DaniDraws.com

Here’s a quick painting tip for you to consider.

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It has been awhile since I posted a video (First one this year… yikes!). This a small character sketch of Mr. Tumnus from “The Chronicles of Narnia” that I made as a study for one of my paintings. I played a lot with different brushes and textures. Made in Adobe Photoshop.

Video: Faun Sketch (Quicktime, 00:52, 3.21 MB)

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Well, it is now past the midway point in June and I just realized that I never posted a new Book of the Month. So, I would like to take a moment and reiterate last month’s recommendation, The Art of Kung Fu Panda.

Since my original post, when the book was only available for pre-order, I have purchased the book for myself and have seen the film for which it was made. All I’ve got to say is this…

THIS BOOK IS FREAKIN’ AWESOME!!!

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In a recent assignment, I had to create a sketch of a cat. In my short time as a children’s illustrator, I’ve had to draw many, many cats. At this point, they seem to come almost automatically. Say “Cat,” and I can have several sketches for you in a matter of minutes, without the need to research or look up reference.

The same goes for any number of animals - dogs, chickens, pigs - I’ve drawn them so many times, it’s easy to come up with several characters on the spot.

It’s a good idea for an illustrator to have a “catalog” of subjects that he knows really well and can draw from memory, especially when working in a specific industry like children’s illustration where you are asked to draw the same type of subjects over and over again. This kind of skill will give you a head start on virtually every assignment you receive.

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