Dark Side? Light Side?

Every month I get to create artwork for a Phil Callaway article in the Insights magazine. I love this challenge every time - he's hilarious and heart felt and usually a perfect candidate for a cheeky illustration. In August A Letter to Blain was published, in which he encourages a young man in the way of living a life of Joy. I keyed in on one phrase, and the general love of all things Star Wars, and came up with this piece.

"Go Make A Difference. Like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker you’ll have opportunity all day to choose the dark or the light. Brighten the world for others and the sun will shine on you." -Phil Callaway, A Letter to Blain

July.

- lost my dear cat, adopted a charming kitten (cried a few tears). joined thousands watching fireworks. soaked in buttloads of sunshine. stood by dear friends as they got married. Put together my first book design. spent too much time feeling insecure. failed to make morning runs a habit. instead made them some kind of occasional hobby. dared to dream a few times.

Here are some highlights from the July Insights.

Illustration Case Study

As you may know, one of my favourite things to do is illustrate. Here's a peak at my process! My own version of "how its made." This illustration is from the June Insights Magazine for an article called "Battling Disappointment." You'll be glad to know after numerous corrections I am finally able to spell "Disappointment" ("its like "appointment" with "dis" at the front!" -Robyn).

I usually start with a shape in my mind. Once it forms enough I put it on paper or ipad, then begin to bring it to life. I usually use a pencil, Photoshop and Illustrator at some point in each illustration. This guy was brought into photoshop for final texturing and some extra shading/refining. A bit of graphic accessorizing if you will.

I won't lie to you, there are many times that I get my roughs done and then realize that I hadn't planned well enough for incorporating it with the article. Sometimes it takes a bit of refining to get it all to work together! Never mind working it with the other 6 or 7 articles in each magazine...

I often plan to incorporate the title treatment within my illustration. Sometimes that means starting with the title, other times it means adding it once I have most of my elements put together. In all cases I hope and pray that the title doesn't change! 

Crazy Joy - Magazine Illustration

For the May issue of Insights I put together this illustration for an article called "Five Steps to Crazy Joy" by Phil Callaway. At one point in the article he mentions people who find dogs in sweaters funny, so I ran with it. I made use of my new "tattoo artist" light table :D and started with pencil sketches that became pen drawings, and were digitized then coloured in photoshop.

I love seeing these characters come to life. I don't usually have a completed concept or character in my brain when I start working, and its like putting my pencil to the paper draws them out of some corner of my mind. Yes, my mind is secretly full of little dogs in sweaters. I'll end on that.

Magazine Highlights: March 2013

Here are some more magazine shots. I'm sharing March today, since April hits the virtual newstands and most mailboxes on wednesday. As I put these together I realized I missed a few pages, but since they were mostly text I decided it didn't matter :D. I enjoyed infusing the easter issue with bright celebratory colours, since we have so much to celebrate this time of year :D (here is the full digital version if you'd like to read it).

Magazine Highlights

Here are some shots from a recent magazine (February 2013). I love how the colour scheme turned out (a bit of a green & purple mixture) and I had some fun with illustration and cupcakes :D. Oh and we can't forget my very first photoshoot with Barbie! Ironically, I had to do a lot of retouching to her face. She had lipstick drips on her chin! Thank you macro lens :D (and here is the full digital version if you'd like to read it)
I did not photograph the awesome frog or the cuddly lamb. Both are properly credited in print.

A Christmas Favourite

This illustration for Phil Callaway's article in the November issue of Insights will go down as one of my favourites. Danny Brown had a great first Christmas.

I hope you're getting as ready for the holidays as I am! (my work brain has already moved past christmas into 2013, but my home brain is itching to get decorating!)

June Insights Magazine: What's over the hill?

Another favourite! I feel so, well, happy when I think about this issue. I think its the colours. I somehow pulled of the "bright for summer" look I was going for in the June issue, even though the weather here didn't really participate. I shared some photos of my fun cover project back while I was working on it, because I just couldn't keep it in! Click HERE to see the full digital issue and read the articles. Or just get the cliff notes version below, with some of my favourite images.

Using my hands

I always use my hands. I've had nightmares about losing them, because I'd have to be one of those (amazing!) people who learns to paint with their toes, or draw with their mouth — I don't think I could keep it all inside me.

Projects like this make me especially thankful for my hands though, because I don't think I'd ever master using an exacto with my feet. Hard enough with fingers, thank you! This month brought about a new opportunity to try out a new technique and be a bit more tactile than my usual computer-based artwork. I've been so inspired lately by the paper work of Owen Gildersleeve that when I found myself stumped for a photoshoot, I decided to take one from his book and make my ideal location! kinda. I love how this combines THREE of my loves, photography, illustration, AND crafting! Creating a scene in 3D (reminds me of the shadow boxes of yesteryear) opens up a new dimension of storytelling! I don't think this will be my last work of paper. yay!

Here are some "production shots", stay tuned for the completed piece on the cover of the June 2012 Insights magazine! (don't forget, if you're in Canada you can sign up to get it for free! And if you used to get it but stopped...that's because you didn't call to renew, silly. So just sign up again, OK?)

March Insights Magazine

Here we go! Posting the March Insights magazine -- which is just hitting mailboxes around Canada -- on the same day as I wrap up design of the April issue. I am in a perpetual state of bewilderment when it comes to what month it is. I've pretty much given up, and rely on my iphone for the date. When I'm working on May in March, things start to get a little mixed up inside my head: I've pretty much already celebrated Easter and Mothers day and am looking forward to summer! ...And then it snows and reality returns! :D

But anyways, a few highlights for me in this issue were playing with my new portable (flash) umbrella, putting a Polariod camera on the cover (who knew?!), and doing some fun illustrating in a "superfun" colour palette!

Here are some snapshots of the graphics, but don't mind if I direct you to the digital issue here to read these insightful articles on marriage, traditions, and conflict! 

Sneak a Peek at what I've been up to this week...

The March insights will be hitting mailboxes mid-march. Subscribe for this (wonderful!) free magazine online here, or visit here to view it online after March 10.

P.S. I LOVE shooting with my new flash/umbrella set up. Oh, the possibilities!

2011 Print Design Favourites

 

Here is a small collection of, as the title image says, some of my print design favourites from 2011. They are all Insights magazine covers or spreads, and only a smidge of what I got up to this year!

This top image is all of the 2011 magazines, minus July, which never went to print because of the postal strike (still not over it, thanks a ton Canada Post).