be stamping on my work, but thrilling and fun at the
same time!
    The work needed something else.  I searched for my pastel pencil with no luck but
found a box of pastels with wonderful white.            
                                                                                    Holding my breath, I started to write on
my work, making hopscotch boxes and numbers and words.  Suddenly I loved it.
It needed more, the final touch...yes, glitter.
This piece felt like a small
stepping stone. It inspires me and makes me
happy.
Here is the final work, you may have seen earlier on twitter.
I feel like in the age of all perfect digital art,
I have been wanting to work more
traditionally.  Maybe it is avoiding reality,
but I like to look at it like it's just me being
my rebellious artistic self.
I know how to do digital, it's just not very
appealing to me right now.  It seems like
so many artists are going that way, and I
feel a little sad about it.  Sometimes it is the imperfections in art that add interest.  I am learning
so much about value and color theory from my watercolor landscape class.  This is guiding me
as I do illustration.  I hope my posts are helping other illustrators out there who are finding
their way.  Please post a comment if this is doing you any good.  I will continue to give tid bits
of art tips as I go along.  Peace and love. + Now get out and draw!