IF: BREAKFAST!

Cat Family

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

Breakfast with the cat family. Poppa Cat and Bart are sitting down to a nice bowl of crunchy cereal. Momma is tending to baby. What is Clarisse up to? Don't they notice that she's sneaking off?

This is my entry for this week's Illustration Fridays prompt - Breakfast. 

To see more of my work at DianaDelosh.com

ARG-G-G-G-G! They STole my Art !

Just received an alert form a fellow artist that they noticed while they were browsing Etsey what appeared to be my art and gave me the url.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/43083094/original-watercolor-painting-the-bear

And low and behold it is my art! And they're claiming it as their own handmade art!!!!! and are making $ selling it on Etsey!!! WAH-h-h-h-h! I'm so-o-o angry I feel ill.

So I report it as not their handmade art and e-mail the store to please take down now. First I had to join Etsey to report the store. Crazy- huh? Then I posted & vented my grievance on Facebook and Twitter to alert my fellow artists about this offending store.

Have just received a form letter from Etsey for how I can claim to be the rightful creator of said piece. It is a 2 page document. I hate paperwork but need to deal with this.

Anyway if you're an artist check out the above Etsey store to see if they're stealing your art. Let's close down the offending store!

Will keep you informed on if I get satisfaction and how fast my art is removed. This is day 1.

After much activity on Twitter and all, the Etsy store is now down. Only took a few hours. Not sure if Etsy took it down or the store owner closed shop.

 More details in a future blog.

IF: PAISLEY

Groundhog Awakes!

© 2010 Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

Website • Diana's Cards

Groundhog loves to lounge in his daisy paisley trimmed robe. Here's my illustration for this week's Illustration Friday prompt. Wish I had a Daisy Paisley trimmed robe.

THANK YOU!

YAY! My Ripple Art Card, #581 CALL OF THE PELICAN, Sold! It makes me so happy that my art was picked by  someone as their gift for donating to help save the animals from the BP/Gulf Oil Leak Disaster.

Now for the Icing on the cake - someone just requested that I do another Call of the Pelican as they would like it also. Ah-h-h to bask in the warm glow of appreciation while doing my part to help. So yes I will do a Call of the Pelican 2. It will be similar but due to the spontaneity of my watercolor medium it will not be an exact dupe. I hope to have it finished by the end of this week.

Please see  http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com/ for more info on the project.    

CALL OF THE PELICAN

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor Sketch art- 2.5 x 3.5"

Illo 2 - A Boy & His Wolf

A BOY & HIS WOLF

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

Well here it is Illo #2* - now this piece was a long time coming. Too many interuptions, obstacles both personal and professional -but here it is finally and I'm fairly happy with the finish.

I wanted to work on Book Jacket type art.  Several art buyers have looked over my portfolio and have stated that I should add more full color Jacket and B & W interior art for middle grade/YA books to my portfolio. Why - because midgrade/YA books are big sellers and the picture book market is slow right now. I should add that doing so has been on my to do list for awhile but it's the 12 Week Challenge that's galvinized this thought into concrete action.

The idea/assignment - Bk jacket art - I decided to redo an old piece that's been languishing in my flat files. There are somethings about it that I still like: the wolf and the dreamy forest. As for the rest - it's over wrought/overdone and what's with the boy's outfit? 

Decided to  loose the heavy distracting border, whale , eagle, etc. Stared at a lot of book jackets and noted that most titles were on the top third.

Used photoshop to isolate and enlarge what I wanted to keep in my new illo. Pencil now shows boy & wolf fills the jacket bottom two thirds. Note also that the boy is wearing a contemporary sweat jacket. Research and find good reference for clothes, wolf, boys haircuts etc.

 After the pencil, comes the inking and finally we're in the last stages -  the coloring. As usual I lay in my color. Work on the boy - paint in the wolf - now with more detail and depth then my older version. Paint in the background.  

Here is where it went awry. In the new version I put in a big tree in the mid ground. The tree top is where I envision the type. BUT I end up hating the tree top! Would probably look fine with type but as it stood - I just wasn't happy.  I am happy with the boy and I love the wolf. Now what? Feed my trash monster? Banish it to my flatfile? What? As this is watercolor, a transparent media, I can't just paint over the offending parts. I can paint the background on another piece of paper and splice it in via photoshop. OK that's a thought but wait this is a personal piece and there is no real size for me to stick to just as there is no deadline or client. There is only me to please. So what's my solution? Crop it! Yay! and I even like it now. 

Yes, yes one day I'll paint dreamy forests and splice in with photoshop but that can wait. Now I hear illo 3, Sandcastle Summer,  calling me as well as Ripple Sketches and gazillion other things to do.  Illo 4, 5, 6 will be randomly: The Reluctant Dragon, black & white, and TBD. 

*Refers to the Zero2illo 12 week challenge. Weeks 4 - 6: create 6 portfolio worthy illustrations. My personal challenge - create 6 people illos as my website is underpopulated with people.  

IF: RIPPLE

CALL OF THE PELICAN

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor Sketch art- 2.5 x 3.5"

I usually think of Pelicans as large lovable, even comical birds to see these beautiful birds covered in black goo on TV because of the BP Oil Disaster is so-o-o-o tragic.

Here's my entry for this weeks IF prompt: RIPPLE. 

This is also my art donation for the Ripple Project - helping to raise funds to save the wildlife effected by the deadly BP/Gulf oil leak disaster. Here's hoping that all our combined efforts will make a few ripples add up to a tsunami of good.  

My original ink and watercolor may be yours as gift for donating $10 to either 2 nonprofits, The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies or The International Bird Rescue Research Center. Please see http://Ripplesketches.blogspot.com for details on how to "purchase" and to see other art available for a $10 donation.

MY New ZAZZLE Store!

Cymbidium Blossom

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

Just opened a store on Zazzle.com, http://www.zazzle.com/deloshdesigns* for fun and hopefully profit! Now my whimsical and elegant illustrations will be available on a variety of  products. 
My Cymbidium Blossom motif is my debut image in this venture.

See Cymbidium Blossom motif on:
• MUG
• T-SHIRTS and assorted TOPS, Infants to adult sizes:
• Just in time for Father's Day TIES
• APRONS
• HOODIES
• TOTE BAGS

To celebrate this new venture - 
all items are currently set at a special introductory price. 
Promotional pricing will be in effect for about a month or until I have 4 motifs up 
(which ever happens first)

THANKS FOR LOOKING!

IF: TRAIL

Seed Pack © Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor

Violet Mouse reads her seed pack so voraciously that she doesn't notice the trail of seeds falling out of the package. Here's my entry for this weeks Illustration Friday prompt, TRAIL.

Here's wishing everyone Happy Trails this summer.

See more of my art at http://dianadelosh.com 

IF: SLITHER!

Snake Runner

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink

The Boy fantasized that the carpet pattern was made of snakes and before he had reached the end of the runner his daydream had slithered to life. Here's my entry for Illustration Friday's prompt: Slither.

Can't believe it's already June! I have to remember to stay focused on my goals or my dreams will slither away.

Now Hanging at the One of Us Exhibit.

My ink & watercolor, Moi at 9, hanging at the One of Us Exhibit at Book Culture, sponsored by Tilbury House. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the Book Launch party last Monday night, May 24, but my  friends did. PatriciaKeeler took this photo for me (Thanks!).  Marilyn Pappas reported that there was a good crowd and some people took pictures of my piece. Of course they could've been taking pictures of the art surrounding it but we'll be optimistic.

At any rate, I'll find out soon enough if it sold (for charity) as Tilbury will return my original via my SASE if it didn't. Wonder if it garnered me any notice in the publishing community (I can hope). So was it worth doing even if I couldn't attend and schmooze in person? Yes, if only because it got me to sit my butt in front of my desk, with subject, deadline, size (almost like a real assignment) to create a nice portfolio piece. A people one at that! I now have 32 animals to 12 people illos in my portfolio. More people coming up soon.

For a close up of Moi at 9 art. 
To see my friend's art.
For scenes of the book launch party visit the CBIG Blogzine

  

IF: EARLY!

Turtle Pond

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

This image is available as a Giclée print.

Early one morning at the pond, Bird wishes Turtle a good morning. Here's my entry for this weeks Illustration Friday prompt: EARLY.

Not sure if Bird is early enough to catch any worms. I, on the other hand, have so many things I want to do that I better get up earlier... or stay up later. 

IF: Equipment

Baking Bunnies

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

The Baker Bunnies are very low tech when it comes to their baking equipment but check out their nifty carrot grater. Here' my post for Illustration Friday weekly prompt.

For more examples of my art click HERE.

One Of Us Exhibit

Moi at 9

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

Here's my original 6 x 4 postcard sized art for the One of Us Exhibit. A romanticized self portrait of myself at 9 doing one of my favorite activities: drawing in the garden with my cat, Gracie beside me.

Location: Book Culture (536 West 112th Street, NYC, USA)

Date: May 24 - 28, 2010.

The show: Original post card sized art, 6 x 4" by female illustrators. The assignment: a self-portrait - at any age, any media, any style, but must be 2D. The exhibit is sponsored by Tilbury House, Publishers. The launch party is on Monday, May 24th (the night before BookExpo), beginning at 6pm at Book Culture. The exhibit will remain up at Book Culture through the end of the week. Art will be for sale to benefit Powered by Girl.

Not sure if I'll be able to make the opening - so if you go - have fun - take pictures - and look for my painting.

12 Week Challenge - Illo #1

Illo #1 - MOI at 9

FYI: see Zero2Illo.com for more info about the 12 Week Challenge.

My process? It begins with the assignment. In this case the assignment is illo-1 (6 people illustrations). As I also needed to create original art for the One of Us Exhibit (more about this later) - self-portrait, any medium, must be flat and 4" x 6". No problem -fits my 6 people illos parameters. Illo #1 would be me at 9. When I was 9, I loved to draw in the garden with my cat, Gracie beside me. I begin by doodling layout ideas in my sketchbook.

Once I've settled on a layout I rule out my paper and start penciling on tracing paper to size.

I use my lightbox to transfer the sketch to watercolor paper and refine the pencil sketch some more before I begin inking. When I've finished theink I scan it - just in case something goes wrong in the coloring step.

Before I begin to paint I tape the paper to my desk on all 4 sides to prevent my paper from warping. I like to start with my trouble spots like the girls face. There is not a lot of room for error in water color so I want to get past my tricky spots in the beginning. I put in all the shadows using either a bluish gray tone or a warmer brown tone -depends on what color goes on top. And then I keep painting - being careful to let areas dry so nothing bleeds or fuzzes unless that's the desired effect. When I think it's finished -I walk a way -take a breather and then comeback. Look it over and decide if I need to do any overpainting to adjust the color. For this piece I decided that the grass was too yellow & pale so I put a bluer green wash on the grass area. I wait until the piece is fully dry and then cut it off my desk. Scan - TahDah - here it is!

Moi at 9

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

Whew -1 down and 5 more people illos coming. Number 2 coming right up.

12 Week Challenge - Wk 1, 2, 3,

Found this neat Illustrations challenge at Zero2illo.com via Twitter! Basically the challenge is to take 12 weeks to make your illustration dreams come true. Unfortunately this Challenge began before I discovered it, so I'm jumping in somewhere in the middle. I'm fast forwarding through wks 1 - 3. May fill in with more details at a latter date -- or not.

WK 1 - ID your Dream Goal.

Easy -Children's Book illustrator! The broader picture to make a good living as an illustrator specializing in whimsical & decorative art.

WK 2 - Create a 1 page Strtegic Biz plan for my Project/art biz career

OGSM -Objective/Goals/Strategy/measures

WK 3 - The Biz

• Decide Biz structure: Solo player -Moi!

• Marketing Strategy:

- My audience? Art Dir, Editors, professional Art Buyers.

- My end users? Adults that buy kids books, products

1) Research where/what my art will be best received. Won't post my list of 10 companies here. Suffice to say that they will be trade pubs, Kids magazine, etc.

2) Plan 6 Portfolio Pieces to create for weeks 4, 5, 6. That's 6 illustrations "due" by Sunday May 23rd -that is if I'm to stick with the framework of the 12 week challenge.

I need to have more people pieces in my portfolio - show kids ages pre-school to YA. I've been telling myself that I need to add more people to my portfolio and here's my chance. 1 or 2 of my 6 illos will be a book jacket style art and another illo or 2 will be b& w interior style art. 6 People Illos coming up!

Well here goes. Wish me luck!

IF: AHEAD!

Bear Walks in the Woods

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

Bunny noticed that when Bear walked in the woods he looked straight ahead. He did not look side to side or behind him . That's because , thought Bunny, He's a bear. And bears don't have to worry about anyone sneaking up on them. They can just march forward. This is my post for this weeks Illustration Friday prompt: AHEAD.

I'd like to be more like Bear. Confidant, looking ahead, going forward. So what's coming up? My HBF Library Show has been extended by popular demand until the end of May. In June, I'll be trying something new as a directed study advisor to 2 grad students. Advising them as an Animal Watercolor expert (AWE). Aside from that - I'm sending out the final balance of my sunflower friends Promo postcards. Always on the prowl for the next assignnment.

To see more of Bear and other animals - see Animals on my website at DianaDelosh.com.

IF: DETECTIVE

Audrey Hepcat

© 2010 Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Watercolor

Audrey Hepcat, is the glamour puss and the brains. Her partner, Cary Gruff is the top dog and the brawn. Together they make up the detective duo of Hepcat & Gruff.

Here's a character sketch for a mystery story I'm working on. I still have a ways to go on the writing. But here is Audrey Hepcat fleshed out. She's chic, sleek and stylish. The absolute cat's meow.

Here's my entry for this weeks IF prompt: Detective.

IF: DIP!

Boy's Koi Pond

Diana Ting Delosh

ink & Watercolor

© 2007 Harcourt Achieve

The boy and his Koi are good friends. All he had to do was dip his finger in the pond and all the koi would come and play with him. Here's my entry for this weeks IF prompt: DIP. Better late then never - right?

HBF Library Show - March Report.

Tah-Dah! The first month of my Harborfields Library Spring Illustration show has come and gone. So how is it going you may ask? Unfortunately I have no earth shattering news to report. My postman did congratulate me on my library show, as did my banker and other community members -which is very nice. Having the illustration exhibit did raise local awareness.

According to the Google Analytics on my website - my website had a 79.59% increase in traffic! The tracker compared the period between Feb2 - March 4, 2010 to March 5 to April 4, 2010. This is quite impressive. While there were many other factors that could have accounted for the increase. For example: Childrensillustrators.com at the Bologna Book fair in mid-March, joining Twitter March 22, other social networking activities, etc. I can only attribute the big uptick in Direct Traffic to the Library show. Which is lovely.

Other than the increase in website traffic there were no other obvious occurrences to report. Unfortunately the trackers on my POD stores only tell me how many viewers/clicks and the sales reports just tell me the general location - state and or country. So I have no idea if this helped my art shops in any form or shape.

The show will be up until April 3oth. Hopefully it will continue to point more traffic to my website, card shop and gallery and all the possibilities that can lead to.

Spring 2010 Postcard

Sunflower Friends Spring 2010 Postcard Design

(my real e-mail and phone number is on the card - just removed them for purpose of showing the design on the blog)

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink and watercolor

This is my spring 2010 self-promotion postcard. The hardest thing is deciding what to pick as your postcard image. Originally I had wanted to do a totally new image for the card - maybe a fantasy image - or bunnies for Easter etc. However my mind kept turning back to this piece in my portfolio... so Sunflower Friends it is. Just as well as I need to get these cards mailed before the postal rates go up in May. Not sure if the postcard stamps are affected but it's better to err on the safe side.

Just heard from Vistaprint that they've been shipped and I should get them soon. Already bought the stamps. Last year, the post office had run out of postcards stamps in April so this year I bought them early. Now I just need to update my mailing list, print out the labels and I'll be ready to get them out before the Mother's day deadline!

Other news - My blog article, Why an Artist Should Have a Blog, is posted on Greeting Card Designer as part of Kate Harper's Social Media in March series. Please Hop over and read. In fact browse through her blog it's full of useful info for all types of artists/illustrators.