Today, Facebook reminded me that a year ago, on New Year’s Day, I posted about the fact that I was both planning my garden and remembering the lovely Inga Moore’s version of the classic book The Secret Garden that was initially written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. You can read the 1911 Secret Garden online Free…
How to Create A Repeated Pattern in Photoshop
One of my goals for 2021 is to conquer pattern making, and I hope to share a few tips along the way. Today, I’ll show you how I used Photoshop to created the above background of yellow leaves from the following repeatable tile block: Step 1: Save the above image on your computer. Step 2:…
Achieving My Goals by Beginning New Habits
Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. – Mark Twain – https://x55.68c.myftpupload.com/making-my-lists-checking-them-twice-setting-goals-for-the-new-year/ 2021 has begun, and I’ve hit the ground running. First, I established my goals, and today, I’ve started working towards those goals by deliberately establishing new habits. I’ve read that…
Jacki Kellum Focus on Fonts – Amigirl Font
One of my goals for 2021 is to launch my Focus on Fonts. Each week, I’ll focus on the font Amigirl, which is actually 2 fonts in 1. A Quintessential Quote by Jacki Kellum, Using Amigirl Font Amigirl Is A Duo Font With Both Script & Sans Brush For me, font pairing is a huge challenge,…
Making My Lists & Checking Them Twice – Setting Goals for the New Year
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,…
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…