Do you enjoy doing certain things so much you feel like you must do them—that it’s such an essential part of your being that doing it is almost as natural as breathing? That’s how I feel when I’m drawing and illustrating.
I’m currently busy illustrating a fun new children’s book. Here are some sketches of the main characters—a garden snail and the boy who lives in the house nearby—along with a few preliminary sketches of the illustrations. What do you think?
If you or someone you know is looking for an illustrator for a children’s book, I can help! I’m available for commissions and freelance illustration, graphic design, and other artwork and would love to help out with your project.
Like my Facebook page, visit my website at www.JoeEckstein.com, and contact me if you’re interested in my custom, professional art creation services.
Now take a deep breath and go out there and do what it is that’s as essential to you as breathing. We all need you to share your gift—we all need your “breath!”
Be blessed!
My latest illustration work can be seen in California author Bonnie Black’s children’s book, The Lost Locket. This is the first in a series of short chapter books called “The Adventures of KaLeigh Mae & Braxtin,” who are the two 10-year-old heroines of the books. The Lost Locket tells the story of a mystery involving the two girls along the California coast.
I drew the illustrations with pencil, then inked them using a Speedball Hunt Globe dip pen and India Ink on Bristol board. There are four interior illustrations spread throughout the book. I colored the cover illustration using watercolor pencils.
I enjoyed having the opportunity to illustrate the scenes and characters in this book and to work in pen and ink. You can find the book on Amazon.com.
The date was May 5th, 1992, a Tuesday. I was finishing up my seventh grade year of middle school in Ohio, and was riding home with my mom and siblings in our family van, most likely from one of my or my sibling’s many afterschool extracurricular activities. I proceeded to spend the long ride to our house out in the country my preferred way to pass the time—by drawing.
Pulling a sheet of notebook paper from my backpack, I grabbed a pencil and began to sketch out a most unlikely creation: a simple cartoon of a friendly, smiling parrot stretching out his wing, clinging to an umbrella, and exclaiming, “Okay—I’m Ready! Come Rain on My Parade!” I traced my pencil lines with a felt-tip marker and proudly signed and dated it, knowing I had just created something special.
This was the very first incarnation of Herby the Parrot, 21 years ago. Why a parrot? Well, I’m not really sure. I’ve always been fascinated by birds, and our family had a few parakeets as pets over the years, but from the beginning Herby has always had a life of his own. I continued to draw dozens of Herby cartoons over the next several years, even dabbling throughout my college years and beyond. I had always wanted to do something more with my cartoons, but never quite settled on exactly what.
Nearly 20 years later, I decided to finally give Herby the attention he deserves. Over the past year and a half, I’ve worked on developing a book of Herby’s cartoons, especially designed for children (particularly third- to fifth- graders), that entertains, encourages, and educates them with important life lessons and positive character values. If you haven’t had a chance yet, check out my book Herby Gets a Life and grab copies to share with the children and children-at-heart in your life!
At 21 years, Herby is finally coming of age. And he has so much further to go!
Have a good Memorial Day weekend remembering those who died defending our country and all those who have touched our lives and are no longer with us, whether we knew them personally or not. Many have gone before us and sacrificed much so that we can enjoy a better life.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are moms!
Daisies happen to be one of my favorite flowers, and I always get excited when I see the multitude of oxeye daisies blooming all over the countryside around May. They seem to embody expressions of joy, childhood, and innocence. Daisies also hold special meaning for my wife and I, a symbol of our marriage. When we were about to be engaged, I prayed for a sign that my wife was the one I was to marry. No, I’m not referring to the “she loves me, she loves me not” test! What I asked for was to spot three daisies growing from one stem. A bit silly, perhaps. But about a year later, we were engaged and scouting out the site of the outdoor wedding we were planning when I received the answer I was looking for—in the middle of our path that day, growing alone from a patch in the recently mowed lawn, were three daisies, all sprouting from a single stem.
This illustration of a daisy is a study I first sketched in pencil, then inked using a Hunt Globe dip pen. I colored it using watercolor pencils.
Beyond my affection for daisies, spring is my favorite season of the year. After the cold, barren winter, the earth gives birth to new life and new hopes. A wondrous array of beautiful flowers spring forth, and everything is fresh and alive again. It is an exciting time. Let’s celebrate the bringing forth and nurturing of life this Mother’s Day and the ultimate Source of that life.
What are your favorite facets of spring? What does springtime mean to you?
I just finished revising the 9th illustration of my picture book. The colored pencil illustration features these delightful children, and you can see how I have transformed the original sketchy style into something much more rich and defined. I also tweaked their features and made some modifications to the girl’s hairdo—thank goodness! I’m continue to work toward completing the picture book I’ve written and am currently illustrating. On to the next illustration!
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