Friday, August 10, 2007

Illustration Friday: "Emergency"



My submission for Illustration Friday's "Emergency" is a colour-pencil study for the painting "Homeward Bound" featuring my dog Rat. The emergency that we are all faced with is over building. Yes, I love buildings but all of this constant building, subdivisions and mini mansions and the like are pushing all the wildlife out and wiping away the face of our towns. I'm afraid it is a big emergency! I posted a painting of this for IF here but sometimes I make a colour pencil version first to flesh out the idea. I find using pencils a soothing form of relaxation. You can listen to a movie or music and colour away. I also reversed the image which I love to do so I can see it both ways. Happy Friday!

34 comments:

Vhrsti said...

Cute, cute. What a lovely village.

Tina Poe said...

So happy and peaceful I love it!

thefridayfrog said...

i don't think i ever seen your less sculpty work - i love this! wonderful colors and all those houses and rat! what a great name for a dog! :)

Mim said...

Hi, thanks for your comment on my blog. Your drawings are so beautiful and detailed - and I agree that Rat is a great name for a dog.

The Unknown said...

Great illo, Rat looks cute and Amen!
:-)
love

Erin said...

You have a beautiful style. Your illustration feels very happy and freindly.

thousanddays said...

nice illo!love the color and lovely houses too

Cream said...

Both works look wonderful.
Is that an Emergency bone for Rat?

Unknown said...

Hi Val
Wanted you to know I am back at my blog again.
I'm still loving all your work.
I'm also glad we found our duck journal so here's hoping it gets sent on its merry way.

Kim de Young said...

I love the texture and feel of colored pencils! My favorites are prismacolor for their buttery and high color saturation. Love both versions!

Ginger*:) said...

I like the colored pencil version very much. You work is always inspiring and thought provoking. Our area here in NH is facing some of the same issues, but so far none as great as your part of the country. We try very hard in our community to recycle, reserve and preserve. This is a wonderful illustration... I hope Rat finds his way home in that evergrowing maze.

Anonymous said...

wow val gal! (try and say THAT three times really fast!!) :O)

That is beautiful. I really love the soft colors and the way you colored in the texture in the bushes is just wonderful.

You rock!

bog_art said...

I relly like the texture of the yard.. so nice!!..

Tracy said...

Val, I really like the colored pencil version! I agree, coloring is so much darn fun! Our little bedroom community outside of Louisville is growing so fast, we're like the fastest growing county in the state (KY) but have absolutely NO industry! Everyone builds and sleeps here but drives and works in Louisville. I understand your frustration. I love your dog's name, too! RAT :)

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Awwwww . . . how cute and magical!

Anonymous said...

nice work (again) makes you wonder how he ever finds his way home!

imwithsully said...

Exquisite! I like this style.

Hey, I nominated you for the Rockin' Girl Blogger award. I love how you put your heart soul into all your works! Details are at my site in the latest post.

murphy girl said...

lovely, as always. like the viewpoint (both yours and the dog's)

pati said...

Gorgeous! What else can I say, Val? I love it!

Digital Scott's Illustrationblog said...

Yea! I like your illustration a lot.

Andrea said...

I love the effect you've put around the street light!

Robert McLaughlin said...

To me, working with a pencil is simpler than paints. I can see how it would be quite relaxing.

Gillian Mowbray said...

Oh I do love your work. Quite poignant and very beautiful. I agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly. xxx

Random York said...

Beutiful! Cool!

bookbabie said...

I like soft look of the pencils and the perspective of the houses:)

Ces Adorio said...

Oh Val, I love Rat, what a name for a dog. As for the emergency I totally agree. I hate the mindless buildings and all these spiritless edifices.

carla said...

The building frenzy is everywhere! I agree that it is an emergency... it is so important to protect the land that's left. I love this drawing! It's cool to see how your style is so consistent, even in a different medium. I guess with the pencils, you can achive those subtle gradadtions you get with airbrush. you're so very talented, Val!

mike r baker said...

Nice drawing. Very vivid. And yes, urban sprawl is horrible! I love seeing all the old warehouses and storefronts here in Long Beach being turned to lofts. I even approve of the new high-rise condos popping up all over. Anything to keep people from spreading into the wild areas. Of course, we could with less people too, but that's another story.

Anonymous said...

here, here!
Over building is something I just don't understand,, but it is all money in the end I guess. Rat again, he is famous! Lovely work, as usual.

Anonymous said...

hi, tnx for your comment...lovely illo as usual and I subscribe your point of view: you are absolutely wright.

emilayusof said...

Hi Valerie! The illo is so great!

Anonymous said...

I really like this
and prefer the penciled version.

I think the obsession is with wanting something new and clean to live in- hence all the ugly pristine beige colored developments

now me, I want an old house; and if it's not asking too much: a ghost:)
pirate ghost or civil war general it doesn't much matter...as long as the stories are good ones.

Vinilos Ink said...

Preciosa ilustraciĆ³n!!!
cariƱos

Unknown said...

I LOVE your colored pencil work. What kind of paper are you working on. It looks so finished for a sketch?