the original art show at SOI...

It’s an annual tradition-usually in late fall, to attend the Society of Illustrators Original Art show in NYC. It’s always so fun to see the illustration art on the walls and then look at them in the actual picture books, which are displayed in the gallery. My friends and I are often surprised to see the mediums used on the art. Sometimes it is digital (Procreate) and other times what we think might be digital could also turn out to be acrylic. There was a lot more collage in the show this year. That was my fave.

daily sketchbook

I committed to this practice of working in my sketchbook each morning and have really enjoyed it! I did it for a few reasons, but mostly to break out of drawing the same types of things over and over—and to experiment with different techniques. Lately I am working primarily in gouache and colored pencils, but other days I just sketch in graphite or play in watercolor. I force myself to try new subject matter so that I can become more skilled in creating more complex scenes; drawing from different points of view and angles. I highly recommend this practice to any illustrator. It is such a peaceful way to start the day. :)

The Original Art Show

I’ve been going to see the Original Art Show at Society of Illustrators for over a decade now. It’s.a fall pastime of mine and I always love to see what other picture book artists create! I went later than usual this year, but it was worth the wait! So many fun styles and techniques. The amount of art doubled this year from around 100 pieces to 200! And they brought the actual picture book racks back ( Covid fallout) so that visitors can see the illustrations printed and bound and look at the rest of the illustrator’s work in the book.

Here are some snippets of my faves from the show.