Inspiration and ideas in illustration

The early days of aviation...

2010-10-04T15:29:00.001-07:00

This week I am working on a series of three pictures depicting the excitement and possibilities people felt when aviation was in its early stages. Here is one of the sketches so far.

Book Proposal- My Little Brother Richie

2010-10-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

Time to cook something...

2010-09-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am about to begin a new project, which will take most of the next month. Before I get started on that, I thought I would share one more Wonderful Good promotional idea. These are some of the recipe cards I created to promote the story. The recipes were tested in the Freed test kitchens and are great.
I have a bunch of new projects to begin and a few strings to tie up on an older one. Hopefully there will also be time to get outside with the real paints- it is another gorgeous fall day here in Ohio and I am inside :-(

Wonderful Good

2010-08-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to my first video on my new studiofreed youtube channel. LOL, I have to think about what I am going to post here in the future. This could be a lot of fun.
So here goes, first try and all :-)

Still having fun with acrylics...

2010-08-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

I am still working on acrylic portraits this week. It is so different than what I am used to. I haven't gotten tired of it yet.
This is a portrait in progress of Ralph. I don't like the dog too much. I am not sure if I should redo her completely or keep struggling along.
Painting a mature person represents whole new challenges. I have been going back and forth with the lines in his face, darkening them and lightening them. A balance must be struck or it won't look like him. Of course you don't want him to look like one of those dried apple head dolls either... with raisin eyes.
Yuck. Glad that fad is over.
I think I am going to start a new project and give this one a break for a couple of days.

Still Painting traditionally...

2010-08-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Still painting traditionally this week, applying some of Payne's techniques to my portraits. I like this one, but I had to go over the wash stage with several layers of paint before I reached what I was looking for. I want to get to that point in one or two layers, not take all day. I am betting that's how the old timey illustrators got things done, by getting it right the first or second time. I suppose that comes with practice.
This picture is painted with a mix of oils, acrylics, colored pencil, and even a teeny layer of watercolor. It truly is mixed media.

Painting traditionally for a change...

2010-07-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

At Hartford Art School last week, I had the privilege of studying with Chris Payne. On the first day of class, he got assigned a Time Magazine cover, due two days later on Wednesday. We all got to watch Chris put together an amazing illustration that is featured on this week's Time Magazine cover.
Here is my attempt to paint like Payne. It is the first traditional painting I've done in months. It is mixed media with glazes of oil paint and colored pencil. I really enjoyed painting this picture. I want to apply some of this approach to my traditional work.
BTW, the subject in the painting is my great grandfather, Whoa Bill Phillips. He pitched professionally for sixteen years around the turn of the last century. I would like to learn more about him. I inherited NONE of his athletic ability.

back home again.

2010-07-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

I am back home from Hartford. I am trying to figure out the best way to post all of my thesis work. Here is a test run.
BTW, I am changing the settings on the comment section because the blog has been taken over by Chinese porn. Sorry about that. I will leave their links up if anyone is Chi-curious.

Still working on thesis...

2010-04-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

I got the idea for my thesis, Wonderful Good, last summer. I really thought I'd have it sewn up by now and be working on the marketing phase. The thesis is supposed to be a learning experience and I am learning that. Initially I thought I would base my reference on the sketches. I drew very detailed ideas then set out to photograph the scene I imagined. Some of the animation studios call that "As my Amish characters would say "shaffa macht em gut feela" (translation:being busy makes one feel good).
There is so much going on around here that I should be feeling great!
BTW, the barn we used for reference is the one on the property we just bought. If this book sells, I wonder if we could write it off?

Thinking about lighting.

2010-03-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

At our critique in Texas last week there was some discussion about lighting and the mood it can create. There was one picture in particular- a woman standing outdoors at night. She was lit from the front, but also from behind- with a cooler light. This was called rim lighting- it is a device used over the years to beef up the drama in illustrations. Rim lighting was totally overused in movie posters in the 70's and 80's.
It got me thinking while I worked on this picture this week. It is an early morning scene but I am wondering if I could play up the back lighting a bit. I may have to make Ralph put on all of the Amish clothes and reshoot this pose.
I have been working on this picture for the last two days and am currently too close to it. I am going to take a break from it and work on another. I will open it again later in the week.

Illustration or Design?

2010-03-23T04:26:00.000-07:00

I am required to write a reaction paper about one of the artist lecturers we met in Texas last week. I have it narrowed down to two very talented artists, Linda Helton (b. 1959) or Bart Forbes (b. 1939). The images above are by Helton, created in traditional media. Though their work is very different from each other, both artists appear to be succeeding in today's tough market.
During her presentation, the work Helton showed us varied in style, technique, and media. It is colorful, upbeat, and appealing to a wide range of markets. It was fantastic. I was impressed by her work ethic and attitude toward being a freelance artist. In researching her online, I've found she's done a wide range of stock artwork. Each image is simple, beautifully designed, and could be used in many different ways. In the last five years I have watched the commercial art market change rapidly. I find that I have to reinvent myself and approach to the industry. I wonder how this stock artwork approach is working out for artists.
I also find myself asking what makes an image an illustration or when does it become a design? Does it depend on how much of a narrative theme a picture contains? On how simple or complex the image is? I hear some of my friends describe themselves as designers rather than illustrators even though they draw pictures of living things, sometimes in the context of a story. When do these images stop being designs and become illustrations?
At this point I am seriously putting off work. I will have to ponder these issues after my paper and thesis are done and I am posing at Starbucks with my artist peeps.

Back From Fort Worth.

2010-03-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

AFTER THE CRIT (I think it is better.)

BEFORE THE CRIT

I am starting to recover from the week of fun and sun in Fort Worth, Texas. I presented my homework there, a picture depicting the character of our November contact period, Pasadena, California.
Southern California is such a diverse place. I had a bunch of ideas and it took a while to decide on just one. In the end I decided to recreate a retro-style citrus crate label. I had an ulterior motive- I want to hang it on the wall of my kitchen after we finish the remodel (that we haven't started yet!).
The picture was well received at the critique. The main criticism it got was that the shade of purple in the sky background didn't go. The instructors felt an orange hue of darker value would work better.
This is difficult for me. I tend to throw as many colors in my work as I can. I need to learn to limit my color palette and stop making work only crows would like. I am going to keep this in mind as I finish my thesis in the upcoming weeks.
The instructors felt the value of the sky behind the figure was too bright. I didn't intend this to be the case. It was the way the picture was printed. Doug gave me some suggestions for calibrating my screen, but I think I've already done them. I am going to redo the settings in case, and ask for a proof at the printers next time. Aggh. I bet even the early cave painters had technical difficulties from time to time. Keeping up with this stuff is a full time job in itself.
The next homework assignment is another illo, this one portraying Texas. I LOVE painting cowboys and horses and bulls, but I think I have to do a companion crate label to go with the Pasadena picture. I am hoping to have a big kitchen after all.
I am thinking it will be "Lone Star Apples" with the Fort Worth Stockyards rodeo queen on it along with the Texas flag. That's a lot to get into one little graphic. The horse has got to be piebald like the real one at the rodeo.
We got to go back to the Stockyards rodeo. What a lot of fun. I don't know what it is about rodeos, but they always bring out the secret cowgirl in me. I have to get a couple of horses when Ralph gets out of the Air Force and we stop moving around. We have the space now.
It was a riot- the rodeo queen's horse did a great job until they started up the smoke machine during the national anthem. He wanted no parts of the rolling cloud of smoke coming at him, but the rodeo queen did a great job of keeping him from panicking. LOL, that scene would be a great illo as well, along with the mutton scramble, seven-year-old barrel racer, and calf ropers. Then of course, the bulls and cowboys. Sigh. What a lot of fun. We have bull riding in Ohio, but it just ain't the same.

Painting citrus on a snowy day.

2010-02-10T10:54:00.000-08:00

Well it's not just another snowy day- I think the weather today qualifies as a blizzard. I am working on another piece of the Pasadena project for school. I am thinking of warmer climates and sunshine.

progress on Wonderful Good.

2010-02-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest illo for Wonderful Good. It is designed to have type in the upper right corner. Not sure how to proceed with raindrops. I need to look at real ones. It'll be a while before I see rain around here.

still trying to figure out Painter...

2010-01-14T11:30:00.001-08:00

Today's progress. Ugggh.

Figuring out Painter

2010-01-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

I decided to illustrate Wonderful Good in Photoshop and Painter. I like the way you can add dimensional brushstrokes with the Painter software. It is going to take me weeks to figure out how to go about this. There are so many brushes, settings and textures to choose from. I want to get it all "just right" before I proceed.
Above is today's attempt.

Pasadena Project

2010-01-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

One of the assignments for school requires us to create a picture that represents Pasadena, the location of our contact period. I am going to do a retro image with some type and graphics on it. This picture is one of the components of the piece. I am trying to work in Corel Painter. The learning curve is steep but i like the results. The first picture is the image in photoshop, the second is the cloning process in Painter. I have a very long way to go.

I Friday- Pioneer

2009-12-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

I love the topic this week. It made me think of the Little House book series, a favorite of mine growing up.
A couple of years ago I thought my youngest daughter resembled Laura Ingalls Wilder. I dressed her up in pioneer garb and took a few reference photos. I thought they'd make good sample pictures, but I never got the time to go farther until this week.
My little "Laura" is a teenager now. She will be thrilled when she sees this blog entry, LOL.

Old Work

2009-12-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

I found this old image from my University of the Arts days. It is pencil on illustration board, about 7" wide by 6" high.
I was inspired by this illustrator who came to speak to us, Ralph Gigure. He did the most amazing tightly rendered pencil illustrations in the 80's. They were beautifully composed and tiny. I don't know how he achieved the detail he got in his pictures.
I tried to draw like him but I gave up and moved to paint after a few attempts. I guess I am too impatient for pencil.
I still like this tiny picture after all these years. I can't say that for most of my student work.
The cows in the picture are from the family farm. Their names were Annette, Michelle and I can't remember the other one. They were very friendly.

working in watercolor

2009-12-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

It probably seems like I am obsessed with the Amish story. I have been spending a lot of time on it lately, but really, I have other interests! I've accepted a portrait commission and thought I'd warm up for it by painting, what else, pictures from my Wonderful Good reference files.
After this project is over, I promise to move on with my life.

working on Wonderful Good...

2009-12-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of color studies.

Wonderful Good!

2009-12-02T06:04:00.001-08:00

I officially registered my book with the copyright office yesterday. Here a few cover ideas. This project has been a lot of fun, though I have to take a break this week and get the holiday stuff together.
Here are a few cover ideas.

Thesis color studies part two

2009-11-22T12:16:00.001-08:00

Here is another chunk of a picture from my picture book project. I am trying to decide on a color temperature and palette that would be consistent in all of the illustrations throughout the story.

Thesis color studies

2009-11-21T06:51:00.000-08:00

I am starting the color studies for my thesis project. I am going to begin the final paintings in about a week. At this point I am trying to determine the temperature of the book.

Reflecting on the work of Joe Bowler

2009-11-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

Not many artists have it both ways. As an illustrator, the pictures by Joe Bowler (b.1928) graced the covers of major magazines and national ad campaigns. As a fine artist, Joe Bowler is widely recognized for his premier portraits. He enjoys rock star-like success in both the commercial and fine art arenas. A hard driving artist, Bowler has a unique ability that quite simply touches people’s lives. We find it difficult to critically explain Mr. Bowler’s techniques and painting style without first trying to understand his background. Therefore, discussing the influential work of Mr. Bowler must necessarily include an examination his life experience as an illustrator and fine artist.

Biography of Joe Bowler

Joe Bowler has had a long and storied career, climbing to the top in both the illustration and fine art worlds. He wanted to be a professional artist from a very early age. As a student, he won numerous awards and praise for his artwork. Bowler was also adept at math and science. His parents weren’t keen on his idea of a future in art until his high school had a career day. There, he was given a list of possible careers and what each one paid. According to the list, illustrators were considered the top money-makers, earning $100,000 a year. This figure easily surpassed current day salaries of doctors and university professors. Though Mr. Bowler felt this amount was just a bit inflated, even in the golden age of illustration, he noted that many artists were making a very nice living plying their trade. Bowler figured the people who compiled the career list based the illustrator’s salary on that of Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) who was a huge star at the time. This information encouraged Bowler’s father to change his thinking. He decided a career in illustration might be worth a try. Bowler’s father helped get his son an apprenticeship at a small illustration studio in New York City. At the same time, Bowler studied at the Art Students League under Frank Reilly (1906-1967), Robert Hale (1901-1985), and Howard Trafton (1897-1964). His initial experience led to another apprenticeship, and eventually a job as errand boy at Charles E. Cooper Studio, of New York City. The Cooper studio was the country’s top firm for illustration at the time. Working there were dozens of famous illustrators. Bowler’s duties included matting and delivering artwork and cleaning up after the 70 staff artists. He got first-hand knowledge of the process in which ideas were developed, reference was shot, and paint was handled. Many of the illustrators shared their expertise with him. Bowler was eager to learn, and spent his off hours working on pictures of his own. Famous illustrator, Coby Whitmore (1913-1988) noticed these paintings while Bowler was matting one of his pictures. Whitmore told Bowler he would like to show his painting to the editors when he delivered his finished assignment to Cosmopolitan magazine. Whitmore came back later that day and told Bowler to send Cosmopolitan an invoice for $1,000. Bowler, who was making $35.00 a week at the time, was thrilled. This sale began his illustration career at age 19 in 1948. Bowler never looked back. Within six months he had work in five major magazines. As a result of this first opportunity in the illustration world, Whitmore became Bowler’s mentor and close friend.
In 1958, in the midst of great success, Bowler was struck down by polio. The disease left him almost completely paralyzed. He persevered with self-determination and intense physical therapy. From a wheelchair, he painted a cover for The Saturday Evening Post just a few months after his diagnosis. The period of recovery lasted over seven years and gave Bowler a chance to reflect on the techniques of the old masters and traditional painting methods.
His success as an illustrator continued into the 1960’s. It was during that time that he noticed that many of his assignments involved portraiture type illustrations for the major magazines. He painted many people of note, among them, the Kennedys, the Eisenhowers, and Charles de Gaulle. He created several series of fashionable portraits, including one on the Presidential candidate’s wives. For the December 1965 issue, Bowler pitched an idea to McCall’s magazine. It involved a series of sketches entitled The Fine Art of Little Girl’s Fashion. The magazine bought the idea and gave him an eight page spread in the Christmas issue. The series of pictures received a very positive response. Because of this, he received inquiries from all over the United States and Canada for portraits.
This positive response presented a vast opportunity to Bowler. In the late 1960’s, Bowler made the transition from successful illustrator to one of the countries most admired portrait artists.
A lifetime of creating innovative, emotional artwork is not Bowler’s only accomplishment. His clients and peers recognized him with prestigious awards. Bowler was elected into the Society of Illustrators in 1952. The Artist’s Guild of New York named him their Artist of the Year in 1967. The Society of Illustrators inducted Bowler into the Illustrator’s Hall of Fame in 1992.

Technique

Bowler started his career painting in gouache. Many of his assignments involved portraying beautiful women in editorial and advertising illustrations. Working in gouache, Bowler would arrange complex scenes, rich in color, pattern and form. The work in his early years was often employed flat shapes, dynamically composed. Perhaps this was influenced by the prints of the Japanese or the work of fellow Cooper studio illustrators. Bowler boldly used color and value to draw the viewer directly to the main subject, most often a hot babe. Harkening back to the work of Coles Phillips (1880-1927), he sometimes used the fade away device, a magazine cover favorite.

His illustration work was romantic, skillfully combining figures, shapes and patterns into narrative pictures that made the viewer want to read the story or buy the product. Much of his early work had a graphic quality, but it all was based on a good, solid drawing.

During the 1950’s, abstract expressionism was the popular trend in the fine art world. Bowler’s good friend and fellow illustrator, Murray Tinkelman (b.1933) encouraged all of the artists at the Charles E. Cooper studio to take a class offered by abstract painter, Reuben Tam (1916-1991). A brilliant teacher, Tam was an abstract landscape painter. He was also known as an artist who interpreted the moods of nature. Tam used this ability to teach students how to interpret their ideas abstractly. Wanting to be on the cutting edge, Bowler attempted this approach. He discovered that although he made pleasant abstract designs, he needed to continue with his representational style.

At this point, Bowler realized that in order for it to be great, a painting must convey an emotion. The viewer shouldn’t have to think about it, the emotion should simply be present. He believes the abstract art movement got too intellectual, with critics directing the trends of the artists and collectors.
Good draftsmanship is another attribute Bowler believes to be essential:
“The ability to draw well is one of the most basic tools that every artist needs. Art students must learn to draw; it matters even if they go on to work in abstraction. Drawing is everything.”

Value is important in Bowlers’ approach to composition. He believes in simplicity when composing a picture, developing the composition and the relationships of value first, before getting into any detail.
Bowler calls himself a temperature painter. His sensitivity to warm and cool colors in skin tones and shadows sets his work apart from others. Bowler relies on a solid knowledge of the color wheel and mixing the color temperatures from cool to warm. He believes this approach creates the illusion of volume:
“By using this color theory, I obtain vibrations of color that excite the eye.”
Bowler composes the colors on his palette in a way that moves from cool to warm then back to cool again. When applying color, he is always considering temperature as well. When creating darker values, he rarely adds black to the pigment. Instead he uses colors that are complimentary in a way that creates rich darks.
Bowler believes that painting is a process of building and destroying. He feels that when an artist understands how to draw and move paint around a canvas, it is ok to get in there and paint assertively. Nothing is too precious. An artist can use a big brush, try various approaches, and take chances. If something doesn’t work, a good draftsman can wipe off the unsuccessful area and redo it.
This approach allows Bowler to keep his pictures from getting too tight and confined. His brush strokes convey a confidence and freedom that take the viewer straight to the subject and emotion of the picture. When one watches Mr. Bowler work, they can’t help but notice the ease at which he paints. He makes it look easy.
Bowler’s illustration background has greatly influenced his career in portraiture. At Charles E. Cooper studio, he learned how to pose a model, create a setting, light a scene and plan a composition within predetermined dimensions. This knowledge led him to paint great illustrations at the time, and later set his portraits apart from the work of others. Bowler believes his illustration background makes his fine art more inventive than standard portraits. An example of this can be found in Bowler’s portrait painting, Impatiens. He places the focal point, the lovely faces of two little girls, in the golden section of the image area. Through the use of modeled brush strokes, he leads the viewer up from the bottom of the picture, across the dappled sunlight on the ground to the children, quietly engrossed in examining a flower. He draws attention to the faces of the children by using the warm colors and setting them against a much darker background. Professional illustrators commonly use these techniques.
Of Impatiens, client Hollis C. Kennedy writes:
“Your marvelous painting is…
Exquisite but simple
Sparkling but soft
Relaxing yet compelling
Active yet quiet
Impressionistic but detailed
Personal but universal
Colorful but muted
Forceful but unostentatious.”
Portrait clients seek Bowler out when they are looking for something more interesting than a standard portrait. When Bowler presents sketches to a client, he typically offers one or two ideas that are standard and one or two that are more narrative. In the narrative sketches, he tries to capture the personality and emotion of the subject. More often than not, these are the sketches that are selected.

Bowler became more painterly in his later years, employing broad brush strokes and fewer lines. His masterful use of temperature, brush strokes, composition, and value all work together in a visually pleasing manner. These elements combine successfully to set whatever emotion is needed. The term fine art bothers Bowler. He feels that it presupposes that fine art is superior to illustration, and that it should be taken more seriously. Bowler believes that the two are separate from each other and neither is better. However, both illustration and fine art rely on the same principles of design and craftsmanship.
Bowler’s pictures demonstrate his vast knowledge of what works best on the printed page. At the same time, they also show his keen command of the techniques and working styles of the old masters. In the art world, Bowler truly is a renaissance man. The appeal of his work spans the commercial and fine art markets. It will be relevant for generations to come.

It sure is fun when Mom's an illustrator...

2009-10-30T06:28:00.001-07:00

Another typical Saturday here in Ohio. I am in the middle of shooting reference for my picture book about the Amish. One of the minor characters is a teenage boy. I figured I'd save a few bucks by using Juliet instead of hiring a real 13-year-old boy. I hope she's not too scarred by this experience.
The book's main character is a ten-year-old Amish girl named Sarah. She is portrayed by Tracy, our friend from the dojo. In costume, she really looks Amish, aside from the black nail polish and converse high-tops. Tracy earned her black belt in Karate last year. That would be a cool children's book... "Karate girl." She is one tough cookie.
They look so cute and the photos are working well. More on this project soon!

History of Illustration in context

2009-10-24T07:49:00.001-07:00

I broke out the oils (the real ones, NOT the virtual ones) and started my project for Murray's class. The assignment is to choose a decade from the 1890's to the 1950's and paint an illustration that has to have the sensibility of that decade. It must be a magazine cover of that time, be the exact printed size of the magazine, and feature someone of prominence from that decade.
I chose suffragette Alice Paul and am painting her in the style of illustrators from the teens. I am attempting to work in the style of Coles Phillips, though not employ his fade away device. I am hoping to finish it up this weekend so it can be thoroughly dry before I take it to Pasadena in November. I will post the finished picture.

I finished the Photoshop course!

2009-10-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

freed margaret

It took me three weeks, but I finished the entire Photoshop CS2 Essentials course. At the end of September, I signed up for Lynda.com, a computer software training site. I thought I would start out with a course featuring a software I already know very well. I was surprised to learn a lot of tricks and even a few tools and buttons that I hadn't noticed before in my five years running the software.
What is next? Essential Indesign, then Illustrator. After those two, I am going to break out of Adobe and try Painter.

CF Payne... a Rockwell for today?

2009-10-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

At a time when the current illustration market seems to be moving toward digital imagery, one traditional illustrator remains at the top of the market. Chris Payne, or C.F. Payne, uses a unique mixture of media to create one of-a-kind illustrations that work in multiple markets, from editorial to children’s. To all who encounter it, Payne’s work is memorable. He is often compared to legendary illustrator Norman Rockwell (1894-1978). Upon reviewing his series of pictures for Reader’s Digest Magazine entitled Our America, one can see why the comparison is legitimate.
The Our America series ran on the back cover of Reader’s Digest monthly from 2003 to 2006. These covers by Payne were the reason many subscribed the magazine. Subscribers anticipated the newest cover every month. Payne’s pictures made the magazine a collector’s item. Many were appalled when the magazine (myself included), in a cost cutting decision, decided run advertisements on the cover in 2008. I believe that short sighted decision will mean the end of Reader’s Digest magazine in the near future.
In Our America, Chris Payne documents the current day in a way few others are doing. He has an ability to depict the details of modern day society in ways which nearly everyone can relate. Payne is extremely sensitive to the trends, fads, and technology of present day. The latest electronic gadgets are often featured prominently in his pictures. This may in fact, “date” his pictures in later years. The fact that Payne’s work does show stories of people using present day devices may also make his work meaningful in years to come. At some point, cell phones will be a relic from the past. But people in the future will laugh about how they were used or perhaps misused when they see Payne’s humorous picture of the couple in the restaurant both talking on their phones. Some of the emotions shown in his pictures are sweet, but his work is never smarmy or overly sentimental.
Payne works traditionally, painting on watercolor board. His approach is unusual in the fact that he applies layers of acrylic paint on top of an oil-based wash. He is able to do this by sealing the painting with a photographer’s varnish. The varnish allows Payne to apply an oil-based purple wash to his image. This wash settles into the watercolor board and gives the picture a uniform tone. While the wash is still wet, Payne removes areas of the wash with a rag, sculpting out the figures. He works in this way to build up the values of the image. After the wash dries, Payne finishes the picture using washes of acrylic and Prismacolor pencil. His pictures are true mixed media masterpieces.
Chris Payne is often called the current day Norman Rockwell. In many ways that is true. Both artists paint scenes of everyday American life, the common experience. Both artists’ work depicts subtleties and emotions that speak to the masses. Much of the work of Payne and Rockwell are humorous. In my opinion, the best artwork by both is their narrative paintings.
Rockwell’s influence can be seen in Payne’s compositions. In Finish Line, Payne shows a graduate having her photograph taken in her cap and gown. He positions the graduate with her back to us. We see the faces of a crowd of well-wishers taking her picture. The emotions in the group range from pride and elation to awe. One woman seems confused by the operation of her camera.
The way Payne composed and illustrated this picture reminds me of some of Rockwell’s homecoming paintings. He too chose to focus on the various reactions of the crowd rather than on the subject itself. The emotions in Rockwell’s crowd range from all-out excitement to restrained elation to pride and even puppy love. Often, both Rockwell and Payne place themselves in the somewhere in the scene.
Another device that both Payne and Rockwell put to use is the idea of looking through one setting and into another where the action is taking place. In Wireless Connection, Payne places the viewer at eye level in a cold snowy parking lot. He is looking through the coffee shop window, perhaps voyeuristically, at a young couple kissing behind their Apple lap top computer. Another customer looks visibly annoyed at this display of public affection.
Although painted in a much more realistic style, Rockwell’s barbershop scene uses the same device to draw the viewer through the window of a closed barbershop and into a lively scene in the backroom. Both Rockwell and Payne employ value and temperature to establish the setting and focal points in the back of their scene.
Much of Payne’s work depicts the subject as part of a larger community. Many of his pictures show people relating to each other, sharing a common experience, one that the viewer can also understand. Rockwell did this too, as shown in Homecoming Marine. The subject matter is very different, much more serious than in Payne’s Big Shot, but they are similar in the posing and expressions of the figures. Both pictures show their subjects relating something; either an intense account of a battle or the pride of owning a really cool golf club. They accomplish this with the portrayal of gesture and facial expressions. This summer, Alice Carter told me something I had never given much thought to before. She said that it is easy to paint an action picture, such as a knight slaying a dragon. What is more difficult is conveying a subtle thought or emotion. Payne and Rockwell both have the ability to do that well. Payne has an innate ability to get to heart and emotion of a picture without drawing conclusion or casting judgment upon the subject.

In Mother’s Day, he depicts a woman soldier taking a break from fighting in an unpopular war to read her mail. She has received a mother’s day card, reminding the viewer that this combatant is also a parent. She is in front of a bullet-ridden wall with an automatic weapon on her lap. Her expression is tender and reflective. Payne makes no statement here about whether or not the war is wrong. He simply shows a soldier in a personal, emotional moment.
Rockwell was good at showing the human side of military personnel as well. During the Second World War, at the height of his popularity, Rockwell painted a series of Saturday Evening Post covers featuring a fictional character, Willie Gillis. The covers depicted Gillis’ military service with humor and patriotism. These were themes that struck a chord with both Rockwell’s audience and Payne’s sixty years later. Payne and Rockwell illustrations often depict scenes from a typical day in America. Both have portrayed Presidents and important
moments in history. Sometimes the scenes that are most compelling are those one wouldn’t expect to see depicted. One example of this idea is Payne’s Garage Sale. Set in the driveway of a typical middle-class home in Any town, USA, a middle-aged woman peruses an assortment of junk looking for a bargain. Skillfully placed in the foreground, background and in between is the same crap that most of us have in our basements.
Though the subject matter is quite different, in many ways Rockwell’s Marriage License is similar. Rockwell sets his subjects in a county clerk’s office. The décor may have been a bit dated for its time. Around the picture is an assortment of clutter, typical for any bureaucratic office past and present. Both pictures feature the main subjects deep in contemplation. Both artists keenly depict the subtle gestures required, the future bride up on her toes, the gentleness with which the groom has his arm around her waist, or in Payne’s illustration, the placement of the garage sale shopper’s hands on the item and the skeptical posture of her head. Both illustrations feature an older, maybe wiser, gentleman off to one side, looking a bit chagrined. This is a device Payne and Rockwell use to “keep it real.”
The artwork of C.F.Payne is still prevalent in publishing today, despite the loss of the Reader’s Digest covers. His work appears regularly in Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, The Atlantic Monthly, and U.S. News and World Report. This year his portrait of Barrack Obama appeared on the cover of Time Magazine’s inauguration issue. Payne is also a busy children’s book illustrator. To date he’s illustrated ten picture books, including The Remarkable Farkle McBride and Micawber, written by John Lithgow.
Payne’s work has garnered gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators, the National Cartoonist Society Magazine Illustration award and Book Illustration award. Payne lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife and children. Currently, he is chair of the Illustration Department at the Columbus College of Art and Design. Hopefully the success and accolades will inspire Payne to continue building a career as prolific and imaginative as Rockwell’s.

Writing about great illustrators...

2009-09-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

The Hartford MFA program requires me to write three papers. They're for Murray's history of Illustration course. I am writing about Joe Bowler this week. I am finding myself becoming almost obsessed with his work. I wish I could meet him in person sometime. He combines what is best in illustration with what is best in portraiture. What a life he has led, what an amazing body of work.
Here are a few facts about Joe:
Born in Forest Hills, NY in 1928, Joe wanted to become an illustrator at an early age. His high school had a discussion about different career paths one could take. The top money earner on the list provided by the school was illustrator, ahead of doctors and lawyers. It said an illustrator got paid $100.000. That was an unheard of sum of money back then, probably only earned by Rockwell. But no matter, Joe's dad was on board with his dream of an art career after seeing that list.
Joe got his start as an apprentice at Charles E. Cooper studios. He was 19 when famous illustrator Coby Whitmore took one of his paintings along while he delivered a finished commission to Cosmopolitan magazine. The magazine bought Joe's picture on the spot and paid him $1,000. That was a lot of money in 1958.
Joe had work in five major magazines within six months.
In the midst of his success in 1958, Joe contracted polio. The disease left him almost completely paralyzed. He underwent intense physical therapy and was painting from a wheelchair within a few months. His recovery took seven years.
He went on to paint romantic illustrations for all of the major women's magazines of the day. A lot of the work he was asked to do began to trend toward portraiture, especially celebrities. In the mid-sixties, he pitched a series of sketches for McCalls Christmas issue. It was titled The Fine Art Of Fashion For Little Girls. They liked the idea and gave him an eight page spread. After the work appeared, Bowler began to get requests for portraits from all over the country. His portraiture career had begun.
Joe uses his experience as an illustrator to make his paintings more than standard portraits. This is why his work is in such demand today.
On a side note, the red McCalls cover has a story about a woman who regrets adopting her demon children. She wonders if she can ever learn to love them. Does anyone have that issue? I wonder if she did or if she gave them back.

The statue arrives in Wooster.

2009-09-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

After months of planning, designing, critiquing and waiting, the statue of Mary and Jesus finally arrived in Wooster. It is more amazingly beautiful than I imagined it would be. Here are a few shots of the installation and unveiling.

I gotta take a break...

2009-08-11T06:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of shots of the projects I've been working on the last few days. All are taking a lot longer than I planned. I am taking a break and painting something in watercolor for myself today. I will post it if it's any good.

One Big A#% Painting

2009-08-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

I am still working on a large wrap-around decorative illustration. I have to consider text and a spine. I painted most of the front and back covers before I left for Hartford Art School. I am trying to fit them together today and incorporate a spine and text blocks. Margo is working today. When she gets back I am hoping she can help me out with some effects for type and textboxes. I have huge gaps in my knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite.
BTW, the textblocks will be partially covered by the illustration. Ralph was disturbed that I covered up the fish. They won't be covered in the final layout- the current box is for placement.

Vintage Illustration

2009-08-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

The other day I encouraged the girls to go on a treasure hunt in the attic of our new old house. On second thought, that could be a dangerous prospect. I hope the former owners didn't keep a stash of antique porn up there.
Thankfully they've only found a few really old moth eaten clothes and books and papers. This time they came back with a stack of five Ladies Home Journals from 1932 and 1933. Except for the two on the top, they're in good condition.
Reading through them is like going back in time. It is interesting to see that what was important to Americans 75 years ago is pretty much the same today. Many of the ads are about staying young and attractive, feeding your family on a budget, and keeping your children healthy. The messages in Rachel Ray's magazine are the same today, just with different products and claims.
What was amazing was the sheer number of beautiful illustrations in each issue. Today when we think of illustration of this period, we think of the superstars like Rockwell, Lagatta, and Lyondecker. Each LHJ was packed with editorial illustration, spot illustration, fashion illustration and of course, advertising illustration. There were more illos than there were photos. Some of them were so beautifully composed that I wondered if the original may be hanging in a museum some where. I think about these pictures and what was going on in fine art world at the time and I know where I'd have wanted to have been.
Oh, who am I kidding? If I were alive in the 30's, I'd probably live in a shack with 17 kids and a husband who likes my biscuits.
OK, I know this is a photo and NOT illustration, but I liked the ad... too funny.

This little spot illustrations gave no artist credit. I found them interesting because this style looks about 25 years ahead of it's time. I have dozens of cookbooks from the 50's that use this flat two color style.

Someone got to paint a delicious lemon layer cake. I have a lot of old cookbooks from the 20's and 30's that used illustrations instead of photos. I wonder why they didn't take photos for these purposes?
The handling of watercolor is superb in this picture. Me loves everything about it! Maybe I will get the chance to imitate this style sometime... no wait, pay HOMAGE to this style, LOL.

The next three pictures were credited to The Billmeyers. I am guessing this may have been a husband and wife illustrating team. I am going to Wiki them and see what I can find out. More on them later.

I love this decorative composition. I had to be inspired at least a little bit by Alphonse Mucha.

Henry Raliegh... love the paint handling here too. I would love to see the original version of this up close. Maybe I could steal some secrets.

Here are two John Lagattas... I bet he was just cranking 'em out and cashing the checks back in the day. Still, they are beautifully done and simply elegant. I am going to show them to the girls as examples of what can be done with charcoal or graphite washes. They need to think about something other than anime.

I wish these were in better shape.

Perfect Biscuits... don't they have surgery for that nowadays?
Oh well, I had better stop goofing off and get back to the cookbook project.

Painting Food for a change...

2009-08-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

I've spent the first several days of this week painting spot illos of food. It is a challenge to make the food look tasty. One bad color choice or badly drawn section can make the picture go from appetizing to disgusting.
It is a lot of fun though. I am experimenting with a looser, more colorful style.
The cookbook cover is next. It is a wrap around with a 1.5" spine. It is all due on Monday.
Why do I want to eat carrot cake right now?

Hartford MFA

2009-07-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

I am back from the first two weeks of the University of Hartford's Hartford Art School low residency MFA program. I am majoring in Illustration. Hartford graciously accepted all of the credits from my Syracuse MA, so if I work hard, I can complete the MFA in only a year.
I have four papers, a business plan and a painting due by October. I will blog about these as I get them accomplished.
Here are a few shots of the last two weeks that came from my friend's facebook pages. I hope they don't mind me borrowing them...

More on the statue...

2009-07-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

These posts really aren't in order, are they?
I thought I'd post a few shots of the statue in progress. What's interesting about these is what's going on in the background. It looks like beautiful countryside there, though the conditions seem primitive.
One thing that I find interesting is that the sculptor begins the work with the chunk of marble lying on a pile of rubble. I envisioned a studio with the marble upright on a stand, indoors with lighting. I also wonder what would happen if he cut away too much too soon. The expensive piece of marble would be lost. I guess that's why I am not a sculptor, LOL.
Apparently they had to send some of the craftsmen home due to the economy. The broker seemed very grateful for Rob's job. BTW, if you need something carved out of a chunk of marble, give these guys a call and keep a little town somewhere in China in business.

Bringing a picture to three dimensions.

2009-07-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

My friend Rob came across a beautiful painting of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus. The painting is over one hundred years old and I hope it's in the public domain. Rob really wanted a beautiful statue of Mary and Jesus to grace the front of his new medical office.
One thing we discovered is that there are some really talented Chinese sculptors overseas. There are a few towns in China who for centuries have mastered the art and craft of marble sculpture. It is an honored profession handed down from generation to generation. About thirty years ago, these craftsmen discovered that there is a huge market in the west for Italian-style sculpture. They moved from carving Asian-themed motifs to creating sculptures of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses and Christian themes. I don't think they have a clue as to the meanings of what they're carving.
Rob looked online at all of the sample statues they had of Mary and Jesus. In many of them, Jesus looked sort of disturbing- he had a large Roman nose (which is fine for a large Roman, but not an infant) and Mary often looked very stylized and heavy. Rob showed me a beautiful painting of Mary with Jesus. In it, Mary is natural and beautiful, she is wearing flowing robes that look like they're being buffeted by the wind, and most importantly, Jesus looks like an adorable, chubby infant.
Rob wondered if I knew what would be involved in capturing this scene in marble. My first thought was to recreate the scene and photograph it from several angles with detail shots and full length poses. We'd need models, a stand, lighting and costumes. The entire thing seemed like a huge undertaking. Rob said he'd call the broker and ask what they needed to recreate this pose.
The broker's answer was simple. "Sure, we can do it, email us the picture."
The picture was a fairly low-rez image from a magazine cover. I was pretty skeptical. I felt a lot better when Rob decided to go with a clay prototype before they started carving from a chunk of marble.
The first few pictures of the work in progress were sent in April. They were off to a good start, but Mary looked a bit heavy and stiff and unnatural. Baby Jesus looked like a disturbing adult/infant with a largish nose and strong brow. The sculptors also had difficulty with the idea of a chubby baby- it made me wonder if chubbiness is a western thing.
The other issue was Mary's hands. They looked like someone filled latex gloves with water and stuck them on her. They had no tendons or knuckles. I went so far as to photograph one of my daughter's friends who has the lovely long fingers we were looking for. I included a shot from that day. She was holding a stuffed rabbit, since we don't have a baby that is the size we need. I was a bit concerned though that the sculptors would take this too literally and change Jesus into a stuffed bunny. I was careful to edit out most of the rabbit.
It took weeks of photoshopping the photos and trying to break through the language barrier to explain to the Chinese artist what we were looking for. What amazed me was how well they did with a very non-descriptive picture, how enthusiastic they were (it showed in their work) and how happy they were to try to please us even after several rounds of revisions.
Someone from the workshop actually flew to Italy and handpicked the chunk of marble to be used in the statue. It arrived to them in June. They worked on it all month and I believe it should be crated and shipped here at some point this summer. She weighs over 1,000 pounds and will require a contractor to install her. One thing about Rob, when he decides to do something, he goes all out.
You should see the ice rink he builds in his backyard every winter.

Beautiful Baby Exhibition

2009-06-25T03:57:00.000-07:00

Back in 2006, I was invited to create an illustration for a traveling exhibit sponsored by the Society of Illustrators. The theme is You must have been a Beautiful Baby. Fifty illustrators were asked to create a piece of artwork that depicted them at some point before their 12th birthday.
I chose a version of my nine-year-old self and painted a picture of me looking through the Bionic eye of my Col. Steve Austin doll.
The show is still on the move. It is about to make an appearance in Plainview Texas this fall.
I dug out the artist's statement. It is below.

The Bionic Illustrator?

You may remember an action show from the seventies called The Six Million Dollar Man. It starred Lee Majors as Colonel Steve Austin, an astronaut who was badly injured in an airplane crash. They rebuilt his battered body with bionic parts, which gave him super-human strength. Each episode would feature him getting caught up in some crime-solving melee’, culminating in him moving on to another town, so his identity wouldn’t be discovered.
As a kid, I dreamed of being Mrs. Colonel Austin. But Steve was the same as every good super hero. He could never be in a committed relationship.
The show spawned an action figure of Steve that had a futuristic bionic arm. That arm, of course, was the first thing to get broken off. The Steve doll also had a hole in the back of its head. This allowed you to look in and see what the Bionic Man might be viewing through his incredible Bionic eye. This feature required the doll to have an empty eye socket on his face. As a child, I thought this was really cool. As an adult, I find this disturbing.
When I fast-forward to present day, I realize that things turned out pretty well for me. Ok, I don’t have a Bionic husband who can leap 16-foot chain-link fences or witness a crime in progress half a mile away. But all in all, he’s a pretty good guy. Heck, he let me keep all of my old toys.

Media: Watercolor on Paper

The miracle of loaves and sharks...

2009-06-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

I am doing the cookbook cover for our church. It should be out before Christmas and will be a lovely holiday gift. Mary Oxenrider is going to share all of her secret recipes that we've come to love over the years.
Anyway, I am doing the cover. The black and white picture is the sketch we've decided upon. I sketched it from my imagination which is what I typically do.
The challenging part is recreating my sketch into real life. I do that, photograph it, and paint from the photograph.
Sometimes real life looks nothing like I imagined. This was one of those times when I got it pretty close.
On Monday, I drove all over town looking for goblets, the right bread, a table cloth, and wheat. The theme is loaves and fishes. I really didn't want to use real fish- they're expensive, smell bad, and I'd probably have to throw them out after an hour under the hot lights.
Then it hit me. Juliet's Beanie Baby sharks. "Crunch" was her very very favoritist toy ever. One time, she lost it. She cried for days. That was at the height of the Beanie Baby fad, and unfortunately, Crunch was a rare, discontinued toy. Ralph's mother had some connections in PA. She was able to obtain two Crunches which she sent out very quickly. We tucked one away in case of another loss, and we told Juliet that we found Crunch and that somehow he was clean again and had a new tag.
Soon after that, she found the original Crunch. She had put him in a dresser that I was refinishing at the time.
We then gave her the other Crunch and that's how she got three little shark bean bags that are remarkably the same size as Mackerels.
Any port in a storm, right?
BTW, Juliet is a really cool teen these days. She'd probably hate me for revealing this, but she still keeps her three little sharks on a shelf in her room. AWWWWWW!

Painting away a Sunday.

2009-06-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

I got another chance to paint with real paint today. It is going well, but I am starting to lose my light. This little picture is on canvas paper. I like it and wish I painted it on a surface that is better quality.
I still have to work on the ears and lighten up the contrast a bit on the fence on the left side. He has issues, but they will have to wait for some other time. I promised the girls I would take them to the pool this afternoon.

goofing around.

2009-06-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Where is my work ethic today?
I thought I would try out a new watercolor pencil I found at Pat Catans. Actually, this product is not watercolor, it's water soluble graphite and it's probably been around for years. But this is all new to me, so I thought I'd experiment with it. My watercolors were nearby so my experiment turned into a watercolor sketch. I will try to have more discipline and put the colors away and try the graphite thing again.
Well it's time to do some paying stuff now.

Homage to Sulley and Eichholtz

2009-05-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Thomas Sulley, The Torn Hat circa 1820

Jacob Eichholtz, Rubens Mayer Eichholtz circa1815

Margaret Freed, Homage To Eichholtz and Sulley, circa 2009

Back in the early 1800's, portrait painters Thomas Sulley and Jacob Eichholtz exchanged ideas and techniques. I was inspired by two of their pictures that shared a common idea, The Torn Hat. I thought I'd take a crack at this idea, 190 years later.
Like Eichholtz, my picture is of one of my kids, Catherine. I didn't have a torn hat, but I did have this russian military one that I picked up on ebay.
Painting Catherine at age 14 is a far cry from last weekend's picture of her at age four. She is a much more cooperative model these days. I guess she's figured out that if she follows mom's instructions she'll be done sooner. That's a life lesson for all of us I suppose.
Looking at this online, I think I need to add a bit more rose color to her cheeks and darken and simplify the denim jacket. I will have to work on that later and I will post it when I do.

Painting away the holiday.

2009-05-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a good day for painting, Monday not so much. This picture is based on reference I had leftover from a commission I had several years ago. I think this kid is starting middle school in September.
Anyway, I don't know, I just didn't get it right this time. Maybe the background is too dark. I will try this one again when I have some extra time.
I am going to work in a few more details on his shirt.
It was fun to paint in watercolor for a change. This picture is on Arches 140# hot press. The picture I painted on Sunday is on Arches 140# cold press. I like the texture of the cold press as long as I don't have to do too much detail.

What a way to spend the holiday.

2009-05-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

I got the chance to paint for fun this weekend. I unearthed some old reference I took for a portrait of Catherine. She was about four at the time. I remember being very frustrated with her because she would only sit in odd, uncomfortable-looking positions. I scrapped the entire project, only getting three photos and a few sketches.
I found the file again last week and decided to take another crack at it. Painting traditionally is such a welcome change, although I can't hit the undo button when I make a mistake. Catherine looks very happy in this picture, but she was a miserable model.
I am working on a new portrait of her, one I hope will be done very soon. She is much more amiable now!
I think I have some more portrait reference of Margo back from the days when we called her Mickey. I am going to try to find it and paint another one tomorrow.
BTW, this one isn't done yet. I still have to paint the drapery in the background. Parts of her dress seem a bit too dark. Watercolor is tricky that way. I will have to scrub some of if out. I will post the final product when it's complete.

From The Archives...

2009-05-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

I found this old cartoon in my files this morning. It is a cartoon sample from 2002. I thought I'd post it along with a companion picture. There are five illustrations in all. It was for a very very simple board book.
I don't think Pop ever saw this picture. He would have probably gotten a kick out of it. Even though it's a cartoon, it looks like him, LOL.

2008-05-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

The Wooster Daily Record interviewed Diane and I this week. We talked about a lot of stuff, good stuff, but none of that made it into the article. The reporter did mention Buehler's Fresh Foods which is always good. They are a big part of our lives I guess.
I have this really smug look on my face- I don't know why, I wasn't feeling smug that day. The entire article should inspire the sale of at least three copies.

Here's the link-

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/3781751

why, oh why?

2008-04-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

WHY couldn't I have gotten this gig? Now here's a project an illustrator can feel good about! Maybe I can do the sequel. I'll do it for free.
Wow.

IF- Pet Peeve

2008-03-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

LITTLE BROTHERS!

Not that they're a problem for me nowadays, but a few years ago, my little brother was probably my biggest pet peeve.
It's all good these days. He helps me out with my computer and sends my kids presents on their birthdays.

Illustration Friday-"Garden"

2008-03-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

It's hard to think about a garden when I have to shovel out from a blizzard! Looking forward to the fresh promise of spring... REALLY looking forward to it.
Here is a peice from a project I completed about three years ago. It was about a victory garden.
Will try to do something original next week- if we get a break from winter.

Illustration Friday- "Leap"

2008-03-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted on IF. I can't even remember how to access my old blogger account. Here's the new one.
I resolve to keep it going this year. Is it too late for a New Year's Resolution? How about a Slightly-used Year's resolution?

BTW- my apologies to IF for the bad link. I will get it right next time.