Inktober - 7 Word Combo

     The cook was blind in the darkness, but able to hear the individual squeak of each rat as it climbed the walls searching a trail to salvation.
     "You won't find it this time, friends," he whispered.
     The ship gave a last, violent shudder as the sea bludgeoned it with her waves. She grew furious at his cowardice. He was the last man. She wanted them all.
     She poured down the galley steps in a rage and found him trembling beneath the table - her last juicy morsel.

     I had so much fun with this one! My daughter took a photo of me modeling the sea's rage. So, I guess that is what I look like when I'm angry. Scary. I also had fun creating the narrative and getting all seven of the last week's words in there.
     I'll probably do one more Inktober piece before the end of the month. Check back next Wednesday! Thanks for stopping by!

Inktober - Cloud and Deep

 If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you that this little boy was ornery today. 

   
     I don't advise teasing children, unless they're your own and you don't mind if they grow up and pick on you. Yes, sometimes my grown children pick on me. :) For the record, I also pick on my mother. It's a circle. Haha!

The day I did this, I felt like drawing a portrait and the prompt word of the day was "deep." I googled "girl with deep set eyes" and got a photo to work from.

     Inktober has been fun and it's not over yet, but I'm going to be busy for the next couple of weeks and won't get as many done. The next seven word prompts are Furious, Trail, Juicy, Blind, Ship, Squeak, and Climb. I've already combined them into a short writing sample and I'm working on one illustration for that narrative. Check back on Friday for that piece. Have a great week!

Inktober - Fat

We grew "fat" on Grandma's secret ingredient . . . love.

     I've slown down a little on Inktober. I have a new dummy book that I really need to concentrate on. But, Inktober is such a fun thing to participate in! It's hard not to keep going with at least a couple a week. This is a redo of a piece I did in color back in 2012. 

Inktober - Shattered and Mysterious

It was so cold, the leaves fell and "shattered" like glass on the ground.

Well, maybe not this year. Where the heck is autumn?

There's a house that sits back from the road, on 127 in Eaton, that I noticed for the first time about a year ago. Half of it is built like a castle. It's beautiful and fascinating and I would love to know its story. I'm pretty sure it's abandoned. "Mysterious" indeed.

Inktober - Gigantic and Run

The smallest member of the choir had the most "gigantic" voice.

After a quick "run" out to the store for bread. 

The Chandelier - Vegas

This piece done in Procreate on the iPad pro. 

    Never will I see such a beautiful lounge as the one at The Cosmopolitan in Vegas called The Chandelier. That's exactly where it feels like you are seated, inside a three story chandelier. Our kids in Vegas took us here to the mixology bar. We ordered a drink very similar to a margarita on ice but, instead of a salted rim, it is served with a flower bud that you chew on first. The bud makes your mouth tingle and as you sip the drink the taste of salt kicks in. Amazing! My daughter then ordered a drink that was served with a fresh bouquet of flowers over dry ice whose fog carried the sweet smell up to her nose as she sipped. Lovely! Quite a wonderful experience! 

Inktober - Shy and Crooked

Here is my Inktober contribution for the word prompt - SHY.

This little guy is so sweet! How could anyone reject him?!

This one is for the word prompt - Crooked. I'm pretty sure my ears are crooked. 

Glasses always tend to sit this way on my face. 

     I skipped a couple of days because I was so darned excited about my dummy books for "The First Pearl". There's always questions about how one should do a dummy book. I am not at all sure myself, but because I am always curious about how others are putting theirs together, I'd like to share my process. I've done a dummy for this story before only to receive a comment that it was too digital looking. Well, it was a dummy. It was not the way I envisioned the final book, rather an example of page layout, character ideas, text placement etc. There does not seem to room in query letters, since they are to be relatively short, to explain myself in this regard. As I am not (yet) an established author/illustrator I thought that this time I would work on it as though I had a signed contract asking for the finished product. I did each of the page spreads in oil paints exactly how I would work if/when fate (or an awesome publisher) smiles on my efforts and wants to launch me into picture-book history. I then photographed the pages, did some digital touch-ups, and added the type. I had the spreads run off at a print shop where I got 100% better looking copies than those on my home printer. Then, I cut the pages in half and with rubber cement glued each on the back of its appropriate partner. I punched two small holes through the book and tied them (very loosely so that the pages turn well) together. I am going to make clear in my query that I am open to editing and art direction. I want them to know I'm flexible, just leading with my best foot forward.
     The discouraging thing is that in reading through the "Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market" book, I find that many of the publishers are saying to not bother sending a self addressed stamped envelope because they recycle and don't return anything. What?!?! These babies weren't cheap! Haha! I guess I have to suck it up and send them anyway.  There's also many publishers who want the submissions emailed. Much cheaper and much greener, which I like, but nothing like holding a miniature book in one's hands.
     So there's my current experience for what its worth and I would like to dedicate these 5 little gems to my wonderful husband who spent time in my studio with me, helping me put these together.

Inktober 2,3, and 4

Inktober Day #2 - DIVIDED

No one is happy until the candy has been equally divided.

Inktober Day #3 - POISON

Inktober Day#4 Underwater

I made the mistake of starting this one on copy paper. (Why oh why did I do that?!) So, I couldn't add any inky washes. Lesson learned.

Inktober is Here!!!

Inktober is here and I plan to enjoy it! The challenge is to do one ink drawing a day, and although I'm going to try for that, I'll be happy to get 4 or 5 done each week. I'll post on Sundays and Wednesdays to share what I've been coming up with. There are daily word prompts that go along with the challenge and I will probably use those prompts for most of my pieces.

Thank you, Jake Parker and
Happy Inktober everyone!