Bear Scare in progress... rough color study

This was a challenging color study, but I finally got a magical & nice fire lit feeling. I did this rather small, and messy on Abode Photoshop with my Wacom Tablet. I did this just to work through color ideas without being committed or risk messing up a real painting! I can't wait to watercolor this, it will be so fun! All this planning & process work is the hardest part of illustration for me. This time really pays off  so than when I sit down to paint the finished piece it is so much easier to tackle and relaxing. Traditional painting is still my favorite process for creating artwork, even though using digital media is a super helpful tool :)

Bear Scare in progress... light & value study

Working in Adobe Photoshop with my handy Wacom tablet. This is my rough plan of my paintings values. Feeling rather rusty! Not sure if I'm getting the feeling I want from the fire light, but I will work it out more in the color study, my next step. Keep posted to see :)

"Bear Scare"- my thumbnail sketch & larger line drawing

My sketch and larger drawing from the story-

        "Snow White and Red Rose"

I drew inspiration from the scenes below 


"One evening, as they were thus sitting comfortably together,
some one knocked at the door, as if he wished to be let in.
The mother said. “Quick, Rose-red, open the door, it must be
 a traveller who is seeking shelter.” Rose-red went and pushed
back the bolt, thinking that it was a poor man, but it was not; it
was a bear that stretched his broad, black head within the door.

 Rose-red screamed and sprang back, the lamb bleated, the dove
 fluttered, and Snow-white hid herself behind her mother’s bed.
But the bear began to speak and said, “Do not be afraid, I will do
 you no harm! I am half-frozen, and only want to warm myself a
 little beside you.”

Happy 2012- Goals-

So this year I will post my process work for you all to see. As I work on illustrations I go through a series of steps to design, plan and create the final piece. I often start with a story or idea I want to illustrate. My first project of the year is to illustrate a few scenes from a Grimm Tale, see the story below.

I took some notes on the scenes that interested me and sketched a few thumbnails to find a fun composition. Check in often to see how my pieces evolve! Enjoy!

                                                           Snow White and Red Rose
                                                          by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

 A fun drawing I did from my imagination, of all the southeast Alaskan creatures sharing gifts of fish! Many folks in Sitka, Alaska share their fresh catch at the holidays. I even got some salmon this year. 

A book I illustrated is now abailable for sale!

Harvir in the Amazon can be purchased online now at www.BirdlandMediaWorks.com

The Acting Out Yoga Series was born out of a need to find creative ways to engage young yoga students in class. Each book provides lesson plans for teachers to guide children through a "fantastical" fairy tale story while facilitating their ability to quickly learn asanas (poses).

Thanks to the talents of artist Jessica Lynn Clark, these watercolor illustrations also provide the perfect backdrop in art galleries, where students can - literally - walk through the exhibit and act out the images found within each painting.

The stories are designed to teach kids about art and culture in different parts of the world, and a portion of the sales from each edition will be donated to a children's charity related to that country. For example, the first book in the series, Harvir in the Amazon, is dedicated to Angels of the Amazon, a non-profit organization that provides much-needed school supplies and medical care to young children in the Amazon Jungle.

Synopsis of Book #1 - Harvir in the Amazon: Harvir must rescue the famous dancer, Elsa, after she is snatched from her village by an evil dragon. Enlisting the help of the medicine woman, along with some surprising jungle creatures, Harvir embarks on a journey that takes him deep into the Amazon rain forest. (Ages 5-8) $12.50 USD


About the Author: Born in Holland, Pennsylvania, Danielle Palli (also published as Danielle Hope Hier) began her full-time writing career after moving to Florida in 2005. Inspired by the variety of exotic birds and the fact that so many yoga poses developed from nature, she began Birdland Media Works in 2006. She currently writes fiction and non-fiction stories, articles, web content and press releases for an extensive number of clients. She also continues to teach yoga to people of all ages. danielle@BirdlandMediaWorks.com
danielle@BirdlandMediaWorks.com


About the Artist: Originally from Alfred, Maine, Jessica Lynn Clark is a freelance artist who specializes in illustrations in watercolor, mixed media collage as well as a variety of traditional and digital media. A graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design, Jessica loves to design and paint childrens books, murals, cards and custom projects. jessilynnclark@gmail.com
jessilynnclark@gmail.com