Town Magazine features Greenville illustrators
It’s a dream to live in a town that supports artists. Greenville’s Town Magazine is running a feature this month on four local illustrators. The article, “Illustration Nation”, profiles the lives of four illustrators living in Greenville, SC. Artists Cory Godbey, Justin Gerard, Bonnie Adamson, and myself-Alice Ratterree-had the opportunity to share our journey into the business and what drives ...
How To Use Collage For Visual Reference
A blank sheet of paper can be intimidating for both writers and illustrators. Nothing else can inspire creativity and instill fear both at the same time. Even when I can “see” the finished image in my head, it doesn’t just flow out onto the paper. A writer re-writes rather than writes, and an illustrator needs ...
Daily sketch work
Friday sketch, 3.1.2013. Illustrator promo of the day: Lisbeth Zwerger. Let’s get real, she needs no promo from me…just want everyone to know about her. Hands down, one of my favorites. Here’s some images of hers on tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/lisbeth%20zwerger
Mentee Monday: a post-SCBWI conference adventure
My advice to all illustrators: find your tribe. A tribe, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, can be defined as “a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest.” As illustrators, we are a lonely bunch of people. We wrestle in isolation with our visions, attempting (most of the time in vain) to harness ...
The most important question illustrators need to answer
My fascination with Alice continues, this time in her encounter with the caterpillar. He asks her the famous question, “Who are you?” I believe this question is the very heart of Lewis Carroll‘s brilliance. It is his confrontation with Alice’s escapism, as if holding up a mirror to his own character. (Is it a coincidence ...
2013 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award announced
An exciting week – The 2013 Tomie dePaola award presented by SCBWI was announced and my entry was given an honorable mention by Tomie himself! Alice Ratterree’s cut out silhouette stood out. I liked that she secretly added a pair of scissors on one side and a profile of Mark Twain on the other…(more) • ...
Tomie dePaola Award: Illustration Using Silhouette
My entry for the 2013 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award. Papercutting is an art form that has been practiced for centuries in many different cultures throughout the world. Being a bit biased, I am particularly drawn to the Southern American heritage of artform of silhouette. A few months ago we discovered this Carew Rice paper cut: Rice, ...
Illustrating with boundaries
This past weekend, SCBWI Carolinas celebrated their 20th annual conference in Charlotte, NC. I love returning to the well. Inspiring keynotes and energizing breakouts filled our time for three whole days! Illustrators arrived early on Friday for an intensive session with the charming illustrator Priscilla Burris. We were given an assignment ahead of time which was: Characters ...
SCBWI Carolinas Pen & Palette Interview
Here are some excepts from my interview in Pen & Palette as SCBWI Carolinas First Place winner for the 2012 Art Contest. Congratulations to Brenda Gilliam and Jennifer Noel Bower who were also recognized for their work. Rather than focus on a single illustrator, this issue showcases the top three winners of the 3rdAnnual SCBWI ...
The two faces of Fear in artmaking
A tip of the day from Art and Fear, by David Bayles and Ted Orland: “Fears about artmaking fall into two families: fears about yourself, and fears about your reception by others. In a general way, fears about yourself prevent you from doing your best work, while fears about your reception by others prevent you ...
