Wednesday, May 13, 2009

"Parade" - Illustration Friday entry #2





It's been a great challenge this week to come up with something for the IllustrationFriday.com subject, Parade. I thought I would come up with a jungle animal scene, and sketched that out but determined it lacked a bit of "oomph". I'll upload that sketch too and see what you all think..but in the meantime, over a wonderful Mother's Day weekend, I came up with this idea - which is basically what it feels like to me to frost two batches of cupcakes while my little helpers help decorate and get the cupcakes out of the pans and such. It's like a "parade" during the many baking days we have here. 

PS: I still am struggling with how far to take the watercolor (intensity wise) and when to stop - so this illo was a challenge, and I'm so happy to be doing this to help me to get through a lot of illustration-challenges I've had. Any comments (good or bad) – and helpful tips – would be GREATLY appreciated everyone!!

27 comments:

  1. What a lovely Illustration Shirley! The colours are lovely and bright. Those cupcakes look yummy.

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  2. Beautiful! I like this style so delicate!! Very good!

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  3. I like both of your illustrations on the topic. Very cute :) I think the watercolour intensity is perfect for the subject matter. Great work!

    P.S. Thanks for stopping by my blog :)

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  4. I absolutely love the cupcake one! Beautiful colors and so nicely put together. Great job!

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  5. Great idea and lovely colours! I wish cupcake parades were real!

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  6. simply wonderful, now I have go get some cupcakes!

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  7. Beautiful illustrations! I love your style!

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  8. This is so charming! Love the bunnies!

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  9. My human mom does not let me eat cupcakes! But she LOVES your illustration.... I think she eats cupcakes though!
    Tail Wags to All.
    ~Moose

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  10. Sweeter than cupcakes!!

    Your water colouring style is neat and delicate.

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  11. Love the bunnies too!

    I hope you complete the jungle parade too; that looks great.

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  12. Many thanks for all of your kind comments, thoughts and posts...I appreciate it very much!!!
    Shirley

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  13. Love the yummy colors! This is a parade I want to join!

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  14. Both are really wonderful! I would love to see you paint the jungle parade as well!

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  15. Mmmm, cupcake parades are my favorite kind! So cheerful.

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  16. i think both could be a great illo, but i agree with you, the animals parade is too common as an idea, although you inserted a cute story of the naughty little monkey.^^ the cupcake parade is great! the way you color your illo is beautiful, the bright colors is something children would be liked. you do the intensity just fine, it is a light watercolor, and that's what watercolor should be like. i'm still struggling with it myself. :p

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  17. What a delightful illustration Shirley! I love the concept and your rendering...the colors are just perfect! I think a cupcake parade would have to rate up there as one of my favorite kinds!! Absolutely precious!!

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  18. PS - the jungle sketch is awfully cute too!!

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  19. You know I really like your illustrations Shirley but you know my style so I'm going to critique you on what I do to my illustrations. The cupcake parade is really nice color wise, layout, and idea but the only problem I have with it is that it still has somewhat of a sketch feel to it, not a polished finished piece. If you could clean up a few things in the illustration it would look a little more finished. Of course you are better in watercolor than me so I don't know how to tell you how to do that. Other than that though, I love it.

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  20. Hi Shirley! Thanks for the nice comment about my illustration!
    I absolutely love the cupcake parade:)
    I think that the watercolor intensity is lovely and energetic- perfect for the topic!
    Have you ever tried to layer white ink over watercolor? That's my new favorite thing to do, although not traditionally "technically" correct in watercoloring!

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  21. Looks like you might have a parade of ants with the cupcake illo. I would love to see the finish product with the animal parade... Looks great already!

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  22. Your illos are so sweet!!! thank you for your comment in my blog :)

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  23. This is by far my favorite of yours!! I dont know how you do it.. I have SUCH a hard time with water colors... ahhh they make me mad and frustrated just thinking about them. I feel like there is no room for mistakes with them. but YOU, you do it perfectly!! your bunnies are SOOOO cute! The colors are just amazing!

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  24. I love love love these!! Espesially the bottom one... Reminds me og The Junglebook, Junglekids. (or wathever its called in english...)

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  25. I'm not an artist, by far, but an avid consumer and would love for you to finish the jungle one and post both of these up for sale on etsy so I may purchase them...LOVE YOUR WORK!

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  26. I love the jungle theme! Do you do larger scales? like painting murals?

    -Jessica Apjoke
    jlapjoke@gmail.com

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