The Lost Thing

If you didn't see the oscars, this is the film that got an Oscar for best animated short film.



Looks pretty cool, I need to get the full version!


Check out the official website at http://www.thelostthing.com/

what is your most favorite things to draw?

Small versions of everything what I call "Littletures". Littleture comes from the words Little and Caricature mash together.

Ask me anything

Which artist has inspired you the most?

This is a very very hard question, so many artists/illustrators inspires me. There is one way I can answer your question, the artist that made me realize that I wanted to illustrate for books was Mary Grandpre. Her beautiful cover illustrations were what attracted me to the harry potter books. They felt magical to my eyes.

Ask me anything

Find Waldo in MaxetCharlotte's Pictures

Got to MaxetCharlotte's website to look for Waldo in all their photographs a-la-Where's-Waldo!
What a great way to start the weekend :)


Ps: Funny Fact in Mexico Waldo is known as Wally.

5 Things to Remember

While reading Pikaland I came across this awesome illustrated tips from We Design Studios. I had to share it :)

What is your ideal art scenario (profession, location, product creation, etc)?

After I'm done with my schooling I see myself working on Children illustration. Not just illustrating my stories, but also the story of others. As for location let's see where life takes me, since I love to travel. : )

Ask me anything

The Art of Lisbeth Zwerger

This week "From My Library to Yours" we have The Art of Lisbeth Zwerger by Lisbeth Zwerger. Lisbeth Zwerger is a winner of the 1990  Hans Christian Andersen award, which is like the Nobel prize for illustrators.  This book is exquisite, I love to spent hours in a couch drinking my tea and just studying her illustrations for hours, that's how exquisite it is. You can clearly see her strong influences Arthur Rackham and E.H. Shepard in her style. Anyway Here is a peek of the book:

Click image to buy book

The little toucan is my new page holder helper "Tupi."

Her work is beautiful!, can you believe that at first she was discouraged to follow children illustration? As cheesey I'm about to sound I have to say I'm so glad she listened to her heart.

She has no website (sad I know) but HERE is an interview of her.

Fabiola Garza

I Just came across Fabiola Garza's beautiful illustrations when reading her interview HERE. She has such a beautiful style and I love the color palette she always chooses. Also her character design is pretty cool and her illustrations have a strong sense of storytelling. She does her illustrations mostly in digital, but once in a while she uses her traditional skills. She's Also writing a children's book about the childhood of Pope John Paul II named Lolek and the cover art is gorgeous!

Visit her Website for more of her work: http://www.fabiolagarza.com/

Her Blog: http://fabisart.blogspot.com/

Her DevianArt: http://crownjewel.deviantart.com/

Book Carvings

Ah Julia Feld's Book carvings are sweet!

Check out her WEBSITE for more.

formspring.me

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/byromina

What's the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?

I have to make my lists!!

Ask me anything

Traveling Art Studio

Though I'm thrilled about my traveling adventures that lays ahead (3 locations within the next 2 years), I'm sad I will not have the conformity of a whole space dedicated to my work (at least until I'm done with my schooling then move to my final location in Mexico where I will open my illustration studio) Anyway I have come across my solution! I got so excited I have to share my findings :)

Click on image to go to store

Click on image to go to store

So cute but it would be too heavy for me!! Click image to see source.

Pretty cool no? I tried looking for more but I guess its not a common necessity. I'm definitely going to go with the first choice mainly because I'm investing in a watercolor paper stretcher and it would only fit on that suitcase. I may not be able to take all my books or my light box, but for now I can take all my art supplies (except liquid items of course).

Kelly Murphy

I can't believe I haven't talked about Kelly Murphy already. She is one of my favorite illustrators! I love her style, character designs, the way she renders and gives it texture! they give this sense of glow and flow, that just pleases my eyes.

She works with oils, acrylics and digital, so I guess mix media would be the right term. When I look at all these amazing works it makes me so impatient because I'm not settled in my new studio (which won't be ready till next year) I guess that's the catch-22 of moving around too much. But once I'm settled in my studio I plan to have two bookshelves Art books and youth books (children books included) because I want to buy some of her books specially the Beastologist Nathaniel Fludd series, Haunted Houses and her picture books.

Visit her website: http://www.kelmurphy.com/

Her Blog: http://didyoudrinkmybeer.blogspot.com/

Hand Lettering

Watching this video makes me want to take calligraphy. :)

Water Paper Paint

This book was given to me for christmas, that's how well my family knows me. They know books and arts makes my tender heart smile :). This week's book is "Water Paper Paint" by Heather Smith Jones. If you are a watercolorist, this book is perfect for you, for two reasons one) it has a great introduction in everything watercolors from paper, to paint labels and color palettes  and two) it also shares with you fun experimental techniques that you can do beyond the traditional way to watercolor. Anyway enough of my rambling here you can peek now:

Click image to buy book

Pretty cool no?


Visit Heather Smith Jone's WEBSITE to see her work and her BLOG for inspiration.

Guillermo Del Toro

Haha When I found out, there was an interview of Guillermo del Toro in the latest issue of the new yorker,I right away went to read it online. It has to be the most informative interview I have read of him, that I decided to run to the bookstore and get me a copy to add it to my library. Such a nerd .

If you are abig fan of his movies (like me )I highly recommend you to go read the article here:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/07/110207fa_fact_zalewski

Here's a cool video about his sketchbooks, which blew me away:

Dave A. Stevenson

Another wonderful Map illustrator for our little explorer inside of us. Dave A. Stevenson  illustrates other subjects as well but is his maps that get my heart racing and makes me want to travel. I love the soft color palette he uses and his lettering is mouth watering, what a hand! I'm not sure what medium he uses, but it looks like inks and watercolors. Beautiful no? He should illustrate a whole world Atlas.


Go check out his website for more maps and other illustrations at http://www.dastevenson.com/

It's a Book

This video of Lane's Smith new book made me smile, so cute :)

You can read about the inspiration of this book HERE
Also visit Lane's Smith site: www.lamesmithbooks.com

The Google Art Project

Today I went to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.


Virtually.


Thanks to Google, I was able to get reaaally close to the paintings and be able to see Van Gogh's thick brushstrokes (amazing!)  and no one told me to step back and it was a delicious feeling.  No just that, also each painting has information about its history and its artist (some come with videos!).


So exciting!


Here are 3 quick amazing videos about the project. My favorite is the behind the scenes one, I always love to see the process of how a project was done.

Visit the project at : http://www.googleartproject.com/


Another reason to love google :)


I already know I'll be spending most of my weekend exploring all these museums, while drinking a cup of hot chocolate. 


Have a great weekend everyone!

The Arthur Rackham Treasury.

This week's book "From my Library to Yours" is  about the beautiful work of Arthur Rackham. This book is not a biography about Rackham, but rather is just illustrations, 86 beautiful full color Illustrations (big enough to see details).

The book is called "The Arthur Rackham Treasury: 86 Full Color Illustrations."

Peek at it:

Whenever I want to do a fantasy piece and need inspiration, this is one of the books I always love to flip through. The main reason being that I love how Rackham draws and paints nature, specially water and trees.

You can see some of his illustrations HERE.

You can buy the book HERE.

See you tomorrow :)