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Welcome to my blog , The Hare Illustratère. I'll be posting about my art process and journey as an illustrator/author here.

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Tuesday, September 15, 2015

2015 Color Illustration Promo Page

All Art © Diana Ting Delosh
Bear hugs Hare illustration
Bearish  Fuzzy Initial Caps: D T D
ink & watercolor
Here's my Promo Page in the soon to be released 2015 CBIG Color Illustration Directory. One of the reasons why I've taken on the Directory project for our group is that I believe a group of talented illustrators makes a louder  noise than an individual artist.  More immediately, being part of a group project means that I have to create my promo pages  by a real deadline. Of course you should still promote yourself as an individual illustrator every chance you get.

One of the problems I have with creating my promo pages is deciding on the art. For 2015, I finally decided to showcase my new fat ink style and my hand lettering. I chose my Bear hugs Hare illustration, from my picture book dummy, Bear and Hare, for it's emotional heart. Which in turn led me to design bearish fuzzy initial caps for my name.

The objective of any promo piece is to intrigue the targeted viewer to take a gander at your website. Hope this page does the trick and  leads them to: dianadelosh.com

In case you missed it, click 2015 Black & White Promo Page to view my page.

Note: When the CBIG Directories go live they can be viewed at cbig-nyc.com and cbig-nyc.blogspot.com

Monday, September 7, 2015

Happy Labor Day!

PENGUIN BEACH
Ink & Watercolors
© Diana Ting Delosh
Here's to the last Hurrah of summer!

For me, Labor Day has always signaled the end of summer and the start of the fall. Even if it still reaches 90º - autumn is in my head along with all the promises of a new fresh season.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

My Kathy Temean Illustrator Saturday Interview

Nicholas Bunny Blowing Dandelion Seeds © Diana Ting Delosh
Fat line style - Ink, Watercolor and Photoshop

In case you missed it, I was interviewed by Kathy Temean for her popular Illustrator Saturday series on August 8th. You can read all about my process and more at Illustrator Saturday - Diana Delosh.

For this interview I answered a lot of questions and gave a behind the scenes look at my new fat line illustration process, Nicholas Bunny. She also wanted, gasp, a picture of me. I mean the last "portrait " I had taken was on my drivers license. I was half tempted to send a pix of me at 3 but decided I should really grow up and asked a friend to take a proper photo. It was a lot faster and had much better results than weeding through family photos and cropping everyone else out. Kathy chose all the illustrations for the article other than the art for the process part. To be honest, I was really curious what pieces she would pick for the article. All in all it came out as a lovely illustration career overview. Thank You Kathy!

Friday, August 7, 2015

2015 Black & White Illustration Promo Page

2015 B & W Promo Page - Panda / Wildflower
All Art © Diana Ting Delosh
I belong to a local illustrators group and one of my favorite CBIG Projects are the Illustrators Directories: Color and the Black & White. Here's my Black & White Promo page for the upcoming 2015 directory. And of course, I make a PDF version for my own usage. Handy for handouts or as a digital tear sheet.

For my Black & White promo page I wanted to show my grayscale art and my line art. I also wanted to show that I do people and with all the fuss with adult coloring books, my line art. But I didn't want to show too many things. And of course they had to look good in a vertical format. Here's my solution. 

Book Buddies illustration : ink with ink wash on Canson 120 LB  watercolor paper. greyscale art.

Wild flowers illustration: ink on vellum paper. Line art. 

Here's to hoping it's enough of a taste to get the powers that be to click on dianadelosh.com to see more.  And Golly Gee Whiz  - land me an illustration commission.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Make Money from Your Art - 3 Steps

Jester Pig, ink & watercolor ©Diana Ting Delosh




From my perspective it seems to boil down to 3 actions you must do to make money from your art.

1 - Create the Art. Butt in chair routine.

2 - Show and Tell. Add new art: to your portfolio, submit, e-mail, mail out postcards, blog, tweet, FB whatever.  No one knows you created something until you tell them. To expand on this concept, no one knows you exist until you help them discover you. If you want clients with wonderful illustration projects to commission you, they have to know what you do and where to find you.

3 - Do both of the above routinely and on a regular balanced basis. Yup, the old 2-step, Create and Promote with the added crucial 3rd step: routine and balance. Create followed by Show and Tell on a regular, weekly if not more frequent basis.

All well and good in theory, BUT what happens when you're working on a commissioned piece OR a personal project that you want to submit/propose that must remain hush hush, then what??? Sure you're creating daily but you can't do step 2 until it's published. Ah -this is where I trip up.  Here's a list I've made for myself to keep on task: show other work, talk about other projects, tightly cropped sneak peeks*, toss out a hint, if possible - do other art that you can  show off**, etc. The idea is to keep promoting your art and to not totally drop off the radar.

*It may be fine to show sneak peeks of personal projects but I'd be hesitant to do this with commissioned work... unless you've gotten permission to do so.

**This is where all those online art challenges come into play.

OR if you're so busy due to whatever life is currently dishing that one if not all steps are out of whack than what? This one is more complicated but I think the zen approach is best. Don't beat yourself up and just do what you can. When you can... and keep at it...at your current pace. Create, promote, repeat.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Happy 4th of July weekend everyone!

Ice Cream Soda
© Diana Ting Delosh
watercolor
Hope you're all having a lovely summer weekend.

Personally, I'll be doing the family, running around bit - seeing everyone and wishing there was more time and I had more energy. At any rate - I hope to be coming back from all the family fun refreshed and ready to create anew. Sometimes I feel like all the family stuff just bogs down my creative flow and then I realize that without my family, life would be so dull. Sure I might get more done but would the art be as rich without the life to inform it?

You can read about the Ice Cream Soda Art Process HERE.

The Ice Cream Soda Giclée is available at my Print Shop, wingedrabbit.imagekind.com
Unframed Prints come in various sizes and paper selections. Custom framing is also available.  

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Thumbelina -CBIG Brooklyn Public Library Fairytale Exhibit

Thumbelina
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink, Watercolor, Digital
Thumbelina, my illustration in the CBIG, Fairy Tale illustration exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library.
The exhibit is currently up and on display until Sept 25, 2015.

Fairy Tales Exhibit
Central Library
10 Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, NY 11238
June 11- September 25, 2015
Featuring the Fairytale inspired art of CBIG members
Curated by Donna Miskend

Thumbelina is also available as an art print at: 
Assorted sizes and finishes.
Custom framing is also available.


Friday, June 5, 2015

SCBWI Draw This - BOUNCE

Bunnies BOUNCE for joy!
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink, Watercolor, digital

Here's my entry for the June SCBWI Draw This prompt, Bounce. I've created it in my new Fat ink style.
Direct link to My Illo on the New SCBWI online Gallery.
To see more of my art, both old and new styles: dianadelosh.com

July's Draw This Prompt is: ADVENTURE and I've already got an idea for it. Now I just need to sketch, ink, paint, etc. and  upload it by the June 20th deadline.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Hoppy Easter!

Bunny Wishes © Diana Ting Delosh
Prismacolor pencil & watercolor  WIP experiment
for #colour_collective #emeraldgreen
Bunny wishes everyone a very 
Hoppy Easter!

Monday, March 9, 2015

Twitter & Creativity: #colour_collective

Ballerina Bunny
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor
for #colour_collective Pale Pink 3/6/15
I will probably be making this illo into product designs for my POD stores
One of the things I love about Twitter is the art challenges and artist community. I'm currently doing my best to keep up  with #colour_collective, the brain child of the talented illustrator, Penny Nelville Lee, @PennyNevilleLee .  #colour_collective is a weekly art challenge where participants create an illustration any media/subject - based on the weekly "it" colour and post their illo on Fri on or after 7:30pm GMT (2:30pm/3:30pm NYC time depending on daylight savings time) or as close to it as possible. The next week's colour is announced on Saturday. So you have a week to come up with something to share with your fellow illustrators. From the looks of it, the majority of participants are creating fresh works vs sharing already created art.
Cupcake Fox
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor
for #colour_collective Flame Orange Light  2/27/15
Think this will make a cute birthday card.
 I've only done a few weeks of #colour_collective here and there but I'm finding it a lot of fun and a bit addictive. I've decided to do whatever comes to mind. Could be a technique I want to try or my old stand by. My thing is to create something fast and furiously, stay loose, enjoy the process. Even if I can't do an illo for the week I find I must check out everyone else's pieces. I am always amazed and inspired by all the great art.
Thumbelina
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor & Photoshop
for #colour_collective Powder Blue 2/13/15
Liked the way how this one turned out may use this on my promo postcard.
- Made the portfolio.
 What I've found is that's it's helped boost my creative productivity. Sure not everything I've done is portfolio worthy but I've brought doodles to finish that I wouldn't have if I hadn't decided to participate. Experimented versus just thinking of experimenting. Best of all I've worked on more personal art than I normally would have. All good stuff.
Puppy Love
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Digital Color Experiment
for #colour_collective Flame Red 2/6/15
thought this would work as a fun Valentine so it's in my POD stores - ready for Valentine 2016
If you're curious and on twitter, check out: #colour_collective
Follow: @PennyNevilleLee @dtdelosh
Please feel free to join in the fun.
Penny announces the new colour on saturdays
Everyone posts their illos on Fridays after 7:30 pm GMT
Opera Rose Girl
© Diana Ting Delosh
Experimenting with Black Prisma Color Pencil & Digital Color
My first #colour_collective Opera Rose 1/9/15
 






Saturday, February 21, 2015

#PicturesMeanBusiness - Credit the Illustrators

Logo by Sara MacIntyre
http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/
SO what does the above title mean? or refer to? Well click on the following link and read the very thought provoking post by Sara MacIntyre: #PicturesMeanBusiness

In short, We illustrators mean business. Illustration is a real profession and our illustrations enhance and add value. Too often the author of a book is mentioned but the illustrator is not, nor the designers. BUT would that book have even been given a second glance without the addition of the illustrations or thoughtfully designed type and cover???? The #PicturesMeanBusiness tag is meant to help bring awareness to the illustrators and illustrations in the biz. The post is a call to urge recognition for our profession and credit for our hard work wherever they appear but specifically in publishing. How can the value of illustration be quantified if there is no or limited data?

Happy Year of the Sheep, Ram, Goat!

Zen Ram © Diana Ting Delosh
Ink watercolor & Photoshop
Happy Year of the Ram! 
Wishing All Good Luck, Prosperity and Happiness 
in the coming year.
Last but not least a Creative and Productive year too.

Chinese New Year began on Feb 19, 2015 and there's 15 days to celebrate the beginning of the New Year.

In case you're wondering about the indecisive nature of  the Animal of this year, it's because the Chinese word doesn't translate neatly to sheep or goat (rams are male sheep)... however I'm sure the animal in question minds. 

FYI: My Zen Ram illo may be found: 
as an Art Print  and other nifty products on society6.com/dianadelosh
on t-shirt & mugs at zazzle.com/deloshdesigns*

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Thumbelina: Sleep - Illustration Friday

Thumbelina © Diana Ting Delosh
Ink, watercolor and Photoshop
I've been thinking that I'd like to work on a series of Fairytale inspired art for awhile but it's only recently that I've actually put pen to paper.  I like the theme of fairytales because:
• I love them
• A lot f the stories involve people and I need more of them in my portfolio
• Versatility -  can be classic or  re-imagined as modern day fantasy. Full color or black & white, for the pre-K set or even YA or even just as handlettering.

Every now and then synchronicity occurs. This year I have a chance to submit a Fairytale illustration for an upcoming  CBIG group show.  Incidentally I'm currently doing the KidLitArt Challenge #kidlitart28, 28 illos in 28 days, can be just doodles or even finished art. Which started me doodling fairytale related art amongst other things. I also participate in a weekly twitter illustration challenge #colour_collective,  based on weekly colors. Last weeks color was Powder Blue a very dreamy color. So of all my doodles I chose to work up Thumbelina. Which just happend to feature a Sleeping Baby, Perfect for Illustration Friday's current topic: SLEEP. Tah Dah - illustration challenge trifecta!

Friday, February 13, 2015

Dickens: CBIG illustration Exhibit 2015

Ghost of a Wedding Cake Art Prints  may be purchased at
Society6.com/dianadelosh

My Biro (ball point pen) Illustration, A Ghost of a Wedding Cake, Inspired by the Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations is hanging in...

Dickens, A Celebration In Pictures
Feb 5 - 21, 2015
Poe Park Visitors Center Gallery
1640 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10458
Open: Tues - Sat, 8am - 4pm 

   

Along with the art of my fellow CBIG  artists:
Lisa Cinelli, Diana Ting Delosh (me), Peggy Dressel, Laura Goetz, Leeza Hernandez, Sara Kahn, Doreen Marts, Donna Miskend, Marilyn Papas, Clare Pernice, Roberta Rivera, Vicky Rubin, Cheryl Taborsky, T. T. Tyler

For more info and schedule of events Please click on the following link:
CBIG EXHIBITS AND EVENTS: DICKENS TRAVELS- Dickens, A Celebration In Picture...: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS  EXHIBIT INFO DICKENS, A CELEBRATION IN PICTURES ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATORS GROUP S...

Thursday, January 22, 2015

A List and a Mind Shift


Being a freelance illustrator, or as I prefer an independent illustrator, means life doesn't always hum along smoothly. In fact it usually means life moves at a herky jerky pace. Somedays you're rushing to meet deadlines. Other days you're wearing a hole in the rug with your pacing as you wait for art directors & buyers to make a decision on your art. Then there are the lulls between jobs when you're waiting, just waiting for something to happen, checking your e-mail, phone, twitter feed anything. And yes, I believe this kind of waiting is the worst.

In a perfect world, life as an illustrator would hum along, full of wonderful, creative, well paying dream assignments, projects. And of course all your clients would give you due dates that gave you ample time and your art would be rubber stamped OK. But real life sucks. And I bet all your  deadlines, like mine, seem to clump together on the same days no matter how hard you try to schedule them. Which means you're waiting to hear back from everyone at the same time...always. In between those mad rush periods there are stretches of nothingness.

So what's the trick to keep yourself from getting too nutty?  I mean after you've gotten bored with walking in circles and starring at your in-box what's next. May I suggest a list and a mind shift?

I keep a list of back burner projects. These could be anything from messing with my new color pencils, participating in a group art challenge, to working on a picture book dummy. A trick I learned as a mom was that big projects can be broken down to it's smallest components. Keep working those small bits and eventually that picture book dummy gets done.

Now for the mind shift. Think of yourself as an Independent Creative. Freelance Artist, Independent Artist, don't they mean the same thing? Yes. Perhaps. But here's the implied difference as a freelance artist your'e looking for freelance work or looking to be hired, commissioned, assigned. You work as a freelancer. In other words looking and waiting for someone to say yes. However as an independent artist you may be looking for freelance work BUT you are also coming up with your own projects perhaps even self-publishing. You are no longer just waiting for someone to give you a project. You can come up with your own. Granted you may still be submitting that project and waiting for approval or putting it out there yourself and waiting for sales. Unfortunately the waiting part can't be helped.

So Diana, you say, noticed that your website says: Diana Ting Delosh is an illustrator/author. She creates whimsical and elegant art, independently and by assignment. Why aren't you calling yourself an independent... Well for awhile I did, but then I kept getting queries about whether I took on freelance assignments. Duh!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy 2015 - Resolutions


It's that time again. Time for list making and reviewing the past year, all in hopes of making the new year a better year. So what have I resolved to do to make 2015 my best year ever or at least a better year? I won't bore you with my whole list but I will share a few that may be relevant to other illustrators, creatives and freelancers.

FINISH Things!
I seem to have ended 2014 with a slew of unfinished projects or things in need of revisions etc. Probably because in between jobs I worked on personal projects but had to put them aside until...  Now I have a lot of loose ends that need tying up and they're bugging me. So - I will continue to create furiously BUT I will do my best to finish them, beginning with those pesky projects that are haunting me.

Build up my Illustration Portfolio
There's always room for improvement. More Black & White art: line and grayscale art. People. I love drawing animals but I need more people in my portfolio.  Continue having fun with hand lettering. Lastly, experiment with a new illustration technique or two. Have fun. Keep it fresh. If you don't enjoy your art you can't expect someone else to.

4 Postcard Mailings
I've been resolving to do 3 - 4 Postcard mailings for years but last year was the first in long time that I actually did 3 mailings. One of the things I "got" in 2014 because I finally figured it out. Step 1 - Update my Master List as I go. Step 2 - Create lots of new art -so I have something to pick from when it's time to create a new promo postcard. Must create to have something to promote.

Document my creative process
In 2014 I sketched/created oodles more than in previous years but half the time I never posted/tweeted etc. about it. Unfortunately in the digital age it seems as if things only exist if you have posted tweeted or shared it digitally in some fashion. I am resolving to blog/share with purpose to get the "right" eyes on my art.

Wishing all a Happy, Creative, Productive and Prosperous New Year!


Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas
Peace, Comfort and Joy
to ALL this Holiday Season!

Winter Raccoon Girl
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink Watercolor & Photoshop 
I know, I can hear you: Raccoon Girl, now that's a lame name. Agreed, but until I come up with a wonderful name that matches her character I'm referring to her as Raccoon Girl because it is so generic  and begs to be changed. Currently I've been tossing about Racquel - but Racquel Raccoon is perhaps too euphonious and then there's Rosie which is less so. Anyway stuff to mull over while I stay cosy in my winter den. Ahem, I mean studio.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Mr. Squirrel's Apples - E Book illustrations


Mr Squirrel's Apples,
story by Olivia Grey,
Illustrated by Diana Ting Delosh,
Published by  Farfaria 2014
Click to preview a few pages of the latest e-book Mr. Squirrel's Apples that I illustrated for Farfaria. A fun math, counting, subtraction, concept story. Another fun ink , watercolor and Photoshop illustration assignment. Below are 2 illustrations from the book. They are page 4 and page 12.


Yay - I'm a 2014 PIBOIDMO Winnah!

PiBoIdMo 2014 Winner Badge - art created by the talented Vin Vogel
For taralazar.com/
Yay - I'm once again a PIBOIDMO winner - Having successfully come up with 30 Picture book ideas in the month of November. Not 30 wonderful ideas mind you. Here's the breakdown:

6 of my PB ideas concern a certain character of mine that is begging for a story. I can see this character down to her fashion tastes. I think I need to pay her some attention and hear her out.

7 of them have more then a glimmer of an idea - more heart and meat. Some of these have popped up in previous  PiBoIdMo Lists in various incarnations. Probably why they have more substance... and may be reaching critical mass... at which point I will have to do something with them.

The balance are mere titles and some very meh thoughts to fill the quota.

Not too bad. Reminds me of a photography course I took wa-a-a-a-ay back. My Photography teacher, Mr. Fox, would tell us to shoot at least 100 pictures. We would then make contact sheets of all the images. Look them over and pick 3 that we thought were worth developing into prints in the dark room. Hm-m-m so which PIBOIDMO ideas will I be developing into PB dummies over the next year?




Monday, December 1, 2014

Tom Turkey E-Book Illustrations

Written by Olivia Grey
Illustrated by Diana Ting Delosh
Performed by Melissa Trachtenberg
Published by Farfaria Fall 2013
Click on the Link to my Thanksgiving E-book, Turkey Tom  and you can turn a few pages. I had fun illustrating all of Tom Turkey's animal friends. Giving each of them distinctive head gear that reflected their character.  Below are 2 of my illustrations from the story.

 
They are respectively page 1 and page 4.