back to boxes

It's natural to feel rusty after a drawing dry spell. But don't let it get you down.

Drawing boxes is a nice way to ease back into things.

 

 

There's no pressure to choose a clever subject, and no worries about failure, even wonky boxes have a certain charm. 

 

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If boxes seem intimidating, start with rectangles. 

Try playing with different media or adding color. Use scratch paper, leftover paint, or whatever is on hand. 

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So have fun drawing boxes and no worries over wonkiness. Unless you are an architect, the stakes are pretty darn low. 

Fun with YWP

Had a great time today with the Young Writer's Program. What a creative bunch! I was treated to stories about mermaids, a skeleton vs dragon fight, and even one from the perspective of a ten dollar bill. You can read them for yourself and see the illustrations created today in the the upcoming collection of short stories from The Word Lab. Copies will available at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Check out the Young Writers' Program, Santa Cruz for info on the program and how to contribute. 

Special thanks to Diane Smith for the invitation to speak. Great job YWP! Keep it up!

 

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Love the reaction of the boy in neon! 

Spring Card 2017!

Inspiration came from a recent delightful experience. A gift of snapdragons arrived with an unexpected treat--a single ladybug!

 

I played around with color and composition, favoring mood and emotion over botanical accuracy. Things really came together once I added in a friend for our ladybug. 

Watercolor script looked nice, but liked the gritty quality of conte crayon on newsprint. 

I brought it into Photoshop as a rough, intending to ink it digitally, but something about the original spoke to me and it made it into the final with just a little cleanup. 

I mocked up a postcard back with a "stamp" pulled from the front image. I sent out almost 100 cards this spring and my list keeps expanding!

Send me a message at hello@anooshbooks.com to be added to the list. 

Now to start my summer 2017 card!