Back in sleepy Kutztown after 6 weeks of traveling through the Yucatan and Belize. I carried a sketchbook and an Ipad. My most recent on-the-road blog entries were done on the Ipad. WordPress for IOS worked pretty well. It doesn’t have the full toolset or versatility of the computer version of WordPress. I couldn’t manageContinue reading “Things I Carried: Ipad & Sketchbook”
Category Archives: illustration
Jean Charlot, an illustrator worth knowing.
Jean Charlot was born in Paris in 1898. His name is pronounced in the French manner, something like “Jahn Sharlow.” Oddly enough, Charlot was a great Mexican illustrator. His mother was from Mexico and after World War I, she returned to Mexico with her son, Jean. By that point he was a young man, havingContinue reading “Jean Charlot, an illustrator worth knowing.”
Catherwood, illustrator in the Yucatan
Above: Maya stela at Copan by Frederick Catherwood. Blogging on an Ipad on a bus racing through the Yucatan can be difficult. For one thing, I can’t insert links. Also, I haven’t been in WiFi range for a day. Last night I slept at the Hacienda Uxmal, the same hacienda where the great English illustratorContinue reading “Catherwood, illustrator in the Yucatan”
Something Craig Frazier taught me.
Craig Frazier has a great illustration studio website. Beyond that, he also has a wonderful blog about children’s picture books called 36 pages. I heard him speak at an illustration conference in Philadelphia, PA, around 2003. He is an interesting artist. The art shown at right, lifted from his blog, demonstrates that he is atContinue reading “Something Craig Frazier taught me.”
Lewis and Clark and Houdini
I loved the graphic novel Houdini, The Handcuff King written by Jason Lutes, drawn by Nick Bertozzi. My only criticism: I wanted the story to go on longer! I was thankful for the introduction and the fascinating and detailed end notes. The added text helped flesh out the historical and social context of Houdini’s enduringContinue reading “Lewis and Clark and Houdini”
Get Creative: Try a Cool-Off!
It might sound like a refreshing summer drink, but a Cool-Off is summertime institution at the Cyberpunk Apocalypse in Pittsburgh. This is something you and your illustrator artists friends might try. You know how you get more artwork done when you have a real publication date? The Cool-Off acts as a pre-publication debut, a chanceContinue reading “Get Creative: Try a Cool-Off!”
Opportunities Knock.
Mara Rockliff, is a talented and prolific children’s book author who lives here in Kutztown, PA. She sent me a note to share with illustration students about a scholarship opportunity from SCBWI. That is the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators. They have grants for students to attend their NYC or L.A. conferences. DetailsContinue reading “Opportunities Knock.”
Jerry Pinkney: Class Act at KU
In 1992, nearly 20 years ago, Prof. Elaine Cunfer and I went to Philadelphia to hear Jerry Pinkney speak. Mr. Pinkney was being given a lifetime achievement award by Drexel University. If he had been struck by lightning, or hit by a bus that day in Philadelphia his place in the pantheon of great children’sContinue reading “Jerry Pinkney: Class Act at KU”
Beth Krommes: Caldecott Winner Visits KU
Beth Krommes was born and raised just over the hill in Emmaus, PA. She recalls applying to study art at Kutztown State College. Her portfolio was accepted, but she chose to go to Syracuse University, in part, because it was further from home and she longed to travel. After her undergrad painting degree there, sheContinue reading “Beth Krommes: Caldecott Winner Visits KU”
Mike Tyson and Vinnie Torre
One of the great things about these WordPress blogs is that the moderator is able to see which search terms visitors are using to reach this page. Lately there has been a big upsurge in searches for “Vinnie Torre”, “Hoboken Museum,” and “pigeons.” I wrote about Vinnie last year in my very first Illustration ConcentrationContinue reading “Mike Tyson and Vinnie Torre”
Illustration Concentration 