2013 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award announced

January 12, 2013By Alice Ratterree

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) • … Read More

Tomie dePaola Award: Illustration Using Silhouette

December 16, 2012By Alice Ratterree

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, … Read More

Illustrating with boundaries

October 4, 2012By Alice Ratterree

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 … Read More

SCBWI Carolinas Pen & Palette Interview

October 3, 2012By Alice Ratterree

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 … Read More

The two faces of Fear in artmaking

September 18, 2012By Alice Ratterree

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 … Read More

The art of crying tomatoes: Moosejaw madness

September 17, 2012By Alice Ratterree

So Moosejaw has asked for 10,352 crying tomatoes, if you’re up to the illustration challenge. Artists of all kinds link up their best crying tomato for Moosejaw rewards points. What’s a crying tomato? Why would a tomato cry? Well, this is my best guess…. I’d say that’s a pretty fun way to buy a new tent. … Read More

P3: Month 1 retrospection

September 15, 2012By Alice Ratterree

Accountability drives the commitment to blogging daily practice. With accountability, I’m driven to make sure the Petite Painting Project keeps moving forward. After all, it’s OUT THERE, not just in my own world….PUBLIC. So here’s the honest truth: I confess and accept that I am human, and P3 will fall by the wayside from time … Read More

Freelancing: What’s in it for me?

September 7, 2012By Alice Ratterree

There are plenty of resources out there about how to put a price tag on our work. Some metric is lying around out there that perfectly calculates time spent on a project, education and training, taxes (eek!), and just good old fashioned supply and demand (although the truth is, as illustrators, we all offer something completely … Read More

Materials

August 29, 2012By Alice Ratterree

Materials, from Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland “The materials of art, like the thumbnail sketch, seduce us with their potential. The texture of the paper, the smell of the paint, the weight of the stone – all cast hints and innuendoes, beckoning our fantasies…But where materials have potential, they also have … Read More

Draw (and paint) what you see, not what you know

August 28, 2012By Alice Ratterree

This is the view from my kitchen window. I love seeing only the tops of houses. It was my favorite thing about city living too – dwelling a few floors up, no ground in sight, only rooftops, windows and sky. like being in your own almost weightless world. The trim around my window is white … Read More