jump

Easter Rabbits are supposed to hop, not jump. . .Hipster Bunny don't care.  Heck.  He uses jumping assistance devices. . he's that hip. 

You might recognize Hipster Bunny from my bunny exploration about a month ago.  I sort of fell in love with this character and I think I might explore him a little more (even though it's a little late for Easter art lol).

Oh, and of course, I had to provide a Hipster Bunny coloring page:

I dare you to draw a smile on his face. . double dog (i mean bunny) dare you!

heights

I'd be afraid of heights too if I had to jump from icy cliffs. . .at least this penguin has some diving gear :).  This one's an oldy, but a goody. . I've been trying to be less digital in my present illustration work.

Also, I had the privilege of meeting a very talented 9 year old boy named Caine this weekend at the Exploratorium:

If you haven't heard his story, I highly recommend checking out the video below.  You'll find it inspirational, heartwarming, and hilarious.  If you'd like to contribute to Caine's scholarship fund, you can also check out his website here.

puzzled

You can have quite the puzzled experience, trying to figure out the inner workings of the heart. . but I definitely think it is well worth the effort :).

This week's Illustration Friday entry is a little late but I still like the concept.  Also, you can color in your own heart with the printout below!

Lastly, I'd love for you to all check out my very talented friend Claudia's rendition of Johnny Depp for the upcoming Tim Burton vampire movie.  It is definitely well worth the look!

vocal

Bunnies are like people. . .

. . .they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes!  

It's a bit of a stretch, but these bunnies show how important it is to be vocal about your differences.   I used to hide my differences (ex. my deep obsession with accordions), because I thought people would think I was weird.  But you know. . being weird/different is what makes you unique!

Ok, enough of the pep talk. . I hope you all have a bunnyful weekend and here's my holiday treat:

It's another coloring page!  Color these bunnies any which way you like. . .like I said, be different and be vocal about it ;).

return

Let us return to the root of all artwork. . cave paintings.  I had the privilege of seeing the caves of Lascaux and Rouffignac during our trip through France a few years back.  No photography was allowed so I sure was glad that I had brought my sketchbook.  I inked what I saw using a calligraphy pen and then replicated the cave colors digitally in Photoshop once I returned home.

Sorry this isn't a new piece, but it's a perfect introduction to a topic I've been wanting to discuss about illustration:  style.  One concept that is often emphasized in the conferences I've attended is that an illustrator wants to represent a consistent and unique art style in his/her portfolio.

This is a problem for me. . .because I like to work in a variety of styles:

inked & realistic

abstract & geometric

digital

loose & sketchy

inked & painterly

just painterly

The topic/project usually helps me choose which style to use on each illustration.  I've especially been focusing on the last two (inked & painterly + painterly) to bring more focus to my portfolio, but sometimes. . oh, sometimes. . I just want to explore.  I think I'm going to try that a bit for a few days ;).

How about you guys?  Do you have a distinctive style?  Do you have many?  What helps you choose which style to feature in your portfolio? I'd love to hear about your experiences!