the landing is done

Hey there...this took forever to complete...I was half way through coloring and still ended up changing the background A LOT (thanks to Steve's suggestions...I don't think I did exactly what he said, but it was enough to make me want to clear things up and the line that the panda was on turned into a tree branch...but because the other trees didn't have branches, I had to redesign the other tree which meant that more of the background showed)...

Anyway - I'd like your thoughts, because I want to use this as the front side of my postcard. Also anyone have any ideas as to when one should send a postcard this time of the year? The only reason I ask is that I remember reading somewhere that art directors and publishers and editors are bombarded at Christmas and through January because everyone has that time off and everyone suddenly has time to finish up that book or postcard and sends it off. I'm thinking of at least waiting until January 10th or so before sending something. I definitely don't want to send it now because of all the holidays and it's going to just sit at their office under a pile of other slush.

So, with all that said, does anyone else have any other ideas about sending postcard?

Some sketches

Everything I post here was done on the computer so I decided to take some sketchbook pics for the heck of it. I've been watching the baby a lot lately and while doing the daddy thing I make sure to have a sketchbook with me. This is a brown color erase pencil and a white charcoal pencil and lots of spray fixative on this recycled brown paper sketchbook that I bought at Utrecht art supplies. I know the holidays are crazy busy and it's easy to forget to get busy in those sketchbooks.

How many finishes

I am putting this dummy together, and I have the cover and one finished piece done for the inside. I still have some sketches to finish. I am wondering if I should do another finish or if 2 seems okay. I have done finishes more in the past with other dummies. What are your thoughts?

Patti

panda landing...

This was supposed to be the back of the postcard, but the more I work on it, the more I think it might want to go on the front...what do you think? And, more importantly, what do you think of the drawing? Is it solid?

Season's Greetings

Hi all,
I still don't feel comfy posting my little alien character for the in-progess book. We are working out the style and such still, but once that is complete, then I can't wait to show him off. :) I have a new respect for the process of creating a book. I thought that it would be a simple process of back and forth with minimal changes, but like all things in life, you live and learn. LOL

This is a request for a Christmas card by my daughter. She wanted a blue Christmas fairy, so I stuck her face in this little scene with a made up fairy for what will be a mostly blue and white Christmas card. I am considering making parts of it red and white like a candy cane, so we will see. :)
UPDATE: I added the mostly final file that I created in Photoshop and removed the sketch.

Cowabunga!!!!!!!

New Character WIP

Here is a character I am working on for a picture book I wrote. The story calls for him to have a simple body and be a cute bully. When kids see him on the cover I want them to immediately pick up the book and say, “He’s a very silly winged creature who looks like alot of trouble.”

He needs to be good at snatching and sneaking around ; maybe tiptoeing to be unnoticed, jumping out and scaring people, and then quickly vanishing with their belongings. He needs to be a skilled flyer and builder.

What do you think? I feel like he is missing some kind of sparkle, but it may just be me. Also what color should I make his finger and toe nails? They need to be very long. Thanks everyone.