Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey or Bald Eagle?

© Diana Ting Delosh

Bic® Pen sketch

Here's some food for thought. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird? Which would you have voted for: Turkey or Eagle?  Did you know that the magnificent Bald eagle was once considered vermin?

Wishing all a  gobbling good Happy Thanksgiving! 

Illustration Friday: SNEAKY!

Groundhog Escapes! 

© Diana Ting Delosh - ink & watercolor

Here's my illustrations for this week's Illustration Friday prompt - SNEAKY!

Groundhog A.K.A. Puxatawny Phil is Sneaking out his window while his friends are at his front door. SNEAKY Groundhog. Rather than hibernating this winter he's planning on vacationing somewhere tropical. Where do you think he's off to? Where would you go if you were a groundhog? Why does he have to sneak away from his friends?

Hmm - this sounds like an idea for PiBoIdMo (30 Picture book ideas in 30 days in November) - here's my #17 out of 30. To find out more about PiBoIdMo you can click on the PiBoIdMo Badge in the righthand column or read my previous post by clicking here.

FYI -  Groundhog Escapes is available as a Giclee Print, Groundhog's Day Card and a Note Card.

30 Picture Book Ideas in 30 Days!

Came across this neat exercise via twitter and Yup - I've signed up to do PiBoIdMo - which stands for Picture Book Idea Month. The concept is to come up with 30 PB ideas in 30 days during the month of November. I've decided to use portable, handy index cards. 1 idea per card. Small enough so I won't feel threatened but big enough to put more thoughts if needed. They can be filled out whenever/wherever my muse strikes.  Which I've discovered is not as easy to coax out. So what Have I discovered to date from this exercise.

• Nothing get's done no matter how small unless you make time for it.

• I need to be unplugged from my computer and all things E - clear my mind and be quiet. And only then will I get an inkling of any idea.

• It's not as easy as I thought it would be. I find that I'm flipping through my cards to make sure I'm not repeating myself.

• I seem to have an easier time with my concept ideas than pure fiction ideas. With the fiction I mostly just have a premise where with most of the concept ideas I have an actual beginning, middle and end.

• Some ideas are very promising and others are amazingly blah... but I'm not going to throw out any cards until after November 30th!

• It's a lot of fun putting down the ideas on index cards.

So far I'm on target with 12 ideas in 12 days. At anyrate I figure it'll put me in a good position to have a new book dummy for my CBIG Review 2011. Next year my goal is to have my dummy done in time without loosing any sleep over it!

Happy Howling Halloween!

Wolfman and Wolfie

© Diana Ting Delosh

Med Point Bic® Pen Sketch

Wishing all a Howling Good Halloween!

FREE Dragon Picnic Coloring Page

Dragon Picnic Coloring Page
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink

This is my Coloring page activity art version of my Dragon Picnic art just for your amusement. Just Click on the image to enlarge and Print. Please note you have my permission to print it out for your personal or classroom use as long as you keep my copyright and URL info on the page. The purpose is to spread the word about my work as an artist/illustrator. You may not profit from this piece. Please do not abuse this offer. 

The Dragons and Magic CBIG Exhibition at the Jefferson Market Library in NYC (Avenue of the Americas near 10th St.) will end on Friday, October 29, 2010. The illustration exhibit featured art created by 18 CBIG members inspired by the children's books, The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame and The Magic City by E. Nesbit.

If you're in the neighborhood please come by and enjoy the show. The framed originals are upstairs in the adult section on top of the book shelves. Look up and all around. You'll also find the kid friendly display in the Kid's Room - dupes of the art mounted on foam core.

Please see cbig-nyc.blogspot.com - look for posts titled/labeled Dragons and Magic during the September & October 2010. My Dragon Picnic is 1 of 18 illustrations in this group exhibit.

Illustration Friday: SPOOKY!

The Corpse Bride, Ball Point Pen © Diana Ting Delosh

Here comes the corpse bride all dressed in spider web white. Here's my  SPO-O-O-OOKY sketch illustration entry for this week's illustrationfriday.com prompt. Another not my usual style illos - but just having fun in my sketch book.

I find doodling things that you're not known or typecast for  a good way to break out of a creative rut.

To see what I'm known for go to: 

dianadelosh.com

childrensillustrators.com/DianaTDelosh

REJECTION! - A few Antidotes

Rejection is not something I like to deal with but as an illustrator/writer it is an unfortunate part of life. I have to admit that while it still hurts I have learned to not take it too personally. Sure I still sulk and OD on chocolate but after a bit I brush my ego off and am back in the game. After all the only way to  avoid  Rejection is to take yourself out of the game and that is not an option unless you're retiring. Here are a few of my antidotes in random order. If you are an illustrator or writer please feel free to comment on how you have dealt with rejection. Let's learn from each other.

1 - Submit more stuff pronto. Yup, sounds counterintuitive but this actually works. You don't have to submit the project that just got rejected right out -but submit something, anything ASAP. Everyone of your submissions represents hope. If you have a lot of submissions floating around out there it's more likely that something will come back accepted. Don't put all your dreams into one project submitted to only one company.

2 - Work on a new idea - even better fall in love with your new project. Keeps your mind on something positive and moving forward.

3. Focus on the process not the result. Make it into a game. Right now I'm challenging myself to submit something weekly. It can be an art sample pack, a poem to a kid's magazine or a Picture book dummy /manuscript proposal, whatever. The weekly question of "Who am I submitting to and what" keeps me moving and the checking off  - "Yay, I did it" helps give me a mental boost.  It also makes me realize that I need to create more things so it's easier to to submit weekly. Another challenge to try is: Submit 10 different projects to 10 different places in 10 weeks.

4. Plan for rejection. When you submit a project have a plan B. Research who else maybe interested in your project and have their info ready just incase you need it.

5.  Accept it when they say the style doesn't suit their needs at the moment. They didn't say you are a terrible person. They just were not into your work. Move on. Someone else may love your style.

6. Wallow in the  Rejection. When all else fails OD on the chocolates and hide under the blankets just set a time limit -an hour, a day or even 2. Allow yourself to feel sorry for yourself and your project, even shed a few tears - you're human - just remember to get back on track, ASAP.

7. Learn from your mistakes. Take a cold hard look at your proposal. Is there room for improvement?  Revise, fix as needed and send it out to your plan B.

8. Work on your craft. One day, you may be pleasantly horrified by some of your earlier rejected projects and agree with the editors.

9. Diversify. Learn new things. Keeps life interesting. Your writing may be selling at the moment but your illustration may not, but at least something is getting a positive response. This also allows you to submit to different markets.

10. Adapt. There maybe nothing wrong with your project. It could be something you can't help like the economy or the market. Be willing to repurpose your art. So the picture book market is down maybe adapt the story for an early reader or chapter book Or try working on art for an older market.

It should also be noted that in this day and age where many companies are no longer responding to submissions unless they are interested, a rejection at least is a concrete response. I personally find the lack of response more unnerving than a definite yay or nay.

Illustration Friday: TRANSPORTATION!

© DianaTing Delosh
Ink & Watercolor

Here's my illustration for this weeks Illustration Friday prompt: Transportation. 

It's a piece I had created for a client almost a year ago. It's different from my usual subject and it just goes to show that you never know where a job can transport you stylistically or subject wise. It's always good to stretch your boundaries and reach beyond your comfort zone.

Visit dianadelosh.com to find out more.

visit IllustrationFriday to join in on the weekly fun. 

Illustration Friday: Proverb

Moi Fall Postcard © Diana Ting Delosh

A Picture is worth a thousand words.

I wasn't quite sure how  to handle this weeks Illustration Friday prompt hence why it's almost friday and here I'm posting at the last moment. I mean sure a proverb but there are so-o-o many? Finally decided that  as an illustrator the above proverb was quite fitting. Here's  my entry, a girl drawing a picture of her cat.

This IF post is a doing double duty as it is also going to be my Fall 2010 promo postcard. I wanted to use 1 of my recent people illos for the image as the last few postcards were all about my animals. I've been hemming & hawing between this one and another in my portfolio,  Boy & his Wolf. Wasn't sure about using this image for fall - thought it looked too summery. However earlier this week, while running errands, I noticed that all the garden shops were carrying fall blooming daisies. So I'm having daisies for fall too. Did I mention that  I'm partial to this one? Now the front of the postcard is done. Think I'll just use my stock back - return address and all my contact info. Now I just have to wait for my check that's in the mail or a good sale at Vistaprint.com to turn this into postcards. 

If only the proverb was A picture is worth a lot of moolah!

Illustration Friday: Dessert!

Yummies!

© Diana Ting Delosh

Ink & Waterolor

Come and get it! Here's my illos for  this week's Illustration Friday Prompt.

M-m-m-m-m yummy dessert. I just love dessert.

For more yummy art please visit my website.

Have a yummy Labor Day weekend!