Are you an artist or illustrator trying to break into the children's book or app market? Check out Will Terry's online art classes on design, illustration, Photoshop, digital painting, and more at the Folio Academy.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Search for the Woodcutter (Guardians of the Gift - Choose Your Own Adventure)
If you have arrived in the middle of the adventure, you may start at the beginning by going HERE.
Search for the Woodcutter
The woodcutter was not nearby. Erik dashed to the castle stable and tossed a saddle and bridle on his pony, Benton. In no time he was mounted and trotting smartly across the drawbridge, down the frozen road, and into the forest.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Foldify: A Fun Little App
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© 2012 S.J. |
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Screenshot from Foldify |
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:
Friday, December 14, 2012
Year of Living Creatively/ 12 x 12 Blog Party
Although I only completed 4-5 picture book manuscripts as part of the 12 x 12 in 2012 challenge, I've had a super creative year. So in this party post, I celebrate my creative highlights and share what I learned, including some resources for illustrators and writers.
(1) In April, I was thrilled to be a part of New Waves 2012, a curated exhibit of "up and coming" artists at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach.
Creative Highlights of 2012
(1) In April, I was thrilled to be a part of New Waves 2012, a curated exhibit of "up and coming" artists at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach.
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Contemplating my lionfish painting |
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Make Your Own Glass Holiday Ornament
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Finished glass ornaments |
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Ebooks and Print Books Can Coexist (Infographic)
I've been quite interested in the rise of e-books, from both a reader's and a writer's perspective (check out my comic on the battle of ebooks v. readers). Teachingdegree.org has published a fascinating update of how people currently use e-books and print books. Most of the information is not surprising to me (people with e-readers read more books and also read printed books), but it was interesting to learn that reading e-books is slower than print books.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Bear Picture Books!
Recently, I've noticed a bunch of fun bear-centric picture books. Although they seem to be the new "it" character (like penguins were for awhile), bears have always been mainstays in picture books. Here's a roundup of great bear picture books, both classic and new:
New or Newish Bear Books
Goldilocks and Just One Bear, by Leigh Hodgkinson (Candlewick Press, 2011) This is a delightful story of a bear who is lost in the big city and ends up in a penthouse apartment. He sit on chairs that are too hard and too soft; he tries to eat porridge that is too soggy or too crunchy; he tries to find just the right bed. Cleverly, the illustrations show that the things he is trying out are very different from the text (the "chairs" turn out to be cacti and a cat; the "porridge" is a fishbowl or cat food). In a neat twist, the family comes home and the golden-haired mom looks awfully familiar to the bear.
New or Newish Bear Books
Goldilocks and Just One Bear, by Leigh Hodgkinson (Candlewick Press, 2011) This is a delightful story of a bear who is lost in the big city and ends up in a penthouse apartment. He sit on chairs that are too hard and too soft; he tries to eat porridge that is too soggy or too crunchy; he tries to find just the right bed. Cleverly, the illustrations show that the things he is trying out are very different from the text (the "chairs" turn out to be cacti and a cat; the "porridge" is a fishbowl or cat food). In a neat twist, the family comes home and the golden-haired mom looks awfully familiar to the bear.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Spam Comments can be Fun
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Connect the Dots: Global Warming & Hurricane Sandy
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Happy Halloween!
We were lucky that Hurricane Sandy mostly passed us by. We had lots of rain and wind, and the kids had no school, so we took advantage of their day off to carve some pumpkins. This year my 8-year old wanted a really scary pumpkin so I drew this and she carved it:
We were also at a fair earlier in the Fall and came across a pumpkin and gourd artist who carved the surface of pumpkins using carving tools for linoleum blocks. I had some at home so thought I'd give it a go:
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Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Scale of the Universe
This is just very cool: The Scale of the Universe, by Cary and Michael Hwang (who were 14 when they created this), an interactive graphic that covers the scale of all things in the universe, from the smallest things (quantum foam, planck length) to the largest (the observable universe). It starts with a screenshot of humans:
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Click here to go to the interactive graphic |
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Five Ways to Increase Your Blog's Page Views
So you started a blog. What's the secret to increasing its page views? This blog is tiny compared to many, but happily, it's going in an upward direction.
This blog bumped along until a year ago, when I made a concerted effort to post more consistently and increase my exposure. Here are five things I did that helped increase my page views and readership:
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Picture Book Trends Update: Fall 2012
This summer, I lamented the fact that the big box bookstore no longer featured picture books in its main display in the children's section. I went in a couple of weeks ago and, happily, the picture books are back:
I also take heart, because although it still helps to be Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, or Laura Numeroff to get featured on the main shelf, look at the top left corner. Sherri Duskey Rinker is a first-time author who has seen her debut picture book, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site rocket to the best-seller charts. My blogging friend Romelle Broas has a fascinating interview with Sherri about how she defied all the unwritten rules of the publishing industry (no rhyming books, you need an agent, no bedtime stories) to achieve her success.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
I also take heart, because although it still helps to be Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, or Laura Numeroff to get featured on the main shelf, look at the top left corner. Sherri Duskey Rinker is a first-time author who has seen her debut picture book, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site rocket to the best-seller charts. My blogging friend Romelle Broas has a fascinating interview with Sherri about how she defied all the unwritten rules of the publishing industry (no rhyming books, you need an agent, no bedtime stories) to achieve her success.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
- Picture Book Trends: mid 2012 Report (Aug. 2012)
- More Picture Book Trends: Holiday Edition (Nov. 2011)
- Picture Book Trends: Part 2 (Oct. 2011)
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Sweet Squares Collage
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
This collage looks like it's missing one more square, doesn't it?
If you liked this post, you may also like:
More Sweet Squares (#23-#28)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:
- Haring Homage (Sweet Squares #19 - #22)
- Meaning (Sweet Squares #16 - #18)
- Panda Art (Sweet Squares #11 - #15)
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Haring Homage (Sweet Squares #19-#22)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:
- Meaning (Sweet Squares #16-18)
- Panda Art (Sweet Squares #11-#15)
- Alex Masket's Art (mesmerizing art by an autistic man)
Friday, September 21, 2012
Meaning (Sweet Squares #16 - #18)
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Lined Seahorse (Sweet Square #10)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
(This Sweet Square is part of my continuing explorations with watercolor).
If you liked this post, you may also like:
- Cuttlefish (Sweet Square #8)
- Funky Frog from Melted Crayons (Sweet Squares #5 and #6)
- Steampunk Squid (Sweet Square #4)
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Light a Candle (Sweet Square #9)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
There are few days in my life that I'll never forget, and 9/11 was one of them: my husband was in Manhattan and I was at a meeting a block from the White House when we heard of the attacks. I was six months pregnant with my daughter, and I remember walking 10 blocks back to my office, staring in horror along with everyone else on the crowded and traffic-jammed streets, as we looked at the smoke coming from the Pentagon to the south. It was the first time in my life I felt a personal sense of danger from a terrorist attack (as opposed to muggers and other city dangers). I remember wondering bitterly what kind of world my daughter would be born into, and being angry that everything would be different from then on.
Well, those feelings faded as life went on. Though the country went to war, Homeland Security was set up, color-coded threat levels were created, and 6 ounce bottles of gels were confiscated, I never again felt so personally connected to the world of terrorism. The news today reminds me that American diplomats and troops are on the front lines every day, and that it is very real to them. And it is real to the citizens who live in these war-torn countries. In the world their children are born into, it's not so easy to dismiss violence and terrorism as a sad news story.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Cuttlefish (Sweet Square #8)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
Cuttlefish are less well known than other cephalopods, but just as interesting:
- Their blood is greenish-blue because it uses a copper-containing protein, hemocyanin, to carry oxygen instead of the red iron-containing protein hemoglobin we're familiar with.
- They are masters of disguise because they can rapidly change skin colors to camouflage themselves.
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:
Monday, September 10, 2012
Little Map (Sweet Square #7)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Funky Frog from Melted Crayons (Sweet Squares #5 & #6)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
Starting with that as a background, I sketched a frog, and then started experimenting. Here are the end results:
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Funky Frog © 2012 Sylvia Liu |
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Swirly Frog © 2012 Sylvia Liu |
What kind of handmade or painted backgrounds have you used for digital illustrations? (P.S. This entry covers sweet squares #5 and #6).
If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy these other illustrations I've done using scanned hand painted or hand made patterns:
- Illustration Friday: Stay (watercolor wash for the water)
- Happy Chinese New Year (older daughter's painting for dragon body)
- Illustration Friday: Dusty (painted moon as background)
Friday, September 7, 2012
Steampunk Squid (Illustration Friday & Sweet Square #4)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
(1) It's my fourth entry for Sweet Squares, a 30-day challenge to draw or create something every day. So far I've been on a cephalod kick, drawing a nautilus, octopus, and kraken, and adding some fun facts. Here are my squid facts:
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Kraken (Sweet Squares #3)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
Kraken are:
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Curious Octopus (Sweet Squares #2)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
Reasons I love octopi:
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Nautilus (Sweet Squares day 1)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
Monday, August 27, 2012
Picture Book Trends: Mid-2012 Report
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Center display in kids section... no picture books |
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More of the center display...the illustrated chapter book seems to be popular. |
Every half year or so, I go to the big name bookstore in town (rhymes with Yarns and Global) to see what picture books they feature in the middle wall of the kids' section. This is my totally unscientific way to assess current picture book trends, or at least find out what picture books are considered the biggest commercial sellers.
Last week I went in and found . . . no picture books at all in that section. Instead, middle grade books were being featured, with a whole section devoted to the graphic novel/illustrated chapter books that were popularized by the Wimpy Kid series.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Lake Champlain sunset
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
Friday, August 10, 2012
5 Excellent Web Comic Sites
I have recently started making comics and infographics, and only hope one day to be as inspired, funny, and smart as these five excellent web comic artists:
1) Indexed (Jessica Hagy)
Jessica Hagy is an artist and a writer with a mathematical mind. She draws clever and funny charts and Venn diagrams on all aspects of the human condition. Her blog has been popular since 2006, and her work is published in several books, including one of my favorite recent purchases, Information Graphics. Sample index card:
1) Indexed (Jessica Hagy)
Jessica Hagy is an artist and a writer with a mathematical mind. She draws clever and funny charts and Venn diagrams on all aspects of the human condition. Her blog has been popular since 2006, and her work is published in several books, including one of my favorite recent purchases, Information Graphics. Sample index card:
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from Jessica Hagy's blog, Indexed, May 2012 archives |
Monday, August 6, 2012
Project for a Hot Summer Day: Baking Cookies in a Car
Last month during one of the summer heat waves, my kids and I tried to bake cookies in our car. Our experiment was only half successful. It was close to 100 degrees outside, but instead of parking the car in the sun for several hours and letting nature and car do its course, we had to do some errands. So we kept opening the "oven" and cooling it down with AC. In the end, we only had half baked cookies that we finished in a real oven. The car smelled great, though, and next time we'll get it right.
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Infographic: Games People Play
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
All You Need to Know about Book to Movie Adaptations: A Venn Diagram
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(Click on image to enlarge) © 2012 Sylvia Liu |
What do you think? What other books/movies fall into these categories?
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
Friday, July 13, 2012
Review: Neal Stephenson's REAMDE
I tend to think authors who write books of over 1000 pages are a bit indulgent and rely on the good will of their rabid fans. But since I am one of those fans, I loved every page of Neal Stephenson's REAMDE (William Morrow, 2011). It's a page-turning geeky techno-thriller that reads like a mashup of Guy Ritchie movies (think Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels), James Bond movies, and all the hacker movies you've ever seen.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
4 Excellent Audio Books for Kids
Recently, my kids and I have started listening to books on CD on most of our car rides, whether 10 minute errands or longer trips. I don't know why it took us so long to figure out that this is a great way to fill up what adds up to be significant amounts of time.
Listening to a book is a very different experience than reading one. I enjoy the choice phrases and descriptions more. It's a small luxury to hear a professional actor read a story aloud. And it's a good way to introduce books that may be beyond my younger daughter's reading level. Here are the ones my girls (10 and 8) have enjoyed the most recently:
Listening to a book is a very different experience than reading one. I enjoy the choice phrases and descriptions more. It's a small luxury to hear a professional actor read a story aloud. And it's a good way to introduce books that may be beyond my younger daughter's reading level. Here are the ones my girls (10 and 8) have enjoyed the most recently:
Sunday, July 1, 2012
I'm Crashing the 12 x 12 Party
My fellow members of the 12x12 in 2012 challenge (the goal is to write 12 picture books in 12 months in 2012) are checking in and joining the rollicking half-way point blog party. I'm crashing this party, because I haven't completed my six manuscripts. I'm over half way through the half way goal, so that counts for something, right?
Here are some excuses. The past six months, I've been busy:
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
June Comics up at AltDaily/ So Many Ideas, So Little Time
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"Earthrise" © 2011 Sylvia Liu |
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Learning to Surf: Some Scenarios
Friday, June 15, 2012
Do Oil Imports Affect Gas Prices? (Infographic)
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
Some cool news: an infographic I designed for the nonprofit ocean conservation group, Oceana, on oil imports and gas prices, has been published at the Huffington Post. Oceana researched the question whether the amount of oil a country imports affects its gas prices at the pump, and the answer was no. I helped translate this information into this infographic on gas prices.
I used to work for Oceana as an attorney, so it was great to work with them in a new capacity as a commissioned graphic designer/illustrator.
If you liked this post, you may also like:
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Illustration Friday: Shiny
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© 2012 Sylvia Liu |
(fingerpainted on my iPad)
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
At Least I Knew How to Use a Handkerchief Properly
Continuing on the theme of nostalgic memories, I came across my Kindergarten report card recently. I love the mid-century design vibe of this report card. I doubt anything a kid brings home these days has this much style. I also like how the skills required to graduate from Kindergarten were much simpler back when.
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