Pop! goes Easter

    Last Saturday I was cleaning like Housewife Dementia

(my friend Krissy's alter ego) and neglected to post.  Here is

a little belated apology in the form of a Easter card sketch I 

did on Easter Monday...

    When I create a character sketch I have been drawing 

that character in different poses.  This is an important element 

in children's book illustration. 

Check out the what is going on at the little girl's feet!  

Another fun technique to use in illustration is to have a "secondary story".  

I wanted to add color, it being spring and Easter, 

but my time has been devoted to working on print patterns. 

(You may be interested to know her dress is a jelly bean 

print, which may be hard to tell without color.)

The color addition will have to go on the back burner until next year I suppose.

Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter!   

Bookbinding, Book Making Skills!

    Picked up this great book at the library and thought I would try to
learn a new skill.  Bookbinding!  The book is called Bound
(Over 20 Artful Handmade Books) by Erica Ekrem. Find it here:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Bound-by-Erica-Ekrem?keyword=Bound+by+Erica+Ekrem&store=book
 
    First it was a little hard to wrap my head around the actual binding
process but with the help of the wonderful diagrams I was able to catch
on pretty quickly using the Coptic Stitch.
 
    I have a few rolls of vintage wallpaper which I have been wanting to
use to make books.  The directions on how to make the book covers are
excellent and also easy to follow.
 
    Anxious to make some of the other books, I ordered some leather scraps
on Etsy.  I received a beautiful assortment of various colors and textures
from ORTULeather.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ORTUleather/search?search_query=scraps&order=date_desc&view_type=gallery&ref=shop_search
 
    The leather books will make beautiful sketchbooks for my personal use and
gifts...a couple below have already been claimed by very anxious little hands and
are filled with drawings/secrets I am not permitted to see! :(
 
    I have also been working on a brochure for my illustration work.  I plan to
send it to be printed this week.

If you love this wallpaper (striped and floral)
and would like your own free sample leave a friendly comment below then email me raradesign@yahoo.com.
While supplies last!

Gift tag bookmarks are fun to make too...

This simple book has a fabric cover and gift tag pages
I dyed with tea and hibiscus flowers at Christmas.

Love Note to Reading

 Found a bookmark sized scrap laying around blank so I was
persuaded to paint.  

  Thought it would be interesting to tell a little story, 
to have a story within a story.  

  A love story.  

 Who better to tell it than a foxy fox named Scarlet? 

Copyright Rachel Bollman 2015

Anyone hungry?

  Working on several creative projects right now.  I wanted to paint
the two Little Miss Big Ears sketches I posted last week but didn't have
time to finish this week.   I started one and will try my best to share
with you soon.  Lately I have been working mostly digitally and
I miss painting with watercolor.
   Here is a painting I did in January for a picture book workshop.
Reworking this story based on comments from Lindsay Ward and
Laurie Knowlton.
    Have a great week!  *V*  Happy Spring!  ~Rachel

Ready or Not

  Super busy and forgot to post yesterday.
Working on several projects at the same
time and my head is spinning.  Apologies
to those who checked in yesterday.
  Nothing finished that I can share so
thought I would give you a glimpse of
some delicate sketches for a story in progress.
  Introducing Little Miss Big Ears, babysitter
extraordinaire.  You may have gotten a peek
of her already on twitter.. a few ink
drawings.  If you want to see those check
out my twitter page.
https://twitter.com/RachelBollman

  I must go, Downton's about to start!
Cheers!

Skate

Ever have one of those days that you 

just have to take it easy? 

Started reading Rules by Cynthia Lord

http://amzn.to/1wbXp9I and just couldn't stop.

Excellent Newbery Honor Book by the way.

Maybe all this snow has me in a cabin fever 

funk because yesterday all I wanted to do was 

watch Downton Abbey nonstop.

But all that is good when it inspires you, right?

Take for example this lovely wide satin hair

ribbon which is similar to one worn by Edith.

(P.S. I am only on season four but so dreadfully 

tired of Lady Mary insulting "poor" Edith!)

Finally pushed through the resistance and

spontaneously did this little painting.

The ancient pen I used gave me some 

trouble.  Anyone know of a pen works like 

a fountain pen but is easier to handle?

I like Micron and Pentel brush pens, 

but still not the same...

This video interview with Lisa Congdon gave me a little 

push to work a bit more on my typography.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tScGj17zzYc

Love her work and collections!

Relax After A Long Wheek!

   

Wilma did not mind the rain.

Relaxing after a long day she minded even less.

I did the sketch above last week.  Last night as I sipped my

herbal tea I thought it would be fun to do a Celestial Seasonings

tea box.  I love the classic bear on the box and tried to include 

some of the comforts of his home with my own interpretation.

Sleepytime is the best and if you haven't had it you are 

really missing out.  Just take it from Wilma Wheeker.

Wheek!  Wheek!  

Going to get us a cup right now.