Learning Curve + Style Study...

I know, I know ~ it's been about 20 days since I last blogged! Some of you may be wondering what the heck happened to me. I was starting to wonder that too! Haha! Well, first of all, Happy New Year to you! I decided to start 2013 with a brain blast! For Christmas, JP upgraded all of my Adobe graphic software to the latest versions, and I have been riding the learning curve for several weeks now! I feel as if I am back in school, only this time, I just ask Google or YouTube any questions if I get lost along the way! The internet is something else, isn't it?  So far, the month of January has been an exploration into the graphic design side of my business. These new design tools are amazing! So, when I marry those with my creative eye, the magic happens. Honestly, I have been mesmerized with making my own patterns, tiling those images and applying them to character shapes. OH what fun! Hours go by, and I realize that I have to pull myself away from the screen. To break things up a bit, I have been illustrating the old-fashioned way as well. I have a notepad deadline soon, so I am chipping away at the 'ol list while I squeeze in sessions of learning and experimentation. Later this week, I promise to turn the lights back on in the workshop and mix up a batch of papier mache. But for now, I will stay entranced with my new graphic design tools while time permits. And as I learn and play, I am also studying my style, simplifying it for some graphic / print applications and expanding upon it for others. Below, are just a few peeks at some of the conceptual designs I have created during the last few weeks. My fingers are crossed that the inspiration continues to flow and time allows me to expand and express my portfolio. So far, so good!

Best Wishes to you for a happy, prosperous and creative new year!
~ Johanna



* Here's a graphic design version of my signature black cat along with a jack-o'-lantern friend ~ created in Adobe Illustrator CS6...



* And, here I have applied a colorful twist to that same cat character which offers a fresh way of experiencing this fun fellow ~ created in Adobe Illustrator CS6...

* I added an outline to the jack-o'-lantern character above and floated him over a background of swirling patterns I created in Illustrator...



* The perching owl was illustrated with ink, dyes and colored pencils, then scanned. I illustrated the stylized branch in Adobe Photoshop CS6. The final image will be submitted as a notepad design soon...



* And lastly for now, the wildly patterned owl was one of my first more complex projects in Adobe Illustrator CS6. He served as a great step by step way of challenging myself to understand the pattern-making tools. I am still learning, but I think I kinda get it now!

HOOT HOOT!