Last 2008 Sketches

Here's a last couple sketches for the year. The first is a study for this week's Illustration Friday topic "Clandestine". It is a piece that is a simple corn field scene, perhaps picture that someone might want hanging on their wall. However, what is wrong with the picture is that in the right foreground there is a marijuana plant peaking into the observer's view. The "clandestine" part of the illustration represents the planting of marijuana in corn fields that is very common here in the Central San Joaquin Valley area. Every year some crops are found and destroyed by law enforcement agencies, but I am sure it is only the tip of the iceberg.

The second drawing is a sketch at a restaurant. In my rush to finish the drawing before the food was served I got the proportions all out of wack. It is often difficult to draw when I can't quite devote my entire attention to the creative process.

Random Sketches

Here are a couple of sketches that I did today. The first is of my cat Mr. Frodo looking at birds out the window. The second is of my son and his friend watching The Creature From the Black Lagoon.

I have been quite busy during my Christmas break, but things are starting to settle down a little and I am starting to plan more projects for my art.

The biggest plan is setting up my professional website to showcase my portfolio. The site is simply a Wordpress blog site that a friend of mine is allowing me to use in exchange for my design and illustrative services.

Actually, I've hardly done any work in exchange for the website, just my ongoing sermon painting series (my friend is the minister with whom I create paintings while he gives the Sunday morning message). We're about due for another painting some time soon.

Since I don't think of blogging as being a very professional activity, I am still going to use Blogspot for blogging and Wordpress my professional activities.

With my site up (find it at http://davidrvallejo.com/, for those interested), I also plan to send lots of e-mails to solicit potential clients. In conjunction with that, and for those who don't want e-mails, I am going to print up postcards with art samples to promote myself.

With the economy the way it is, I am hoping I can stir up interest with someone willing to take a chance on an up and coming illustrator. Good thing I have a teaching job to rely on!

IF: "Rambunctious"

Not much time to really get into a sophisticated design this week. Just a little time to draw with the Sharpie.

How Santa must tire of putting up with those elves!

Final Illustration Series

Here is an overall view of my series.

To recap, this series of illustrations is based on lesson designs that I teach for grades kindergarten through the 8th grade.

My desire for this series is to refine and interpret the designs with my personal illustrative style.

Sunflower

Here is the last of my series of eight illustrations based on art lesson designs that I teach to kindergarten through 8th grades. It took longer than a week to do the series as I was planning, but now it's finally done.

It was a lot of fun to create a series based on my lessons. I think I will make it a point to do it every year, depending on how busy I am.

The sunflower was done with pen & ink and watercolor.

Cat on Table

Here is the seventh piece in my planned series of eight based on my art lesson designs. One more to go!

This design is a favorite with many of my students. It is pretty straight forward and easy to render. Also, every one's cat comes out a little different so it is always a treat to see what the kids come up with.

This is basically a portrait of my cat Mr. Frodo. Done with pen/brush & ink with watercolor.

Illustration Friday: "Balloon"

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Balloon". I thought a little bit about the topic at the beginning of the week, but didn't give it another thought until this evening. With the wife and son both busy doing their school work, I was left to come up with a quick idea and go for it.

So here it is. I tried to keep the imagery simple, yet still have the implications be meaningful. After my son asked me why I drew such a sad picture, I knew I achieved my goal.

By the way, he allowed me to have him pose his hand for the picture. I shot his hand with my phone camera and I drew the hand right from my phone. Thanks, Son!

As I think a bit about this illustration, I am not sure who suffers most, the child or the parent.

Landscape

Here is the sixth piece for my planned series of eight. A landscape based on an analogous color scheme.

Done with pen/brush & ink and watercolor.