Whole Lotta' Updates.

Sorry to not have written here in a while. I have been working up a few things including my children's book and more illustrations for the Ruins site. I've also been working up my Illustrator CS5 skills. I found that I really enjoy the program more than I anticipated. I think it is because I can create a more finished product more quickly.

One feature that I can't say enough about is the strangely-named "Blob Brush" It allows me to create shapes more like I paint. The precision of the tools also gives me a fine edge that I so enjoy.

There was a time when I was less than happy about creating digitally. I felt it wasn't ready for the type of imagery I wanted to create. Now, with the suite of art programs I have, I feel like I can create the images I want.

For example:


This image went through a few shading changes before I hit upon the dramatic back-lighting. I can say I am rather pleased with the results.

In a few weeks I will be attending a children's book conference. After that I may post a few images from it. I am reluctant to give too much away since I have had copyright problems.

I have also started a Facebook page for Jouan Illustration to give more immediate results on my everyday work as well as links to pages I find useful. Click over and join up for the latest.

Of course, the primary portfolio website is due for an update but I don't foresee that being accomplished before the conference. However, the latest art has been posted to my deviantART page.

-Jouan Illustration on Facebook
-Jouan Illustration on deviantART

2008 WCPL Gamecard

Client: Washington Centerville Public Library

This was the 6th Summer Reading Program game card I created for Centerville Library in Centerville, Ohio.

The library's theme centered on the Book of Kells and so I looked to the book for imagery that I could incorporate into the design. The gamecard is used by children to keep track of the number of hours or books they read during the program so it was important to include a numbering system that was clear.

The card was also going to be divided into three pieces to be handed out when readers reached the end of each page. The client also wanted to incorporate a labyrinth and have it be kid friendly. As I mentioned earlier, the book of Kells was the primary theme so I wanted to bring in design elements from the book of Kells as well as other illuminated manuscripts of the time. To that end I designed borders for the pages similar to those used liberally throughout illuminated manuscripts. I also wove in creature designs and tried to make them appear "friendly" by making them smile of softening their eyes.


Each panel also incorporates the Children's Summer Reading Logo, affectionately dubbed "Dewey" by the library staff. Dewey was also my creation and served as a unifying image for the triptych.


The entire piece was designed using Corel Painter for sketchwork and Illustrator CS for primary linework. My style with that is somewhat labor intensive but yeilds a more painterly image. as I mentioned earlier, this was my sixth Gamecard for WCPL and proved to be more challenging in terms of research and authenticity. I strove for an appearance of modernity to appeal to children and parents while incorporating the design elements from the early illuminated manuscripts.

Cassini and Illustration

I know that it has been a while since I blogged. I apologize because I have been working on a big health issue, preparing for a convention and trying to get my picture book finished.

This, I had to write about.... I love when a plan comes together!

Back in 2005, when the Cassini spacecraft reached Saturn, I did a painting called Prometheus Thread. I enjoyed figuring out the perspectives and some of the angles showing what spacecraft could not.


Then today, I saw an image taken from the Cassini spacecraft on August 6, 2008.


It's my painting from another angle! So Cool!

This weekend, I am off to the SCBWI Northern Ohio Conference in Cleveland. I'm bringing along my art and the children's book I've been working on, but I am also hoping to get some networking in as well. I've been writing the book for a couple of years and it's finally ready to go out but now I need to get it published!

Wish me luck!

Starship vs. Asteroid

Here's a quick post of something I've been working on. I get these ideas in my head of what the future might be like sometimes. And about the things we need to watch out for as we leave earth.

In this contest, guess who wins.

Expelled

When galaxies merge, occasionally the tidal interactions can throw stars and planets far from their parent galaxy revealing a spectacular view. In a few billion years, Earth will be treated to a similar vista as the Andromeda galaxy and our own Milky Way collide and merge.

Here, a planet has been expelled away from its own star to wander silently between the galaxies. Perhaps there are multitudes of stars and planets which have suffered a similar fate. Yet they have escaped being consumed by the violent deaths of their parent stars and will wander the universe indefinitely.

Bridge Ruins

Day 13: The Bridge Ruins.

I had been hiking most of the morning in the mountains above the city when I discovered stairs carved into the side of a steep gorge. The steps were slightly larger than the average most humans are used to and I found myself tiring quickly.

I climbed for what seemed an eternity without awareness of where I was going until I paused to glance up. I was greeted by the most amazing sight. Emerging from around a bend in the rock wall, spanning the breadth of the gorge, were the remains of two bridges. The nearer was more intact than the farther but even that was tenuous at best.

I could not wait to reach these ruins and I found my will to climb renewed.

The inspiration for this image comes from a dream I had about giant piston-like, metallic bridges reaching across an open space. The final result differs from what I had in mind initially but I am happy with the end result.

Salvage Prize

In orbit above a desert world a struggling privately-owned salvage company has made the find of a lifetime. It is an alien ship of unknown origin. Two brave and hungry salvagers are venturing in to secure this prize and see what treasures or horrors they are aboard.

I wanted to create an image that captured the adventure of finding something mysterious and alien. Anyone who has read this blog for any time has learned that I love derelicts and the mystery they hold. There's something beautiful about these silent and decaying machines.

This piece was created using Painter 8 with the help of Photoshop for some of the initial prepwork.

Two New Images

Two new images are now posted to my website. Bridge Ruins and Salvage Prize were just added today. It has been a while since I have been able to post anything new but I finally feel like I am able to get new pages up more quickly.

I'll post more about each in the coming days