InkTober

InkTober is a creation of an artist named Jake Parker.

He started his own initiative to draw an ink drawing a day for the month of October. 31 drawings for 31 days. It became a worldwide trend with thousands of artists challenging themselves to draw more.

Here's his website detailing the project.

MrJakeParker.com

Now, I've known about InkTober for awhile. But never really tried it. I'm not saying I'll finish or even start 31 drawings for October. Well, it's the fourth so I'm three days behind anyway. But while my Goose is asleep (still) I thought I'd try a little bit. Today's prompt was "Hungry".

I had been craving chocolate cake and after buying some, and then beginning to eat it (quietly and behind their backs so they wouldn't see). My kids spied me and promptly asked me and what I was eating and if they could have some.

There is never secret cake. 

This inspired my Ink-Tober "Hungry" Ink Drawing.

My finished InkTober Drawing

I'll show a bit of the progression:

 I forgot to take a picture of the pencil sketch. They usually look better to me.

 Pen and Pencil drawing

 I tried to outline with a brush pen. It didn't look right.

 I traced over all my pen marks with a thicker marker.

 I realized I hated the little outline I did around Hungry.

 I tried to cover it up.

#Inkober, #Inktober2016

And here we are.
InkTober 2016.
Day 4.
Hungry.

It has been so long since I've drawn much. I do maybe sketch one a month. They are just sketches. Sometimes for projects, sometimes because I must draw something. But the mood doesn't happen as often as it should.

The thing about art is that you can't wait for the mood. You have to do it whether you feel like it or not. It's sort of like laundry or dishes.

Here are some links to the fantastic artists to who also contribute to InkTober

Pinterest InkTober Gallery

Till Next Time,

Rudy

Starburst Mirror-Tutorial

So, its been awhile. I have procrastinated getting back to blogging. But I hope I will be better in the future.

During the holidays I began a project. A project of decorating my house. I moved my furniture from storage, put pictures on the wall, and generally made my home my own. I had been living on borrowed furniture for almost two years because we had assumed living here would be temporary. It wasn't. So we moved our furniture in and I began a long awaited and very happy process of making my house a home.

One of my projects was hanging up decorations. Well, I had an empty wall for awhile above my couch. It was a lonely wall. I brainstormed and thought and searched and decided on a starburst mirror. But I wasn't in love with the size, styles and prices of the ones available. If they were perfect they were too expensive, if  I could afford them the size or color wasn't right.

I love Pinterest so I found many to look at. Quite a few people made their own. So, here's my inspiration and my subsequent tutorial on how to make a starburst mirror.

Lovely but not quite right.

This I found online at Target.com. I liked it but it was only a clock not a mirror.

I love this one but it's gold and I wanted silver.

So I got my materials together and began this crazy project.

12" plastic plate (hobby lobby $1.99)

100 (12") wooden dowels ($2.99 for a set of 25)

Glue gun (already had it)

silver spray paint (already had it)

Hang Tite Glue for slick surfaces ($3.00)

Picture hanging hooks

Garden Shears (already had it)

8" mirror ($3.99 on sale at Hobby Lobby)

First I divided all the dowels evenly and started cutting them into three sizes. I cut 1/3 in half (six inches), and the other 1/3 of the dowels I cut at 9". The others I left at 12".  Then I got my glue gun and started to glue.

I glued them in a pattern of 12", 9", 6", 9", 12", 9", 6" and so forth.

Yay!!! 

Then I spray painted the whole thing.

After spray-painting it I glued some hooks onto the back.

I also glued a bit of felt on to the sticks to stabilize them more and to make sure they didn't scratch my wall. I put some framing wire between the to hooks and voila!!! Ready to glue on my mirror.

Unfortunately, I didn't scrape off my spray-paint on the plate, or let the glue set for 2 minutes before putting on the mirror. Needless to say the glue never set and the mirror fell off. So I scraped off the spray paint under the mirror, and re-applied the glue, let it sit for 2 minutes and then squished them together. I set some weights on the mirror and let it cure for 24 hours and this time it held like a champ.

Here's my finished star burst mirror hanging out on my formerly naked wall.

I'm pleased as punch.

Here's my sexy instagram photo.

All in all it was a great project, not too hard, and in my opinion really worth it. And for those of you who might add that the starburst mirror is so over as a trend, you are correct. It is. But I don't care. I'll never be fashionable at the correct time. Go figure.

Ruth

Artists and Illustrators of whom I am extremely jealous-Vic Chhun, Leyla Kaddoura, and Nicolas Ughen.

I found this on Drawn.ca today. So sad, but beautiful.

http://www.vimeo.com/30230507

This is just a screen capture, I cannot imbed the video, please go to the link above.

Toora-Loora-Lullaby Book

Here's the last illustration for the lullaby book. Toora Loora.

I'm not sure what I'll do now that I've finished the illustrations. Maybe I'll have them printed out and bound. Maybe I'll just let it live on my blog. Maybe I'll sell them on Etsy. Who knows.

Illustration by Ruth Krueger

Original Sketch for Toora Loora

Now that I'm finished that free's me up for more self imposed projects!! It looks a little heavy on the left side, maybe I should change the placement of the text. But many of these illustrations need some tweaking until I'm happy with them. Maybe then I'll print them out and finish this Lullaby Book. 

Ruth

Artists and Illustrators of whom I am supremely jealous

Here's some work by Craig Fraizer whose blog I follow. He's a children's book illustrator that also blogs about other people's work in his industry that impresses him. One post is of his own work that started in the early eighties, and was retrofitted--re-worked--for today with the new software and techniques available.
Go here for more:

http://36pages.com/living-letters/

Just great stuff Craig. I want to get this book.

Ruth

Goodnight Sleeptight-The Lullaby book

Here's the newest illustration for my ongoing project "The Lullaby Book" where I take lullaby's that I love or that I just want to know the words to and draw illustrations for them, and compile them in a book so I can share them with my son and I can 'finally' learn the words.

This is "Goodnight Sleeptight" By the Beatles

Goodnight Sleeptight lyrics by the Beatles, Illustration by Ruth Krueger

Original Sketch

I used the Lookout Point on the 360 bridge in Austin as the inspiration.

Hope you Like it.

Ruth

Artists and Illustrators of whom I am supremely jealous

Today I was looking through Drawn.ca and found this lovely gem of an artist.

Dadu Shin

Posted on Drawn is Dadu's tumblr feed of fashion illustrations which caught my eye.

copyright Dadu Shin

Copyright Dadu Shin

copyright Dadu Shin

Then, after going to Dadu's website I found all these wonderful illustrations:

copyright Dadu Shin

copyright Dadu Shin

copyright Dadu Shin

copyright Dadu Shin

Just great work Dadu. Just great.

Ruth

Jemma Salume-I love you

I feel like this every day.....

Jemma Salume

Jemma Salume-I Heart You.

Thanks to drawn for posting her awesome work.

Artists and Illustrators of whom I am extremely jealous-Phil Noto

I wish, that one day, I could be as talented as Phil Noto. 

I am, as always in awe. I really recommend you follow his tumblr feed.

Phil Noto

Phil Noto

Phil Noto

Phil Noto

Phil's work makes me feel like I should go back to Art School.

Ruth

Lullaby Book-Rock-a-bye Baby

Here's the newest illustration for my Lullaby Book.

"Rock-a-bye Baby"

"Rock-a-bye baby" Illustration by Ruth Krueger

Here's the finished version of Rock-a-bye Baby. I'm not sure I love it yet. I feel like more needs to be done. But that's how I feel about most of my projects. Also, that little cradle just looks wrong. I need to tweak it some.

Original Sketch.

So now, I finally, after a week off, did the illustration. I hope you like it. I changed the words some, because one, I don't like the idea of an infant falling from a tree, and two because it's my illustration. I can't find who wrote the dang thing, mostly because I haven't looked enough yet. Maybe they'd be irritated, or not. But the words I showed are the words I sing to my son.

Ruthie

Lullaby Book-Danny Boy

This particular song isn't a lullaby per se, but it is for me especially for my little boy,

Hope you like this illustration. I edited out the last two verses which focus very heavily on death. That and who really needs four verses in a lullaby? I don't so I cut them. I like being my own editor.

Danny boy, Illustration by Ruth Krueger

Original Sketch for Danny Boy

I had a couple hours today where I could do this project. I'm going to be uber busy with a wedding this coming week so I may postpone the next lullaby post until the week after.

Ruth

Artists and Illustrators of whom I am extremely jealous-Stephen Crowhurst

Just found this guy the other day on Notcot.org.

Stephen Crowhurst.

It looks like he's done work for Ford, Diesel, Zune, CB2 and more.

Here are some fantastic illustrations that are just lovely.

Stephen Crowhurst

I can see this as a children's book illustration. There's something about Stephen's work that reminds me of Samurai Jack.

Stephen Crowhurst

I could really love this is a print or a textile. Could you imagine a series of printed fabrics? I would totally buy it. I'm thinking......apron.

Stephen Crowhurst

I want this. It brings to mind 'I dream of Jeannie'.

Stephen Crowhurst

Stephen Crowhurst

Just lovely well crafted work. I hope to see more of Stephen Crowhurst's work going forward. I could see a partnership with Spoonflower the fabric digital printing company, or even a calendar of his work. 

Ruth

lullaby Book-Over the Rainbow

The latest installment of the Lullaby Book-Somewhere over the Rainbow.

I hope you like it.

Over the Rainbow, Illustration by Ruth Krueger

 Here's the original sketch. I had tried to color in the flowers individually, but the file became so large it was unwieldy. So, it became just outlines of flowers in the rainbow and it's just as good. I hope.

Original Sketch

I am hoping to get one of these done a week until I finish them all. Not all the lullaby's ever, but all I have on my list. I think I have 5 or 7 more. I feel a bit insane for taking on this project while I have many many other important (to me) projects. So you will have to forgive me if for a couple weeks I go without posting another lullaby illustration. It might take a back seat to the other more deadline oriented things I have going on, like taking classes, or finishing sewing projects. I do really want to finish this project, for Danny. My little guy. So if you see me lagging behind, make sure to comment on it. I like incentive!!

Ruth