Cartoon of a boy with a guitar and a boy with a flashlight. The Guitar player says, “That’s it? I thought you said you were a lighting expert?”
Kitty’s so Vain
Illustration of a cat admiring her reflection in a mirror. A dog looks on.
It’s so hard to be humble when the hair on your face is so luxurious. I’m sure that’s what my cat said to me this morning. She knows I’m jealous because she can grow better facial hair than I could ever hope to achieve.
I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week’s word is “vanity.”
Blah, Blah, Blah: the Book
Kudos to Dan Roam’s new book, “Blah, Blah, Blah: What to do when words won’t work.” I read his earlier book, “The Back of the Napkin,” because I wanted to use my pictures while teaching kids. Roam’s new book takes the idea of incorporating pictures and words even further. I bought this book on Friday. it was so good, I devoured it in the last forty-eight hours!
I especially loved in the beginning where he tells how Dr. Seuss made such an impression on him as a child as well as others. Lately, I’ve heard doomsayers announce the death of picture books. This book shows that we need pictures to go with our words more than ever because we need both to really learn something. I highly recommend it for anyone who gives presentations, teaches, or just wants to get an idea across in the most effective way.
You can on the image above to order a copy.
You can also check out his web site at danroam.com.
The Sounds of Silence
Here’s an illustration of a woman ranting while a man wears ear muffs.
I’m thankful I’ve never had this problem. Still, whenever I’ve gotten on my lawn mower and donned the ear muffs, I’ve wondered what creative ways I could use them beyond mowing.
I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week’s word is “silent.”
I got this book over the weekend. I was excited when I saw it on a book shelf. It means the new year can start, even if it is two months early.
I noticed this year’s edition has more articles for the beginners in the front of the book. The markets are changing rapidly and this is addressed in the beginning pages. I was disappointed to see the articles cover the writing end of the market, but don’t address the needs of the illustrators. I would like to see more coverage on how to make it as an illustrator as well as a writer.
Fortunately, there is plenty of information for illustrators within the publisher’s entries.
You can click on the image to order a copy through Amazon.com. Happy submitting, everyone!