Rebecca Green's Blog, page 6

Thoughts.

HEY.

Let’s talk. These past two weeks, the Black Lives Matter movement extended across the US and the globe, a movement that should have been widely acknowledged and heeded long ago. A call that should have been answered long ago. I am so sorry to the friends and families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others as they grieve the loss of their loved ones.
I won’t pretend to have long-standing or thorough insight because I’d long assumed being not-racist was enough. But these last two weeks have opened my eyes as to why we must do the work to become antiracist. As a white person, I acknowledge that I have immense privilege. The systematic racism built into the core of the country must be dismantled, and it means many of us have to get uncomfortable and we have to do the work. I’m committed, for the long haul, to listen, learn, and unlearn. Even as I’ll make mistakes, I promise to work, as an individual and as an artist, to dismantle white supremacy and lift up marginalized voices. To lift up Black voices. I stand with you.

This week, The Brown Bookshelf hosted the KidLit Rally 4 Black Lives. “Around the nation, people are hurting. Award-winning authors Kwame Alexander, Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds (have) organized a Kidlit Rally for Black Lives.” The rally was incredibly insightful and amazing - the first hour was geared towards children, and the second hour was for librarians, teachers, and adults. You can find the video on The Brown Bookshelf youtube channel. You can also find their list of antiracist resources for children, families, and educators here.

This week, I also began reading How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and I highly recommend it.
I’ll be sharing more as I read them, though there are countless lists available if you need a place to start.

ALSO VOTE.

I’m in the process of planning and organizing ways I can be of service not just this week, but in the long term. Beyond voting, donating and learning, I am focusing on ways to be of service in the realm of promotion within the publishing/illustraton industry, and mentoring. In the meantime, if you’re a creative and you have time in your schedule to provide pro-bono work for BIPOC businesses, you can offer your work here at Deloris.

Black Lives Matter.

Drawing from Life (again) May 29, 2020

Maybe you’re a pro at drawing from life. Perhaps you find time to paint on location, sketch a study of your kitchen counter, or keep your hand drawing while stealing glances of the lovely folks seated near you in coffee shop. If so - I commend you! I, myself, had taken a hiatus from observational drawing. I came to think of it as boring, and since I wanted to move away from realistic work, I decided it just held me back from diving into more imaginary worlds. Really, the only time I drew from life was when I was alone at an airport, or if I was doing research for a project. I do love to journal but honestly, most of my visual journaling is done from memory and not on location.

During the last couple of months, however, staying (and working from) home, I dove back into drawing from life.

It all started with The Good Ship Illustration. I’m taking their six-week course (more on that later) which I love. It’s made me feel like…an artist! I learned about The Good Ship Illo from Helen Stephens’ newsletter (one of the three that run the course along with Tania Willis and Katie Chappell). I first learned of Helen’s work from Sana AlFalasi (@thecuriousnomad) when we met in Japan last year. We were discussing being loose and playful in our work and she mentioned ‘drawing in the rain’ - a tenet she’d learned from Helen. Fast forward a year later, and The Good Ship Illo released a free Sketchbooker’s Friend, which I used to ease my way back into drawing from life as a practice. What’s beneficial about this approach is that you don’t have time to think - you’re just reacting - allowing your natural tendencies to shine. For me, this is brilliant because I often overthink, placing more value on time and struggle than I do the joyous liveliness of a drawing unpolished.

Riding the observational train, I joined a virtual life drawing event in the UK hosted by Endless Love Creative. As I’m in Japan, it meant joining a zoom event at 3 am but it was completely worth it. What I loved most was the host, Charlotte, encouraged different drawing strategies to loosen up, instead of trying to realistically capture the image. Draw with your opposite hand. Concentrate on values. Do lines and high contrast. It was freeing. Also drawing in the middle of the night when the world is quiet was magical. The next day was not though, I was so tired!

A couple weeks later, I joined the virtual sketch night at the Society of Illustrators. This one was two hours long, tons of 2 min. poses, some 5, 10, and a couple 15 minute poses. The models, The Pearling Principle, were amazing. They did an outfit change, so many fun and intimate poses, and there were many different props. The live music was performed by David Farer. This one was a little more traditional, but wonderful all the same. Seeing the emotion of the models too, was lovely. I’m really drawn to emotion and interaction in my work and doing studies like these reminds me of that.

I also dove into more observational drawing as part of The Good Ship Illustration course I’m taking. I’m doing the course rather privately and am not really sharing the process because I want it to be as free from pressure as possible. But I will share this study I did, because it demonstrates what I find to be the most valuable part of drawing from life: discovering personal patterns and making the imagery work for you.

For example, even though drawing foliage and plants is my least favorite thing to draw, I stood in front of a large chaotic bush bramble of who knows what and decided to pick out what I liked. I appreciated the competing textures, the lines of the tall grasses leaning in the wind, the tiny dots of ground covering. Then I noticed the tree branches thinly whirling up in the wind and it felt special to note it. Then, a bird landed on the branch and I knew I had to draw it because I like my images to have life in them. Plants are alive I know but YOU KNOW what I mean. I stood for maybe 5-10 min and inked in the lines with a thin felt tipped pen. The next day, I worked from the drawing and painted the scene in gouache. After, I painted just the tree, and then did some line work, which is probably my favorite from the whole lot of them.

What am I learning? That I love lines, simplicity, seemingly insignificant details, and emotion/interaction. I like for things to feel hand done, messy, human. When I draw from life, I hone in on what compels me and motivates me as an artist (which is a worthwhile discovery when you make images for a living).
It’s encouraging and reassuring for us to witness tendencies in our own practice - not to cement them - but to notice and celebrate them. It’s a way of finding ease, fighting insecurity, of growing at our own pace. If we feel what moves us, what motivates us, what feels so indulgent that we doubt it’s merit, we’re onto something. Those impulses don’t lie. And what’s better is that they don’t require outside validation. Instead, they are like small beacons welcoming us home. (AND I literally just realized why The Good Ship Illo’s logo is a lighthouse - clever!!!) It’s true!

SO drawing from life might not be your go to art practice. You might resist as I did. But I would bet a pan of brownies (worth more than gold to me) that if you sat down for five or ten minutes and drew what was in front of you, you’d learn not only something about drawing, but something about yourself as well.

Light Grey Art Lab Senior Show, May 22, 2020 - June 30, 2020

CONGRATULATIONS to the CLASS OF 2020.

LIGHT GREY ART LAB is currently hosting a virtual exhibition to showcase recent creative grads.
”The exhibition is a giant virtual gallery of the world’s collective commencement exhibitions for Spring 2020. This project is designed to give the students a chance to install/curate their work, similar to a commencement exhibition and envision their collection on display. Graduates will then have their work virtually exhibited alongside their peers from schools around the globe in an effort to provide the visibility and connection they deserve at a time like this. The virtual exhibition will launch May 22nd, 2020 and will be promoted through the month of June.”

As part of the exhibition, businesses, art directors, and professionals sponsored scholarships, mentorships, in kind donations, and such. I would like to share the three scholarship recipients whom I had the honor to award!

MELGADINE MENTORSHIP: Sònia Albert
Her exhibition consisted of three projects:
”The first project is a sequence of a boy playing with his own shadow. Reaching the point were the imagination wins the reality. The artwork is done with mono-print with bits of drypoint.

The second project is a graphic novel, MIA, aimed to teenagers. It tells the story of how her first relationship becomes toxic, and how she evolves during this experience.
The artwork is done with ink wash and slightly colored digitally - to help explaining the mood of the moment.

The third project is another graphic novel, The Summer Camp, that tells the first time Greta goes to a summer camp and how she ends involved in a mystery story and tries to resolve it.
The artwork is done with pencil, black pastel and digital color, with a limited palette - to help creating the atmosphere and giving importance to the light.”

The requirement for this mentorship was that the work be some form of traditional media. When I saw Sònia’s work, I was captivated (and intimidated!) All of the work carries a level of confidence and expertise. The emotion that is conveyed through the most subtle marks is a testament to skill and care. Though the work is quiet, it absolutely pulls you in. It’s quite moving. CONGRATS Sònia! Below are images from the three projects, and you can find more of her work HERE.

© Sònia Albert

© Sònia Albert

© Sònia Albert

CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW: Julied Jasmin
Her exhibition is titled Eko in the Forest.
“The goal of my final year was to develop a narrative and a character for a children’s book that reflected a part of my heritage. Representation isn’t something that I got to experience growing up in England. So, I wanted to create a basis for a fun and heartfelt story that is rooted in my culture! Something that is playful and adventurous that all kids could get lost in- and perhaps providing some kids a chance to see themselves in a story where they may not otherwise.

Eko in the Forest is a story about a mischievous and hot-tempered young girl named Eko. After a confrontation, Eko is consumed by a darkness and finds herself lost in a forest full of ancient spirits and creatures she’s only ever heard of in bedtime stories. She discovers that there the forest is slowly turning to stone and dying. To be able to return home she must journey to heart of the forest and return the fire that once allowed it to thrive. Healing must take place before the forest is restored and she can return home.”

What I love about Julied’s work is the brilliant balance in character and setting. The setting is a chracter in and of itself and there is a lush and detailed balance between the two. The emotion, movement, and strength of Eko shines. I can’t wait to see this published - CONGRATS Julied! Below are some images from the project, and you can find more of her work HERE. 

© Julied Jasmin

© Julied Jasmin

© Julied Jasmin

SUNDROP SCHOLARSHIP: Angie Hewitt
Her exhibition is titled, The Town That Never Was.
”A series of illustrations that follow Lucia on her journey through a ghost town to find her missing dog, Pillow.”

I immediately was drawn to Angie’s work for her use of line, lighting, and environment. The emotions are subtle but slightly haunting and moving which I love. She also is able to bring so much texture and detail a piece without it ever feeling crowded or unclear.
CONGRATS Angie!! Below are some images from the exhibition - learn more about her work HERE.

© Angie Hewitt

© Angie Hewitt

© Angie Hewitt

I want to extend a HUGE congratulations to every artist in the 2020 Senior Show. It was HARD to choose - I had dozens of names on my list and it was such a difficult task to narrow it down to three. I saw such brilliant work and I have no doubt we have some serious talent breaking into the industry. Conrgats all - my hats off to you!
The Senior Show Exhibition is on display through the month of June. You’ll find artists graduating in Illustration, Design, Animation + Visual Development, Comics + Sequential + Kidlit, Studio Art and more. HUGE thank you also to Jenny and Lindsay and the crew at Light Grey Art Lab who work so hard to provide platforms and oportunities for artists.

Thank YOU, for being here, in this community. For the support for my work, for one another, for learning, and for being the kind and bright creatives you are.

All my best, always,

Becca

Painting Spices | Gouache Tutorial!

Today we’re painting spices.

Okay so this is technically a painting of herbs - the pumpkin is the only spice in it but whatever that is not what’s important here. You can put anything in these jars - candies, beads, teeth - whatever your heart desireth.

The main thing is that we’re painting.

The first part of this duo tutorial (dutorial?!) is a B/W step-by-step PDF which outlines materials, notes, and a breakdown of the process.

Truly, this could have been painted a thousand different ways. With a white or black background or an emphasis on the glass. It could have been painted super realistically. Or sharp, clean, and graphic. The reason I make these tutorials is not so you can paint like me. It’s to showcase what’s possible - to help you feel comfortable around gouache and traditional media so you can make your work. When we have more tools in our toolbox, it gives us freedom and possibility as artists.

The second part is a timelapse video of the painting in color + the materials I used.
I have plans to share more of my process which can only mean I need to get over my fear of video content. I’ve been putting it off for a long time because I’m so intimidated by it and feel like such an amateur. But with the state of things, it’ll probably be a while before I have a legit studio again, a tripod, or anything that resembles an ideal film setup.
SO, we have what we have, don’t we?

If you’d like the line template without the entire B/W tutorial, here you go!

Here’s to stepping foot in new territory. Are you terrified of painting? Just go for it.
Am I terrified of making videos? You bet. But here we are!

Remember when you’re learning a new process that it’s just that - a process.

Let me know if the tutorials are helpful and if you share your painting on Instagram, use the hashtag #rebeccagreentutorial so I can see what you’ve created!

Happy Painting!
Becca

Painting Spices!

Today we’re painting spices.

Okay so this is technically a painting of herbs - the pumpkin is the only spice in it but whatever that is not what’s important here. You can put anything in these jars - candies, beads, teeth - whatever your heart desireth.

The main thing is that we’re painting.

The first part of this duo tutorial (dutorial?!) is a B/W step-by-step PDF which outlines materials, notes, and a breakdown of the process.

Truly, this could have been painted a thousand different ways. With a white or black background or an emphasis on the glass. It could have been painted super realistically. Or sharp, clean, and graphic. The reason I make these tutorials is not so you can paint like me. It’s to showcase what’s possible - to help you feel comfortable around gouache and traditional media so you can make your work. When we have more tools in our toolbox, it gives us freedom and possibility as artists.

The second part is a timelapse video of the painting in color + the materials I used.
I have plans to share more of my process which can only mean I need to get over my fear of video content. I’ve been putting it off for a long time because I’m so intimidated by it and feel like such an amateur. But with the state of things, it’ll probably be a while before I have a legit studio again, a tripod, or anything that resembles an ideal film setup.
SO, we have what we have, don’t we?

If you’d like the line template without the entire B/W tutorial, here you go!

Here’s to stepping foot in new territory. Are you terrified of painting? Just go for it.
Am I terrified of making videos? You bet. But here we are!

Remember when you’re learning a new process that it’s just that - a process.

Let me know if the tutorials are helpful and if you share your painting on Instagram, use the hashtag #rebeccagreentutorial so I can see what you’ve created!

Happy Painting!
Becca

Madame Saqui: Picture Book Illustration Process

“…Robinson’s high regard for her subject creates a glowing tribute to the rope dancer. Green’s palette of soft colors and gouache illustrations provide luminous visuals of early 1800s Paris and highlight the magic of these performances.”

- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Madame Saqui, Revolutionary Rope Dancer written by Lisa Robinson and published by Schwartz and Wade is out! As soon as this manuscript landed on my desk in 2017, I knew I wanted to illustrate it. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, the book celebrates the incredible rope dancer who defied the constraints of women (and her parents!) and dedicated her life to tightrope walking.

Today, I’m pulling back the curtain to share the entire illustration process. From storyboarding to layouts, style explorations and finals. Get your popcorn and settle in - it’s a long one!

PART ONE : RESEARCH

At the beginning of any picture book, I start with research. I spend way too much time digging but I think it’s my favorite part. The author sent extra material and I was enchanted reading about Madame Saqui’s parents! Their tale seemed equally fascinating. Here is little baby Marguerite-Antoinette Lalanne - she becomes Madame Saqui - the heroine of the story!

Set amidst the backdrop of the French Revolution, Madame Saqui’s life (and therefore this book) spans from 1786 to 1866. I researched the appropriate clothing for civilians, revolutionaries, and circus performers. I spent time digging for images or engravings that would help me understand theatre architecture, as the book opens onstage at the Théâtre des Grands Danseurs du Roi. What did French currency look like in the mid 1800’s? How about a bottle of medicine? I watched Les Misérables, scoured the internet, looked through old books and made a pinterest board. (I always make pinterest boards for my books!)

Alongside the research, I put together a mood board. I think my art ended up wildly different but this was where I began. (To learn more about the work on my moodboard, each piece is linked on my pinterest board.)

PART TWO : STORYBOARD & CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Ok, I’m going to be honest - and maybe I’ve said this before, but storyboarding and paginating is my least favorite part! It’s a big picture task but I’m happy in the details. I don’t want to build a house but I’d love to pick out the doorknobs. As it is, it’s part of the gig so I push my way through it. After a handful of books, I’m honestly still trying to find what words best. I’ve made little books, digital or analogue storyboards, pages of notes, and even cut out printed text to arrange all over my desk. For Madame Saqui, I printed out a downloaded template and worked out the storyboard on that. (I can’t seem to find the source - my apologies!)

At this time, I was new to procreate so I bounced back and forth. Some of the development was done by hand and some of it was explored digitally. My beginning thoughts were based around movement.

My first real thoughts on Madame Saqui as a character. I pictured her having ringlets and half moon eyes. I also had to create characters of her family.

I felt like I was trying to lean into an animation style that wasn’t really mine so I kept exploring. I remember sitting at a coffee shop in Nashville drawing characters when little Marguerite was officially born.

I placed all of the finished character studies together, got approval from the art director, Rachael, and began to sketch the spreads. Below you’ll see a number of examples, all created in procreate. The top row has three options for the spread on page 6/7. In the end, we went with a close up of the revolutionary’s faces coming towards the reader to express passion in the scene.

Usually, sketches go back and forth between the art director/editor and myself. We decide together if the layouts are working - where to push more, where to leave a little breathing room. I leave room for the text when planning a picture book of course, but it’s the art director or designer that has the final say - they will lay in the text when the illustrations are complete. Once the sketches are completely agreed upon, it’s time to go to finals!

PART THREE : STYLE EXPLORATION & FINALS

FINALS! In theory, this could be one of the best parts of the process. The sketching is finished - time to just sit back and paint. But that is sadly not what happened here. I was lost, going through an artistic transition at an inopportune time and I spent a ridiculous amount of hours (WEEKS) figuring out the materials, colors, and style.

I began with the illustration of Marguerite’s family escaping war-torn Paris.

Above, the digital sketch in procreate.

This was my first rendition, created almost exclusively in colored pencil. I was thrilled with the result, and the art director was happy too - but I realized it was too calm and subdued for such an exciting book about a circus performer.

Back to the drawing board.

What ensued felt like an endless battle between me and the pages. During the thousand false starts, I struggled with color (I have to constantly remind myself sky doesn’t equal blue, ground doesn’t equal green). I couldn’t decide if I needed outlines or just shapes. Most importantly, I debated whether I should begin with the sketches drawn out or just jump into detail and let the layout figure itself out.

To be honest, it’s hard to even remember what order this all happened in. I’m not sharing this post so you can see the linear decision making, because it didn’t always feel linear. It felt chaotic. Every day my husband would come home to find me at my drawing desk and every day I would say, “I think I’ve finally figured it out!” only to restart the next day in a very different direction. It became a running joke and we decided someday it would go on my tombstone. “I’ve finally figured it out”.

What you see above was more of an intuitive style, splashing down color and attempting to make shapes of it. Illustrating this way can be wildly rewarding and I think some of my favorite illustrators work in this way. For me, it’s hard to balance a dynamic layout when things are so up in the air. While it didn’t work out, I liked some of the details I got! I love the surprises that can come from working this way, and of course I did end up incorporating some of the elements in the final. Nothing was wasted. Below: a detail that I loved.

I then tried a line style - if painting seemed too unruly, perhaps the line work could keep me on track. It also really made color choices easy and direct.

While I loved the texture and clarity that came with this way of working, the colors seemed harsh and there wasn’t much room for skin tones which was problematic. I also wanted some colors to pop and not feel overly patriotic. For the next attempt, I softened in some additional colors but stuck to using only colored pencils - still focusing on line.

I loved the shapes and the mark-making but WOW these colors were dull. I mean they’re fine, I never use crazy colors but they just felt so lackluster for a book about the circus. Continuing to explore this line style, I wanted to try more colors. I moved away from this spread and tried my hand at another. (I usually don’t work from the beginning to end on a book - I jump around, and often if you work on one page too long or do it too many times, it loses all its life.)

Above, for reference, the digital sketch.

Working by lamplight.

This was the next attempt. I actually liked how it was panning out (I love her little hand!) and the marks I was getting were fun. Working this way traditionally has its drawbacks because it’s difficult to edit (unlike painting where I can cover stuff up). After drawing this in colored pencil, I realized that if I was to do the entire book in this style, I might as well do it on the ipad - at least then it would be easier to edit and control. And I wouldn’t have to scan anything! So I set to work recreating this digitally.

It definitely lost some life when I created it digitally but it seems doable. Easy enough to control. I tried another illustration digitally - the one I had started out with.

You know what though….working digitally is just not my thing. Ironically, all the time I save on editing and not scanning, I make up for it fiddling and overworking. I just knock the life out of everything. Plus, I don’t like staring at a screen for hours on end.

Back to the drawing board.

I launched back into painting. The colors were still muted but developing.I also realized that I either needed to fully bring the background characters into clarity, or I need to let them go. I stopped painting for a bit and focused on my actual line work for these couple of pages. I needed to work out the layout and clarity before I could continue.

The digital sketch, above. Quite loose!

I worked for a while trying to figure out the composition of the crowds. I didn’t mind the lines but painting all of that just seemed a bit overwhelming. Should I stick with lines or paint it all in? Lines or shapes? The ultimate dilemma all over again!

Are you stressed by reading this because I’m overwhelmed reliving it!

“What I need to do is escape the book for a bit and just paint something free,” I thought. (Although what I probably needed was to stop letting the inner critic rule my world and just loosen up).

Okay! Now we were getting somewhere. We had movement! We had color. We had lovely wild marks.

I took this painterly approach to the opening spread.

Guess what!? It failed but I didn’t hate every part of it!

Seriously….all these DOTS. My hair probably grew an inch by the time I realized it was futile. After I messed this up, I cried a lot. I was at a loss. My deadline was approaching but I felt farther and farther from clarity as every attempt seemed to miss the mark. At this point, I probably couldn’t have imagined what would make me happy (herein lies the problem of finding your worth through your work). I felt I had no other option than to suck it up and work on it digitally. (And that is NO slam against those who work digitally - so many incredible artists work that way. For me though, it’s not how my best work is made.)

One morning, I remember standing, staring at the wall, not looking forward to that day’s work. Not looking forward to staring at a screen for the foreseeable future and disappointed that I couldn’t figure it out on actual paper. I remember thinking, "it’s worth one more try. I owe it to myself to try painting this thing one last time.” And that was the day I truly ‘finally figured it out’.

I just started painting really fast. At this point I was expecting to fail. I say that laughing but truly I was at the end of my rope. I didn’t have much to lose and that kind of loosened me up I guess. I was shocked and really loved what was happening. I just kept going, trusting that it was right. I jumped from gouache to water soluble crayons to colored pencils. When I was finished with this piece, I was over the freaking moon.

Instead of tightly controlling the palette, I loosened up and they sort of fell into place and evolved into a muted celebration of the colors of the French Revolution. Aged blues, pinks, and creams. And periwinkle!! If you know me well, you know I spent the first 32 years of my life loathing periwinkle but WOW I fell head over heels for this beast of vibrancy.

The final illustration

I was finally feeling confident! What an unsteady but imperative foundation. It all comes down to trust and confidence but without it, creating can be a frustrating experience. You can have all the training in the world but if you lack confidence, it’s hard to love what you’re doing. This is especially true when we push ourselves out of our comfort zones. Once I felt sure though, it was like everything fell into place. I even felt pangs of guilt for how seemingly easy everything was revealing itself (proof that my inner critic will find anything to shred).

Something had completely shifted in my brain. I was driven by emotion, lighting, and atmosphere.

I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about this! It began to actually be FUN. Lighting and intimate moments will always reign supreme in my work, but I also carried this lightness to my crowds and backgrounds (which are usually not my favorite things to paint.)

I went back to paint this one (AGAIN) and finally, it was brought to life!

Wooo! Movement and vibrancy and control and looseness and life.

Ahhhh. I can let out a big sigh of relief now that it’s finished and out into the world. This project is one that I’m most proud of, in all my ten years of illustrating.

I’ll leave you with one more magical spread from the book before I bid you farewell.

HUGE thanks to Lisa Robinson, Rachael Cole, and everyone at Schwartz & Wade and Random House Kids.

WANT MORE? I know most bookstores are closed right now, but if you’re interested in an online book reading and a performance by Madame Saqui herself, the author put together the loveliest video! If you want to know more about the writing process, Lisa shared a bit about the book’s development on Kathy Temean’s blog this week. And if you or your little ones like to color, see my last post with some printable coloring sheets. Kirsten Cappy from Curious City is also releasing a DIY activity kit soon for the book so keep your eyes peeled.

OK if you read this whole thing, YOU ARE DEDICATED and I thank you. As always, I value honesty in my process - the good and the bad. It’s my hope though, that I’m able to celebrate ease and trust myself more so that I don’t have to feel that the worth is in the struggle. It’s not a great way to create. That’s a discussion for another day, but for now, thank you. <3

Stay safe and kind and balanced,
xo,

BECCA

Happy Book Birthday Madame Saqui!

Madame Saqui, Revolutionary Rope Dancer (OUT TODAY!)
By Lisa Robinson , published by Schwartz & Wade, Random House

“A stunning picture book biography about the tightrope walker who dazzled Paris as she danced across the sky with impeccable balance and unparalleled skill during the French Revolution.

In revolutionary France, a girl named Marguerite Lalanne longed to perform above large crowds on a tightrope, just like her acrobatic parents. Sneaking off to the fairgrounds for secret tightrope walking lessons, Marguerite finessed her performance skills, ultimately performing for crowds as a young rope dancer. And eventually, Marguerite would perform as Madame Saqui, waltzing and pirouetting across- and never falling off- countless ropes above adoring crowds. A nouvelle chérie de Paris, Madame Saqui cemented her place in circus history, winning the adoration of the French people and royalty alike, including Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

This remarkable biography unveils the inspiring story of a trailblazing woman who revolutionized the circus world-- without ever missing a step.”

To celebrate Madame Saqui’s Book Birthday, I created some coloring pages! I know many of us are home right now and it’s a pretty heavy time, so I hope these lend you (and your little ones) a bit of fun. The author will also be doing an online storytime (in costume!) I’ll post that and more on my Instagram as soon as it’s posted!

If you’re signed up for my Illustration Bulletin, you’ll get notified about the next in-depth blog post as well. On April 1, I’ll be diving deep into the process for the illustrations, from research to character development to style exploration. These illustrations went through so many iterations before I found my groove, so I hope it proves helpful to anyone who also might be struggling through a large project.

OKAY! COLORING PAGES! I want to see how you color these! Post an image using the hashtag #madamesaqui and I’ll repost as many as I can. (Click on the images to download the pdf!)

Special thanks to Lisa Robinson, Rachael Cole, and everyone at Schwartz & Wade Books! And to all those who’ve shared, reposted and pre-ordered this book - and to you! Thanks for reading.

xo,
Becca

Just a little Sunday Painting

I did a couple warm up paintings yesterday and out of those, simple shapes were born. The shapes became these two lovelies and I used the opportunity to test line work with full colored painting. I love working in lines, but I also enjoy a painting without any. I’m not sure what will evolve from here but it was enjoyable to loosen up and highlight some of the sketch lines that I’d usually paint over. Colored pencil (sketch) and acrylic gouache on paper, 5x7”.

Hope everyone has a solid week!
xo, Becca

STUDIO KURA | Artist Residency in Itoshima, Japan

Ikisan Station

For the month of February, I traveled to the southern island of Kyushu, to a small town called Itoshima. After taking the Shinkansen from Osaka, I boarded a local train in Fukuoka which carried me 45 minutes to tiny Ikisan station. Near the station nestled along the coast, sits Studio Kura, which hosts exhibitions and events, residencies, and art classes.

I’d planned to spend my month creating work just for myself - to explore and play and try new things. In the end, I think I did just that. Throughout the process, though, I felt that familiar cloud of expectation. I had some intense moments of doubt, I started and stopped multiple projects, and I wrote and felt ashamed that I was writing instead of drawing (who do I think I am!?).

To begin, an insert from my journal midway through the month.

February 16, 2020
It’s 9:42 AM on a Sunday and I’m sitting at a small desk on the second floor of House 3.
My room has fake wood paneling on the walls which brings me comfort as my childhood home had the same brown panels. My coffee is almost gone, time for another. I woke late, feeling too cozy with the sound of rain outside and now my brain is foggy. The corner of my desk dons paper cups of colored pencils, a dessert box repurposed as a paint holder, and the box lid holds all my crayons. Scattered further across the desk are unfinished drawings and two puppet armatures with wire bodies and paper mache heads. Taped to the wall are three paintings in process which I have no intention of finishing. To my right is a school desk. It holds my paint palette, journals, and idea notebooks. All around me are the tools to create. All around me is the time to create. Still, I woke with an itch to write.

We’ll start with the idea of expectations since that’s what I’m currently grappling with. 

I’ve been planning this residency for over a year now. It’s nestled snugly at the end of two picture book deadlines and I felt sure that during this month, I’d discover the richness of my personal practice that I thought was missing. I would somehow come to find myself again. Simultaneously, I had zero expectations. Now that I’m here, I see the miscalculation. Whilst playing freely, I sought to uncover this masterpiece within myself for all the world to see, which is quite a tall order. Quite a high expectation indeed.

This post might seem scattered (welcome to my confusing month!) but basically, I want to share some highlights - the inspiring places I visited, the projects I started, and the food I ate with the lovely people I met.

Here’s a little drawing from day one in my first studio. I move workspaces four times! Hello procrastination! The studios themselves were fine, I just couldn’t get comfortable. In the end, I worked from my room, which was nice because it was warm and I could basically work through the night if I wanted to.

©2020REBECCAGREEN

My second studio below. I loved this one, the lighting was great, but it was a treck from my home and I like to take frequent breaks for coffee. Ultimately, it was too far from where I was staying. PS. Can you find my dog, Mori in my drawing? Also my first drawing is in my second studio, this is getting so meta!

I realized after some failed attempts at drawing and some tears with a friend on the phone (thanks Greg for always listening!) that what I really wanted to pursue were my characters in 3D. Specifically, I wanted to create Henri and Miko, (the mouse and bee I’m developing). I packed up and moved my stuff to my third studio which was located on the side of my residence.

I worked on these for a couple of days, and had plans to create a Japanese spread for the two of them to enjoy. I created nori sheets and began a hangiri sushi bowl. I was having a blast but it ultimately felt too rushed and I didn’t have the proper equipment. I decided to just focus on the puppets.

My armature ‘cement’ was quite old and crumbled. I was so frustrated, but decided to just make their bodies out of tape! I tested out paper mache on their heads and used paper for the pants (I can’t sew!) I didn’t fully bring them to fruition but I did learn a lot and I saw more of their personalities come out. And I spent a lot of time writing more stories about them which felt like a win.

After I accepted that I couldn’t make them the way I wanted with limited time and resources, I switched gears and just enjoyed testing out some materials and ideas that had been rattling around in my brain. I began a piece that features a thrift store, but once I started it, I realized it was a bit too tight for my liking and it needed a little narrative.

©2020REBECCAGREEN

©2020REBECCAGREEN

As I began to loosen my grip on my expectations, my time was also freed. I wasn’t so concerned about locking myself in my studio to work. I began to explore alone and with some of the other artists. I walked along the ocean, ate my weight in mochi, visited an island shrine, went to a flea market in the city, and rode my bike to a lovely restaurant and cafe located in an old soy sauce factory. We had group artist dinners and one of the artists, Brett, taught us how to play a card game called shithead (it’s fun!) My roommate Maddie and I made meals together, watched movies and explored some local coffee chops. As a group, we also visited a gorgeous temple and a salt factory. What a DREAM.

Of course, when I get out of my studio and out of my own head, it’s then that I feel the sweet pangs of curiosity and inspiration once again.

©2020REBECCAGREEN

After visiting the salt shop, I was inspired to draw it - and then I thought about the lovely pudding I had there. And then I drew this little cutie enjoying the pudding as much as I did. I think I’d like to develop her further too…

©2020REBECCAGREEN

Another highlight was a cooking class with the owner Hiro-San’s wife, Saori-San. She was SO sweet and talented. We learned how to make vegan gyoza, tempura, and sesame soymilk ramen. Guys, I know I’m into art and all that nonsense but THIS cooking class was such a freaking amazing time. I feverishly wrote notes and was so inspired, I turned the notes into a zine!

©2020REBECCAGREEN

©2020REBECCAGREEN

Someone hire me to illustrate a cookbook STAT. You can pay me in gyoza and cooking lessons.

Towards the end of the month, our exhibition rolled around. It was quite casual which was nice. I had an open studio where I put all of my works in process on display. On Saturday, we had an exhibition talk and all the resident artists shared thoughts and insights into their exhibition. Here are a couple snaps of my studio set up.

After the exhibition, I had a couple days to explore. One Japanese dream came true: I met Aiko Fukawa! Ever since moving to Japan, I’ve wanted to meet her. I fell in love with her work from Flow Magazine and I reached out to her when she lived in Tokyo to see if I could meet her. She was moving to Fukuoka - perfect! I asked if I could meet her in February, so we had coffee and chatted about cats, recipes, artist materials, and more. Already looking forward to our next visit down the road.

On the last day, I went with Ja Min, one of the artists, to the small town of Karatsu which is known for their long history of pottery. I bought three lovely pieces and we strolled through an old Japanese mansion and got pizza. It was a wonderful way to end my time there. The next morning, I packed up and headed back to Ikisan station and finally back to Osaka. I’m happy to be back though I’m so grateful for my time there.

While I didn’t walk away with any final projects, I spent time investing in my writing, my future planning, and on projects that I think can come to fruition in the future. That combined with all the interactions, food, and landscapes I got to experience, I’d say it was a success. I also want to say a huge thank you to Hiro, Saori, and Katsura for their hospitality and hard work.

If you’re interested in learning more about the residency, the artists, or some of my favorite coffee shops and restaurants I visited, here are some links:

Studio Kura

Artists:
Madaleine Sherburn
Brett Piva
Jacobus Capone
Lim Jun Yu
Ng Shu Jie Elden
Nicole Tay Hui Hsien
Ong Huan Yi Ernest
Ja Min Yie
Alexey Lazarev

Other Links:
Aiko Fukawa
Karatsu Pottery
Spoonful the Bagel
Mochi Cafe
Mataichi Salt Maker
Ito Azuri
Fyldgumer


Thanks for reading this helluva post! Until next time, xo, Becca

Portrait of a Girl with Braid & Letting Go

Last week, we visited Hokkaido, Japan’s nothern most island. As someone who grew up in and loves snow, it was so refreshing to feel winter, see the snowflakes falling and crunch on the ice.

While we were there, I briefly saw this beautiful young woman standing in front of a mirror. She had dark hair tightly pulled back in a long, thick braid. She quickly turned and looked at me as I walked by and I immediately wanted to paint her. I didn’t do her (or her braid) justice but! it was a lovely reason to paint something for myself. The whole piece was done in Caran D’ache Neocolor II crayons (save for the pink colored pencil which I sketched with).

I rarely use these water soluble crayons exclusively. Instead, I usually mix them with gouache, but I wanted to see what was possible with limiting the media. I wanted a winter scene so I pulled out some cold colors and just blocked in large areas.

Looking back now, I sort of wish I’d kept the stylized profile of her face but I’m always learning and making adjustments. Since I learned to paint realistically, it’s a really slippery slope when I let myself turn towards the way things ‘should’ be. I worked to simplify the hands as well.

I knew I didn’t want any black as it can sometimes dull a painting (although I later added some to her eye).
I kept her hair a dark blue.

This was four hours in. (At this point, I stopped working on it, so I could come back with fresh eyes). Looking back, I should have left the face alone. I overworked it! Honestly I woke up this morning, looked at this and wanted to rip it up, start over, do something not so tight. But I’m learning to let go and just make stuff and move on to the next thing. (More on that in a bit.)

I wanted her face to be in focus but the rest of it to be unruly and unfinished. I laid down some layers of color and then went over them with a small (wet but not too wet) paintbrush. The brush was old and splayed out and I caught the metal of the brush on the paper too, which is why you can see scratches.

Again - should have just left it at this. Letting go is literally the hardest part and you don’t realize it until you’ve overworked something. The final addition was the snow. I almost added it in gouache because the crayons can fight against each other if you layer too much. Instead, I dipped them in water and worked them into fussy areas.

And finished!

Ok, let’s get back to that whole ‘letting go’ bit.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea of loosening my grip when it comes to making art (amongst other things in my life). Often, when I’m in the middle of a painting, I’m not even focused on what I’m doing, but rather my mind is busy blocking all of the bombarding thoughts of my inner critic. I’m worried about what my painting will say or reveal about who I am or what I want to be making in my career. I worry if the current project is in line with ‘my style’. For a clear example, we’ll take this very painting. I do not want to be making realistic work, though this painting to me harks back to older work which I denounced long ago. I ignored the urge to start over when I realized it was becoming too realistic, and just accepted this as a learning opportunity. I have to let go of my inclination that every painting should define something new for me (or define me at all). Or the assumption that every piece of work has to be monumental. What’s best, is that when I let go and feel ease about the process, gratefulness seeps in.

I’m grateful for what I learned in this process:
- Balancing warm and cool colors
- Directing focus
- Balancing competing textures

And I’m grateful that I get to paint at all. When the sun burns out, our paintings will too, if they last that long. So (note to myself, and you too, if you need it) let go of your tight grip on the process and just explore. Have fun, make a ton of work, when you see a girl with braided hair, paint her. It’s really not that big of a deal.

xo, Becca

COVER REVEALS!

BECOMING A GOOD CREATURE!

GUESS WHAT! I got to work with some of my favorites humans again.
You may recall the book I illustrated last year, HOW TO BE A GOOD CREATURE by Sy Montgomery, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Well we’re BACK. Sy has written a beautiful children’s adaptation of the book and I was lucky enough to illustrate. BECOMING A GOOD CREATURE is a luxe full color picture book which celebrates all the lessons Sy has learned from her most profound teachers, whether she’s met them in the ocean, or in her own backyard. I truly can’t wait for you to see it.

This week, drumrollllll, we revealed the cover!! Look at that silver foil my friends. I could eat it up.

And because I’m all about process, here’s a look at the sketch. I used procreate to develop the drawing and gouache on paper for the final (and for all of the interiors).

Jessica, the designer did such a wonderful job designing the cover and interiors, and our editor Kate has made the whole process seamless and easy. The release is set for October, 2020 but is available for pre-order now!

PRE-ORDER here
























MADAME SAQUI, REVOLUTIONARY ROPE DANCER

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the cover reveal I posted for MADAME SAQUI, REVOLUTIONARY ROPE DANCER by Lisa Robinson, published by Schwartz & Wade (Penguin Random House). MADAME SAQUI is “A stunning picture book biography about the tightrope walker who dazzled Paris as she danced across the sky with impeccable balance and unparalleled skill during the French Revolution.”

This book was truly one of my favorite projects, not just because Saqui was a prolific and powerful woman, but the art style pushed my creative boundaries. I fell in love with ash blue and periwinkle, battled my way through way too many styles, and found the sweetest balance of texture and light with the lovely help of my gouache and wax crayons.

Suppose you’ll want to see the sketches from this one too? OKAY!

Big thank you to Rachael, who was such a wonderful art director, and to Lisa and the team at Schwartz and Wade for entrusting me with this enchanting project. The book comes out March, 2020 but is available for pre-order now.

Pre-order here

As always, thanks for reading and supporting.
The weather is so lovely in Japan and today is Thursday, which means it’s my day off! I’m off to wander around vintage stores, drink way too much coffee and work on some of my own stories. Hope everyone out there is having the loveliest week.

Winter's Eve

If you’ve ever lived in a land of snow, you know how magnificent evening can be. I might regret saying this next time I’m freezing and knee dip in dirty roadside snow but I love winter. I was born in late January in the small town of Durand, Michigan and spent 24 years of my life living through snowy winters. In recent years, however, we’ve lived in the desert, in the South, and most recently on an island, so as you can imagine, our winters have been mild. Lovely, but mild. So when I was asked to create the postcard for our upcoming Exhibition, Poetic Winter, I jumped on the chance.

I’d been daydreaming about frosty evenings anyway. I remember the way the sky turned pink or lavender. The trees bare and dark. The smell of a fire off in the distance, or if the wind was too cold, the sharp sting of frozen air in your nostrils, the breath rolling out in little clouds. The world hushes in winter, except for branches snapping or melted snow dripping somewhere near. I knew I wanted to capture this feeling, but I was unsure as to the subject matter. A blank white page is scary, illustrating a postcard for an exhibition which hosts ten incredible illustrators is scary. Feeling like your style should always advance forward is scary. So I just began making shapes, throwing down materials to see what came of it, drawing here, scratching there, and what began to emerge was an ice skater. (Sadly I threw away this experiment without documenting it!)

Once I knew my general direction, I played a bit with style. I’d been wanting to be loose and naive. Looking back at this now, I probably should have kept going with it, but it didn’t feel like the right emotion was there.

I decided I needed a plan so I sketched out some characters I’d been testing.

I was quite happy with the sketch and transferred it to a piece of cream smooth paper. I’ve been playing with oil pastels and colored pencils, so I tried my hand at that.

Artistic attempts are never failures even when they don’t succeed. (Repeat to yourself over and over again as you curse the process and the prepare to give up.) Obviously I was struggling here. I’m super attracted to lines lately, but how could I get soft color and shape but keep these bold lines? My color felt old and lovely but nothing like those winter evenings I was trying to channel. Time to start again. I used tracing paper to redraw the layout and transferred it again to a piece of cream paper.

As you can see, I use warm colored pencils for the underdrawings. I decided to go with gouache since I felt I could really get the evening colors I was after.

I painted the pink coming up from the horizon to transition into a purple grey, and once I’d laid in the background, I started on the characters.

This is honestly where things started to go awry. As you can clearly see, the final has ONE character but my sketch has the whole gang! I started to lose the balance of the colors and texture with so many moving parts. I couldn’t see the the forest for the trees, and I almost scrapped the whole thing. I kept going back to the rabbit though - I liked her! I wanted to keep her. So, I decided she shall skate alone. I apologize for the poor quality - but by this time, I had written off the whole painting. I did manage to get one quick photo as I decided to paint over all the other characters.

Don’t worry, I still have plans for the other friends. I think I’ll do individual paintings of them skating, and they’ll be embarking on more winter adventures together - making gingerbread houses and drinking cocoa by the fire.
In the end, I’m glad it turned out to be a quiet, thoughtful painting. It communicates the glow of a winter’s sunset, the sweet cold evenings I remember so fondly. And I feel like if you listen hard enough, you can hear the frosty cut of her skates on the cold hard ice. Magic.

Details about the exhibition below!

POETIC WINTER
ART HOUSE 2F

Exhibition Dates: December 19 - 26, 2019
Opening Reception: December 21 at 6 PM, (500 yen covers admittance and food)

Features the work of ten local illustrators, artists announced soon!

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If you haven’t been to Art House, you are in for a serious treat. It’s the cutest, sweetest illustration gallery I’ve been to in Osaka. It houses exhibitions, but they also sell handmade artists’ goods. The Poetic Winter Exhibition will take place on the second floor. One the first floor, Hisanori Yoshida, Chihiro Takeuchi and myself will be exhibiting picture book originals.

YAY! Yay for November and for winter and for seeing my breath when I went outside this morning. And yay for you - THANKS for reading, as always.

xo,
Becca