Happy New Year

Another wintery scene

Why use a carrot for a snowman's nose when you can use it to attract strange creatures?

Winter & Snow & a cow or two

I set up a new postcard image this week and when I went to take it down, I couldn't resist having a bit of fun. And there just happened to be some plastic cows laying about...

Also, snow is my favorite thing ever. So when I saw a bag of fake snow at the craft store I ended up coming home with it.

Bird Skulls

Sketches in preparation for Chapter 2 (featuring a character with a bird skull mask).

Current projects & a taste of winter

Rachel Schneider and I are currently working on a project together. It's a game of sorts in which we trade titles to chapters and then illustrate the chapter title we've been given. The person who gave the title art directs the other person's piece. The next title is drawn from the illustration of the preceding title. For example, the title I was given is "Death of the Spring Snails." I illustrate this title (with Rachel art directing) and she creates the title to chapter two after looking at my illustration. Meanwhile, she's illustrating the chapter title I gave her. Here are two glimpses of chapter 1:

This is what I woke up to on Sunday:

Interesting Things

Just a few things I'm currently marveling over and thought I'd share:

Fantastic Mr. Fox

I saw this stop-motion animated film in London and went a bit crazy over it. The fall palette is lovely, the lighting quite amazing (in the sewer scene, you can see the light changing as it is reflected off of moving water). And the character design is fabulous. Boggis, Bunce, and Bean have wonderful faces you're certain you were frightened of sometime in your childhood. The first fifteen minutes of the film I felt the animation was too jerky, as if there weren't enough frames per second. But I quickly got used to it and even found that I preferred it, as the animators weren't trying to hide the fact that it is stop motion animation. (Just the way the short Wallace and Gromit films have a hands-on quality (you can see finger prints) that Curse of the Were Rabbit lacks.) Go see it, and keep your eyes peeled for the little badger dressed up in a skeleton costume.

Red Nose Studio children's book posts

Chris Sickels has been working on a children's book called Here Comes the Garbage Barge. He's posted sketches, character studies, reference photos, and photographs of props and sets on his blog. It is worth checking out.

Working in the 3rd Dimension Blog

Liz Lomax has a blog devoted to illustrators working three-dimensionally. Interviews with individual artists are added each week, along with images of their work.

Julie Taymor

I finally saw the musical version of The Lion King while I was in London. I've never liked the story, and most of the music I could do without, but the costumes, puppets, masks, scenery, and lighting create an incredible world. I was gasping at the appearance of the giraffes, gazelles, elephants, and jaguars onstage (more so than the six year old sitting in front of me). Two books to check out: Julie Taymor: Playing with Fire by Eileen Blumenthal, Julie Taymor, and Antonio Monda & The Lion King by Julie Taymor. Penn and Teller also have a video containing a segment on her work- check the VHS section at your library.

The finished Matilda

Matilda: Lighting Options

The lighting for this piece has been driving me crazy. At first I tried lighting it with the television (from the front) but the result, though cool looking, was not something that would ever work in print. Here are some of the better options I came up with (over 100 pictures right now). I love the shadow of Matilda's father on the wall, but it limits the direction from which the light can come (and adding another light results in multiple shadows). Any suggestions or personal preferences would be appreciated.

Current Project: Matilda

I need a new promotional piece, and after being wowed by Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox, I got to thinking about Roald Dahl. And, as I was London while I was thinking about this, I ended up coming across Matilda. Here's a sneak peek of an illustration for the children's novel:

Hand-painted check fabric.

Matilda's dad. I think the suit works rather well for a used car salesman, don't you?

European Sketchbook

I am back from my two month backpacking trip in Europe and have spent the past day scanning the two sketchbooks I filled there. Due to the sheer volume of sketches, you can view them on my European Sketchbook Blog. Below is a small sampling of pages....

Leaving, on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again

I am leaving the United States on Wednesday for Rome. This is the beginning of a 1 1/2 to 2 month long journey around and about Europe. After 10 days spent marveling at ancient through Baroque works in Italy, the trip will meander about a bit with certain stops in Paris, London, and Ghent (to see Jan van Eyck's Altarpiece).

During this time I will be reachable via email and will attempt to upload pictures and sketches here. Upon my return I will be certain to share my sketchbooks if doing so in transit proves impossible. If anyone has any tips of places not to miss, I'd love to hear about them!

CMYK Magazine

Be sure to check out the October 2009 issue of CMYK! This issue is for "aspiring creatives" and features student work. One of my pieces from Spring semester was selected for the issue so check it out. Also, congratulations to those accepted, I look forward to seeing your work!

Lighting Test: take two

There really is a big difference between halogen light bulbs (interior lighting in this picture) which are yellow, and my huge LED flashlight (outdoor light) which is intense and bluish. I'd like to try more colored lights and gels in the future.

Lighting Tests

When I have something set up, I'll sometimes plug in different characters and play around with lighting. After playing around with this set up, I did a night scene on the stoop which I am very happy with. However, attempts to upload it are resulting in something that appears to be a photographic negative. Hopefully I'll work out that kink and it will be up soon.

Also, the door knocker is functional.

Kitchen Remodeling

Well, a little while ago I remodeled a kitchen in a day. That's right, a whole kitchen in just ONE DAY.

Remember that kitchen from fall of 2008? Well, here it is! New wallpaper, darker cabinets, an added fridge and broom closet, and a new tile floor.

I had a surprisingly great time remodeling.

70s Family Portrait

Here's a family sporting a 70s look. The little boy is a favorite, though I am falling in love with the house, too.

Card

Needed to write some thank yous today, and wanted a personalized card. Here is the result.

All the pieces are from past work or work-in-progress.

Studio

The computer screen has itunes open. The Really Rosie poster is obviously Sendak- see if you can guess the others. The pencil is a regular 4B pencil- used until a scant inch remains. And yes, I really sculpt heads in the manner shown. As for the creatures living under the desk, I have no idea how they got there.

I had a question about how I curled the hair. Generally, I'll untwist strands of acrylic yarn, but not finding the right color, I wrapped embroidery thread around a paint brush, sprayed it with water, and let it sit overnight before unwrapping. So far, none of the curls have fallen out.

Sketchbook

Had to get out of the house today, so I went downtown (because there's no where else to go in Glens Falls). Here's a sketch of my view from Ridge Street Coffee Co.

Commencement

Graduation is over and I'm back in the wonderful (though rather wet) weather of New York. The commencement exhibition went well, and prints are still available. Above is a photo of the three-dimensional illustration elements which were a part of my display.

Commencement Exhibition

The Commencement Exhibition is up at MICA! Every graduating senior has work on the walls, and it is rather incredible, both in size and in scope. The work is sprinkled throughout the campus and is up until Monday at 5pm. Check it out from 11am-5pm until then. You'll find MICA illustration in the Fox building on the first and third floors.

Though some piece have already been sold, it is still possible to purchase prints of these pieces (for you to mat and frame as you see fit). If you are interested, please email me.

Oh. What's going on?

Lit from above using an LED flashlight- like the circus piece.

Sketch

Kids clothing final image

Here is the final image. I think the kids were the most fun to make, though cutting and gluing leaves on bushes is surprisingly relaxing- as long as you don't let the hot glue gun get too hot.

As this didn't need to be a rectangular format, I changed it as I liked the square composition better.

Sketches

All from medieval artwork.

More Sketches

And more medieval drawings.

Fun with a Wacom

Tracing "Treasure Island Endpapers", on the wacom, without looking at the screen.

This is now an art history guessing game, like pictionary, but not.

A hint of things to come...

This strange pig-like creature was recently spotted. I have no idea what it is nor where it came from. Any information regarding its species would be much appreciated.

Color study/sketch

Color study for a kids clothing advertising image. All clothing is from Hanna Andersson.

Spring Cleaning

Okay. For the sake of organization, things have been moved around a bit.

This blog, http://mmccoola.blogspot.com, contains illustrations and sketches.
My website, containing illustration work, can be found at www.marikamccoola.com.
My ceramic work can be found at http://marikamccoolaceramics.blogspot.com.
The books blog, Reading for Young Ladies and Gentlemen of Quality, can be found at http://readingofquality.blogspot.com.

Words on Wheels

I'm currently working on a Words on Wheels poster illustrating a Baltimore school child's poem for the Maryland Transportation Authority (I needed a brief break from thesis work).

Here's a clown on a unicycle made from wire, straws, yarn, and paint. And a dog in a ruff. I really enjoyed making the ruff and am now considering a period piece...but that won't happen until the distant future (also known as after graduation).

And a look at how everything is held up; primarily through the use of duct tape and wire. I lit the piece using flashlight beams for spotlights and the aid of mirrors (picture to come soon). LED flashlights are brilliant (I did not intend the bad pun).

Website

The website now exists (which is rather exciting).  Thank you to Sarah Bentley for helping me with it. 

Red Zinger

Illustration for senior thesis for Celestial Seasonings' Red Zinger Tea. The piece is sculpy, fabric, wire and paint shot against a black velvet background with tinfoil stars. In Photoshop I played around with scale and got rid of the wires holding everything in place.

Society of Illustrators Student Competition

Good News! The illustration of Edward Lear's poem "There was a Young Lady whose Nose..." has been accepted into the Society of Illustrators Student Show!