LOVE Eric Carle and I don’t know if it was your intention but this cover has a similar style. (That is a compliment, of course.) Do you do your illustration on paper and then digitize it or use a drawing program? It’s great regardless, I’m just always curious and it’s so hard to tell these days.
Eric Carle is a huge inspiration for me. My goal is to create work that has the same playfulness in terms of color, texture, and shape. I use a mix of analog and digital tools. I have a collage approach to illustration instead of drawing.
My first step is to use watercolor brush pens on paper to create big color swatches. I then digitize those and cut shapes out of them and assemble different things. So in the case of the cover, I digitally cut a circle out of a swatch of yellow that I painted. The sky is a piece of a swatch of blue I painted, and the ocean is from a swatch of an ocean pattern I painted. I sometimes physically cut the wave patterns and sometimes I do it digitally. I don't remember which technique I used on the cover. I save all the swatches and most of the shapes I cut in a digital archive so I can reuse them. I also collage in elements of art that are in the public domain. So the seagull on the cover is from a 1910 nature illustration. I slightly altered its colors.
For the rubber ducks in the haiku comic, I used a different swatch of yellow and cut out different shapes that I pieced together to make the duck shapes.
I'm sure you've seen it, but one of my favorite things is the old episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood where he visits Eric Carle's studio and we get to see him make some of his art! https://pbskids.org/video/mister-rogers/1430584275
Interesting thoughts, and to a certain extent I do get what you mean. However, I have only recently discovered your work, but I really like it. I think you manage to find a fresh take every time, and it's also a very impressive thing you do.
And don't forget: an imposter competition is to find the best imposter, not the best real thing. You, my friend, are the real thing.
LOVE Eric Carle and I don’t know if it was your intention but this cover has a similar style. (That is a compliment, of course.) Do you do your illustration on paper and then digitize it or use a drawing program? It’s great regardless, I’m just always curious and it’s so hard to tell these days.
Eric Carle is a huge inspiration for me. My goal is to create work that has the same playfulness in terms of color, texture, and shape. I use a mix of analog and digital tools. I have a collage approach to illustration instead of drawing.
My first step is to use watercolor brush pens on paper to create big color swatches. I then digitize those and cut shapes out of them and assemble different things. So in the case of the cover, I digitally cut a circle out of a swatch of yellow that I painted. The sky is a piece of a swatch of blue I painted, and the ocean is from a swatch of an ocean pattern I painted. I sometimes physically cut the wave patterns and sometimes I do it digitally. I don't remember which technique I used on the cover. I save all the swatches and most of the shapes I cut in a digital archive so I can reuse them. I also collage in elements of art that are in the public domain. So the seagull on the cover is from a 1910 nature illustration. I slightly altered its colors.
For the rubber ducks in the haiku comic, I used a different swatch of yellow and cut out different shapes that I pieced together to make the duck shapes.
I'm sure you've seen it, but one of my favorite things is the old episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood where he visits Eric Carle's studio and we get to see him make some of his art! https://pbskids.org/video/mister-rogers/1430584275
When I think of you being you, you come to mind! You're keeping it real Jason-keep it going! Excited for your new publication. 👍
Thanks!
Interesting thoughts, and to a certain extent I do get what you mean. However, I have only recently discovered your work, but I really like it. I think you manage to find a fresh take every time, and it's also a very impressive thing you do.
And don't forget: an imposter competition is to find the best imposter, not the best real thing. You, my friend, are the real thing.