First Wave

I've owned my iPad for about a week now and have been trying out several different art creation apps. So far one of my favorites is called Procreate. Procreate allows for MANY layers (I haven't hit a limit yet!) and allows the user to merge layers up or down. What's really neat, though, is the brushes. The brushes are incredibly varied and result in realistic artistic strokes. The user can even create (or purchase) new brush sets.

Do you recognize this pose? I took a picture of the sketch I made back in 2009 and put it as a layer into Procreate. Then I "painted" over it digitally, using many layers. Afterwards, I edited it in Snapseed for color and adjustments and more texture effects. I'm really enjoying my iPad, and I look forward to many more works of art.

Batman Needs Cereal, Too!

Yummy!

E with her bear!

I've always wanted to try one of those "painting parties" where you go to an art studio, drink wine with friends, and paint a picture (with an artist's help) to take home. Problem is that most of the paintings aren't quite appealing to me. Enter "Saturday Morning Cartoons." This event was geared toward kids with a parent present. Instead of wine, we took our breakfast. The artist was a cartoonist, and he led my daughter through painting a teddy bear eating cereal. While she drew and then painted, I drew and colored Batman in the same pose. We were both pleased with our creations; it was a great way to spend our Saturday morning together!

The Tinker

I decided to sketch a robot today. I did this one from start to finish on my iPhone (with my finger!). The apps I used were Autodesk Sketchbook Mobile and BeFunky (for more texture and color changes). I had fun with him!

The pictures here show the actual sketch work and then the finished product after BeFunky adjustments.

Happy Tree at Dusk

 Here is the Happy Tree all colored in. I feel it is very dark, like a dusk kind of feeling. I feel like I need to add a bat in the tree's line of sight. That could be fun! When I continue to experiment with it, I think I'll add different animals and change the tree's eyes accordingly.

Coloring a Happy Tree

I like to color and then use special brushes to add texture and play with the colors. This particular set came from Obsidian Dawn Resources and is called Grunge and Dirty. Their brushes are free (read their terms of use),  but I purchased a license (for $3!) so I could use the brushes in commercial work without crediting Obsidian Dawn.

Do you use any special brushes? If so, where did you get them? Did you know you can even make your own brushes?

Happy Tree

2.5" X 3"

This happy little tree came to me the other day in my main sketchbook. This mini version was done this morning. I found all the repetition and lines to be a lot like zentangle and also quite therapeutic. I will explore this tree more in my sketchbook and plan to color it in various media.

Basic GIMP Tutorial

A basic GIMP tutorial

I've had a lot of questions about how to use GIMP and especially how to get started in GIMP. This link goes to a video I made for kids to watch and learn some basic GIMP commands. It shows a scanned line art image and teaches the learner how to make it transparent and then how to color it in using a few different techniques. There are many other GIMP tutorials on YouTube. Kids--get your parent's permission before you search and watch tutorials!

Elementary Presentation: Make a Mark!

The Plover from A Monster in My Sock

Speaking at an elementary is always a blast. It's great to get to interact with the kids and answer all kinds of questions; everything from "Why do you wear a green belt?" to "What inspires you?" The most-asked question today was, "Where do I get THAT?!" They were referring to GIMP.

Sketch colored in GIMP

I was able to work in time to show them how I use the program GIMP (Gnu Image Manipulation Program) to create and manipulate images. Since it is a free program, it is what I could afford and what I used to create both of my children's books. It is overwhelming at first, but there are tutorials online and an online user's guide.  And it's not just for adults--three kids came up to me to talk about what they have done in GIMP. You can create images directly into GIMP, or you can scan in images and color them. You can also manipulate photos. It's a powerful tool that I am STILL learning more about each time I use it!

I'm hoping that I inspired some kids to get out there, keep a sketchbook, and make their mark. Go here to get your copy of GIMP, access help files and even some tutorials!