Many, many years ago, I saw an illustration with a simple, crude stairway stretched toward heaven, and the words were inscribed: I Want! It may have been a William Blake illustration. I saw it at about the time that I was writing a thesis on him, Today, it seems like that was a lifetime ago,…
Author: jackikellum
To-Do Lists Help Me Deal with Procrastination
Procrastination is the bane of my existence, but over the years, I have learned that simply getting started is my best plan. After that, keeping To-Do Lists helps keep me on task. I actually write my lists either on paper or on my computer. When I am suffering a particularly stubborn episode of procrastination, I…
How Having Been A Children’s Librarian Has Made Me A Better Picture Book Author-Illustrator
I love Halloween. For one thing, Halloween is how I officially settle into Autumn, and Autumn is my favorite time of year [Except during Spring, Spring is my other favorite time of year.} Two years ago, before I left New Jersey, I created my self-portrait scarecrow for my garden. I named her Scarecrow taking the…
Wacom Cintiq 16 – Pushing My Traditional Watercolor Illustrations to Another Level
Boy with Curls Jacki Kellum Traditional Watercolor Sketch Painted in 2018 I have always liked the wispy, fresh and almost tentative look of watercolor, but I originally trained as an oil painter. In fact, I trained as an abstract expressionist. When I began writing picture books, I switched to watercolor. At that time, traditional watercolor…
Super Turkey – Jacki Kellum Digital Illustration – The Evolution of a Character
Super Turkey – Jacki Kellum Digital Illustration Created in Procreate on iPad Pro with Apple Pencil August 16, 2020 If you would have asked me about my art and my illustration routine 3 weeks ago, I would have said nothing about digital illustration. Well, that is not exactly true. I would have said that I…
Learning to Use My Cintiq 16 – Which Is Better, Procreate or Wacom Cintiq 16?
Mrs. Cow Down Home – Jacki Kellum Illustration Created with the App Procreate on an Ipad Pro About two weeks ago, I decided to make some radical changes to my illustrating routine, and I began teaching myself how to create digitally. I began my journey with my iPad Pro and the app Procreate. https://x55.68c.myftpupload.com/at-the-age-of-70-i-decided-to-give-digital-art-a-whirl-comparing-6-of-my-illustrations-in-procreate-and-painted-traditionally/ When…
At the Age of 70, I Decided to Give Digital Art a Whirl – Comparing 6 of My First Illustrations in Procreate and Painted Traditionally
When I was studying art in college, my painting teachers were altogether suspicious of illustration. They did not consider it true art, and they believed that Walt Disney was a charlatan. But things have radically changed since then. That was fifty years ago. Forty years ago, when I was teaching art in a plush private…
How My Intuition Wrote My Debut Picture Book: Writing, Painting, & Illustrating by Intuition
When I am painting and when I am writing, I consider it a great day when something within myself takes over and essentially completes my project for me. This gentle urging is intuition. It is the spark that helped Michelangelo release his sculptures from a piece of rock. Janis Joplin – Jacki Kellum Watercolor My…
There’s A Time to Write & A Time to Edit — Don’t Mix the Two
Writer’s Block Is Probably Editor’s Block I have talked to a number of people about what they are calling writer’s block, but I believe that many people confuse writing with editing. In fact, I believe that what many people call writer’s block is actually editor’s block. One of my best pieces of advice for writing…
Learning to Illustrate in Procreate – An Analysis of My First Week and 7 Illustrations
Mrs. Cow Down Home – Jacki Kellum Digital Art Procreate App on Ipad Pro with Apple Pencil August 3, 2020 1 week ago, I committed myself to the task of learning how to illustrate on my Ipad Pro with the app Procreate. Fortunately, I already knew how to draw and paint traditionally, and I had…