Corel Painter

Before the Storm

| stepheningram

This is one of three pieces I submitted for the SCBWI Narrative Art Award. I purposely left out the background to focus on the two characters, the bird and the girl. I am experimenting with a crosshatching technique for color which allows me to bring out textures that I don’t know if I could do with flat colors. I can also bring a variety of colors into the patterns to run the gamut of the color palette.

#storm #trees #birds #kidlitart #childrensbookillustration #childrensillustration #illustration #illustrator #illustragram #illustratorsoninstagram #kidsillustrations #childrenillustration #childrenbookillustration #picturebooks #picturebookart #childrensbooks #picturebooksillustration #childrenbookart #art #digital #digitalart #wacom #corelpainter #stepheningram #SCBWI

Space Chickens

| stepheningram

Of course, there are many things to fear in space, and it just so happens that my protagonist has a problem with space chickens. I enjoyed coming up with the design and the “egg” emblem. I even tried to squeeze in a spaceship, but it was a bit too cramped. I think I could add more chickens if I wanted to. You can never have enough.

#space #spacechickens #kidlitart #childrensbookillustration #childrensillustration #illustration #illustrator #illustragram #illustratorsoninstagram #kidsillustrations #childrenillustration #childrenbookillustration #picturebooks #childrensbooks #picturebooksillustration #childrenbookart #art #digital #digitalart #wacom #corelpainter #stepheningram

Space Librarian Mimi

| stepheningram

I had a lot of fun drawing this picture. I have a thing for space, so any opportunity to use it as a setting is exciting for me. I started some loose sketches in Procreate, and coming up with a mockup sketch. From there, I did some linework on the iPad, before switching to Corel Painter. The rest of the work was done on my desktop. I used quite a few layers to keep elements separate, which is something I don not usually do. Hope you enjoy.

#space #scifi #sciencefiction #kidlitart #childrensbookillustration #childrensillustration #illustration #illustrator #illustragram #illustratorsoninstagram #kidsillustrations #childrenillustration #procreate #childrenbookillustration #picturebooks #childrensbooks #picturebooksillustration #childrenbookart #art #digital #digitalart #wacom #corelpainter #stepheningram

Space Girl colorized

| stepheningram

I really do love Corel Painter. I spend quite a bit of time optimizing the desktop so that I have the right drawing and coloring tools to make my projects go easier.

I broke this image into several layers of color with the linework sitting on top. I usually don’t take the time to do that, but it allowed me to choose different layers of color and I am quite happy.

Enjoy.

#whereismybook! #space #robots #kidlitart #childrensbookillustration #childrensillustration #illustration #illustrator #illustragram #illustratorsoninstagram #kidsillustrations #childrenillustration #childrenbookillustration #picturebooks #childrensbooks #picturebooksillustration #childrenbookart #art #digital #digitalart #wacom #corelpainter #stepheningram

 

 

Space Girl linework

| stepheningram

***Guess it should have been a question mark.***

Still experimenting with getting quality linework using Corel Painter. I have been using standard pencil variations instead of trying to build my own brush. I use CP 2020 and find that the “fast and simple” category is almost all I need to create art.

This is a side project that I am working on. Color will come soon.

#whereismybook! #space #robots #kidlitart #childrensbookillustration #childrensillustration #illustration #illustrator #illustragram #illustratorsoninstagram #kidsillustrations #childrenillustration #childrenbookillustration #picturebooks #childrensbooks #picturebooksillustration #childrenbookart #art #digital #digitalart #wacom #corelpainter #stepheningram

 

Fire

| stepheningram

Exploring some character design with lighting. Color is still not my strongest skillset. I love linework too much and wonder if I will ever truly escape it. Regardless, I love the colors of the fire and smoke, and the look of the character as her reaches for the flame. Doubtless, he will be surprised shortly. Start to finish in Corel Painter. I scraped a earlier version because it was too boring.

#imgonnaburnmyhand #fire #prehistoric #caveman #kidlitart #childrensbookillustration #childrensillustration #illustration #illustrator #illustragram #illustratorsoninstagram #kidsillustrations #childrenillustration #childrenbookillustration #picturebooks #childrensbooks #picturebooksillustration #childrenbookart #art #digital #digitalart #wacom #corelpainter #stepheningram

 

Space Boy

| stepheningram

Decided to do a simple character doodle and experiment with environments. Not sure if there is much of a story to this picture, but I do like the exaggeration of the figure, though I don’t know how it would work in profile. The mech is cute as well, though not tremendously innovative. Still, I do like it, and had fun doodling.

Star Kisses

| stepheningram

For this piece I put in some simple line work, using a non-varied pen. I wanted to keep the linework clean, without too much weight. I chose a small color palette, forgoing a background to make the piece stand on its own. I think the colors work, and color is something I am still trying to work upon.

#kidlit #kidlitart #kidlitillustration #illustration #picturebooks #corelpainter #art #digital #digitalart #wacom #stepheningram

Mammoth walking

| stepheningram

It’s time to draw a mammoth again.

I spent some time playing with the design. The first sketches are too realistic for my goal of a kid’s book illustration, but it is important to learn the foundations of anything before you move on.

My second sketches are more about shapes, and I’ve strived to simplify the look and feel of the mammoth. I find something I likeit my designs and I can now move on to a more refined piece of work.

Originally, I had the boy surfing on top, but I like his crouched look and smile. I chose to do simple linework on this design and that seems to work well for the story that I am conveying in this picture.

Thanks for looking and just keep drawing.

#kidlit #kidlitart #kidlitillustration #illustration #picturebooks #corelpainter #mammoth #caveman #stepheningram