INKTOBER2016: Inks 20 - 31

Whew -I survived INKTOBER2016!!! Yes! I  did 31 illustrations with various inky implements within the 31 days of October. What I learned from this challenge other than I enjoyed it immensely? Found that even though I do a lot of inking, that a lot of days I need to work on pencils or just Paint all day. Needless to say I did Inktober in clusters. The hardest part was posting/tweeting & blogging about it. Hence this blog post wrap up is a few days into November.

20 - Owl Sings © Diana Ting Delosh
Biro, ball point pen preliminary doodles for a project.

21 - Owl Character © Diana Ting Delosh
Biro, Character doodles for a project.

It's just as easy to do preliminary sketches and doodles with a biro as it is to do them with a pencil.

22 - Owl Sings © Diana Ting Delosh
Brush pen warm up.

23 - Leaves © Diana Ting Delosh
Brush pen warm up

24 - Hedgehog Bride © Diana Ting Delosh
Brush pen doodle

It's fun to do quick doodles with a fat brush pen and no underlying pencil sketch.

25 - Peep Sings © Diana Ting Delosh
Brush pen -Line art 

26 - Village in the woods © Diana Ting Delosh
Radiograph double zero point and some pencil left in for texture.

27 - Lady on the Train © Diana Ting Delosh
Biro - quick sketch on train.

28 - Man on the Train © Diana Ting Delosh
Biro - quick sketch on train.

The problem with sketching people on the train is that sooner or later they have to move or get off. It's also really hard to sketch on crowded trains.

29 - Another Owl Sings © Diana Ting Delosh
Brush pen -Line art

It's not deja vous numbers 20, 21, 22, and 29 are all related to the same project.

30 - Fall Squirrel © Diana Ting Delosh
Brush pen -just for fun

31 - Pumpkin Cat © Diana Ting Delosh
Brush pen - just for fun

And that's a wrap for INKTOBER2016! 

If you're interested in seeing the rest of my Inks click on: INKTOBER2016: Inks 1 - 9 and INKTOBER2016: Inks 10 - 19

In case you missed it:

My post on Drawn To Picture Books: The Eleventh Month by Diana Ting Delosh: It's that time to rally one last huge effort before times up. Tick... tick... tick...BOOM! It's November, the eleventh month and a f...

AND

I was also recently interviewed by Dana Carey on the SUB IT CLUB. Take a peek and read   The Postcard Post: Diana Ting Delosh.

Web/Portfolio: dianadelosh.com

Twitter: @dtdelosh

Product Blog: arthareswares.blogspot.com

Group Blog: D2PB

ThumbNailer a book of boxes for your creative process

INKTOBER2016: Inks 10 - 19

October is two thirds over, which means inktober is too. I'm finding the inking to be going well enough. I'm up to ink number 22. However the scanning or shooting and actually posting it on twitter, never mind then doing a blog recap of them is where I'm tripping up.

10 - Bear & Bunny are frightened of the ghosts in the forest - Biro Sketch
© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink no. 10: This Biro, ball point pen sketch is the sketch for my illustration for the SCBWI October Draw This prompt, FRIGHT. I will post about it in a later post.

11 - Cupcake - Brush Pen quickie © Diana Ting Delosh

12 - Weedy Bits © Diana Ting Delosh 

13 - Oak Tree © Diana Ting Delosh

14 - Scared Bear ©Diana Ting Delosh

Numbers 12 - 13 are some of the line art for the FRIGHT Illo based on the preliminary Biro Sketch number 10. Promise I'll be show the final color art soon on this blog but it may have to wait until after Inktober.

15 - Girl on the train - Biro Sketch
© Diana Ting Delosh

16 - Guy on the Train - Biro Sketch
© Diana Ting Delosh

Ball point pen sketches 15 & 16 were done on the train of actual people who of course had to move.

17 - When in doubt, draw a critter - Biro Sketch
© Diana Ting Delosh

18 - Side View of critter - Biro Sketch
© Diana Ting Delosh

19 - Back of Critter - Biro Sketch

Biro sketches 17 - 19 are more critter sketches for a character in a picture book idea I'm working on. Still not sure if this is going to be it. HM-m-m you may be seeing a few more assorted critters and beasties before October is over.

INKTOBER: doing 31 Inks in 31 days and sharing it on social media (my choice is Twitter) is definitely challenging. Even with my lowering the bar by including sketches as long as it's done with an ink bearing implement and saying 31 in 31 vs 1 ink per day for 31 days, is not easy. But I am finding a way to do it as part of my process vs an added activity. And being part of the community doing it is very enjoyable.

Web/Portfolio: dianadelosh.com

Twitter: @dtdelosh

Product Blog: arthareswares.blogspot.com

Group Blog: D2PB

ThumbNailer a book of boxes for your creative process

INKTOBER2016: Inks 1 - 9

INKTOBER: 31 inky illustrations in 31days. Posting on twitter with #inktober #inktober2016

Inktober 2016 started off on a weekend with houseguests and the new scanner had yet to arrive. SO I started late, on October 4, meaning I was already 4 days and 4 inks behind. While a part of me thought of not beginning because it was late, another part decided to just jump in. After all I've been thinking of starting a daily sketch habit. Might as well begin with Inktober! While some of the artists doing Inktober are doing themes, my rules will be very open: as long as the sketch or finished illustration had some ink involved I was counting it. Click on images to enlarge.

1 - Beast Biro Sketch, © DianaTing Delosh

2 - Beast BiroSketch, © Diana Ting Delosh

3 - Beast BiroSketch, © Diana Ting Delosh

Inks number 1 - 3 were quick Biro. ball point pen, sketches for a beastie character for a personal project. My current fave is the 3rd Rhino-Boy beast. On the other hand the 1st sketch has a vulnerable quality to him. Hm-m-m may have to do a few more beasties before I can make a decision on how/what this character will look like. 

4 - Fern Ink Line art detail, Micro Pens © Diana Ting Delosh

5 - Wildflowers Ink Line art detail, Radiograph Pens © Diana Ting Delosh

 Inks number 4 & 5 are details from 2 illustrations from an inky project on my drawing board that I can't show too much of - yet. Taking a page from my fellow illustrators when they're in this situation and just showing a DETAIL from the illustrations. 

6 - Tomato Biro Sketch © Diana Ting Delosh

I find drawing from life first thing in the morning to be very calming. A nice way to begin the day on a positive note.

7 - Bumble Bee, Micron Pen fun © Diana Ting Delosh

8 - Rhododendron, MicronPen Line art detail, © Diana Ting Delosh

9 - Morning Tea & Vitamins, Biro Sketch, © Diana Ting Delosh

Ta Dah! Nine inks in nine days! Think I'm getting the hang of making Inktober part of my daily ritual just like my morning mug of tea & vitamins. 

Web/Portfolio: dianadelosh.com

Twitter: @dtdelosh

Product Blog: arthareswares.blogspot.com

Group Blog: D2PB

ThumbNailer a book of boxes for your creative process

  

2016 Illustration Promotion Pages

One of my favorite pet projects for my local illustrators group, CBIG is to put together the annual Illustration Directories, the COLOR and the BLACK & WHITE to showcase our member illustrators. And if I'm designing the things, I sure as hell going to make sure I have a promo page in both of them. Personally, I think it's a good practice to make your own promo page annually anyway.

2016 Black & White Promo Sheet

The challenge to designing a promo page is deciding which illustrations go on it. Feature one or multiple illos? Definitely only 2016 work. This may sound easy but some years if I'm working on hush, hush projects this could be tricky. I went with three images for my BLACK & WHITE page: an ink and wash, an adult coloring book line art style and a grayscale version of  a hand lettering piece.

2016 Color Promo Sheet

For my Color Promo Page I decided to keep it simple and only one image.

Why should you create a promo page or two? You can add the PDFs to your website for your potential clients to print out. (next on my to-do list) Hand out the print outs to Art Directors & editors you meet at conference one-on-ones or other opportunities. You can also e-mail them as an attachment or give them the link on your website. Share them on your social media sites etc.

YAY! My BOY was selected for the cover of the BLACK & WHITE directory by a vote by the CBIG membership.  Very honored to be amongst my talented colleagues: Stephanie Ruble, Sharon Holm, Mike Ciccotello.

Web/Portfolio: dianadelosh.com

Twitter: @dtdelosh

Product Blog: arthareswares.blogspot.com

Group Blog: D2PB

ThumbNailer a book of boxes for your creative process

It's Illustration Self-Promotion time: Postcards

My original plans for this summer was to take a"vacation" away from kidlit art and work on my projects that had been put on the wa-a-a-ay back burner. After all I had just OD'd on kidlit prepping for the SCBWI NJ Conference and I couldn't think of another PB anything. HA!

Postcard for mailing: Front & Back of card
click to see bigger

But wait a moment, I had created a hand out for the  conference.  Seemed like a brilliant idea at the time BUT it meant that after the conference I didn't have a postcard I could just mail off. Drats! Now I'd have to create a postcard for mailing out. I knew which image I wanted to put on the front - my current Fave, Boy meets octopus, the illo that came out of the conference illustrator intensive. But what about the back? I  didn't want it to be too similar to my conference hand out. My solution - create art to to put the front illustration in context. I had always thought of the front illo as a dream or fanstasy scene. Hence my illo of a boy in bed with a book and his cat for the back of card. If you look closely at the book you can read a bit of the title "Twas... It's a nod to the illustrator intensive brief to illustrate a line from Lewis Carroll's poem, Jabberwocky, which begins, "Twas brillag and the slithy toves..."

Conference handout Front & Back of card
click to see bigger

Snoopy -my studio guest.
Ahem - helping me update my mailing labels. 

About the No Kid Lit Art Vacation and those back burner projects? Well they've moved up a bit on the burners and are simmering nicely. A few have even come to a boil.  You can peek at a few on my ArtHaresWares blog. There's a lot more but they're not ready to share yet.

My posts on the D2PB Blog In case you missed them:
• What I learned when I sprained my ankle: Celebrate the Small Steps
• My NJ SCBWI Conference illustrations: NJ SCBWI 2016 Aproaches

Web/Portfolio: dianadelosh.com

Twitter: @dtdelosh

Product Blog: arthareswares.blogspot.com

Group Blog: D2PB

The Beauty of Deadlines - D2PB

Embrace the deadline! Yes. They're not all bad. They force you to do things. Case in point: Me without a deadline, I was all loosey goosey and never got around to posting this post. Or posting any post for awhile on this blog. I for one definitely need a deadline even if it's a self imposed soft deadline that I know I can ignore with no ill effects. Just keeps me all fired up to finish stuff. Just in case you missed it, over at the D2PB group blog I wrote a post on the motivating effects of deadlines. Here's the link if you want to take a gander.

 Drawn To Picture Books: The Beauty of Deadlines - Diana Ting Delosh: I'm always amazed at what I can accomplish with a deadline breathing down my neck. It doesn't matter if the deadline is a sale for ...

ZEN RAM © Diana Ting Delosh
Ink, Watercolor, digital

OR just take it from the Ram. Get your Zen mode on and embrace your deadline.

To Share or Not to Share?

Recently at an SCBWI event, the speaker, Grace Maccarone, executive editor of Holiday House warned never to share ideas as someone else could take it and get it out and in the stores first. To wait until you have it in a tangible form before sharing it. After all ideas can't be  copyrighted. Only the specific tangible form inspired by the idea can be copyrighted.

Of course mum's the word when it comes to commissioned art. Unless the client is OK with you sharing. So that leaves sharing sketches and other personal art but not too much of it. Must leave some of it in the bag.

Bag Head © Diana Ting Delosh - Biro sketch

But... but... but if you don't share you're invisible. Plus sharing on social media is fun and gratifying. I'm a twitter girl myself so I know participating in one of the many art challenges and getting all those faves and Retweets is very, very nice. Addictive even. And you never know whose looking. It seems like every other day you hear of someone getting discovered/published/agented due to their Twitter, Instagram, blog, whatever activities. 

To share or not to share could be the digital era's equivalent of to be or not to be. There is no question that you should share your art despite fears of copyright infringement. The question really is how much, what and when?   Quite a few of my illustrator colleagues share some piece of art daily via Twitter or whatever. In fact that's how I discovered a lot of them via their daily art practice of creating and sharing.

So I am wondering if I should make this one of my daily art biz habits. I'm also in the throes of  prepping for the NJ SCBWI June Conference - which means hyper focusing to make  lots of art. Yes, currently creating lots just not sharing yet. Guess I'll be working on my "sharing" after the conference.

web: dianadelosh.com

 twitter: @dtdelosh

 

In Case You Missed It... The Art & Fear of Crit Groups

One of the lovely things about finding the right for you crit group is the feeling that you've found your tribe. The right critique group becomes the trusted, safe environment where you can share your creative experiments, revise and edit work, all to the shared goal of not submitting crap.

Whispering, sketch - © Diana Ting Delosh 

 Over at the D2PB group blog I shared some of my art and fears of crit groups. Please click on the following link to take a gander.
Drawn To Picture Books: The Art & Fear of Crit Groups - Diana Ting Delosh
 

  website: dianadelosh.com

twitter: @dtdelosh

Hoppy Easter!

Golden Bunny Green © Diana Ting Delosh - Ink brush pen, watercolor & digital

Wishing everyone a very 

HOPPY EASTER!

Website: dianadelosh.com

twitter: @dtdelosh

Happy 1st Day of Spring!

Purple Crocus © Diana Ting Delosh - Ink Brush, watercolor

Ah-h-h-h Spring. The trees are budding. Crocuses are blooming. The birds are singing and there's even been a bunny sighting in my backyard. What's not to love?

Not sure why they made January 1st, mid winter, the beginning of the New Year. It seems so arbitrary. I think someone was bored and wanted an excuse for a party. The Vernal equinox seems a much more appropriate day for beginnings of any kind.

The first signs of spring always puts me in an optimistic mood. Makes me want to start new things or restart old projects, create and submit because all things feel possible.

Cheers to Spring and all your hopes and endeavors!

Website: dianadelosh.com

twitter: @dtdelosh

In Case you missed it...Groundhog Waltz, Illustration Process

Just in case you missed it, over at my D2PB Group Blog, I shared my illustration process behind my Groundhog Waltz illustration.

My tools from L to R: mechanical pencil, 0.7mm HB black lead, kneaded eraser, Micron  Brush Pen, Higgins Black India Ink, brush, 00 Rapidiograph pen, Black India Rapidiograph Ink Universal waterproof for paper &; film, assorted brushes, paint palette for mixing my colored inks.

Please Click on the link to read all about it on Drawn To Picture Books: Groundhog Waltz, Illustration Process: Diana Ting ...: Here's a peek into my illustration process.

BTW: Notice the rough sketch behind my illustration implements? It's a very sneaky peek at a personal project currently on my drawing board. Sh-h-h-h.

Little Red Postcard Design

I'm aiming for 3 postcard mailings in 2016. Here's the first, featuring a detail from my Little Red illustration on the front and Groundhog Waltz on the back. These are large postcards, roughly 5.5" x 8.5" the better to show off the illustration detail and also hoping that it will help make my card stand out. I use VistaPrint.com to print my postcards.

Front of Postcard -Detail from Little Red - © Diana Ting Delosh

As this is a mailing aimed at the kid lit world, I try and pick illustrations that show off my narrative skills. I use  the  market listings from the SCBWI's The Book as well as the names/companies I've amassed from my own research via networking, conferences, workshops, etc. My mailing list is under 200 contacts.

Back of Postcard - Groundhog Waltz - © Diana Ting Delosh

Lately I've heard a lot of advice to use a small targeted mailing list. True this could save you a bundle in printing and postage. While,  I do make a point to target only those places that publish picture books/kid lit art, it's still a fairly large list comprised of my actual contacts, dream places as well as "sort of why not" possibilities. I have found that it's better not to make it a too narrow list. In the past I've gotten work from those sort of/why not send them something places. When you consider that it's only a 49¢ stamp plus 25¢ per postcard print expense - a total sum of 75¢ per card, it might be worth taking a few chances. 

Happy Year of the Monkey!

Monkey © Diana Ting Delosh - Ink, Brush pen, Watercolor
FYI: this illustration is available as a Year of the Monkey Card at GreetingCardUniverse.com/DianasCards

Wishing ALL a Happy, Creative and Prosperous 2016!

Every January I begin the year with my ambitions, dreams and goals and by the time Chinese New Year, February 8th,  comes around, it's time to re-boot the list. It's about a month into 2016 and I can see what's working, what isn't and what needs to be tweaked.

What's been working is making a realistic daily list BUT more importantly focusing in on what task on the list MUST be done before I go to sleep.  This actually has helped my chronic insomnia. So far so good.

Making a point to make more finished art has been good as it's helped me get to the point where it's almost as natural as my old style. However is it distracting me from progress in other areas? Must balance making more finished art with my other goals such as making that picture book dummy.  Part of the only so much time in the day dilemma.

On Self-promoting, I've been experimenting with putting up more art on my twitter feed. Yes it will get you more twitter followers etc. and it feels great when it gets LIKED and RTed.  It definitely builds your web presence as an illustrator. Not sure about actually landing you work. For that I still think getting out the postcards and submitting proposals etc. Next up old school postcards and submission packs. 

Hope your Year is as fun and surprising, in a good way, as a barrel full of Monkeys.

Happy Groundhogs Day!

Groundhog Waltz © Diana Ting Delosh - Ink & watercolor

 

HAPPY Groundhogs Day 2016!

I hope spring is on the way.

Hear that Groundhogs in the area? Do your happy dance and bring us an early spring.

Meet the Artist - Self Portrait

Meet the Artist - Self Portrait © Diana Ting Delosh - Brush Pen, indigo wash, Photoshop

I've been meaning to do a Meet the Artist style of self portrait ever since I started spying them online.  I believe some of the art reps were telling their illustrator clients to create these self-portraits, usually full figure, with their likes and dislikes. Ta -Dah! Here's my Meet the Artist, illustrated selfie.

I opted for a head shot and put in fat marker icons of what I like to draw. Originally I was going to write things like: likes animals, nature, chocolate and dislikes creepy crawly things, darkness, evil. Except that I LOVE monsters and murder and mayhem as long as it's all fictional and the good guys win in the end.

Not sure if you'd recognize me from this but it is me in spirit. Hey what can I say, I'm not a portrait artist.

Drawn to Picture Books - Group Blog

Current banner for the DrawnToPictureBooks blog

I'm really honored and happy to be a part of the DrawnToPictureBooks.blogspot.com bloggers. As you can see by the icons in our banner, there are 6 or us (from Left to Right): Barbara DiLorenzo, Mike Ciccotello, Patricia Keeler, Deborah Cuneo, (Me) Diana Ting Delosh, Jason Kirschner.  I hope you'll be joining us on wednesdays as we post from our perspectives in the picture book world.

Our Meet the Artists debut posts.

Diana Ting Delosh: Jan 13, 2016
Barbara DiLorenzo: Jan 20, 2016
Patricia Keeler: Jan 27, 016
Mike Ciccotello: Feb 3, 2016
Jason Kirschner: Feb 10, 2016
Deborah Cuneo: Feb 17, 2016

Make MORE Art

My 2015 #colour_collective illustrations
#MyCC2015
© Diana Ting Delosh

One of my personal challenges every year is to Make MORE Art, MUCH MORE and 2016 is no exception.  To that end, last year I started a Finished Creating list (included my writing as well as art). I had read somewhere that the artist, Vincent Van Gogh made over 200 paintings a year. Now I could have remembered it all wrong, but it got me thinking about how creatively productive I was in a year. No I didn't end up with 200 creations on my list, But I liked keeping the list and some of the art challenges I did to keep me on my toes. And I bet adding to that list motivated me even more. Yup - doing the Finished Creating list again - already have number one done.

Last year I participated in #colour_collective on twitter and above is a compilation of all the art I created for that weekly art challenge. I had started it with the idea that I could use this challenge to try out new techniques, mediums, practice and just explore in general. Wasn't able to do all 53 weeks but it spurred me to make more art than if I hadn't joined in the fun. I'll be doing it again in 2016. This year I'll be doing it, with an eye to practicing and exploring my brush pen technique or even using just the brush or a bamboo pen even. 

Here's to 2016 - and making MORE Art.

FYI: #colour_collective  @Clr_Collective is a weekly Twitter Art challenge started by @PennyNevilleLee. A color is announced on saturdays and everyone posts the following friday at 19:30 GMT.  The first color announcement of 2016 will be on saturday January 16, 2016. In the meanwhile some of the colour collective artists will be participating in the #MeetTheArtist challenge to be posted this Friday at 19:00 GMT. Will I be one of them? Perhaps.

And follow me at @dtdelosh

Looking forward to 2016

Winter Raccoon
© Diana Ting Delosh
ink watercolor digital

Here's to 2016 and all the hopes and promises of a shiny New Year. 

Wishing All a Happy and Creatively Productive, Prolific and Prosperous New Year

As for me I have my 2016 planner and my lists of things I hope to accomplish and how I plan to do it.  The how, I feel is actually more important than the end game. I could say I want to have picture book contract with a major traditional publisher in 2016. However it would be unrealistic as there are quite a few factors out of my control. I'm much better having as goals: 

• a few picture book dummies and /or manuscripts that have gone through the vetting process of my trusted illustrator crit group and/or my writer's group. One of my resolutions is to only submit my best. Which is why I really need the eyes and ears of my beta readers.

• Making a list of publishers/agents/editors that I feel would be most receptive to my projects.

• Submitting to the above. 

• Working on multiple projects/proposals at a time as I can't afford to put all my eggs in 1 basket.

• Revamping my website/portfolio dianadelosh.com so that it's as enticing as possible.

Instead of a "where I want to be by the end of the year" dream list. I'm making a list of specific projects and tasks that are steps towards my dreams and hopes for 2016.

Happy Holidays!

Peace Dove
© Diana Ting Delosh
Marker, watercolor, digital
some hand lettering fun.

Merry Christmas

and a

Happy, Healthy, Creative and Prosperous

2016 to all!

 

Little Red - Illustration Process Post

Little Red
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink Watercolor Digital

2015 has been the year of experimenting with different mediums. To create Little Red I used  a Micron Brush Pen and assorted Rapidiographs for the finer lines on watercolor paper. The Rapidiographs are filled with Black India Rapidiograph Brand Ink: Universal 3080-F.BLA Waterproof for Paper & Film. Previously I had tried other brands of brush pens and found them not as waterproof as they claimed they were. The Microns are truly waterproof and I was able to paint right over my line art as soon as the ink was dry. I'm quite happy with the results.

Ink Line Detail for Little Red
©Diana Ting Delosh
Assorted pens

I used the Brush pen mainly on the Little Red and the Wolf as I wanted them to be the focal paint. Most of the finer details were put in with a double zero pen as well as some pencil. This way I could have my thick and thin lines and my details too. The background  forest is done in pencil as I wanted it to be very soft and fade. As you can see they were so fine they barely scanned in.

Gobble Gobble

Chicken Little
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & watercolor

Gobble! Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody.

Flying Squirrel for Illustration Friday - Animal

Thought I'd share this illo I did with Brush pen, watercolors and digital for Illustration Friday. I mean how could I not do IF this week as the prompt is ANIMAL! So here you go: my Flying Squirrel gliding on a starry night.

Flying Squirrel by Diana Ting Delosh
ink & watercolor & digital

Just like this flying squirrel the weeks have been zooming by. I can't believe it's a week before Thanksgiving. Which means Christmas is right around the corner and 2015 might as well be over. Hold on there, there's still lots that can happen and things to do before the years up.  There's still lots to paint and experiment and create with. Not to mention the mess to clean up after all the experimenting and creating but later for all that. Right now I'm enjoying messing with my brush pen. It seems to have a lot of possibilities with it's ability to go from thick to thin in one stroke. So I'll try to be more like my gliding friend and enjoy the moment of being and doing.